A discussion of TU finances & politics surrounding football specific facilities are probably best had on the pay board. But I’ll just say that Montgomery was promised an indoor facility when he came and the renderings were up in the football lobby for probably a year before they quietly went away.
Tulsa's next Head Football Coach
- Thread starter mmckell
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Some area high schools even have indoor practice facilities dedicated solely to cheer and pom.
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I didn't know Monty was specifically promised an IPF, but info about trying to build one was pretty out in the open. I think the economy went down about that time which hurt it, and then the football program went down. End of IPF story.
Not pushing this selection but there is an interesting comment about being a HC again next year!
https://territorial-sports.com/todd-graham-proud-of-his-6-years-at-asu-ready-for-the-next-challenge/
https://territorial-sports.com/todd-graham-proud-of-his-6-years-at-asu-ready-for-the-next-challenge/
There was a donor. We were in the process of fully realizing the plan and getting the money. Then the market tanked and the donor balked. We could have an IPF now but would also still be paying on half of it or more like the performing arts center.
I heard it slightly differently. I’m sure the donor did eventually balk but the university treated the fundraising effort differently than any other campaign due to getting burned on the performing arts center.
And I think those optics are a little skewed. You can't continually claim you have a $1B+ endowment and poverty at the same time. It'd be like Jeff Bezos shutting down an Amazon distribution center because they only brought in $65B in revenue for November instead of the projected $70B.
You want fans to return. Show commitment. If there are donors out there who want to build an IPF, let them give you the money, build the building they want, slap their name on the building, and thank them for their support. Tout how it was 100% from donor directed contributions. How does anyone think the Case Tennis Center got built? Lawless and Judy told Vince it wasn't in the plans for that period of fundraising and building. He went and got the donations himself and found the donors for it. I think Jerry O and Largent could easily round up donors willing to fund this project and ask them for a matching commitment towards scholarships (athletic or not, every scholarship that gets funded/endowed now is less $ the university has to use general budget for).
For all the idealists out there, there's just not as many people out there willing to invest that type of money in an academic program. BUT, you may be able to get them to invest in both...but they're not going to give the $ unless they get what they want out of the primary donation. By rejecting money like this, you close off potential donors/donations in the future because you just pissed a whale off.
Hey you don’t have to convince me. I’m just letting you know what I heard regarding the IPF matter.
I know. But it wouldn't surprise me these days if someone came to TU and said, I've got $50M for you. $25M for an IPF, and $25M to endow some football scholarships, and Levit would not like it because there's nothing for her to tout that she did something great for academics so the University refused the donation.
BTW, QT needs to be that donor. Still not sure how or why TU hasn't been able to get them more involved. Name it the QT Center and slap a giant QT logo on the top of the building so every plan flying into TIA can see it.
We are talking in circles again. You know better than nearly all of us what restricted endowment funds means. And why you can’t just divert tuition dollars into athletics. And why/how institutional development restricts the ability of athletics fundraisers from cowboying their own slush funds, when academics and admin are running deficits. The current structure (some would say restrictions) on athletics fundraising is a direct result of the project you mention and several others.
Hundreds of universities are in the same position of TU. You can have a billion in the bank but 60 or 70 cents on the dollar may be restricted to spending the interest only on specific projects. Of that remaining 30 percent, if you have dog crap investment strategies or a down turn in the market then you might not have enough interest proceeds to meet existing obligations. In university world you very much can be rich and poor at the same time. And even if you are rich, those funds may be pledged for payments on bonds, as we saw two years ago.
Chet is on the Board and despite some initial bumps QT gives a considerable sum to TU on the academics side of the house. A cynic like me, and I’m not saying this is Chet’s position, but a cynic might tell you that a large company like QT may not want to be perceived inside or outside their company of favoring TU over OU and OSU, so you give money on the down low to the academics to free up other general revenue to be diverted to athletics. Otherwise you might find yourself having to match your donation to TU and exceed it times two just to keep your team or consuming public happy.
From what I understand, QT has been adamant about not supporting TU athletics. Would be nice to get them on board though.
I am fully aware of it..but that's not publicly what TU is saying or advertising. I am trying to remember the exact % but there's a large portion of the endowment listed as "assets" which I was led to believe meant buildings/facilities/properties. I could be mashing two things together.
Somewhat makes sense...but QT in Tulsa is probably not in any danger of losing any customers...and QT doesn't have a presence in Norman or Stillwater because of the fabled gentleman's deal. QT has built up such a brand, most people are pretty loyal to it and know the closest QT to any of their favorite shopping/entertainment locales just so they know in the event of needing a quick gas fill up OR an emergency pit stop. This is pretty well demonstrated by the fact that at 81st and Garnett you have both a QT and a Kum n Go across from one another. The Kum n Go is almost always empty. Maybe the Mullins plumbing trucks in the AM as they probably have a deal with Kum n Go. The QT is always packed. A large majority of people go out of their way in Tulsa to go to QT over any other alternative. We had friends who moved to Omaha last year and the 1st thing she posted when they got there was "Here's the new house and there's a QT 3 blocks away. So happy when I found out there were QTs in Omaha and one was so close." QT has the same impact here that WaWa has on the east coast. People are loyal to QT not because they support or don't support a cause or a university...people are loyal because Qt's customer service is superior, they have clean restrooms, and they've developed a great model for who they are and what they do. Heck, I only discovered 3-4 yrs ago that Chet was a TU alum. I understand his caution but they've built a reputation that people look on quite favorably. That's not likely to change based on if they know he is a TU alum and he supports his alma mater.
"Yeah, the facility that Broken Arrow has is ridiculous."
It is a little easier when it is a part of a bond package and your district supports just about any bond package you put before them. 33,277 households and 91,000 people in BAPS district with a bond spread out over five years is a little easier than working with a small alumni base. Plus, while the BA facility is nice for a high school facility, it does not even compare to any college facilities.
We were all sold a bill of goods on an indoor facility and the fact that it hasn't happened is a sign of the overall problems at the University. I find it interesting that Case hasn't stepped up to do anything big in a while.
It is a little easier when it is a part of a bond package and your district supports just about any bond package you put before them. 33,277 households and 91,000 people in BAPS district with a bond spread out over five years is a little easier than working with a small alumni base. Plus, while the BA facility is nice for a high school facility, it does not even compare to any college facilities.
We were all sold a bill of goods on an indoor facility and the fact that it hasn't happened is a sign of the overall problems at the University. I find it interesting that Case hasn't stepped up to do anything big in a while.
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Back in the 1960's I was in the Air National Guard with Chet Cadieux, the founder of QT. In a bull session, he once said that TU asked him to serve on the Board of Trustees and he told them he would be willing to serve on the Board, but if they expected him to make a donation to forget it.
Old news. Unlike the old man, Chet enjoyed his time at TU and understands the value of the relationship. He’s a Distinguished Alumni award winner. I think his contributions are above any negative scrutiny imo.
It doesn’t help that our AD has not exactly been able to court donors for the facility either.
This is correct. And because BA, Union, Jenks, Owasso, and the like always tie these bond votes to upgraded school buildings, computer labs, learning materials, etc., they are almost always supported in great numbers within their respective districts. Without looking, I would say Union passes many of their bonds with about 65% of support. Of course I have kids in the district and always vote to support them. I am a little shocked Union does not yet have an IPF (and it may be a land and space issue close to the HS).
Chet isn't the founder of QT. His father Chester and Burt B. Holmes are. Chet, certainly helped the business grow substantially, but he's not a founder.
I'm guessing you're talking about Chester?
You mean the 2017 Twyman Award winner? Clearly someone who hasn’t done enough for TU ...
Mr. Case paid in full for the football locker room renovations in 2018. He’s also a DA and a Twyman Award winner. He’s done enough too but I suspect he would do more in a different climate.
I didn't say that Case hadn't done anything, there hasn't been a building built with his name on it since 2007 was my point. I probably could have said it better because it wasn't necessarily directed at Case and more directly at, as you pointed out, the climate at the school right now.
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TG back to Tulsa confirmed!
It wouldn't be the craziest idea and with the fan base in disarray in its current state, I think even big donors might be willing to forgive TG leaving for a mediocre Pitt "opportunity". He mentions he already has staff ideas put together, ready for interviews. He also says they can/will be selective on which school and he will only work as a HC. Will he be a commodity in December? Can Tulsa lure him back?
To be honest, had no idea that one was short for the other until this very moment.
Media reports are the we would owe him about that. I don't know. If you have insider information then let us now what we owe him. In 2017 we were still paying Blankenship $600,000 per year.
Sorry guys. People in my generation aren’t named Chester. We don’t have many Ediths or Eldons either.
