TigerOne 1,142 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Jay's doing a great job, intersting stadium upgrades, new videoboard! http://www.al.com/sports/huntsvilletimes/i...7570.xml&coll=1 By PHILLIP MARSHALL The Huntsville Times Times Sports Staff pmarsh9485@msn.com Auburn AD will spend more as he heads into second year AUBURN - For Jay Jacobs, the past year has been one of much satisfaction and some frustration, of much joy and some disappointment. Such is the life of an athletic director in the Southeastern Conference. Jacobs came to Auburn a quarter of a century ago as a student. He became a coach, a fund raiser, an administrator and finally moved into the top job in Auburn athletics last January. It's been a whirlwind year. "It's been a learning experience," Jacobs said as he sat in his corner office in the Auburn athletics complex. "For somebody who has grown up in this business, it's a little surprising. Unlike some other businesses, there is not a routine day. You have 500-plus student-athletes, 21 sports, countless customers. Their needs, wants and passions change from day to day." Running an athletic department with a $50 million-plus budget is a unique challenge. The object is not to make money, but the department must be solvent. In today's climate, winning in the classroom and graduating athletes is as important as winning on the field. "I don't know what it would be like to be a CEO of a major corporation, but to balance the difference sports and the athletic and academic mission is challenging," Jacobs said. "It's challenging for our student-athletes to be held accountable at the highest level of competition academically and athletically." That mission, Jacobs says, has been made easier by the men and women on the front line - the coaches and the athletes who compete. "What has happened in the athletics department," Jacobs said, "is that Tommy Tuberville, Jeff Lebo, Nell Fortner, Tommy Slater and all those other great coaches have set the level of integrity and character so high that it's an expectation. "In my 25 years here, I think we have the best quality of people, character and integrity in our department we've ever had." Building blocks As Jacobs moves into his second year, more challenges await. A capital campaign seeking $100 million - $50 million in new money - is approaching its climax. Some $28 million of that will go to pay for facilities upgrades, many of which are already finished or under way. Some $12 million will go to endow athletic scholarships. "Auburn people have stepped up," Jacobs said. The facilities arms race is, perhaps, the most daunting task facing athletic directors at Auburn and other upper level Division I-A schools. A $28 million renovation of concourses, restrooms and concession stands at Jordan-Hare Stadium is already well under way. If there are no infrastructure problems that prevent it, a state-of-the-art high-definition video board will be erected in the north end zone in time for next season. There will be interactive video boards on the face of the upper deck displaying live game statistics, scores from other games and the like. The most pressing need is for basketball facilities, inexplicably neglected as facilities in other sports have become among the nation's best. Jacobs says plans for a basketball practice facility, wanted desperately by Lebo and Fortner, are nearing completion. Those plans also could include renovations to aging Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. When Lebo was hired as Auburn's men's basketball coach in April 2004, president Ed Richardson promised him a new practice facility within two years. "Not only am I committed to doing it, the president is," Jacobs said. "We are so far behind in men's and women's basketball, facility-wise. I suspect, based on timelines, in the next couple of months we are going to come up with 'This is what we are going to build.' That is something that is on the front burner and on the fast track." The practice facility, Jacobs says, will cost from $10 million to $16 million. If he gets what he wants, the plan will also include bringing the basketball arena into the 21st century by, among other things, replacing or refurbishing old wooden seats and obtaining a state-of-art video scoreboard. Starting in March, workers will begin a $500,000 project of making the coliseum floor all hardwood, creating more room for practice. "I think when we finalize the plan for the practice facility, part of that construction could be upgrading the arena," Jacobs said. Other issues There are plenty of other things that confront Jacobs on a daily basis. Some sports, he says, need to improve their performances on the field or in the arena. He says he's confident they will. "Part of that is we need to make sure we are providing them the best resources and support that we can," Jacobs said. "I feel real good about where we are, but you have to keep plowing ahead and staying ahead." Not all has been fun and games in Jacobs' year on the job. There was controversy when he eliminated the jobs of assistant athletic director Eugene Harris and marketing director Marvin Julich last year. Some things he wanted to do turned out to be more difficult than he thought. He looks to his second year with optimism and enthusiasm. "It's really gone by fast," Jacobs said. "I'm more excited this year than I was last year. Even though I've been here 25 years, having the year behind me as AD will help me do a better job." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarTim 3,456 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Good read. I believe JJ is doing his best to do the job the right way. With the support of all AU people, He will get it done. Thanks for sharing this article. WAR EAGLE !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUesquire 1 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 It's great to hear and see all the upgrades that continue to go on all around the athletic department. However, I don't quite understand the reasoning behind the overall neglect of our basketball program. Out of all the sports, besides football, it seems that basketball has the most potential to be a real money maker with the amount of fannies you could put in the stands with a relatively successful program. I'm glad to hear they are getting something really positive going in that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerinBham 1 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I am so glad that basketball is finally getting much needed attention. That is the only sports venue at Auburn that embarrasses me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCWarEagle 0 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I'm a little surprised the basketball facility is being renovated instead of building a new one. All of our other facilities are world class (football, baseball and swimming), but Beard-Eaves has to be near the bottom of the SEC barrel. I don't claim to be an expert, but it seems like doing things piece-meal (new practice facility, new seats in BEMC, new scoreboard) amounts to putting band-aids on a facility that is and will remain sub-par. What does everyone else think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebody 0 Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 I'm a little surprised the basketball facility is being renovated instead of building a new one. All of our other facilities are world class (football, baseball and swimming), but Beard-Eaves has to be near the bottom of the SEC barrel.I don't claim to be an expert, but it seems like doing things piece-meal (new practice facility, new seats in BEMC, new scoreboard) amounts to putting band-aids on a facility that is and will remain sub-par. What does everyone else think? 211242[/snapback] A new arena, even a mid-size one the size of the new Gwinnett Arena outside Atlanta (12,800 seats), would cost $60M. Scaled-down bare-bones no-frills 9000 seater would be $40M. With no real population base surrounding Auburn to support it as a joint university-municipal project, there is not a reasonable expectation that much of an investment can be viable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fearthetiger03 0 Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 when I am not at auburn for school, i live <5 minutes from the Gwinnett Arena, and it is a state of the art facility- if auburn were to build something, it wouldnt need to be able to host high profile concerts (bon jovi, u2, etc....) , monster trucks, hockey games, or circus type events like the gwinnett arena does. Although I wish we could get a hockey team going.... If a new arena were to be built, i'd suggest that they dont go over 10,000 seats- I'd rather sell out the games rather than have noticable empty seats like we do now (pretty much every game this year except bama).... Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbo 0 Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 the bball area is the worst in the sec even uab has a better gym Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKW 86 7,423 Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 1) We desperately need an updated gym. 2) JJ has far exceded my expectations of him as an AD. He may be one of the best in the SEC in a short short while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerOne 1,142 Posted January 16, 2006 Author Share Posted January 16, 2006 Video board may not happen By PHILLIP MARSHALL Times Sports Staff pmarsh9485@msn.com Jacobs says deal unlikely after estimate doubles AUBURN - Jay Jacobs thought the deal was all but done. All that remained for a state-of-the-art video board to be erected at north end zone at Jordan-Hare Stadium in time for next season was verification that the infrastructure would support it, Jacobs told The Huntsville Times in an interview last week. But things changed quickly. The Auburn athletics director said Sunday the original estimate was that the video board could be installed for some $600,000. He got the word late last week that the board would instead probably cost $1.2 million-$1.4 million. "I'm not saying it's out of the question, but I don't think it's likely now," Jacobs said. Instead, Jacobs said, he will look at installing a new scoreboard in the north end zone. The decision has already been made to install a video board on the face of the upper deck on the east side of the stadium in time for next season. The board will display real time statistics, scores from other games and other information. With a $28 million renovation of the concourses, restrooms and concession stands under way, Jacobs said steady improvements at Jordan-Hare Stadium are necessary. "We are going to try to do something every year to enhance the game day experience for our fans," Jacobs said. "That's something we feel like we need to do." Final schedule near: Auburn hopes to be ready to announce its 2006 football schedule within the next week. rest of article http://www.al.com/sports/huntsvilletimes/i...1150.xml&coll=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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