Univ of Maryland gets $200M Donation

[Townie72]

Clark Construction is a big deal here in the Washington, DC Region.

This is one of the bigger gifts ever given to a public university. (Oregon got one for $500M, but $200M is still a lot of money)

A record-breaking gift to the University of Maryland: $219 million

This is not aimed at Athletics. But it'll have spill-over value and impact.

 

[FasterCuse]

That's one of the many issues for Syracuse University in regards to fund raising. Outside of Newhouse which family/individual that attended SU has this type of money to donate. I can't think of too many off the top of my head.

 

[sutomcat]

That's one of the many issues for Syracuse University in regards to fund raising. Outside of Newhouse which family/individual that attended SU has this type of money to donate. I can't think of too many off the top of my head.

Who are Syracuse University's top donors?

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

 

[NJCuse97]

Clark benefits from the University's spending too. Clark built their natatorium (swimming center with a fitness/rec center component) and was the concrete sub on Byrd Stadium (twice I think).

 

[Townie72]

Clark benefits from the University's spending too. Clark built their natatorium (swimming center with a fitness/rec center component) and was the concrete sub on Byrd Stadium (twice I think).

The tone of your post is objectionable. You seem to be suggesting that this is some sort of payback for the business they threw his way. The guy was grateful to the University and he gave them a bunch of money out of generosity and a sense of obligation.

These jobs are bid out, right?

So Clark was the lowest bidder. He still made money. Sounds like he was more efficient.

Clark is one of the major construction companies here. So it would be surprising if they didn't get a lot of projects at UMCP and just about anywhere else.

Also, Clark is a GC, not a sub. A concrete sub would be someone like Miller Long.

 

[Townie72]

Who are Syracuse University's top donors?

Go around campus and look at the buildings and the schools and colleges. The big donors have these things named after them.

Maryland, for whatever reason, has a lot of benefactors, And there's a core of guys that back the athletic programs. The school seems to inspire generosity on the part of the alumni. And some of the alumni have gone on to make big $$$ (e.g. Plank of UnderArmour) and Clark of Clark Construction.

 

[OttoMets]

The tone of your post is objectionable. You seem to be suggesting that this is some sort of payback for the business they threw his way. The guy was grateful to the University and he gave them a bunch of money out of generosity and a sense of obligation.

These jobs are bid out, right?

So Clark was the lowest bidder. He still made money. Sounds like he was more efficient.

Clark is one of the major construction companies here. So it would be surprising if they didn't get a lot of projects at UMCP and just about anywhere else.

Also, Clark is a GC, not a sub. A concrete sub would be someone like Miller Long.

All the bluntly-worded, often extreme takes you throw out there and that's a post you find offensive?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Go around campus and look at the buildings and the schools and colleges. The big donors have these things named after them.

Maryland, for whatever reason, has a lot of benefactors, And there's a core of guys that back the athletic programs. The school seems to inspire generosity on the part of the alumni. And some of the alumni have gone on to make big $$$ (e.g. Plank of UnderArmour) and Clark of Clark Construction.

Aren't they still broke though?

 

[Townie72]

All the bluntly-worded, often extreme takes you throw out there and that's a post you find offensive?

Here's the difference. Am I blunt and confrontational? Yup, sometimes I am. It frequently saves time and you don't have to decipher what it is I'm talking about. And I'm talking primarily to New Yorkers (many of whom are Mets fans) so I'm assuming "Minnesota nice" isn't required.

But here's a guy that gives his university $219 Million bucks in part because he went there on a scholarship, and somebody suggests there's some sort of payback involved.

Take a look at he projects Clark has built and tell me the UMCP business is that big a piece. It ain't.

Clark Construction Group - Building and Civil Construction

 

[Townie72]

Aren't they still broke though?

You are confusing things here. It's complicated.

The University is OK and always has been. The Athletic department has not been OK.

The UM Athletic department cannot get University general funds by law. They have to be self-sufficient. (They can't do what Rutgers has been doing to the tune of $26 Million a year)

But they were running a deficit. They were borrowing money from the University. Now that they have more B1G money I would think they are settling that debt.

Maryland had to go to the B1G. No one wanted to go, but the bean counters said they had to.

 

[Hoo's That]

Aren't they still broke though?

Yes. The overall financial management of the school is terrible and the athletic department is no different. Loh got a raise while departmental budgets are being cut.

Maryland has a bunch of sugar daddies that give it headline-making big gifts of money, but the overall alumni base is not as generous. To give a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, from 2006-2013 UMd-College Park's fundraising campaign met its goal and collected $1B. UVa, which is less than half the size of and has fewer alumni than UMd-CP, also had a fundraising campaign going at the same time and also met its goal of collecting $3B.

 

[Townie72]

Yes. The overall financial management of the school is terrible and the athletic department is no different. Loh got a raise while departmental budgets are being cut.

Maryland has a bunch of sugar daddies that give it headline-making big gifts of money, but the overall alumni base is not as generous. To give a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, from 2006-2013 UMd-College Park's fundraising campaign met its goal and collected $1B. UVa, which is less than half the size of and has fewer alumni than UMd-CP, also had a fundraising campaign going at the same time and also met its goal of collecting $3B.

The Terrapin Club is a very generous supporter of Maryland athletics. Does UVA have something similar?

 

[Hoo's That]

The Terrapin Club is a very generous supporter of Maryland athletics. Does UVA have something similar?

Yes the Virginia Athletics Foundation. The goal for 2017 is $19.2M and to date they've raised $15.8M to fund the 316.6 scholarships for our sports.

 

[Townie72]

Yes the Virginia Athletics Foundation. The goal for 2017 is $19.2M and to date they've raised $15.8M to fund the 316.6 scholarships for our sports.

It's roughly comparable

The estimated cost of the Terrapin Club Scholarship Fund is expected to rise to $13 million in 2016. Part of that increase is the result of a January vote by members of the NCAA’s five most powerful conferences to increase scholarship amounts to cover the full cost of school attendance — which amounts to more than $3,000 per athlete this fall at Maryland, according to an analysis by the Chronicle of Higher Education. In addition, Maryland announced in August 2014 that it would guarantee lifetime scholarships for its athletes.

Maryland’s athletic scholarship fund raised $10.1 million in fiscal year 2015, which ended July 1.

 

[cuseattle]

Yes the Virginia Athletics Foundation. The goal for 2017 is $19.2M and to date they've raised $15.8M to fund the 316.6 scholarships for our sports.

Who's the 0.6? Someone in gymnastics?

 

[orange79]

Who's the 0.6? Someone in gymnastics?

Men's Lax is allowed 12.6 scholarships. I know other sports have fractionals also.

 

[tbonezone]

Go around campus and look at the buildings and the schools and colleges. The big donors have these things named after them.

Maryland, for whatever reason, has a lot of benefactors, And there's a core of guys that back the athletic programs. The school seems to inspire generosity on the part of the alumni. And some of the alumni have gone on to make big $$$ (e.g. Plank of UnderArmour) and Clark of Clark Construction.

 

[NJCuse97]

The tone of your post is objectionable. You seem to be suggesting that this is some sort of payback for the business they threw his way. The guy was grateful to the University and he gave them a bunch of money out of generosity and a sense of obligation.

These jobs are bid out, right?

So Clark was the lowest bidder. He still made money. Sounds like he was more efficient.

Clark is one of the major construction companies here. So it would be surprising if they didn't get a lot of projects at UMCP and just about anywhere else.

Also, Clark is a GC, not a sub. A concrete sub would be someone like Miller Long.

Point your gun elsewhere. I worked in Bethesda directly across the street from Clark. I interviewed with Mr. Clark. Both my brothers worked there (as CMs for the record). I am not saying that their wins at UM were ill begotten or that this is a payback, just that there is a symbiotic relationship. If Clark got no work from UM I doubt Mr. Clark would be making these kinds of donations.

As for Clark's offerings
Clark Concrete | Clark Construction

There's reasons I talk about bowl construction and failed crane picks in Milwaukee (Clark projects). Whiting-Turner built the Ravens stadium. Clark was the concrete sub. Clark did the entire of the Nationals Ballpark. They are unbundled offerings.

 

[Townie72]

"If Clark got no work from UM I doubt Mr. Clark would be making these kinds of donations."

So the fact he went to UM had nothing to do with it?

UM work is a small fraction of what Clark has done.

I'll say it again after your explanation. To me you opinion on this is objectionable. Th guy is giving $219M to his alma mater and you are trying to tie that to some projects his company did there.

I sse it as a guy who has made a lot of money and now he's starting to give some back to the institutions that helped him along the way.

 

[Scooch]

Thank goodness that super rich dude has someone to defend his honor from fairly reasonable comments he has no idea are occurring on the Internet!

Psyched for Maryland’s general fund though. Very relevant.

 

[nzm136]

I hate these threads because someone invariably implies that SU is broke and/or doesn't have its share of rich alumni.

I promise you that SU is not broke, and many, many SU alums do quite well.

SU athletics' problem is that there isn't a big base of nearby companies with fat meals and entertainment budgets.

You might not know it from reading this forum, but SU is actually a very good school w/ deep pockets derived from a number of sources, including a healthy endowment, and SU athletics are well supported.

SU's fundraising (especially on the athletic side) leaves something to be desired, but the sky is far from falling. The future is actually bright.

 

[AZOrange]

Thank goodness that super rich dude has someone to defend his honor from fairly reasonable comments he has no idea are occurring on the Internet!

Psyched for Maryland’s general fund though. Very relevant.

What is this thread? And who cares if the guy gives to the party that feeds him...?

 

[SmilinBob]

Does anyone know how much SU is worth? Not just sports but the whole university. It reminds me of an millionaire/billionaire NFL owner crying poverty and has to move his team.

 

[sutomcat]

Does anyone know how much SU is worth? Not just sports but the whole university. It reminds me of an millionaire/billionaire NFL owner crying poverty and has to move his team.

SU isn't crying poverty. Townie just has a hard time understanding finances.