Alfond Foundation $500 Million gift to multiple Maine entities

All of these projects for UMO sports are well and good, but the reality for Maine growth is primarily southern Maine. The relative ease of location with the Boston schools, UNH, UNE Biddeford, Portland's schools, and Brunswick (Bowdoin) are in addition, all on the Amtrak traveling spine. Why is the Alfond Foundation so focused here, up north? How many people really need to visit or travel to the Bangor area? College sports thrive on fan attendance ($$$) and Bangor is not a realistic destination. Portland has four key professional sports teams now and basically nothing with college sports. Division III is insignificant, or in the larger picture. Maine native Cooper Flagg is about to be drafted number one in the nation next week, and it was never even an inkling of thought for him to have attended UMO. A substantial competitive college basketball program in Portland might have been an option (with a "fixed" CIA). And the train from Portland ends smack dab to the entrance of TD Garden, home to the Celtics.
 
I agree, but it's not UMO's fault for being a land grant university that was built over 100 years ago in the middle of nowhere. Let's compare D1 Hockey programs. University of Alaska Anchorage, it's not easy traveling to that school!! esp going to Umass, Wisconsin, Penn State all flying. The WCHA has several schools that require a lot of travel. Hockey East is not bad, BC, BU, UNH, UConn, Vermont, Umass, Northeastern, Merrimack, Providence, UMaine, Umass Lowell all are buss able. That what makes the trip hard for some teams to UMaine knowing that Alfond is a tough arena to play in and the house is always packed when they do well. BBall is a lost cause for Orono!! Look at the Bangor Auditorium Experiment. Umaine is not Uconn !!!
 
I'll point out that the Alfond name is all over the new UNE College of Medicine building, so they aren't ENTIRELY focused up north.

I think the foundation is practical enough to realize that there is no meaningful push from leadership or alumni to move USM into D1, so why spend that volume of money? And does Maine really need TWO loser teams in America Least?

UConn (because they were mentioned) successfully positioned itself as "Big-TIme College Sports for the Tri-State Area" (with apologies to any Rutgers fans) when Fordham (around the time my brother attended) decided to stick with the academically-oriented schools in the Atlantic-10 and FCS Patriot League rather than join the Big East (or whatever other conference was mooted at the time).
 
TC_zoid said:
All of these projects for UMO sports are well and good, but the reality for Maine growth is primarily southern Maine. The relative ease of location with the Boston schools, UNH, UNE Biddeford, Portland's schools, and Brunswick (Bowdoin) are in addition, all on the Amtrak traveling spine. Why is the Alfond Foundation so focused here, up north? How many people really need to visit or travel to the Bangor area? College sports thrive on fan attendance ($$$) and Bangor is not a realistic destination. Portland has four key professional sports teams now and basically nothing with college sports. Division III is insignificant, or in the larger picture. Maine native Cooper Flagg is about to be drafted number one in the nation next week, and it was never even an inkling of thought for him to have attended UMO. A substantial competitive college basketball program in Portland might have been an option (with a "fixed" CIA). And the train from Portland ends smack dab to the entrance of TD Garden, home to the Celtics.
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Sounds like "Southern Maine" ("Northern Mass") is doing just fine then. Glad that the Alfond Foundation is concentrating on a program Harold Alfond loved (and where it wants to, without polling everyone with an opinion). The population of Real Maine is approximately 656,000 (vs Northern Mass at 740,000), which is larger than the entire state of Vermont, which has a Division I college similar to UMaine. You can compare the Burlington MSA to Bangor MSA, but I'd argue that Bangor is the hub for a much larger region, and there is a different mindset on travel distances in the region. News flash: Cooper Flagg didn't go to any school in the Northeast, and him not considering UMaine (if he didn't, I don't know his thoughts) is so spurious it needs no response. Ace Flagg is playing at UMaine next year, and the Women's basketball program has been in the running for one of the best in the northeast for years.
 
TC_zoid said:
All of these projects for UMO sports are well and good, but the reality for Maine growth is primarily southern Maine. The relative ease of location with the Boston schools, UNH, UNE Biddeford, Portland's schools, and Brunswick (Bowdoin) are in addition, all on the Amtrak traveling spine. Why is the Alfond Foundation so focused here, up north? How many people really need to visit or travel to the Bangor area? College sports thrive on fan attendance ($$$) and Bangor is not a realistic destination. Portland has four key professional sports teams now and basically nothing with college sports. Division III is insignificant, or in the larger picture. Maine native Cooper Flagg is about to be drafted number one in the nation next week, and it was never even an inkling of thought for him to have attended UMO. A substantial competitive college basketball program in Portland might have been an option (with a "fixed" CIA). And the train from Portland ends smack dab to the entrance of TD Garden, home to the Celtics.
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Don't mean to be rude but you know nothing about Cooper Flagg. Even UConn couldn't sign him....his dream school was always Duke and that is where he ended up. You do know that his mother played for the University of Maine, right? She played for Joanne Palombo and with Amy Vachon on the team that beat Stanford in the 1999 NCAA Tourney. His brother Ace has signed to play with Maine starting next season.

Portland is a pro sports town.....a minor league Boston. UMaine D1 athletics are in the right place. Would I have preferred them in Central Maine near Augusta?.....yes. A more central location would have benefited them a bit more IMO. But Bangor has developed a nice niche as a gateway to Acadia and Katahdin Woods and Waters....that combined with the University of Maine and seasonal attractions like Maine Savings Amphitheater have made the region a destination of sorts for a wide variety of visitors. And Bangor has always been a regional hub for a vast portion of Maine. I think that there is room in Maine for a variety of urban and rural destinations.....that separates Maine from the other tiny and somewhat bland New England states.
 
PWMFlyer said:
I agree, but it's not UMO's fault for being a land grant university that was built over 100 years ago in the middle of nowhere. Let's compare D1 Hockey programs. University of Alaska Anchorage, it's not easy traveling to that school!! esp going to Umass, Wisconsin, Penn State all flying. The WCHA has several schools that require a lot of travel. Hockey East is not bad, BC, BU, UNH, UConn, Vermont, Umass, Northeastern, Merrimack, Providence, UMaine, Umass Lowell all are buss able. That what makes the trip hard for some teams to UMaine knowing that Alfond is a tough arena to play in and the house is always packed when they do well. BBall is a lost cause for Orono!! Look at the Bangor Auditorium Experiment. Umaine is not Uconn !!!
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Basketball is not a "lost cause". They have never invested enough resources in that program.....that will soon change with a new $100 million arena. That being said.....Maine is not competing with UConn....they are competing in America East with 7 other land grant universities + Bryant.
 
I remember a few years ago with UMO women's basketball hosting a divisional round of the NCAA tourney at CIA in Portland. It was in March, and during the tourney of 4 teams, it was perhaps the coldest stretch of weather I've ever seen in Portland--single digits with wind. What would it have been like up in Bangor? Are there dynamic and fun hotels up there like Portland? Soon after, or for the next season, all of the foreign players on the UMO team transferred out of Maine. Once you get past Lewiston-Auburn it's only some Gov workers in Augusta, then basically nothing along 95 until you get to Bangor. That's truth.
 
mainejeff said:
It’s a rural state not New Jersey.
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Maine is becoming something in between, or with the southern half. Go motor around in the Midwest. Much longer stretches of nothingness.
 
TC_zoid said:
Maine is becoming something in between, or with the southern half. Go motor around in the Midwest. Much longer stretches of nothingness.
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Becoming something like New Jersey is not something to plant a flag in. Why can’t you be happy with a diverse state? Southern Maine urbanism and beaches mixed with Maine’s rugged coast and vast inland forest and small towns? That’s what makes California….a lot of diverse people, geography and cultures.
 
Some recent pictures of the Alfond Arena exterior.....love it or hate it......it is definitely different and something not seen in Maine. College campuses should have buildings like this.


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Were there any updates completed inside the arena itself or was everything limited to the concourses and additions? That's the one thing I noted attending a few games there the past two seasons, how dungy and tired it is getting inside the actual arena.
 
How did I miss that, I just figured they had not finished the brickwork and were working from the outer edge to the center! 😀
 
Dr. StrangeHat said:
Were there any updates completed inside the arena itself or was everything limited to the concourses and additions? That's the one thing I noted attending a few games there the past two seasons, how dungy and tired it is getting inside the actual arena.
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Minimal from what I can gather. Updated restrooms (thank god!) as well as new branding, paint....a refresh so to speak.

I think most of this investment was for 2 reasons....

1. Ensure that Maine is competitive at the highest levels of college hockey and and able to attract high level recruits. Hence 2/3 of the budget went into the Shawn Walsh Center.
2. Enhance revenue producing areas.....new Bear Necessities athletic store, new Rafters concession and ability to serve alcohol.

I think that they got bang for their buck. Of course it would have been great to see them expand seating capacity and renovate the existing cramped seating but that honestly would have become a $100 million project.
 
Wasn't sure where to drop this but this seems like the most appropriate thread.....

www.pressherald.com

University of Maine will receive $45M for health science complex

The federal funding, secured by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, comes after UMaine recently commissioned a study that found adding a medical school was not currently feasible.
www.pressherald.com www.pressherald.com

Susan Collins comes through in an election year with $45 million worth of pork for UMaine! Will be interesting to see where they build this new health & life sciences building/complex. It also keeps the dream a medical school alive despite the recent study results stating that it was not feasible. I think it will be telling where they build this on campus....most likely choosing a location that has room for expansion for a med school. My personal feeling about all of this is that we will eventually see another massive donation from the Harold Alfond Foundation in 5-10 years that will be earmarked for the Harold Alfond Medical School.
 
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