[ATrain]

The smaller arena is still in the radar from what I understand. However, it is still kind of down the list.

Definately wise to put this on the back burner til we see just how much renewed interest McKay and company generate. I understand the reasoning of those who like the idea of a packed house, but I think the potential is there to have that in a facility with a capacity of more than the 4500 which was proposed.

We could put women's bball and volleyball in the smaller arena.

[bluejacket]

The smaller arena is still in the radar from what I understand. However, it is still kind of down the list.

The aquatics center should be the #1 priority.

[Humble_Opinion]

The smaller arena is still in the radar from what I understand. However, it is still kind of down the list.

The aquatics center should be the #1 priority.

Why

[Purple Haize]

The smaller arena is still in the radar from what I understand. However, it is still kind of down the list.

Definately wise to put this on the back burner til we see just how much renewed interest McKay and company generate. I understand the reasoning of those who like the idea of a packed house, but I think the potential is there to have that in a facility with a capacity of more than the 4500 which was proposed.

We could put women's bball and volleyball in the smaller arena.

Plus it gives the University flexibility to renovate/replace the Vines Center.

[olldflame]

Possibly, but there have been discussions about upgrading the Vines for years. Money has been spent and plans have been drawn, and nothing substancial has ever been done. I´m not an architect, but I really get the idea that the building simply can´t be turned into what we want long term as a home for Liberty basketball. I think we ultimately build something new and have some time to figure out how big it should be. I believe with some creativity it could be possible to design something that will work for both the men and women. I know we´re rolling in dough but building 2 new facilities seems like overkill.

[Purple Haize]

Possibly, but there have been discussions about upgrading the Vines for years. Money has been spent and plans have been drawn, and nothing substancial has ever been done. I´m not an architect, but I really get the idea that the building simply can´t be turned into what we want long term as a home for Liberty basketball. I think we ultimately build something new and have some time to figure out how big it should be. I believe with some creativity it could be possible to design something that will work for both the men and women. I know we´re rolling in dough but building 2 new facilities seems like overkill.

UNC does it. It's not a stretch. Having the new 'Arena' will give flexibility when they decide what to do with the Vines. I agree with you that it's not capable of being upgraded to the level that is needed. But my first hand knowledge is about a decade old. I think the new 'Arena' as its been talked about is perfect for all the teams that would use it. IMO the 'New' Vines should be planned around Event Based scheduling which would allow for a lot more flexibility

[bluejacket]

Our current aquatics facility is sub-par for the level of athlete we are looking to recruit.

Sub-par is generous.

[bluejacket]

I'm a generous guy. Unfortunately it seems the new facility is on the back burner due to the cost.

They are expensive. Within the past two years, Yale's swimming alumni came out with three proposals for a new natatorium. The cheapest was $35 million.

That said, it needs to get built.

[Cider Jim]

Ours would be in the neighborhood of $50 million.

In comparison, I think that's the exact price of our 4-story Jerry Falwell Library.

[Humble_Opinion]

Our current aquatics facility is sub-par for the level of athlete we are looking to recruit.

Sub-par is generous.

Yes I would agree that it is sub-par for sure. A 5 lane 25 yd pool is not really an NCAA competition pool. I just didn't know if you had any other justification for it.

I'm also glad to know that you know the actual terminology for the facility. Not many people do.

I'm a generous guy. Unfortunately it seems the new facility is on the back burner due to the cost.

Yeah it's a rather tremendous cost for a one sport athletic facility. If we had a men's and women's swim/dive teams, that would be a little different. Even still, there's just not many conceivable ways that you cover your expenses there. Then again, there are probably quite a few buildings on campus that are going to have a hard time paying for themselves...

[BJWilliams]

Having been in more than a few aquatics facilities in my brief swimming career. Its going to have to be a 25x50m pool which will allow for short and long course events, they can host USA Swimming and USA Diving meets, high school meets in addition to LU's home meets.

[bluejacket]

Yeah it's a rather tremendous cost for a one sport athletic facility. If we had a men's and women's swim/dive teams, that would be a little different. Even still, there's just not many conceivable ways that you cover your expenses there. Then again, there are probably quite a few buildings on campus that are going to have a hard time paying for themselves...

I think that we should at least plan to add a men's swimming/diving team before building a natatorium. But that would also mean adding some sports to maintain compliance.

If you are looking to balance the books, we might as well shut down the entire athletics department.

[bluejacket]

Ours would be in the neighborhood of $50 million.

They need to consider whether or not they believe women's swimming and diving is worth keeping. If it is, then they need to build the facility. Otherwise, cut it loose and find another women's sport.

A large expense, but par for the course.

In my opinion, if they decide to go forward with it, they need to have men's and women's swimming and diving. To maintain compliance, they would have to add women's water polo and bowling or golf as well.

[Humble_Opinion]

Yeah it's a rather tremendous cost for a one sport athletic facility. If we had a men's and women's swim/dive teams, that would be a little different. Even still, there's just not many conceivable ways that you cover your expenses there. Then again, there are probably quite a few buildings on campus that are going to have a hard time paying for themselves...

I think that we should at least plan to add a men's swimming/diving team before building a natatorium. But that would also mean adding some sports to maintain compliance.

If you are looking to balance the books, we might as well shut down the entire athletics department.

It's highly probable that LU will never have an athletics department that is self-sustainable in our lifetimes. That being said, continuously investing precious cash into buildings that are sunk costs and have no hope of paying for themselves, let alone their operating expenses is a risk. It's easy to make the decision to shoulder that burden right now because of the financial performance of the online program. However, that cash cow is not necessarily going to always be around. Every dollar they invest into buildings that don't pay for themselves represents an increase in the cost of attendance to all students. Getting rid of the athletics department would be stupid, but continuing to increase the reliance on a subsidy is also not a smart idea.

[Colbster757]

I talked to a close friend that works in the financial support office. I asked him if he thought Liberty would ever have money problems with all they are spending. He said that with Liberty making over a billion last year (with their online programs) they cannot spend the money fast enough (to maintain non profit status )

[Cider Jim]

I guess we are a COKE campus now! At the Vines Center yesterday, the Pepsi machines are gone and replaced with Coke machines. And Sodexo is selling PowerAde now instead of Gatorade at the concession stands.

[Purple Haize]

I guess we are a COKE campus now! At the Vines Center yesterday, the Pepsi machines are gone and replaced with Coke machines. And Sodexo is selling PowerAde now instead of Gatorade at the concession stands.

Best move by the University in decades

[thepostman]

False. No mt dew is a huge step down.

[ALUmnus]

False. No mt dew is a huge step down.

That's exactly right. And if there's no Mello Yello available, this was a terrible mistake.

[Humble_Opinion]

I talked to a close friend that works in the financial support office. I asked him if he thought Liberty would ever have money problems with all they are spending. He said that with Liberty making over a billion last year (with their online programs) they cannot spend the money fast enough (to maintain non profit status )

By Financial Support Office, I assume Financial Aid. No offense, but no one in that office has anywhere near the amount of information required to answer the question you asked. Very few people have a "big picture" view of the overall finances of the university.

I say this not to disagree with the assessment, because financially speaking, the university is among the healthiest in all of academia. However, we can fall just as fast as we rose. Financial success and security is a relatively new thing to LU, and while they have expanded the residential campus to accomodate a sizeable increase in enrollment over the past 5 years, it's hard for me to believe that the net variable revenue per new student outweighs the net increase in costs associated with the new building expenses. I could be wrong about that and I hope I am.

[Sly Fox]

I think the assumption of continued inflationary trends in education is the basis of the optimism.

[ALUmnus]

I talked to a close friend that works in the financial support office. I asked him if he thought Liberty would ever have money problems with all they are spending. He said that with Liberty making over a billion last year (with their online programs) they cannot spend the money fast enough (to maintain non profit status )

By Financial Support Office, I assume Financial Aid. No offense, but no one in that office has anywhere near the amount of information required to answer the question you asked. Very few people have a "big picture" view of the overall finances of the university.

I say this not to disagree with the assessment, because financially speaking, the university is among the healthiest in all of academia. However, we can fall just as fast as we rose. Financial success and security is a relatively new thing to LU, and while they have expanded the residential campus to accomodate a sizeable increase in enrollment over the past 5 years, it's hard for me to believe that the net variable revenue per new student outweighs the net increase in costs associated with the new building expenses. I could be wrong about that and I hope I am.

I hope LU is thinking about putting a big chunk of this profit into some sort of scholarship endowment or private loan program. I fully expect federal funds to be unavailable to private Christian institutions in the near future.

[PAmedic]

I guess we are a COKE campus now! At the Vines Center yesterday, the Pepsi machines are gone and replaced with Coke machines. And Sodexo is selling PowerAde now instead of Gatorade at the concession stands.

so last week man

ya gotta read YORK

Alan York ‏@LibertyRadioPxP · Jan 4
And so it begins today, @CocaCola pops the top on its partnership with @LibertyU. #CokeZeroIsRefreshing

[soccer7]

Are there any renderings floating around of the new indoor practice facility that can be shared with us?

[rhezick]

I guess we are a COKE campus now! At the Vines Center yesterday, the Pepsi machines are gone and replaced with Coke machines. And Sodexo is selling PowerAde now instead of Gatorade at the concession stands.

so last week man

ya gotta read YORK

Alan York ‏@LibertyRadioPxP · Jan 4
And so it begins today, @CocaCola pops the top on its partnership with @LibertyU. #CokeZeroIsRefreshing

Does anyone have any more insight into the coke switch? Seems like just a simple twitter vote is a little to basic to all of this...I assume it was just used to validate an already decided action?