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PSU Athletics?
- Thread starter Alan1
- Start date
"PSU President Stephen Percy determined that the 2020-2021 academic year is an appropriate time for the university to undertake a comprehensive review of Portland State Athletics. For many years, Portland State Athletics has faced consistent challenges to financial sustainability—with the campus experiencing budget losses over the past several years."
https://www.pdx.edu/president/exploring-future-athletics-psu
According to the document, "Exploring the Future of Athletics at PSU", September is the month when recommendations of the Athletics Future Committee shared with the campus community for feedback and the President, in consultation with the Board of Trustees, will consider the recommendations of the Athletics Future Committee.
So, we await the recommendations.
https://www.pdx.edu/president/exploring-future-athletics-psu
According to the document, "Exploring the Future of Athletics at PSU", September is the month when recommendations of the Athletics Future Committee shared with the campus community for feedback and the President, in consultation with the Board of Trustees, will consider the recommendations of the Athletics Future Committee.
So, we await the recommendations.
What ever happened to "Exploring the Future of Athletics at PSU" (https://www.pdx.edu/president/exploring-future-athletics-psu)? September was supposed to be the month when the recommendations of the Athletics Future Committee were to be shared with the campus community for feedback and the President, in consultation with the Board of Trustees, was to consider those recommendations.
bigskyconf
Active member
Alan said:
No news is good news. :lol:
So that report has been out since September. Eh…
https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/john_canzano/2022/01/canzano-portland-state-in-search-of-a-sports-miracle.html
And it’s mentioned that Stephen Percy seems set on keeping PSU in D-1. But… how?
They’ve linked to the article from the blog that obtained the report. The article requires membership and I don’t have that level of commitment yet. Why not release it?
Mind you, part of my lack of commitment is born of the belief that it was likely half copied from the EWU report, comes to the same conclusions, and I don’t think doing what EWU did (cut more of their budget) is even an option. How? This is a “barely has a skeleton” athletic department.
Oh, the other side of this? I’d been to a Spokane baseball game on a Monday night. Eh, 8 years ago. Even though maybe a quarter of those box seats were full, sold out per the ticket booth. Add that to how the Chiefs and Gonzaga run… the business community supports their teams. I know the same is true in Boise, even after accounting for hockey game overcounts (perhaps because of that). But I can tell you why the Portland Beavers were doomed and I think, in looking at the suites for Timbers games in the USL days (never mind now) vs PSU games of the time, why PSU is where it is now. So I anticipate that the study begs Portland State to spend more money on fundraising, on hitting up the business community. And that’s funny that Spokane supports it’s teams, but EWU (20 miles away) can’t get a sniff of it. And I can guess what would happen if PSU actually went for it, so to speak.
How do you turn that around? And, in that vein, is it any wonder that JC describes Percy as essentially seeking divine intervention?
https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/john_canzano/2022/01/canzano-portland-state-in-search-of-a-sports-miracle.html
And it’s mentioned that Stephen Percy seems set on keeping PSU in D-1. But… how?
They’ve linked to the article from the blog that obtained the report. The article requires membership and I don’t have that level of commitment yet. Why not release it?
Mind you, part of my lack of commitment is born of the belief that it was likely half copied from the EWU report, comes to the same conclusions, and I don’t think doing what EWU did (cut more of their budget) is even an option. How? This is a “barely has a skeleton” athletic department.
Oh, the other side of this? I’d been to a Spokane baseball game on a Monday night. Eh, 8 years ago. Even though maybe a quarter of those box seats were full, sold out per the ticket booth. Add that to how the Chiefs and Gonzaga run… the business community supports their teams. I know the same is true in Boise, even after accounting for hockey game overcounts (perhaps because of that). But I can tell you why the Portland Beavers were doomed and I think, in looking at the suites for Timbers games in the USL days (never mind now) vs PSU games of the time, why PSU is where it is now. So I anticipate that the study begs Portland State to spend more money on fundraising, on hitting up the business community. And that’s funny that Spokane supports it’s teams, but EWU (20 miles away) can’t get a sniff of it. And I can guess what would happen if PSU actually went for it, so to speak.
How do you turn that around? And, in that vein, is it any wonder that JC describes Percy as essentially seeking divine intervention?
bigskyconf
Active member
Pounder said:
Canzano had the guy from Xtra Points on his show today. I'll see if I can get the link and post it here. It was actually really good, and he made some good points. He compared PSU to both UMass and Illinois-Chicago and thinks that it is possible to stay in DI and the Big Sky with no divine assistance, but the right AD needs to be hired, and he needs to be someone who shares the vision that first needs to be established by the university. Essentially, everyone associated with PSU needs to be on the same page, something that hasn't been the case in recent years (said by both Canzano and the Xtra Points guy).
Once I get it, I'll put it up.
https://soundcloud.com/kxtg-the-bald-faced-truth/bft-interview-matt-brown-2
Did it for you, I think.
I really think what the discussion lacks are answers.
Mind you, I have posted in a couple places comparing the choice PSU is theoretically making to the Kobayashi Maru. Death isn’t imminent here, but I’m looking at the following things.
Just raised and spent $50 million for Viking Pavilion, so just up and dropping athletics would be dumb.
You going to justify increasing athletic spending in this situation? Good luck with that.
Drop to D-2, when costs are already “interesting” in the Big Sky, but you’re going to play basketball in Alaska and football in Texas, plus lose some prestige in the process?
Or continue in the Big Sky and have to play two money games a year, which has (in all but one magical season) affected Portland State’s quality in conference play?
Or drop football when we’re not seeing the Big West reaching out beyond California and the WAC just invited some schools that are already sneering at Seattle U.
Not sure you could pay me enough to be AD with the prevailing circumstances.
Did it for you, I think.
I really think what the discussion lacks are answers.
Mind you, I have posted in a couple places comparing the choice PSU is theoretically making to the Kobayashi Maru. Death isn’t imminent here, but I’m looking at the following things.
Just raised and spent $50 million for Viking Pavilion, so just up and dropping athletics would be dumb.
You going to justify increasing athletic spending in this situation? Good luck with that.
Drop to D-2, when costs are already “interesting” in the Big Sky, but you’re going to play basketball in Alaska and football in Texas, plus lose some prestige in the process?
Or continue in the Big Sky and have to play two money games a year, which has (in all but one magical season) affected Portland State’s quality in conference play?
Or drop football when we’re not seeing the Big West reaching out beyond California and the WAC just invited some schools that are already sneering at Seattle U.
Not sure you could pay me enough to be AD with the prevailing circumstances.
It just hit me.
What was Portland State’s biggest splash this football season? No, not beating Weber. It was Bruce Barnum picking up the beer tab at the first home game. Pokey-esque, in a more Portlandian form.
In the post-Glickman stadium phase, what was the biggest draw? It was Thirsty Thursday, until Timbers Army really became a thing. Even then, we’ll, eh…
But that’s not all.
It’s been almost 4 years since I made a particular trip to NoCal, and besides the visit to Russian River Brewing, I saw the Blazers in Sacramento’s new arena. Maybe a third of the seats were filled. However, the arena has a bar instead of upper deck seats at one end, and that was jam packed. I mean I could barely crawl through because it was so jammed.
Several MLS stadiums have a similar feature, though not always that high up, and usually very popular. The whole space under the scoreboard in San Jose IS the world’s longest bar, therefore not as jammed as the Sac arena.
So when you call me crazy, make it good, ‘cause here I go.
Don’t build a stadium. Build a bar around Stott Field. Maybe some bleachers at the far end for opposing fans. Probably three or four levels of bar, so you can easily see the field from stools. Maybe one level where there’s a series of sofas, kind of acting like suites or club seats. If it seats 3,000, it’s too big. But so what? You’re going to charge $10 more per ticket than you do now because it’ll be both the best view in college football (it’ll have to be, because you can’t build for depth around the thing anyway- I’m calling for height out of necessity) AND it’ll be what fans around here and elsewhere really want.
I’m sure it’ll be a easy sell to the committee, right?
One note: it’s too bad that it’s probably prohibitively expensive to lift up Hoffman Hall, turn it so that the seats in it face the field, and give it a wall that can open and close. It’d be novel.
What was Portland State’s biggest splash this football season? No, not beating Weber. It was Bruce Barnum picking up the beer tab at the first home game. Pokey-esque, in a more Portlandian form.
In the post-Glickman stadium phase, what was the biggest draw? It was Thirsty Thursday, until Timbers Army really became a thing. Even then, we’ll, eh…
But that’s not all.
It’s been almost 4 years since I made a particular trip to NoCal, and besides the visit to Russian River Brewing, I saw the Blazers in Sacramento’s new arena. Maybe a third of the seats were filled. However, the arena has a bar instead of upper deck seats at one end, and that was jam packed. I mean I could barely crawl through because it was so jammed.
Several MLS stadiums have a similar feature, though not always that high up, and usually very popular. The whole space under the scoreboard in San Jose IS the world’s longest bar, therefore not as jammed as the Sac arena.
So when you call me crazy, make it good, ‘cause here I go.
Don’t build a stadium. Build a bar around Stott Field. Maybe some bleachers at the far end for opposing fans. Probably three or four levels of bar, so you can easily see the field from stools. Maybe one level where there’s a series of sofas, kind of acting like suites or club seats. If it seats 3,000, it’s too big. But so what? You’re going to charge $10 more per ticket than you do now because it’ll be both the best view in college football (it’ll have to be, because you can’t build for depth around the thing anyway- I’m calling for height out of necessity) AND it’ll be what fans around here and elsewhere really want.
I’m sure it’ll be a easy sell to the committee, right?
One note: it’s too bad that it’s probably prohibitively expensive to lift up Hoffman Hall, turn it so that the seats in it face the field, and give it a wall that can open and close. It’d be novel.
I might be posting this to piss myself off. Boise State plans an “athlete’s master village.”
https://broncosports.com/news/2022/4/7/general-broncos-announce-plans-for-athletics-master-village.aspx
Peeps on the BSU 24/7 board mention that this isn’t the first time such a thing was proposed, so who knows if this can actually be pulled off. BSU has basically had half a stadium renovation, a new track stadium that also hosts HS football games, softball stadium built by the track (which is the other side of the Boise River from campus), indoor practice facility built.
OTOH…
…the current soccer complex is the other side of an adjoining neighborhood and sort of up against a hill.
They started baseball, but could never momentum going for an on-campus baseball stadium, and looked warily at a joint proposal with the minor league baseball team nearer downtown that would also have included pro soccer… and eventually shut down baseball after one season at the minor league team’s suburban ballpark.
So this kind of thing makes me a bit jealous. I’ll get over that. Though I still wonder if Portland State is eventually going to have to find a satellite campus location given current constraints and continued local growth.
https://broncosports.com/news/2022/4/7/general-broncos-announce-plans-for-athletics-master-village.aspx
Peeps on the BSU 24/7 board mention that this isn’t the first time such a thing was proposed, so who knows if this can actually be pulled off. BSU has basically had half a stadium renovation, a new track stadium that also hosts HS football games, softball stadium built by the track (which is the other side of the Boise River from campus), indoor practice facility built.
OTOH…
…the current soccer complex is the other side of an adjoining neighborhood and sort of up against a hill.
They started baseball, but could never momentum going for an on-campus baseball stadium, and looked warily at a joint proposal with the minor league baseball team nearer downtown that would also have included pro soccer… and eventually shut down baseball after one season at the minor league team’s suburban ballpark.
So this kind of thing makes me a bit jealous. I’ll get over that. Though I still wonder if Portland State is eventually going to have to find a satellite campus location given current constraints and continued local growth.
I’ll put it this way… T2 is resorting to free tickets for kids this month.
The fans T2 would get would go to Merlo Field, and were mostly Timbers Army supporters rather than the bigger money. Since Merritt Paulson has demonstrated a knack for protecting abusers, our portion of crowds are sharply curtailing the money going to him. The waiting list for the big team evaporated. Not that many people want to go out to Hillsboro anyway. Paulson needs to freaking sell the Timbers.
And it’s time for Portland State to make a claim in Hillsboro. We know that won’t happen at Providence Park… the crowds almost seemed worse in 2019 than they do now, sadly. The Timbers got lucky in their playoff run last year. But another ticket price increase (season renewals have started) might finish that job. But the claim… make use of the north end AND the corner of the field level at Hillsboro. Create a pop-up beer garden EVERY game. Rotate the beers if at all possible. Full bar if you can.
Don’t tell me there’s a bar behind the stands. I know. That don’t matter. A drink and a bar with a view… that matters.
That means taking a stand with the city of Hillsboro. If they mention the Timbers, some pictures of the “crowds” T2 generates should suffice.
It’s not the only thing that needs done, but it is the starting point.
The fans T2 would get would go to Merlo Field, and were mostly Timbers Army supporters rather than the bigger money. Since Merritt Paulson has demonstrated a knack for protecting abusers, our portion of crowds are sharply curtailing the money going to him. The waiting list for the big team evaporated. Not that many people want to go out to Hillsboro anyway. Paulson needs to freaking sell the Timbers.
And it’s time for Portland State to make a claim in Hillsboro. We know that won’t happen at Providence Park… the crowds almost seemed worse in 2019 than they do now, sadly. The Timbers got lucky in their playoff run last year. But another ticket price increase (season renewals have started) might finish that job. But the claim… make use of the north end AND the corner of the field level at Hillsboro. Create a pop-up beer garden EVERY game. Rotate the beers if at all possible. Full bar if you can.
Don’t tell me there’s a bar behind the stands. I know. That don’t matter. A drink and a bar with a view… that matters.
That means taking a stand with the city of Hillsboro. If they mention the Timbers, some pictures of the “crowds” T2 generates should suffice.
It’s not the only thing that needs done, but it is the starting point.
Pounder said:
"That means taking a stand with the city of Hillsboro...." What is our negotiating position? We have no place else to go.
"[M]ake use of the north end AND the corner of the field level at Hillsboro. Create a pop-up beer garden EVERY game. Rotate the beers if at all possible. Full bar if you can." Yes! But it is not going to happen. Nothing will change at Hillsboro: not attendance, not student involvement, not concessions, not public transit access, not winning, nothing.
We need to be downtown!
bigskyconf
Active member
Alan said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx06XNfDvk0
That is correct @bigskyconf. Just like our basketball teams PSU needs to be playing football in the same neighborhood as our park blocks campus. Regardless of the spectator capacity we should cut a deal with PPS to play at the new Lincoln HS stadium. In the meantime lobby the Portland City Commission to see that PSU football has low cost access to Providence Park as a condition of Paulson's lease of the city facility. PSU is a big player in the city and we should act like it.
Alan said:
Frankly, big players own their facilities. Renting has always been problem 1.
Big players would have never backed out in the first place.
I’m still 70% serious about the community field idea. The key is that it puts PSU in an ownership position while linking the limited space to build anything to the current proven way to draw a crowd.
