Question: Why no Baseball team?

[colbycheese]

I'll get destroyed for saying this, but I would rather see us field a Baseball team than a Wrestling team.

I'd be willing to give up men's golf, track and field, and cross country to help fund a baseball program. People might gripe about not having enough people attend baseball games (even though I think this is false), but I don't know one person who was ever a spectator at a golf, track, or cross country event that wasn't friends or family of a competitor.

I'd also give up the basketball team before I'd give up the wrestling team... just saying.

 

[tyclone25]

People are all complaining that there was no one ever there and yet we want it back and a way to change that is make the ballpark somewhere fun to go and not just a place where you sit there in the bleachers and do nothing. At nebraskas Haymarket park they have a playground in the outfeild and hills to sit on and also picnic area. you have to make the ballpark a cool and fun inviroment for people to want to go spend time at and watch a game and also put the ballpark in a better place where more traffic goes by and people see and want to go.

 

[Judoka]

I'll get destroyed for saying this, but I would rather see us field a Baseball team than a Wrestling team.

Yeah, the one sport where ISU is always nationally relevant, where in a down year we are still likely to be in or very near the top ten and crown at least one individual champion...

The thing to keep in mind about bringing baseball back is that people would not only have to fund enough money for baseball, but also to fund a women's sport to offset it. So unless some donor wins the lottery and writes Polland a check large enough to build a stadium, cover expenses, and also fund a women's varsity team (maybe hockey, maybe crew?), it just won't be happening. Which is really too bad.

 

[CYcoFan]

Title IX and Funds

Nobody in the ISU Athletics Dept will say it was Title IX, if they value their job. C'mon people. I would hope that the media didn't have to tell some of you that we were in, and still are somewhat, an economic downturn for you to believe it.

If you want to know the real reason you won't find it by asking the parties involved. Do some research on the Marquette Wrestling Program how it was dropped in 2002 and added again in 2006.

I am not saying that the Baseball program at ISU is exactly the same, but there are things you can learn from the Marquette deal.


Edit -- I find the last 2 sentences of the 1st paragraph interesting and IMO strategically worded to have multiple meanings. Jamie is a smart guy and ISU's Media Relations staff is top notch. :

"... we have to finad a way to fully Fund the Cyclone Sports we curently Sponsor. Once we are able to do that than we can discuss the possibility of adding additional men’s sports."

 

[CYcoFan]

Just so that People don't get the wrong Idea. As someone who loves sports.

I never once attened a baseball game to watch ISU when we had it. I did go to watch Todd Sears when he played for NU, etc and other players from other teams, even when I was at ISU.

Baseball is a sport I played and watch! I have been to a ton of Soccer and Volleyball matches tho. I love the Crest for Soccer that was designed a few years ago. It has a Proper/Classic look to it

Edit -- the real reason I never watched ISU was Lyle Smith. ISU did Indian Hills a favor by taking him....

 

[theshadow]

I don't think weather is as much of a problem as people claim. I think every team in the Big 10 has baseball teams and their weather/temperature isn't much different from ours.

Yeah, the Big 10 teams all have the same crappy weather because the conference is aligned east/west. They're all in the same situation.

The Big 12 is a north/south conference, and it is a HUGE advantage for the Oklahoma and Texas schools, who can be outside and playing home games in February without risking hypothermia.

Additionally, Big 10 teams are rolling in "free" money from the league's ESPN/ABC and BTN agreements. It allows them to prop up their non-revenue sports without too much of an adverse effect on the big sports.

 

[Three4Cy]

I'd be willing to give up men's golf, track and field, and cross country to help fund a baseball program. People might gripe about not having enough people attend baseball games (even though I think this is false), but I don't know one person who was ever a spectator at a golf, track, or cross country event that wasn't friends or family of a competitor.

I'd also give up the basketball team before I'd give up the wrestling team... just saying.

And how often does ISU host a home men's golf meet, track and field event, or cross country event? We hosted one cross country meet, no outdoor track and field events, and no golf meets in 2010/11, so how can you even compare?

 

[Three4Cy]

People are all complaining that there was no one ever there and yet we want it back and a way to change that is make the ballpark somewhere fun to go and not just a place where you sit there in the bleachers and do nothing. At nebraskas Haymarket park they have a playground in the outfeild and hills to sit on and also picnic area. you have to make the ballpark a cool and fun inviroment for people to want to go spend time at and watch a game and also put the ballpark in a better place where more traffic goes by and people see and want to go.

It's because they have a football team that brings in boatloads of cash to fund a stadium like this, and maintain the program.

 

[theshadow]

It's because they have a football team that brings in boatloads of cash to fund a stadium like this, and maintain the program.

It's because the facility was built to be shared by the Lincoln Saltdogs (American Association) and Husker baseball. Costs were split by the city, the construction company and the university. And a significant part of the university's tab was paid for by a private donor.

 

[Tornado man]

Bottom line - if small liberal arts schools across the country can fund baseball and football teams, then a Big 12 team should be able to as well.

Tell that to Wisconsin - they don't have baseball either. If a huge Big 10 school with a $90 mil athletic budget can't find the $$$ to bring baseball back, I don't see how ISU can. And remember, Pollard and Malchow came from Wisky, and probably use their budget models.

 

[colbycheese]

Tell that to Wisconsin - they don't have baseball either. If a huge Big 10 school with a $90 mil athletic budget can't find the $$$ to bring baseball back, I don't see how ISU can. And remember, Pollard and Malchow came from Wisky, and probably use their budget models.

Darn Wisconsinites - just because the Brewers are terrible, they think they need to ruin baseball for everyone. wink:

 

[Wesley]

thanks & I'll take the answer off air

$$$$$$ and more $$$$$$$.

You need to have female athletic slots/programs to balance also.

If you grow the football program, maybe this can be discussed.

To have a baseball team plus Title IX, the full cost would be what a year? $2M? $4M? Just wondering.

 

[Tornado man]

Wisconsin dropped baseball because of their severe budget problems, prior to Alvarez arriving. Football then became very successful, and athletic department revenue exploded. It's fascinating to me that with budget issues disappearing, Wisky has still never brought the sport back. Proof of the old adage that the more money you have, the more expenses you consider "necessary."
It's no coincidence, IMO, that JP and his right-hand man, Steve Malchow, have sought no inventive solution to bring back baseball, since they were at Madison and didn't miss it.

 

[alarson]

Considering the stadium would be such a massive expense, what about playing in des moines at sec taylor at least until the program got off the ground\money could be secured?

 

[colbycheese]

Considering the stadium would be such a massive expense, what about playing in des moines at sec taylor at least until the program got off the ground\money could be secured?

This crossed my mind too. Sounds good to me. As a student, I went down to principal park pretty frequently to catch I-Cubs games. If it was an ISU team playing I would have made this trip more often. Plus we could buy beer there (WIN!). That would bring in the students.

 

[Rhoadhoused]

It rhymes with shmitle shmine

 

[Three4Cy]

Considering the stadium would be such a massive expense, what about playing in des moines at sec taylor at least until the program got off the ground\money could be secured?

Wouldn't be a problem if you can schedule around the I-Cubs. The Big 12 schedules conference games on Fri/Sat/Sun, so you might end up with a lot of Fri/Sat afternoon games if there was a night game for the I-Cubs, Sunday you could play a double header if you played in the afternoon with an ISU game first, followed by the I-Cubs.

The only thing I can picture is Principal Park looking like it does when the 1A schools play the state tourney there, nobody in the crowd.

 

[alarson]

The only thing I can picture is Principal Park looking like it does when the 1A schools play the state tourney there, nobody in the crowd.

From everything ive heard it doesnt sound like there was much of a crowd when it was in ames anyways. I think youd draw in a decent number of ISU fans, if nothing else for an excuse to tailgate. (i know about this time i'm ready for that), but otherwise might not drive all the way to ames for baseball. Being down in des moines you might see a decent number of corporate tickets picked up too like you do for ICubs games.

 

[tyclone25]

Just wondering how long of a drive is it from the campus to the ballpark in Des Moines?

 

[Tornado man]

Wouldn't be a problem if you can schedule around the I-Cubs. The Big 12 schedules conference games on Fri/Sat/Sun, so you might end up with a lot of Fri/Sat afternoon games if there was a night game for the I-Cubs, Sunday you could play a double header if you played in the afternoon with an ISU game first, followed by the I-Cubs.

The only thing I can picture is Principal Park looking like it does when the 1A schools play the state tourney there, nobody in the crowd.

I would imagine the Big 12 would have something to say about the times and dates of games, and Principal Park would be hard to work out. I doubt that the I-Cubs would adjust their times at all - crowd size and game receipts are critically important to them.
I can't envision JP taking a chance on another big expense/no revenue program like baseball, as we have enough sports that are funded half-heartedly already.
Along with the new track/soccer/softball complex, we sorely need a decent pool/natatorium. We need a campus tennis complex. It's embarrassing.