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Post by fjs64 on Oct 8, 2009 13:10:57 GMT -5
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Post by sneakers on Oct 8, 2009 16:27:57 GMT -5
Good for them. These guys are willing to pay $1,000 to play hockey (of course that is cheap compared to what it costs to play youth hockey around here).
It would be great if they really build a rink across from campus and got a following. Bonas had a hockey team when I attended in the mid-'80's (I could be wrong, but I think they were Division III at that time). They had big crowds at their games and threw great parties. In my opinion, it was as much fun to attend their games as the hoops games.
Although many on this basketball-centric board will disagree, offering these types of sports bring in students that pay tuition and should be greatly encouraged.
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Post by thebonafan08 on Oct 8, 2009 18:41:19 GMT -5
An official D1 hockey team at Bonaventure would have a HUGE following. The club team already has a large following for being club and having a rink a considerable drive away. I realize expanding sports at Bonaventure or any school is unlikely but this makes a lot more sense recruiting wise, niche fan market wise, and financially speaking, compared to starting up that other sport that is always mentioned on here.
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Post by OleanSBU on Oct 8, 2009 18:57:42 GMT -5
Great column. I've been to a couple of games, and they get pretty intense.
I'm surprised that they have to pay for a PA Announcer at the Rec. Center. Since I do it here for basketball and at Olean High for football and basketball, I've told one of my friends, whose dad is the coach of the team, to tell him that I'll do it for free. These guys should be supported, and hopefully this will save some of the cost.
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Post by wgt on Oct 8, 2009 19:32:44 GMT -5
There is no doubt that club teams bring in students. Following several years of increasing enrollment this year’s incoming class is well down from last year. Just 472 & 57 transfers. The lower enrollment has the Bona budget stretched thin. In assisting the Bona Admissions office at local college fairs & meet & greet events I see first hand the importance of club teams. I know a young man from New Rochelle High School that selected Bona & Club Hockey was a big determining factor.
I know that fgs64 knows someone very well that may have selected Bona IF we had a Lax club. It can make a big difference in these times where small Catholic colleges are seeing smaller enrollments due to the economy
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pepp
Sophomore Member
Posts: 145 
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Post by pepp on Oct 8, 2009 21:45:49 GMT -5
While I don't doubt the testimonials that if we offered "X" club sport then so-and-so would've strongly considered us, I'd rather SBU be a school that students chose based on academics and not intramural level activities. I went to the "out of thin air cabinet" and found that over 300,000 students within a 6 hour radius take biology in high school. If SBU had a top notch biology program just think of the amount of students that would be flocking to campus!
Would you rather have more recruits like "The Professor" who's decision was helped by the new science building or would you rather have more students come to SBU because they have organized intramurals and sweet black jackets?
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Post by sneakers on Oct 9, 2009 7:47:54 GMT -5
Would you rather have more recruits like "The Professor" who's decision was helped by the new science building or would you rather have more students come to SBU because they have organized intramurals and sweet black jackets? The simple answer is "both". With just 472 freshmen entering Bonas this year it appears that the school is lacking in some areas and should improve its efforts to try to attract qualified students. Academic offerings and extra-curricular offerings are certainly not mutually exclusive. While intramurals can be fun and they are enjoyed by many students, it is not the same as representing your college in an athletic competition against other colleges. Intramurals do not attract additional students since every college in the country offers intramurals. Club sports, on the other hand, are exciting, attract students, provide lots of bonding and school loyalty, and cost the school virtually nothing. They allow a student to join a team, work hard and play against students of other colleges without all the recruiting and other things that muck up Division 1 sports. It is what colleges were like 60 or 70 years ago. As an aside, you posted on a different thread that you can go through a whole rugby game without hitting or being hit. It is obvious that you have never played not attended a rugby game. I played over 5 years of football and and close to 10 years of rugby, and found rugby to be a far tougher game. The jealousy of the rugby team exhibited by so many posters is really funny though. Keep it up. Go outlaws! |
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Post by koab on Oct 9, 2009 8:10:00 GMT -5
The level here is well beyond intramural. My second son is looking here now and one of his must haves for a school is a club hockey program.
Go to the ACHA website and see the D1 schools that compete on the same level as SBU. This is a national association that has more hockey members than the NCAA.
Looking into the future a bit, you don't think that they are building a rink just for midnight skating parties. A large % of D3 hockey programs are based in NE and upstate NY. (FYI there are only D1 & D3 programs).
If you believe that college choice is just about academics, you need to get out of grandma's basement a bit more.
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jacob
Sophomore Member
Posts: 248
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Post by jacob on Oct 9, 2009 8:24:05 GMT -5
I don't really have a strong opinion on this I think there are valid arguments on both sides. I do know that the "out of thin air cabinet" line is one of my all time favorites.
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Post by fjs64 on Oct 9, 2009 9:00:46 GMT -5
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Post by wgt on Oct 9, 2009 9:35:18 GMT -5
HS grads & their parents look for a college that is a good fit on many levels. The academic & program offerings is critical. However there are many other factors that definitely come into play. Team club offerings is one of these important factors. On the academic front Bona has done incredible work, over the past 4 years, adding 6 combined degree programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy & physical therapy. In Fall 08 they opened the Walsh Science Center, doubling the academic space for the sciences with a state of the art facility. Student applications for these programs attract students with SAT scores far higher than the average 1050 possessed by current Bona students. Typically they exceed 1200 which brings in another level of student. Adding the Richter Center in 2004, the needed upgrades to the Hickey, & Shay-Loughlen, along with the addition of Café La Verna in summer 07 all add to the attractiveness of the University. Touring students are comparison shoppers & all these factors come into play. If the development of the castle property becomes a reality the “curb appeal” of Bona will be greatly enhanced. To look North from the Guiness Book’s largest front lawn is an eye saw to a beautiful campus. Bottom line is that many factors make a college attractive & club sports definitely play a role in increasing our numbers.
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pepp
Sophomore Member
Posts: 145
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Post by pepp on Oct 9, 2009 9:36:47 GMT -5
well then we have all the answers. let's turn SBU into the club sport capital of the world. We'll have more students than we could ever imagine and at basically no cost to the university. Interest in coming to SBU will rival all the big schools, especially once they build the ice rink and practice facilities. Look out ND, here comes SBU.
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Post by bigdobber on Oct 9, 2009 12:24:59 GMT -5
I agree wgt. I was told a few years ago that Mens Lacrosse and Mens Hockey were both being looked at as viable sports for us to add because of our Northeast location and both are affordable options. Those who continue to clamor for football just don't get it that we cannot afford to go that way. Righting the basketball program was a necessity for the viability of this school going forward. It's amazing how once you start to win, all the talk about going to the MAAC, etc. goes away. I think the capital improvements to the campus should bring a good return in attracting students. I would not read into the small freshman class size being any more than a function of today's falling economy.
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Post by erniecrawford on Oct 9, 2009 17:04:00 GMT -5
hey, I've got an idea...why don't all of the Bona graduates increase their Annual Fund giving participation rate from a pathetic 31% (last I knew) to 50-60%of alumni. You then enhance financial aid packages, and attract more, and better, students.
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Post by wgt on Oct 9, 2009 23:20:13 GMT -5
Bona grads increasing their annual donations would certainly help the financial situation. However the Bona rate of 31% contributing (2002 rate) is far from “pathetic.” The reality is that compared with other colleges Bona’s grads contibute at a significantl higher % rate.
There were certain factors that I felt were important when helping my kids select a college. Grad rates, % residing on campus, % of full time professors, US World & News Ranking, hours travel from home, & of course tuition and award money. I also would look at the % of alums that gave as a measure of how they felt about their 4 years (more like 5-6 years these days).
Bona’s 3!% is well above average when compared to other private schools. Most State schools see a far lower per centage of alum donors (Rutgers 10% is typical). Here are some numbers from 2002:
Villanova 23%
Providence 32%
Alfred 26%
La Salle 17%
St Joes, Pa 20%
Marist 28%
Niagara U 19%
Canisius 21%
Loyola, MD 33%
St Francis, PA 29%
Iona College 14%
While Bona's rate is remarkably good I support erniecrawford's urging to increase that rate to 50-60 %. That would put us in the top 5% of colleges & more importantly help the bottom line at Bona.
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