Future of SDSU Tennis

[HoboD]

I want to express my concern for the future of tennis at STATE. When the move to D1 was promoted, the supporters assured the legislature and the public that the move was not going to over emphasize football and basketball(mens) at the expense of the other non-revenue sports. Frankly, to live up to that ideal some things need to be done with the tennis program.

1. Scholarship money. Last I knew, there was one $500 dollar scholarship available for the mens team and one $500 for the womens team. In contrast, the UND womens team has all 8 of their top players on a partial scholarship of $1000-$2000. Believe me the D-1 programs in the region are much higher then that.

2. Schedule. The schedule is weak. Like the other sports it needs to be upgraded quickly or just like the "major" sports the better athletes will not be interested. This probably means expensive road trips but even area D2 teams like UND, St.Cloud, SF College, take spring trips down south to get good competition. So should the Jacks. Like the other sports this will hopefully improve when a conference is found (assuming that the other programs offer tennis. Many schools offer just womens tennis as an offset for title 9).

3. Facilities,facilities,facilities. UND,St.Cloud,UDuluth,Moorehead,Mary,Gustavus, SF College,Augustana,UNO, not to mention U of M and Creighton all have indoor facilities either on campus or nearby. Their athletes are practicing their sport through out the school year. If SDSU is serious about having D-1 programs in all sports, an indoor facility either on campus or in Brookings needs to be developed asap. I recently attended a match at UND. The UND women had been practicing 5 days a week since the first of the year. The Jacks hadnt practiced at all because their courts were covered with snow! What do you expect under those circumstances for results. Imagine the basketball team walking on to the court without any practices for a month and trying to play with any sucess. Imagine a soccer, vollyball, softball or football recruit coming to campus and being told that "we actually dont have a court or field to practice on."

To me this is a real test of what the move to D-1 is all about. Is it meant to be about giving better opportunity for athletes in all sports or just an excuse to get more money into football and mens basketball at the expense of the other programs. Time will tell.........

[89rabbit]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

According to the Fargo Forum, No scholarships are offered for Men's Tennis at either NDSU or SDSU. On the Women's side NDSU offers no scholarships while SDSU now has a half scholarship. The half scholarship for Women's Tennis was just added as part of our move to D-I.

Don't get me wrong I hear what you are saying. I would like to see the funding and facilities for all of our athletic teams improved. That is why I give to the Jackrabbit Club (both time and money). However like so many things about our move to D-I, I believe the key word is patience.

Go State! ;D

[iasomebison]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

According to the Fargo Forum, No scholarships are offered for Men's Tennis at either NDSU or SDSU.  On the Women's side NDSU offers no scholarships while SDSU now has a half scholarship.  

I should hope not, NDSU doesn't have a tennis team (men's or womens) ;D

[Joe_Jackrabbit]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

I agree with HoboD, myself with many others welcome the D1 transition but don't want to see other programs dropped. Everything is important and has value.

Isn't there indoor courts somewhere in Brookings. Back in the day they practiced indoors somewhere I thought. Womens tennis and gymnastics was dropped in the early eighties (golf?) when was tennis added again?

[HoboD]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

I agree with HoboD, myself with many others welcome the D1 transition but don't want to see other programs dropped.  Everything is important and has value.  

Isn't there indoor courts somewhere in Brookings.  Back in the day they practiced indoors somewhere I thought.  Womens tennis and gymnastics was dropped in the early eighties (golf?) when was  tennis added again?

Your correct to some extent, over the years the teams have tried to practice on the upper deck of the Frost, but according to the players the space, surface and time allotted there are very minimal and totally in adequate. Currently, the closest regulation indoor facilities are in Sioux Falls.

[HoboD]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

According to the Fargo Forum, No scholarships are offered for Men's Tennis at either NDSU or SDSU.  On the Women's side NDSU offers no scholarships while SDSU now has a half scholarship.  The half scholarship for Women's Tennis was just added as part of our move to D-I.

Don't get me wrong I hear what you are saying.  I would like to see the funding and facilities for all of our athletic teams improved.  That is why I give to the Jackrabbit Club (both time and money).  However like so many things about our move to D-I, I believe the key word is patience.

Go State!  ;D

Hansel is correct, NDSU has no tennis programs. UND has a womens program which has access to 5 indoor courts and has scholarships ranging from $1000 to $2000 for its top 8 players. As a result they have won the last two NCC titles, are favored for a third and are currently nationally ranked.

[Joe_Jackrabbit]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

Didn't-doesn't Larson Mfg. or someone by the radio station have indoor tennis courts?

[filbert]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

I'd second the "patience" advice. Women's tennis for sure is not going anywhere -- the university needs the scholarships/athletes for Title IX compliance. I seem to recall one of the statements of the administration was that no sports would be cut at SDSU . . . can someone with a better memory than me confirm/deny that?

Facilities will always be a challenge unless one of us alumni win the Powerball.

Rome wasn't built in a day. SDSU needs a nice fieldhouse/Wellness Center to support not only the football (and baseball?) teams' practice needs, but also to upgrade the facilities for the non-revenue sports. I'm not sure where the 7 or 8 million dollars to do it right will come from, though.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

I dont have my copy of the Carr Report handy, but I would venture a speculation that all the points mentioned in HoboD's initial post are addressed in the report and a cost recommendation of a solution would also be mentioned in the report. Carr and staff reviewed each and every sport and listed all the items of recommendation to be made to each sport in order to be competitive at the D1 level.  

I dont think tennis is going to go by the wayside.  The campaign to raise 20 million is set at that level to fund all the scholarships for each sport  and to allow other sources of revenue to be applied to facilities, and other items needed to make it work.

The unfortunate thing about the SDSU move to D1 is that we did not start out with 20 million on hand and many of these things could have been corrected immediately if the funds were available, but that is not the case.

I think one thing that can be done and its maybe a small drop in the bucket and that is you can designated how your gifts are to be spent and one could donate 100 bucks or more and tell the foundation, that it is to be used exclusively for tennis. The foundation has the option of accepting or rejecting dontations. Most, such as a small gift for tennis, will be graciously accepted and used accordingly.

I am off topic here, but National Public Radio had a story this past evening about UND and alumni pushing the President to go D1. The UND president mentioned the fall off in attendence BB at SDSU and how President Kupechella did not want that to happen at UND.
To be balanced, NPR talked to SDSU to get their story that included  comments from SDSU Foundation Executive Director David Marquart. Dave's comments mentioned restrictions put on donations that were sometimes unreasonable. He mentioned a journalism scholarship that had to be turned down, because the donor wanted the recipentants to be a certain political persuation.  Asking the foundation  the donation to be used for tennis would not fall into this category. It is reasonable.

Also NPR mentioned UND and the REA arena and how one alum had forced the pres from removing the Fighting Sioux name, and now the Pres at UND is apparently getting pressure from UND alums with restrictions on their donations. Specically to be used for D1.

As alums and fans, we need to help out any way we can financially.  I dont think we can stand by and expect they(AD staff) to put the D1 puzzle together without us helping out financially. Every small amount helps and helps put the big picture together.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

one of the better posts to date

[Alumguy]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

Let's be candid about this. The Regents went along with the move to DI as long as no additonal state dollars were used in the effort. Further, the Regents indicated that student fees would not be increased with the move. So, what does that leave?

Every sport wants more. The only place to get it, based on the restictions implemented by the Regents, is the donor or corporate dollar.

There aren't many donors or corporations who tie their donations to sports such as tennis or golf. I'm not taking anything from those sports by making this observation, it's reality.

[HoboD]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

Let's be candid about this.  The Regents went along with the move to DI as long as no additonal state dollars were used in the effort.  Further, the Regents indicated that student fees would not be increased with the move.  So, what does that leave?

Every sport wants more.  The only place to get it, based on the restictions implemented by the Regents, is the donor or corporate dollar.  

There aren't many donors or corporations who tie their donations to sports such as tennis or golf.   I'm not taking anything from those sports by making this observation, it's reality.  

If your correct, then the whole D1 move really is all about football and mens basketball. The bottomline is to have a sucessful D1 program you need money for scholarships, coaches and facilities. STATE will not be able to get away with pumping the income from the revenue sports back into those sports alone and then telling the non revenue sports, (which includes all the womens programs) to fend for your self and go and find some mythical donor.

If you want to talk reality, remember Title IX. Under title IX, where the revenue comes from is irrelavant. Its the expense side of the ledger that counts. Now that might not help out the mens golf or tennis teams, but it sure as heck will be looked at by the supporters of womens golf and tennis. Believe me those who support womens athletics are not going to stand idly by while mens baskeball and football scholarships are increased and facilities upgraded and yet there is one $500 hundred dollar scholarship for the entire womens tennis team and in reality no place to practice from mid October to mid march.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Future of SDSU Tennis

HoboD:

You appear to be very passionate about tennis and maybe its because you were a letter winner. If that is the case, the sport means a great deal to you.

I see you are trying to organize an alumni tennis event. That seems like a great idea and I think you will not be chastied if you take the leadership role and ask those other alums for financial support of this sport. There would be nothing wrong with that.

In fact any type of fund raising is surely welcomed by the adminstration as long as its ethical and the funds are turned over to the foundation.

If the sport is in danger of being dropped, I would even help out with a donation. I have a tennis racket that keeps getting my way each time I move. Its a shame I dont know how to play the game.

Herb and Harold McDougual were about the only people I knew who played tennis, but that does not mean its not a great sport, it is.