Aargh wrote:Does the IlSU Pres seem to be a strong supporter of athletics? The Prez hires the AD and an anti-sports Prez is what made WSU athletics irrelevant for a decade.
Lucky for us, Dr. Bowman is a very pro-sports president, but he is also very conservative when it comes to spending. Plans and goals were created for athletics while Bowman and Zenger worked together. I'm sure that whoever they hire will have that same shared vision.
Right now, the major athletics project that will be underway following the basketball season is the renovation and creation of locker rooms for men's basketball, women's basketball, and volleyball at Redbird Arena. The Owen S&C Center was completed at Redbird Arena in 2003 and is one of the nicest in the MVC.
It's no secret what the next project needs to be. Hancock Stadium is in much need of a long overdue face lift. The visitor side bleachers and student bleachers have splintering wood and rusted metal. At best they are unsightly and at worst they are unsafe.
All in all, Dr. Zenger did many great things for our university. Many of his hires (Jank, Glance, Spack, Kingston, Myers) look to be moving in the right direction, but the continued neglect of the football stadium will be part of his legacy also. We have won 2 of the last 3 All-Sports trophies, but have not won a MBB of football championship in his time here. My hope is that his succesor will continue on with his vision for the university while moving our program even futher.