Those two wins do count toward our record even though they aren't factored into ratings like RPI.

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MBB Scholarship Chart

I'd honestly hope my players would want to keep playing and improving and give Milton some extra hardware. As a player I'd probably want to keep playing the sport I love with the team I love. But that's just me. Milt, Ben and Donte are the only ones left who played on that CBI team and I'm not sure Clayton played much if at all in March during his time at Iowa state.

Any game experience is good experience. Hopefully it'd be a good excuse to get extra minutes for the young guards. Also adds recruiting flare if we were to win the CIT.

This. If we lose Friday or Saturday (or Sunday), and the players want to say that's it, then fine. However, the one player we know is done after this year is Milton, and he deserves as many games as he can possibly have. The obvious response to that is the athletic department and what they think their finances can support....but I'm sure all the players would want to keep playing if at all possible. I mean, think back to the years before the CBI/CIT, when the only options were NCAA/NIT...those teams would've likely killed to keep playing. The 2006-07 team comes to mind as a team that deserved some extra games.

Whether its CBI or CIT, if we do play in either I cannot see us playing at home. Finances would be the reason. The non salary portion of the athletic department budget was cut over $300,000 so the money is not there. The team bussed to SIU and back. I know they were hoping to charter but that cost would have been over $40,000. I wonder what impact busing to Cardondale had on the team. A two point loss. Interesting thought?

Unfortunately, 25 has if accurate--and I believe he is, that in so many words. LOYOLA OF CHICAGO is NOT ready or planning on being ready in the near future to rise to the likes of other Jesuit schools-see GTN. Gonzaga. Xavier Marquette et al !! They appear to have driven a stake through the hearts of LUC fans and students. It now appears that the top Admin people have taken the cowards way out and are settling for mediocrity. A WINNING big time hoops PROGRAM will AND HAS GENERATED big time REVENUE AND Publicity AT the above schools. I am truly sorry to have read this from 25--Truly sorry, . I shall always be a fan and a RAMBLER But not to the degree I have been-- As they say in JERSEY---FAGEDDABOTIT !!!

DO WELL IN ST LOUIS RAMBLERS Do it for yourselves and your team mates--The school cares little about being the best !!

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Its not all gloom and doom.
What I was summarizing was from the Athletic Department in a presentation given to season ticket holders at a feedback session.
(On a side note I really applaud Steve Watson for sharing with us the current situation and his vision for the future).
Because of the malfeasance of both political parties in the State of Illinois and their utter failure as leaders in developing sound fiscal policies, the financial realities meant the university did not receive its customary grant monies. Dr.Rooney inherited a financial crisis and had to cut costs. Being new to the situation across the board cuts were instituted after budgets HAD BEEN approved. (Loyola's fiscal year starts July 1st).
So this required considerable financial pain to all departments including athletics. The sacrifices forced a cut back in charter trips and delayed hirings. This included a dedicated fund raiser for athletics. (Currently the person in this position splits time with two other departments to raise funds.)
In her short period of time at the university I have been impressed with Dr. Rooney. She realizes the need to raise monies and gave impressive speeches to MBA alums at the Quinlan School of Business. She is also going to be at Archmadness and will be speaking at the Thursday night party at Ball Park Village reception. She also attended and spoke at the annual basketball tip off luncheon (held at the downtown campus) and I have seen her at many men's basketball games. She is gets it and is with it. I have been impressed with her ease in immersing herself in Loyola traditions and she has a great sense of humor and timing.
So, I believe the funding issue is a temporary issue.
Our AD in his presentation was dealing with and sharing facts. He and his staff especially Tom Sorboro are developing plans to raise corporate funds but alums will also be asked to contribute. Whereas at the school of business the average donation is $6600 per year, the average donation to athletics is a mere fraction of that. What each MVC school raises in athletics was presented on a bar graph. There were some very high bars and then there was Loyola which barely was above the bottom horizontal bar. It was embarassing to say the least but it is the reality.
When I was in Wichita on business I had dinner with two business associates who also had Shocker season tickets for basketball. They each had two seats in the second deck and paid $1500 for a pair plus an annual donation. I would say it was shocking but that would be a bad joke but it also would not be a surprise. Last night at a get together one Loyola season ticket holder was talking about his season tickets and their location and commented on what a bargain it was compared to other schools. How true! We have a very nice arena with great site lines and very reasonable prices compared to other schools.
What Loyola is currently doing is revamping its "Varsity Club" which was started by the Calhoun regime. As Tom Sorboro said we are "getting this right".
What you can expect is:
1. more corporate advertising both inside the Norville Center and at the games.
2. the creation of a basketball booster club within the Varsity Club;
3. there will be defined "giving levels" with enhanced benefits as the giving level increases.
There has been a study as to what other schools comparable to Loyola have and what they have done at the past.
(Note: A couple of years back I attended a game at SIU-Edwardsville and they had a very impressive "donors club" area with high quality food, drinks and service and controlled entry.
4. You can expect the new club level facilities to be enhanced to improve the game experience and eventually to be a place where business clients could be entertained. This has become really big in all level of sports. I noticed in Des Moines that Drake has a separate glassed off area for season ticket holders for pre and post game get togethers.
5. You can expect greater marketing and promotion and the attempt to bring in outside groups, make the Norville a more family friendly experience, an improvement in food/drinks and catering services (read less lines) and an effort to raise revenues with the eventual hiring of a full time fund raiser.
6. You will eventually see an increase in ticket prices and more emphasis on season tickets both full and partial plans.

Better days are coming for sure as Steve and his staff are starting the proper effort to make Loyola competitive in the Valley. It kind of reminds me of when Theo Epstein came into the Cubs. It won't happen overnight but I believe that we have the right AD and his team to make it happen. I also believe that Dr.
Rooney will insure that it does. She did comment at that alum get together that Loyola needs to raise more money from its alums. Although she did not say it, I sense from her words and her attendance, she "gets it" that athletics is important to its alums but the alums are also tired of losing and want a better product.

As an fyi, Steve Watson and his staff have had three info sessions with season ticket holders. In each session the presentations were first class, candid but optimistic. The session were well planned and generous food and drink was provided. So Steve "gets it" as well.

Brot......Not that the University did not care....they had a plan in place to add 250,000 to the athletic budget per year till the budget was at least in the upper 3rd of the Valley.....then came along the Illinois financial/political situation and the University (doing the correct thing imho) had to come to the rescue. It hurt not only athletics but other areas.
It may have long term consequences for the Athletic department as we hired a lot of young coaches who will now have to run their course.
So this is what we have and the University is not playing us for (as they say in Brooklyn) saps. And Brot you wear your heart on your sleeve and want us to reach the golden ring..for now we will just have to be proud of what we have accomplished under difficult circumstances and hope a Big Daddy DeepPockets comes along.Make me still wonder htf dp got a city financed new arena? Just to get an idea where we stand with cash , Marquette spends almost as our whole athletic budget just on recruiting for men's basketball.https://marquettewire.org/3920033/tribu ... ransition/

Yes, DePaul got "their" new arena.

Prediction

1. DePaul will continue to stink. They overreached and are in a conference that they cannot compete in and their glory days are behind them. Their Final Four appearance was 38 years ago.
2. The new arena is located in the most difficult part of downtown to get to. Certainly the students will not trek there on a cold weekend night so that will
make their games out at that barn of an airplane hanger built by the national concrete block with a bit of paint splashed on look like a sell out.
I will take our on campus arena anytime. Father G did the right thing in having it built on campus