Pitt dropping Tennis
- Thread starter TIGER-PAUL
- Start date
Thanks Nish for the insight an everything you do.
It just amazes me, that at least on here, people are so tone def to how college athletics are run. We expect Alabama results with CMU funding. Having only 3% of alumni donate to athletics is pathetic. It takes both a joint effort from the admin and the donors.
I've had family and friends play for various teams at Pitt in the past. Football, basketball, baseball, cheerleading, volleyball, and softball. Not everyone is Larry Fitzgerald or Revis, but they all put the same time and effort into their sport and the university. And to have people just sitting at their keyboard minimizing all that goes into it while contributing nothing is pathetic.
Anyway, thanks again for everything. Time will tell if this was the right decision for the overall health of the athletic department, but still difficult regardless.
It just amazes me, that at least on here, people are so tone def to how college athletics are run. We expect Alabama results with CMU funding. Having only 3% of alumni donate to athletics is pathetic. It takes both a joint effort from the admin and the donors.
I've had family and friends play for various teams at Pitt in the past. Football, basketball, baseball, cheerleading, volleyball, and softball. Not everyone is Larry Fitzgerald or Revis, but they all put the same time and effort into their sport and the university. And to have people just sitting at their keyboard minimizing all that goes into it while contributing nothing is pathetic.
Anyway, thanks again for everything. Time will tell if this was the right decision for the overall health of the athletic department, but still difficult regardless.
Not for us they don’t. They don’t wanna get into a van and ride 40 minutes to practice.
My daughter goes to school in the south. She’s at a mid major but her sports facilities for baseball, softball, soccer, track, tennis and golf put ours to shame. Her basketball/volleyball arena is older than the Pete though. She’s tight with some tennis players, male and female. They’re all international (Europe, Aussie and South American). And they knocked off a couple P5 schools last year in the tourney.
Although of the 8 females, 7 are international but the one who is Not is from Florida and is their best player.
There's a lot of back and forth in this thread but the bottom line is it's not good when a U drops any sport because that tells you where their heads are at regarding U sports in general.
This is a PG board so I won't elaborate on where their heads are actually located but it's not a good place when it comes to sports.
A major U with no track ???????? ( every U has a track), no tennis courts or tennis complex ( d1AA, d2 & 3 colleges have tennis facilities ) is a bad sign and actually embarrassing.
PITT admin has swung and missed a lot when it comes to athletics and it almost seems like it's to much trouble, to dirty, not worth the effort so lets just shut it all down.
Pittsburgh is a sports oriented city and PITT seems to want to ignore that.
"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!
This is a PG board so I won't elaborate on where their heads are actually located but it's not a good place when it comes to sports.
A major U with no track ???????? ( every U has a track), no tennis courts or tennis complex ( d1AA, d2 & 3 colleges have tennis facilities ) is a bad sign and actually embarrassing.
PITT admin has swung and missed a lot when it comes to athletics and it almost seems like it's to much trouble, to dirty, not worth the effort so lets just shut it all down.
Pittsburgh is a sports oriented city and PITT seems to want to ignore that.
"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!
I know we’ve talked about it for years with no movement, but the new university master plan does include an outdoor track where the sports dome now is, and the Victory Heights plan apparently includes an indoor track facility where the OC lot is. It doesn’t do much for tennis, of course, but they are working to clear some of the deficiencies that weren’t addressed with the Petersen Sports Complex.
I do happen to think that there might be room somewhere - with enough willpower - for at least a small outdoor tennis complex, though I don’t know the minimum number of courts that you’d actually need to have in reality to host ACC matches. Does Pitt own the currently undeveloped parcel south of the sports complex and west of Trees at Robinson and Wadsworth, or is that owned by the housing authority? What about the space where the outdoor basketball courts are across from the VA hospital, especially now that they’re building a large student rec facility?
Just a bad situation all around. Whether it is/will be good for Pitt is not something many here can speak to, but it was not properly handled. Coach found out 30 minutes before the press release went out. Some of the student athletes found out they needed to look for a new school to play for in the Pitt News. And it was surely heartbreaking for the kids in the next recruiting class who were planning to be in Pittsburgh in a few months and now may or may not have a place to go. I doubt this decision was made 10 days before the first match of the season.
One of the most land-starved U's in the country is Columbia Univ in NYCity.
The have indoor and outdoor tennis facilities.
Here's their information:
Columbia University Tennis Club
This is our 19th semester in existence and we’re devoted to providing cheap tennis courts for Columbia University affiliated individuals and advancing the game of tennis in a friendly and team-oriented atmosphere. We also attend the USTA sectionals annually and host several different intra-tournaments and compete with other schools.
Most U's have tennis courts for the tennis team, the general student population, faculty, employees and residents who pay for using the tennis facility. Some U's charge an activity fee for employees and faculty.
The PITT we have no room is an gigantic bad excuse for we can't figure out how to get this done, or we're to lazy to tackle the project, because we don't care about having a track or tennis courts.
College and University tennis facilities end up being shared by the college or U, area schools, and a nice benefit for local residents.
I don't live in Pittsburgh and recently discovered the U doesn't have a track or tennis courts and was shocked. I made a few phone calls to PITT admin but that's like talking to a wall.
The University of Pittsburgh should be embarrassed for not putting in the effort to provide these necessary facilities. PITT is a "B" level U.
Most HS's have a track and outdoor tennis courts and many have indoor/outdoor facilities for both sports.
The tennis team, tennis alums, supporters of the program seeing the handwriting on the wall should have been pro-active and offered PITT athletics plans to help finance the program.
The PITT tennis program failed to help themselves, which often leads to disappointment!
If you don't help yourself don't expect others to pick up the slack.
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Sounds like you have a relative on the team or a friend who is close to the program? Is there any chance for the team to be revived by fundraising?
If true, that's inexcusable and a flat out embarrassment. Lyke should be ashamed. Very ashamed.
IMO there are a few additional points to make.
1) Lacrosse is going to receive a lot more TV coverage on the ACC Network. The TV exposure is good for the university.
2) Lacrosse is a growing support locally, and most of the recruiting will be done within a few hours.
3) We have a better opportunity to win in Lacrosse than Tennis.
I feel bad for the people that were directly involved with the Tennis program, but if you didn’t donate or were not involved in the program then you are the equivalent to the Pitt football fan that complains from their couch on Saturday’s.
1) Lacrosse is going to receive a lot more TV coverage on the ACC Network. The TV exposure is good for the university.
2) Lacrosse is a growing support locally, and most of the recruiting will be done within a few hours.
3) We have a better opportunity to win in Lacrosse than Tennis.
I feel bad for the people that were directly involved with the Tennis program, but if you didn’t donate or were not involved in the program then you are the equivalent to the Pitt football fan that complains from their couch on Saturday’s.
One of the most land-starved U's in the country is Columbia Univ in NYCity.
The have indoor and outdoor tennis facilities.
Here's their information:
Columbia University Tennis Club
This is our 19th semester in existence and we’re devoted to providing cheap tennis courts for Columbia University affiliated individuals and advancing the game of tennis in a friendly and team-oriented atmosphere. We also attend the USTA sectionals annually and host several different intra-tournaments and compete with other schools.
Most U's have tennis courts for the tennis team, the general student population, faculty, employees and residents who pay for using the tennis facility. Some U's charge an activity fee for employees and faculty.
The PITT we have no room is an gigantic bad excuse for we can't figure out how to get this done, or we're to lazy to tackle the project, because we don't care about having a track or tennis courts.
College and University tennis facilities end up being shared by the college or U, area schools, and a nice benefit for local residents.
I don't live in Pittsburgh and recently discovered the U doesn't have a track or tennis courts and was shocked. I made a few phone calls to PITT admin but that's like talking to a wall.
The University of Pittsburgh should be embarrassed for not putting in the effort to provide these necessary facilities. PITT is a "B" level U.
Most HS's have a track and outdoor tennis courts and many have indoor/outdoor facilities for both sports.
The tennis team, tennis alums, supporters of the program seeing the handwriting on the wall should have been pro-active and offered PITT athletics plans to help finance the program.
The PITT tennis program failed to help themselves, which often leads to disappointment!
If you don't help yourself don't expect others to pick up the slack.
columbia's courts and football stadium aren't on campus. plus, they have gobs more $$$ than we do.
And should never drop men's track, either. We still hold the AR for the 500m indoor (Spratling) and WR for the 55m (McRae). A couple Olympic champs in Woodruff & Kingdom (2).
Sad about tennis.
But this thread is somewhat humorous to me in light of the back and forth I always get into on the football side. We're a supremely land-starved school where 3% of the Alumni donate, and people expect it to be 1976 again. It really is amazing.
But this thread is somewhat humorous to me in light of the back and forth I always get into on the football side. We're a supremely land-starved school where 3% of the Alumni donate, and people expect it to be 1976 again. It really is amazing.
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