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Non-Revenue Sports
- Thread starter wizard1
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southpaw nothin
Guest
You have to look at where the true opportunities for growth are. . .
Soccer stands to explode over the next 10-20 years. You have everything in place for a women's soccer program to be successful.
Other sports that are experiencing tremendous growth and popularity are water polo, lacrosse, sand volleyball, and rugby.
More schools are likely to play lacrosse and sand volleyball. Equipment costs for water polo are minimal, and not very many teams play, so if you get in early, you can establish a program that has some tradition if there is a boom in programs long-term.
tornado
New member
where would a team play?
Don't you need a pool, and generally it has to be a pretty big one. The one at the Markin is nowhere near big enough and you'd even need seating as well.
Spending money in these sports does not mean making money. Contrary it will take money away from other potential areas where the university can make a bundle like research and development.
Stanford University made a mint when they used their funds in funding Google. Creating the infrastructure for future commercial enterprise is where the university needs to go. Sports do add a sense of community, pride and PR to the school but I doubt any business would spend a huge percentage of their budget on PR when it should be spent on R&D. Men's basketball is in a class by itself because it makes money and is a great PR tool, any other sports program needs to be weighed in for its cost benefit ratio.
I'm sure if you were talking about your money you would think differently. It would be like sending your kids to piano, guitar, tennis, golf, gymnastic and swimming lessons and not sending them to a tutor if they need it because you can't afford it all. I would bet unless your kid is the next Tiger Woods or Michael Phelps (sacrafices will be made) you would chose the tutor over any of the extracurricular lessons.
Lakeview Brave
New member
15 years ago Bradley was surrounded by a crime ridden neighborhood complete with gang, murder, prostitution ect.. Bradley Hall was antiquated and had almost none of the latest technology. Parking on campus was nearly impossible for students or visitors. The science center was outdated and unable to attract the top science students. The soccer team played in horrible conditions and almost never won a game. The tennis team had to go off campus to play because Bradley didn’t have courts. The baseball team played in a decent but not phenomenal facility. Somehow without Bradley becoming a mega university all of these things have changed for the better. I dont think its unrealistic or asking to much for us to be competitive in sports we already field and to perhaps add a womans soccer team. It takes vision and determination to get the job done but it can be done. Its not like asking for anything crazy like a top 3 finish for the basketball team.
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tornado
New member
and there are some who claim that the athletic director during virtually that entire stretch had nothing to do with those remarkable achievements.... :roll::roll::roll::roll:
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southpaw nothin
Guest
If you are referring to anything I wrote, tornado, that is a terrible mis-representation.
I fully acknowledged "universal facility improvement" as the obvious achievement of Kavanagh's tenure in my very first sentence.
However, I also thought it responsible to point out that several of the projects were on the drawing board or in long-term strategic plan before he became AD, and that his involvement in them was not unilateral.
I fully acknowledged "universal facility improvement" as the obvious achievement of Kavanagh's tenure in my very first sentence.
However, I also thought it responsible to point out that several of the projects were on the drawing board or in long-term strategic plan before he became AD, and that his involvement in them was not unilateral.
As someone who lived just west of Western Ave 15 years ago I have to say I would walk places then I wouldn't walk now. I don't know where you come up with Bradley being a worse neighborhood 15 years ago.
Lakeview Brave
New member
The entire area east of campus is now student housing, basketball courts and a football/playing field, 15 years ago you couldnt walk there.
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southpaw nothin
Guest
Specifically, I think he's referring to the area along Bradley Avenue--with the new lighting in place now, it's almost like daytime at night--you can see down the entire avenue, and a couple blocks down, one past Fredonia.
Also, the area where the St. James apartment complex now stands behind Campustown, had one of the highest crime rates in the city, but now students can live and have recreational activities there with basically zero outside influence.
Is it the neighborhood or thugs wandering around? I have not been back to P-town in quite some time and am wondering if the neighborhood around BU has deteriorated?
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southpaw nothin
Guest
I have no clue what he is referring to SFP.
I attended BU 1997-2001, and began working at BU in 2004.
I do know that if you went a block or two off campus alone back when I was a student you took a big risk with your personal safety. However, now, while there are undesirable neighborhoods still on the opposite side of Main and a few block beyond the St. James apartments, the area immediately surrounding BU is infinitely safer. It's not perfect, of course. You still have a lot of crime in Peoria that can be concentrated in areas not far from BU and spills over.
But the notion the area surrounding BU has deteriorated is on the contrary.
In my student days, it seemed there was about a mugging a weekend along Bradley Ave. While it still occurs, the frequency has been reduced to probably about once every couple months. Still probably high for a small private school, but a considerable improvement.
I attended BU 1997-2001, and began working at BU in 2004.
I do know that if you went a block or two off campus alone back when I was a student you took a big risk with your personal safety. However, now, while there are undesirable neighborhoods still on the opposite side of Main and a few block beyond the St. James apartments, the area immediately surrounding BU is infinitely safer. It's not perfect, of course. You still have a lot of crime in Peoria that can be concentrated in areas not far from BU and spills over.
But the notion the area surrounding BU has deteriorated is on the contrary.
In my student days, it seemed there was about a mugging a weekend along Bradley Ave. While it still occurs, the frequency has been reduced to probably about once every couple months. Still probably high for a small private school, but a considerable improvement.
I was at BU from 98-02... Similar experience with southpaw. Nasty stuff north of main, east of campus, or beyond Western ave... I would say Western is the same today, but east of campus is many times better... as is the area north of main, particularly if you stay west of university. Now if you head east on main it gets pretty crazy pretty quick, but I think the on-going medical center developments are helping to alleviate that some.
Considering what is safe and not is very subjective to where you were brought up. If you look at where U PENN or John Hopkins are located, BU is a walk in the park. I'm sure someone from the south part of Chicago would laugh at the notion that around BU is not safe and someone from a small town would completely disagree. I never thought P-town was unsafe while I was there. Were there sketchy areas? Yes, but nothing you could really avoid.
I had more issues with Bradley cops then I did with any thugs, while there.:lol:
I had more issues with Bradley cops then I did with any thugs, while there.:lol:
I was implying a little sarcasm in my statement but in reality they were a bit too enthusiastic at times while I was there. Their stress level regarding 420 was a little excessive IMHO. Sometime bordering on the Keystone cops or Barney Fife. :lol: (another joke)