Donate Back Former Players

[Joe_Jackrabbit]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

I bleed blue, I love SDSU, I love SDSU baseball, my times at SDSU were the best of my life, I want to be buried in Brookings! Be it right or wrong some of us feel we would like to see who the new athletic director is and who the baseball coach will be in '09-10 before we donate our "millions". Nothing wrong with blind faith but many don't have it. That doesn't make us bad people, nor bad alums.

When I heard the baseball team had to clean up after basketball games I donated so they wouldn't have to, my money was put elsewhere. I pledged money for bus rides to the team but my gifts were turned away.

There are several former baseball players who are millionaires. Did one ever ponder why they no longer contribute? Its not that they no longer care, they also love SDSU and feel indebited to it.

To ask people to blindly throw money at something isn't realistic nor should it be expected. Its my opinon that posters who deviate from the positive get attacked and ultimately any real issues never ever get addressed.

It's the 25th anniversary of the 1984 SDSU World Series Team...you think anyone from that athletic department would recognize that??...millionaires? contributions? To sum it all up, baseball isn't respected so its participants don't feel important, so they don't contribute.

[Kemo]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

One restriction on "sport specific" donations that many people do not realize is that of Title IX. Title IX creates equality amongst the men and women in high school and college athletics at "state" sponsored educational institutions. This measure is responsible for the increase in women's athletic programs throughout the 90's and 2000's as well as the elimination of men's programs in order to balance out scholarships/opportunities to align with the school's male/female enrollment ratio.

Though the budgets of every sport team does not have to be equal due to operation/maintenance costs, schools are required to lend similar support to similar programs (i.e. baseball and softball), and this includes donations. If a donor specifies that he/she wants their donation to go strictly to the baseball program, that means the athletic administration has to factor that donation towards the overall athletic budget, which means they will have to take some school funding away from the baseball budget and give it towards softball in order to balance the budget between the two programs... so in a sense, not all of the money donated to the baseball program would go directly to the baseball budget.

Title IX has good intentions and needed to be enacted, but it makes for a lot of monetary distribution problems in public institutions. This has, in some cases, upset donors who want to donate to a specific sport, sometimes to the point in which they quit donating back all together.

[Disclaimer] I have not had to deal with any of these issue directly, as I am still attending graduate school, but the master's program I am in (sport management) has given me exposure to these issues. I wrote the above information from memory of what I have heard and read on the topic, so if anyone with more experience with these issues cares to comment or make corrections, I will not take offense (unless you are a jerk about it).

[Joe_Jackrabbit]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

Well put..I believe SDSU has a more narrow view than most with title IX issues due to USD and the big problems they had with it.

It is a catch 22, some programs would/will bring more monies than others..and you need to have institutional control. On the same note if one makes donations It would be nice to have some of it earmarked in a certain direction.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

Seems to me you can get real specific here. https://secure.imodules.com/s/1109/s...=1100&cid=1318

I guess like all things in life you can rationalize a lot of reasons not to do anything or you can step up and try and make a difference for young people and entrust the administration is making the right decisions and will put the money where its intended.

[Nidaros]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

One restriction on "sport specific" donations that many people do not realize is that of Title IX. Title IX creates equality amongst the men and women in high school and college athletics at "state" sponsored educational institutions. This measure is responsible for the increase in women's athletic programs throughout the 90's and 2000's as well as the elimination of men's programs in order to balance out scholarships/opportunities to align with the school's male/female enrollment ratio.

Though the budgets of every sport team does not have to be equal due to operation/maintenance costs, schools are required to lend similar support to similar programs (i.e. baseball and softball), and this includes donations. If a donor specifies that he/she wants their donation to go strictly to the baseball program, that means the athletic administration has to factor that donation towards the overall athletic budget, which means they will have to take some school funding away from the baseball budget and give it towards softball in order to balance the budget between the two programs... so in a sense, not all of the money donated to the baseball program would go directly to the baseball budget. I suppose its like legislation and sausage, you dont have to watch it being made.

Title IX has good intentions and needed to be enacted, but it makes for a lot of monetary distribution problems in public institutions. This has, in some cases, upset donors who want to donate to a specific sport, sometimes to the point in which they quit donating back all together.

[Disclaimer] I have not had to deal with any of these issue directly, as I am still attending graduate school, but the master's program I am in (sport management) has given me exposure to these issues. I wrote the above information from memory of what I have heard and read on the topic, so if anyone with more experience with these issues cares to comment or make corrections, I will not take offense (unless you are a jerk about it).

The theory here is very nice, but I have asked specifically for gift to go to certain projects without any consideration of TITLE IX whatsoever, and the SDSU Foundation has complied. I suspect they can use hold back a portion of student fee money and balance what needs to be done, but I not aware of any donor ever being reminded about the theoretical aspects of Title IX. It just is not done that way at SDSU in fund raising, but that does not mean they dont balance the budget around Title IX requirements.

[6-4-3 Jackrabbit]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

I would guess the percentage of former athletes who give back to the athletic programs in which they participated is roughly the same as the percentage of people who give to the college in which they graduated. Some people are very generous and wish to give. Others are not--whether due to family obligations, business obligations, resentment, higher giving priorities (church, etc), tight-fistedness, or a number of other reasons.

Bottomline--if you feel inclined to give, give. If you don't (whether a former athlete or just a couch potato fan), its not the end of the world.

It might not be the end of the world, but it could be the end of a program.

[SidelineObserver]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

It's the 25th anniversary of the 1984 SDSU World Series Team...you think anyone from that athletic department would recognize that??

I've heard from a couple people around the Brookings community, that a newspaper, not sure which one, is going to do a story looking back at the 1984 World Series team. That team was good and there are many good memories involved with that year.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

Be it right or wrong some of us feel we would like to see who the new athletic director is and who the baseball coach will be in '09-10 before we donate our "millions".

Sorry Joe, but the "we would like to see who the new athletic director is" before making a donation (doesn't have to be millions) sounds like a copout to me. You know who the three finalists are...can you tell me what different reaction former baseball players (those you know and seem to talk to) would have to each of the three and how that would make a difference in your giving?

As for who the coach will be...on a separate thread it was reported that Richie Price was leaving. My understanding is that he has applied for the position. I have no idea who the candidates will be and would be surprised if somebody can tell the difference ahead of their proving themselves in the job as to how that would make a difference in donating. Educate me on how this would work if I'm missing your point.

[rjacks21]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

Sorry Joe, but the "we would like to see who the new athletic director is" before making a donation (doesn't have to be millions) sounds like a copout to me. You know who the three finalists are...can you tell me what different reaction former baseball players (those you know and seem to talk to) would have to each of the three and how that would make a difference in your giving?

As for who the coach will be...on a separate thread it was reported that Richie Price was leaving. My understanding is that he has applied for the position. I have no idea who the candidates will be and would be surprised if somebody can tell the difference ahead of their proving themselves in the job as to how that would make a difference in donating. Educate me on how this would work if I'm missing your point.

I don't think it's a cop-out. I've been told by members of the athletic department that they're trying to get as many donations in for the baseball program as possible to show the new AD that there's some interest in the program as it would be one of the first sports on the chopping block if the new AD chose to go that route.

I know this information has been relayed to other baseball alum's as well. I've talked to a few former players who are holding off on donations for now to see how everything plays out. I'm not saying the baseball program is in jeopardy, but that kind of talk doesn't exactly inspire confidence when you're trying to bring in donations. I'd have a hard time entering in to a five year donation commitment if I had doubts about the program.

[6-4-3 Jackrabbit]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

Once again it gets back to being proactive or reactive. I choose to be proactive. If more former players were proactive, we would not have to discuss the possibility of the program being eliminated. I hope that others will donate back and it won't take the athletic department threatening to fold the program for alumni to open their walllets. By the way the Rabbits have won eight straight conference games!

[Joe_Jackrabbit]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

Thats the problem, people always act like its always going to be dropped. Baseball has been a strong winning program, ...one of SDSU's best programs for an extended period.

Several years ago there was a gathering and a high ranking athletic department member opened the event by saying " We are currently not looking at dropping baseball at SDSU"
Although some may perceive that as a positive, that really doesn't set the mood in my opinion.

I feel that all people want, is for someone to come out and say something to the fact that the baseball program is a mainstay at SDSU and we expect it to compete for conference championships. SDSU baseball can be a solid D1 program and will be, if it is supported ..and I don't mean dumping alot of money into it.

The college season in the near future will continue to move towards the spring and the addition of other D1 schools in the area will lessen the economic burden. Someone with vision will be able to see the potential. In the Ekeland heyday (if you count guarantees as income) baseball was the third largest revenue producer in the athletic department.

This may be a slight exaggeration because stories build with time, but I recall SDSU having about 800-1,000 paid people attending the Midwest Regional on the SDSU Campus in 1984.

[F14]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

After the donation to build the grandstand and press box , I was wondering what they are raising money for now?I assume to replace the fence and get some bathrooms and a indoor hitting area.Anyone?

[Nidaros]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

After the donation to build the grandstand and press box , I was wondering what they are raising money for now?I assume to replace the fence and get some bathrooms and a indoor hitting area.Anyone?

Whether its scholarships or facilities, there are open hands willing to receive your donation. I dont have clue about what is going with baseball, but I suspect a call to one of the coaches or some one in HPER, will answer your question.

[Jacks15]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

I would assume there will be somewhere to hit in the Indoor Practice Facility. Scholarships, bathroom/concessions area, etc. I am sure if you ask the coaches they have plenty more on the wish list.

[76Rabbit]

Re: Donate Back Former Players

Right now the push is to erect a batters eye followed by the fence. There is a push to get at least the batters eye done by the time the Jacks come home this spring. Anyone wishing to pledge to this project can contact Slade Larscheid 605-214-6807 or email slade.larscheid@sdsufoundation.org