With the recent announcement of a new fundraising program (Athletics Initiative 2020) and the end of the spring sports calendar, AD Todd Stansbury and Andy Demetra had much to review on this month’s edition of the Todd Stansbury Podcast.
Athletics Initiative 2020
Demetra and Stansbury’s discussion on Athletics Initiative 2020 made up the bulk of this month’s conversation. Stansbury explained that the $125 million fundraising effort has been in the works for a while, emphasizing that he saw the need for a massive fundraising effort “as soon as (he) walked in the building for (his introductory) press conference”. From Stansbury’s perspective, innovation and excellence are vital parts of Tech’s DNA, and while Tech’s facilities were cutting-edge when they were constructed, that’s just not the case today. In his view, the projects funded by the raised $125 million are “something that we have got to do”. Demetra proceeded to dig a bit deeper into the $125 million price point, wanting to get some insight into how GTAA came up with the number. Stansbury explained:
We knew that the replacement of Edge-Rice was about a $70 million project. Knowing that we had needs in a lot of other areas, I didn’t want to just stop at 70 (million) while we had the machine up and running...I wanted to blow through that and take care of some of our other needs as well.
With that intuition in mind, Demetra and Stansbury dove into the Initiative’s line items.
$12 million for the Athletic Scholarship fund
Stansbury explained that there is a $3 to 4 million gap between annual fundraising revenues and annual scholarship expenses that GTAA now pays for using operational funds. An additional $4 million would close that gap, allowing GTAA to invest more operational funds into making its current operations more robust and building things that Tech needs to compete at the highest level.
$25 million to fully-fund scholarships for all 13 sports
Simply put, “without the student-athletes, you can’t win” and without well-funded scholarships, a school can’t woo student-athletes. Pledging $25 million to fund scholarships in sports like swim and dive and track and field helps protect Tech’s future as it expands its programs and scholarship expenses increase year-over-year and ensures that said scholarships’ payouts are not impacted by Tech’s annual revenues from TV contracts, ticket sales, etc. “If you’re all about excellence, then you can’t just pick your spots here and there. You gotta be excellent across the board,” Stansbury emphasized, going further to say that the only way for Tech to be the “institution of excellence” he and GTAA envision is for them to provide Tech’s coaches with the facilities and funding that is necessary for them to compete at the highest level.
$88 million for capital projects
$70 million for Edge/Rice renovation
When Demetra asked about design specifics for a new Edge Athletic Center and Rice Center for Sports Performance (noting that they could not use pictures or renderings since they were on an audio-only podcast), Stansbury’s response was simple: “I wanna look more like Google”. His vision for a new athletics headquarters building combines the architectural style of the existing Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons and infuses it with the core tenets of Stansbury’s administration: innovation and excellence, making it a “statement to the type of program that we are“. Stansbury goes on to explain:
When you walk in this building…you’re gonna be able to feel innovation and excellence and collaboration and all the things that Georgia Tech represents.
Construction for the new Edge building will require the demolition of the old building’s foundation and structure, while the Rice Center’s structure still provides room for expansion and need only be renovated. The new Edge Athletic Center will be six stories tall, capped by a rooftop terrace (cited as an opportunity for selling premium seating for gamedays and event space) and plated with glass windows on all sides. The renovation project will add anywhere between 18 to 22k square feet to the existing Edge center, space that is much needed as the athletic department grows to meet the needs of a modern athletics program. Construction of the new building will require that staff work in temporary space around campus for an 18-month period, but Stansbury believes that his department can grit it out for the good of the program and its future.
$9 million for Phase 2 of Russ Chandler Stadium
Phase 2 of renovations to Russ Chandler Stadium focuses on improving fan experience with new premium seating and amenities and augmenting the existing set of player development and training equipment available in the Georgia Tech clubhouse. Stansbury explained that in the eyes of a recruit, a significant investment in athletic facilities represents commitment from a school for a sport, and keeping that in mind, improving Tech’s facilities will help the school keep pace in a highly-competitive recruiting world. A major part of the $9 million earmarked for Russ Chandler Stadium will be put towards constructing year-round training facilities (such as climatized batting cages and pitching mounds) for current and former players to train with. Keeping former players around the program by having the facilities to allow them to train on-campus is a huge boost to recruiting, especially if recruits visit campus during the MLB offseason and see MLB players relying on Tech equipment to keep in shape. Stansbury went on to explain that a second portion of this $9 million will be used to construct a Georgia Tech baseball hall of fame and museum to celebrate the history of Tech’s storied baseball program and its rich history, also noting that the area could be converted to premium club seating for game days. “We’re in a pro town,” he said. “Our fans are used to SunTrust (Park) and Mercedes-Benz (Stadium)...and while we don’t necessarily have to be Mercedes-Benz, we have to be able to provide our fans with a premium experience at the collegiate level“.
$4.5 million for football locker room renovation
This project is already underway, and Stansbury looked forward to its completion before the 2018 football season. Upgrading the football locker room was “top of the list” of his concerns when first taking the job as athletic director in September 2016.
$4.5 million for men’s/women’s basketball locker room renovations
“It’s time,” Stansbury explained, when asked about why the men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms needed makeovers. The Zelnak Center’s locker rooms have been left untouched for a long time, and as Stansbury said, “...there are some things we need to do to upgrade the experience for student-athletes”, especially since Tech’s men’s and women’s basketball teams spend much of their time using their locker rooms as places to study, prepare for games, and socialize. Stansbury envisions a multi-use facility for each team, complete with study and social spaces, as well as an upgraded locker room.
Stansbury closed the conversation on the Initiative with an elevator pitch for those on the fence about donating to GTAA and supporting the Initiative:
(At Georgia Tech, we) expect to win and we expect to compete at the highest level….We are in the toughest athletic neighborhood in the country. We gotta do (the fundraising). If we are serious about our game, and that game is competing in college athletics, then this is the price of admission. Georgia Tech alums and fans, we expect to be the best...(we) want to create the next in athletics. We want to be the place that’s creating the innovation in training and nutrition that go into creating a better athlete.
You can read more about Athletics Initiative 2020 and donate to GTAA here.
In Review: Spring Sports
After finishing their review of GTAA’s new fundraising effort, Demetra and Stansbury discussed the end of the spring sports calendar and how Tech’s spring sports’ seasons ended.
Women’s Tennis (NCAA Semifinalists)
Stansbury called the Jackets’ season “incredible” and congratulated coach Rodney Harmon and his squad on their deep run in the NCAA tournament. Noting how the Jackets roared back to win decisive singles matches versus Pepperdine and UCLA to advance to the Final Four, Tech’s athletic director spoke with great optimism for the program:
The reason (losing in the NCAA semifinals) hurts so much is because you put so much into it and you know you’re good enough...(B)eing that close to a national championship hurts when you don’t get it, but it also sets the tone for what you expect out of the program...We’re losing a couple of great seniors, but we’re reloading…and I expect they’re gonna make a run next year.
Golf (ACC Champions, NCAA Regional #1 seed)
Stansbury spoke highly of this year’s second-most successful program, calling them “another team that is capable of winning a national championship” and a “great group of young men”. He noted that most of the team is returning for next season, and even though head coach Bruce Heppler is still “licking his wounds” from a heartbreaking NCAA Regional finish, he has put together a great crop of incoming freshmen. Like with women’s tennis, the future looks bright for golf. Demetra also added that 2017-18 was the 13th straight year that golf achieved a perfect 1000 APR.
Softball (Qualified for ACC tournament, first winning season since 2012)
Stansbury tipped his cap to coach Aileen Morales and her first season back on the Flats. While the team may have not reached the NCAA tournament, Morales spearheaded the Jackets’ first winning season since 2012 and the program seems to be on the right track.
Track and Field (3 athletes at NCAA championships, 16 qualified for regionals)
Demetra and Stansbury congratulated Jeanine Williams (100m hurdles), Avery Bartlett (800m), and Nahom Solomon (10K) on their qualification for the NCAA Track and Field Championships (which, as of record-time, had not been completed - here are the results for the Tech men and woman). Stansbury emphasized the “Everyday Champion” mentality preached by the athletic program; Solomon will return to the Flats for his master’s degree and final indoor track season after graduating this spring and Williams will continue working towards her undergraduate biochemistry degree.
Men’s Tennis (Qualified for ACC tournament)
Losing the #1 amateur player in the nation in Chris Eubanks dealt a great blow to the men’s tennis program, and nagging injuries to many players further limited coach Kenny Thorne’s selection on many a matchday. However, the program battled back to make a run in the ACC tournament. Stansbury expects them to be back in postseason form next year, bolstered by a healthy roster and a platoon of new recruits.
Baseball (Qualified for ACC tournament)
Stansbury appeared tepid on the performance of coach Danny Hall’s program in 2018, noting that at Georgia Tech, making the NCAA tournament is an expectation for such a historically successful program. The team was probably two wins away from qualifying for an NCAA regional, and he, Coach Hall, and the coaching staff must do some analysis and work together to figure out how to get back over the hump, having now missed the tournament for the second consecutive season. Tech’s projected 2019 roster includes most of the current pitching staff and a now-seasoned, more-experienced team, but Stansbury sees more room for improvement, especially in terms of facilities and player development opportunities. He argued that this is where the Athletics Initiative comes into play: renovations to Tech’s facilities will help coach Hall and his team compete in a conference in which four teams became NCAA regional hosts. Demetra also announced that OF/1B Kel Johnson, whose senior season was derailed by an injury that kept him out the entire year, will be moving on to dental school this fall.
Conclusion
At one point during this episode of the podcast, Stansbury described the ACC’s wall of conference champions’ logos, emphasizing the importance of having a GT logo on the board:
Having a GT up there is pretty important, and the idea is that, over time, we’re gonna take up more space on that wall.
Some might think this quote is pure ‘AD-speak’ and a cliche, but for me, Stansbury’s words here epitomize the sort of passion for Tech’s athletic program that he brings to the table and invokes in donors. The moves he has made during his tenure so far have been something Tech sports fans have been clamoring for for a long time. When he started at Tech in fall 2016, he laid out four priorities for his administration: brand, culture, structure, and revenue growth. Having taken care of the brand with the Adidas contract and new wordmarks, Stansbury has now set out to tackle athletics’ structure — by augmenting the number and variety of opportunities offered to Tech student-athletes by funding their scholarships completely and building new facilities — and revenue-generating capabilities — by creating “swing space” in new facilities that can be converted from functional areas to premium seating for game days. On top of that, who’s to say that all of this change and construction (as well as any future athletic success that Georgia Tech may now have under Stansbury) won’t engender a culture change that rids us of the malaise that seems to have surrounded the programs for a while and that brings students, alumni, and fans back to our arenas in droves? In the better part of two years, Todd Stansbury has flipped the script for Tech athletics, and I, for one, am truly excited to see where he can take us in the coming years.
You can find previous episodes of the Toddcast and more features from Georgia Tech Athletics here.