You have to add the caveat that it’s Virginia bureaucracy, which is its own special kind of hell. It’s not like VA everywhere.
Welcome New AD Marvin Lewis
- Thread starter Patriotsince81
- Start date
You have to add the caveat that it’s Virginia bureaucracy, which is its own special kind of hell. It’s not like VA everywhere.
Fundraising issues, state contributions aside...I don't think the school has ever truly prioritized major athletics projects within their master planning. If they had, I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't be able to figure out how to actually fully complete a project (just give me one!) vs. the half completed/failed attempts over the last 10+ years.
It seems we're now just starting to see a shift in that strategy with the current admin, where athletics is being accounted for within the holistic strategy/planning process....long overdue.
Basketball Facility:
- 10 years late and still *at least* 2 years away
- pretty sure the $15M from the state has been approved and rolling over within our budget for at least a few years
Baseball Stadium:
- renovations/buildout of Spuhler Field (only completed the dugouts)
- failed cricket partnership (not just Mason's fault)
Softball Stadium:
- newly built about 15 years ago, but not completely due to failed partnership with pro softball team?
- already trying to raise funds to renovate the dugouts
Soccer/Track Facility:
- "Patriot Park" study released within last 10 years and went nowhere
Field House:
- slapped some lipstick on it and renovated the weight room within the last 10 years, but its use is being way over-extended across sports
It seems we're now just starting to see a shift in that strategy with the current admin, where athletics is being accounted for within the holistic strategy/planning process....long overdue.
Basketball Facility:
- 10 years late and still *at least* 2 years away
- pretty sure the $15M from the state has been approved and rolling over within our budget for at least a few years
Baseball Stadium:
- renovations/buildout of Spuhler Field (only completed the dugouts)
- failed cricket partnership (not just Mason's fault)
Softball Stadium:
- newly built about 15 years ago, but not completely due to failed partnership with pro softball team?
- already trying to raise funds to renovate the dugouts
Soccer/Track Facility:
- "Patriot Park" study released within last 10 years and went nowhere
Field House:
- slapped some lipstick on it and renovated the weight room within the last 10 years, but its use is being way over-extended across sports
My observation is that GMU (heck, I don't even know what to call us anymore!) has been terrific at building a nationally recognized scholastic university of which we can all be proud. And that should be priority #1 for any college/university worth it's salt.
But, as we all know, sports is the engine that drives excitement and fan(atical) support among students and alumni. And for the population at large, it is what first brings name recognition to the school.
Didn't we all get (and maybe occasionally still do) "hey, that was quite a run to the FF you guys had!" I'll wager no one has ever heard, "hey, you guys are really on the cutting edge of innovation, technology, inclusiveness and upward mobility!"
I hope Pres. Washington and the other powers that be will now recognize that it is not either/or, but both/and that could really give us wings in the decades to come.
But, as we all know, sports is the engine that drives excitement and fan(atical) support among students and alumni. And for the population at large, it is what first brings name recognition to the school.
Didn't we all get (and maybe occasionally still do) "hey, that was quite a run to the FF you guys had!" I'll wager no one has ever heard, "hey, you guys are really on the cutting edge of innovation, technology, inclusiveness and upward mobility!"
I hope Pres. Washington and the other powers that be will now recognize that it is not either/or, but both/and that could really give us wings in the decades to come.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #224
I'm assuming you've all seen this.....
In case you haven't.
Hello Patriots:
I can’t believe it has been over a year since my announcement on April 19, 2024! Time has flown by and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead our athletics department and excited to reflect upon our accomplishments over the past 12 months. Let’s take a moment to celebrate as it is truly a great time to be a Patriot!
Academic Success
George Mason Vision Day
We raised over $467,000 from more than 900 unique donors and recorded more than 1,200 total donations! That's an increase of more than $50,000 and over 330 donors than in 2023!
I want to express my sincere gratitude and thank ‘Mason Nation’ for their generosity as well as congratulate everyone on a successful George Mason Vision Day! It was truly a team effort and a perfect illustration of the community’s commitment to our 500-plus student-athletes who proudly wear green and gold and continue to be outstanding ambassadors of our university.
This achievement doesn’t happen without the support of many of our stakeholders. A big thank you to our passionate fans, donors, coaches, staff, and campus partners. Additionally, I would like to recognize Dan and Patty Wotring, Kathy McKay, Sumeet Shrivastava, Mike '03 and Tanya Ickowitz, Jay and Carolyn Marsh, Tony Skinn ’06, Vanessa Blair-Lewis, Kara Mupo, and Chris Coneeney for your generous challenge gifts. Our coaches and staff are always up for a great challenge and your kindness and generosity sparked fun and exciting competition amongst our athletic programs.
Blitz Week
It’s hard to believe that the fiscal year is closing in just a matter of weeks and what a year it’s been! Please join us in celebrating Blitz Week – June 23-30. Help us cross the finish line and put an exclamation point on this record-breaking giving season. We also have a donor challenge for our teams to win as they increase alumni-athlete participation, so be sure to support your Patriots! Let’s work together to surpass last year’s Blitz Week total of $20,000. More details to come in June from our coaches and social media!
University Branding
In April, we unveiled a redesigned university and athletics logo as a part of a complete visual identity rebrand. The previous logo system within athletics and across the campus community was inconsistent and confusing, and we now have a consistent look that will unify and galvanize the entire campus community.
We are also the only ‘GM’ in Division I athletics! This truly aligns with our university’s uniqueness and sets us apart in the community as we aggressively recruit future student-athletes.
At George Mason, we will always celebrate and recognize our storied past -- but I am energized to chart new pathways with a fresh and innovative look that resembles our powerful story.
We are excited to showcase our new brand throughout the summer and fall – with dynamic team jersey revels as well as highlight new team issued and sideline apparel available to purchase of your favorite George Mason teams.
Name, Image & Likeness
The landscape of Division I intercollegiate athletics is constantly changing around us. We are experiencing a dynamic regulatory environment that presents new challenges and opportunities that must be carefully evaluated to advance George Mason Athletics and provide the best experience for our student-athletes.
To create a positive student-athlete experience, we must continue providing 1st class academic programs, high-level coaching and holistic development, quality competition and practice facilities, and wellness and mental health resources, etc. In addition, the need to identify and secure opportunities for student-athletes to monetize the use of their name, image, and likeness (known as “NIL”) has grown tremendously, especially in men’s and women’s basketball.
New NCAA regulations and Commonwealth of Virginia laws permit a clearer path for universities to provide NIL support services and education to student-athletes and further integrate third-party “collectives” into the athletics ecosystem.
Collectives are a form of “crowdfunding” for fans, donors, sponsors, etc. to invest and compensate players (separate from their institution) in return for legitimate services using their name, image, and likeness. Universities and athletic departments have no formal control over these third-party entities but collectives serve as a mechanism to provide NIL related financial support to student-athletes.
For George Mason Athletics to remain competitive within the A-10 Conference and maintain our championship aspirations – it is critical that we support student-athletes NIL efforts and the George Mason Athletics official third-party collective, the Patriot Nation Collective (the “Collective”),
The Collective was established for our student-athletes with assistance from local business leaders who are long-time supporters of our basketball programs. The mission is to create one of the most vibrant NIL markets in the country and to ensure student-athletes are involved in opportunities that benefit their personal, professional, and financial growth.
The Collective is making a meaningful impact on our basketball programs and needs your support to connect our student-athletes with valuable NIL opportunities. Therefore, I encourage you to learn more about the Patriot Nation Collective (the “Collective”) and consider supporting the NIL efforts of our student-athletes.
George Mason Athletics Strategic Plan
To ensure that George Mason Athletics is well-positioned to take on the challenges ahead, we must develop and clearly outline our values, strategic priorities, and shared vision for the future.
Therefore, we launched the George Mason Athletics strategic planning process earlier this spring. We had over 800 individuals (54% external supporters) take our survey as well as many others having in-person discussions with our partner – Collegiate Sports Associates (CSA).
Throughout these informative exercises, your feedback emphasized the high importance of the education, holistic development, well-being, and academic success of student-athletes, as well as operating the department with a high degree of integrity and our high-profile programs competing for championships.
I want to extend my sincere appreciation to members of Mason Nation, our athletics staff, the campus community, and our many stakeholders who participated in our survey and focus group sessions to help shape the new direction of George Mason Athletics.
In closing, I want to express how very proud I am of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff for their tireless work, boundless energy, and commitment to elevating our athletics programs and university. I truly believe that we’ve had one of the best 12-month periods in our athletics history and the best is yet to come!
I wish all of Mason Nation a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you at events this summer and back on campus this fall!
Go Patriots,
Marvin
In case you haven't.
Hello Patriots:
I can’t believe it has been over a year since my announcement on April 19, 2024! Time has flown by and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead our athletics department and excited to reflect upon our accomplishments over the past 12 months. Let’s take a moment to celebrate as it is truly a great time to be a Patriot!
Academic Success
- We boasted an overall departmental GPA of 3.35 and had 204 student-athletes on the Dean’s List. Additionally, 21 of 22 athletic programs earned a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Set a department record with 68 Peter N. Stearns Provost Scholars, recognizing student-athletes with a cumulative 3.75 GPA or better.
- George Mason student-athletes posted higher cumulative GPAs than the general student body for the ninth (9) consecutive year.
- More than 100 student-athletes graduated in the spring of 2024.
- Men’s basketball won 20 regular season games for the first time since 2011-12 punctuated by a victory against No. 16 Dayton, marking the first win at home against a ranked opponent in program history.
- Celebrating its 50th year, women’s basketball won a record 23 games, won a program-best 14 conference games, and competed in the inaugural WBIT Tournament.
- Wrestling finished a program-best third place in the MAC and a record-tying three of our Patriots competed at the NCAA championships.
- Men’s volleyball went undefeated at home, finished the regular season second in the EIVA, and competed against Penn State in the conference championship.
- Women’s lacrosse turned things around from their 2-13 season a year ago to this year finishing the regular season with a 10-7 record and sixth place conference finish - earning a spot in the A-10 Tournament.
- Men’s indoor & outdoor track & field programs earned second-place finishes at both the A-10 Championships this year.
- George Mason boasted 8 NCAA regional qualifiers, 13 individual conference champions, 22 student-athletes earned all-conference awards, and 75 earned individual top weekly conference awards.
George Mason Vision Day
We raised over $467,000 from more than 900 unique donors and recorded more than 1,200 total donations! That's an increase of more than $50,000 and over 330 donors than in 2023!
I want to express my sincere gratitude and thank ‘Mason Nation’ for their generosity as well as congratulate everyone on a successful George Mason Vision Day! It was truly a team effort and a perfect illustration of the community’s commitment to our 500-plus student-athletes who proudly wear green and gold and continue to be outstanding ambassadors of our university.
This achievement doesn’t happen without the support of many of our stakeholders. A big thank you to our passionate fans, donors, coaches, staff, and campus partners. Additionally, I would like to recognize Dan and Patty Wotring, Kathy McKay, Sumeet Shrivastava, Mike '03 and Tanya Ickowitz, Jay and Carolyn Marsh, Tony Skinn ’06, Vanessa Blair-Lewis, Kara Mupo, and Chris Coneeney for your generous challenge gifts. Our coaches and staff are always up for a great challenge and your kindness and generosity sparked fun and exciting competition amongst our athletic programs.
Blitz Week
It’s hard to believe that the fiscal year is closing in just a matter of weeks and what a year it’s been! Please join us in celebrating Blitz Week – June 23-30. Help us cross the finish line and put an exclamation point on this record-breaking giving season. We also have a donor challenge for our teams to win as they increase alumni-athlete participation, so be sure to support your Patriots! Let’s work together to surpass last year’s Blitz Week total of $20,000. More details to come in June from our coaches and social media!
University Branding
In April, we unveiled a redesigned university and athletics logo as a part of a complete visual identity rebrand. The previous logo system within athletics and across the campus community was inconsistent and confusing, and we now have a consistent look that will unify and galvanize the entire campus community.
We are also the only ‘GM’ in Division I athletics! This truly aligns with our university’s uniqueness and sets us apart in the community as we aggressively recruit future student-athletes.
At George Mason, we will always celebrate and recognize our storied past -- but I am energized to chart new pathways with a fresh and innovative look that resembles our powerful story.
We are excited to showcase our new brand throughout the summer and fall – with dynamic team jersey revels as well as highlight new team issued and sideline apparel available to purchase of your favorite George Mason teams.
Name, Image & Likeness
The landscape of Division I intercollegiate athletics is constantly changing around us. We are experiencing a dynamic regulatory environment that presents new challenges and opportunities that must be carefully evaluated to advance George Mason Athletics and provide the best experience for our student-athletes.
To create a positive student-athlete experience, we must continue providing 1st class academic programs, high-level coaching and holistic development, quality competition and practice facilities, and wellness and mental health resources, etc. In addition, the need to identify and secure opportunities for student-athletes to monetize the use of their name, image, and likeness (known as “NIL”) has grown tremendously, especially in men’s and women’s basketball.
New NCAA regulations and Commonwealth of Virginia laws permit a clearer path for universities to provide NIL support services and education to student-athletes and further integrate third-party “collectives” into the athletics ecosystem.
Collectives are a form of “crowdfunding” for fans, donors, sponsors, etc. to invest and compensate players (separate from their institution) in return for legitimate services using their name, image, and likeness. Universities and athletic departments have no formal control over these third-party entities but collectives serve as a mechanism to provide NIL related financial support to student-athletes.
For George Mason Athletics to remain competitive within the A-10 Conference and maintain our championship aspirations – it is critical that we support student-athletes NIL efforts and the George Mason Athletics official third-party collective, the Patriot Nation Collective (the “Collective”),
The Collective was established for our student-athletes with assistance from local business leaders who are long-time supporters of our basketball programs. The mission is to create one of the most vibrant NIL markets in the country and to ensure student-athletes are involved in opportunities that benefit their personal, professional, and financial growth.
The Collective is making a meaningful impact on our basketball programs and needs your support to connect our student-athletes with valuable NIL opportunities. Therefore, I encourage you to learn more about the Patriot Nation Collective (the “Collective”) and consider supporting the NIL efforts of our student-athletes.
George Mason Athletics Strategic Plan
To ensure that George Mason Athletics is well-positioned to take on the challenges ahead, we must develop and clearly outline our values, strategic priorities, and shared vision for the future.
Therefore, we launched the George Mason Athletics strategic planning process earlier this spring. We had over 800 individuals (54% external supporters) take our survey as well as many others having in-person discussions with our partner – Collegiate Sports Associates (CSA).
Throughout these informative exercises, your feedback emphasized the high importance of the education, holistic development, well-being, and academic success of student-athletes, as well as operating the department with a high degree of integrity and our high-profile programs competing for championships.
I want to extend my sincere appreciation to members of Mason Nation, our athletics staff, the campus community, and our many stakeholders who participated in our survey and focus group sessions to help shape the new direction of George Mason Athletics.
In closing, I want to express how very proud I am of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff for their tireless work, boundless energy, and commitment to elevating our athletics programs and university. I truly believe that we’ve had one of the best 12-month periods in our athletics history and the best is yet to come!
I wish all of Mason Nation a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you at events this summer and back on campus this fall!
Go Patriots,
Marvin
TLDR
OP
- Thread Starter
- #226
TLDR? So, what you are really trying to express using acronyms that many over the age of 40 will not understand, is that you found the article to be too long in length to peruse because it included far too many words, some that might even be considered to be extraordinarily verbose in nature, and that you prefer to limit your leisure time reading to smaller passages that do not convey as much in the way of detailed information? In the future, should you continue to use abbreviations and acronyms, you may want to consider including a link to a texting or urban dictionary to help older people decipher the meaning you intend to convey.
Not trying to be a smart a$$, just having some fun. Slow morning. LOL.
Not trying to be a smart a$$, just having some fun. Slow morning. LOL.
Last edited:
Tbh your reply was TLDR. Jk jkTLDR? So, what you are really trying to express using acronyms that many over the age of 40 will not understand, is that you found the article to be too long in length to peruse because it included far too many words, some that might even be considered to be extraordinarily verbose in nature, and that you prefer to limit your leisure time reading to smaller passages that do not convey as much in the way of detailed information? In the future, should you continue to use abbreviations and acronyms, you may want to consider including a link to a texting or urban dictionary to help older people decipher the meaning you intend to convey.
Not trying to be a smart a$$, just having some fun. Slow morning. LOL.
Last edited:
TLDR? Yeah, I had to Google it too.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #229
Losing the humor war this morning. Oh well.
TLDRTLDR? So, what you are really trying to express using acronyms that many over the age of 40 will not understand, is that you found the article to be too long in length to peruse because it included far too many words, some that might even be considered to be extraordinarily verbose in nature, and that you prefer to limit your leisure time reading to smaller passages that do not convey as much in the way of detailed information? In the future, should you continue to use abbreviations and acronyms, you may want to consider including a link to a texting or urban dictionary to help older people decipher the meaning you intend to convey.
Not trying to be a smart a$$, just having some fun. Slow morning. LOL.
Last edited:
I was trying to acknowledge your humorous post with more acronyms thinking I’m funny. Clearly I’m not lol.
War and Peace…TLDR…TLDR? So, what you are really trying to express using acronyms that many over the age of 40 will not understand, is that you found the article to be too long in length to peruse because it included far too many words, some that might even be considered to be extraordinarily verbose in nature, and that you prefer to limit your leisure time reading to smaller passages that do not convey as much in the way of detailed information? In the future, should you continue to use abbreviations and acronyms, you may want to consider including a link to a texting or urban dictionary to help older people decipher the meaning you intend to convey.
Not trying to be a smart a$$, just having some fun. Slow morning. LOL.
I actually did read that.
2011WinOverVillanova
Sixth Man
If the A10 and or A10 schools are on the hook for paying players and or retroactive payments per the ncaa settlement… how much of that will gobble up our resource pizza pie and is it even realistic to dream of new facilities given how tough it is to fundraise?
Mason has done nothing to encourage a good time for its students. Most students have very limited loyalty or pride in the university. They just view Mason as a tool to get a job, not as a community. Until that changes, Mason will have a hard time fundraising.
In my view, one of the biggest problems with Mason is that it scares its students with law enforcement. Trivial things get students arrested at Mason, while JMU has its block party and it feels like you’re at Mardi Gras.
2011WinOverVillanova
Sixth Man
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/22/business/gen-z-college-students-jobs.html - it’s more of a generational outlook. It would be nice for us to attempt to do both sports/fun and academics/tool for jobs.
This article brings me to my next point: Mason is no longer striving for excellence. Admission standards have dropped so much that anyone can get in now.
In 2008, I was proud to be accepted into Mason. It had just made the Final Four, and getting in required decent grades. Now, it feels like anyone can get in. How can we take pride in calling Mason our alma mater when the standards have become so low?
Eh, I'd disagree with that. The final 4 year was my freshman year and there's a zero % chance I get into GMU with the same grades today.
How bad were your grades? Mason has a 91% acceptance rate.
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GiantKiller.co
ByGeorge
Expat Hoops
Fourth Estate
Doc Nix and the Green Machine
Bill Bride - DMV Sports Shots
Patriot Brew Blog/Newsletter