UGA has announced a fundraising campaign focused on improving Foley Field. The Foley family donated $1M earlier towards this, but now there will be a specific focus on the reported other $9M needed to build the project. According to McGarity, once the project gets to $5M, the athletic department will match the money out of funds on hand.
Overall, it looks pretty good. There will be club seating, a field level club area, and improved fan amenities. There are plans to renovate and update the player's areas underneath, modernize/expand the press box, and increase the number of bathrooms.Don't look for the improvements to start before that additional $4M is raised. In fact, it would surprise me, absent another significant lead gift coming along, if we didn't break ground on this until after the 2015 season. If you want more on the department's philosophy on spending reserves, and why nothing will be done until that additional $4M is on the books, read all of Emerson's article.
The only real issue I have is that after this 'revival,' Foley will still be third smallest park in the conference, just in front of UK and Missouri. No way it can match the atmosphere of Alex Box, Baum, or Dudy Noble at just 3400 seats. Putting that aside, this will help get Foley on par, at least in the clubhouse and stands, with some of the other baseball facilities around the conference.
TD
See Also:
- Donor Brochure (from the Georgia Bulldog Club) includes more renderings of the renovations, including an elevations of the stands looking towards home from the right field side and up the left field line.
5 comments:
“It would be like you or me dipping into our 401K. You only want to do that when it’s absolutely necessary," McGarity said.
Um, no, Greg, it isn't remotely like that. There's no early withdrawal penalty for withdrawing from your reserve fund. Conversely, the federal government won't let me hoard tens of untaxed millions in a 401k.
The more apt comparison is pulling a little mad money from your colossally huge and inexplicably stagnant savings account to buy a few shares of a growth stock. Which the apocalypse preppers in our AD are apparently too cheap to do.
When do they spend the money to update the tv's in the concourses at Sanford?
Nothing like waiting in line to get a hot dog and a bottle of coke with no top and trying to keep up with the game on tv's that are clearly from 1988. And 1988 might be generous.
"The Jason Memorial Concourse TV Fund" has a ring to it....
The foley improvements will go a long way towards making sure this facility moves from 14th in the SEC to 8th or so. And that's by today's standard. We are shooting at a moving target with a plan that's about 2017 before its finished and still doesn't get us into the top half of the league.
Tamu
MSU
OM
SC
Ark
LSU
Vandy
Those are all as nicer. Not sure about UA, AU or UF facilities. It's better than what we have. But you shouldn't have to wait to get something that still doesn't put you in a position of strength.
It's like McGarity said what is the least amount we can invest to eliminate most of the whining and excuses about the program
On the brightside. If Stricklin starts winning and fans start attending, then adding seats in the outfield won't be that hard.
Typical cheap UGA. I'm glad I stopped giving money to the clowns over there. The Athletic Board needs to start doing their job and put an end to this madness.
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