I just met with Dan Rocha, who is the head of Development for the Smith Center renovation.  There are a number of important points that came out of the meeting.

1)  Dr. Knapp is deeply commited to the project and he personally put together the $10 million deal with the Smith and Kogod families.

2)  Dan understands that there needs to be a significant change in culture with the entire athletic department at GW for this renovation effort to succeed.

3)  Dan is a very serious and determined guy who is going to do whatever has to be done to build up the program at GW.  And there are major changes coming down the pike.

4)  For all of those (including me) that have complained about how things are run AND want to be a part of the solution or have questions, you should contact Dan and he will give it to you straight - no nonsense - no bullshit.

5)  His email is: drocha@gwu.edu and he will talk to any serious GW basketball fan and lay out the plan.  He is also receptive to input.

6)   You can't complain that no one listens anymore until you talk to him.

Mike K,

Like a ton of guys in alumni affairs and development he is new.  He started in May of last year.  He seems to have a relatively close relationship with Dr. Knapp.  He went to school at Penn and graduated from Temple.  He coached basketball in HS or AAU.  He clearly demonstrated to me that he understands what it will require to take GW athletics to a higher level.  He was etremely tough and pragmatic in talking about what kinds of changes have to occur if that is to happen.  He was very focused on the needed changes in the culture.  People are going to do things differently or they're going to have to move on.

When he talked about coaching basketball he talked about going into the game to win - by whatever means the letter of the rules allowed.  He isn't a guy that seems to be interested in just showing well.  He talked about winning and that in this project losing is not one of the options that he sees on the table.  He was a very persuasive guy. 

But PLEASE don't take my word for it.  Contact him and talk to him and see for yourself.  drocha@gwu.edu

I think we can also epect a rollout of the effort soon with invites to season ticket holders and AD club members.  There is a pretty elaborate power point/slide presentation that they've put together and he intends to increase dramatically the communications between GW and the fan base.  He actually didn't ask for any money.  He said watch and see if we start to do things better and he'll be calling later when he's demonstrated that the school has changed course.  I've heard plenty of pitches in my lfe in many venues and he was impressive.  I think just what the doctor ordered.  And we'll see what happens.

Abe Pollin ahs been etremely ill for quit some time, but with that being said he is and has always been a staunch supporter of his alma mater...He was actually going to be recognized this year by the university, but his illness prevented his presence and he did not want to be recognized in abstentia...

Also, where do you come up with the fact that his loyalties lie with the Hoya's?

I plan to write to him and call him, here are some of the points I'm raising:

1.  Replace auiliary gym space behind main bleachers for new concourse, consisting of circulation space, bathrooms and concessions.  Food venues and a GW gift shop, along with trophy/display cases.  The walls should be covered with murals, plaques and other installations celebrating the history of GW athletics.

2.  Replace the cinder block walls behind the baskets with ground level seating.  Here and in the upper sections, try to increase overall seating capacity of Smith Center by at least 1,000.

3.  Up to date and epanded locker rooms and support facilities for teams and staff.

4.  Improvements to entrance areas and eterior.

What else?

Other than not always being up to date with who's on the floor, GW's scoreboard is as good, and typically better, than the ones in every venue I've seen them play in.  Maybe the programming needs to be updated but I would think that's a user issue, 

notta:

Etra seating capacity shouldn't be a problem - the new campus master plan calls for higher density development along 22nd Street, so epansion of the Smitty is consistant with this goal.  The new hospital, the Marvin Center epansion, three new residence halls and townhouse row, the HellWell, the law school epansion, the Media and Public Affairs bldg., the new Elliott School facility and the new B-school (Duques' Hall) ... all built despite neighborhood opposition to GW growth.

Truth is Truth,

Yes Dan is in charge of raising the money not the design.  AND if you want to kick in a big chunk of money I'll bet you can have some input on some of the design features.  Mostly I would guess that the basic design is done, though so the process now is about raising money for it.