Tim and Paul Recap HPC Phase 2 Ground Breaking with audio comments from UND President & more

On Tuesday 8.22.23- Tim and Paul visit about the latest ground breaking ceremony yesterday in celebration of the phase two addition to the the Fritz Pollard High Performance Center. Hear comments from the University President, Andrew Armacost, CEO of the UND Alumni Foundation DeAnna Carlson Zink, Champions Club's Tim Belmore, Vice President of Development Mike Mannausau about the gift(s) and upcoming development.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
First thing from President Arma Coost yesterdaywith his thoughts, well, I think
what it demonstrates is the huge commitmentthat our alumni and friends and donors have
to supporting our our students and ourstudent athletes. And it's it's heartwarming to
think how much of themselves they've putinto these types of projects. And so

(00:20):
you see this physical space and yousee other spaces across campus, and it
just it's seemingly this just continuous supportthat we get from from so many So
we're grateful for all that they've doneand to make these projects happen. And
President Arma Coost talks a little bitabout, you know, the regional relationship
of having a regional company step inand wanting to partner to help bring it

(00:42):
across the finish line be an importantpart moving forward, and just what that
meant As somebody who came from Coloradobefore coming to North Dakota, what has
really impressed me is that connection whereyou have regional companies and local companies saying
we're going to back your programs,We're going to back your university and sports
programs. And just like the individualdowners that Dana was talking about, it's

(01:03):
a way of leaving a legacy right, leaving something special for the students and
the many coaches and professors on campuswho actually see this through. So it's
it's just so heartwarming to see thatkind of support come to the University of
North Dakota. Dana Carlson Zinc.On hand, of course, she sits
on top of our foundation and hasbeen a part of some incredible things happening

(01:25):
on campus and has been working withso many important people that give and helping
with these projects in large measure,along with her entire team all the way
down to champions Club and within ouradministration. You know, she talked a
little bit about that too in regardsto you know, like the final kind

(01:46):
of piece is trying to work withsomebody that would really kind of saw a
big vision, and that was acorporate partner like NOTEC Insurance Company. I
think it's really important when corporations cansee the value in what we're doing on
campus, and when you have aleader in the region like NODAC Insurance Company
that understands the importance of pairing upacademic excellence and athletic success, it's just

(02:13):
magic. And when they believe inthe vision that the president has and the
athletic director has. It's just agreat day and we're so happy we get
to celebrate it today. Yeah,it was a good celebration. A lot
on hand actually, And I thoughtit was good to swing and talk to
Tim Belmore because there there's an individuallike Tim and Steve Brecky and Val Sussex

(02:34):
and people like that that are andColton Sanderson that are daily interacting with those
that make these things possible. Right, So maybe if anybody was kind of
feeling great about the day, it'dbe somebody like like Tim, right,
because he's he's day to day.I mean, he's right there, you
know, listening. Sometimes he's probablynot always hearing. Uh, you know,

(02:57):
people feel comfortable telling them, hey, I'm not happy or you know,
i'd like to see this. Andat the same time he's telling the
story of like, hey, thisis what our goal is, this is
what we want to this is whatwe envision as a department, as a
university, and he conveys that story. So if there's anybody that was feeling
probably great and you could kind oftell Tim, Tim felt like, hey,

(03:20):
this is a data to really celebrate, and he should feel because he's
right there every day, one ofthe main contacts of so many when it
comes to donors, I think itjust shows how much people care about not
only our current student athletes, butthe next generations of student athletes. I
think our last facilities on campus lastedalmost one hundred years, so I know

(03:42):
when we try to tell the story, we think about the next era and
the difference that even regardless of thesize of gift, regardless of the size
any gift is going to create animpact to two hundred plus student athletes every
single day, if facilities are goingto be used for the next maybe seventy
two, one hundred years, AndI think about that impact, and I

(04:03):
think about wow, because we've alreadydone so many different things. The old
Angolestead Arena that used to be hereon this base, the Memorial Stadium,
the Ralph Angolstead Arena as it sitstoday, the Betty just so many great
partners, so many great opportunities I'vebeen created. I just think about the
opportunities moving moving ahead in future years. Yeah, this is you know,

(04:26):
just part of the vision, right, but you know, each one that
comes to fruition is just an amazingaccomplishment. Think about this Mike Manasa,
he was doing a lot of thinkingyesterday from a standpoint of all the people
involved in this. This goes backlonger than just yesterday. This he had

(04:46):
a good perspective of and just kindof when you know, the inklings of
this maybe kind of took took place. And he was quick to point out
that it started a while ago,and everybody that has kind of jumped in
along the line should kind of puffout their chest just a little bit and
be grateful for a wonderful day.And I thought his perspective was really good

(05:10):
as far as understanding that this hasbeen a long time in the making.
It really started with its grassroots awhile ago and trying to get this whole
vision completed, the High Performance Centerand and then this additional It was always
kind of conceptually thought of together.And I think he was thinking in the

(05:30):
terms of just where it kind ofstarted and how it got to where it
was. This vision probably started withBrian Fazon. I look at our team,
and I look at Steve Bretty startedworking on this year's ago, Colton
Sanderson, Tim Belmore, Val Sussex, myself, Dianna. There's been a
number of people in our organization thathave made today a reality. We appreciate
all of them, leadership from Bransonadministration like Mark Kennedy and now with Andy

(05:54):
Armacoss, But of course it allcomes back to our donors. We can't
do this without our donors and theircommitment to our student athletes in the success
of our athletic department. Yeah,it's pretty amazing when you think about kind
of where it got it start,how long it's taken to get there.
In the in the ethos of worldhistory or whatever, it's just a blink
of an eye, really, Butfor us who live it in our own

(06:16):
Grand Forks in the University of NorthDakota, it might seem like a long
time, but in reality it's it'snot. And for them to get it
across the finish line head to startsomewhere, it started probably ten years ago,
give or take, probably with thatvision or more. And and there's
been many people that have really comealong and additionally and then got it across

(06:39):
the finish line. But if youtalk about Mike Manasa, you know where
he played football at UND, he'scoached football at UND, He's been part
of the foundation. He's kind ofseen like a little bit of campus of
all he's he's seen it all happenright in front of him. I think
that if there's perspective there that hemaybe's got it all all together. As

(07:00):
far as seeing it all come together, I have. You know, I
spent fourteenth or the twenty plus yearsthat I've been here. I've came in
as a student athlete and I sawone Memorial Stadium wasn't that bad of a
place. And when I left asa coach, it was embarrassing. So
it is come full circle. Weather, you're a football player, a track
athlete, everybody's going to benefit fromthis building. I think it's a great
opportunity for all of our coaches presentand in the future, where again that

(07:24):
the expectations shouldn't be that we're goingto lose a recruiting battle anymore, or
the ability for an athlete to comein and say I can't fully develop to
most of my potential year round training. There's no excuses, so to speak
anymore for us. So it isa great day. It's exciting. You're
right from a former athlete to acoach to now in my chair that I
have the opportunity to see all thiscome full circle. It does make it

(07:46):
special. Well, there you gosome thoughts from some of the key folks
in regards to yesterday. As likeI say, they have the ground breaking
ceremony and what is to be knownas the addition to the Fritz Pollard Athletic
Center and it is the NOTAC InsuranceCompany Sports Performance Center. What goes into

(08:11):
that area if you're just general JoeSmo Schmo General Public, And I've seen
renderings kind of a three D walkthrough at one time. Everything is always
subject to change as they continue tobuild it, and so I don't want
to say like it's locked in stone, but I have seen where, you
know, a three D rendering whereyou walk through and where the you know,

(08:33):
football locker room would be located,where the softball locker room will be
located, where the track and field, a cross country locker rooms will be
located. Those are the main things, because those are immediate needs in regards
to those that need locker rooms onour campus in regards to just a change
of scenery from where they are nowwithin the ahis lop or or or elsewhere,

(08:58):
and then that was going to bemy what exactly is going to be
in there? So we'll start withthe locker rooms, okay, and these
will be locker rooms that will havebetter common areas and different things, far
better and different than than what theycurrently have now, where essentially these locker
rooms are fairly spartan in his slop, going back to the day, they'll

(09:20):
be just more spacious, I think, just but not too spacious, because
they've done research. Believe it ornot, I believe that they say,
like, if the locker rooms gettoo big, then that doesn't foster team
building and things like that. Theydo stuff like they people study this stuff.
It's weird, it's crazy. Andthen when you talk about the locker

(09:45):
rooms, let's move beyond that.So housing are our teams in regards to
the student athletes having a daily placewhere they can feel like I can go
hang out in my locker room,I can be around my teammates. I
don't just want to go home orgo back to my apartment or whatever.
I just I can easily just hangingout here wait for my next session of
workout. I can easily get onover to study wherever I need to study.

(10:07):
But become more of a home,I think, starting their first and
foremost secondly, athletic training. Wehave good athletic training areas. If you're
only at Ralphingalstead arena, obviously you'respoiled and that's about the only place that
you kind of spend time. Soso you can only speak on that,

(10:30):
which I would say you speak prettygood because it's pretty neat stuff over there.
But we need, you know,we need to continue to you know,
facilitate better facilities for not only ourstudent athletes, but for our trainers
to work in and allow them toreally continue to help our athletes recover and

(10:50):
recoup from various injuries that occur.And so that will include that and the
various uh you know, things andtools basically that they require in order to
have a top notch training facility,athletic training facility to help our athletes recover
better. And then secondly or andthen thirdly I guess I already that would

(11:11):
be third okay, tribe can I'mnot keeping track here? But and then
third, uh is the weight thestrength and conditioning facility weights. You know,
this is a large, massive areathat can I think, you know,
get get our student athletes, uh, you know, in the circuit

(11:35):
quicker, faster, getting you know, getting through their workouts in a timely
manner in a good, spacious,wide open area where it's just clean,
bright, probably loud with music playingand stuff like all that good stuff,
but it's it's too allow and andbasically it's all right there. They don't

(11:56):
they don't have to run across campusor have to run across buildings. It's
all going to be there at theirfingertips. And so I think just from
that standpoint alone, I think ourstudent athletes being able to recruit to that
and then also being able to actuallysee it in action, it should help
with retention of student athletes because they'relike, well, why else would I
go somewhere else when it's all righthere? Right? And so that's what

(12:22):
that part of the facility will willdo one once it becomes a full addition
to the Fritz Pollard High Performance Center. So that's that's what goes into that
place. Most of the offices forathletics staff, for example, the athletics
department for coaches such as softball andfootball, and and and and track and

(12:45):
field will be housed. I believe, I believe the thought process isn't.
Of course, everything is subject tochange, right, I believe would still
be in Memorial Village, which iswhere Memorial Stadium once stood. That's where
those offices I believe are will intendedto be. Is that that's if you
look at it, you're like,when is it going to be done?
It's amazing how fast that thing hascome up. But lion up. But

(13:09):
this, this facility, to myknowledge, is mostly stressed and centered along
the student athletes their home for lockerrooms, training and recovery, basically as
kind of what it becomes. Well, the coaches have got to be really
excited about the fact of recruiting toa situation like that. Yeah, I

(13:30):
think they go back with the reason. Zach Parisy would tell you the reason
why it came to und the trainingfacilities, and he could be on the
ice anytime you wanted. Yep,that's goes along, goes a long way.
Yeah that at that time. Yeah, a whole a lot of places
have that. No, that's exactlyright. I would say that, you

(13:52):
know, there's a bit of anarms race, even at our level in
college sports. It never really ceases. But if you do it right,
I think that it gives you animpact to actually have it last for a
long time. You think about hisslop and how long it has served its
useful purpose. It is been done. It's it's a grand old lady.

(14:16):
In my estimation. Yeah, Imean you're well, I mean we're not
quite two one hundred. But hewas trying to make a point and it
was a nineteen fifty year or whateverit was when it came online. The
story that kind of told a coupleof times yesterdays. We want to talk
about Fritz Pollard, and his namepopped up. Obviously, this is going

(14:37):
on to the addition that that hisfirst you know, has been in use
now the Fritz Pollard High Performance Center. This is a guy who won a
bronze medal in the Berlin nineteen thirtysix Games and trained while he was at
the University of North Dakota. Thisstory was told a couple of times yesterday
by the President, by Bill Javesand others that when when he was here,

(15:03):
he would in order to be ableto train in the wintertime, you
know, because we're next to therailroad tracks there, he would run a
top of box cars and then ashe got to the break between cars,
you know, because he could hurdle, he would hurdle from one car to
the next. Wow, that's howwe would train. You're talking about one
of the great great athletes, uh, you know of maybe the last century.

(15:26):
You think about an Olympic medalist,that's a that's an tremendous athlete,
let alone from our school, that'sin the correct in the nation's history.
That's a great athlete. That's incredible. Wasn't moving No, I don't know.
But but again, I think whathas happened here is that it gives

(15:50):
those coaches an opportunity to say,hey, we've got a facility that can
make a difference and allow you tofoster you, uh, sense of where
you're gonna have a home to feellike you can go relax in you in
your locker room and in that area, you're gonna be able to walk out
to training at the high Performance Centerwhere you can work on the track,

(16:11):
you can work on the field,you can work, you can easily go
to strength and conditioning right down thehall essentially and go to the weight room.
You can recover and work with trainersimmediately they're right there. No more
walk into a building or you know, things of that nature. It's just
it's it's gonna be seamless, andas you mentioned, the recruiting piece,

(16:33):
that's certainly a big deal in today'syou know, Like I say, it's
a bit of an arms race whenit comes to facilities, even at our
level. But this puts us ina great position for a long period of
time. They're again, they're notlooking at this as a well, we're
only going to use it for tenyears. They've they've seen what a good
building can do if you take careof it and put a little love into

(16:56):
it. With the his Slop,nobody's saying that the his hasn't been remarkable.
Everybody's just saying, hey, itserved a long, wonderful, wonderful
life. It's just time to toenvision something. This is the next edition
and can it serve us for thenext fifty sixty, seventy eighty eighty years.
And it's it's I think every indicationis they hope so, and they

(17:18):
believe it will. And that wasthe other thing I did talk to the
team at Nodec Insurance Company yesterday.I didn't put their quotes and then maybe
I'll bring it up. I'll justsay this. That was one of the
things I took away in my conversationswith them, is is that that they
were like, well, when wewhen we thought, gosh, you know,
you and the athletics in a lotof ways has been centered around the

(17:40):
his slap for you know, seventyeighty years, right. Essentially, to
be a part of something with avision of being you know, the focal
point for you and the athletics forsixty seventy eighty years is a pretty good
idea for us, if you ifyou're talking about long term, right,
and so I mean that that thesepeople are incredibly intelligent people and have been

(18:04):
a part of our region for along time. So they're thinking, hey,
when when when you and he putsomething together, they do it for
you know, long term use,that that's when that's a good time to
get involved. And so we appreciatenote Co Insurance Company getting involved. But
I again it becomes more official.I would just say this that you know,

(18:26):
I wouldn't put those shovels away yet. You may need those those ceremony
shovels the three Yeah, right,you may need those ceremony shovels a bit
longer. You know. It's gettingto the point now where I think just
all these people just got to carrythem in their vehicles for whatever they need
to get out to do. Anotherone of these can bring your shovel okay,

(18:48):
yeah, yeah, so if youneed to borrow. The only thing
that I was disappointed about yesterday isit didn't get to see big pair of
scissors. I would really like tosee in the ribbon cut with a big
the giant scissors I was I washoping we'd get a big pair of giant

(19:10):
scissors on hand. And because Iwant to see what the competition is in
the scissor of giant scissor game,because I'm thinking about getting into that,
maybe competing in that space. Yeah. So anyway, great day for U
and d un D Athletics, forthe community of Grand Forks, just once
again basically showing that you know,people care a great deal about the university,

(19:37):
University of North Dakota Athletics and somany that projects like this can become
a reality. It's pretty humbling,so pretty cool stuff. Well I think
too, what it does Like youtalked about the arms race, right,
yeah, now there's going to beother institutions, yea gonna go Are we
falling behind here? Well that's true. Yeah, I mean others too,

(20:03):
to try to upgrade a little bit. Yeah, everybody, No, every
everybody's got to uh, you know, kind of sometimes raise the bar,
you know. And and if somebodydoes something down the road, uh wherever
that might be, it oftentimes raisesthe bar yet again. So but this

(20:25):
definitely changes the game for for Uand D as far as its overall vision
of how this athletics department for thestudent athlete will operate for the foreseeable future
because having them a last vast majorityof the student athletes, not all because
basketball is over at the Betty andso its volleyball and soccer and hockey are
over at Ria. But when youget a lot large portion of the athletes,

(20:48):
because people don't realize there's a lotof student athletes in track and field
and football and softball, those aresome big, big numbered type of rosters
that will this will be a hugeplace for them to hang their hats,
their book bags and everything else whenthey need to go to work and become
the best athlete that they can bein the part of the student athletes.

(21:11):
So anyway, really big day yesterday, Really need to get some quotes from
some of the key players and allof this, and there we go.
It's six thirty five. It's time. I mean, let's get the latest
in weather from weather spider dot comand the Weather Center this morning. Here's
our first look for a Tuesday withTim