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Q&A with A.D. Terry Wanless

B

billbradleysac

Active member
Just to let everyone know, we just posted the Q&A we had this morning with Terry Wanless.

One warning: It's long. It was a good half hour discussion that hit on marketing, flirting with the WAC, ticket issues and, would you believe, the desire for a new football facility.

http://sacstatesports.com/?p=350" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, in case you missed it, John Parker had a great feature on Brandyn Reed.

http://sacstatesports.com/?p=321" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for listening and thanks for your support.

Bill Bradley
[email protected]
 
good story among many from John Parker.

Do not recall a better interview with Dr. Warmless than this one.

Lots of good questions and lots of openness in the responses.
 
Thanks Bill

Sorry for not seeign you author the story.

Your work is very good, very professional and refreshing. Call me old fashioned but this is good journalism.

I graduated from Sac State a journalism major and covered Hornet sports for years.
I arrived on campus in 1978 at the same time as Coach Mattos and Coach Dick Sperbeck (Stinger Foundation) . Seeing their visions come true and reading you stories is fantastic .

Keep up the great work Bill

Reading yor work every day is a pleasure..
 
josephpoint said:
Thanks Bill

Sorry for not seeign you author the story.

Your work is very good, very professional and refreshing. Call me old fashioned but this is good journalism.

I graduated from Sac State a journalism major and covered Hornet sports for years.
I arrived on campus in 1978 at the same time as Coach Mattos and Coach Dick Sperbeck (Stinger Foundation) . Seeing their visions come true and reading you stories is fantastic .

Keep up the great work Bill

Reading yor work every day is a pleasure..
Click to expand...

I concur! :clap:
 
Good interview by Bradley.I finally got around to reading this and I have a few comments:

I like how the department is planning on marketing games to sell tickets. It sounds like the AD is being proactive about getting asses in the seats. This AD has done well in the Olympic sports, however there needs to be success in the only sports that matter, and that’s football and men’s hoops.

Sounds like Wanless is taking the stance we need for the WAC issue. Right now there is little to no incentive for us to move to FBS, also with the conference shuffling still in flux, there is no point in jumping into an unstable conference such as the WAC. Being located in a large metropolitan area, the WAC will always be there if we ever do decide to go FBS.

Wanless: The economic environment is not conducive to that right now. It would have to be privately funded. We would have to find a major donor would help kick that project off by making a significant contribution.
Click to expand...
This is a terrible stance and lack of vision by Wanless. It almost sounds like the AD is sitting around waiting for some random wealthy donor to show up and land in their lap. If the AD really wants to get new facilities, they need to put together a fund raising & marketing plan with some conceptual drawings/ 3D models to get potential donors and the alumni base excited. Nothing will ever get done based on the Wanless’ current facilities “strategy”. He (and Gonzo) need to step up and take some initiative in this area.

Regarding potential use of a new Kings Arena:
Wanless: The problem is the size. Could we make it an environment that would fit us athletically? There are a couple of colleges that play at major arenas. We think that maybe a 6-8,000 seat arena is where our basketball program would be most successful at. Also, that size would fit the other elements that the university needs for campus life.
Click to expand...
Another terrible stance and lack of vision by Wanless. If a new arena downtown does get built, the AD should be looking to use that new venue to try in schedule a home and home with a major WAC/MWC/ WCC/Pac-12 program. Sure using the new Kings arena for all home games is a bad idea and probably a money loser; but having a home game or two there against a program that can draw the casual fan & that has a large fan base nearby (Cal, Stanford, Nevada, Fresno State, etc). Also if they can play a couple of games there a year, that could also be used as a recruiting ploy.

Wanless on this upcoming season of mens hoops:
Wanless: We’re really excited about this year. Coach really feels that this team is one he feels the best about. It reminds him of his experiences down at Delta (Junior College). The talent level, the character of the team, I’m personally excited about. We have some really good kids. You’re going to see significant change in success for them. Now, I’m not going to say that we will win 25 games, but I think we’re going to compete differently than we have in the past. It is going to be a fairly young team. We’re going to rely on a couple freshman and a couple sophomores to lead us in to the future.
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It’s official, our program resembles a JC under Katz. If this team’s talent level, team character, and experiences remind him of his Delta days, the Hornets will be lucky to have 5 wins. This program is in serious trouble and we are stuck with Katz for another 4 years.
 
Agree that waiting aroudn for the economy to improve is not a plan.

Montana State wanted to expand their stadium
Drew up a plan
Asked for donations
17 donors provided millions to get the job done

Get a campaign going
Start growing a fund
Why not at least start?

Talking about a new arena has been going on for decades. If a fund had been created decades ago the arena would have been built by now.
 
I agree. How do you fundraise if there is no public plan? Why doesn't Gonzo sack up and say this is what we are going to build and we need your help....with 200K alumni, this should be a great opportunity for outreach.

That is BS waiting for the economy to improve. Now is the time to build as labor and materials have never been cheaper, not to mention financing.
 
Exactly.

I get calls often to donate to Sac State to help students.

I give . No problem.

When the call came in years ago to fund the permanent seating for the baseball stadium I gave as many did and the project was done.

The drawings for the new arena and upgrades to the football stadium were done many years ago as part of Destination 2010. They exist. They are done.

Now the fundraising plan needs to begin.

The alumni and the community will step up and help if asked. Those who can, will.
 
I would donate to an athletic facility with plans, if an effort was under way. Have never been asked.
 
Why don't they sign a long-term agreement to host the HS playoffs? Make it 10yrs or so. Partner with the districts and have the stadium financed with government money. They will print more, right?
 
Green Cookie Monster said:
Why don't they sign a long-term agreement to host the HS playoffs? Make it 10yrs or so. Partner with the districts and have the stadium financed with government money. They will print more, right?
Click to expand...

We'd have to consider how many games and how that many games would affect the Hornets, particularly if Sac is on the verge or even IN the FCS playoffs and getting home games. The Sac-Joaquin Section Championship Games are currently split between Hornet Stadium (D-I, D-II, D-III), D-IV at Alex G. Spanos Stadium in Stockton (hosted by Stockton-Lincoln High as that is their home field; no, that's NOT the same as Amoz Alonzo Stagg Memorial Stadium at the Unmentionable Place), and D-V/D-VI at the historic Grape Bowl in Lodi (shared as a home field by Lodi High and Tokay High). Consolidating those at one spot (and the FIELD at Hornet Stadium is better than Spanos and the Grape Bowl, though Lodi installed that abominable FieldTurf last fall) would be a good thing for planning purposes. It would also create goodwill for Sac State and could result in some good recruiting from all levels of HS play in Superior California.
 
Green Cookie Monster said:
Why don't they sign a long-term agreement to host the HS playoffs? Make it 10yrs or so. Partner with the districts and have the stadium financed with government money. They will print more, right?
Click to expand...
No idea who controls how long the agreement is for but I would assume Sac State makes more on a handful of shorter deals than one long contract. Costs only rise as time goes on so when the agreement has to be negotiated every coupe of years, Sac State can (or should) continue to raise the rental fees to cover operating expenses.
 
Quick math here...

There's 200,000 Sac State Alumni and if we can get some form of donation from each towards atheltic facilities (to build up a lump sum of money), that would make investment by a private company much more appealing.

We'll call it Operation "Nest Fund" and market it as such. Use local TV ads, the BEE, mailings, WHATEVER.

Assume the bottom 10% (20,000) donate nothing - $0

Hope that the next 25% (50,000) donate $20 each - $1,000,000

Coax the next 37.5% (75,000) to donate $50 each - $3,750,000

Wrangle (via event, special priviledges, whatever...) 25% (50,000) into donating $150 each - $7,500,000

Pray that the top 2.5% (5,000) are willing to part with $1,000 each - $5,000,0000


I know this is VERY optomistic, but I don't think it's too out of touch with reality to think that after a successful season and fundraising campaign that we could "nest" - $15M to $20M...
 
I like it and I agree the University could net some major cash towards a facility buildup fiarly quickly and easily…IF a plan is put forth by the AD and Prez.
 
It's called Leadership

And all the Sac State marketing videos contain the motto.

"Leadership Begins Here"

Let's see the fund for an arena BEGIN!!
 
Kadeezy said:
Quick math here...

There's 200,000 Sac State Alumni and if we can get some form of donation from each towards atheltic facilities (to build up a lump sum of money), that would make investment by a private company much more appealing.

We'll call it Operation "Nest Fund" and market it as such. Use local TV ads, the BEE, mailings, WHATEVER.

Assume the bottom 10% (20,000) donate nothing - $0

Hope that the next 25% (50,000) donate $20 each - $1,000,000

Coax the next 15% (75,000) to donate $50 each - $3,750,000

Wrangle (via event, special priviledges, whatever...) 25% (50,000) into donating $150 each - $7,500,000

Pray that the top 2.5% (5,000) are willing to part with $1,000 each - $5,000,0000


I know this is VERY optomistic, but I don't think it's too out of touch with reality to think that after a successful season and fundraising campaign that we could "nest" - $15M to $20M...
Click to expand...

That's too easy. You are talking about the poster child for Government administration.
Remember, we are Sac State.
 
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