Saying the quiet part out loud:
The state Board of Regents has approved an $80 million renovation and expansion of the University of Georgia’s football facilities.
The nonprofit corporation that runs UGA’s NCAA sports programs, the UGA Athletic Association, would be responsible for the costs of the renovation and expansion project at UGA’s Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall and for operating costs once construction concludes.
The project’s first phase of 109,600 square feet would include a new football locker room and new offices and conference rooms for football coaches, new sports medicine areas and a new strength and conditioning room…
“The Building’s football facilities have fallen behind current standards in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference, resulting in a sense of urgency to deliver this project to enhance recruiting efforts and competitiveness,” according to an explanation of the project submitted to the Regents for Tuesday’s meeting. [Emphasis added.]
Constantly chasing others is what you get when your athletic department is led by someone who cares more about sustaining a reserve fund than doing the hard work to put together a facilities master plan. And if you think this development would have happened outside of Smart pushing for it, you’re in denial. But, sure, something something Mark Richt, if that makes you feel better.
Get The Picture 
Just remarkable the lack of strategic vision within the department. All short term money generating tactical stuff. Takes a football coach to do an administrators job I guess.
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I don’t kid when I say this — Kirby Smart would make a great UGA AD one day in the future.
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No leadership and vision above Coach Smart.He has to be tired of doing the heavy lifting. Our AD is a terrible businessman and horrible negotiator (bending over and grabbing ankles for the SEC/NCAA). Guy couldn’t manage a effing McDonald’s.
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As long as B-M owned the mickey d’s and was scripting any and all answers manager greg was to say to the customers….he could do it…that location would be the pilot for the “burger, fries & a coke” reserve fund
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That’ll buy a lot of condoms. Greg Mediocrity better check the fine print this time.
Will there be an offensive planning room, preferably wing?
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We can’t forget Michael Adams’ heavy foot on the brakes either. Why give that donated money to the “football crowd” when he wanted to control donors? It took B-M until Kirby arrived to realize Adams was gone.
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Things like this situation prove (to me at least) even more how the NCAA needs to start paying the kids more. Open up the market and force the colleges to compete for the kids with money rather than with facilities that the colleges own.
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Makes too much sense to actually happen. Besides, you can’t put someone’s name on a payment plan like you can on a building or a locker room.
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Not to mention you lose your place at the top of the food chain in other sports you once reigned. But who really cares about tennis or gymnastics? Is there a plan for swimming when Jack retires?
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It will be the same plan as it was when Yoculan stepped down. Promote a long time assistant who will proceed to run the program into the ground.
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We essentially forfeited hosting the NCAA tennis championships by neglecting our tennis facilities for years. It doesn’t get more Georgia Way than that.
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How much have the generous donors to UGA spent in non-routine CapEx since Richt was canned ? (I’d have boo’ed during the Kentucky game too)
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Ahh the “not for profit” Athletic Association.
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$80 million for 109,600 square feet, and the football players are still gonna want to spit dingleberries all over the ceilings.
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The facilities and financial support 180 this program has done is quite amazing. This won’t be liked around here but Mark Richt did a damn amazing job considering that he had nearly the exact same results in his first 4 years but with far less support.
AD McGarity watched the man bring the program out of a decades old slump and all he did was give him a raise. Literally nothing else to help with recruiting or what you need to help sustain momentum. Now he gets his man and he’s bending the knee.
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This spring, it became clear our new Equestrian Clubhouse project was not providing the same fundraising incentive we enjoyed with the West End Zone (WEZ) and Indoor Practice Facility (IPF) projects.
Rest assured, we have taken quick action and are confident the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall Expansion Project (BMHHEP) will fulfill this very important need.
We look forward to our new expanded offices. And this is yet another Bulldog Point of Pride!
#COMMITTOTHEG
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Soooo… just asking for a friend… if we fans were to start downplaying UGA to recruits through “word of mouth” channels until we get a new and improved stadium (see MB ATL stadium as a prototype), would Kirby jump on that to get in done? Not that our donations and paid attendance should mean anything, but hey, enjoy the new offices coaches.
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Huh? Are you really saying we should tear down what is one of the iconic venues in sports for a $1,600,000,000 stadium like MBS?
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Just a humble, tax-exempt nonprofit. What a joke.
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So your happy with the facility just like it is??? And improvements in the East & West end zones primarily for attracting recruits were made within the existing structure. Not advocating pulling up the hedges (they already did that once) but, guessing similar improvements could be made for fans. Texas A&M made the move & stated: “The design was lacking. The functionality was less than stellar. And the amenities were abysmal (the new venue increased women’s restroom fixtures 300%).In short, Kyle Field wasn’t attractive and wasn’t functional. The $485 million, 18-month project changed that.”
Remind me how that “iconic” thing works out as you sit on those hard bench seats that have been there for over 50 years and stand in line for rest rooms and suboptimal food.
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Holy crap. Cost is about $730 a square foot. Wow!
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We will see Saturday Kirbs just might be a better AD than coach if MANBALL doesn’t prevail……
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