Perry Fieldhouse is the facility I'm talking about.  It has an indoor football field and track.  Sebo is the weight training, administrative and support building added to BG's end zone a couple of years ago.  It is not an IPF.

Yep.  Akron's was largely paid for by students through their rec center fee plus an outside donation.  Note, however, that the Perry Fieldhouse isn't near their rec center - a separate complex - or even their football facility.  Sort of a questionable location.

I thought it would be nice to build ours into the back (student side) of Peden so locker rooms and upgraded concessions could be added on the ground level to serve football patrons.  Perhaps political issues kept that from happening.

Right you are.  The committee recommended the $16.1 million version with a full track like the other MAC schools they visited.  That would have necessitated raising $8.1.  $3 million is going to be a challenge - $8.1 would have been darn near impossible without a large donor.

As others have stated already we still aren't out and there is time to right the ship.  Until we hit the point of no return there is no reason to speculate.  You never know how the team could surprise us. 

Theirs is larger than ours and $1.5 million less.  Hmmm.

it could also be that we care about the aesthetic quality of our building. We'll make sure it's sufficiently "bricked" so that it blends in with the campus and isn't a big frickin' sore thumb.

I don't know what NIU is planning or not planning for theirs, but they can stick it in a cornfield somewhere and not give a rats arse what it looks like. We can't and won't do that. We also don't have the option to just put up a big eyesore, slap woody hayes on the name and automatically have a bunch of sheep consider it hallowed ground.

I would suspect that the Walters name will go on the building. They're paying for the lion's share of the project.

Which raises another topic: I've long wondered why the Convo doesn't have a name attached to it.  I have to believe the university has a price tag in mind before they would dedicate it to to a donor.  I really thought it would become the Ping Center after CP retired. Maybe the Phillips Center?  It originally was to be the Fred Johnson Center in honor of a trustee who pledged $1 million but never came through with the cash.

JB is right; it was originally to be called the Beasley Convocation Center after Fred Beasley who lived in Athens and was the nation's largest Ford Dealer.  He owned dealerships in a number of cities throughout the region, including Beasley Ford in Columbus.  I one time heard that he owned 50 dealerships, but that number might have been rounded up slightly.  It was a very large number, though.  I have one story that kind of illustrates the point.  When I was in the Navy and talking to one of my Navy buddies from Pennsylvania one day, we both started bragging about our home towns.  When I said that a local guy was the largest Ford dealer in the nation, my buddy says, "Athens, Ohio, you got to be kidding me.  You're making this up."  He then asked me what the guy's name was.  I said, "Fred Beasley."  His jaw dropped, and he very sheepishly replied, "Oh, really, the Ford dealership in my home town is named Beasley Ford."  He was just dumbfounded.  Needless to say, I had bragging rights that day.  (I believe, if memory serves, that his hometown was McKeesport.)

The reason that the university never received the money is a sordid tale.  I won't go into all the details because this is a family channel, but it was not something that either the university or his family in retrospect are probably very proud of.

The tower was build originally with state money as they tabbed that a classroom facility. Eventually the football program absorbed most of the building. Its possible the university has some other plan in mind for the student side of the stadium. The university master plan said they plan a project to upgrade restrooms and concessions at Peden. Schaus has said the university has to find a way to get more premium seating in the stadium. The Touchdown Club area could be redesigned to include some bathrooms accessible from the main concourse. I like the idea of knocking out the back wall of the student section to add a courtyard with the upgraded restrooms and concessions along with a larger student entrance. It makes sense to have all the best concessions on the student side because the majority of people are sitting over there as well Victory Hill and the family packs on that side.  

Have to reply to the 7 people in the Touchdown Club.  I was there with four others and the area had a good crowd.  I have had five tickets there since they opened it.  Love the seating and being able to move around and  plenty of room with chairs, not bleachers.  Not to mention the food, drinks and the tv's to keep up on other games.  Had two people with me for their first OU game.  They could not believe that no noise was coming from the student section.  Then were then amazed at half time when no one left and everyone was cheering for the 110.  Could not understand why that did not occur for the football team.  Had to explain that to them.  Unless you have tried the area, don't knock it so much.  Us there enjoy the area as much as you do where you are.  Go Bobcats.

Any updates on the fundraising?

Article in the Post today says that 9.3 million of the 11 million dollar target has been raised for the facility with another 1.4 million dollars sitting on the bench waiting to be collected from targeted donors. The plan is to break ground in the summer of 2012 and open for fall camp 2013. Only the non-track option received approval from the administration.

 http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/content/fundraising-multipurpose-center-nearing-goal-line