http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/mi.../98533930/

The story is out. Pending Board of Regents approval.

There is a LOT to like for everyone. Removal of the track at Rynearson.

New facilities for gymnastics and wrestling. New outdoor track. New premium FB seating in the north end zone.

I believe EMU will rent out the IPF to others in the community.

Tons of good stuff. Needs to get approved in April by the full BOR.

BTW, I'm surprised at the 9M figure. EMU has been quietly raising money (Hint: those $ were in a BOR meeting financial I think last November.).

Heather and Christian are getting things done... Dan McLean must have done a great job getting pledges. ONE donor pledged 6M bucks. That is serious money for EMU donors.

That ONE donor will probably be the difference between 'go and 'no go' and if everything is a go, he or she will forever have changed athletics at EMU. Thank you to whomever it was... (I hope/assume they'll name the football building after that person).

Guys have fun with this one. Anyone an architect or wannabe architect?

With the track gone, I believe we could move the playing field about say 20 yards south (closer to the Convo).

That would free up some space at the north end to extend a new football building into what is now the track/end zone area.

And hallelujah with the track gone a new scoreboard could be placed on top of the football building and it would be in the 'same zip code' as the football field. Lol.

I think we'll see what a lot of other schools have been doing: Put the football building 15 - 20 feet beyond the end line, have seats (suites), and a scoreboard.

New facilities are great.
Don't kniw how they will get all that done with 35 million. Also, betting on a wave of negative reactions.

(03-02-2017 08:20 AM)masttg Wrote:  New facilities are great.
Don't kniw how they will get all that done with 35 million. Also, betting on a wave of negative reactions.

I assume they will borrow the rest (I don't know how much they believe they can raise in a public fund raising campaign).

The question is a debt service issue.

Can EMU afford say 1M / year to pay for it?

I appreciate that they are billing the moving out of Bowen as an opportunity to expand academics and intramural into the building. It's something they've been talking about on campus for years. The College of Health and Human Services needs the space. This will benefit our academic programs too.

(03-02-2017 08:57 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(03-02-2017 08:20 AM)masttg Wrote:  New facilities are great.
Don't kniw how they will get all that done with 35 million. Also, betting on a wave of negative reactions.

I assume they will borrow the rest (I don't know how much they believe they can raise in a public fund raising campaign).

The question is a debt service issue.

Can EMU afford say 1M / year to pay for it?

I'll open my wallet for this.... but I'm afraid I won't get that them that much closer. I'm a longgggg way away from a 7-figure major gift.

(03-02-2017 09:06 AM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  

(03-02-2017 08:57 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(03-02-2017 08:20 AM)masttg Wrote:  New facilities are great.
Don't kniw how they will get all that done with 35 million. Also, betting on a wave of negative reactions.

I assume they will borrow the rest (I don't know how much they believe they can raise in a public fund raising campaign).

The question is a debt service issue.

Can EMU afford say 1M / year to pay for it?

I'll open my wallet for this.... but I'm afraid I won't get that them that much closer. I'm a longgggg way away from a 7-figure major gift.

Invest in lottery tickets. One winning ticket and the football building can be named after you... :)

Dear Friends,
Once again, however, the article goes right to past controversies about Eastern's athletics, including the amount of money spent from the general fund, without mentioning that Western and Central spend similar amounts for their athletic programs. It should be obvious to the author, that spending that amount on upgrades, that Eastern has no intention of dropping sports or dropping down a division.

As to fund raising.

I'm surprised that 9M was raised in a quiet phase. That is a lot for EMU.

I don't know if any corporations pledged. I would like to see say some Detroit area corporations with good local reputations contribute. Maybe 1M for naming of the scoreboard. Esp. companies like Little Caesers, Quicken Loans, etc. Those are solid companies who have done a lot for Detroit and maybe a M or 2M for EMU would be nice.

I'd hope that public phase donors would contribute say another 5M.

IF EMU can raise 15M of 35M that would be incredible for EMU.

BTW, EMU gets a lot of 'gain' by freeing Bowen for re-usage.

Would FB offices move to the FB building and other sports move from Bowen to Convo?

$6 million from one donor! Damn EMU Steve, I had no idea you were doing so well.

(03-02-2017 10:43 AM)HuronDave Wrote:  $6 million from one donor! Damn EMU Steve, I had no idea you were doing so well.

I could see a new building being named "The Steve Center".

It all sounds great and I'll enjoy the changes. But when are people going to come to the rational conclusion that all across Div I too much money is spent on sports?

I hate that EMU is held up as an example because we're just trying to keep from falling behind. The schools that set the spending pace are the problem.

The $6M was from me....... Kidding :-)

Great News for EMU. Couldn't come at a better time as we are on the eve of winning a MAC Football Championship.

Go Eagles!

(03-02-2017 09:55 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Once again, however, the article goes right to past controversies about Eastern's athletics, including the amount of money spent from the general fund, without mentioning that Western and Central spend similar amounts for their athletic programs.

Meanwhile, six miles away . . .

I wonder if that 6M came from an individual or a corporation?

Remember, EMU athletic fund raising has normally been, I believe, in the range of say 500 - 750K per year. I think recent years have been better.

I would guess naming rights being a big thing with the football building and maybe other things like scoreboard, etc. could yield corporate money.

Stephen Ross tossed some huge bucks at UofM. Mike Ilitch donated what 40M to WSU for a school of business building.

(03-02-2017 11:36 AM)Luckeyone Wrote:  The $6M was from me....... Kidding :-)

Great News for EMU. Couldn't come at a better time as we are on the eve of winning a MAC Football Championship.

Go Eagles!

I thought it was from you.

Donate another 100K to MBB and Murphy will play M2M defense tomorrow night.

35 mil that's lots of pop cans

(03-02-2017 07:06 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Guys have fun with this one. Anyone an architect or wannabe architect?

With the track gone, I believe we could move the playing field about say 20 yards south (closer to the Convo).

That would free up some space at the north end to extend a new football building into what is now the track/end zone area.

And hallelujah with the track gone a new scoreboard could be placed on top of the football building and it would be in the 'same zip code' as the football field. Lol.

I think we'll see what a lot of other schools have been doing: Put the football building 15 - 20 feet beyond the end line, have seats (suites), and a scoreboard.

Sorry for replying to my own post.

Someone please correct me, but there does NOT appear enough space for a good sized football building UNLESS the football field is moved south say 20 yards or more. That whole north area is 'landlocked' because of the IPF, baseball field, etc.

I'm assuming if the field is moved 20+ yards south, that the football building could start at its northern most point (where it is NOW) and extend to the end of the seats (where the north goal line is now).

With a nice building with suites over hanging the building: Beautiful.

Dear steve,
I think you answered your own question!

Glad this is finally public!!!!


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