Chip Walters Blue Raider Athletics update with AD Chris Massaro
- Thread starter SpaceRaider
- Start date
(paraphrasing) Skillset to be an AD…….
“Business acumen and the ability to read a balance sheet.”
How about accurately reporting the actual attendance at your major revenue sports?
I listened for about 3 minutes.
“Business acumen and the ability to read a balance sheet.”
How about accurately reporting the actual attendance at your major revenue sports?
I listened for about 3 minutes.
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I appreciate these types of updates, but painful to listen to sometimes.
I got the impression the hotel will be nothing more than a Hampton Inn type place. Does anyone know if there will be any services available, restaurant and bar area?
I got the impression the hotel will be nothing more than a Hampton Inn type place. Does anyone know if there will be any services available, restaurant and bar area?
Looks like it will be an Aloft Marriott branded hotel.
MTSU campus hotel
MTSU campus hotel
I personally am not a huge fan of Aloft but they have become extremely popular. It targets the younger community and is a lot more trendy. Probably was a good choice even though it’s not my hotel of preference.
The one in Cool Springs next to D-1 Sports just recently renovated.
"One of the most significant and time-consuming hurdles for the development is rezoning.
Sila needs to acquire five zoning permits from Murfreesboro to build the hotel, which could take up to a year."
ridiculous
Sila needs to acquire five zoning permits from Murfreesboro to build the hotel, which could take up to a year."
ridiculous
Article said they are involving students such as Furmentation Science. School made craft brews at the bar. That part is awesome. This will be great for the Hospitality Management program.
If this were UTK the Mayor would call a special session and have approval by close of business today.
Not ours... He's up in Knoxville watching whatever team is playing.
Are we funded for the Murphy Center Reno and when does it plan to begin?
I don't recall hearing anything on the IPF, or did I miss that as well?
I don't recall hearing anything on the IPF, or did I miss that as well?
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Both questions most of us would be interested in.
Not fully funded, expecting to have that wrapped up in 25 and expecting construction to start in 26. IPF will be after that.
This "AD" has kept MTSU stuck in 2001.
If it’s done right, this could really be something special to MT, especially if it’s right next to the athletics complex. It needs to be a nice hotel brand similar to the Harpeth Hotel (Hilton) in Downtown Franklin.
The folks to the west have really done a good job with the concept. I’ve stayed there and it’s really nice. The Tiger Football team stays there the night before home games.
Holiday Inn University of Memphis
The folks to the west have really done a good job with the concept. I’ve stayed there and it’s really nice. The Tiger Football team stays there the night before home games.
Holiday Inn University of Memphis
I agree, the University of Memphis' Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management (KWS) is considered a top hospitality school and one that Middle Tennessee State University's Tourism and Hospitality Management program can learn from.
Since you are an alum of the University of Memphis, I can understand your connection to the Holiday Inn University of Memphis.
I have a similar connection to the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center.
Developed through a partnership between The Pizzuti Companies and the Kent State University Foundation, the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center took years of planning and collaboration between Alumni, University, and the Kent State Foundation.
Since the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center is affiliated with Kent State University, all rooms have the university's iconic navy blue and gold color scheme and throughout the hotel Kent State memorabilia and artwork is proudly displayed.
So, although I agree a brand name is important, I believe even more important is the collaboration between the hotel and the university.
Since you are an alum of the University of Memphis, I can understand your connection to the Holiday Inn University of Memphis.
I have a similar connection to the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center.
Developed through a partnership between The Pizzuti Companies and the Kent State University Foundation, the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center took years of planning and collaboration between Alumni, University, and the Kent State Foundation.
Since the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center is affiliated with Kent State University, all rooms have the university's iconic navy blue and gold color scheme and throughout the hotel Kent State memorabilia and artwork is proudly displayed.
So, although I agree a brand name is important, I believe even more important is the collaboration between the hotel and the university.
I have zero doubt this will be top notch. Having a Marriott brand that is specifically tied to the school is something they’ve done right. I’m just not a trendy person so I try to avoid the Aloft. We just stayed in one this past week and it was extremely nice. Had an indoor basketball court. Still prefer Residence Inn because I’m getting older and like my space lol.
Finally had time to watch it all. Nothing super new, but a few little nuggets.
I will say regardless of liking CM or not, you have to applaud them doing stuff like this now and actually letting fans know what is going on. Just a few years ago something like this would've never been done. So kudos across the board for the improved social media presence.
I will say regardless of liking CM or not, you have to applaud them doing stuff like this now and actually letting fans know what is going on. Just a few years ago something like this would've never been done. So kudos across the board for the improved social media presence.
I worked for Gaylord Entertainment back in the late 90s and 2000s. Hospitality was a major part of their brand before they became a REIT and sold off the management of the Gaylord Hotels to Marriott.
There were several younger people that were going through Rosen College of Hospitality Management at UCF at the time and were highly complimentary of the program.
Anyways, since we seem to struggle at getting other professional programs, might as well do something different and excel in areas we have opportunity.
Tourism and Hospitality can be a great career in c suite and management positions.
https://www.mtsu.edu/program/touris...ent-hospitality-management-concentration-b-s/
There were several younger people that were going through Rosen College of Hospitality Management at UCF at the time and were highly complimentary of the program.
Anyways, since we seem to struggle at getting other professional programs, might as well do something different and excel in areas we have opportunity.
Tourism and Hospitality can be a great career in c suite and management positions.
https://www.mtsu.edu/program/touris...ent-hospitality-management-concentration-b-s/
This program is in the sh!tter and we talkin about a hotel. If the admin and president manages it, it will fail in 2 years.
Meanwhile, no IPF and even Vandy is winning with new facilities being built. We are the only program in TN that isn't winning. Also TSU won 9 games. But we gettin a hotel. LOL. The AG facility needs to make room for the jackasses we have in charge. Mediocre Tenn St.
Meanwhile, no IPF and even Vandy is winning with new facilities being built. We are the only program in TN that isn't winning. Also TSU won 9 games. But we gettin a hotel. LOL. The AG facility needs to make room for the jackasses we have in charge. Mediocre Tenn St.
Hotel brings $. $ brings talent. Talent brings wins. It’s a part of the process. Coaching staff needs to establish a strong core these next two offseasons (counting this one) and could really push into that new era of MT Athletics but it has to be done right
Some thoughts:
any money flowing from the planned hotel would be part of a '27-28 budget, at best given the slow nature of anything getting done.
There's a lot of assuming that the revenue from the operation would flow into the athletics budget, much less football, instead of funding pensions for McPhee and bureaucrats or some other nonsense.
Hopefully there will some discounts for directing business, so there' s at least some benefits at the very least on that level.
LOL. Hahahaahaha. I call BS on that. An IPF with real resources and NIL money brings in talent my friend. We had a chance to build an IPF in the early 2000's with a real Football training facility (locker room, weight room, meeting rooms, etc.) We didn't bring in talent back then because of that, not a damn hotel. By the time we even build it, we will be in a deep hole. The costs of building are only climbing. Then if it's a Marriott property, they are getting the bulk of the cash. We can charge rent but Marriott is gonna structure the deal to milk any cash flow advantage leaving MT holding the bag if it fails. It's a lose lose situation and totally detracts from the goal of competing in the arms race with NIL and USABLE facilities.
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AMEN. That's a main part of my view. No way in hell will this be managed well. We can't even manage what we have with our curreent leadership. Adding a hotel to the mix is like serving a prime rib on a dirty maggot infested garbage can lid.
I think we all know a Hotel ain’t gonna move the needle
This administration is stuck in 1997, wanting to be the next Louisville and Boise St. Meanwhile, those schools are playing in major bowl games with millions of dollars being pumped into their programs for facilities.
Massaro is a complete failure at his job. A month to month AD with no vision or spine. Just where McPhee wants him.
He can sit down with Chip a few times a year and watch paint dry but nothing is changing in 2025
This administration is stuck in 1997, wanting to be the next Louisville and Boise St. Meanwhile, those schools are playing in major bowl games with millions of dollars being pumped into their programs for facilities.
Massaro is a complete failure at his job. A month to month AD with no vision or spine. Just where McPhee wants him.
He can sit down with Chip a few times a year and watch paint dry but nothing is changing in 2025
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If done right the hotel will benefit the academic side. It will have little to no impact on athletics.
The so called leadership is trying to sell the hotel as a game changer. They are completely lost as the have been for the past 20 years.
The so called leadership is trying to sell the hotel as a game changer. They are completely lost as the have been for the past 20 years.
We’re behind as a university not having hotel on campus. A large number of our peers have them. The revenue will be minimal but it is something that should have been done 3-5 years ago.
I looked into that in the past as well. We’re about 1k rooms short in comparison to the peers we envy. I believe we were around 3800 rooms and App was like 5200. Those things make a massive difference in the long run. We also have to give students a reason to want to stay on campus during the weekend.
There's never been a reason to stay on campus. Certainly wasn't 25yrs ago. Being 7hrs away I only went home on breaks. Campus would shut down. Corlew and JUB were closed, bookstore closed, etc. I remember having to get to the KUC by like noon on Saturday or I wasn't eating that day without going out somewhere.
Freshman year I didn't bring my car with me initially. Parents didn't think I'd need it being on campus. Learned quick you do if you want to eat. Campus and surrounding area isn't made for weekends. I get they are hoping the hotel is what starts a change for that, but still years too late.
Freshman year I didn't bring my car with me initially. Parents didn't think I'd need it being on campus. Learned quick you do if you want to eat. Campus and surrounding area isn't made for weekends. I get they are hoping the hotel is what starts a change for that, but still years too late.
We need to build nicer and newer ones, like the 4 room suites at other schools.
Not sure why this isn't talked more about the University. If I recall, both of us have students here at Middle and the lack of housing is definitely an issue.
With Nashville's growth, I think there is now a slight potential to get students to stay on campus. My son is there every weekend and tells me that the primary driver for the suitcase atmosphere is that on campus housing is abysmal. Sad that hasn't changed since I was a student in the 90s.
My son stayed in a dorm for his Freshman year but moved onto "University off campus Apartments" and hopefully will be settling into a house close to campus. But he did tell me that the accommodations for the dorms could be significantly improved.
With Nashville's growth, I think there is now a slight potential to get students to stay on campus. My son is there every weekend and tells me that the primary driver for the suitcase atmosphere is that on campus housing is abysmal. Sad that hasn't changed since I was a student in the 90s.
My son stayed in a dorm for his Freshman year but moved onto "University off campus Apartments" and hopefully will be settling into a house close to campus. But he did tell me that the accommodations for the dorms could be significantly improved.
Yea, my daughter is in middle of sophomore year. She wants to move out, but the rent is sky high around campus. Everything we've found is over 3X what I paid for single bedroom, and she's going to have a roomie.
When we toured couple years ago, it was the same dorms as when I went in mid 90's, maybe new paint. Kids today do not want communal restrooms and showers, and I cannot blame them. Even the lobby areas looked pretty much the same. Even Tennessee Tech has rebuilt all their dorms to new and upgraded styles.
It is also worth mentioning that Rutledge Hall is undergoing a complete overhaul right now. That being said, they are making it an academic building and not a residence hall moving forward. I’m guessing there are plans in place to add dorms to replace Rutledge because we already had an issue with not enough student housing. I have never been in the building prior to it being torn apart so maybe someone else can elaborate on how many people were living there.
Well, that does nothing for the housing situation, only making it worse since they are not replacing it. Majority of these kids and/or parents cannot afford to live off campus. My kid has been looking and majority of everything we've seen is minimum of $1800.00 per month for a two bedroom.
I fully suspect there are no plans to fix the housing situation in the near future. It is exactly the same as when I started in 1996.
It is in the most recent master plan (page 7-8 on the link below). They’ve been working through the plans but I haven’t looked into it enough to know what all is left to do. Looks like they plan to replace a few dorms. A lot of projects are done or underway.
I'm interested in looking through it, thanks.
Honestly, I know from the parent groups, that many parents are scrambling to find a place for their child to live at the last minute. Honestly, that could be on them for not registering on time, but who knows. I also read that many upperclassmen have been utilizing the dorms, which is well within their right, and the freshmen are left to the wolves of off campus housing. Hopefully, when I read through it, it will say more housing vs just replacing current amount. I don't have all the answers, but I would be worried if my freshmen daughter had to live off campus and I was a good distance away.
My eldest just graduated from Mississippi State last month and she had to live in dorms for first two years. One was due to mandatory freshmen year and other was either live in sorority house or the sorority dorm.
Again, I don't have all the answers, just hope they will replace current housing dorms with newer buildings and more rooms vs currently.
Enter if you dare. It is a lot of drama and there is a bit of helicopter parenting, even at the collegiate level. It is not just MT based on conversations with other parents with other universities. Every university parent page is like this.
There are very good bits of information all around. But to the point of housing, it seems like there are always a bunch who either waited to the last minute or it is just that hard to come by. When my son was on campus, We registered for housing about 9-10 months in advance.
The facebook group that is probably the most used is MTSU Parent and Family Association
Also, each college at MT typically has its own parent group as well.
There are very good bits of information all around. But to the point of housing, it seems like there are always a bunch who either waited to the last minute or it is just that hard to come by. When my son was on campus, We registered for housing about 9-10 months in advance.
The facebook group that is probably the most used is MTSU Parent and Family Association
Also, each college at MT typically has its own parent group as well.
