Great Argus Articles

[Rabbit74]

The Argus Sports section is full of SDSU artilces today. One is relating SDSU's transition to Cal Poly's in quite positive terms,


http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Saturdayfeature.shtml

one talking about facilities enhancements at the two schools,

http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Sa...article1.shtml

and a gread article on todays game and the

http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Sa...article1.shtml

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Great Argus Articles

UGGH, the campus Master plan calls for improvements to Coughlin Alumni in the next 20-25 years. Do we have the luxury of waiting that long? I dont think so.

[Jacks99]

Re: Great Argus Articles

I agree, hopefully with the recent success of the FB team and continued future success that can be moved up. I would like to see some low dollar improvements in the next two years.

Looking forward to the updated BBall games this year. It's easy to understand why they invested in this first.

Three great articles. Very thorough and for those who read them that may still have doubts, may show them the big picture.

[OK_Jackrabbit]

Re: Great Argus Articles

I think it's fair to say that campus master plans are very, very fluid documents. Things can change significantly, and pretty quickly. They don't lock the university into anything.

Plus, the master plan deals with major changes like large construction projects (the Argus story mentions a new building at the stadium). I'm sure the Athletic Department will continue upgrading facilities (like the new seats at Frost) incrementally as they go.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Great Argus Articles

OK Jackrabbit:
I agree with your comments about master plans, but I also recall some past conversation with AD Oien which might explain the updates to Coughlin Alumni.

I believe it was the summer of 1999, at the golf outing in Volga outing, when I asked Fred about the wellness center as it had been reported that they were going to have a ground breaking soon. Fred told me as I recall, that Dr Miller who had been on board less than a year had found the Master Plan in need of an update. Not having inside info here, I dont know if she just felt for her own sake as the new president to have a review and update or what were the circumstances that required an update.   At any rate Fred further said that all construction projects were all put on hold until the new plan was updated.  To date nothing has happen on the wellness center or upgrades to Coughlin except for the lights, restrooms and ticket office.  

I recall attending an informal gathering on campus shortly after the golf outing relating to the new proposed campus master plan and I dont know if that is the one that Chris is referring to his article, but this one calls for many changes and new streets etc and access from  I-29 and other stuff. I dont recall all the details now.

What is relevant now is if and when the Big Sky Committee makes a visit to Brookings and what their recommendations are regarding Coughlin and scholarships. If the committees recommendations are contingent on membership, I can see the upgrades coming sooner or later. if t is what it take to get admitted to the Big SKy. So yes the master plan is meant to be changed.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Great Argus Articles

One big donor and any master plan is put in the shredder. My guess is that the current master plan is based on lowend predictions for fundraising, etc. so that it doesn't look like they missed a deadline. That would mean major projects will get put off, or done over several years as smaller projects.

All we need is huge Powerball winner to need a large tax write off. ;D ;D ;D

[89rabbit]

Re: Great Argus Articles

Since the Argus doesn't archive their stories I thought I would post some of the highlights for history's sake.

http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Saturdayfeature.shtml

Lessons to be learned
Chris Solari
csolari@argusleader.com

published: 10/30/2004

One of SDSU's newest rivals offers facts, hope about Division I move

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The Great Plains of South Dakota couldn't be farther removed from the emerald green, rolling hills of California's Central Coast, both geographically and culturally.

Yet California Polytechnic State University, nestled at the foothills of those breathtaking vistas, bears a striking resemblance to South Dakota State.

Ten years ago, Cal Poly left behind a long and proud tradition in Division II for the promise and potential of Division I, much like SDSU did this fall. And the Mustangs' ascent offers plenty of lessons about what lies ahead for the Jackrabbits.

Cal Poly has become a Division I institution on the rise within its region. Its visibility has increased within a California higher education system that has a host of other D-I schools. The change has also excited donors and helped create and renovate athletic facilities on its campus.

In essence, Cal Poly is everything SDSU hopes to be 10 years from now.

"The one thing at Cal Poly is true everywhere - donors tend to get very excited about the needs you have because you're elevating your position," said Fred Oien, SDSU's athletic director. "They're never nearly as excited about doing something for the status quo. That's just a reality." . . .

Finding a conference

In 1994, the Mustangs made the leap to Division I without conference affiliation awaiting them - rolling the dice like the Jackrabbits have done.

Initially, the school approached the Big West Conference and was turned away, with university presidents saying the league wasn't ready to expand. Then McCutcheon turned his sights to the West Coast Conference. Again, he was told thanks, but not right now.

Re-enter the Big West. Though not much time had passed, the presidents of the predominantly California conference changed their minds about expansion and accepted Cal Poly for the 1996-97 school year.

"We could have put the (Division I) transition on hold. We could have just stopped it," McCutcheon said. "It was a bit of a gamble, but we thought the best way to attract a conference was to go through the transition and be countable as a Division I opponent."

McCutcheon then provided the kind of why-it-happened that SDSU officials hope to be saying within the next year if extended an invitation to join the Big Sky Conference.

"Quite frankly," McCutcheon continued, "we were very lucky that we were the right school in the right place at the right time when the Big West Conference was about to expand." . . .

Facilities, staff upgraded

Two other major concerns flared up during the early years of the Cal Poly transition: the athletic facilities on campus needed modernized, and administrative staff needed to be added.

Under McCutcheon's watch, the department grew from 20 staffers in 1992 to 55 today, according to its Web site. SDSU will have 52 full-time athletic department staffers with new equestrian coach Megan McGee.

However, some at Cal Poly remember just how difficult the initial transition was with so few administrative officials. They also admit that it was one of the biggest surprises with the move.

"When you go from Division II to Division I, you have to make progress in every area," McCutcheon recalled. "We had to increase scholarships, we had to increase operating budgets, we had to improve facilities. Just across the board, we had to make improvements. When you have to make improvements in every area, it's challenging."

What helped accelerate those structural changes on campus was a $20 million capital improvement campaign - just as SDSU's Foundation and athletic department are entrenched in now.

"We have a five-year strategic plan in place that's going to allow us to transition into Division I with not only each sport and how they're going to get there, but our facilities, our fund-raising plan, everything else," said Keith Mahlum, who is in charge of SDSU's major donations to the athletic department. . . .


Good stuff, Go State! ;D

[SoDak]

Re: Great Argus Articles

UGGH, the campus Master plan calls for improvements to Coughlin Alumni in the next 20-25 years. Do we have the luxury of waiting that long? I dont think so.

Hopefully some fat wallets will open. It's certain that there are some. There has to be at least a few wildly successful State grads out there feeling a little generous.