Fisher Field Progress Report

[carney2]

I was in the neighborhood yesterday and checked on the progress of renovations at Fisher Field. In summary, the DEstruction has ended, but the CONstruction has yet to begin.

The visiting stands, press box, that 20s vintage lavatory behind the press box, and all of the seats on the home side of the field are gone, and the rubble has been disposed of.

At the moment they appear to be working on the repair and restoration of the concrete base of the home stands.

The six-lane track is still in place, but has been pretty well chewed up by construction traffic.

No work has begun on moving/sinking the playing surface or on any of the new construction.

By the way, I took a close look at the artist's/architect's drawing that came out a few months ago and noticed

1. No press box - at least I can't make one out. Obviously, either an oversight by the artist or bad vision on my part, but, if an oversight, a pretty serious one, don't ya think?

and

2. The under the stands cavern on the home side is apparently being eliminated. At least I can't make it out (again). No loss there if true.

and

3. I am still having trouble visualizing any meaningful practice area behind the new visiting stands.

It's going to be a long and busy summer, I think.

[ngineer]

Well, ya got 3 1/2 months. What is the game plan if they run into any major delay? Just play away (like UD did with their field problems last year) or use EASD's Cottingham Stadium--which would be big enough for most games, except #142. Parking is lousy, though.

[DFW HOYA]

Well, they're making progress.

Some bad news to pass along to Lehigh fans traveling to Washington this year. According to Sunday's Washington Post, no improvements on the Multi-Sport Field until "at least 2008".

The University lost $15 million overall this year, and that doesn't help things.

Or, as Georgetown lacrosse coach Dave Urick put it, "When you're dealing with 17- and 18-year-old young men, who knows what separates one program from another? I am sure some kids are pretty focused on facilities, and I assume ours weren't always what they were looking for."

[carney2]

Well, ya got 3 1/2 months. What is the game plan if they run into any major delay? Just play away (like UD did with their field problems last year) or use EASD's Cottingham Stadium--which would be big enough for most games, except #142. Parking is lousy, though.

If ther's a "Plan B," nobody's talking about it.

[cosmo here]

By the way, I took a close look at the artist's/architect's drawing that came out a few months ago and noticed

1. No press box - at least I can't make one out. Obviously, either an oversight by the artist or bad vision on my part, but, if an oversight, a pretty serious one, don't ya think?

and

2. The under the stands cavern on the home side is apparently being eliminated. At least I can't make it out (again). No loss there if true.

and

3. I am still having trouble visualizing any meaningful practice area behind the new visiting stands.

It's going to be a long and busy summer, I think.

http://goleopards.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/012406aab.html

http://goleopards.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/012406aab.html?pic=2

Press box is set behind the concourse above the restroom facilities. Modified turf practice field for blocking sleds and individual drills set behind the visiting stands.

[colgate13]

The University lost $15 million overall this year, and that doesn't help things.

Ouch! What's the reason for all the red? I wouldn't have thought that a place like Georgetown would have money issues like that.

[MplsBison]

Borrow some from China. Isn't that the Washington way?

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

[QUOTE=DFW HOYA]Well, they're making progress.

Some bad news to pass along to Lehigh fans traveling to Washington this year. According to Sunday's Washington Post, no improvements on the Multi-Sport Field until "at least 2008".

The University lost $15 million overall this year, and that doesn't help things.QUOTE]


I think it's a fair question to ask, where is the Georgetown football program headed? This will be their 6th year in the leage, 5th as a full member and they keep treading water. Unfortunately for the Hoyas they haven't made much if any progress on the field and the outlook still looks relatively bleek. With the school in such financial distress shouldn't there be some serious condsideration to leave the Patriot League? There was numerous posts before that the football programs number one problem in competing is they spend a fraction of what Lehigh, Colgate and Lafayette, and pretty much everyone else. With the team playing in a 1/4 completed stadium for atleast the forseable future i think Georgetown's football program is in way over their head right now. I would have think some of the alums who could careless about football, we have a lot here at Temple, might look axing the program? I'm not trying to be harsh but the one thing that has become aparent in Georgetowns tenure is the school has had a lot of financial problems and they don't seem to be getting better. Unless the school wants the current trend to continue things are going to cut and money is going to spent elsewhere. Sports is usually one place they start and football is the most expensive.

[colgate13]

God I hope they don't go anywhere. In every area they are a perfect PL fit and I don't see a ton more teams (even if we allow scholarships) to take their place.

They brought football back and left the MAAC for a reason. I hope better times are on the horizon for them. With Colgate's budget they could be a great I-AA team.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

God I hope they don't go anywhere. In every area they are a perfect PL fit and I don't see a ton more teams (even if we allow scholarships) to take their place.

They brought football back and left the MAAC for a reason. I hope better times are on the horizon for them. With Colgate's budget they could be a great I-AA team.

So would Robert Morris, La Salle and anyone else in the MAAC. The problem is they're spending as if they were in the MAAC but are playing in the PL against Colgate and Lehigh. That doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon and has to be a serious concern.

[DFW HOYA]

I think it's a fair question to ask, where is the Georgetown football program headed? This will be their 6th year in the leage, 5th as a full member and they keep treading water. Unfortunately for the Hoyas they haven't made much if any progress on the field and the outlook still looks relatively bleek. With the school in such financial distress shouldn't there be some serious condsideration to leave the Patriot League? There was numerous posts before that the football programs number one problem in competing is they spend a fraction of what Lehigh, Colgate and Lafayette, and pretty much everyone else. With the team playing in a 1/4 completed stadium for atleast the forseable future i think Georgetown's football program is in way over their head right now. I would have think some of the alums who could careless about football, we have a lot here at Temple, might look axing the program? I'm not trying to be harsh but the one thing that has become aparent in Georgetowns tenure is the school has had a lot of financial problems and they don't seem to be getting better. Unless the school wants the current trend to continue things are going to cut and money is going to spent elsewhere. Sports is usually one place they start and football is the most expensive.

Georgetown University has lost a staggering amount of money over the last 11 years; in two cases, the school was put on a "credit watch" over the situation. However, almost all of it comes from its medical center. A football team that amounts to 6% of the athletics budget is not going to change that dynamic.

First, Georgetown does not compete with a MAAC budget. Its PL budget is approx. 2.5 times what it spent in the MAAC, and it is growing its budget, not contracting it. Its two finalists for the head coaching job were veteran assistants from BCS-level programs, and neither were looking to step back from where GU is within the Patriot League.

Georgetown's progress on the field is directly tied to recruiting, not seats in the stands. To date, it has lacked depth in skill positions which have been exposed by deeper teams (e.g., Lehigh), though, surprisingly, it is fairly competitive against others of late (Lafayette, Bucknell). The depth is a result of in decreasing order, a) fewer buyouts available than other PL schools, b) a higher academic index from which to recruit against, and c) less in the way of facilities and training. If Georgetown solves the buyout issue, things turn around--if a recruit can get a full buyout at Georgetown instead of a loan, suddenly it's a lot more competitive at positions where it has struggled.

The decision to change out the coaching staff is a sign that the new athletic administration at GU expects more out of the program. There have only been two head coaches in the last 36 years, so this is a considerable change. Georgetown was #25 in the nation in defense but #116 in offense. Getting that number up will drive its ability to succeed.

The previous staff also relied heavily on selling the facility to advance recruiting, which was probably countered quickly by other PL schools. That's not a selling point right now. But if fundraising can work on improving financial aid, success will follow, and then it's a lot easier to build a facility when you're 7-4 than 4-7.

To your last point, Georgetown does not look at athletics as a zero-sum game. It has added sports, not cut them--Georgetown now has 27 intercollegiate teams. Football has a home at Georgetown owing to the school's football history and the ability to leverage the PL-Ivy style of applicant within Georgetown's admissions structure. It draws upon strong alumni fundraising and that doesn't hurt, either.

Temple's situation is more complex and its MAC games don't solve the fundamental problem--Temple needs a schedule that fits its mission, and Akron and Ohio don't fit the long term plan. Playing the likes of Penn, Yale, Holy Cross, and Lehigh fits the plan Georgetown has for football right now, at a price it can afford.

[colgate13]

That's what I like to hear DFW. I don't think the Hoyas move out of the MAAC if they're not serious about the long term and I don't think they let Benson go either.

My comment about Colgate's budget though is that I don't think Robert Morris, or LaSalle or just anyone is going to be successful spending $3.5 million in I-AA. Heck, Holy Cross spends $2.5 and have been largely horrible except for last year.

Georgetown on the other hand is a sleeping giant that we should all be careful what we wish for. They have the biggest 'name brand' in the PL, a great location that a lot of recruits would like to be in, plus great academics to boot. They get a facility and some $$$$, and they could easily land themselves at the top of the league year in and year out.

[ngineer]

That's what I like to hear DFW. I don't think the Hoyas move out of the MAAC if they're not serious about the long term and I don't think they let Benson go either.

My comment about Colgate's budget though is that I don't think Robert Morris, or LaSalle or just anyone is going to be successful spending $3.5 million in I-AA. Heck, Holy Cross spends $2.5 and have been largely horrible except for last year.

Georgetown on the other hand is a sleeping giant that we should all be careful what we wish for. They have the biggest 'name brand' in the PL, a great location that a lot of recruits would like to be in, plus great academics to boot. They get a facility and some $$$$, and they could easily land themselves at the top of the league year in and year out.

I remember Pete Lembo telling me the same thing two years ago. Of course, he's a Hoya and may be slightly biased, but I think there is a lot of potential in the program, too.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Let's put it this way. You're a pre-law, and you can throw the football 70 yards across your body. Do you take Lehigh, Colgate, Holy Cross or Georgetown? Is there a decision?

To un-hijack this thread, it's disheartening to see the glacial pace of the facility renovations in Lafayette and Goergetown. They are making Fordham's renovations seem like the preparation for the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics in comparison - and they were anything but.

[colgate13]

Go easy on Lafayette! They just announced a new stadium in what, February? I don't call that glacial!

[carney2]

Go easy on Lafayette! They just announced a new stadium in what, February? I don't call that glacial!

Right you are, Mr. 13. I'm betting that they are on schedule. There are almost 4 months to go. Remember, the biggest piece of the puzzle - the "varsity house," or whatever it will be called - is not scheduled until 2007. Also, only one of the 2006 projects (the visiting stands, which will require the field to be moved before construction can begin) is dependent on something else before it can commence.

Check out my post to the "Lafayette Schedule Finalized" thread for the latest on the lights - and night games.

[Pard4Life]

Right you are, Mr. 13. I'm betting that they are on schedule. There are almost 4 months to go. Remember, the biggest piece of the puzzle - the "varsity house," or whatever it will be called - is not scheduled until 2007. Also, only one of the 2006 projects (the visiting stands, which will require the field to be moved before construction can begin) is dependent on something else before it can commence.

Check out my post to the "Lafayette Schedule Finalized" thread for the latest on the lights - and night games.

Since I was up at the school for the graduation on Saturday, I strolled around the campus and stopped at the football field. In contrast to what is being claimed here, I'd say construct is moving along at quite a reasonable pace. I was there three weeks ago as well, and both times, I side-stepped the construction fence and took a look around. The biggest difference I noticed Saturday compared with three weeks ago is that the crew is working on rehabillitating the stadium infrastructure. In many places, the concrete stands were very thin, cracking, and the stairs were very narrow. Three weeks ago, the crew had exposed thin spots and there were actually holes in the structure, where you could see the sky clearly from inside the cavern area. Much of the rebarb (I think that's what it's called) was rusted.

However on Saturday, all the holes were patched with fresh concrete, the west side of the stadium has been apparently completely groomed with fresh concrete that looks like it will be extened across the entire strucuture. In other words, the stands are going to look like they are brand new, when in fact we all know they are not. There were also some widened stairs constructed. Also, it looks they are beginning to construct a facade on the rear wall of the stadium along the concourse. What it will look like, I don't know, but the theme appears to be something archiac. And those open spaces at the bottom of the stadium where the stairs empty out onto the track are being closed off.

There is still a big open hole where the bathrooms once were. The visitor stands are now just groomed stone. There is a small pile of dirt on the field, but that has been there. The grass is mostly all overgrown... and still has not recovered from the Columbia game.

I would not call the work 'glacial'. They are moving at a respectable pace. My guess is the heavy construction will begin this week or shortly... it usually does once students move out and commencement is finished. After all.. imagine how a major field overhaul would interupt a potential commencement in the gym.

Plus, the dirt they are going to excavate from the field is going to be used on the quad to construct new pathways and a new surface.. I don't know how this will be done and how it will look... but you can't move tons of dirt across campus with students around.

So, be patient, there are still like, 120 days left until the opening kickoff vs. Penn.

[Husky Alum]

The University lost $15 million overall this year, and that doesn't help things.

How can a school like Georgetown lose $15 million? I don't understand the numbers. Is GU spending a bunch of cash on construction projects and taking money from its reserves to fund them?

As a donor, I get Northeastern's annual report and summary financial statements, and I don't think NU lost money this past year. They set aside a ton of cash for facilities which made things REAL tight from a financial point of view (one professor told me the average faculty raise was less than 5%).

As for glacial progress on things - any of you ever try to build a football stadium in a part of Boston that's undergoing a renaissance from the borders of the projects to a hot area of town? NU announced a new stadium a couple of years ago. I have a bet with an alum that both of our daughters will be freshmen at NU before we ever play a CAA football game on campus - mind you our kids are both 5.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

"Glacial" ws probably a bit harsh. I haven't seen the construction myself, but I was going on the observations being made upthread, as well as being disappointed with G'town's stadium project, and to a lesser extent Fordham's.

Unfortunately this was been a trend. Fordham's renovations were supposed to be in place for Fordham/Columbia and were not ready. Georgetown was supposed to have a completed stadium, but it won't be finished until 2008 at the earliest (and, come on, can't you name it something other than "multi-sport field"?). Lafayette were supposed to have lights in time for Penn, but that won't be realized.

Personally, I think the stadium renovations at Fisher will be great, and I can't wait for them to be put in ASAP. But don't underestimate missing the "lights" for the Penn game. There was an opportunity for expanded local and national coverage of Lafayette (and Lehigh) sports that weekend, and the ball got dropped.

[Fordham]

what wasn't ready for Fordham-Columbia, LFN?

[carney2]

Lafayette were supposed to have lights in time for Penn, but that won't be realized.

don't underestimate missing the "lights" for the Penn game. There was an opportunity for expanded local and national coverage of Lafayette (and Lehigh) sports that weekend, and the ball got dropped.

Although you are probably correct, don't jump the gun here, LFN. Check my post under the Official and finalized Lafayette Schedule thread. There is still a chance that we will be "under the lights" as you wish.

[DFW HOYA]

How can a school like Georgetown lose $15 million? I don't understand the numbers. Is GU spending a bunch of cash on construction projects and taking money from its reserves to fund them?

Sadly, a $15 million loss is a vast improvement. Two years ago, the HOYA student newspaper write that "In total, the Medical Center has lost a cumulative $333 million since fiscal year 1995. This August, when Standard & Poor’s cited GUMC’s financial instability by downgrading the university’s credit rating one notch to a BBB+ rating — rare for a school of Georgetown’s caliber — it became clear that problems within the Medical Center had indeed bled over into the rest of the university."

The end result is that the school can't finance construction projects. All construction projects must raise the cash in hand before they get started--in other words, the $12 million already raised for the MSF won't get it built in 2006.

[colgate13]

At what point to you cut that bad boy loose? What's the point of bleeding a school dry like that?

[DFW HOYA]

The hospital was sold six years ago. The medical center still loses money, as noted earlier, but since it accounts for nearly all of Georgetown's research dollars as a Tier I research university, it's not for sale.

No easy answers on this one.

[Husky Alum]

The hospital was sold six years ago. The medical center still loses money, as noted earlier, but since it accounts for nearly all of Georgetown's research dollars as a Tier I research university, it's not for sale.

No easy answers on this one.

For what it's worth, Boston University is in a similar predicament. Their credit rating is similar to that of a third world nation. Not only do they have a hospital and a medical center, they also built a $200 million student athletic/residential complex and sports arena (Agganis Arena) without having raised requisite funds and purportedly issued debt with an interest rate that's giving me a pretty good return (nothing like an NU guy investing in BU bonds for income). If not for a $40 million contribution from John Hancock Financial, BU would be DEEEP trouble.

I didn't realize your medicalcenter is bleeding red ink - no pun intended.

[JoltinJoe]

Unfortunately this was been a trend. Fordham's renovations were supposed to be in place for Fordham/Columbia and were not ready.

Let me echo what my fellow Ram said. Fordham's renovations were timely completed. It's a nice facility now. Maybe not great, but perfectly fine for PL football. Plus, we have the cleanest men's room I've ever seen in a stadium facility.