MU receives $1 million donation for soccer stadium

[ChicosBailBonds]

Milwaukee-based KBS Construction Chair and Marquette Univ. (MU) alum Dennis Klein has made a $1M lead gift toward a proposed 2,500-seat soccer stadium for the school, scheduled to open in the fall of '08, according to Charles Gardner of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. The project will have a total capacity of about 4,000 with "tiered standing areas behind the goals," and it will feature a "natural grass pitch and stadium seating, with part of the stands covered by a roof."  Team locker rooms and meeting rooms, permanent concession stands and restrooms will also be included.  The total cost of the privately-funded project will be approximately $5M and construction is scheduled to begin in November. MU women's soccer coach Markus Roeders said, "It will be a soccer version of the Al McGuire Center, for what it can provide to our teams. It will be one of the finest college soccer settings out there" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/7).

[ozmetal71]

Explain now why Marquette can't field a Division III football team?

This is good news, but who cares about soccer?

[spiral97]

Where will this stadium be located?  At the existing valley field location?  If so, will it continue to support track and field, club sports, and other activities as well?

[BigSky]

Explain now why Marquette can't field a Division III football team?

This is good news, but who cares about soccer?

Gotta love the people who don't care about soccer that still find the need to post that they don't care about soccer...lol...

[BigSky]

Where will this stadium be located?  At the existing valley field location?  If so, will it continue to support track and field, club sports, and other activities as well?

It's going at Valley Fields site.  It shouldn't affect any other sport.  Soccer stadiums and practice fields shouldn't be touched and ruined by any other sport.  Separate fields and facilities will be used for the other sports at the complex. 

The Klein's are big soccer fans....one son is currently play for Penn and another also played there in the past.  MUHS grads.

The cost is in the $5 million range....SLU's facility is in that range....a little bit more than that with recent upgrades....and they hosted the College Cup this year.  ....holds around 6k-7k(although they have a large hill behind one goal where many people sit as well).....and they added more temporary seats to get it up to 10k range for the NCAA Final Four.....so a view of their stadium would be comparable.       

http://slubillikens.cstv.com/school-bio/stlo-facilities-soccer.html

[Sir Lawrence]

The Klein's are big soccer fans....one son is currently play for Penn and another also played there in the past.  MUHS grads.

They are indeed.  The son who already graduated from Penn is marrying a gal this summer that was a scholarship soccer player for MU.  They are also very generous to the Blue & Gold Fund and support the men's basketball program big time.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

Explain now why Marquette can't field a Division III football team?

This is good news, but who cares about soccer?

Because this is a $5 million stadium. Find me $195 million more, and enough MU fans who would shell out the money to sustain a program to watch MU lose to Stevens Point, Eau Claire, and North Central College on a Saturday afternoon when many MU students are hungover anyway (and won't even fill the Bradley Center for some weekend basketball conference games), and find some way to overcome the stigma of being the only school in the Big East with a Non-division I football program, and you're set.

Then ask yourself if you'd rather have that money going towards the basketball team, improving the University in other ways (buildings, faculty, endowment, etc.)

[Cooby Snacks]

The JS mentioned Creighton's stadium as an example.
http://www.bradwilliamsphotography.com/images/CREIGHTON_002sm.jpg

Hopefully ours turns out this well.

[ozmetal71]

200 million dollars for a Division III football stadium?  Are you on crack?  Have you ever even been to a Division III stadium?

You could build a nice 5,000 seat stadium for about a third of that cost.

Plus, Division III would require no scholarships, so take that cost away. 

Also, I think that a lot of people would be interested in watching an official Marquette football team, regardless of what division it would be in.

If the University wanted to, they could get donations VERY easily for starting a D-III football program.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

My number figured scholarships (didn't know DIII was non-scholarship), and the cost needed to build a 20,000 seat stadium that people would want to go to, not just glorified high-school bleachers. Toyota Park, a 20,000-seat multisport stadium in suburban Chicago cost $120 million to build. Not to mention you'd need more training facilities with additional locker facilities, weights, etc. (essentially another Al, but for 70-80 more student athletes), additional support staff, more people in coaching, ticket sales, etc. Notre Dame's football locker room and support facility cost skywards of 21 million dollars. With just that building, even if you said, "have them play at Valley Fields rent-free," before you hire a single coach or buy a single jersey, you're already looking at about 10% of the present university endowment for what would likely be very little return.

The way I see it, if there was SO MUCH overwhelming demand for it, and if it were THAT cheap, it would have been done already.

I think the biggest stumbling block is that not many people would turn out for D3 football. The Marquette club football team plays D3 teams and from what I've heard, they draw next to nothing. Hell, I'm one of the biggest MU-backers out there every October through April and I never attended a club football game in 4 years, and I probably wouldn't be much more excited to go to an official DIII game against  some nothing team. Do you really think that many people would show up? Just look at D3 teams. Here are some potential conferences MU would be placed in.

CCIW: Augustana, Carthage, Elmhurst, Millikin, Illinois Weslyan, North Central College, North Park, Wheaton College

Illini-Badger Conference: Aurora, Benedictine, Concordia (IL), Concordia (WI), Eureka, Greenville, Lakeland, MacMurray

Midwest: Beloit, Carroll, Grinnell, Illinois College, Knox, Lake Forest, Lawrence, Monmouth, Ripon, St. Norbert

WIAC: UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-Whitewater

So there you have it. The WIAC is arguably the biggest conference an MU D3 football team could get into. I'm sure there will be a huge crowd for a Saturday afternoon kickoff in November against Grinnell, certainly enough to raise enough ticket revenue to help offset the expenses.

It's not as simple as flicking a switch, and frankly, a D3 football team would be an embarrassment for a university that is trying to get itself mentioned in the same breath as Georgetown and Notre Dame.

[herboturbo]

Georgetown and Villanova both have non-D1 football programs

[MUCHI814]

Mt Union College, arguably the best DIII football program has a stadium that holds just over 5,000 people, the stadium isn't great, its definitely a nice stadium but other than the Press Box it is a glorified High School stadium. But we're also talking about the best program in DIII football.  Looking at their stadium I think MU could put up a definitely comparable stadium for a reasonable cost, being a first year program.  Here is a view at their stadium.


http://www.muc.edu/athletics/athletic_facilities_tour/mount_union_stadium

[muwarrior87]

good to see some alum support the beautiful game...and as for you who think that it's crazy that MU doesn't have a football team, that's one of the appeals to the school. I love that basketball, soccer and volleyball are the big sports w/o having football.  I don't want a scholly football team while I'm going to school here.

[ozmetal71]

Yeah, one of the "appeals" of Marquette is that it has no football team....riiiiggghhhhhhhtttttttttt.......

I'm sure that schools like ND, Ohio State, Florida, Michigan, USC, etc... all feel that their football programs detract from the important, revenue-producing sports like soccer and volleyball.

When I was at Marquette I hated how there was no football. 

Also, MU having a football program at the D-III level would not take away anything from the basketball program.  Does basketball take anything away from football at ND or USC........no.

But really, volleyball and soccer are big draws for applicants to Marquette, I mean, yeah, c'mon....

[LastWarrior]

Great news for MU soccer community!!

[maxpower773]

Yeah, one of the "appeals" of Marquette is that it has no football team....riiiiggghhhhhhhtttttttttt.......

I'm sure that schools like ND, Ohio State, Florida, Michigan, USC, etc... all feel that their football programs detract from the important, revenue-producing sports like soccer and volleyball.

When I was at Marquette I hated how there was no football. 

Also, MU having a football program at the D-III level would not take away anything from the basketball program.  Does basketball take anything away from football at ND or USC........no.

But really, volleyball and soccer are big draws for applicants to Marquette, I mean, yeah, c'mon....

You may have hated it...but you still went here. If it were that big of a draw to students, numbers wouldn't keep going up. You make it out to be this huge deal to students, when really its not to a lot of us. We just deal with it and watch other college football teams. Besides, try starting up a D-3 team now, I doubt we'd get that many players wanting to come to Marquette....well good players, specially not with other teams around the state not in D-1 having good or decent teams. and then try to get support for a failing team...just look at people on here when the basketball team has a "down" season. also, if that many people supported a team, why don't they say they'll give money, even if its out of the question...the guys who wanted to bring back the warriors nickname mentioned it. besides, the kids we'd be looking at to play on the team aren't the type to go to mu, they are looking to play for whitewater or some other state school team. this isn't athletic scholarships being given away, if it were anything at that level its academic, most won't qualify because to begin with they wouldn't look to go here without football, now make them have a full time job(football) and go to school. mu can't compete beyond wisconsin for kids to play on the team, so the order goes...madison, whitewater and then the other state schools and then marquette, its just how it is, you can't just decide to start up a football team these days in a state where you aren't the main school. uconn could do it because they are the school in that state. and i'll still go back to the point that, once they fail to win with a team after 4 or 5 years people won't go.

[muwarrior87]

I like how this started as talking about the soccer stadium and the support that MU's soccer program is getting and now it's turned more into why we don't have a football team...too much money along w/ everything max said.  I'm very excited to see what is in store for the soccer teams. We have a very solid women's team and the men's team has a great deal of young talent. Most of the goals scored last year was when the senior keeper was in, not their freshman who got decent time.  I'm hoping to see an improvement in the Men's team and the women's team to continue to perform at the level they have been the past few years.  Viva la Futbol!!

[BigSky]

Marquette first and foremost needs to be good in men's hoops early on in Big East and has passed that test with flying colors so far.  And near future looks bright. 

Then aligning itself to the sports of the Big East.....men's soccer has many strong programs in Big East and MU has along had a program, but frankly not a good one.  Making it competitive is not a big commitment financially.  Hopefully MU can compete in other programs down the road that excist in Big East play....men's baseball, womens and men's lacrosse, field hockey.  ....which would fit the profile of the conference. 

Men's soccer is the third highest profile sport at MU(or at least should be) next to men's and womens hoops.  This is great for men's soccer and for MU.  Haters will hate because that is what they do.  It will be nice to have a men's soccer program with a nice facility and have pressure on the coach to win at a much higher level, as will be the case in upcoming years, and that will be fair.   

[77ncaachamps]

WOW! This is really going to help recruiting!!! 

[Harrison]

Does Ozmetal contribute anything to this board?...I think he wants to grow up to be Murf!!

[Pakuni]

Georgetown and Villanova both have non-D1 football programs

Both play Division I-AA. Villanova averaged 8,364 fans per game last year, 43rd out of 116. Georgetown averaged 2,016, 109th out of 116.

Average attendance in D-III last year was 1,845.

As far as I'm concerned, Marquette is fine without football. If a generous donor wishes to fund an entire program, swell. Beyond that, however, Marquette has far better ways to spend its money and far more important places to invest contributions, considering the fact MU's endowment currently ranks 180th in the nation, behind the likes of Wheaton College and the Rhode Island College of Design.

[ozmetal71]

I don't repeat myself and prattle on about the wide post and the attack offense, so I'm not Murf.

The soccer stadium is a nice idea and a good donation.  My point was that if MU can build a soccer stadium for that amount of money that they should be able to have a Division III football program.  If people think that money would be better spent elsewhere, than that is good.

Harrison, you and I disagree about DJ.  I don't think that he is a great player and is overrated and was overhyped, and I think that his play cost us down the stretch.  I think he is making a stupid decision by remaining in the draft that will most likely result in him being relegated to playing in Europe.

I don't think you contribute anything to the board other than calling anyone who disagrees with you about DJ to be ignorant or lacking in basketball knowledge.  Plus, the other 3/4 of your posts deal with ripping on Crean or Chicos.

This is an internet message board.  Opinions are supposed to be expressed here. I'm not trying to pretend that I know every aspect of basketball.  I call things as I see them.  If you disagree, fine.

Good for MU on building a nice soccer stadium.  I personally would like to see some sort of official football return to Marquette, but that is a dream.

[SPL]

For the record, per NCAA rules MU could not field a D-III football team. Teams with D1 hoops are only allowed to field D1 or D1-AA football teams.

BUT.....there is sort of a loophole: non-scholarship D1-AA football (G'town, Univ. of San Diego, Dayton, Valpo, Butler, etc.). Talent-wise — and facility/attendance-wise — it's almost on a D-III level. Not sure if non-scholarship athletes are factored in when determining Title IX compliance, though.

[MUCHI814]

How many games did the men's soccer team win this year? I'm not trying to be sarcastic, just wondering.  I remember it being very few.

[herboturbo]

As far as I'm concerned, Marquette is fine without football. If a generous donor wishes to fund an entire program, swell. Beyond that, however, Marquette has far better ways to spend its money and far more important places to invest contributions, considering the fact MU's endowment currently ranks 180th in the nation, behind the likes of Wheaton College and the Rhode Island College of Design.

Isn't MU also behind the Medical school that they gave up as well??  Does anyone know why MU got rid of the medical school??


I would like to see MU compete in the rest of the Big East sports as well and it would seem that lacrosse would be an easy sport to adopt, since they can just use the astroturf at Valley fields.