Indoor facility

[BobcatDel]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Ha! Take a deep breath and relax because there are five significant groundbreaking events for MSU facilities in April that I am aware of….or listen close to which one it is when announced.

Known groundbreaking events that I am aware of:

Gianforte Hall - April 17th MSU Campus Bozeman

MSU Jones College of Nursing Buildings:
- April 5th Missoula
- April 9th Bozeman
- April 11th Billings
- April 23rd Kalispell

There may be others too but those are the ones I’ve gotten invited too.

It’s still OK to jump for joy for all that’s going on at MSU. And IPF can be a good dessert yet to come!!!!!!

[lutecat]

When does the hotel break ground?

And did the gris open up the canvas wall tent by the river?

[Joe Bobcat]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Ha! Take a deep breath and relax because there are five significant groundbreaking events for MSU facilities in April that I am aware of….or listen close to which one it is when announced.

Known groundbreaking events that I am aware of:

Gianforte Hall - April 17th MSU Campus Bozeman

MSU Jones College of Nursing Buildings:
- April 5th Missoula
- April 9th Bozeman
- April 11th Billings
- April 23rd Kalispell

There may be others too but those are the ones I’ve gotten invited too.

It’s still OK to jump for joy for all that’s going on at MSU. And IPF can be a good dessert yet to come!!!!!!

I've always preferred to have dessert first.

[imacat]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

[kennethnoisewater]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

I won't speak for Joe Bobcat, but I bet we're on the same page. I definitely agree with you, although I do think I'd get more excited about an athletic facility breaking ground. It's just more fun. If I spent $1,500 on new tires for my truck, that's not as exciting as spending $1,500 on, say, a new grill. It's more important, it's just not as exciting.

The good thing about all the advancements on the academic side (from Athletics' perspective) is the long game. More students means more donors. Better facilities and better programs means better graduates getting better jobs and more alumni that can give back to the University. And the timing of this enrollment growth with the timing of the football and basketball programs doing well is perfect. The students in school now are enjoying football more than most of us were enjoying football when we were students in the 90's, plus there's a lot more of them. When they get to the point in their careers where they can start giving back, it really is an exponential growth in support.

[Joe Bobcat]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

I won't speak for Joe Bobcat, but I bet we're on the same page. I definitely agree with you, although I do think I'd get more excited about an athletic facility breaking ground. It's just more fun. If I spent $1,500 on new tires for my truck, that's not as exciting as spending $1,500 on, say, a new grill. It's more important, it's just not as exciting.

The good thing about all the advancements on the academic side (from Athletics' perspective) is the long game. More students means more donors. Better facilities and better programs means better graduates getting better jobs and more alumni that can give back to the University. And the timing of this enrollment growth with the timing of the football and basketball programs doing well is perfect. The students in school now are enjoying football more than most of us were enjoying football when we were students in the 90's, plus there's a lot more of them. When they get to the point in their careers where they can start giving back, it really is an exponential growth in support.

Well said Kenneth. Academics and athletics can and should have a symbiotic relationship and MSU has always kept their priorities in proper balance.

[AFCAT]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

I won't speak for Joe Bobcat, but I bet we're on the same page. I definitely agree with you, although I do think I'd get more excited about an athletic facility breaking ground. It's just more fun. If I spent $1,500 on new tires for my truck, that's not as exciting as spending $1,500 on, say, a new grill. It's more important, it's just not as exciting.

The good thing about all the advancements on the academic side (from Athletics' perspective) is the long game. More students means more donors. Better facilities and better programs means better graduates getting better jobs and more alumni that can give back to the University. And the timing of this enrollment growth with the timing of the football and basketball programs doing well is perfect. The students in school now are enjoying football more than most of us were enjoying football when we were students in the 90's, plus there's a lot more of them. When they get to the point in their careers where they can start giving back, it really is an exponential growth in support.

Exactly, I'm not sure how many people understand how significant the growth and success at MSU and decline of that other school will have on the futures of both universities.

[norcal cat]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Ha! Take a deep breath and relax because there are five significant groundbreaking events for MSU facilities in April that I am aware of….or listen close to which one it is when announced.

Known groundbreaking events that I am aware of:

Gianforte Hall - April 17th MSU Campus Bozeman

MSU Jones College of Nursing Buildings:
- April 5th Missoula
- April 9th Bozeman
- April 11th Billings
- April 23rd Kalispell

There may be others too but those are the ones I’ve gotten invited too.

It’s still OK to jump for joy for all that’s going on at MSU. And IPF can be a good dessert yet to come!!!!!!

I believe the PBS expansion project, the Hotel and the IPF are what's still coming later this year

[AFCAT]

Heard they are having a hard time hitting the final $26 million. Just kicked in another $1000. Who's next?

I did what I could.

[BobcatDel]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Ha! Take a deep breath and relax because there are five significant groundbreaking events for MSU facilities in April that I am aware of….or listen close to which one it is when announced.

Known groundbreaking events that I am aware of:

Gianforte Hall - April 17th MSU Campus Bozeman

MSU Jones College of Nursing Buildings:
- April 5th Missoula
- April 9th Bozeman
- April 11th Billings
- April 23rd Kalispell

There may be others too but those are the ones I’ve gotten invited too.

It’s still OK to jump for joy for all that’s going on at MSU. And IPF can be a good dessert yet to come!!!!!!

I've always preferred to have dessert first.

Yeah I admit when I came home from school and there were warm fresh baked chocolate chip cookies on the counter I “might” have snuck one a time or two and tolerated the scolding.

[AFCAT]

With the news that Leon has raised almost all the $28 million for the indoor, I got to thinking how EWUs 2019 campaign to raise $25 million for their new stadium was progressing. I checked the EWU fund raising web page and it hasn't been updated in 16 months, the amount raised then barely above the initial $5 million donation they received in 2019. I wonder if they have raised more than what they are posting or are stuck on that $5.5 million amount. Anyway, I'm certainly happy that Brennan bailed on the MSU AD job (he's back at Utah now after being forced to resign from Illinois State) and the Cats were able to hire Costello. Costello has worked miracles in the eight years he has been at MSU.

[gtapp]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

Not necessarily! Yes, education is the primary purpose but when it comes to spending it doesn't have to be the top priority. When you spend $5 on education you get maybe the $5 back (tuition, increased enrollment, etc.). When you spend $5 on Athletics you can get $25 back. Assuming that the athletic spending improves performance (win/loss) that significantly drives donations to academics. That is why coaches at the top schools get $10M +, why there is an arms race throughout the country for athletic facilities, why Crusado pushed so hard for the end zone when she first got here. I looked at ACADEMIC donations at 4 schools over time and the academic donations went up as much as 10X when teams started to be winners. I helped out the alumni association years ago and personally called about 300 alumni in the Twin Cities trying to get donations. At least 1/3 said they would never donate to MSU until we beat the griz (this was during the "streak"). Schools realize that when you graduate your only ties to your Alma Mater is sports. There are alums who never went to a game while going to school that will fly in for a Cat football game. Winning at sports allows you to win everywhere else. Now there are exceptions. U of M just happens to be a Liberal Arts school at a time when that is not a popular option. But they were one of the schools I studied and when they won their first NC in football their academic donations went through the roof.

[thefrank1]

Salesmanship.

[AFCAT]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

Not necessarily! Yes, education is the primary purpose but when it comes to spending it doesn't have to be the top priority. When you spend $5 on education you get maybe the $5 back (tuition, increased enrollment, etc.). When you spend $5 on Athletics you can get $25 back. Assuming that the athletic spending improves performance (win/loss) that significantly drives donations to academics. That is why coaches at the top schools get $10M +, why there is an arms race throughout the country for athletic facilities, why Crusado pushed so hard for the end zone when she first got here. I looked at ACADEMIC donations at 4 schools over time and the academic donations went up as much as 10X when teams started to be winners. I helped out the alumni association years ago and personally called about 300 alumni in the Twin Cities trying to get donations. At least 1/3 said they would never donate to MSU until we beat the griz (this was during the "streak"). Schools realize that when you graduate your only ties to your Alma Mater is sports. There are alums who never went to a game while going to school that will fly in for a Cat football game. Winning at sports allows you to win everywhere else. Now there are exceptions. U of M just happens to be a Liberal Arts school at a time when that is not a popular option. But they were one of the schools I studied and when they won their first NC in football their academic donations went through the roof.

It's funny, my brother works with a gal that's also an MSU graduate. His co-worker attended MSU for four years and even one of her kids attends MSU. My brother is always talking about the football games and a few years ago, his friend decided she wanted to come watch one. However, she didn't know where the frigin stadium was! Yes, she is an MSU grad and her kid goes to MSU but she had to ask for directions to the stadium. Anyway, she regularly attends games now and loves it. If it wasn't for sports, I doubt she would have much to do with MSU. Actually, that sounds like most gris fans too.

[gtapp]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

Not necessarily! Yes, education is the primary purpose but when it comes to spending it doesn't have to be the top priority. When you spend $5 on education you get maybe the $5 back (tuition, increased enrollment, etc.). When you spend $5 on Athletics you can get $25 back. Assuming that the athletic spending improves performance (win/loss) that significantly drives donations to academics. That is why coaches at the top schools get $10M +, why there is an arms race throughout the country for athletic facilities, why Crusado pushed so hard for the end zone when she first got here. I looked at ACADEMIC donations at 4 schools over time and the academic donations went up as much as 10X when teams started to be winners. I helped out the alumni association years ago and personally called about 300 alumni in the Twin Cities trying to get donations. At least 1/3 said they would never donate to MSU until we beat the griz (this was during the "streak"). Schools realize that when you graduate your only ties to your Alma Mater is sports. There are alums who never went to a game while going to school that will fly in for a Cat football game. Winning at sports allows you to win everywhere else. Now there are exceptions. U of M just happens to be a Liberal Arts school at a time when that is not a popular option. But they were one of the schools I studied and when they won their first NC in football their academic donations went through the roof.

It's funny, my brother works with a gal that's also an MSU graduate. His co-worker attended MSU for four years and even one of her kids attends MSU. My brother is always talking about the football games and a few years ago, his friend decided she wanted to come watch one. However, she didn't know where the frigin stadium was! Yes, she is an MSU grad and her kid goes to MSU but she had to ask for directions to the stadium. Anyway, she regularly attends games now and loves it. If it wasn't for sports, I doubt she would have much to do with MSU. Actually, that sounds like most gris fans too.

It is weird but real. I hear that argument every year about coaches salaries and the cost of facilities that could be used for academics. I call that 2 dimensional thinking. Just look at the impact "Game Day" had on Bozeman and MSU. When I go to the gym a lot more people now ask about the Cats since Game Day was in Bozeman.

[BobcatDel]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

Not necessarily! Yes, education is the primary purpose but when it comes to spending it doesn't have to be the top priority. When you spend $5 on education you get maybe the $5 back (tuition, increased enrollment, etc.). When you spend $5 on Athletics you can get $25 back. Assuming that the athletic spending improves performance (win/loss) that significantly drives donations to academics. That is why coaches at the top schools get $10M +, why there is an arms race throughout the country for athletic facilities, why Crusado pushed so hard for the end zone when she first got here. I looked at ACADEMIC donations at 4 schools over time and the academic donations went up as much as 10X when teams started to be winners. I helped out the alumni association years ago and personally called about 300 alumni in the Twin Cities trying to get donations. At least 1/3 said they would never donate to MSU until we beat the griz (this was during the "streak"). Schools realize that when you graduate your only ties to your Alma Mater is sports. There are alums who never went to a game while going to school that will fly in for a Cat football game. Winning at sports allows you to win everywhere else. Now there are exceptions. U of M just happens to be a Liberal Arts school at a time when that is not a popular option. But they were one of the schools I studied and when they won their first NC in football their academic donations went through the roof.

While I appreciate what you’re saying gtapp, funding to the university is not exclusively linked to just academics or to athletic success. The beginning expansion in contributions to our campus arose from the fact the importance of STEM disciplines began to dominate and the arrival of a President that is focused on an education first then building the entirety of the school including athletics. It’s Cruzados arrival not beating the gris that started the snowball. Since I retired back to Bozeman after 40 years it was Jake Jabs $50mm in the Business school in 2013 that was a great addition…yes “the streak” had been broken but we certainly didn’t have the basketball, football, volleyball and track positions in the conference we do now. Then you get another $50mm from Asbjornson for the new engineering building in 2018. Then you start adding Gianforte contributions for a new computer building and he is not even an alumni. Or the largest donation ever to a nursing school in the US by the Jones family at $105 mm and they are not alumni. Or the donations to the new Native American center on campus by the ex-wife of Home Depot founder and again a non-alumni. The fact MSU receives the second most research dollars of any school located west of the Mississippi and in top 10 in the entire nation….those research dollars are not tied to athletic prowess or alumni giving……and the continued receipt of those dollars and recognition of that research is not tied to athletics. I am not certain but I do not believe the new campus hotel is being funded by alumni. And even donors like my wife and I were building small nursing scholarships and an engineering scholarship well before “the streak” was ever broken because education was first to us (and our donations were too small to even raise a flag as to importance).

But I wholeheartedly agree with you that the program success we have now in athletics is gaining significant funding from those that have an athletic focus and also increasing recognition of the school regionally and nationally. Quality athletes coming to a quality school.

MSU is hitting on all cylinders right now. The whole boat is being lifted by the mutual success in academics and athletics.

[kmax]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

Not necessarily! Yes, education is the primary purpose but when it comes to spending it doesn't have to be the top priority. When you spend $5 on education you get maybe the $5 back (tuition, increased enrollment, etc.). When you spend $5 on Athletics you can get $25 back. Assuming that the athletic spending improves performance (win/loss) that significantly drives donations to academics. That is why coaches at the top schools get $10M +, why there is an arms race throughout the country for athletic facilities, why Crusado pushed so hard for the end zone when she first got here. I looked at ACADEMIC donations at 4 schools over time and the academic donations went up as much as 10X when teams started to be winners. I helped out the alumni association years ago and personally called about 300 alumni in the Twin Cities trying to get donations. At least 1/3 said they would never donate to MSU until we beat the griz (this was during the "streak"). Schools realize that when you graduate your only ties to your Alma Mater is sports. There are alums who never went to a game while going to school that will fly in for a Cat football game. Winning at sports allows you to win everywhere else. Now there are exceptions. U of M just happens to be a Liberal Arts school at a time when that is not a popular option. But they were one of the schools I studied and when they won their first NC in football their academic donations went through the roof.

It's funny, my brother works with a gal that's also an MSU graduate. His co-worker attended MSU for four years and even one of her kids attends MSU. My brother is always talking about the football games and a few years ago, his friend decided she wanted to come watch one. However, she didn't know where the frigin stadium was! Yes, she is an MSU grad and her kid goes to MSU but she had to ask for directions to the stadium. Anyway, she regularly attends games now and loves it. If it wasn't for sports, I doubt she would have much to do with MSU. Actually, that sounds like most gris fans too.

Good news is that will never happen to any student of MSU ever again. No, not because the football team is so amazing and everyone goes to games but because the only parking left on campus for students is at the stadium! MSU Administration out here playing chess while other schools playing checkers.

[Joe Bobcat]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

Not necessarily! Yes, education is the primary purpose but when it comes to spending it doesn't have to be the top priority. When you spend $5 on education you get maybe the $5 back (tuition, increased enrollment, etc.). When you spend $5 on Athletics you can get $25 back. Assuming that the athletic spending improves performance (win/loss) that significantly drives donations to academics. That is why coaches at the top schools get $10M +, why there is an arms race throughout the country for athletic facilities, why Crusado pushed so hard for the end zone when she first got here. I looked at ACADEMIC donations at 4 schools over time and the academic donations went up as much as 10X when teams started to be winners. I helped out the alumni association years ago and personally called about 300 alumni in the Twin Cities trying to get donations. At least 1/3 said they would never donate to MSU until we beat the griz (this was during the "streak"). Schools realize that when you graduate your only ties to your Alma Mater is sports. There are alums who never went to a game while going to school that will fly in for a Cat football game. Winning at sports allows you to win everywhere else. Now there are exceptions. U of M just happens to be a Liberal Arts school at a time when that is not a popular option. But they were one of the schools I studied and when they won their first NC in football their academic donations went through the roof.

While I appreciate what you’re saying gtapp, funding to the university is not exclusively linked to just academics or to athletic success. The beginning expansion in contributions to our campus arose from the fact the importance of STEM disciplines began to dominate and the arrival of a President that is focused on an education first then building the entirety of the school including athletics. It’s Cruzados arrival not beating the gris that started the snowball. Since I retired back to Bozeman after 40 years it was Jake Jabs $50mm in the Business school in 2013 that was a great addition…yes “the streak” had been broken but we certainly didn’t have the basketball, football, volleyball and track positions in the conference we do now. Then you get another $50mm from Asbjornson for the new engineering building in 2018. Then you start adding Gianforte contributions for a new computer building and he is not even an alumni. Or the largest donation ever to a nursing school in the US by the Jones family at $105 mm and they are not alumni. Or the donations to the new Native American center on campus by the ex-wife of Home Depot founder and again a non-alumni. The fact MSU receives the second most research dollars of any school located west of the Mississippi and in top 10 in the entire nation….those research dollars are not tied to athletic prowess or alumni giving……and the continued receipt of those dollars and recognition of that research is not tied to athletics. I am not certain but I do not believe the new campus hotel is being funded by alumni. And even donors like my wife and I were building small nursing scholarships and an engineering scholarship well before “the streak” was ever broken because education was first to us (and our donations were too small to even raise a flag as to importance).

But I wholeheartedly agree with you that the program success we have now in athletics is gaining significant funding from those that have an athletic focus and also increasing recognition of the school regionally and nationally. Quality athletes coming to a quality school.

MSU is hitting on all cylinders right now. The whole boat is being lifted by the mutual success in academics and athletics.

Those are a couple of interesting somewhat differing views gtapp and BobcatDel. This seems quite similar to which came first the chicken or the egg. Whichever of those 2 ways anyone sees it, the final sentence from BobcatDel bolded above rings true as it's truly a great time at MSU in so many ways, the improving; physical structure of the campus, academic status and athletic success. May this continue for a long long time.

[gtapp]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

Not necessarily! Yes, education is the primary purpose but when it comes to spending it doesn't have to be the top priority. When you spend $5 on education you get maybe the $5 back (tuition, increased enrollment, etc.). When you spend $5 on Athletics you can get $25 back. Assuming that the athletic spending improves performance (win/loss) that significantly drives donations to academics. That is why coaches at the top schools get $10M +, why there is an arms race throughout the country for athletic facilities, why Crusado pushed so hard for the end zone when she first got here. I looked at ACADEMIC donations at 4 schools over time and the academic donations went up as much as 10X when teams started to be winners. I helped out the alumni association years ago and personally called about 300 alumni in the Twin Cities trying to get donations. At least 1/3 said they would never donate to MSU until we beat the griz (this was during the "streak"). Schools realize that when you graduate your only ties to your Alma Mater is sports. There are alums who never went to a game while going to school that will fly in for a Cat football game. Winning at sports allows you to win everywhere else. Now there are exceptions. U of M just happens to be a Liberal Arts school at a time when that is not a popular option. But they were one of the schools I studied and when they won their first NC in football their academic donations went through the roof.

While I appreciate what you’re saying gtapp, funding to the university is not exclusively linked to just academics or to athletic success. The beginning expansion in contributions to our campus arose from the fact the importance of STEM disciplines began to dominate and the arrival of a President that is focused on an education first then building the entirety of the school including athletics. It’s Cruzados arrival not beating the gris that started the snowball. Since I retired back to Bozeman after 40 years it was Jake Jabs $50mm in the Business school in 2013 that was a great addition…yes “the streak” had been broken but we certainly didn’t have the basketball, football, volleyball and track positions in the conference we do now. Then you get another $50mm from Asbjornson for the new engineering building in 2018. Then you start adding Gianforte contributions for a new computer building and he is not even an alumni. Or the largest donation ever to a nursing school in the US by the Jones family at $105 mm and they are not alumni. Or the donations to the new Native American center on campus by the ex-wife of Home Depot founder and again a non-alumni. The fact MSU receives the second most research dollars of any school located west of the Mississippi and in top 10 in the entire nation….those research dollars are not tied to athletic prowess or alumni giving……and the continued receipt of those dollars and recognition of that research is not tied to athletics. I am not certain but I do not believe the new campus hotel is being funded by alumni. And even donors like my wife and I were building small nursing scholarships and an engineering scholarship well before “the streak” was ever broken because education was first to us (and our donations were too small to even raise a flag as to importance).

But I wholeheartedly agree with you that the program success we have now in athletics is gaining significant funding from those that have an athletic focus and also increasing recognition of the school regionally and nationally. Quality athletes coming to a quality school.

MSU is hitting on all cylinders right now. The whole boat is being lifted by the mutual success in academics and athletics.

Those are a couple of interesting somewhat differing views gtapp and BobcatDel. This seems quite similar to which came first the chicken or the egg. Whichever of those 2 ways anyone sees it, the final sentence from BobcatDel bolded above rings true as it's truly a great time at MSU in so many ways, the improving; physical structure of the campus, academic status and athletic success. May this continue for a long long time.

I give Cruzado a lot of credit for all of this!

[coloradocat]

I heard a news report on the radio this afternoon that started by saying there would be a groundbreaking event tomorrow at MSU. I was about to jump for joy when the report continued to say it was for the new Gianforte School of Computing building. That's good news but I'd much rather the IPF groundbreaking be tomorrow and the computer building break ground sometime later. What a rollercoaster ride that minute was.

Like you I am very anxious for the IPF groundbreaking but I differ on the relative priorities. Education is the primary purpose of the university. It is right that the computer building is first.

Not necessarily! Yes, education is the primary purpose but when it comes to spending it doesn't have to be the top priority. When you spend $5 on education you get maybe the $5 back (tuition, increased enrollment, etc.). When you spend $5 on Athletics you can get $25 back. Assuming that the athletic spending improves performance (win/loss) that significantly drives donations to academics. That is why coaches at the top schools get $10M +, why there is an arms race throughout the country for athletic facilities, why Crusado pushed so hard for the end zone when she first got here. I looked at ACADEMIC donations at 4 schools over time and the academic donations went up as much as 10X when teams started to be winners. I helped out the alumni association years ago and personally called about 300 alumni in the Twin Cities trying to get donations. At least 1/3 said they would never donate to MSU until we beat the griz (this was during the "streak"). Schools realize that when you graduate your only ties to your Alma Mater is sports. There are alums who never went to a game while going to school that will fly in for a Cat football game. Winning at sports allows you to win everywhere else. Now there are exceptions. U of M just happens to be a Liberal Arts school at a time when that is not a popular option. But they were one of the schools I studied and when they won their first NC in football their academic donations went through the roof.

While I appreciate what you’re saying gtapp, funding to the university is not exclusively linked to just academics or to athletic success. The beginning expansion in contributions to our campus arose from the fact the importance of STEM disciplines began to dominate and the arrival of a President that is focused on an education first then building the entirety of the school including athletics. It’s Cruzados arrival not beating the gris that started the snowball. Since I retired back to Bozeman after 40 years it was Jake Jabs $50mm in the Business school in 2013 that was a great addition…yes “the streak” had been broken but we certainly didn’t have the basketball, football, volleyball and track positions in the conference we do now. Then you get another $50mm from Asbjornson for the new engineering building in 2018. Then you start adding Gianforte contributions for a new computer building and he is not even an alumni. Or the largest donation ever to a nursing school in the US by the Jones family at $105 mm and they are not alumni. Or the donations to the new Native American center on campus by the ex-wife of Home Depot founder and again a non-alumni. The fact MSU receives the second most research dollars of any school located west of the Mississippi and in top 10 in the entire nation….those research dollars are not tied to athletic prowess or alumni giving……and the continued receipt of those dollars and recognition of that research is not tied to athletics. I am not certain but I do not believe the new campus hotel is being funded by alumni. And even donors like my wife and I were building small nursing scholarships and an engineering scholarship well before “the streak” was ever broken because education was first to us (and our donations were too small to even raise a flag as to importance).

But I wholeheartedly agree with you that the program success we have now in athletics is gaining significant funding from those that have an athletic focus and also increasing recognition of the school regionally and nationally. Quality athletes coming to a quality school.

MSU is hitting on all cylinders right now. The whole boat is being lifted by the mutual success in academics and athletics.

Those are a couple of interesting somewhat differing views gtapp and BobcatDel. This seems quite similar to which came first the chicken or the egg. Whichever of those 2 ways anyone sees it, the final sentence from BobcatDel bolded above rings true as it's truly a great time at MSU in so many ways, the improving; physical structure of the campus, academic status and athletic success. May this continue for a long long time.

I give Cruzado a lot of credit for all of this!

And Leon for the athletics side!