Facilities and Arena discussion

[JimP]

Binghamton University has incredible baseball facilities after a $60 million donation. I attended a game this season and the crowd was tiny despite it. There were a couple of furries down a row and to my right.

 

[Old Man]

Solely from a ROI perspective, we’ll never get back the probable millions of dollars it will take to build a new stadium. For those that are fans of the baseball team I totally get it, but I think the argument that there’s this massive group of people who will attend games that haven’t in the past because our facilities are subpar isn’t rooted in reality. I’d rather spend whatever the minimum needed to renovate the current field and pour the rest of that money into basketball.

If ROI was an actual consideration with regard to college sports, most sports programs, at virtually all schools, would be shut down.

 

[MasonSAE4]

Solely from a ROI perspective, we’ll never get back the probable millions of dollars it will take to build a new stadium. For those that are fans of the baseball team I totally get it, but I think the argument that there’s this massive group of people who will attend games that haven’t in the past because our facilities are subpar isn’t rooted in reality. I’d rather spend whatever the minimum needed to renovate the current field and pour the rest of that money into basketball.

I'll play devil's advocate here and say that we need to get all of our facilities into at least the later third of the 20th century if not purely for image reasons. Part of shedding the commuter school image is going to consist of having at least respectable facilities for every sport. For the love of God they need to replace Mason Stadium and the Field House. They're such prominent eye sores that so much traffic passes by.

 

[Mason2006Patriot]

ALL of our facilities need to be updated (not just the ones the mens and womens basketball team uses)

 

[GMUgemini]

ALL of our facilities need to be updated (not just the ones the mens and womens basketball team uses)

Other than maybe swimming and diving. The aquatic center is pretty top notch. Oh, and the RAC is still in good shape (volleyball and wrestling).

But yes, the soccer stadium and track need to be decoupled, the baseball field needs to be completely redone. I haven’t seen where we play tennis (unless that’s the tennis courts by the RAC and then yikes, yes, I’ve seen neighborhoods with better tennis facilities).

Does field hockey use the soccer stadium?

 

[Pablo]

Other than maybe swimming and diving. The aquatic center is pretty top notch. Oh, and the RAC is still in good shape (volleyball and wrestling).

But yes, the soccer stadium and track need to be decoupled, the baseball field needs to be completely redone. I haven’t seen where we play tennis (unless that’s the tennis courts by the RAC and then yikes, yes, I’ve seen neighborhoods with better tennis facilities).

Does field hockey use the soccer stadium?

GMU does not have a field hockey team. Besides soccer and track & field, the stadium is used by the women's lacrosse team and the Old Glory DC rugby team.

 

[Mason2006Patriot]

Where are we getting the money to fund all of these new facilities?

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

Solely from a ROI perspective, we’ll never get back the probable millions of dollars it will take to build a new stadium. For those that are fans of the baseball team I totally get it, but I think the argument that there’s this massive group of people who will attend games that haven’t in the past because our facilities are subpar isn’t rooted in reality. I’d rather spend whatever the minimum needed to renovate the current field and pour the rest of that money into basketball.

I think the bigger issue isn’t casual fan attendance, it’s corporate sponsorship dollars. A new stadium could help with naming rights, premium hospitality, and donor opportunities, but from a pure ROI standpoint, it’s hard to see those revenues ever covering the millions it would cost to build.

La Salle is a good example because they creatively rethought the space. By reorienting the court and reconfiguring seating, they added premium seating and hospitality areas that generate sponsorship and donor revenue without the cost of a new venue.

La Salle University Unveils Basketball Arena Renovation Project - La Salle University Athletics

PHILADELPHIA - La Salle University announced Wednesday the unveiling of its arena renovation project that will elevate the new home for Explorers men's and women's

goexplorers.com

 

[jkh1978]

But why am I seeing very little corporate sponsorship? Too much going to DC teams? I’m not trying to get a hate discussion going I just don’t see why companies aren’t throwing money at athletics. I thought Wegmans was to be a sponsor but never saw it.

 

[Ben Chwarmer]

But why am I seeing very little corporate sponsorship? Too much going to DC teams? I’m not trying to get a hate discussion going I just don’t see why companies aren’t throwing money at athletics. I thought Wegmans was to be a sponsor but never saw it.

Because they don’t get enough out of it. They can’t wine and dine their clients on metal folding chairs.

 

[Jack Strop]

But why am I seeing very little corporate sponsorship? Too much going to DC teams? I’m not trying to get a hate discussion going I just don’t see why companies aren’t throwing money at athletics. I thought Wegmans was to be a sponsor but never saw it.

For one, a company has its own ROI to consider when entering into a sponsor relationship. If no one is there to see the company's logo then ROI is not worth the dole.

 

[DRK331]

Did anyone else get this email about the GMU Locker Room campaign?

LOCKER ROOM CAMPAIGN

LOCKER ROOM CAMPAIGN

gomason.com

 

[GSII]

Because they don’t get enough out of it. They can’t wine and dine their clients on metal folding chairs.

An arguement could be made that AAA Baseball or USL 2 Soccer teams bring in more sponsorship money than Mason Athletics. I would think not, but maybe its too close. They surely don't get alot out of those minimal eyeballs. Sponsorship is also a write off.

 

[jkh1978]

Anyone know what it would cost us to get some ads? Is the price so high that no one does it, or should we be buying up sponsorships?

 

[psyclone]

But why am I seeing very little corporate sponsorship? Too much going to DC teams? I’m not trying to get a hate discussion going I just don’t see why companies aren’t throwing money at athletics. I thought Wegmans was to be a sponsor but never saw it.

I just realized that the Northwest Federal Credit Union that Mason has been doing all the Signing Day events with is the same organization that has the naming rights for the Commanders stadium...a little slow on the uptake on my part, I would say.

Clearly they are willing to throw money at athletics, but given that they already spent something like 8-9 milliion/year on the Commanders, I would guess that they won't be bidding when the Patriot Center naming rights contract with Eagle Bank expires.

Northwest Federal Credit Union takes Commanders Field naming rights

The Commanders have sold stadium naming rights to Northwest Federal Credit Union, which steps in after FedEx.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

 

[jkh1978]

I just realized that the Northwest Federal Credit Union that Mason has been doing all the Signing Day events with is the same organization that has the naming rights for the Commanders stadium...a little slow on the uptake on my part, I would say.

Excited that NFCU working with Mason... let's get at least three more big names...

 

[jessej]

I am on Long Island at the UBS arena for the EW&F / Lionel Ritchie concert. This relatively new 18000 seat arena- at least to me - is also the home of Hofstra Bball and the Long Island Islanders.

I can imagine Hofstra has capacity issues on the scale of Georgetown and much worse than Mason.

 

[GMUgemini]

I am on Long Island at the UBS arena for the EW&F / Lionel Ritchie concert. This relatively new 18000 seat arena- at least to me - is also the home of Hofstra Bball and the Long Island Islanders.

I can imagine Hofstra has capacity issues on the scale of Georgetown and much worse than Mason.

2,151 (in 24-25 season) average per game, less than half the average attendance that Georgetown had and Georgetown has horrendous numbers for a Big East team.

 

[mkaufman1]

I am on Long Island at the UBS arena for the EW&F / Lionel Ritchie concert. This relatively new 18000 seat arena- at least to me - is also the home of Hofstra Bball and the Long Island Islanders.

I can imagine Hofstra has capacity issues on the scale of Georgetown and much worse than Mason.

Hofstra doesnt play at UBS regularly like Georgetown plays at Verizon. They play at the Mack Center On campus.

 

[DRK331]

2 Brand new articles on the GMU Basketball home court changes here:

Tickets - NOVA's Home Court. Designed For Every Fan

NOVA's Home Court. Designed For Every Fan for George Mason University Patriots Tickets

gomason.com

Link #2:

Northern Virginia’s Home Court. Designed For Every Fan. - George Mason University Athletics

As George Mason Basketball continues to establish itself as NOVA's Team, the athletics department is evolving the EagleBank Arena gameday experience to match the

gomason.com