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Post by fjs64 on May 20, 2014 16:28:33 GMT -5
This is from GoBonnies twitter....
A major announcement (great news) coming soon from St. Bonaventure Athletics! More later today ... #Bonnies
You can guess what it is....or look at this:
This field won't look like this much longer ... /photo/1
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Post by wgt on May 21, 2014 13:29:29 GMT -5
May 21, 2014
St. Bonaventure University will break ground this week on a $2 million renovation to its McGraw-Jennings Athletics fields complex.
Sparked by a lead gift of $1 million from Tom ’80 and Michelle Marra, both the first and second phases of the project will be funded entirely through philanthropic donor support.
The field that is home to the Bonnies’ men’s and women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse teams will be converted to an artificial playing surface, A-Turf Titan, which is manufactured by A-Turf of Cheektowaga, N.Y. Lights will be the other major component of the project. In addition, a concrete step entranceway to the field and new perimeter fencing will be installed.
Construction is scheduled to take approximately three months and is expected to be completed in time for the start of the Bonnies’ soccer seasons in August. St. Bonaventure’s successful men’s and women’s club rugby teams will also play their home competitions on the field starting in the fall.
While work is expected to begin this week, a groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 7, at 3 p.m. during Alumni Reunion.
The project is the first phase of a planned upgrade to the outdoor athletics facilities; fundraising continues for a similar renovation to the softball field, which will cost approximately $1 million.
“This renovation will provide a huge boost to our soccer and women’s lacrosse teams as well as the club teams who will use it,” said St. Bonaventure Director of Athletics Steve Watson. “We will have a safe, reliable field which will be attractive to potential student-athletes. It will be a point of pride for the whole campus. We are grateful to the many donors who have made this possible.”
“This is the first phase,” Watson continued. “The renovation of the softball field is necessary and I am confident that many loyal Bonnies alumni and fans will help us make that a reality as well.”
A-Turf Titan is used by the NFL’s Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium as well as university and high school athletic fields across the country and internationally. It carries a 12-year warranty and includes a sub-surface “shock pad” to improve safety. Another primary benefit of the turf is its drainage system, which Watson said will eliminate the postponements and cancellations of games due to wet conditions that have plagued the field.
Greenaur Inc. of West Seneca, N.Y., will be the site contractor with assistance from HMH Site and Sports Design of Ithaca and Cannon Design of Grand Island, the project architects.
This project will be the first major upgrade to St. Bonaventure’s outdoor intercollegiate athletics facilities since the baseball field was converted to artificial turf in 2006, which also was funded by a gift from Tom Marra.
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Post by Pinnum on May 21, 2014 13:52:23 GMT -5
I would have preferred a natural surface but this is going to be a great facility for many programs at SBU and will save a lot of trips to Alfred and Bolivar.
Great to see the progress and support.
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Post by bartmitchell on May 21, 2014 14:02:54 GMT -5
Wow ! A big 'thank you' to Tom and Michelle Mara for their incredible generosity. And thanks to all the other donors who are making this possible. What a shot in the arm for athletics and the University.
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Post by maplehurst on May 21, 2014 18:23:21 GMT -5
I'm all for the lights and fencing. However, I can't take fake grass. I wish the field would be turtle backed for drainage and remain real grass (the legal kind).
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Post by thebonafan08 on May 21, 2014 19:41:22 GMT -5
This is great news and great to see finally happen. Thank you Tom Marra. Field Turf is the only way to go for the weather St. Bona deals with, no matter what you do with grass you can't plow it and will never have the drainage field turf does. Awesome job by university, would love to see a more stadium feel to it then just a chain link fence but I don't have that kind of money so I will keep it shut. Can't wait to see it finished.
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Post by wgt on May 21, 2014 20:50:01 GMT -5
maplehurst....I agree there is nothing like the look & feel of expertly manicured grass. There are pros & cons to grass over artificial & vice versa (maintenance costs, injuries, playability in wet seasons….)
I’ve seen studies saying that grass is cheaper to maintain BUT I am skeptical especially when you consider the heavy use these Bona fields will have. One down side to artificial is the extreme heat of the surface. A low 90 degree day creates surface temps of 165+. However that is a non issue at Bona where the fields will get their primary use in fall & spring with Olean’s cool/cold temps.
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Post by jjjacks17 on May 22, 2014 0:25:12 GMT -5
Turf is the only way to go if we want the field to be used by more than just the D1 soccer and lax teams. Now the field can be shared with the rugby teams, as well as club soccer and field hockey because there will be no fear of the surface being torn up. We also don't need to fear the field torn up in wet conditions. This was the only way to go. Fantastic decision by everyone involved. Wish I hadn't just graduated and I could have had a chance to use this wonderful facility!
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Post by agoo on May 22, 2014 5:53:16 GMT -5
Half the time, soccer and lacrosse couldn't even use the field because of the flooding and drainage issues. This upgrade is the only thing that makes sense.
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Post by firstdev on May 22, 2014 10:50:51 GMT -5
What a huge gesture on the part of the Marra's. This family bleeds Brown and White. This donation will go along way in making our D1 soccer and lacrosse and rugby programs even more attractive to potential students. This project benefits the whole Bona community on a beautiful plot of land in an absolutely gorgeous valley. Many thanks for your contribution!
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Post by MM77 on May 22, 2014 19:50:59 GMT -5
Certainly is a logical move for Bona's soccer and lax to have the artificial surface with the climate as such. From purely a selfish soccer view I much prefered playing on natural grass and having coached 17 years of college soccer there is no comparison between the two. Most any player would prefer natural grass, but the situation at Bona's requires this move and we are fortunate to have such amazing donors as the Marra's. I am not sold on the fact it will help recruiting soccer players, but it will certainly be more attractive to watch soccer matches on the turf in late October and is of course creates a wonderful multi functional field. Go Bona's Soccer.
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Post by agoo on May 22, 2014 21:17:57 GMT -5
Showing pictures of senior night taking place on our field certainly won't hurt. I haven't paid as close attention to soccer since I left Bona's, but I remember multiple times while I was there that the field was a muddy mess and unplayable at the end of the season.
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Post by maplehurst on May 23, 2014 8:29:35 GMT -5
If we have to have fake grass, please don't have two sets of lines in different colors for soccer and lacrosse painted permanently on the field. Erase the lines for each sport after the season ends. I still hate to visit college gyms that have volleyball and basketball lines painted on them - seems so high schoolish. If there is a spring soccer practice season that corresponds with lacrosse season, then I do not have a solution for that.
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Post by Pinnum on May 23, 2014 8:57:25 GMT -5
If we have to have fake grass, please don't have two sets of lines in different colors for soccer and lacrosse painted permanently on the field. Erase the lines for each sport after the season ends. I still hate to visit college gyms that have volleyball and basketball lines painted on them - seems so high schoolish. If there is a spring soccer practice season that corresponds with lacrosse season, then I do not have a solution for that. I agree. I think they are trying to maximize the use of funds here to benefit the whole campus community. They could easily use the funds to rectify the issues with field condition and drainage but they wouldn't be able to use the field for things like club sports and intramurals. It seems a little odd to have so much field space that can be used for practice fields, clubs, and intramurals and then decide to have one field built for high traffic use. It reminds me of the urban fields. It looks, in the picture, like there will be, at least, three sets of lines on the field which will be very busy. gobonnies.sbu.edu/gennews/Fieldprojectannouncement Temporary lines are the way to go if they want an artificial surface.
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Post by derhut on May 23, 2014 9:24:23 GMT -5
SBU is very fortunate to have an alum such as tommy marra and friends in the richters...right or wrong, college athletics has become an arms race with football being in the driver's seat and hoops not far behind. Look at what is going on at UCLA: New hoops facility planned.... Reply -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Via UCLA: UCLA Athletics Announces Plans for New Basketball Practice Facility UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero announced today a campaign to raise private funds for a comprehensive basketball practice facility to be located near Pauley Pavilion at the south end of the Los Angeles Tennis Center. The planned state-of-the-art facility would support the UCLA men's and women's basketball programs and contain both men's and women's practice gyms, locker rooms and a training area, among other ancillary spaces and amenities. The project, estimated to cost between $30 and $40 million, will be funded by private donations. A feasibility study analyzed the site conditions, and the university has elected to move the project forward with a request for proposal to select an architect. The selected firm will work directly with Guerrero, men's head basketball coach Steve Alford, women's head basketball coach Cori Close, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the university to develop the size, layout and renderings of the proposed facility. As funding thresholds are achieved, project construction will begin. "Some of the most iconic names in all of basketball have taken the court for UCLA over the years," said Guerrero. "We expect basketball's next generation of great names to also trace their legacy back to Westwood. This new basketball practice facility will help ensure that our future is every bit as spectacular as our past." Designed to meet the requirements and intent of the University of California Regent's Policy on Sustainable Practices as it pertains to green building design and energy efficiency, the UCLA basketball practice facility will be required to achieve a LEED Gold rating. The project and its corresponding campaign to raise private funds is another component of the more overarching $4.2 billion UCLA Centennial Campaign that was announced university-wide on May 16. With the UCLA Athletic Department looking to surpass its established goal of $260 million in funds raised by 2019, this project directly addresses its primary objective as it pertains to the Centennial Campaign: to create a financially sustainable future to build upon UCLA's standing as the premier intercollegiate athletics program in the nation. For information or to invest in the project, please visit uclabasketballfacility.com. uclabasketballfacility.com/uclafootballfacility.com/We can argue/discuss state schools vs private, etc..but this is the reality in D1 athletics and much of it is being done with private donations. Syracuse is lobbying for funds for a new football stadium...look at the facilities at many D3 schools...astounding stuff is going on in the name of athletics and in recruiting students in general--SBU is a special place and it amazes me what Coaches Schmidt and Crowley have accomplished given the steep odds that they are facing...
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