RPI = The Jeffersons?

[Fordham]

New RPI athletic fields/plans (http://www.sasaki.com/what/works.cgi?fid=424&project_type=13&page=1)

nice 7,500 seat facility being built. Is this $$ being spent for their existing program or are they possibly 'movin' on up'?

Sorry if I'm late to the game on this one or if it's been discussed already but certainly found it interesting given the PL lament "who else could be added?".

[danefan]

RPI can certainly afford to move up.
They got the largest donation in the history of higher education ($300 million or so). I am told that is where the money is coming from for the stadium.

I don't believe the stadium is actually going to be 7500 seats. It is only going to seat 4800.

This building phase is not part of a plan to move up, or at least it hasn't been publicized to be. The basketball facility they are building will not be a DI facility.

Its called the East Campus Athletic Village.
More info here: http://www.rpi.edu/campaign/athletics.html

Construction photos here: http://www.rpi.edu/about/ecav_progress/index.html

[Redwyn]

No kiddin, it's the same company that's building SBU's Campus Recreation building.

RPI's stadium and facility look fantastic. Quite exciting if they go D1 with the intensity that they promote ice hockey.

[Retro]

I thought this thread was about sherman hemsley. xlolx

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/0/08/Shermanhemsley.jpg

[Ivytalk]

I thought this thread was about sherman hemsley. xlolx

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/0/08/Shermanhemsley.jpg

What are the Jeffersons in this context? Did I miss something in the article?

[danefan]

What are the Jeffersons in this context? Did I miss something in the article?

"Movin' on Up!"

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

"Movin' on Up!"

I had to think for a moment then went xdohx

xoopsx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[LUHawker]

I've commented in other threads multiple times that RPI would be a great addition to the Patriot League. Academics, size, cost, geography all fit. DIII status doesn't currently fit, but this stadium looks very nice and would seem to reflect an investment in something more than DIII.

Now, Fordham, with you guys pushing the envelope on scholarships, I wonder if that throws a wrench in any of RPI's plans. \

Lots of speculation at this point.

[danefan]

I've commented in other threads multiple times that RPI would be a great addition to the Patriot League. Academics, size, cost, geography all fit. DIII status doesn't currently fit, but this stadium looks very nice and would seem to reflect an investment in something more than DIII.

Now, Fordham, with you guys pushing the envelope on scholarships, I wonder if that throws a wrench in any of RPI's plans. \

Lots of speculation at this point.

I don't think their construction indicates anything more than a DIII commitment. 4,800 seats for the stadium is not a DI committment or even a contemplation.

The basketball arena will seat 1,500 I believe. Certainly not a DI midmajor facility.

They will, no doubt, have some of the nicest DIII facilities in the country, but that's about it.

[LUHawker]

I don't think their construction indicates anything more than a DIII commitment. 4,800 seats for the stadium is not a DI committment or even a contemplation.

The basketball arena will seat 1,500 I believe. Certainly not a DI midmajor facility.

They will, no doubt, have some of the nicest DIII facilities in the country, but that's about it.

I thought the stadium was 7,500 according to the first post. Is that inaccurate?

[Fordham]

I had to think for a moment then went xdohx

xoopsx xlolx xlolx xlolx
Thank you. I'll be here all the week. Please try the veal.
:p

[Ivytalk]

I had to think for a moment then went xdohx

xoopsx xlolx xlolx xlolx

I'm the real idiot. I had the mindset that RPI was, well, GPI!:o And I'd forgotten all about "that dee-luxe apartment in the sky."

[danefan]

I thought the stadium was 7,500 according to the first post. Is that inaccurate?

Yes. The original plans called for a 7500 seat stadium, but they decided to only build it to 4800.

And they did it in a way that does not really allow for easy expansion to 7800. They didn't just take a section out, for example. They actually just shrunk the 7800 design down.

They could expand by adding seats on the other side of course.
I'm not saying they couldn't do it, I just don't see anything coming out of there that indicates they have any intention to do so.

They have the $$$$ and the academics. They raised $1.8 billion in their last capital raising campaign. That's unbelievable.

They would be a shoe-in for PL inclusion as an all-sports member, IMO. I just don't see it happening.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

The post did say 7,500. If you click the link and read some of the info, it says 4,800. I agree with Danefan that these aren't the facilities of a school positioning itself for D-I. I recall when my nephew was looking at colleges and we visited Susquehanna in PA. They had great facilities, just not with D-I capacity. It's not unusual for a D-III school to have wonderful facilities. A lot of these schools, in the Northeast anyway, are not hurting for money.

[danefan]

The post did say 7,500. If you click the link and read some of the info, it says 4,800. I agree with Danefan that these aren't the facilities of a school positioning itself for D-I. I recall when my nephew was looking at colleges and we visited Susquehanna in PA. They had great facilities, just not with D-I capacity. It's not unusual for a D-III school to have wonderful facilities. A lot of these schools, in the Northeast anyway, are not hurting for money.

My brother went to school and played football at Susquehana. Great little school in the middle of nowhere......still paying off those loans though..xnodx

[Fordham]

The post did say 7,500. If you click the link and read some of the info, it says 4,800. I agree with Danefan that these aren't the facilities of a school positioning itself for D-I. I recall when my nephew was looking at colleges and we visited Susquehanna in PA. They had great facilities, just not with D-I capacity. It's not unusual for a D-III school to have wonderful facilities. A lot of these schools, in the Northeast anyway, are not hurting for money.
xconfusedx The link I posted only references 7,500 ... where am I missing it?

And my sister went to Susquehanna as well. Beautiful school. Ugly uni's.

[Go...gate]

Seems to me the reality is this: if, as on another thread posted by ngineer, the PL is disinclined to go to FB scholarships, then its most likely candidates for expansion (save Marist and maybe Northeastern - would they join us for all-sports?) are Division III schools who move up. So this RPI idea may, indeed, have traction.

[Redwyn]

A big question I'd have is if RPI is ready to move up in all other sports besides football. We do have to remember it already has its "one sport" in Ice Hockey, so we'd have to consider whether RPI would want to give up its dominant position in DIII and take that gamble on moving up. Its basketball team went to the DIII tourney, its lacrosse is mediocre (not a good thing for the hyper competitive PL), and, as the son of an RPI alum and having competed there myself several times, the school doesn't place a major social emphasis on athletics (omitting Ice Hockey, RPI LOVES its Ice Hockey). If the admins were interested (which they probably are not, since I do agree that 4800 seats, while understandable for a school not very passionate about sports, a DI program does not suggest), they'd have to produce a pull for the PL to be willing to bring RPI on.

An interesting solution to this is Rowing. RPI has a decently successful club rowing program that already follows the NCAA championship schedule. The rivalry with other upstate schools might interest RPI, and another rowing school might stoke the PL, which only has 5 rowing members. That being said, if they wanted rowing, they would have added it in DIII already, so it won't happen.

Overall, we must think of the big picture. There are other schools that present a more enticing package option than RPI, and I believe the massive downside of being a (even if temporary) lag in several sports would prevent the PL from immediately welcoming RPI, and RPI would never leave its comfortable position in the Liberty Conference and ECAC Hockey to languish as an Indy for a few years, no matter the under the table promises it would have to receive.

I do agree that Bryant might be a nice option though. The extra prep time it would get in the NEC would eliminate several of RPI's issues.

[danefan]

xconfusedx The link I posted only references 7,500 ... where am I missing it?

And my sister went to Susquehanna as well. Beautiful school. Ugly uni's.

http://www.rpi.edu/campaign/newsletter/stadium.pdf

4800 was also the capacity indicated in the article in the local paper when they started building.

Brown and orange. Them and Va Tech are the only schools to wear them.

[TheValleyRaider]

Given RPI's position, I could see Lacrosse becoming a much improved sport for them if they were to pony up the cash for the whole Division I move. Highly-rated academic school located in the Capital District? That's close enough to a Lax stronghold that they could easily become competitive xtwocentsx

Rowing seems like it would be a tough sell for the PL as far as taking RPI. I think the school sells itself as far as the PL is concerned, but if there's a dealbreaker, I'm not sure it would be even more of a niche sport like Rowing. A full D-I member with their academic reputation would be a strong enough candidate. Where do they row? The Hudson?

That being said, like others, RPI isn't joining the D-I ranks. I would love it if they did, but it seems highly unlikely at this time

[Redwyn]

Oh, there's no question they'd become competitive eventually, and yes, they're a PL academic match. I'm just not convinced that the PL would be willing to weather the several years it would take for RPI to transition, and I don't believe RPI would be willing to put itself into D1 limbo in the meantime. The lacrosse transition I think might take a good deal longer due to the conflict with Albany's recruitment base in the Capital District. And this is assuming they're willing to divert one cent from Ice Hockey.

As for crew, they row on the Hudson, I think they share U Albany's boathouse. It's a solid river, the head racing weather is perfect early in the Fall. Rowing is indeed a niche sport, but it is one the PL worships (Navy and Bucknell are perennial IRA/NCAA powers, and I believe Navy was a founder of the IRA, might need to recheck). I don't know enough about the whole politics of going D1, but if it was an issue of uniqueness and sports that could become immediately competitive, then that's where rowing could come in.

Pity it's a moot issue though. Sort of like looking at a beautiful gold brick, only to discover it's a brick with gold colored tin foil.

[Seawolf97]

How does the NCAA Moratorium fit into all this ? Leys say Fordham does leave the PL wouldnt they be forced to wait until after 2011 to join an existing conference? Also if RPI suddenly elected to go to D-1 wouldnt they also be forced to wait on any transistion until after 2011?

[danefan]

How does the NCAA Moratorium fit into all this ? Leys say Fordham does leave the PL wouldnt they be forced to wait until after 2011 to join an existing conference? Also if RPI suddenly elected to go to D-1 wouldnt they also be forced to wait on any transistion until after 2011?

the moratorium only effects teams transitioning to Division I, so it wouldn't effect Fordham at all.

It would effect RPI, which wouldn't be eligible to begin transition until 2011 and then would need the 4 years of transition time.