The long awaited 30m Practice Facility for men's and women's basketball

[EXpatriot13]

Here's a more in-depth quote from Marvin about the funding, timing, and priority of the Basketball Facility project:

"So we still have to identify funding for this project and if we started today, we had the funding today we would not get it done until the summer of 2026. That means we are 10 years behind. We are 10 years behind and so there is a sense of urgency for me one to make sure that Tony Skinn and Vanessa Blair Lewis have the tools and facilities to work in. That academic space will be critical. All of those programs are looking to elevate what they currently have and we are just playing catch-up. It is critical that we get this done quickly. I am building out my fundraising team as we speak to partner with Lauren Byrd and others. This will be a critical time for us to make a transformational investment into our programs."

The quote paints the picture that the 2026 date is a moving target because obviously we don't have any of the non-state funding as of today. I'm not sure we'll get a real timeline on this until there's clarity on the fundraising piece, and who knows how that effort will unfold.

Seems wild that no fundraising had been going on since phase1 was completed. You’d think the former regime would have started the second it got half the money from the state to complete this project. Crickets since then (even passed up several giving days without a peep—and if you remember there was a category to donate to phase 1).

This is what is most maddening to me, all of the lost/wasted time. It seems the past regime basically let this project die behind the scenes through inaction and indecision, with Marvin now coming in and having to start from square one on the fundraising front.

 

[GSII]

We are blaming Brad. Easy to do. Can we find out why he either failed at getting funding or if someone told him not to fundraise. Merten did that to TOC, bc the Academic buildings were a priority then. I have no reason to think the latter happened here.

Also,.didnt Cabrerra raise another Billion a few years ago?

 

[tblack33]

We are blaming Brad. Easy to do. Can we find out why he either failed at getting funding or if someone told him not to fundraise. Merten did that to TOC, bc the Academic buildings were a priority then. I have no reason to think the latter happened here.

Also,.didnt Cabrerra raise another Billion a few years ago?

Blaming the last regime works in the short term, if we haven’t gotten an email asking for our money and a public plan for the facility then it’s now on him. I’m not going to buy this whole “building out my fundraising” thing for longer than an academic year. Shit or get off the pot.

 

[GSII]

So where did the Billion bucks go that Cabrerra.raised? Cant 15 million go.to the one sport that could bring in 1 billion in free attention with another Final Four Run? 10k people aint showing up for a science presentation.

 

[EXpatriot13]

Agree with the above that we're going to need to start seeing action and comms on this project - tell us where the gaps are and how alumni/donors can help. Nothing was more frustrating than the lack of transparency and communication from the past regime on the needs of the program.

I will say one of the more disappointing moments yesterday came at the end of Marvin's presentation when the floor was opened up for questions. After everything he went through - his vision, strategy, processes, and stressing the urgency of the basketball facility, there was only one question asked...and it was for Marvin to share his POV on transgender participation in sports.

Whenever I've watched these there never seems to be much engagement from the BOV on sports related topics. I'm sure it's not helpful that only one sitting board member completed their undergrad at Mason, so it appears to translate to little passion or interest in Mason athletics from the group.

 

[mkaufman1]

It definitely would be nice if they at least were more interested in Mason athletics. I have no idea if they attend games or what.

 

[Pablo]

It definitely would be nice if they at least were more interested in Mason athletics. I have no idea if they attend games or what.

More importantly, did any of them participate in intercollegiate athletics at Mason? Evidently, one of them has sons who played basketball, but not at Mason - https://bov.gmu.edu/board-membership/

Nancy Gibson Prowitt

"Nancy has been actively involved in volunteer activities her entire adult life. While raising 2 sons in Arlington Nancy was very involved in the PTA, and as the manager of both boys’ youth basketball teams. Her older son Peter graduated from, and played basketball for Stanford University, and her younger son Tim graduated from, and played basketball for Amherst College."

And, one member played soccer at Kenyon:

Charles Stimson

"Stimson holds a law degree from the George Mason University School of Law, where he later taught as an Adjunct Professor of Law. He is a graduate of Kenyon College, where he was Captain of the men’s varsity soccer team and an All-Conference player. He also studied at Harvard and Exeter universities. An avid soccer player, he served three terms as Chairman of the Board of the United States Soccer Foundation, the charitable giving arm of U.S. Soccer, and is currently the Chairman Emeritus."


At Mason, the 16 members of the BOV are all appointed by the governor. At my alma mater (Penn State), 9 of the 38 members of the Board of Trustees are elected by the alumni. This almost guarantees that some of the trustees are former Penn State athletes.

 

[mkaufman1]

More importantly, did any of them participate in intercollegiate athletics at Mason? Evidently, one of them has sons who played basketball, but not at Mason - https://bov.gmu.edu/board-membership/

Nancy Gibson Prowitt

"Nancy has been actively involved in volunteer activities her entire adult life. While raising 2 sons in Arlington Nancy was very involved in the PTA, and as the manager of both boys’ youth basketball teams. Her older son Peter graduated from, and played basketball for Stanford University, and her younger son Tim graduated from, and played basketball for Amherst College."

And, one member played soccer at Kenyon:

Charles Stimson

"Stimson holds a law degree from the George Mason University School of Law, where he later taught as an Adjunct Professor of Law. He is a graduate of Kenyon College, where he was Captain of the men’s varsity soccer team and an All-Conference player. He also studied at Harvard and Exeter universities. An avid soccer player, he served three terms as Chairman of the Board of the United States Soccer Foundation, the charitable giving arm of U.S. Soccer, and is currently the Chairman Emeritus."


At Mason, the 16 members of the BOV are all appointed by the governor. At my alma mater (Penn State), 9 of the 38 members of the Board of Trustees are elected by the alumni. This almost guarantees that some of the trustees are former Penn State athletes.

We most likely won’t get that type of representation on the BOV from a former athlete. I don’t think any of our former athletes are involved enough to get to that level And appointed.

If I had to guess, maybe we get some more alumni on the BOV or folks who also help with the Patriot Club. That probably would be a better or more realistic goal but again I have no idea if that is actually feasible.

Would be great to get that type of representation, but I just don’t expect that to occur at Mason. I’m curious if other peer schools in the A10 have any former alums and or athletes on their BOV.

 

[gmubrian]

At Mason, the 16 members of the BOV are all appointed by the governor.

We most likely won’t get that type of representation on the BOV from a former athlete. I don’t think any of our former athletes are involved enough to get to that level And appointed.

If I had to guess, maybe we get some more alumni on the BOV or folks who also help with the Patriot Club. That probably would be a better or more realistic goal but again I have no idea if that is actually feasible.

Would be great to get that type of representation, but I just don’t expect that to occur at Mason. I’m curious if other peer schools in the A10 have any former alums and or athletes on their BOV.

To add to this, at least about 10 years ago it was an unwritten rule that you have to have contributed to the campaign of the governor as well. The school can provide recommendations, but, ultimately the governor decides. I was on the short list for being recommended back then but since I hadn't contributed to the governors campaign (I don't, generally, give to either of the two uni-parties) so I was, effectively, guaranteed to not even be considered.

So if it is ever going to happen we need to cultivate people that are visible to the school and then make sure half the candidates are giving to one party, and the other half giving to the other party....

 

[Pablo]

We most likely won’t get that type of representation on the BOV from a former athlete. I don’t think any of our former athletes are involved enough to get to that level And appointed.

If I had to guess, maybe we get some more alumni on the BOV or folks who also help with the Patriot Club. That probably would be a better or more realistic goal but again I have no idea if that is actually feasible.

Would be great to get that type of representation, but I just don’t expect that to occur at Mason. I’m curious if other peer schools in the A10 have any former alums and or athletes on their BOV.

I'm not sure if you consider Davidson a peer school, but its Board of Trustees certainly include members who have been involved in Davidson athletics - https://www.davidson.edu/about/college-leadership/board-trustees

"Maria and her husband, Steve Aldrich ’02, established the Will DuBose Baseball Scholarship with several other baseball alumni."

"He [Tom Finke] and his wife, Heather, have generously supported the Women’s Soccer Pooled Scholarship, the Class of 2017 Women’s Soccer Scholarship, and the Vance Center Williams Room."

"At Davidson, Virgil [Fludd] majored in economics and was a member of the men’s track and football teams and the Black Student Coalition."

"Tiara Able Henderson ’97 Tiara is a director with Wells Fargo Real Estate Capital Markets. She is also an entrepreneur who invented the Cubbie Cup for children. A psychology major at Davidson, Tiara was a member of the Black Student Coalition and the cheerleading team."

"At Davidson, Alison [Hall Mauze] majored in psychology and was a member of the Union Board, Rusk eating house, Women’s Concerns Group, Amnesty International and the field hockey team."

"Andy {Schwab] was a member of Davidson's legendary 1992 Final Four Men's Soccer team and Kappa Alpha fraternity."

"David [Sprinkle] received a Davidson Alumni Service Award, the James Hendrix Award and was inducted into the Davidson College Athletics Hall of Fame."

"At Davidson, she [Anne Stanback] majored in English and was a hall counselor, Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award recipient and member of PAX eating house, Reach Out/Y Service Corps and the women's basketball and tennis teams."

"Joel [Williamson] has served Davidson as a Life Member of the Board of Visitors, a member of his 40th Reunion Planning Committee, and co-chair of the Mike Maloy Basketball Scholarship effort. Joel and Cheryle were the contributors to the establishment of the Cheryle Williamson Center for Dance at Davidson, part of the Vance addition to the Baker Sports Complex. They were also among the major funders for the naming of McKillop Court. The Williamson Concourse in Belk Arena is named for Cheryle and Joel."