Facilities and Arena discussion

[mkaufman1]

If Mason has room for two professional sport leagues on campus, then they at least had room for one football stadium. The commonly used excuse against of not having space for football doesn't stand.

I always thought we had space, it was the 1,000,000 other reasons. I always thought it would've been down Braddock although the jokes I always heard early on at Mason was that it would be where Patriot Village was.

Doesn't really matter at this point. My concerns are more of what is the plan for EBA, and what is the plan for the super secret basketball facility.

 

[MasonSAE4]

That field absolutely sucks. So we are lucky that fell through.

There are a few semi-pro teams in the area (Northern Virginia and Alexandria), but they don’t have money to build a stadium being semi-pro/developmental.

DC United will have to start an MLS Next Pro club but haven’t announced one yet (were looking at Baltimore but I don’t know how far along they are). They have also announced a women’s team in the newly announced USL Women’s league.

The Washington Spirit don’t have their own home (they use Audi Field right now). Michele Kang is a really ambitious owner and it wouldn’t hurt to approach her about moving the Spirit here (they are averaging a good 7k-8k right now, so would probably want at least a 10k seat stadium if they ever built their own).

The absolute dream would be to get a DCU affiliated club at Mason and have Open Cup games there.

 

[Falco]

Technically would have been three if the pro softball team didn’t fold…seems like they’re just executing on their athletics master plan and finding partnerships to make it less costly for the university.

But given where college football is going I’m not sure why anyone would want any part of it as a startup sport at this point.

I don’t disagree with you. I’m not really interested in football anymore. I just find it comical that people used to use lack of space as an excuse.

 

[GMUMiked]

Cricket has had a place at Mason for a long time. I remember dodging cricket balls on the quad (is that what we called it?) on the way to class in the early 2000's.

 

[GMU79]

I don’t disagree with you. I’m not really interested in football anymore. I just find it comical that people used to use lack of space as an excuse.

I could not care less about football at Mason. I love college football and have been watching it since Archie Manning was at Ol' Miss in the late '60s. But I have my teams that I have followed for 50-60 years.
I'll stick with GaMoo/G-Moo basketball!!

 

[jessej]

I could not care less about football at Mason. I love college football and have been watching it since Archie Manning was at Ol' Miss in the late '60s. But I have my teams that I have followed for 50-60 years.
I'll stick with GaMoo/G-Moo basketball!!

About 15-20 years ago, then GMU President Merton gave a talk at my then employer. In the Q&A session afterwards someone asked about starting a football program.

He said not under his watch as it would cost the students an additional $1000 per year per student in fees for 10 years. But he would consider it if someone donated at least $250M to start the program.

 

[Falco]

About 15-20 years ago, then GMU President Merton gave a talk at my then employer. In the Q&A session afterwards someone asked about starting a football program.

He said not under his watch as it would cost the students an additional $1000 per year per student in fees for 10 years. But he would consider it if someone donated at least $250M to start the program.

With inflation they need a 500 million gift now lol

 

[mkaufman1]

With inflation they need a 500 million gift now lol

Maybe instead of taking home the money Shohei Ohtani will donate his next contract which will roughly be 500m for mason football.

Heh.

 

[psyclone]

About 15-20 years ago, then GMU President Merton gave a talk at my then employer. In the Q&A session afterwards someone asked about starting a football program.

He said not under his watch as it would cost the students an additional $1000 per year per student in fees for 10 years. But he would consider it if someone donated at least $250M to start the program.

Not intending to go further down the football rabbit hole, I seemed to remember that President Cabrera threw down a smaller number than Merton did earlier:

"If we could push a button here and magically bring a donor with $60 million, interested in football," Cabrera said, "I would be so grateful I would start working on that program tomorrow morning." He said Mason has periodically examined the costs associated with launching big time football, and he fielded questions about it on his recent learning tour.
“When you add all the numbers, it’s a big number,” Cabrera said. “Would it be great to have it? Absolutely. Would it add to the experience? Yes. But how do you pay? I don’t know.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-state-of-nova/post/angel-cabrera-new-george-mason-president-talks-twitter-fund-raising-football-in-first-interview/2012/08/19/d8c6a5b2-e8a5-11e1-936a-b801f1abab19_blog.html

 

[MasonFanatic]

I've never heard "space" as an excuse for not having football. Mason definitely has the space. There are at least 2 places where a stadium would fit, and possibly 3 if we got creative with new parking garages.

However, FCS would cost $50-80M or more to start, and FBS would be well into 9 figures.

If we can get Jeff Bezos to cut a $150M check then I'm sure we can make it happen.

 

[MasonSAE4]

Lol a half-decent stadium would run you $60 million alone. It cost ODU $30 million just to renovate an existing structure, and that's in a part of the world where gas is like $1 a gallon and they don't have working internet. Imagine the cost in Fairfax to build a new stadium sufficient to garner any interest in seeing a game there.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Lol a half-decent stadium would run you $60 million alone. It cost ODU $30 million just to renovate an existing structure, and that's in a part of the world where gas is like $1 a gallon and they don't have working internet. Imagine the cost in Fairfax to build a new stadium sufficient to garner any interest in seeing a game there.

The stadium cost is not the real issue to start a program - we build multiple buildings at the same time. The real issue is the scholarships, coaches salaries etc. Those are recurring annual costs. Building construction can be amortized over time.

 

[MasonSAE4]

The stadium cost is not the real issue to start a program - we build multiple buildings at the same time. The real issue is the scholarships, coaches salaries etc. Those are recurring annual costs. Building construction can be amortized over time.

Right that's my point. If the full number that Cabrera threw out for a full program gets eaten up front on the cheapest part of the program, how the hell are you paying for all the other stuff?

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Right that's my point. If the full number that Cabrera threw out for a full program gets eaten up front on the cheapest part of the program, how the hell are you paying for all the other stuff?

Well if you got that donation up front - the state would match about half. Also if state approves the program - they would get funding for athletic slots and then the rest would have to be donations. We would have to kill some other mens sports to keep title IX compliance.

 

[EXpatriot13]

Even if we somehow got a miracle gift to start a football program, there isn't a snowballs chance in hell we'd be able to sustain it long-term. I can't see any scenario where Mason would be okay watching a sport bleed millions and millions of dollars every year, especially in the early going.

There are big time D1 football programs that bleed money who receive a tremendous amount of fan, alumni, donor, sponsor support.

Mason has been studying blueprints and pinching pennies for a top secret basketball facility for almost a decade now, zero shot they'd get football right or be able to handle it.

 

[Pablo]

These are the finalists for the home sites for the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). If Washington DC is selected, will the PLL partner with Mason to build a new soccer/lacrosse stadium next to the planned George Mason Cricket Stadium - https://premierlacrosseleague.com/home-cities-voting

 

[Pablo]

The dream never dies (notwithstanding the incorrect location of the goalposts) - https://www.facebook.com/MeaningfulFootballGMU/

Bring Football to GMU​

1.2K likes • 1.1K followers

 

[GSII]

ToC said we would have to enter a power 5 conf at the get go to not lose money. That's impossible. Gmu will never have football.

 

[jessej]

I believe that only about 30 of the 130 Div I FB programs are profitable. All others at all Divisions - I, II, III, Juco, NAIA, etc. are money losers. They are -loss leaders for the Universities, used to generate other donation monies and good will.

 

[MasonSAE4]

The dream never dies (notwithstanding the incorrect location of the goalposts) - https://www.facebook.com/MeaningfulFootballGMU/

Bring Football to GMU​

1.2K likes • 1.1K followers

Mason football going for that coveted DI Canadian football championship