FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Obieqb7]

I'm pretty sure at Oberlin, as at most other DIII schools, athletic departments don't operate independently when it comes to fundraising.  The key is to have buy in and strong favorable voices at the Board of Trustee and Presidental level, and from faculty too--at least so that they do not actively oppose the projects.  An athletic department can't just decide to raise funds; they would have to persuade the powers that be that fund raising and new facilities will benefit the institution.  Many schools make the case that new facilities will not be entirely for intercollegiate athletics, that they will be useful for club sports, intramurals, and recreation.  Good luck to Oberlin.  I hope that they are able to see that facilities are a good bargain.
     I did visit Oberlin a couple of years ago for the NCAC outdoor track and field championship meet and thought that the track and field and indoor facilities were pretty nice.  That's no consolation for those interested in football and other sports, but it's a start.

Yeah the track is very nice. I think the soccer field, even if it is grass, is very nice as well.

The indoor facilities - tennis courts, indoor track, basketball gym - are all nice.

What is lacking - football field and stadium; weight room; baseball seating; field hockey everything. I think if the football field were to be renovated (add field turf, renovate the stadium and locker rooms, and add visitor seating and lights) then more support would be seen and it would boost recruiting. Also, although some minor changes have been made to the gym, more equipment for varsity athletics is needed - possibly a completely alternate weight room for varsity athletics. This would not only bolster recruiting, but also get the student-athletes to push harder.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I'm pretty sure at Oberlin, as at most other DIII schools, athletic departments don't operate independently when it comes to fundraising.  The key is to have buy in and strong favorable voices at the Board of Trustee and Presidental level, and from faculty too--at least so that they do not actively oppose the projects.  An athletic department can't just decide to raise funds; they would have to persuade the powers that be that fund raising and new facilities will benefit the institution.  Many schools make the case that new facilities will not be entirely for intercollegiate athletics, that they will be useful for club sports, intramurals, and recreation.  Good luck to Oberlin.  I hope that they are able to see that facilities are a good bargain.
     I did visit Oberlin a couple of years ago for the NCAC outdoor track and field championship meet and thought that the track and field and indoor facilities were pretty nice.  That's no consolation for those interested in football and other sports, but it's a start.

Yeah the track is very nice. I think the soccer field, even if it is grass, is very nice as well.

The indoor facilities - tennis courts, indoor track, basketball gym - are all nice.

What is lacking - football field and stadium; weight room; baseball seating; field hockey everything. I think if the football field were to be renovated (add field turf, renovate the stadium and locker rooms, and add visitor seating and lights) then more support would be seen and it would boost recruiting. Also, although some minor changes have been made to the gym, more equipment for varsity athletics is needed - possibly a completely alternate weight room for varsity athletics. This would not only bolster recruiting, but also get the student-athletes to push harder.

I like field turf for football, but soccer fields should ALWAYS be grass!  (Otherwise, you are just playing indoor soccer (except for playing off the walls ), a very good sport, but virtually a different sport, outdoors.)

Not at all sure about the accuracy of sigma one's assertion about athletic funding.  Many schools have sports' specific boosters clubs and/or wealthy alums - hence the Shirk Center at IWU and the DeVos at Hope (both primarily basketball, but I'm sure there are numerous examples for other sports at other schools).

[smedindy]

Yes, Ypsi, but the facilities are for campus wellness and other programs. Those monies are raised through contributions to the college itself (or one of the foundations). Many times, the athletics facilities are part of a bigger campaign and named in tribute or honor for the monies given for the entire campaign - not just the facility.

[sigma one]

obieqb7:  Agree about the football.  You've been to Wabash recently(!).  I'll just point out that there is no separate weight room for intercollegiate athletics.  What you saw there is used by the entire student body, faculty and staff (spouses and families), and alumni.  They don't even call it a weight room; they call it a fitness center.  It's really nice, but only because the College was persuaded to make it what it is by accepting the idea that it would be open to everyone at all times.
     The College does not even set aside times when only athletes can be there to lift and train.  It's usual for the football team to be lifting while others are lifing as well and while others are using the aerobic equipment.   
     Maybe presenting it that way would eventually help Oberlin see the benefit for everyone of such a situation.

[formerd3db]

sigma one:

I totally understand that out of necessity and other circumstances that you mention that at some colleges the facilities have to be shared by both the football team and general student population.  At Hope, however, they have separate facilities for both, which is a luxury in such situations.  Yet, again, not every college has funds and/or the resources (or perhaps even space) available for such arrangements. 

[smedindy]

I don't think the campus culture at many D-3 places would support separate facilities. It certainly wouldn't at Wabash.

[formerd3db]

smeds:
I agree with you and that is why Hope is so fortunate.  Lots of really big $ donors really helps-especially one who owns a NBA franchise.

[Dr. Acula]

I don't think the campus culture at many D-3 places would support separate facilities. It certainly wouldn't at Wabash.

I know when Mount wanted donations to upgrade the indoor facilities (field house, pool, etc) they were sure to emphasize that the project was adding upgraded classrooms for athletic training majors, brand new fitness center for all students, aux gym for intramurals, etc.  I believe the only separate athletics thing is still the Gulling Center right behind the football stadium which is the athletes weight room, plyos space, turf field for conditioning. 

[ExTartanPlayer]

I don't think the campus culture at many D-3 places would support separate facilities. It certainly wouldn't at Wabash.

I'm admittedly limited to a small and biased sample size, but the schools I visited (Johns Hopkins, Rochester, CMU) all had separate varsity weight rooms - admittedly of varying quality, but at least there was a dedicated facility in which the varsity athletes could work out under supervision of their own coaches - and I was under the impression that most of my rival/peer institutions also had their own weight room of some type.

When I first got to CMU, the "varsity weight room" was a cramped basement dungeon with 2 benches, 2 incline benches, 2 squat racks, and a few machines...so only about 12-15 guys could realistically work out at a time - but still it was "our" weight room.  My junior year, we opened a new varsity weight room that, while not quite a Division I caliber facility, is quite excellent for a Division III school. Lots of floor space, multiple squat stations, benches, Olympic lifting platforms, a huge dumbbell rack, and Hammer Strength machines.

I know CMU isn't an NCAC school, but still, worth reporting as part of this discussion. CMU is a fine athletic department but hardly a school that "prioritizes" athletics...so I am surprised to hear the belief that the campus environment at some Division III schools would not support a dedicated facility for varsity athletes.

[firstdown]

Wabash has renovated, enlarged and improved its athletic facilities over the past few years.  The fitness facility is top notch and a big improvement over the old weight room facilities.  Given its size, it really does not make a lot of sense to have separate facilities for football, athletics, etc.    By having a combination fitness facility, Wabash is able to have a very good facility that is in use almost 24 hours a day, rather than having a facility of lesser quality that sits idle a part of the time.  Football is clearly an important part of the culture at Wabash, but it is also has a rigourous academic culture as well.  As the NCAA ads talk about athletes going pro in field other than sports.  Fitness is an important part of healthy lifestyle for one's whole life time. 

[smedindy]

Tartan, I guess I'm surprised that they have 'varsity only' weightooms. That smacks of D-1.

[formerd3db]

Tartan, I guess I'm surprised that they have 'varsity only' weightooms. That smacks of D-1.

smeds:

So does Hope and Alma, however, they also have facilities that are just as nice for the general student body.  Some programs have year-round training so coaches and players don't want the general population of students intermingling with that.  IMO, there is nothing wrong with having separate facilities if the school provides equal opportunity as well as if they decide they want to spend that kind of $ on such for separate facilities.

Also, as I mentioned in a previous post, it also helps if you have donors who are willing to donate that kind of $ with private fundraising with overseeing by the athletic department/administration of the college.  Of course, not all the DIII schools have that kind of outside support so it is understandable that some simply can only afford a single facility for all.

[wally_wabash]

There's probably not a right way or wrong way to go about that.  For Wabash, one grand fitness center open to the campus community works for people training for varsity sports as well as non-athlete students who want to be active.  For places like CMU or Hope, that may not work quite as well.  Wabash is a pretty tiny community.  Schools twice as big as Wabash are still places that we would consider "small schools", but it may be that the tipping point between having a facility open to everybody that casues a traffic jam in the fitness center for varsity programs lies between Wabash and someplace with 2,000 students. 

[Bishopleftiesdad]

OWU just opened a new fitteness center and it is open to all. In addition there is an additional weight room/fittness center in the Honors dorm. Both facilities are open to everyone.

[formerd3db]

Thanks for the feedback/follow-up guys.  I also just wanted to clarify that at Hope and Alma, while both have the varisty weight rooms, the fitness centers are open to all students, both the general student enrollment and the varsity athletes of all sports.