McNeese's New Field House Promo Video

[McTailGator]

http://www.mcneesefieldhouse.com/VTS1.wmv

Pretty cool. :thumbsup:

If anyone has ever wondered what kind of damage we suffered due to Hurricane Rita. You can see some glimpses here.

http://www.mcneesefieldhouse.com/ http://www.geauxcowboys.com/images/fieldhouse_power.jpg

http://www.mcneesefieldhouse.com/images/fieldhouse01.jpg

[blackfordpu]

I didn't see a completion date.

Looks like a fine facility. Can't wait to see the finished product.

[rokamortis]

Looks nice.

i did think it was funny when they showed the electric wiring and said "would you want your kids here?".

[patssle]

I like. But please, more than 1 song looping the whole time!

[blackfordpu]

I like. But please, more than 1 song looping the whole time!

Nice to see you posting here pat!:nod:

I'm looking forward to your videos this season!

[McTailGator]

I like. But please, more than 1 song looping the whole time!

I think there will be shorter versions for TV soon.

[McTailGator]

I didn't see a completion date.

Looks like a fine facility. Can't wait to see the finished product.


There is NOT an official completion date at this time.

Hurricane Rita put us a year behind due to the damage of all the local hotels and the fact that Taxes were not collected on FEMA paid Hurricane victims.

A HUGE portion of our funding is coming from a recently passed Hotel Occupancy Tax. Good news is, most (if not all) hotels or back up and normal. AND SEVERAL new hotels are planned including another BIG Casino Resort with 400+ high dollar rooms.

I'm guessing all three phases would be completed by the start of the 2008season. The players would move into their new facility just after the 2007 season.

[MplsBison]

How does Louisiana do it?

No offense at all is meant by this post.


It's an honest question.

LA has a population of around 4.5 million (no doubt lower with NO being flooded).

They have 11 public DI universities (LSU, Tech, Lafayette, Monroe, Grambling, Southern, UNO, McNeese, Nicholls, Southeastern, and Northwestern).

That's 11 DI budget mouths to feed.

How do the people of LA afford facility upgrades, scholarships, coaches saleries, etc. for all those schools?! Esp. considering LSU must have a top 25 budget in the US.

I mean, a state like MN with a population of almost 5 million has ONE DI school in the entire state.

[McTailGator]

How does Louisiana do it?

No offense at all is meant by this post.


It's an honest question.

LA has a population of around 4.5 million (no doubt lower with NO being flooded).

They have 11 public DI universities (LSU, Tech, Lafayette, Monroe, Grambling, Southern, UNO, McNeese, Nicholls, Southeastern, and Northwestern).

That's 11 DI budget mouths to feed.

How do the people of LA afford facility upgrades, scholarships, coaches saleries, etc. for all those schools?! Esp. considering LSU must have a top 25 budget in the US.

I mean, a state like MN with a population of almost 5 million has ONE DI school in the entire state.



We LOVE football...


Here's how much...


What you just saw, along with ANY athletic FACILITY can not use ANY public Funding from the state treasurery... ZERO.

We build things like this and provide a lot of our revenue from PRIVATE sources.

Those 420+ club seats that will sit above the new field house, will ease the waiting list from our current Press Box Luxury suites and club seats (SkyRanch), that now sit nearly 400 persons now.

We will soon have 800 club seats or luxury suites, that patrons must give a 5 year commitment for inclusion. We will soon have a waiting list for the new club seats, which will more than likely sale within the 1st month of the initial offering. And it won't be cheap. Those 13 luxury suites cost $15,000 per year each WITH a 5 year guaranteed commitment. That's $75,000 for each of the 13 suites. Plus there are another 180 or so club seats that bring in another $275,000 per year.

The 420 seats will bring in apx $250,000 per year with an initial 5 year commitment. A local bank gives us the entire 5 year amount up front after McNeese obtains the boosters commitment.

Plus a hell of a lot of Auctions and Golf Tournaments.

We have a lot of GREAT sponsors and boosters at McNeese. Our new Scoreboard nets around $1,000,000 a year in Ad space.


The Hotel Occupancy Tax idea, was mine. I ripped it off from Southern Miss, where their initiative failed to get enough votes to make thier expansion happen soon.

I contacted my local legislator and McNeese's Lobbiest and gave them the Mississippi Bill and some news clippings and they made it happen in Baton Rouge. So it's all home spun revenue and no local pay for it. Only out of towners in town to gamble, or see their team play McNeese.

[NSUDemon98]

How does Louisiana do it?

No offense at all is meant by this post.


It's an honest question.

LA has a population of around 4.5 million (no doubt lower with NO being flooded).

They have 11 public DI universities (LSU, Tech, Lafayette, Monroe, Grambling, Southern, UNO, McNeese, Nicholls, Southeastern, and Northwestern).

That's 11 DI budget mouths to feed.

How do the people of LA afford facility upgrades, scholarships, coaches saleries, etc. for all those schools?! Esp. considering LSU must have a top 25 budget in the US.

I mean, a state like MN with a population of almost 5 million has ONE DI school in the entire state.


Unfortunately, Louisiana has a university for every parish in the state. I don't know how they do it either. But there is a reason that Louisiana doesn't have a nationally competitive university as far as academics are concerned...and no, LSU is not nationally competitive when put against schools like UT, Michigan, Ohio St., etc.

They also do it without a propert tax...which in turn also gives their public schools grossly low budgets to run on[example: SAT, ACT, H.S. graduation rates, etc]. Also, when compared to other states Louisiana use to be ahead of Mississippi and Arkansas when it came to educational statistics but no longer.

100 years worth of dirty politics has destroyed Louisiana and after years of just putting up with it Louisiana finds itself where it is today.

In all honesty, there are universities that need to be shut down...but which ones? and by what criteria? You can bet none of the meaningless LSU satelite campuses will be touched...you can also bet that a certain other school will never be touched b/c the political fallout would never allow such a thing.

Louisiana doesn't have the population, money, major cities, industry, technology, number of h.s. graduates to support 11 public universities...it is a 3rd world state.

I love my alma mater and I love my family who call Louisiana home but there is no denying things are extremely F-CKED UP! in the Louisiana and they will never change.

[Retro]

Louisiana's population isn't as bad as you might think.. Most people have come back.. The ones that want to rebuild their lives and work.. A lot of those who left new orleans likely won't come back because they don't want to work to rebuild homes or get a real job. Many of them were a cancer to the area including criminals and lifetime welfare recipients.. I expect a lot of the run down areas to be cleaned up and turned into more various income neighborhoods instead of the dump it has been for 40 years.

New Orleans needs about 10,000 workers right now for construction work and most of those down there doing it now are mexicans from elsewhere, not native orleanians.. I expect even more companies to start up down there once they have workers and housing as the rebuilding of homes and apartments will take a long time and that will help the economy for years and increase population by itself.

I think the state will be in much better shape in about 2 - 3 years if no more major storms... Once it's time for people to give up those fema trailers, we're going to see who really wants to contribute to a better society and those who don't, but have the ability will have to make an effort to become productive members of society..

[patssle]

Many of them were a cancer to the area

Now they are a cancer to Houston.

[*****]

I watched the video, nice! My check will arrive soon. :)

[golionsgo]

How does Louisiana do it?

No offense at all is meant by this post.


It's an honest question.

LA has a population of around 4.5 million (no doubt lower with NO being flooded).

They have 11 public DI universities (LSU, Tech, Lafayette, Monroe, Grambling, Southern, UNO, McNeese, Nicholls, Southeastern, and Northwestern).

That's 11 DI budget mouths to feed.

How do the people of LA afford facility upgrades, scholarships, coaches saleries, etc. for all those schools?! Esp. considering LSU must have a top 25 budget in the US.

I mean, a state like MN with a population of almost 5 million has ONE DI school in the entire state.

If you count Tulane and Centenary, which are both private, there are 13 D-I schools competing for "market share" if you will. And in addition to the other problems laid out when it comes to funding, Louisiana public institutions aren't allowed to assess student fees to help fund athletics. But somehow things seem to work themselves out, for better or worse.

[golionsgo]

Unfortunately, Louisiana has a university for every parish in the state. I don't know how they do it either. But there is a reason that Louisiana doesn't have a nationally competitive university as far as academics are concerned...and no, LSU is not nationally competitive when put against schools like UT, Michigan, Ohio St., etc.



I agree with you that things are screwy in Louisiana and always have been but I'm not sure I agree with your premise that we need a nationally competitive university at the expense of closing others in the state down. We should be in the business of educating kids and offering more opportunities, not less. The problems with funding in this state and the reasons we lack a nationally competitive public institution run far deeper than having too many schools. Whether we have one or thirty, until the root political problems are solved, closing down or merging schools won't be the answer I'm afraid.

[MplsBison]

I would think LSU and Tulane get most of the state with each of the other 12 DI schools as regional afterthoughts.

Isn't it true that Tulane used to be the University of Louisiana? And that's why LSU has it's name instead of UL?


Seems like not only are there 11 public DI schools, but they might as well all be private DI schools! Is it just athletics that get no public funding? Are all the public schools fairly underfunded?


I hope New Orleans can get itself fixed up. I would think business would come back with tax incentives.

Hopefully there won't be any bad storms directly hitting in the next couple of years. Or at least hope the new dams will hold.

[blackfordpu]

Now they are a cancer to Houston.

I was thinking the same thing. :(

[McTailGator]

I watched the video, nice! My check will arrive soon. :)


Don't forget to tell them you T-Shirt size. xlolx

[McTailGator]

I agree with you that things are screwy in Louisiana and always have been but I'm not sure I agree with your premise that we need a nationally competitive university at the expense of closing others in the state down. We should be in the business of educating kids and offering more opportunities, not less. The problems with funding in this state and the reasons we lack a nationally competitive public institution run far deeper than having too many schools. Whether we have one or thirty, until the root political problems are solved, closing down or merging schools won't be the answer I'm afraid.


I agree with you. BUT, there is no way we need an LSU/Southern, and a LaTech/Grambling within 10 miles of each other.

[McTailGator]

I would think LSU and Tulane get most of the state with each of the other 12 DI schools as regional afterthoughts.

Isn't it true that Tulane used to be the University of Louisiana? And that's why LSU has it's name instead of UL?


Seems like not only are there 11 public DI schools, but they might as well all be private DI schools! Is it just athletics that get no public funding? Are all the public schools fairly underfunded?


I hope New Orleans can get itself fixed up. I would think business would come back with tax incentives.

Hopefully there won't be any bad storms directly hitting in the next couple of years. Or at least hope the new dams will hold.

Tulane is a VERY small Private school about the same size as Duke. Around 5K I think.

Their enrollment is national.

[GeauxColonels]

How does Louisiana do it?

No offense at all is meant by this post.


It's an honest question.

LA has a population of around 4.5 million (no doubt lower with NO being flooded).

They have 11 public DI universities (LSU, Tech, Lafayette, Monroe, Grambling, Southern, UNO, McNeese, Nicholls, Southeastern, and Northwestern).

That's 11 DI budget mouths to feed.

How do the people of LA afford facility upgrades, scholarships, coaches saleries, etc. for all those schools?! Esp. considering LSU must have a top 25 budget in the US.

I mean, a state like MN with a population of almost 5 million has ONE DI school in the entire state.
True that LSU's athletics budget is enormous; however, the department is completely self-sufficient. They don't get money allocated from the school's budget and the TAF (Tiger Athletic Foundation) - the non-profit "boosters" for LSU fund the majority of improvements in the athletics facilities on campus.

The REST of the programs don't have NEARLY the budgets they probably need.

[GeauxLions94]

Tulane is a VERY small Private school about the same size as Duke. Around 5K I think.

Their enrollment is national.

Tulane's enrollment Pre-Katrina was around 11,000. Don't know what it'll be this fall, but it is national with most students coming from the Northeastern US (damn East Coast bias :D )

[Catmendue2]

I agree with you. BUT, there is no way we need an LSU/Southern, and a LaTech/Grambling within 10 miles of each other.



Close Tech then, was never needed in the first place.

[TexasTerror]

Good luck to McNeese in their quest for a field house...

A very nice video in terms of the explanation of where McN has been and where they want to head now...

Love how they show quite a bit of the problems with the current fieldhouse...

[MplsBison]

I agree with you. BUT, there is no way we need an LSU/Southern, and a LaTech/Grambling within 10 miles of each other.

........Wow.


Obviously LSU and Tech are not going to ever be closed...so I can only assume that you think both Southern and Grambling should be closed.


.......Wow.



You're aware of that whole slavery...thing...right?

[McNeese75]

........Wow.


Obviously LSU and Tech are not going to ever be closed...so I can only assume that you think both Southern and Grambling should be closed.


.......Wow.



You're aware of that whole slavery...thing...right?

: smh :

[McTailGator]

Tulane's enrollment Pre-Katrina was around 11,000. Don't know what it'll be this fall, but it is national with most students coming from the Northeastern US (damn East Coast bias :D )


I was quoting what the spring Under-graduate enrollment was. So your number is problably right too.

Anyway, the fact is, TooLame is a private school with national status and very little local sports support and should not be included in this topic anyway.

[McTailGator]

Close Tech then, was never needed in the first place.


I say we merge the two together. Cut out all the "ADMINISTRATIVE WASTE" (And GSU's does not have a good budget balancing record there), and then flip a coin on what to name it...

I say we call it the University of Louisiana (with no city tag), just to piss off the ULM'ers and ULL'ers of the world. :smiley_wi

[McTailGator]

........Wow.


Obviously LSU and Tech are not going to ever be closed...so I can only assume that you think both Southern and Grambling should be closed.


.......Wow.



You're aware of that whole slavery...thing...right?



Just merge the two...

Segregation was rulled unconstitutional... I agree with it.

We should consolidate those universities.

Turn Southerns Campus into State government offices, ship all the students that want to go to LSU there. Hire all the Southern professors at LSU, chose the best administrators and fire the worst.


Same with LaTech and Gram. Just flip a coin there to determine what we call it. (See my other post on the UL thing). LSU is and always will be LSU so Southern's name goes bye-bye...:twocents:

[MplsBison]

Wow, so you do think both Grambling and Southern should be closed.

I'm sure black people won't mind at all.

[Catmendue2]

Just merge the two...

Segregation was rulled unconstitutional... I agree with it.

We should consolidate those universities.

Turn Southerns Campus into State government offices, ship all the students that want to go to LSU there. Hire all the Southern professors at LSU, chose the best administrators and fire the worst.


Same with LaTech and Gram. Just flip a coin there to determine what we call it. (See my other post on the UL thing). LSU is and always will be LSU so Southern's name goes bye-bye...:twocents:


Why not consolidate ULL and Mcneese, LSU and Southeastern or Nichols St. Southern is the only state supported school in La. besides LSU that's not part of the University of Louisiana System and is Land Granted. It easiers to close LSU than it would be to even attempt touch Southern.

[NSUDemon98]

I agree with you that things are screwy in Louisiana and always have been but I'm not sure I agree with your premise that we need a nationally competitive university at the expense of closing others in the state down. We should be in the business of educating kids and offering more opportunities, not less. The problems with funding in this state and the reasons we lack a nationally competitive public institution run far deeper than having too many schools. Whether we have one or thirty, until the root political problems are solved, closing down or merging schools won't be the answer I'm afraid.

Sorry if my post implied Louisiana "needing" a nationally competitive university. I hate LSU and I think it is absolutely pathetic with everything they have recieved, at the expense of the other La. universities, since the Huey P. Long era and thereafter that they can't compete academically with other states.

Let's face it, schools will never be shut down...and I agree with having enough options for educating Louisiana's population but having LSU-A[50 miles from NSU], LSU-E[close to UL-L] is obscene.

[MplsBison]

If you absolutely had to close 3 of the 11 DI public school to bring the number down to 8, which 3 would it be?

I would go with UNO, Southeastern, and Nicholls.

These three are the NO area public schools. If you want to go to a public school and stay relatively close to the NO area, go to Lafayette. Or stay in the city at Tulane or Loyola.


Which schools would you close?

[NSUDemon98]

If you count Tulane and Centenary, which are both private, there are 13 D-I schools competing for "market share" if you will. And in addition to the other problems laid out when it comes to funding, Louisiana public institutions aren't allowed to assess student fees to help fund athletics. But somehow things seem to work themselves out, for better or worse.

Apparently not the case anymore. LaTech, and I believe ULM, passed a resolution that was approved the by board of regents for the ULS allowing student assesed fees to go towards athletics.

[NSUDemon98]

Tulane is a VERY small Private school about the same size as Duke. Around 5K I think.

Their enrollment is national.

Tulane is Louisiana's best academic institution. They have several programs rated in the top 25 by USNWR.

[NSUDemon98]

True that LSU's athletics budget is enormous; however, the department is completely self-sufficient. They don't get money allocated from the school's budget and the TAF (Tiger Athletic Foundation) - the non-profit "boosters" for LSU fund the majority of improvements in the athletics facilities on campus.

The REST of the programs don't have NEARLY the budgets they probably need.

I'm aware that LSU's athletic budget is fully self-supportive. However, back during the Long era they had millions and millions of dollars pumped in for anything and everything they wanted. Even after Long was assassinated the overfunding of LSU and the deliberate starving of schools like NSU, UL-L, LaTech and then eventually when McNeese and Nicholls were founded as well.

[GAD]

True that LSU's athletics budget is enormous; however, the department is completely self-sufficient. They don't get money allocated from the school's budget and the TAF (Tiger Athletic Foundation) - the non-profit "boosters" for LSU fund the majority of improvements in the athletics facilities on campus.

The REST of the programs don't have NEARLY the budgets they probably need.
Southern's athletics department was also self-sufficient, until last year when lossing a home game threw our budget off

[McNeese75]

If you absolutely had to close 3 of the 11 DI public school to bring the number down to 8, which 3 would it be?

I would go with UNO, Southeastern, and Nicholls.

These three are the NO area public schools. If you want to go to a public school and stay relatively close to the NO area, go to Lafayette. Or stay in the city at Tulane or Loyola.


Which schools would you close?

Tulane and Loyola are private schools with private school tuition. It is not very practicle to replace public with private institutions.

[Retro]

Why not consolidate ULL and Mcneese, LSU and Southeastern or Nichols St. Southern is the only state supported school in La. besides LSU that's not part of the University of Louisiana System and is Land Granted. It easiers to close LSU than it would be to even attempt touch Southern.

UL-L and Mcneese aren't 10 minutes apart nor are Southeastern and Nicholls...

I wouldn't be surprised in the near future if the state drops all athletic funding for state universities and then we'll see who can really manage on their own.

[TexasTerror]

Tulane and Loyola are private schools with private school tuition. It is not very practicle to replace public with private institutions.

From my short time here in NOLA, it's very interesting looking and learning about the lower-level schools. You have Loyola, Dillard and Xavier. All three, private institutions at the NAIA level. Then, you have SUNO. A public school, the "ugly step sister" of Southern University. They are all at different levels, much different levels than the others, especially post-Katrina. SUNO was hurting pre-Katrina and is now far worse off than they were pre-storm.

I'm very interested in seeing how their athletic departments bounce back. Granted none had football at the NAIA level, but Dillard and Xavier routinely had strong basketball programs.

[McTailGator]

Why not consolidate ULL and Mcneese, LSU and Southeastern or Nichols St. Southern is the only state supported school in La. besides LSU that's not part of the University of Louisiana System and is Land Granted. It easiers to close LSU than it would be to even attempt touch Southern.


Must use Geography, and come to think about it. ULM is close enough to LaTex and GSU to be trown into the pile too. All other schools too far away.

Of course no politician(s) could ever get it done. The state would have to declare bankrupcy, and some federal judge would have to step in and get it done for the state. That is the ONLY way ANY state college would ever close.

Had these two Hurricanes happened when the price of oil was $25-30 a barrel, then I have no doubt, that is exactly what would happen. But $70 a barrel oil is giving our politicians a crap load of money to waste on rebuilding useless things in New Orleans while the rest of the state hit by either the sme Hurricane or Rita suffers with little or no aid.

[McTailGator]

If you absolutely had to close 3 of the 11 DI public school to bring the number down to 8, which 3 would it be?

I would go with UNO, Southeastern, and Nicholls.

These three are the NO area public schools. If you want to go to a public school and stay relatively close to the NO area, go to Lafayette. Or stay in the city at Tulane or Loyola.


Which schools would you close?


Tulane and Loyola ore PRIVATE schools. No state aid, so they go no where. SLU is growing so fast their enrolement will soon make them the number 2 largest school in the state. All the money and population of New Orleans is fleeing to the North Shore where SLU is located. And with that comes political influence. They aren't going anywhere.

[McTailGator]

Apparently not the case anymore. LaTech, and I believe ULM, passed a resolution that was approved the by board of regents for the ULS allowing student assesed fees to go towards athletics.


It really won't mean much for them...

They will still not be able to increase the total overall amount. I don't understand the big deal regarding the student fees. It will not increase their bottom line at all.

[SUjagTILLiDIE]

I agree with you. BUT, there is no way we need an LSU/Southern, and a LaTech/Grambling within 10 miles of each other.
SAD : smh : : smh : : smh :

[SUjagTILLiDIE]

You guys are going to have to edit the video and take coach Price off. He doesn't seem to happy on the video. Why was he fired.

[SUjagTILLiDIE]

Sorry if my post implied Louisiana "needing" a nationally competitive university. I hate LSU and I think it is absolutely pathetic with everything they have recieved, at the expense of the other La. universities, since the Huey P. Long era and thereafter that they can't compete academically with other states.

Let's face it, schools will never be shut down...and I agree with having enough options for educating Louisiana's population but having LSU-A[50 miles from NSU], LSU-E[close to UL-L] is obscene.
Im with you here Demon. I can't stand LSU.

[GeauxColonels]

If you absolutely had to close 3 of the 11 DI public school to bring the number down to 8, which 3 would it be?

I would go with UNO, Southeastern, and Nicholls.

These three are the NO area public schools. If you want to go to a public school and stay relatively close to the NO area, go to Lafayette. Or stay in the city at Tulane or Loyola.


Which schools would you close?
:confused: :confused: Ummmmmmm, what do you mean by that? Lafayette is practically across the state from New Orleans.

[TexasTerror]

:confused: :confused: Ummmmmmm, what do you mean by that? Lafayette is practically across the state from New Orleans.

Not the best drive in the world too...

Over the Atchafalaya River Basin (a potential traffic nightmare) and through Baton Rouge on I-10, which is where you can get tangled up in traffic...

Still closer than going from New Orleans in the southeast to Nachitoches or Shreveport to the far northwest...but ULL is not considered "near" New Orleans...

[McNeese75]

You guys are going to have to edit the video and take coach Price off. He doesn't seem to happy on the video. Why was he fired.

There has not been anything "Official" put out by the University on the reason. There has been some talk about an upcoming NCAA investigation but at this point everything is speculation.

[golionsgo]

I agree with you. BUT, there is no way we need an LSU/Southern, and a LaTech/Grambling within 10 miles of each other.

In theory you may be correct, but in reality Southern and Grambling serve a great purpose. Whether they're located 10 miles or 10,000 miles from LSU and Tech makes no difference.