Facilities - Coach Choate

[Tcat]

Word on the street is we are within 600K...

[iaafan]

Costello was just interviewed in the Gazette about a month or so ago and revealed the amount raised to date. May 23 to be exact. It went beyond the $12 million threshold. I suppose they don’t want to boast about it too much because people sitting on the fence might decide they don’t need to donate. Costello worked on the SDSU facilities fundraiser, which raised a ton more funds than we just did, so he knows what he’s doing.

Fundraising on this started on September 29, 2017. It only took 20 months to complete with all funds ($16.8 million) coming from private donors, including about $5 million for naming rights, $2 million from a private anonymous donor and $1 million from the BQC.

By comparison UM took 23 months to raise $14 million, of which $5 million came from the State. $7 million came from Washington Group. That left just $2 million.

MSU “regular fans” donated $8.8 million. UM “regular fans” donated $2 million. MSU raised more money in less time. I don’t think you can ask for much more than that.

You say it took 20 months to complete all funding. I'm not sure that's the case... If funding was complete now, why is it being kept secret?

I don’t know. Maybe the details aren’t all specified. Maybe they want to get all the paperwork for pledges in that are out there. They may raise more than the $16.8 million and put it toward other phases. Could be a number of things.

Point is they’ve done a good-great job. Just look at what UM did by comparison.

I agree those could be reasons, but my question is more about are you sure the full amount of the money has been raised? Or are we still just "close"?

The only way I can be sure is if I was involved in the project. I’m not involved in the project. I’ve been told that pledges are in place for all of it. If I hear otherwise, I’ll post that as well. I’ve yet to hear that the $16.8 million in funds aren’t pledged.

[Rich K]

I think it would be wise to ride the momentum of "almost there" for as long as possible without endangering current pledges.

[iaafan]

I think it would be wise to ride the momentum of "almost there" for as long as possible without endangering current pledges.

Probably. The only “almost there” I’ve heard is from Tcat. Not saying he’s wrong, but I have heard a bunch of “there” comments. Maybe they raised the goal (to add seating or...) after they hit 16.8, since they know more pledges are coming in, so now they only need 600k more to reach that new goal.

[Montanabob]

I think it would be wise to ride the momentum of "almost there" for as long as possible without endangering current pledges.

Probably. The only “almost there” I’ve heard is from Tcat. Not saying he’s wrong, but I have heard a bunch of “there” comments. Maybe they raised the goal (to add seating or...) after they hit 16.8, since they know more pledges are coming in, so now they only need 600k more to reach that new goal.

Maybe they are working on phase II.

[Cataholic]

Costello was just interviewed in the Gazette about a month or so ago and revealed the amount raised to date. May 23 to be exact. It went beyond the $12 million threshold. I suppose they don’t want to boast about it too much because people sitting on the fence might decide they don’t need to donate. Costello worked on the SDSU facilities fundraiser, which raised a ton more funds than we just did, so he knows what he’s doing.

Fundraising on this started on September 29, 2017. It only took 20 months to complete with all funds ($16.8 million) coming from private donors, including about $5 million for naming rights, $2 million from a private anonymous donor and $1 million from the BQC.

By comparison UM took 23 months to raise $14 million, of which $5 million came from the State. $7 million came from Washington Group. That left just $2 million.

MSU “regular fans” donated $8.8 million. UM “regular fans” donated $2 million. MSU raised more money in less time. I don’t think you can ask for much more than that.

You say it took 20 months to complete all funding. I'm not sure that's the case... If funding was complete now, why is it being kept secret?

I don’t know. Maybe the details aren’t all specified. Maybe they want to get all the paperwork for pledges in that are out there. They may raise more than the $16.8 million and put it toward other phases. Could be a number of things.

Point is they’ve done a good-great job. Just look at what UM did by comparison.

Costello and team has done an incredible job. And I would add that 95% of the BQC is composed of “regular fans”. An early report had the average BQC donation at $1,000. Keep in mind that this donation could be paid in a binding commitment over 4 years, so only $250 per year ($21 per month). And the BQC raised the $1 million in about 2 months!

This is quite an accomplishment. And to think that bonds on other improvements will expire in a couple years, we will eventually see the Eastside rebuilt. Very fiscally sound and smart plan!

[iaafan]

Costello was just interviewed in the Gazette about a month or so ago and revealed the amount raised to date. May 23 to be exact. It went beyond the $12 million threshold. I suppose they don’t want to boast about it too much because people sitting on the fence might decide they don’t need to donate. Costello worked on the SDSU facilities fundraiser, which raised a ton more funds than we just did, so he knows what he’s doing.

Fundraising on this started on September 29, 2017. It only took 20 months to complete with all funds ($16.8 million) coming from private donors, including about $5 million for naming rights, $2 million from a private anonymous donor and $1 million from the BQC.

By comparison UM took 23 months to raise $14 million, of which $5 million came from the State. $7 million came from Washington Group. That left just $2 million.

MSU “regular fans” donated $8.8 million. UM “regular fans” donated $2 million. MSU raised more money in less time. I don’t think you can ask for much more than that.

You say it took 20 months to complete all funding. I'm not sure that's the case... If funding was complete now, why is it being kept secret?

I don’t know. Maybe the details aren’t all specified. Maybe they want to get all the paperwork for pledges in that are out there. They may raise more than the $16.8 million and put it toward other phases. Could be a number of things.

Point is they’ve done a good-great job. Just look at what UM did by comparison.

Costello and team has done an incredible job. And I would add that 95% of the BQC is composed of “regular fans”. An early report had the average BQC donation at $1,000. Keep in mind that this donation could be paid in a binding commitment over 4 years, so only $250 per year ($21 per month). And the BQC raised the $1 million in about 2 months!

This is quite an accomplishment. And to think that bonds on other improvements will expire in a couple years, we will eventually see the Eastside rebuilt. Very fiscally sound and smart plan!

Thanks for the details about the BQC and pointing out that the bonds expire relatively soon.

[MSU01]

You say it took 20 months to complete all funding. I'm not sure that's the case... If funding was complete now, why is it being kept secret?

It seems to me that making an announcement now would be a pretty awful PR move, even if they do have all the money. School is out of session and it's still over two months until the start of football season, so other than us message board diehards there simply aren't anywhere near as many people paying attention as there will be once they're sitting in Bobcat Stadium in the fall or watching on TV. If the funding is complete, great - start making plans behind the scenes and get to work fundraising for Phase 2, then make the big announcement during football season when it'll have maximum impact in terms of getting the fans and potential future donors excited about what's happening.

[91catAlum]

You say it took 20 months to complete all funding. I'm not sure that's the case... If funding was complete now, why is it being kept secret?

It seems to me that making an announcement now would be a pretty awful PR move, even if they do have all the money. School is out of session and it's still over two months until the start of football season, so other than us message board diehards there simply aren't anywhere near as many people paying attention as there will be once they're sitting in Bobcat Stadium in the fall or watching on TV. If the funding is complete, great - start making plans behind the scenes and get to work fundraising for Phase 2, then make the big announcement during football season when it'll have maximum impact in terms of getting the fans and potential future donors excited about what's happening.

The reason I disagree is because Choate said a few months ago that "we need to break ground on [it] this summer". So if we have the funds, let's break ground on it asap. It helps big-time in recruiting.

[Catsrgrood]

If I remember right, the south end zone project was originally tabbed as a 2 phase project, but fundraising went better than expected and they did all of it in one phase.

Maybe this could be a similar deal, they could have a big chunk of money coming in but with the stipulation that they do the north end zone seating at the same time all in one big project.

Im not holding my breath on this, but this could be a reason that nothing has been announced quite yet. They’re waiting to get all of those details hashed out and they’ll make a big announcement at homecoming that everything in the north end zone will be done at the same time, operations building, locker rooms AND seating.

This is my wishful and optimistic thinking doing the taliking...

[iaafan]

You say it took 20 months to complete all funding. I'm not sure that's the case... If funding was complete now, why is it being kept secret?

It seems to me that making an announcement now would be a pretty awful PR move, even if they do have all the money. School is out of session and it's still over two months until the start of football season, so other than us message board diehards there simply aren't anywhere near as many people paying attention as there will be once they're sitting in Bobcat Stadium in the fall or watching on TV. If the funding is complete, great - start making plans behind the scenes and get to work fundraising for Phase 2, then make the big announcement during football season when it'll have maximum impact in terms of getting the fans and potential future donors excited about what's happening.

The reason I disagree is because Choate said a few months ago that "we need to break ground on [it] this summer". So if we have the funds, let's break ground on it asap. It helps big-time in recruiting.

I’m fairly sure anything Choate says publicly about facilities is carefully thought out between he and the AD.

[ilovethecats]

You say it took 20 months to complete all funding. I'm not sure that's the case... If funding was complete now, why is it being kept secret?

It seems to me that making an announcement now would be a pretty awful PR move, even if they do have all the money. School is out of session and it's still over two months until the start of football season, so other than us message board diehards there simply aren't anywhere near as many people paying attention as there will be once they're sitting in Bobcat Stadium in the fall or watching on TV. If the funding is complete, great - start making plans behind the scenes and get to work fundraising for Phase 2, then make the big announcement during football season when it'll have maximum impact in terms of getting the fans and potential future donors excited about what's happening.

The reason I disagree is because Choate said a few months ago that "we need to break ground on [it] this summer". So if we have the funds, let's break ground on it asap. It helps big-time in recruiting.

I’m fairly sure anything Choate says publicly about facilities is carefully thought out between he and the AD.

[MSU01]

You say it took 20 months to complete all funding. I'm not sure that's the case... If funding was complete now, why is it being kept secret?

It seems to me that making an announcement now would be a pretty awful PR move, even if they do have all the money. School is out of session and it's still over two months until the start of football season, so other than us message board diehards there simply aren't anywhere near as many people paying attention as there will be once they're sitting in Bobcat Stadium in the fall or watching on TV. If the funding is complete, great - start making plans behind the scenes and get to work fundraising for Phase 2, then make the big announcement during football season when it'll have maximum impact in terms of getting the fans and potential future donors excited about what's happening.

The reason I disagree is because Choate said a few months ago that "we need to break ground on [it] this summer". So if we have the funds, let's break ground on it asap. It helps big-time in recruiting.

I have zero doubt that they will break ground ASAP once the money is raised, or if it already has been raised. However, this will be a highly complex project and will require plenty of planning, not to mention the hiring of contractors who have their own schedules that MSU will need to work with. I can't imagine that there are too many (reputable) contractors in the Bozeman area just sitting around waiting for something to work on immediately. I love that Choate is impatient - we're all impatient. But the reality of the situation will demand that we're patient for hopefully just a little while longer. To keep excitement high and momentum going after a successful fundraising process for Phase 1, an announcement timed to coincide with football season seems a much better way to do this than just a random day in mid-June when most of your fans aren't paying any attention to what's going on within MSU Athletics.

[iaafan]

When complete it’s going to be plush as will the renovated space in the field house.

[Montanabob]

The reason I disagree is because Choate said a few months ago that "we need to break ground on [it] this summer". So if we have the funds, let's break ground on it asap. It helps big-time in recruiting.

Sorry, but a deep run in the playoffs will win recruiting battle.

[iaafan]

The reason I disagree is because Choate said a few months ago that "we need to break ground on [it] this summer". So if we have the funds, let's break ground on it asap. It helps big-time in recruiting.

Sorry, but a deep run in the playoffs will win recruiting battle.

It will, but facilities are a huge factor.

[ilovethecats]

You say it took 20 months to complete all funding. I'm not sure that's the case... If funding was complete now, why is it being kept secret?

It seems to me that making an announcement now would be a pretty awful PR move, even if they do have all the money. School is out of session and it's still over two months until the start of football season, so other than us message board diehards there simply aren't anywhere near as many people paying attention as there will be once they're sitting in Bobcat Stadium in the fall or watching on TV. If the funding is complete, great - start making plans behind the scenes and get to work fundraising for Phase 2, then make the big announcement during football season when it'll have maximum impact in terms of getting the fans and potential future donors excited about what's happening.

The reason I disagree is because Choate said a few months ago that "we need to break ground on [it] this summer". So if we have the funds, let's break ground on it asap. It helps big-time in recruiting.

I have zero doubt that they will break ground ASAP once the money is raised, or if it already has been raised. However, this will be a highly complex project and will require plenty of planning, not to mention the hiring of contractors who have their own schedules that MSU will need to work with. I can't imagine that there are too many (reputable) contractors in the Bozeman area just sitting around waiting for something to work on immediately. I love that Choate is impatient - we're all impatient. But the reality of the situation will demand that we're patient for hopefully just a little while longer. To keep excitement high and momentum going after a successful fundraising process for Phase 1, an announcement timed to coincide with football season seems a much better way to do this than just a random day in mid-June when most of your fans aren't paying any attention to what's going on within MSU Athletics.

precisely

[BLACKnBLUEnGOLD]

The reason I disagree is because Choate said a few months ago that "we need to break ground on [it] this summer". So if we have the funds, let's break ground on it asap. It helps big-time in recruiting.

Sorry, but a deep run in the playoffs will win recruiting battle.

It will, but facilities are a huge factor.

A deep run in the playoffs will have people feeling more disposed to generosity, which helps with facilities, too.

Look how much trouble the Griz are having paying off their ****** now that they're just another team.

[kennethnoisewater]

Even if all the money is in the bank (or pledged), MSU will have to go through an RFP process, won't they? And I would think the big builders in Montana will all figure out a way to make the timing work out, but this is not an overnight process even when money is in hand. There are no RFP's on the State website for this project currently. If they have the money right now and want to get started, they have to put that on the state bid website, give it a few weeks, then study the bids for a couple weeks, then have the BOR vote on a bid winner, then let that builder get some planning done. I don't think there's any way this starts before late fall unless I'm misunderstanding how this works.

[iaafan]

Even if all the money is in the bank (or pledged), MSU will have to go through an RFP process, won't they? And I would think the big builders in Montana will all figure out a way to make the timing work out, but this is not an overnight process even when money is in hand. There are no RFP's on the State website for this project currently. If they have the money right now and want to get started, they have to put that on the state bid website, give it a few weeks, then study the bids for a couple weeks, then have the BOR vote on a bid winner, then let that builder get some planning done. I don't think there's any way this starts before late fall unless I'm misunderstanding how this works.

Yes. MSU01 made similar post.