Athletics 9/9/2009 10:15:00 AM Presbyterian College Athletics

Ask The AD Part 1

Below is the first installment of “Ask The AD.” Continue sending in your questions and every couple of weeks, Director of Athletics Dr. Carlton will answer!

To ask Dr. Carlton a question, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Below are the questions and answers from the previous "Ask The AD."

Zac asks:

What is the reality of a baseball stadium in the future? If there is, what is the time frame? I am a former player and would like nothing more than to see those boys be able to play in a good caliber stadium. It would attract so many more fans. PC has great student support, they just need somewhere to sit and heckle the opponent! The atmosphere at night if there were lights would be unbelievable.

Zac,

I apologize for the long answer, but some background details are necessary to provide you a complete answer.

Early in the process of exploring our transition to Division I, we identified the need to renovate our baseball and softball stadiums as our top facility needs. For both venues, the playing surfaces are excellent and provide an outstanding place to play for our student-athletes and visiting teams. However, as you point out, neither site provides fan or game operations support to the standards we desire. We initially planned $1.5M to renovate the baseball stadium and $500,000 toward upgrading our softball facility.

YES, a new baseball (and softball) facility will be a reality. We will begin the Phase I renovations to each facility as soon as we reach our fundraising goals. We will complete each renovation as quickly as possible. Already ongoing are initial face-lift plans that will be completed this summer that includes a new road way and perimeter fencing at the baseball stadium and new backstops for both facilities. We are meeting with donors and supporters of our programs to re-energize our fundraising.

We included the need to renovate these two facilities in our strategic plan. In the Spring of 2007, the Board of Trustees approved our plans, and allowed us to begin raising funds. Unfortunately, the national economic situation has significantly (and adversely) impacted our ability to move as rapidly on these facilities as we would hope. First, the economy has directly hampered our ability to raise funds from our donors, and secondly the tight credit market has resulted in the college directing that 100% of funds must be in hand before any new capital project is started – anywhere on campus.

As a result, last year with the help of an architect, we rescaled each project and now plan to complete each project in two phases. Phase I of the baseball renovation is a $500,000 plan and includes the primary structure behind home plate for seating, concessions and game operations. Phase I of the softball renovation will cost $100,000 and includes lights, seating and a game operations structure. The second phase of each project will reach the remaining original funding targets and complete the initial plans. Phasing the projects in this manner is intended to make fundraising targets easier to reach in these difficult times and to show substantial progress more quickly than waiting to raise the full goal for each project.

The baseball and softball renovation projects are very important to us. We need your support and the support of the friends of these programs to help make each a reality.

Gene asks:

Will PC have to terminate any sports program to weather the current recession and will any athletic equivalencies be taken from minor sports and converted to football? I've heard Davidson is dropping two men's sports and Wofford is considering a similar move.

Gene,

We DO NOT plan to eliminate any sports at this time. However, we will reduce athletic scholarship funding support during this year and next and will likely remain at that level until economic conditions improve. We have accomplished the athletic scholarship reductions in two ways. First, we've reduced support for summer schools for some student-athletes. We will continue to provide support to student-athletes who need summer school to remain eligible to compete, to meet graduation requirements, or who have other legitimate academic needs. We also will provide support to some entering freshmen whose future academic success will be best served by receiving early exposure to the rigorous PC academic environment.

Secondly, we will freeze athletic scholarships for football at the current level. This will still allow us to meet requirements for competition with Football Bowl Subdivision schools. Except for the football and men's basketball teams, we will reduce athletic scholarship support to our other men's teams. We believe we can do this in a way that will have minimal impact on these squads. We do not plan to reduce athletic scholarship support for any women's team.

The national economic situation has impacted us as well as many of our competitors. As always, your support to our Scotsman Club to provide for support of athletic scholarships is critical to sustain the current scholarship level or to increase scholarship funding in the future.

Johnny asks:

If USC is looking for a new football opponent in 2010 (after UNC probably pulls off of their schedule), would you consider asking USC to play PC? Doing so would allow PC to potentially "HOSE" both Clemson and USC next year.

Johnny,

We've initiated contact with USC, and would love to schedule a football game with the Gamecocks sometime in the future – hopefully as soon as possible. However, we do not have any firm plans at this time.

Our 2010 schedule is almost complete, so it might be difficult to find a mutually agreeable playing date in 2010; but you never know! We'd love to take our football team to Williams-Brice.

As always we hope you'll come see your Blue Hose play great Division I competition in Clinton! This season, for the first time in our history, every visiting football team will be a Division I opponent.

Damian asks:

With PC's transition to Division I half complete, what commitments to bringing the athletic department to the proper level from a personnel and facilities standpoint has the college made or plan to make?

Damian,

Our strategic plan for athletics completed in March 2006 outlined the college's commitment to provide growth for the athletic program. The plan for growth included increases in scholarships, staff, operations, and facilities. The recent economic crisis has caused us to re-evaluate our plan in light of needs across the campus.

Specifically for personnel, the plan called for addition of 21 new positions across the five-year transition period. These included 12 coaches and 9 administrative or support positions. Most of these positions have been added, but some have been added as part-time positions, and some have been delayed or have remained unfilled. As the economic situation improves, we will continue to fill these planned additions and advance spots from part-time to full-time as soon as funding permits.

With respect to facilities, we have already made many improvements to some of our facilities, most notably at Bailey Memorial Stadium and at Martin Soccer Stadium. Additionally, we've made improvements to several locker rooms, the athletic training room and several offices to provide space for new staff.

Additionally, major renovations to baseball and softball fields are our top facility priorities. (See the previous answer for specific baseball and softball details.) After these priorities we will attempt to address the facility needs within our tennis program to upgrade the Templeton Courts and possibly add 3-6 new courts. Additional needs as next priorities include improvements for Johnson Field for lacrosse, and upgrades at Martin Stadium for soccer. Other general improvements included possible upgrades at Templeton Gym for basketball and volleyball, football locker room improvements, eventually adding lights at Bailey Memorial Stadium and the list continues on and on!

As you can see, facility improvements are never fully completed. There will always be something to renovate, add or expand…that's the way of the world!

Craig asks:

I played nine holes at Musgrove with you and Jake Sunday after homecoming '07. Does anyone keep records from the 1988 - 1992 golf program? Former teammates and I would love to have a copy of anything for our scrapbooks. Keep up the great work as you settle in with the new conference and division. Makes us proud to be Blue Hose!

Craig,

After talking with our Sports Information Director, unfortunately we have not come across anything from those years as of yet. His office has continually searched the archives in order to put together a more complete history of PC Athletics. Although nothing has been found yet, his office will continue looking for information from those years and more. Once the information is found, we will let you know in one of the upcoming “Ask The AD” sections.

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