New GVSU Master Plan Released

[bigmrg74]

So do you think GVSU ends up staying D2?

I know a factor for some schools moving to D1 is enrollment. Doesn't seem like GVSU needs that. If they do go D1, where would you like to see them go?

If they were going to go D1, I would want them to get into the Big Ten. However, being that UM and MSU already have footholds on the GR market, I don't really see that happening anytime soon. But then again, who would have thought that we would have seen USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington in the Big Ten?

[bigsig50]

MAC ain't all its cracked up to be, and some of them would be better off playing FCS if they wasn't getting the ESPN MACTION deal package that pays them to play a lot of mid week games so that ESPN can broadcast the games to stadiums where at lot of the stands are covered with tarps. Looking at Eastern Michigan, who has quite literally, an 800 pound gorilla of a college football program a couple of miles away on Washtenaw avenue.

So do you think GVSU ends up staying D2?

I know a factor for some schools moving to D1 is enrollment. Doesn't seem like GVSU needs that. If they do go D1, where would you like to see them go?

[KleShreen]

MAC ain't all its cracked up to be, and some of them would be better off playing FCS if they wasn't getting the ESPN MACTION deal package that pays them to play a lot of mid week games so that ESPN can broadcast the games to stadiums where at lot of the stands are covered with tarps. Looking at Eastern Michigan, who has quite literally, an 800 pound gorilla of a college football program a couple of miles away on Washtenaw avenue.

Yea I personally find every non-Power 5 school to just be doing a total disservice to everyone associated with their school. Because they are neither competing for national championships, nor are they making significant money. Western Michigan just had to cut 6 million in athletics budgeting a couple years ago because they were losing money. Just eat your own bravado, drop down, at LEAST, to FCS football, if not D2 across the board, and at least compete for championships while you're not making any money. Because if you're gonna lose money/break even no matter which level you're at, you should at least try and win national titles while doing it.

[bigmrg74]

The recognition is going to be regional also. I honestly can't think of a reason why I would've heard of GVSU had I no interest in non FBS college football. I've heard of them for the same reason I've heard of Northwestern out of Iowa: they both have football national championships and have handed Lindenwood a first round playoff loss. Living in STL I've obviously heard of SEMO.

But being a fan of a team that's gone from NAIA to FCS in about 10 years, I can say there's something to the D1 name recognition. Right or wrong, it's like instant credibility. You no longer have to explain what division 2 is.

I think if GVSU decided to go D1, their ultimate goal shouldn't be the MVFC, it should be the MAC. Adding the D1 weight behind an already well established GV brand could see it blow up. But as an LU fan i wouldn't mind having them in the OVC a cup of coffee.

MAC ain't all its cracked up to be, and some of them would be better off playing FCS if they wasn't getting the ESPN MACTION deal package that pays them to play a lot of mid week games so that ESPN can broadcast the games to stadiums where at lot of the stands are covered with tarps. Looking at Eastern Michigan, who has quite literally, an 800 pound gorilla of a college football program a couple of miles away on Washtenaw avenue.

[bigmrg74]

The football additions will be paid for by football donations for the most part and the addition of the beer garden. The central portion of the field house has more problems than a math book. That thing has leaked for YEARS...needs to be gone...same with the pool. The upkeep is not worth it anymore...nuke it and replace it. Tennis is needed due to clubs closing also. Glad you got your degree...wondering what you are doing with it now...good luck!

Right, didn't that used to be where the dome was at for a while until that got scrapped and the fieldhouse was built??

[bigmrg74]

Apples and Oranges. We have choices/options...Tech, NMU, and LSSU, not so much.

Tech and NMU are where they are and kinda have to roll with their best option. I'm with Kle...why would we CHOOSE to go to a format where our nearest conference or FCS foe would be five hours away? Why would we CHOOSE to spend craptons more $, get clobbered in all of our other sports, and make it so our fans travel less than they already do? We can CHOOSE to stay where we are and have half of our annual roadies be three hours or less. We can CHOOSE to stay where we are and have weekends like we are now where both golf teams are going to nationals, lacrosse is going to the Final Four, W's & M's T&F will undoubtedly go to nationals for the 20th+ straight year, and softball is rolling to yet another Super Regional. The vast majority of that sails away if we CHOOSE to want to travel like Tech and NMU do.

Can't for the life of me figure out why we would CHOOSE a more expensive option that provides less value to the University and our student-athletes. Just because some of our conference mates currently deal with tougher travel hardly means we should want that for ourselves when we would have make a conscious choice for it to be so.

Yep, its pretty much asking to spend another 10 million a year easily on top of what we're already paying for athletics right now, which ain't chicken feed ya now. The local economy is looking ok for now, but still recovering and just need one bad domino set off somewhere else to effect it right now.

[bigsig50]

SEMO is also tiny compared to GV.

There are around 9000 students at SEMO, and they have no big ticket grad programs. (Law, Pharmacy, Medical, Architecture, etc...)
They are basically an average directional teaching and nursing school.

IDK how GV stacks up other than size, but you are really comparing apples to transmissions.

The recognition is going to be regional also. I honestly can't think of a reason why I would've heard of GVSU had I no interest in non FBS college football. I've heard of them for the same reason I've heard of Northwestern out of Iowa: they both have football national championships and have handed Lindenwood a first round playoff loss. Living in STL I've obviously heard of SEMO.

But being a fan of a team that's gone from NAIA to FCS in about 10 years, I can say there's something to the D1 name recognition. Right or wrong, it's like instant credibility. You no longer have to explain what division 2 is.

I think if GVSU decided to go D1, their ultimate goal shouldn't be the MVFC, it should be the MAC. Adding the D1 weight behind an already well established GV brand could see it blow up. But as an LU fan i wouldn't mind having them in the OVC a cup of coffee.

[bigsig50]

Okay so it may be a 4 team race lol but those 2 schools are pretty great at football

UIndy is 0-2 vs current OVC member Lindenwood.

[champgymusa]

The football additions will be paid for by football donations for the most part and the addition of the beer garden. The central portion of the field house has more problems than a math book. That thing has leaked for YEARS...needs to be gone...same with the pool. The upkeep is not worth it anymore...nuke it and replace it. Tennis is needed due to clubs closing also. Glad you got your degree...wondering what you are doing with it now...good luck!

[chapmaja]

Thought this was pretty interesting. GVSU released an updated master plan, which is a 10-year outlook on what the university wants to do with the school in terms of facilities and whatnot.

Of note to those of us here is the athletics section:





Looks like they plan on building a brand new Natatorium to replace the rather bad one GV already has, and then some renovations within the arena. Also pretty cool is the plan calling for indoor tennis courts, which kind of became needed after Ramblewood shut down their tennis facility, which is where GV hosted most of their matches. The plan also calls for turf and lights at the baseball and softball fields, but even Davenport has that, so it's not *that* significant, but a definite needed improvement.

Of course, the big part is the Lubbers Stadium part. Looks like they plan on renovating the existing seating, and adding what looks like possibly a second tier of seating on the east side?

If even a couple of these things actually happen, would be welcome improvements for the facilities that definitely need them. I don't know how often the master plans that are released actually turn out to be accurate, but it is fun to think about and discuss.

I have my opinion about several of these athletic items. First, as a GVSU exercise science graduate (Class of 2022) I don't like the proposed demolition of the central portion of the fieldhouse, which is the location of many of the facilities used by the exercise science program. Unless there is an additional portion of the plan which addresses creating labratory space for this program's needs, the loss of that portion of the building will hurt the exercise science program (possible expansion of recreation center may cover this).

As for the pool. The plan is, per what I have been told to, build a new facility rather than renovate the existing facility. As a former GVSU swimmer, and swimming and diving official, the pools does meet the needs of the GVSU campus community, but is not an adequate facility for hosting meets, thus the reason when GVSU hosts the GLIAC meet it is held at either the Holland Aquatic Center, Jenison High School, or when co-hosting with Davenport, East Kentwood High School.

As for the stadium additions, I don't know if the additions are really that important at this time, as GVSU is not a "growing school." It might be a nice addition, and new stands on the home side would be nice, as would an expansion of the visitor side, but I don't see this as a huge project needing to be completed.

I think the new indoor tennis / turn expansion will actually serve a couple purposes. One is allow GVSU to host NCAA Indoor Track nationals. Currently the facility lacks the NCAA required warm up areas to be used as a venue for the NCAA championships. The additional space may be adequate to allow the facility to be eligible to host the NCAA Indoor meet.

[D2Ohio]

For sure. From a purely geographic standpoint, it makes the most sense. Unfortunately though, Oakland and Detroit Mercy are putting up a road block.

They must be threatened to share 9 in state MBB players between the two schools that are over two hours away and would actually add to ticket sales if they added GVSU

[BeachinLaker]

Agree. As an outsider looking in, I think it needs to be the opposite priority wise. Even though football is the driver, I'd think only Horizon or remain in GLIAC. Football and it's 4/5 road games will find a place, whether it be MVFC/OVC/Independent/Pioneer (in that order). Stay in D2 if no Horizon invite, IMHO.

For sure. From a purely geographic standpoint, it makes the most sense. Unfortunately though, Oakland and Detroit Mercy are putting up a road block.

[D2Ohio]

What makes you think GVSU would go OVC? Missouri Valley for football and the Horizon for the rest of the sports.

Agree. As an outsider looking in, I think it needs to be the opposite priority wise. Even though football is the driver, I'd think only Horizon or remain in GLIAC. Football and it's 4/5 road games will find a place, whether it be MVFC/OVC/Independent/Pioneer (in that order). Stay in D2 if no Horizon invite, IMHO.

[Predatory Primates]

I would say Missouri State is between GV and SEMO with 20k enrollment, and a large variety of grad programs.

That said, they have a whopping 6 NCAA basketball tourney appearances and 3 football playoff appearances in 40 years of D1.

[Predatory Primates]

SEMO is also tiny compared to GV.

There are around 9000 students at SEMO, and they have no big ticket grad programs. (Law, Pharmacy, Medical, Architecture, etc...)
They are basically an average directional teaching and nursing school.

IDK how GV stacks up other than size, but you are really comparing apples to transmissions.