Tulane Athletics Wish List

[Jonathan]

I realize we need to finish paying for Yulman,but I would like to see a state of the art football indoor practice facility on the Rosen parking lot site on the first floor with parking facilities on a high rise at least ten floors above it. Move tennis and track to the Goldring site off of Earhart Blvd. Bring Yulman up to 50,000 seats eventually when there is a demand for it. Enlarge or rebuild our basketball arena to a state of the art facility up to 10,000 seats similar to Duke's Cameron. My wish list. Q

[jonathanjoseph]

I realize we need to finish paying for Yulman,but I would like to see a state of the art football indoor practice facility on the Rosen parking lot site on the first floor with parking facilities on a high rise at least ten floors above it. Move tennis and track to the Goldring site off of Earhart Blvd. Bring Yulman up to 50,000 seats eventually when there is a demand for it. Enlarge or rebuild our basketball arena to a state of the art facility up to 10,000 seats similar to Duke's Cameron. My wish list. Q

Your wish list is ballpark $250M.

[2ndGenWave]

1. Build 80-90 yard indoor practice facility on Reily field:10-15 million
2. Expand Wilson Center over field between yulman and turchin. Renovate current space so we have state of the art locker, weight, training and meeting rooms and possibly an athletic cafeteria. 10-20 million
3. Expand Yulman north end zone over said athletic facility w/ a possible row of boxes and upper deck of 6-10k seats: 15-30 million
4. Build athletic village for beach volleyball, tennis, track, and soccer: 10 million
5. Build parking garage over Rosen lot (somehow incorporate a hill seating section for students at baseball games where they can bring coolers of beer and liquor into the Turchin side): 3-5 million
6. Expand Devlin with the mythical upper deck: 10 million
7. Add sports like soccer and lacrosse


Total: 58-90 million dollars to put us at the top of AAC and in shooting distance of P5, while now we are simply treading water with our facilities (with the slight exception of hertz center).

[OUG]

1. Build 80-90 yard indoor practice facility on Reily field:10-15 million
2. Expand Wilson Center over field between yulman and turchin. Renovate current space so we have state of the art locker, weight, training and meeting rooms and possibly an athletic cafeteria. 10-20 million
3. Expand Yulman north end zone over said athletic facility w/ a possible row of boxes and upper deck of 6-10k seats: 15-30 million
4. Build athletic village for beach volleyball, tennis, track, and soccer: 10 million
5. Build parking garage over Rosen lot (somehow incorporate a hill seating section for students at baseball games where they can bring coolers of beer and liquor into the Turchin side): 3-5 million
6. Expand Devlin with the mythical upper deck: 10 million
7. Add sports like soccer and lacrosse


Total: 58-90 million dollars to put us at the top of AAC and in shooting distance of P5, while now we are simply treading water with our facilities (with the slight exception of hertz center).

I don't think the university will ever plop a giant building down in the Reilly field space. Universities value green space/quads that serve all students. I just can't see that happening. Rosen is more likely if its going to be on campus (and I don't think it will be).

The field between Turchin in Yulman contains an underwater drainage pond which will make putting a building on it problematic.

The future for our athletics plant lies off-campus. That is where the room for real (not constrained) growth is.

And why add soccer or lacrosse? What is the possible benefit for adding more mouths to feed that require new facilities and do not produce revenue? And lacrosse in particular... we would have to travel far and wide just to find opponents. I have no idea what motivates people to think this would be a good thing for the growth of the Department. Maybe when we are in the ACC or Big 12 and have silly revenue to burn. But that day is far, far off.

[DfromCT]

1. Build 80-90 yard indoor practice facility on Reily field:10-15 million
2. Expand Wilson Center over field between yulman and turchin. Renovate current space so we have state of the art locker, weight, training and meeting rooms and possibly an athletic cafeteria. 10-20 million
3. Expand Yulman north end zone over said athletic facility w/ a possible row of boxes and upper deck of 6-10k seats: 15-30 million
4. Build athletic village for beach volleyball, tennis, track, and soccer: 10 million
5. Build parking garage over Rosen lot (somehow incorporate a hill seating section for students at baseball games where they can bring coolers of beer and liquor into the Turchin side): 3-5 million
6. Expand Devlin with the mythical upper deck: 10 million
7. Add sports like soccer and lacrosse


Total: 58-90 million dollars to put us at the top of AAC and in shooting distance of P5, while now we are simply treading water with our facilities (with the slight exception of hertz center).

I don't think the university will ever plop a giant building down in the Reilly field space. Universities value green space/quads that serve all students. I just can't see that happening. Rosen is more likely if its going to be on campus (and I don't think it will be).

The field between Turchin in Yulman contains an underwater drainage pond which will make putting a building on it problematic.

The future for our athletics plant lies off-campus. That is where the room for real (not constrained) growth is.

And why add soccer or lacrosse? What is the possible benefit for adding more mouths to feed that require new facilities and do not produce revenue? And lacrosse in particular... we would have to travel far and wide just to find opponents. I have no idea what motivates people to think this would be a good thing for the growth of the Department. Maybe when we are in the ACC or Big 12 and have silly revenue to burn. But that day is far, far off.

I would bet that in the next 10-20 years Lacrosse passes collegiate baseball in terms of revenue generation. I have no stats to back it up, but, at least in the Northeast, more people talk about the Lacrosse college tourney than the baseball tourney, despite having more teams in the baseball tourney.

Again, we need to boost BOTH basketball programs, as they should produce a whole lot more revenue than baseball. We invested too much in a sport that will never generate serious revenue because the TV audience is shrinking, not growing for college baseball.

[JerseyWave]

Here goes my wish list again....

1. Fire Rick Dickson, hire a younger highly energetic, professional AD who will position Tulane for conference realignment.
2. $50 million for Yulman Phase 2 adding 10-12,000 seats, corporate suites, and Video scoreboard for the North Endzone.
3. $50 million for the athletes village to include, Indoor football practice field, track, tennis, and soccer field inside the track.
4. Drop bowling and sand volleyball
5. Add women's soccer
6. $25 million to renovate and expand Wilson Center
7. $25 million to increase seating in Fogleman/Devlin Fieldhouse

[OUG]

Here goes my wish list again....

1. Fire Rick Dickson, hire a younger highly energetic, professional AD who will position Tulane for conference realignment.
2. $50 million for Yulman Phase 2 adding 10-12,000 seats, corporate suites, and Video scoreboard for the North Endzone.
3. $50 million for the athletes village to include, Indoor football practice field, track, tennis, and soccer field inside the track.
4. Drop bowling and sand volleyball
5. Add women's soccer
6. $25 million to renovate and expand Wilson Center
7. $25 million to increase seating in Fogleman/Devlin Fieldhouse

Again, I don't understand this. Is there a rational based on economics for it? Or is it just that those two sports irk you?

FWIW, Sand volleyball will be bigger than traditional volleyball in ten years, you can bank on that.

[jonathanjoseph]

1. Build 80-90 yard indoor practice facility on Reily field:10-15 million
2. Expand Wilson Center over field between yulman and turchin. Renovate current space so we have state of the art locker, weight, training and meeting rooms and possibly an athletic cafeteria. 10-20 million
3. Expand Yulman north end zone over said athletic facility w/ a possible row of boxes and upper deck of 6-10k seats: 15-30 million
4. Build athletic village for beach volleyball, tennis, track, and soccer: 10 million
5. Build parking garage over Rosen lot (somehow incorporate a hill seating section for students at baseball games where they can bring coolers of beer and liquor into the Turchin side): 3-5 million
6. Expand Devlin with the mythical upper deck: 10 million
7. Add sports like soccer and lacrosse


Total: 58-90 million dollars to put us at the top of AAC and in shooting distance of P5, while now we are simply treading water with our facilities (with the slight exception of hertz center).

I don't think the university will ever plop a giant building down in the Reilly field space. Universities value green space/quads that serve all students. I just can't see that happening. Rosen is more likely if its going to be on campus (and I don't think it will be).

The field between Turchin in Yulman contains an underwater drainage pond which will make putting a building on it problematic.

The future for our athletics plant lies off-campus. That is where the room for real (not constrained) growth is.

And why add soccer or lacrosse? What is the possible benefit for adding more mouths to feed that require new facilities and do not produce revenue? And lacrosse in particular... we would have to travel far and wide just to find opponents. I have no idea what motivates people to think this would be a good thing for the growth of the Department. Maybe when we are in the ACC or Big 12 and have silly revenue to burn. But that day is far, far off.

I would bet that in the next 10-20 years Lacrosse passes collegiate baseball in terms of revenue generation. I have no stats to back it up, but, at least in the Northeast, more people talk about the Lacrosse college tourney than the baseball tourney, despite having more teams in the baseball tourney.

Again, we need to boost BOTH basketball programs, as they should produce a whole lot more revenue than baseball. We invested too much in a sport that will never generate serious revenue because the TV audience is shrinking, not growing for college baseball.

Tulane should absolutely field a men's lacrosse team. Given that Tulane plays so well with the north east prep school types, it's a no brainer. Tulane already has a pipeline into talent.

I was part of a group that resurrected Tulane club lacrosse in 96-97. Just the club team interest on campus was enough for us to be one of it not the best club teams in the south. The last college team I remember us playing was Texas in the Mardi Gras tournament in 97 or 98. They had a fairly well funded club team with a coach traveling to a tournament versus our Tulane team, coming off one self-coached practice with jerseys we ordered from a catalog, we showed up hung over and beat them. We were probably the top college club team in the south with close to no effort. In fact, some of the teams we played were so bad it wasn't fun, which is why I stopped playing.

Lax has gotten much bigger since then. Tulane could be a very good lax program in no time flat, and it plays well in the areas Tulane has large numbers of alumni. It would cost very little given that they would play games at Yulman.

[DrBox]

Here goes my wish list again....

1. Fire Rick Dickson, hire a younger highly energetic, professional AD who will position Tulane for conference realignment.
2. $50 million for Yulman Phase 2 adding 10-12,000 seats, corporate suites, and Video scoreboard for the North Endzone.
3. $50 million for the athletes village to include, Indoor football practice field, track, tennis, and soccer field inside the track.
4. Drop bowling and sand volleyball
5. Add women's soccer
6. $25 million to renovate and expand Wilson Center
7. $25 million to increase seating in Fogleman/Devlin Fieldhouse

Again, I don't understand this. Is there a rational based on economics for it? Or is it just that those two sports irk you?

FWIW, Sand volleyball will be bigger than traditional volleyball in ten years, you can bank on that.

I like his list, except for the elimination of sand volleyball part. We should play soccer or softball; bowling is ridiculous. I know soccer/softball is expensive but they are legitimate college sports.
I'd wait until lacrosse becomes more prolific in the south before I'd consider adding it.

[tnelly15]

I would bet that in the next 10-20 years Lacrosse passes collegiate baseball in terms of revenue generation. I have no stats to back it up, but, at least in the Northeast, more people talk about the Lacrosse college tourney than the baseball tourney, despite having more teams in the baseball tourney.

You'd likely lose that bet. The numbers I've seen say college baseball did really well this year with viewers and ratings. There's a reason ESPN is showing more and more of it every year. Meanwhile I think lacrosse still can't even get prime time for its national championship.

[wave97]

Why is anybody considering adding non-revenue sports?
Aren't we burdened with enough of these already?
Has anyone actually watched a lacrosse game? I played it my whole life up to college. It is a fantastic game to play, but a horrible game to watch. The only way you can make it through a game is if you have a family member playing.

[CoachBrockhoff]

Tulane should absolutely field a men's lacrosse team. Given that Tulane plays so well with the north east prep school types, it's a no brainer. Tulane already has a pipeline into talent.

I was part of a group that resurrected Tulane club lacrosse in 96-97. Just the club team interest on campus was enough for us to be one of it not the best club teams in the south. The last college team I remember us playing was Texas in the Mardi Gras tournament in 97 or 98. They had a fairly well funded club team with a coach traveling to a tournament versus our Tulane team, coming off one self-coached practice with jerseys we ordered from a catalog, we showed up hung over and beat them. We were probably the top college club team in the south with close to no effort. In fact, some of the teams we played were so bad it wasn't fun, which is why I stopped playing.

Lax has gotten much bigger since then. Tulane could be a very good lax program in no time flat, and it plays well in the areas Tulane has large numbers of alumni. It would cost very little given that they would play games at Yulman.

I know when I was at Tulane we had a club Lax team that would win every game.

I would like to see Softball added to our sports.

[tpstulane]

Lax won't draw flies. Women's softball could do well.

[golfnut69]

Eliminate Sand Volleyball ?!?!?!?.... Then, the best UNI'S on campus would be gone !!

[JerseyWave]

Ok, keep Sand Volleyball. It is a great spectator sport. But we must add soccer. Bowling is a joke!

[JDTulane]

+1 to LAX

[JDTulane]

Reily field can't go anywhere. Designated copter zone for Yulman

[OUG]

1. Build 80-90 yard indoor practice facility on Reily field:10-15 million
2. Expand Wilson Center over field between yulman and turchin. Renovate current space so we have state of the art locker, weight, training and meeting rooms and possibly an athletic cafeteria. 10-20 million
3. Expand Yulman north end zone over said athletic facility w/ a possible row of boxes and upper deck of 6-10k seats: 15-30 million
4. Build athletic village for beach volleyball, tennis, track, and soccer: 10 million
5. Build parking garage over Rosen lot (somehow incorporate a hill seating section for students at baseball games where they can bring coolers of beer and liquor into the Turchin side): 3-5 million
6. Expand Devlin with the mythical upper deck: 10 million
7. Add sports like soccer and lacrosse


Total: 58-90 million dollars to put us at the top of AAC and in shooting distance of P5, while now we are simply treading water with our facilities (with the slight exception of hertz center).

I don't think the university will ever plop a giant building down in the Reilly field space. Universities value green space/quads that serve all students. I just can't see that happening. Rosen is more likely if its going to be on campus (and I don't think it will be).

The field between Turchin in Yulman contains an underwater drainage pond which will make putting a building on it problematic.

The future for our athletics plant lies off-campus. That is where the room for real (not constrained) growth is.

And why add soccer or lacrosse? What is the possible benefit for adding more mouths to feed that require new facilities and do not produce revenue? And lacrosse in particular... we would have to travel far and wide just to find opponents. I have no idea what motivates people to think this would be a good thing for the growth of the Department. Maybe when we are in the ACC or Big 12 and have silly revenue to burn. But that day is far, far off.

I would bet that in the next 10-20 years Lacrosse passes collegiate baseball in terms of revenue generation. I have no stats to back it up, but, at least in the Northeast, more people talk about the Lacrosse college tourney than the baseball tourney, despite having more teams in the baseball tourney.

Again, we need to boost BOTH basketball programs, as they should produce a whole lot more revenue than baseball. We invested too much in a sport that will never generate serious revenue because the TV audience is shrinking, not growing for college baseball.

Tulane should absolutely field a men's lacrosse team. Given that Tulane plays so well with the north east prep school types, it's a no brainer. Tulane already has a pipeline into talent.

I was part of a group that resurrected Tulane club lacrosse in 96-97. Just the club team interest on campus was enough for us to be one of it not the best club teams in the south. The last college team I remember us playing was Texas in the Mardi Gras tournament in 97 or 98. They had a fairly well funded club team with a coach traveling to a tournament versus our Tulane team, coming off one self-coached practice with jerseys we ordered from a catalog, we showed up hung over and beat them. We were probably the top college club team in the south with close to no effort. In fact, some of the teams we played were so bad it wasn't fun, which is why I stopped playing.

Lax has gotten much bigger since then. Tulane could be a very good lax program in no time flat, and it plays well in the areas Tulane has large numbers of alumni. It would cost very little given that they would play games at Yulman.

Tulane isn't actually in the Northeast. Club and NCAA are different animals. If we were to have an NCAA Division 1 lacrosse team we'd need to play other NCAA Division 1 lacrosse teams.

Unfortunately, here is the map of NCAA Division 1 Lacrosse teams, by conference:



Lacrosse at Tulane would be a ridiculous money pit. The fact that we have a lot of rich northeastern students doesn't mean we can make this sport work at the varsity level at Tulane, or that we should even bother trying.

[OUG]

Ok, keep Sand Volleyball. It is a great spectator sport. But we must add soccer. Bowling is a joke!

Bowling was only added because we need to have 16 sports and it was the cheapest one.

None of the other sports that we could have added as cheaply were going to bring in any revenue either. I mean, Memphis has women's rifle. I don't see the point in us getting hung up over which minor sports we use to make up our Title IX and compliance numbers. By the way, Vanderbilt also sponsors bowling. It's... whatever.

[CN Hide & Seek Team]

only one wish: an invite to the Big XII

[2ndGenWave]

Women's soccer should replace bowling because it is a legitimate sport and a sport that we had up until Katrina. It is also a sport played with decent success in both the ACC and the Big XII. Softball is another sport that the Big XII is strong in that we might think of adding down the road.

I don't think lacrosse is something we would do immediately, but perhaps five to ten years down the road when we are hopefully settling in as a solid competitor in both football and basketball. The sport is expanding fairly rapidly in high schools but I think is much slower growing in college. It would be good to be on the positive side of the expansion wave if possible.

I look at Tulane lacrosse similarly to what Alabama-Huntsville has done in hockey. With such a vastly different geographic location and New Orleans, you would be able to attract good talent away from Northeastern schools. Also, lacrosse is huge in Chicago and Texas, which after Louisiana are two of Tulane's biggest draws as well. It could help to foster the sport in New Orleans and beyond if we became successful. With just 60 or so teams competing for a national championship, it is far easier to get to the playoffs and go far. Also, lacrosse is easy for Title IX because you can add men and women to balance scholarships out. Yes, I think it would be a drain financially, but I also think we would be an easy in to the ACC lacrosse, which is currently UVA, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, Syracuse, and Notre Dame.

[2ndGenWave]

Reily field can't go anywhere. Designated copter zone for Yulman

What?

[2ndGenWave]

Is this a fairly decent conglomeration of everyone's wishes?

1. indoor football practice facility [on campus if possible]
2. wilson center renovation/addition if possible
3. athletic village for olympic sports [with amenities like training and cafeteria if wilson cannot be expanded]
4. expansion of Yulman to 35k seats, not capacity, seats
5. expansion of Devlin to maximum capacity

[OUG]

Is this a fairly decent conglomeration of everyone's wishes?

1. indoor football practice facility [on campus if possible]
2. wilson center renovation/addition if possible
3. athletic village for olympic sports [with amenities like training and cafeteria if wilson cannot be expanded]
4. expansion of Yulman to 35k seats, not capacity, seats
5. expansion of Devlin to maximum capacity

Sounds good to me.

Now get the check in the mail

[CoachBrockhoff]

Lax won't draw flies. Women's softball could do well.

LAX is becoming more popular in the area.

I know St. Paul's has had a team for a while, and I think Mandeville will have a team this year.