The obvious reason would be if a conference we were in (or wanting to move to) required a sport we don't have or a minimum number of sports that is more than we currently have. I don't see that being likely but it isn't impossible either.
Future Sports at ISU
- Thread starter 2speedy1
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The obvious reason would be if a conference we were in (or wanting to move to) required a sport we don't have or a minimum number of sports that is more than we currently have. I don't see that being likely but it isn't impossible either.
Should have made up some fake tickets and done the old, here buy mine for ten bucks, I can get reduced student tickets. Make for few bucks for the bars later.
ISU would need a new natatorium in order to bring back Men’s Swimming which would need to be funded by a ISU (like happened at Iowa), or by a donor. Either way, it would be very expensive and somewhat unlikely for a program that hasn’t competed in a couple decades.
We haven't competed in women's swimming in a while because the Beyer pool is an embarrassment for a P5 university.
Coach Sorenson is a very good coach, but his recruiting power is limited by the antiquated facility.
The State Gym addition on the west side of campus originally was planned to include a top notch pool (like Iowa's), funded by our athletic dept.; but then they backed out
There isn't a sport ISU could add where revenues exceed expenses- so adding a sport isn't happening unless we drop a sport.
The only other way sports get added is if ISU Football becomes a top 25 team for the next 10 years and Jack Trice is drawing 70k+ every home game without discounted tickets.
A sport like baseball only happens, as mentioned above, if we have long term football success PLUS a donor gives $20M+ toward a new stadium (not a field with bleachers).
Soccer is a very popular sport at the youth level, with a lot of participation. I could see the Big 12 adding as a sponsored sport in 5 to 10 years- especially since there are already women's facilities.
The only other way sports get added is if ISU Football becomes a top 25 team for the next 10 years and Jack Trice is drawing 70k+ every home game without discounted tickets.
A sport like baseball only happens, as mentioned above, if we have long term football success PLUS a donor gives $20M+ toward a new stadium (not a field with bleachers).
Soccer is a very popular sport at the youth level, with a lot of participation. I could see the Big 12 adding as a sponsored sport in 5 to 10 years- especially since there are already women's facilities.
My cousin coached the Ames PeeWee flyers and coached the Ames high school JV team as a student at ISU. So I have some info about ISU and Ames hockey.
The Ames hockey arena was actually designed to be expanded with more seats and ability to attach a practice rink next to the existing building. The locker room is also designed to expanded too.
The club team has everything planned out if they were ever bumped up to D1. All they need is money. Fan support is amazing with the rink packed for games and they just finished up as runner ups in the club national championship. Penn State did it and I believe ISU could move up too. The girls team won the championship for club in 2008 too.
Plus being close to the State of Hockey isn’t bad. I think Iowa State has more to offer as a school than Minnesota schools like Mankato state and Bemidji State.
Northern schools cant compete in baseball. The last time a team in the Midwest(BigTen) won the national championship was 1960. Plus I was Iowa State to compete in sports that it has a chance to be successful like Hockey.
There were times I'd be sitting at a booth inside the gate before soccer games, and visiting fans would come up and try to hand me money for admission.
The Ames/ISU Ice Arena is not suitable for NCAA hockey. Not by a long shot.
Penn State had Terry Pegula as their donor to give $100 mil to build their new ice arena, and help start their NCAA hockey programs. Without that sugar daddy, they would not have that facility or NCAA hockey.
That's what ISU would need.
Did you even read his response/thoughts? He covered everything you are alluding to - The ability to expand current facilities, and even touched on notion of needing $$.
I think they would have to renovate Hilton after a big donation if they want to start hockey outside of the ice arena, if it can in fact be expanded. I can tell you, based off the past pictures of hockey in Hilton, it might be quite difficult to complete change-overs from sport to sport due to the floor space available, and typically they don't remove the boards for hockey, so that would add a challenge as it's self. They certainly would be able to do this for a couple games per year, but the return on the cost to add a new ice making system would make it a poor ROI.
As others have said, the only way ISU brings back baseball is with a healthy donation in the 10's of millions. As far north as Ames is, we would always be at a disadvantage in getting outside to practice in the spring. The Texas teams just have better weather for baseball, its why you rarely see a Northern team in the college WS.
I have always assumed the baseball dorks understand the fundamental problem of baseball in cold weather states.
Your missing my point, with ISU as far North it is, it just puts us at a huge disadvantage to recruiting players and getting them outside much in the spring. All the big 10 schools are in the same boat, therefore no schools can really get a benefit from the weather. That would not happen to ISU, the Texas and Oklahoma schools get outside to practice, but in Ames, we are practicing inside.
Plus, no one wants to go to a game when its cold out, we would have to build a new ball park in the future or play games in Des Moines. Just not worth the costs with few benefits.
Given that the NCAA just green-lighted women's wrestling as an emerging sport, it's an interesting thought. Most of the facility space already exists (minus a locker room). I could see several prominent D-I wrestling schools going in on it, and use the women's team as another feeder for their RTCs.
I hear all those same things said about Football though too. That Iowa State can't recruit because of the weather against the southern schools, yet the Big 10 does it all the time in baseball. And I don't see them dropping baseball from the conference because of the weather, or the feeling they aren't good enough.
Everyone uses weather as an excuse, I really don't think you can use that as a real excuse considering all the school that have Baseball in the Big 10 are just as far north or much farther than Ames is.
I understand the early spring games but if Iowa, can, and Minnesota can, I don't think weather is that big of a detractor. I do realize all the other schools in the Big 12 are much farther south but the same can be said for football games at the end of November too.
Although I do understand the point that Iowa State is at a disadvantage in this regard against the rest of the Big 12. But I think Iowa State has this problem with many sports, and I don't think you can use it because if you do, you have to claim it for all of them.
I do realize there are many factors involved and I think that it is a long shot for gaining any sport at Iowa State, but as dynamics change, boosters change and as the college atmosphere change things could happen. Whether that be Baseball, Beach Volleyball, Women's Wrestling, or Tecmo bowl.
I am not even saying that baseball is the most likely choice as a future addition of a sport if one happens. I just think the weather excuse is a bit of a cop out.
I am one that would also like to see our money concentrated on our current sports and facilities myself, but I would love to see a couple of these sports either back or started at Iowa State, but ultimately I was just hoping for good discussion.
Hell and if the doomsday cult is right it will be so warm in Ames from Global warming that we will all be enjoying beautiful 70 degree days in January anyway.
