Bradley facilities

[dogsrus]

I see both sides of this argument, and both have valid points, but I think the final point is that the basketball team IS for the students. While the program is truly made big and sustained by the people of peoria, if there were no students there would be no team. Anyone that says the team "exists because of the town of Peoria" is just wrong. Peoria needs Bradley and the Bradley students in order to have a team, not the other way around. Otherwise get a pro team.

OK...take away the town support and what would you have...? If the town support wasn't there we would be playing Weslyean, Eureka, etc.

BU could not afford to have a D1 team if not for Peorian's.....

The University IS for the students and about 6000 come every year. IF they had basketball like attendance at the university BU would be dead.

You cannot claim something is for a certain group year after year IF that certain group NEVER shows up.

BU admin. doesn't care about the students anymore.....why would they, they don't give a rats a$$ about the team. Alls they do is look for lame excuses why they don't/won't go.

Yikes, 1$ and ride a bus downtown to hoops for free food and cheap beer. Yeah...tough.

BU Basketball = PEORIA....PERIOD.

 

[thefish7]

BU admin. doesn't care about the students anymore.....why would they, they don't give a rats a$$ about the team. Alls they do is look for lame excuses why they don't/won't go.

Any BU administrator who would suggest something like that would be dismissed from the university promptly, I think.

The problem with the bus to get downtown is that you have to show up early to catch the bus and then you're at the mercy of the bus to go home, it was a pretty big hassle the one time I did it, especially when compared to later when I had a car and was able to drive down myself.

The fact of the matter is the Bradley sports are not a pro team. It is a university team and so exists to support activities of the university, specifically the students and the alumni. Community support is awesome here and very very welcome, but the sports teams do not exist for the edification of the community.

Finally, I think it's important to note that I don't think community support would suffer at all in the event a modern basketball stadium was built on campus. Just as many people from the community would surely attend games, and many of them would find the "new stadium" closer to home.

 

[yourbradleybraves!]

I do not disagree at all with your statements about Peoria making Bradley basketball big and good. Peoria is the only reason we aren't DII. I just have a problem with Peoria people that completely forget that even though the students are apathetic to the team, (believe me I know, I still fight my friends apathy after I've graduated) if it weren't for the students than peoria would not have bradley basketball to cheer for. The basketball team is for the students and is made up of students. No matter how hard people want it to be just peoria's team, it is the schools team.

 

[BradleyBrave]

I do not disagree at all with your statements about Peoria making Bradley basketball big and good. Peoria is the only reason we aren't DII. I just have a problem with Peoria people that completely forget that even though the students are apathetic to the team, (believe me I know, I still fight my friends apathy after I've graduated) if it weren't for the students than peoria would not have bradley basketball to cheer for. The basketball team is for the students and is made up of students. No matter how hard people want it to be just peoria's team, it is the schools team.

It's an interesting and unique dynamic that BU and Peoria have. Peoria isn't the typical 'college town' where the school IS the local economy (i.e. Champaign-Urbana), yet it also isn't a major enough city to warrant major professional sports. The lifeblood of Peoria - Caterpillar - is also the lifeblood of BU. With that being the case, there can be a very strong argument that BU and the basketball team ARE Peoria's team, simply because of the relationships that both exist under. While in theory the team IS the school's team and the students' team, the city of Peoria and people who live and work there make Bradley basketball possible. The school and the athletic program are dependent on Peoria and the local economy, as opposed to the other way around in most college towns.

 

[thefish7]

You're right about Peoria not being a college town. I'd be interested to see how the college's revenue breaks down. I can figure tuition to contribute something like $97.5M a year. On top of that is gift from alumni (or really more importantly the endowment), and then other contributions. Those things I don't know or can't figure just with some quick math. I'm not sure that I can agree that Caterpillar and/or its employees specifically are the lifeblood of the university, as again I'd imagine alumni and student revenue make up the vast majority of the university's revenue... but it would be interesting to know what percentage of graduates work for caterpillar or a business that works for Cat. Of my friends from school I'd say it's probably... 10% or less.

 

[mplona]

I think the main problem for students not attending basketball games is apathy. The "Bradley Basketball Fans" group of facebook grew a lot during the tourney, and I called them out on not actually going to games. It is NOT inconvient to walk to the student center and get on a bus for a 2 minute ride downtown to watch the game. The problem is one of caring, not convience. And we win most home games anyway so it shouldnt be a matter of "if they win more, more people will show up."
It is the students who dont care enough to go, or who just sit there the whole game without any standing or cheering.

An upgrade of facilities is important, but an on-campus arena is not. I dont think Bradley has the resources to buy out the necessary space, and construct a suitably large arena on-campus right now anyway.

i was goin to rant on & on about this topic in general, but i think you said everything i had to say exactly.

 

[BradleyBrave]

I'm not sure that I can agree that Caterpillar and/or its employees specifically are the lifeblood of the university, as again I'd imagine alumni and student revenue make up the vast majority of the university's revenue... but it would be interesting to know what percentage of graduates work for caterpillar or a business that works for Cat. Of my friends from school I'd say it's probably... 10% or less.

I think if you looked into the economic impact Caterpillar has on Peoria, how much they donate annually to the university, the number of people related to Caterpillar who are major decision makers at the university, and the number of people they employ from BU, you may think differently.

 

[thefish7]

BradleyBrave, I think you and I pretty much agree on this topic, for the most part <comments inside brackets>:

I think if you looked into the economic impact Caterpillar has on Peoria, < AGREE>
how much they donate annually to the university, <Figure it's a lot but don't know>
the number of people related to Caterpillar who are major decision makers at the university, <agree>
and the number of people they employ from BU, <again I don't have good numbers, but about 1/5 of my peers are Bradley grads, I think... the rest coming from Purdue, ISU, and then a lot of new ones from UTexas and Mich St...>

you may think differently. <for me, it's about the numbers, I don't really know how the revenue breaks down other than that I can figure tuition is somewhere around $100M. Philosophically, though, I will always think that the university's first priority should be the students as they are both the university's customer and the university's product, so to speak.>

 

[dogsrus]

Excellent discussion....this isn't and SHOULD'T be Townies against Students.
NOTHING would make me and most BU fans I know happier than to have 500 crazy students filling the endzone for every home game.

Every year we offer suggestions, ideas and some have even offered rides and yet they just don't seem interested.

The BEST thing BU can do is put a winning product on the floor so the bandwagon students will climb aboard. While that term may INSULT some students its a simple fact...watch the increase in attendance as a result of this years success.

Some FACTS must be recognized though. BU is NOT now or in the next 25 years going to be able or willing to build an On campus arena.

I would support it in a heart beat but It isn't going to happen. The sooner students understand and accept this the sooner they can focus on wether they want to make the "sacrifice" needed to attend and support "their" team.
The team will be playing downtown for the next 20 years if not more...BOOK IT, PERIOD...END OF STORY.

Its funny that students can find ways to Bars all over town but struggle to get to the PCC :-o

Students want to feel the love from BU...so do I. Its easy, show up and you will.

If the TOWN quits supporting BU enjoy YOUR team and its DII games......thats the QUICKEST way to get them on-campus because that new 5000 seat facility will be TWICE as big as you will need if that happens.

 

[SFP]

Bradley is in a unique situation with our fan base and it really works out for both the University and Peoria. It is a symbiotic relationship. Does it make a difference who is the host? No, It just works out really well for both parties. If you are a real fan of the team the bus ride should not make a difference. I remeber taking the shuttle and never thought it was that bad. Yea it would have been sweet to walk to the game but it is what it is. Would I like to see an upgrade to our facilities? Hell yes, especially if they have not been upgraded since I've been there (corporate suites?). If there is still student apathy after this season then our sports marketing department is doing something wrong.

Noted..it would be nice to have our students around the court, instead of behind the basket,like they do at Duke and Maryland for a real home court advantage. Let's face it when you are 18-21 you can make a hell of a lot more noice then when you are grey and tired.

 

[BradleyBrave]

I am hoping that once the PCC is done expanding, they put some real effort and money into renovating Carver Arena. I like Carver a lot, but it needs a real makeover. The concourse needs refurbishing (a new floor would be nice, the concrete is so depressing), the restrooms need to be expanded, luxury suits need to be added somewhere (even if it means some seats are removed), and the inside of the arena just needs a cosmetic makeover. It doesn't look like it's been touched since the place opened because quite frankly, it hasn't been.

 

[molar50]

It would be nice to have the first 2 or 3 rows in the arena reserved for the students. This would force all the season ticketholders up 2 or 3 rows upward and force them to stand up with the students. I do not think that this will happen because of the golden rule (whoever has the gold makes the rules).