The Sicatoka
Kicizapi Cetan
Well ... there's smoke ...
https://twitter.com/ShelbyCassesse/status/1415319638519451650
https://twitter.com/ShelbyCassesse/status/1415319638519451650
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Robert Morris dropping men's and women's hockey.
- Thread starter Hockey John
- Start date
UncleRay
M-A-I-N-E, GooOOO, Blue!
Am I a cynic or a skeptic?
Here's what I see happening: RoMo raises a couple million. Nowhere near the $7MM they want. Why would they be able to? UAA and UAH have been getting after it for a while and have been able to raise only a few mill each. RoMo isn't going to their former pro players for bucketloads of cash - I've played as many NHL games as their entire band of alums. So they announce that they'll reinstate for a year. But only a year. After that, no more RoMo hockey. And they get what they're really after: the bloodsucking lawsuit because a few kids don't get to play a couple college hockey games goes away.
Here's what I see happening: RoMo raises a couple million. Nowhere near the $7MM they want. Why would they be able to? UAA and UAH have been getting after it for a while and have been able to raise only a few mill each. RoMo isn't going to their former pro players for bucketloads of cash - I've played as many NHL games as their entire band of alums. So they announce that they'll reinstate for a year. But only a year. After that, no more RoMo hockey. And they get what they're really after: the bloodsucking lawsuit because a few kids don't get to play a couple college hockey games goes away.
DrunkTrainPolka
GO TECH GOLD!
"RMU press release when they cut hockey: we have had historically massive donations and are way ahead of where we hoped to be. RMU press release when they discuss reinstating hockey: this can only happen if we get $7m of donations in the next 2 weeks."
https://twitter.com/BurntBoats/status/1415339855874232326
https://twitter.com/BurntBoats/status/1415339855874232326
Split-N
All Hail
Nothing's going to change while the incumbent president remains in office. IIRC, the decision to cut the two hockey programs was his and his alone; the Board of Trustees was never informed or consulted.
Against that backdrop, what assurance does anyone who contributes to the gofundme have that the proceeds would indeed be used for men's and women's hockey instead of just being added to the general fund for other purposes once turned over to RMU? I'm not a lawyer so, beyond the moral and ethical, not sure of what binding legalities attach to gofundme proceeds.
sbkbghockey
Registered User
I'm pretty skeptical too and a quick socials search, a lot of RMU fans also seem to be skeptical. My first thought is that this is the RMU Administration's way of saving face, without truly committing to hockey.1) Reinstatement relies on fundraising in about 15 days. 2) Damage is already done, players left, recruits decommitted then recommitted to other programs, coaches left for openings at other programs, etc... At best, the RMU President set a consistent AHA contender back to the basement of the conference for years to come. 3) I worry this gives them several outs to kill off the program for good. A) If fundraising goal isn't met. B) If the program sucks and finishes with a horrible record, it's an excuse to say RMU hockey isn't competitive and cut it. C) Playing a likely independent schedule, RMU may be without a conference home for the foreseeable future and I don't blame CCHA, AHA, or any other conference for not wanting to take a chance on what is now an unstable program until the Admins show real commitment to college hockey again.
It will be telling with this reinstatement plan if the RMU Administration works with parties like Marty Gunty or the Penguins in solving the one major issue they brought up cutting the programs-the ageing RMU sports center needs. Whether it's Gunty's team taking it off of RMU's books or working with the Penguins on a competition arena at the UPMC Ice Complex, those options will be telling that the administration is actually planning long-term stability for the program.
The group formed by the former players is pushing this, so there is some legitimacy to it. The goal is $7M over five years (or $1.4M/year).
The GoFundMe is already over $400K. They need to scrape together $1M (still a tall order) in the next two weeks. Hard, but doable.
UncleRay
M-A-I-N-E, GooOOO, Blue!
I'll guess the RoMo admin is looking for commitments for future donations. I don't see $1.5 MM moving things forward this year.
JohnsonsJerseys
Michigan Tech Fan
The last part isn't true. There was discussion, but there was never a vote from that body to cut (or retain) the hockey programs. As you noted, that decision rests squarely on the shoulders of the president (at least based on what has been released to the public at this point.)
Hockeybuckeye
Well-known member
I see fundraising is being attempted to save the Robert Morris hockey programs but isn't the damage too far along now with players already going over to other teams and your recruits scattered to the wind?
JohnsonsJerseys
Michigan Tech Fan
Should their fundraising efforts be successful (which should be a slam dunk if the Penguins have any interest in helping the team) I suspect RMU might get a one-time "free pass" from Atlantic and they will put out a revised conference schedule with RMU included again. The talent of their team would likely take a hit with some players departing, but the portal is FULL of players looking for new homes not to mention recruits who have been bumped a year because everyone got a 5th Covid year. Are a bunch of frosh as good as the players that departed? No, not likely, but I don't see lack of players being the issue that keeps RMU off the ice if everything else gets hammered out.
Now if Atlantic tells them "Sorry the 2021-22 schedule is set, we'll include you next season..." that could be a huge issue as how many teams are going to have open dates at this point, and of those teams, how many are willing to do a road trip to help RMU out? All road game schedule for RMU? We'll know a lot more in 10 days when the fundraising deadline is hit. Frankly, the fundraising target is pretty low in my opinion and for all the folks that wanted the team saved it should not be hard at all to reach that number.
Now if Atlantic tells them "Sorry the 2021-22 schedule is set, we'll include you next season..." that could be a huge issue as how many teams are going to have open dates at this point, and of those teams, how many are willing to do a road trip to help RMU out? All road game schedule for RMU? We'll know a lot more in 10 days when the fundraising deadline is hit. Frankly, the fundraising target is pretty low in my opinion and for all the folks that wanted the team saved it should not be hard at all to reach that number.
DrunkTrainPolka
GO TECH GOLD!
while i think the RMU will "attain" the money they are looking for by the end of july, i don't see things being any better a year from now.
people are tired of this monetary crowdsourcing avenue even when an institution has been 100% transparent about what is going on; which is absolutely not the case with RMU.
their gofundme page is looking to get $250k by the end of the month... they are only at $36k+ and the campaign has been going on since may! given that it was started with a goal of $2M and reduced to $250k after a meeting with the school admin happened not long ago. still... it's nothing like/how people raised money for UAH... and where did all that cash and energy go? ...well, one of their players is playing for tech this coming fall.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-rmu-hockey
next year people will be even less excited about it.
same storyline goes for UAA and UAH...
people are tired of this monetary crowdsourcing avenue even when an institution has been 100% transparent about what is going on; which is absolutely not the case with RMU.
their gofundme page is looking to get $250k by the end of the month... they are only at $36k+ and the campaign has been going on since may! given that it was started with a goal of $2M and reduced to $250k after a meeting with the school admin happened not long ago. still... it's nothing like/how people raised money for UAH... and where did all that cash and energy go? ...well, one of their players is playing for tech this coming fall.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-rmu-hockey
next year people will be even less excited about it.
same storyline goes for UAA and UAH...
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JohnsonsJerseys
Michigan Tech Fan
One week to go and unless there is a LOT of money coming in directly to the school out of public view, it is not looking good for RMU hockey. The GoFundMe has only gathered $38k and the school wants to see $1.5M just for this season alone. Are the Penguins or some other corporation going to step in and save the team this week? Or is this outcome exactly what the RMU admins wanted: Give fans a chance to foot the bill and they didn't, so now the schools' decision is officially justified in their eyes?
Leather Lungs
New member
That's a fair assumption. Who wants to give money to a school that just announced they're swimming in cash? Restore the teams with some of that $104 million already raised and THEN ask for contributions. The way they're doing it instead feels like extortion.
It's probably not as easy as you think. The money might have been given for a specific use.
JohnsonsJerseys
Michigan Tech Fan
Well clearly someone at RMU "reallocated" the money that was previously budgeted for 2021-22 hockey, so changes can be made. The easiest change to make - put the hockey money back into the hockey program's budget. If there was no hockey budget for this year, well there is yet another smoking gun.
DrunkTrainPolka
GO TECH GOLD!
today is july 29th... the RMU deadline is july 31st.
they are not even close [$38,375] to reaching their $250k goal <https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-rmu-hockey/>. yeah, i know, they are collecting funds in other ways as well - but this small amount is a thermometer for the situation.
while i think some tooth fairy will show up and save the day (probably already has, backstage) it's easy to see that the public, people, fans, are tired.
and as if they were the only program. in a way UAA (which is also not there yet <https://saveseawolfhockey.com/>) and UAH are somewhat on the same boat.
fans are spent, running on empty. it shouldn't be them to carry the burden...
and even if they are able to re-instate all three of these programs, this money that's being raised is not infinite.
- will RMU admin get what they want anyway?
- will UAH cancel their program for the fourth time?
- will UAA join fairbanks to make only one team for the UA-system?
this soap-opera still has a few seasons in it...
they are not even close [$38,375] to reaching their $250k goal <https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-rmu-hockey/>. yeah, i know, they are collecting funds in other ways as well - but this small amount is a thermometer for the situation.
while i think some tooth fairy will show up and save the day (probably already has, backstage) it's easy to see that the public, people, fans, are tired.
and as if they were the only program. in a way UAA (which is also not there yet <https://saveseawolfhockey.com/>) and UAH are somewhat on the same boat.
fans are spent, running on empty. it shouldn't be them to carry the burden...
and even if they are able to re-instate all three of these programs, this money that's being raised is not infinite.
- will RMU admin get what they want anyway?
- will UAH cancel their program for the fourth time?
- will UAA join fairbanks to make only one team for the UA-system?
this soap-opera still has a few seasons in it...
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UncleRay
M-A-I-N-E, GooOOO, Blue!
Of course it should fall to the fans. Where else would it fall? And corporate donations are really just donations from deep-pocketed fans. Maybe you are looking for a fairy godfather.
Most NCAA sports are run at a deficit; they don't ask fans to cover the entire cost of the programs.
Powers &8^]
UncleRay
M-A-I-N-E, GooOOO, Blue!
Sorry for being unclear. I took that as a given. I'm talking about the funds needed beyond what the school is willing to pay. That burden needs to be met by the fans, one way or another.
Leather Lungs
New member
We're past the self-imposed deadline.....