Iowa State Baseball

ISUCubswin

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Mar 3, 2011
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As a field, I thought Cap Timm was beautiful. It was a true college field that didn't try to look like a minor league field, which I like.

Other than the field, it was an embarrassment. It had no "stadium" feel to it. It was poor for the fans.

As someone who's played on it, I love it. As someone who's watched games there, I hated it. But it definitely had a college feel to it, and not a crap shoot baseball field feel.
 

ISUCubswin

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Mar 3, 2011
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Always wondered this too, never understood why ISU doesn't have a D1 baseball team. No $ for it? Title 9?

Have to offer the same amount of scholarships for women as you have for men. So having a football team takes up so many scholarships, which is why we have more woman sports than male sports.
 

Erik4Cy

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Jan 22, 2007
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Have to offer the same amount of scholarships for women as you have for men. So having a football team takes up so many scholarships, which is why we have more woman sports than male sports.

Ahh ic thanks. I always hated that rule. I know a lot of women athletes who want to further women's athletics but not at the cost of men's sports. I just don't get how anyone can like denying ANY kid (male or female) from playing a high level sport if the University can support it.
 

CarolinaCy

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Apr 18, 2008
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Always wondered this too, never understood why ISU doesn't have a D1 baseball team. No $ for it? Title 9?

I believe it's been stated numerous times that Title IX is not an issue for bringing back baseball. It's all about the $$. Would be tens of millions of dollars to get the program back on its feet - new stadium, competitive coaches salaries, scholarships, etc.

It might happen some day, but that day is a very long ways off.
 

Cy$

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Sep 1, 2011
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This is very interesting. If I might ask, what kind of credentials/experience/resume' do you and your teammates have?I mean this in all seriousness. My sons wants to go to ISU, but also wants to pursue baseball after high school.
mostly either like 3rd team all-conference or something to that extent. Most of them played at either 3-A or 4-A but some played in other states like Minnesota. The club level is for people mostly looking for fun, of course they want to win but they are at a club level for a reason. I've tried out in the past, you get put on a team and play some practice games. They pick usually 15-25 people to then officially try out for the team and pick about half or whatever they need to fill in the roster.
 

Cyclonenation2

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Sep 23, 2012
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mostly either like 3rd team all-conference or something to that extent. Most of them played at either 3-A or 4-A but some played in other states like Minnesota. The club level is for people mostly looking for fun, of course they want to win but they are at a club level for a reason. I've tried out in the past, you get put on a team and play some practice games. They pick usually 15-25 people to then officially try out for the team and pick about half or whatever they need to fill in the roster.
Yes that is correct there is a fall league and like last fall there was around 90 who started and then 21 were brought to 2 weekend tryout and 6 were selected. Based on baseball skill, attendance to fall league and overall attitude. Selections are made by current spring/traveling team memebers
 

cybsball20

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Nov 26, 2006
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Title 9 was not ever and is not an issue for baseball. At the time that they cut the program both Eustachey and McCarney got raises and the school lost money on a recent bowl game trip. Van de Velde, who would rather slash than pick up a phone and try to raise money decided they needed to cut sports.

NCAA rules state that you have to have 6 mens sports and 6 womens sports. This helps keep the track sports because they basically count as 3 sports in one. The baseball team it's final year was operating on less than $400,000 a year budget. In the meeting, when asked if there was any chance to save the team, Van de Velde said that an endowment of $2,000,000 would need to be set up to ensure the team could continue. That money was pledged by the end of the day but Van de Velde would not accept it.

IF baseball were to ever come back it would need a larger budget. But, with relaxed alcohol policies, if marketed right I beleive it could operate at about break even. BUT, a big donor would have to step up and provide a stadium that would AT LEAST put us in the middle of the pack in the Big 12, so you are looking at about $11 million startup then operating costs would still be relatively small compared to other sports.\

Moral of the story, if you are looking for a REASON why there is no baseball at Iowa State, it's the laziness and ineptitude of Bruce Van de Velde
 
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Cyclonenation2

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Sep 23, 2012
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Title 9 was not ever and is not an issue for baseball. At the time that they cut the program both Eustachey and McCarney got raises and the school lost money on a recent bowl game trip. Van de Velde, who would rather slash than pick up a phone and try to raise money decided they needed to cut sports.

NCAA rules state that you have to have 6 mens sports and 6 womens sports. This helps keep the track sports because they basically count as 3 sports in one. The baseball team it's final year was operating on less than $400,000 a year budget. In the meeting, when asked if there was any chance to save the team, Van de Velde said that an endowment of $2,000,000 would need to be set up to ensure the team could continue. That money was pledged by the end of the day but Van de Velde would not accept it.

IF baseball were to ever come back it would need a larger budget. But, with relaxed alcohol policies, if marketed right I beleive it could operate at about break even. BUT, a big donor would have to step up and provide a stadium that would AT LEAST put us in the middle of the pack in the Big 12, so you are looking at about $11 million startup then operating costs would still be relatively small compared to other sports.\

Moral of the story, if you are looking for a REASON why there is no baseball at Iowa State, it's the laziness and ineptitude of Bruce Van de Velde
So money is what stands in the middle
$$$$$
 

Erik4Cy

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Jan 22, 2007
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Title 9 was not ever and is not an issue for baseball. At the time that they cut the program both Eustachey and McCarney got raises and the school lost money on a recent bowl game trip. Van de Velde, who would rather slash than pick up a phone and try to raise money decided they needed to cut sports.

NCAA rules state that you have to have 6 mens sports and 6 womens sports. This helps keep the track sports because they basically count as 3 sports in one. The baseball team it's final year was operating on less than $400,000 a year budget. In the meeting, when asked if there was any chance to save the team, Van de Velde said that an endowment of $2,000,000 would need to be set up to ensure the team could continue. That money was pledged by the end of the day but Van de Velde would not accept it.

IF baseball were to ever come back it would need a larger budget. But, with relaxed alcohol policies, if marketed right I beleive it could operate at about break even. BUT, a big donor would have to step up and provide a stadium that would AT LEAST put us in the middle of the pack in the Big 12, so you are looking at about $11 million startup then operating costs would still be relatively small compared to other sports.\

Moral of the story, if you are looking for a REASON why there is no baseball at Iowa State, it's the laziness and ineptitude of Bruce Van de Velde

Thank you. Maybe we should've held off on the SEZ building and get the Reiman's to fund ISU baseball first. :jimlad: (just in case some SEZ people jump all over me.)
 

colbycheese

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Jun 11, 2010
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Title 9 was not ever and is not an issue for baseball. At the time that they cut the program both Eustachey and McCarney got raises and the school lost money on a recent bowl game trip. Van de Velde, who would rather slash than pick up a phone and try to raise money decided they needed to cut sports.

NCAA rules state that you have to have 6 mens sports and 6 womens sports. This helps keep the track sports because they basically count as 3 sports in one. The baseball team it's final year was operating on less than $400,000 a year budget. In the meeting, when asked if there was any chance to save the team, Van de Velde said that an endowment of $2,000,000 would need to be set up to ensure the team could continue. That money was pledged by the end of the day but Van de Velde would not accept it.

IF baseball were to ever come back it would need a larger budget. But, with relaxed alcohol policies, if marketed right I beleive it could operate at about break even. BUT, a big donor would have to step up and provide a stadium that would AT LEAST put us in the middle of the pack in the Big 12, so you are looking at about $11 million startup then operating costs would still be relatively small compared to other sports.\

Moral of the story, if you are looking for a REASON why there is no baseball at Iowa State, it's the laziness and ineptitude of Bruce Van de Velde

Pollard has said in the past that ISU has enough room in regard to title 9 to have a baseball team (meaning that if it was brought back we wouldn't have to add a female sport to stay within regulations). He said the main limiting factor of bringing it back now is money. It would take building a stadium that's the same caliber as the rest of the conference (average cost of ~$20 mil), and an annual operating expense for the team (~$1.5 mil).

I hope baseball will be brought back to ISU someday. I've really enjoyed all of the college games I've attended over the years, and have been jealous that I didn't get to watch ISU games when I was an undergrad.
 
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dahliaclone

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Mar 4, 2007
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Title 9 was not ever and is not an issue for baseball. At the time that they cut the program both Eustachey and McCarney got raises and the school lost money on a recent bowl game trip. Van de Velde, who would rather slash than pick up a phone and try to raise money decided they needed to cut sports.

NCAA rules state that you have to have 6 mens sports and 6 womens sports. This helps keep the track sports because they basically count as 3 sports in one. The baseball team it's final year was operating on less than $400,000 a year budget. In the meeting, when asked if there was any chance to save the team, Van de Velde said that an endowment of $2,000,000 would need to be set up to ensure the team could continue. That money was pledged by the end of the day but Van de Velde would not accept it.

IF baseball were to ever come back it would need a larger budget. But, with relaxed alcohol policies, if marketed right I beleive it could operate at about break even. BUT, a big donor would have to step up and provide a stadium that would AT LEAST put us in the middle of the pack in the Big 12, so you are looking at about $11 million startup then operating costs would still be relatively small compared to other sports.\

Moral of the story, if you are looking for a REASON why there is no baseball at Iowa State, it's the laziness and ineptitude of Bruce Van de Velde

A jungle juice party at 218 Stanton would have raised half of that! ;)

Good info though. I hadn't heard all that about BVDV.
 

ribsnwhiskey

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I used to go to ISU baseball camps in the 80s at Cap Timm, and my sophomore year in HS we had to play there because Brookside Park was underwater. It was great back then and was comparable with most college "stadiums". VDV ultimately killed it, but no one was putting money into the program before him either. If I didn't have my wealth tied up in various ponzi schemes, I'd donate the funds to bring it back...
 

Cyclonenation2

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Sep 23, 2012
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I used to go to ISU baseball camps in the 80s at Cap Timm, and my sophomore year in HS we had to play there because Brookside Park was underwater. It was great back then and was comparable with most college "stadiums". VDV ultimately killed it, but no one was putting money into the program before him either. If I didn't have my wealth tied up in various ponzi schemes, I'd donate the funds to bring it back...
I wonder if it was properly brought up even just a small donation of the #s that have been thrown out above would spark more seriousness by Iowa State and other donors
 

colbycheese

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One possibility that I personally think is worth exploring is having all conference games at Principle Park. Duke plays all of their ACC games at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, and all non-conference games at their ballpark on Duke's campus. I've been to several college games at the DBAP and thought it worked out pretty well.

I think ISU games at Principle Park would be kind of cool. There would be a larger crowd to draw from in the Des Moines area, plus they could sell beer!
 

cybsball20

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Nov 26, 2006
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Ideally someone would build a highly visible stadium in town on private property and lease it to the team cheap. The stadium could also be used to draw a Northwoods league team or maybe a Midwest League team in the summers.

and $20million would build one hell of a stadium if that's what Pollard is thinking. Oregon just built a $20million stadium and it's considered one of the Top 10 in all of college baseball.
 
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Cyclonenation2

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Sep 23, 2012
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Ideally someone would build a highly visible stadium in town on private property and lease it to the team cheap. The stadium could also be used to draw a Northwoods league team or maybe a Midwest League team in the summers.

and $20million would build one hell of a stadium if that's what Pollard is thinking. Oregon just built a $20million stadium and it's considered one of the Top 10 in all of college baseball.
I feel like 20 is a bit high but a nice new stadium would be a great fit at the cyclone sports complex buy the towers
 

colbycheese

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I think $20 is a pretty reasonable estimate. UNC's stadium was built for $36 million. NCSU renovated just the stands for $16. LSU (biggest college stadium) built theirs for over $120 million. UW's Husky Ballbark was built for $15 million.

$20 million might be on the upper end of what is likely, but it's by no means unprecedented. BTW, the sports complex (including the softball field) was $13 million. I think it would be in the ballpark of $13 and $20 million (pun intended).
 

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