iceeater1969
Helluva Engineer
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The hill could easily require research to have multiple liaison/ ambassadors w student athletes and students via gtaa . Kind of like the voluntary donations to United way.There are limits (caps), to how much financial assistance a university can provide athletics. That’s why revenue and private donor fundraising is so important.
I will say athletics is central to Auburn’s engagement. The same donors who pay $100 million for a new school on campus also fund athletics. These are huge billionaire donors, the largest being Jimmy Rane (Yellawood). Everyone … students, faculty, alumni … are encouraged to be active in athletics.
That is not true at Tech. Every organization has its own Development team which competes with the GTAA and the Alumni Association for donations. It’s an organized mess. You are correct that the Hill could do more, but … it’s not in their interests to do more. That’s why nothing there has changed.
Your point about research is interesting. I’ve long maintained that Tech’s success in this area is why athletics is no longer much, if any, of a priority for the Hill. Tech is a cash cow for the state of Georgia. Simply put, the Hill doesn’t need athletics as much today as it did 40 years ago. Petit was transformational for Tech and you really can’t discuss Tech sports without also discussing GTRI.
It just takes the desire.
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