[ccd494]

Here we go: UMaine needs more money than anticipated to start multimillion-dollar athletics makeover

We'll see how many of those purdy pictures actually turn into real buildings.

 

[mainejeff]

Here we go: UMaine needs more money than anticipated to start multimillion-dollar athletics makeover

We'll see how many of those purdy pictures actually turn into real buildings.

Not many is my guess. Beyond the women's sports fields in progress and maybe a downsized hoops facility.....I don't see many of these other projects ever seeing the light of day. With the future of D1 college athletics in question....the brakes need to be applied to the "master plan" and everything should be under a microscope.

 

[umainealum]

Nothing new here...pretty sure we all knew this was going to happen

 

[ccd494]

Guess we are plowing ahead: UMaine thinks it can complete new basketball facility within the next 5 years

Hey, UVM, race you!

 

[VT Cats Fan]

Guess we are plowing ahead: UMaine thinks it can complete new basketball facility within the next 5 years

Hey, UVM, race you!

Ha!

I don't think any UVM fan wants any part of that race. We're all collectively traumatized from the..."we're getting a new arena" for the last 10 years, to the "we're breaking ground on a new arena", to the "well, we're suspending construction because of Covid" to the "we're reordering our work flow"

With that being said, the original timeline was around 4 years before the covid delay, so I'd believe Maine if they say that they can get it done in 5 years. If they have the money, no reason not to think that they will.

 

[gocats10]

Ha!

I don't think any UVM fan wants any part of that race. We're all collectively traumatized from the..."we're getting a new arena" for the last 10 years, to the "we're breaking ground on a new arena", to the "well, we're suspending construction because of Covid" to the "we're reordering our work flow"

With that being said, the original timeline was around 4 years before the covid delay, so I'd believe Maine if they say that they can get it done in 5 years. If they have the money, no reason not to think that they will.

Can we just accept the loss now? Congratulations Maine

 

[UVM Hoop Cat]

I'm going to be shocked if there's a new basketball facility at UVM by 2035.

 

[mainejeff]

Maine has received a $10 million pledge for new basketball arena naming rights! 😀🏀

 

[ccd494]

More info: UMaine alumni Phillip and Susan Morse donate $10M for new athletics arena - UMaine News - University of Maine

 

[mainejeff]

We're so lucky to have people like the Alfonds and Morses that care so much about UMaine athletics!

 

[mainejeff]

Screenshot on the progress of the new softball complex. Looks like they will get this finished this fall and actually be able to play in this facility next spring.

 

[mainejeff]

 

[Wildcat18]

Looking good! I wish UNH wasn’t so damn poor. Idk how we are going to compete facility wise over the next 30 years

 

[VT Cats Fan]

donor envy...

 

[mainejeff]

Upcoming Zoom webinar on Monday at noon....can be viewed with pre-registration.....

"Building the Future for UMaine Athletics" Webinar | UMaine Alumni Association

A discussion on the transformative $110 million athletic facilities master plan.

www.umainealumni.com

 

[mainejeff]

 

[Dane96]

Looks great!

Any idea how much this particular piece (the softball stadium) costs?

 

[mainejeff]

Looks great!

Any idea how much this particular piece (the softball stadium) costs?

Good question. The closest that I've seen to an answer is $14 million for all 3 women's fields (softball, field hockey and soccer)....but then the athletic dept. requested additional funds be released by the Alfond Foundation....although I think that might have been to get the ball rolling on other projects as well (new Alfond Arena scoreboards). I would estimate that this is in the $5 million range....give or take. I hope that they haven't scaled back too much on some of these projects. This grandstand is supposed to be "bricked" in and have blue chair back seating in the middle section.....we'll see.

 

[mainejeff]

I actually found answers to some of my design questions.....forgot I had saved this:

https://umaine.edu/ofm/wp-content/uploads/sites/225/2022/03/UM-Softball-IFB-Drawings-small-size.pdf

Yes on chair back seating in center section.....no on brick although there will be some brick accents here and there according to the plans.

 

[mainejeff]

Here's a YouTube video from the Zoom conference the other day on the updated master plan for UMaine athletic facilities.....fast forward to 6:00 mark & presentation by Seth Woodcock for nuts and bolts of everything:

And here are some maps of the athletic facilities plan....hopefully all of this will be built out by the end of the decade.....