Georegetown Football Announces $50M Gift

[DFW HOYA]

"October 6, 2015 – A $50 million gift to Georgetown will support an innovative leadership program for the university’s 750 student-athletes and fund the completion of the sports field situated in the heart of campus. The gift, from Georgetown parents Peter and Susan Cooper of Newport Beach, California, is one of the largest ever received by the university and is the biggest gift to the athletics program."

"As permanent recognition of the Coopers’ generosity, the three-year-old student-athlete leadership initiative will be named the Cooper Athletics Leadership Program and the existing Multi-Sport Field will be renamed Cooper Field when it is completed in an estimated 12 to 18 months."

http://www.georgetown.edu/athletics-leadership-cooper-gift

[Go Green]

Excellent news!

[dbackjon]

Wow - that's huge.

[Go...gate]

Very good news for Georgetown and Patriot League Football. A very important step.

[bulldog10jw]

That's great news

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The facility’s final design, now under development, will include additional seating for fans, “game day” locker rooms and more.

xhurrayx

[Gater]

Awesome.

[Seawolf97]

That's great news congratulations to the Hoya's

[superman7515]

Dear 6 lb 8 ounce baby Jesus... It finally happened!! Great news for the Hoyas, you can now come replace Rhode Island.

[PAllen]

I'll believe it when I see it. The MSF that is.

[Go...gate]

I'll believe it when I see it. The MSF that is.

Looks like the gift expressly includes completion of the MSF. Generally the donor's intent cannot be contradicted.

[DFW HOYA]

The terms of the donation are complicated, but it appears $10M will build the facility, along with what's left from the original fundraising, $5M will endow the leadership academy, and the balance will either be a endowment or allow for further gifts against the balance. It's not an all-cash gift.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Wow - excellent news! Now the Hoyas will get their wish to waive bye-bye to the Patriot League. Over/Under on whether they last through 2017?

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Great news for Georgetown fans. Man, when I live across the country and feel bad for what the fans of that team have put up with as far as facilities then you know it is a bad spot.

Can't wait to see some progress.

[BucBisonAtLarge]

A bigger press box? By the next time maybe Lafayette's TV crew will have a place...

Great news. A great university deserves a much better field.

[Go...gate]

Wow - excellent news! Now the Hoyas will get their wish to waive bye-bye to the Patriot League. Over/Under on whether they last through 2017?

I would think this would be helpful to their relationship with the Patriot League.

I can't see GU in the NEC or Pioneer. Will they join the Ivy League?

[bison137]

Will they join the Ivy League?


No.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Will they join the Ivy League?
I would doubt it but that won't keep the G'Town faithful from continuing to press the notion.

But seriously this is terrific news for Georgetown. Keep in mind that they need more than just a stadium upgrade. Equally important - and definitely needed - are dedicated locker rooms, DI football-level strength equipment, modern press facilities and HD-level lighting.

Also indoor plumbing. That would be nice.

Best thing for Georgetown would be to keep with the PL and play a 4-5 Ivy OOC like we used to do.

[Bogus Megapardus]

I do expect DFW to keep up apprised with details and renderings. Especially the renderings.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I do expect DFW to keep up apprised with details and renderings. Especially the renderings.

Too bad someone with photoshop skills won't be able to deliver any new renderings of MSF, complete with place for two camera crews.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Too bad someone with photoshop skills won't be able to deliver any new renderings of MSF, complete with place for two camera crews.

Well, I did one rendering with an outhouse mounted on a rickety tower a couple of years ago.

Should I make it a double-wide?

[ngineer]

Hmm. Maybe the 'sleeping giant' will awake. Good to see some positive steps.

[Go...gate]

Bogus, it is good to have you back.

[Model Citizen]

...and the balance will either be a endowment or allow for further gifts against the balance. It's not an all-cash gift.

Endowment to maintain the facility, I assume?

[apaladin]

When will the move to FBS be announced?

[Son of Eli]

When will the move to FBS be announced?



Now that Georgetown has plans to expand its football stadium perhaps the time is right for them to jump to the Ivy League. I would support that provided their new football stadium can sit at least 12,000 and they agree to join the league in all sports, including basketball. The upgrade to Georgetown's academic reputation from them being admitted to the Ivy League would more than make up for a lower profile basketball program. Georgetown's emphasis on academics would also fit better in a non scolarship league. The Ivy League would benefit with a more prominent basketball league and a easy excuse to finally make the transition to an eleven game schedule in football. With Georgetown's recent long term scheduling relationship with Columbia already in place maybe this transition is already under way.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Now that Georgetown has plans to expand its football stadium perhaps the time is right for them to jump to the Ivy League. I would support that provided their new football stadium can sit at least 12,000 and they agree to join the league in all sports, including basketball. The upgrade to Georgetown's academic reputation from them being admitted to the Ivy League would more than make up for a lower profile basketball program. Georgetown's emphasis on academics would also fit better in a non scolarship league. The Ivy League would benefit with a more prominent basketball league and a easy excuse to finally make the transition to an eleven game schedule in football. With Georgetown's recent long term scheduling relationship with Columbia already in place maybe this transition is already under way.

A much more likely scenario would be Georgetown becoming a football-only member in the Ivy League while still remaining in the Big East in all other sports. But that would require Ivy League football to do things like adopt an 11 game schedule, finally admit women and kick Larry Summers off of Harvard's board of trustees, so that's unlikely to happen.

[Bogus Megapardus]

A much more likely scenario would be Georgetown becoming a football-only member in the Ivy League while still remaining in the Big East in all other sports. But that would require Ivy League football to do things like adopt an 11 game schedule, finally admit women and kick Larry Summers off of Harvard's board of trustees, so that's unlikely to happen.

Wait - when did Yale start admitting Catholics?

[Go Green]

When will the move to FBS be announced?

A facility was never the problem for a move to FBS for Georgetown. Nobody is using RFK Stadium on Saturdays....

[CFBfan]

No.

137, you speak with so much authority on a range of topics!

[Fordhamanhattan]

I guess Georgetown will now be Cooperstown

[Ivytalk]

I guess Georgetown will now be Cooperstown

xlolxxbowx

That was so bad, it's good!

[Ivytalk]

Wait - when did Yale start admitting Catholics?

Hey, the Constitution expressly provides that there shall be no religious test for membership in the Ivy League!xrulesx

[Bogus Megapardus]

Top minds at 37th and O already are hard at work designing a new generation of public facilities to replace the shop-worn and outdated port-a-johns at Multi-Sport Field. Dr. A. Hugh Jacz, chairman of the select committee of distinguished faculty and alumni tasked with creating the design, explained that the new facilities must be both transgender friendly and reflect the peerless superiority the Hoya football program now may claim over its Patriot League underlings.

"Our vision," said Dr. Jacz, "is to establish an environmental and social justice benchmark for years to come, keyed in on the core concept of top-down redistribution." A poster on the Hoya message board, who goes by the name of "Dog Whistle," wrote, "I hate to brag but I think the team nailed it this time. We're not gonna have to put up with those snarky Patriot League pranksters any longer. Let those road fans do the work, climb that ladder. God knows they could use the exercise."

"Yes," Dr. Jacz agreed. "This time it looks like the joke's on them."



http://i58.tinypic.com/16hvqwz.jpg
 
 
 
 

[Ivytalk]

Top minds at 37th and O already are hard at work designing a new generation of public facilities to replace the shop-worn and outdated port-a-johns at Multi-Sport Field. Dr. A. Hugh Jacz, chairman of the select committee of distinguished faculty and alumni tasked with creating the design, explained that the new facilities must be both transgender friendly and reflect the peerless superiority the Hoya football program now may claim over its Patriot League underlings.

"Our vision," said Dr. Jacz, "is to establish an environmental and social justice benchmark for years to come, keyed in on the core concept of top-down redistribution." A poster on the Hoya message board, who goes by the name of "Dog Whistle," wrote, "I hate to brag but I think the team nailed it this time. We're not gonna have to put up with those snarky Patriot League pranksters any longer. Let those road fans do the work, climb that ladder. God knows they could use the exercise."

"Yes," Dr. Jacz agreed. "This time it looks like the joke's on them."

http://i58.tinypic.com/16hvqwz.jpg
 
 
 
 
Bogie, it all flows downhill!:D

[Bogus Megapardus]

Bogie, it all flows downhill!

Yes, but the select committee neglected to include anyone associated with Soft Condensed Matter Physics. Their prototype design might or might not be reflective of that.

[bostonspider]

Was this the most recent design?

http://www.hoyasaxa.com/sports/images/msf-7.gif

http://www.hoyasaxa.com/sports/images/msf-43015-5.jpg

[Bogus Megapardus]

This morning I read the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/georgetown-athletics-will-receive-50-million-gift-from-california-couple/2015/10/06/4aabe678-6c5c-11e5-aa5b-f78a98956699_story.html) article about the new stadium gift. The comments following the article were mind-boggling. So many people chiming in who have no concept whatsoever of Georgetown football. Regrettably it's those same commenters - many of whom are certain they know much better than Mr. Cooper about how and where he should donate his own money - who will start the lawsuits for which the denizens of N.W. Washington, D.C. are well known.

My vote would be to call it "Cooper Field" starting now because "Multi-Sport Facility" is the lamest facility name in all the NCAA (which I think Georgetown fans acknowledge). I just hope that half Mr. Cooper's money isn't spent on defending lawsuits brought by idiots.

[PAllen]

Was this the most recent design?

http://www.hoyasaxa.com/sports/images/msf-7.gif

http://www.hoyasaxa.com/sports/images/msf-43015-5.jpg

That's pretty much what is there now. Add a few extra "temporary" stands, the press box, and a few brick pavers at the entrance and you're done.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Further to the Washington Post commenters getting their undies in a bunch over Peter and Susan Cooper's gift to Georgetown - It reminds me of an inscription on Kirby Hall at Lafayette College. Kirby Hall is a sturdy, somewhat ornate Beaux-Arts style structure near the center of campus that was rumored to be per square foot the most expensive building ever constructed at the time. It was built during the Great Depression and its benefactor took some grief about spending so much of his money on a building designed to serve only one discipline at some hoity-toity college.

So what did Mr. Kirby do? He flipped them all off. He had an inscription carved prominently across the upper facade, which reads, "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?"




http://govlaw.lafayette.edu/files/2009/08/IMG_0697-225x300.jpg

[Lehigh Football Nation]

My brain hurts after reading the WaPo comments section. It reminds me a lot of Donald Trump.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Since this is "FiOS Week," this thread can't be all fun and games. So on a more serious note, the committee announced this afternoon that the new Cooper Field press box will be fitted with the latest state-of-the-art, aircraft-rated security.




http://i58.tinypic.com/2d7u9fl.jpg



Apparently Mr. and Mrs. Cooper's gift also includes funds for a roving patrol to ensure that no Lafayette Sports Network crew ever makes it past the Beltway.
 
 
 
 

[Bogus Megapardus]

My brain hurts after reading the WaPo comments section. It reminds me a lot of Donald Trump.

Ironically, Donald Trump would be the ideal person to cut through the red tape and the litigation to ensure that the new stadium is constructed on time and within budget. As long as Trump's name is on it, of course, in glittering gold plate and brilliant neon lights.

[Go...gate]

Some of the comments after the Washington Post article are ridiculous. Since when is it a sin to donate to athletics?

[Catsfan90]

Some of the comments after the Washington Post article are ridiculous. Since when is it a sin to donate to athletics?
Because anytime somebody spends their money the way they feel like it somebody somewhere has a fit.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

One of the comments posters is called FuschiaFerret. Just wanted to point that out.

[Bogus Megapardus]

One of the comments posters is called FuschiaFerret. Just wanted to point that out.

That's because PurpleGerbil was taken already.

[Bogus Megapardus]

You know, I was just thinking . . . if you shaved a couple million off JT3's salary each year, you could have built that stadium in no time. Locker rooms, too. And weight rooms, saunas, whirlpools. Plenty of parking . . . .

[2ram]

You know, I was just thinking . . . if you shaved a couple million off JT3's salary each year, you could have built that stadium in no time. Locker rooms, too. And weight rooms, saunas, whirlpools. Plenty of parking . . . .

don't be ridiculous, there's no possible way to increase the football budget. it's just way too expensive already!

[ngineer]

That's pretty much what is there now. Add a few extra "temporary" stands, the press box, and a few brick pavers at the entrance and you're done.

New capacity almost doubles current. Presently, the visitors stands only about 8-10 rows and very low pitch. Home side almost doubled. Is the scoreboard being moved to the 'dormitory end'? I would keep it where it currently is at the opposite end.

[NY Crusader 2010]

Great news and congrats to all our Gtown football friends.

Ivy league ain't happenin' though - the Ancient 8 will never expand.

[Bogus Megapardus]

The Georgetown facility has big graphics on each 20 that read, "Cooper Field" for today's Lafayette-Georgetown game. Good move. Abandon that MSF moniker forever.

[Bogus Megapardus]

So, does this afternoon's win go in the records as the "inaugural game at Cooper Field?" It seems like a decent benchmark for the program to reflect upon.

[Pards Rule]

Great initiation for Cooper Field...Congrats Hoyas and DFW Hoya especially

[Go...gate]

Great initiation for Cooper Field...Congrats Hoyas and DFW Hoya especially

Agreed!

When will the work take place?

[Bogus Megapardus]

Agreed!

When will the work take place?

The reports say it is to begin next summer and take 12-18 months after that, but you know how these things go. Attendance for this afternoon's Lafayette-Georgetown game was 3,104, or 125% of MSF capacity. Those new digs are going to make a lot of Hoya fans happy I imagine.

[BluBengal07]

great stuff GTOWN.