What a relief that they don't need a guarantor for the $1 million raise they gave the head football coach last month considering their budgetary woes.
And Athletic Director Wolf said to Coach Sheep: give me your $5 million trust fund to guard for you and we will ALWAYS have a men's swimming program.
Sorry to be such a cynic...
I have many friends that are ASU athletic supporters to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars through the Sol Devil foundation. The ones I have spoken to about swimming could care less about swimming or tennis, wrestling is another story (don't ask me why). All they care about is what Erickson is going to do next year in Pac-10 football and beating the U of A. It is sad, but it is still the fact.
They have also justified how they dropped the programs with no one knowing it was going to happen. They tell me it's business and they are somewhat right I guess. If they can justify the way Love handled the whole situation, that says something for the lack of support for anything but football at ASU. Basketball and baseball get a little attention when they do well, but fact is, the money could care less for ASU swimming.
ASU men's swimming program needs $240,000.00 per year to run the program. A long term guarantor of that $240,000.00 per year, while fundraisning brings in enough money to build an endowment of 5 million. Yes, the administration is involved and has told them this is what they need. This is what the administration says they need to reinstate the program. Moneys can be donated through the web site: www.saveasuswimming.com or mailed directly. Simon Percy, who has his email linked to the site would be more than happy to answer any questions that you have.
ASU wrestling found their guarantor of annual funding, while they finish raising funds for the endowment fund. Lisa Love AD of ASU reinstated the wrestling program on 5/23/08. ASU will reinstate swimming if a long term guarantor of the annual budget of $240,000 is found, and a good amount of money is raised towards the targeted 5 million dollar endowment. In less than 2 weeks approxiamately 150,000 has been raised. Any one can help with a donation large or small.
Go to www.saveASUswimming.com We can do this.
coachdia:
Don't confuse questions with lack of caring. The website is pretty bad. There is nothing, other than your word, that gives a guarantee the program will be saved if $XX is raised. What is your affiliation to the program and how are you aware of the guarantee while the website nor press release states it? If you are trying to raise money, people need assurances. Blindly sending money from around the country requires more than the assurance and a statement of 503-c status.
An aside question, what does this do the program long term, assuming it is saved? Would this discourage swimming talent from going to ASU knowing it could very easily be cancelled? I supposed if you are (now were) good enough to swim at ASU you probably have a myriad of other schools to choose from as well. I know I sure as heck wouldn't let my kid go swim there now if he/she were a rising collegiate swimmer.
Another question: is there a hard cut off date? Does the 240k-ish amount and the $5million ish amount have to be raised/guaranteed/in the bank/whatever by any certain date?
Despite what was said before, there are many who are positive about reinstating and building an endowment for ASU swimming. We are doing what we can to save it for the young men who want to swim in college at a D-1 school with rich tradition. The money will go into a 501 3c Non Profit Corporation and will only be used to endow the operating budget of the swim team at ASU. This is the mission and purpose of the 501 3c. Any other use would be criminal (and the money will be sent back to the donors if the program is not reinstated). What we need is help, not negativity and while there are those who don't care, there are plenty of us who do. Over 7,000.00 high school and college age young adults have committed to helping the ASU team raise what they can. $150,000.00 in ten days isn't bad. But it is just a start. If everyone who actually cares, helps a little with a generous donation, we can save this program. Go to www.saveasuswimming.com We shouldn't concern ourselves with who doesn't care. We have a program to save. Young male swimmers are depending on those of us who are fotunate to give to the sport to do so now.
coachdia:
Don't confuse questions with lack of caring. The website is pretty bad. There is nothing, other than your word, that gives a guarantee the program will be saved if $XX is raised. What is your affiliation to the program and how are you aware of the guarantee while the website nor press release states it? If you are trying to raise money, people need assurances. Blindly sending money from around the country requires more than the assurance and a statement of 503-c status.
An aside question, what does this do the program long term, assuming it is saved? Would this discourage swimming talent from going to ASU knowing it could very easily be cancelled? I supposed if you are (now were) good enough to swim at ASU you probably have a myriad of other schools to choose from as well. I know I sure as heck wouldn't let my kid go swim there now if he/she were a rising collegiate swimmer.
These are valid questions to bring up. Please understand that I did not comment to be negative. I know Simon very well and like the guy, he is a stand up person and I believe he is fighting hard to save ASU swimming. My only comments were from actual very large supporters of ASU athletics and their feelings on the whole matter.
There have been rumors of developers wanting Mona Plummer's property to develop housing, and it would not surprise me at all if there is some validity to this. They have another pool on campus at the SRC and could keep a training facility for the women's team. That property where Mona Plummer sits is prime real estate on campus. Like it or not most developers weren't attending the Swimming World Classic and could care less if the team survives. It is a sad statement, but it is what it is. We have the same issue that has been over us at Brophy where I swim for about 7 years.
I for one, would love to see Lisa Love's commitment in writing (as if that means anything these days, but it is something) as to keep swimming if the money is raised. Believe me, the ASU supporters I know could get $5MM in about a month if they really wanted to keep swimming. Like it or not, LL will do what her main supporters want, that is ultimately who she works for. There were some very influential people here that got the money for wrestling and that is why it has been reinstated. I have yet to see any major influential people step up and speak for swimming.
Don't get me wrong, I am a supporter for our sport and hate to see this happening. I am also a realist and trying to communicate what I hear from folks here who are influential in the decisions Lisa Love is making.
Coach Dia:
Please stop hectoring.
I have had some email communis with the person at the Web site you linked, who did not give a name. There is NOTHING on the Web site to show that a nonprofit corporation has been set up, nor did the respondent say so, altho' more information was conveyed privately than is on the Web site. Your comment about negativity is unwarranted. I am prepared to make some donation; I am not prepared to work so hard to chase down basic information that should already have been made publicly available.
This effort needs big names and connections to make it work. The Web site should show lead donors. I would also like to know who is advising the fundraising activities. It is a telling comment from a poster that ASU athletic supporters are not supporting swimming. That was not reported negatively; rather, I would say, in sympathy with the plight of swimming.
As I have said, I wish ASU men's swimming good luck. I hope they succeed. The effort in providing information is slow off the ground. Without lead donors willing to publicize their names and go out and beat the bushes and hit up their friends for donations, I do not believe fundraising will succeed. Without a more informative Web site, I do not believe it will. With $5 and $10 donations from individuals, I do not believe it will. And it won't be the end of the world if it doesn't.
Regards, VB
