Lobbying the board of visitors for more resources?

[DRK331]

Mason fans can donate to GMU Athletics and the basketball program here:

Give Online Today

securemason.gmu.edu

 

[psyclone]

Came across this link on Public R1 Universities in the Chronicle of Higher Education and anticipated future trends, using Mason as an example:

George Mason University unveils mixed-use development plan - Brailsford & Dunlavey

www.bdconnect.com

Edit: link to Feb 2025 Sports Business Journal:

George Mason lays out facility, mixed-use vision

George Mason president Gregory Washington laid out his plan for how to shape the university's campus around a new mixed-use development in the West Campus that would include significant investment in existing and new athletic facilities.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

 

[MasonSAE4]

Came across this link on Public R1 Universities in the Chronicle of Higher Education and anticipated future trends, using Mason as an example:

George Mason University unveils mixed-use development plan - Brailsford & Dunlavey

www.bdconnect.com

Edit: link to Feb 2025 Sports Business Journal:

George Mason lays out facility, mixed-use vision

George Mason president Gregory Washington laid out his plan for how to shape the university's campus around a new mixed-use development in the West Campus that would include significant investment in existing and new athletic facilities.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

The article is inaccurate. The EBA renovations listed are basically just HVAC repairs, not "premium seating" and all the other stuff. As for West Campus stuff, that all falls under "I'll believe it when I see it". Multiple GMU administrations have kicked the can down the road on anything over there. Not sure if it's out of fear of messing up such a large opportunity, crappy commercial real estate environment, or some combination, but I don't get the sense that Washington is any more decisive when it comes to West Campus. Get ready for another decade of stakeholder meetings with like eight people from Old Town Fairfax who are just there for the free food.

 

[GMUgemini]

The article is inaccurate. The EBA renovations listed are basically just HVAC repairs, not "premium seating" and all the other stuff. As for West Campus stuff, that all falls under "I'll believe it when I see it". Multiple GMU administrations have kicked the can down the road on anything over there. Not sure if it's out of fear of messing up such a large opportunity, crappy commercial real estate environment, or some combination, but I don't get the sense that Washington is any more decisive when it comes to West Campus. Get ready for another decade of stakeholder meetings with like eight people from Old Town Fairfax who are just there for the free food.

Isn’t the neighborhood over there the ones who killed the cricket stadium deal? I doubt they’d stay quiet about mixed-use going in over there, especially student housing.

 

[MasonSAE4]

Isn’t the neighborhood over there the ones who killed the cricket stadium deal? I doubt they’d stay quiet about mixed-use going in over there, especially student housing.

Yeah, most of it was traffic related. I suspect they wouldn't have a ton of sway over this because traffic would be a lot more steady than a stadium, but would be noisy as hell about it.

 

[Jack Strop]

Yeah, most of it was traffic related. I suspect they wouldn't have a ton of sway over this because traffic would be a lot more steady than a stadium, but would be noisy as hell about it.

...the very same folks who axed lights over the baseball field.

 

[tblack33]

I live in Fairfax city, the day they put a new
basketball arena on the agenda for one of these meetings I will come to the meeting dressed in an arena costume and shout down any of the crazies who are NIMBYing about traffic (I seriously doubt there’s anything Mason could build that would actually make it any worse than it is now).

I’m glad the crazies killed the cricket stadium, that was just a stupid idea.

 

[TweederGMU]

A co-worker like 10 years ago, he was JMU, asked me if we wanted to get a group of co-workers to go to the Friday "night" JMU/Mason baseball game at mason. I looked at him and said you mean afternoon game.... he looked at me like a deer in headlights. He couldn't comprehend how we don't have lights on our field. Yea man.... I feel ya. It was an embarrassing thing to reveal to a fellow rival. My high school baseball field is better than Mason's....and we have lights.

Being the largest university in VA and in one of the richest counties in America and not having a freaking baseball field with lights on it is just flat out embarrassing.

But not shocked as we all know Mason is gonna Mason. Ignorance is bliss.

 

[MasonSAE4]

A co-worker like 10 years ago, he was JMU, asked me if we wanted to get a group of co-workers to go to the Friday "night" JMU/Mason baseball game at mason. I looked at him and said you mean afternoon game.... he looked at me like a deer in headlights. He couldn't comprehend how we don't have lights on our field. Yea man.... I feel ya. It was an embarrassing thing to reveal to a fellow rival. My high school baseball field is better than Mason's....and we have lights.

Being the largest university in VA and in one of the richest counties in America and not having a freaking baseball field with lights on it is just flat out embarrassing.

But not shocked as we all know Mason is gonna Mason. Ignorance is bliss.

While I am happy we seem to be finally upgrading, I do wonder if in the age of NIL it's the best use of 50 mil. Can't imagine that baseball really pulls in anything. But you won't catch my complaining that they eyesore of a field we have is getting the axe.

 

[TweederGMU]

While I am happy we seem to be finally upgrading, I do wonder if in the age of NIL it's the best use of 50 mil. Can't imagine that baseball really pulls in anything. But you won't catch my complaining that they eyesore of a field we have is getting the axe.

I currently have 3 ex-Mason Baseball players on my men's softball team this Spring... an old 3B, an OF, and a relief Pitcher. I've brought this up many of times with them, especially at the bar during the offseason when we go out for beers. All three are in their late 20's and played at Mason before Covid hit so you can get a sense of their era at Mason.

1. According to 2 of them.... not having lights was a small factor, for the other it was a medium factor but he thought he could get a lot of PT here so he got over it. More deciding factors for these guys....1 chose Mason cause one's father played here (wanted to continue legacy), 1 chose Mason cause he wanted to be close to home (from Fairfax) and the last was a Pitcher at Towson and he transferred to Mason for more playing time/better competition after 2 years.

2. All 3 of told me that at some point during their tenures....they have heard of guys not committing to Mason due to one factor being them wanting to play on a better field / one with lights. Even 7-10 years ago a university's faciities did sometimes play a factor in baseball recruiting. For example, One was a high school All-American from VA Beach area and he saw our facilities and field and said no thanks..... one of the guy's hosted him on his campus visit.

So yes.... prior to NIL it seems to have been a factor with some recruits seeing our facilities and not electing to come here.


My guys still laugh, jokingly, about how our field still doesn't have lights.

 

[Pablo]

It's my understanding that there are no lights because the school promised the HOA across the street from the baseball field that it would not install any. So, there appears to be three options: renege on the promise, build a new baseball field somewhere else (e.g., where the proposed baseball/cricket stadium was planned), or continue playing there without lights.

 

[MasonSAE4]

It's my understanding that there are no lights because the school promised the HOA across the street from the baseball field that it would not install any. So, there appears to be three options: renege on the promise, build a new baseball field somewhere else (e.g., where the proposed baseball/cricket stadium was planned), or continue playing there without lights.

Yeah it's going further down West Campus

 

[MasonSAE4]

I currently have 3 ex-Mason Baseball players on my men's softball team this Spring... an old 3B, an OF, and a relief Pitcher. I've brought this up many of times with them, especially at the bar during the offseason when we go out for beers. All three are in their late 20's and played at Mason before Covid hit so you can get a sense of their era at Mason.

1. According to 2 of them.... not having lights was a small factor, for the other it was a medium factor but he thought he could get a lot of PT here so he got over it. More deciding factors for these guys....1 chose Mason cause one's father played here (wanted to continue legacy), 1 chose Mason cause he wanted to be close to home (from Fairfax) and the last was a Pitcher at Towson and he transferred to Mason for more playing time/better competition after 2 years.

2. All 3 of told me that at some point during their tenures....they have heard of guys not committing to Mason due to one factor being them wanting to play on a better field / one with lights. For example, One was a high school All-American from VA Beach area and he saw our facilities and field and said no thanks..... one of the guy's hosted him on his campus visit.

So yes.... prior to NIL it seems to have been a factor with some recruits seeing our facilities and not electing to come here.


My guys still laugh, jokingly, about how our field still doesn't have lights.

Oh when I said baseball doesn't really bring in anything I meant financially. If I were a recruit I would absolutely have the same mentality as the guys you've described. I'm just wondering if in an age of chicken/egg with Mason athletics success if we shouldn't be plowing our resources into bball as even if baseball gets good, it won't really be the golden ticket that basketball would be if it found continued success.

 

[Jack Strop]

It's my understanding that there are no lights because the school promised the HOA across the street from the baseball field that it would not install any. So, there appears to be three options: renege on the promise, build a new baseball field somewhere else (e.g., where the proposed baseball/cricket stadium was planned), or continue playing there without lights.

The problem of no lights at Raymond H. "Hap" Spuhler Field originates indeedie from the HOA across the street. However, it's more than lights—it's night games in general. Along with lights during a night game comes a PA announcer and fans (all 17 of them) making noise during bedtime for the homeowners' kids. No lights, no night games, no late evening noise = night-night sleepy-time for the li'l-uns.

Note: I live in Alexandria, so I don't care if there are lights or not at Mason's ballpark.

 

[Mason2006Patriot]

The current GMU Athletics Director Marvin Lewis is very aware that our baseball field doesn't have lights, concessions, or a bathroom and is working on making a new stadium.

 

[GSII]

Didnt the BOV just approve a new baseball stadium?

 

[Where's the party?]

1) Build a new stadium (with lights) further down Braddock Rd. for the 2028 season.
2) If that can't happen in the next two seasons (it is a gov't project), see if Capital One Park will make room for Mason along with Georgetown and Marymount.
3) If there isn't room for all the Mason games there, play some game at home and some at Capital One Park.
Anything is better than the status quo.

 

[99 Patriot]

The administration has identified 4 options of where to put the new field with the west campus land near the softball field probably being in the lead. They've also retained the same company that designed and built UVA's new stadium to do the work. Design work begins in earnest later this Summer and shovels are in the ground third quarter 2027. Imagine about 3,000 seats with some sort of premium hospitality offering, concessions, restrooms, retail space, a video board, locker rooms, coaches offices and yes, lights.

 

[mkaufman1]

The administration has identified 4 options of where to put the new field with the west campus land near the softball field probably being in the lead. They've also retained the same company that designed and built UVA's new stadium to do the work. Design work begins in earnest later this Summer and shovels are in the ground third quarter 2027. Imagine about 3,000 seats with some sort of premium hospitality offering, concessions, restrooms, retail space, a video board, locker rooms, coaches offices and yes, lights.

And by third quarter 2027 you mean third quarter 2047

 

[Where's the party?]

The administration has identified 4 options of where to put the new field with the west campus land near the softball field probably being in the lead. They've also retained the same company that designed and built UVA's new stadium to do the work. Design work begins in earnest later this Summer and shovels are in the ground third quarter 2027. Imagine about 3,000 seats with some sort of premium hospitality offering, concessions, restrooms, retail space, a video board, locker rooms, coaches offices and yes, lights.

Designed AND built? Those are two different disciplines, and rarely done by the same company.