Albany Great Danes

Infobox college athletics
name = UAlbany Great Danes

university = University at Albany
conference = America East | division = Division I
director = Lee A. McElroy
city = Albany
state = New York
stateabb = NY
teams = 19 (8 Men & 11 Women)
stadium = University Field
arena = SEFCU Arena
mascot = Great Danes (Damien & Lil' D)
nickname = Great Danes
color1 = Purple
color2 = Gold
hex1 = 452663
hex2 = FFC726
pageurl = http://www.ualbanysports.com/
pagename = Albany Great Danes

History

University at Albany intercollegiate athletics date back to the late 1890s, but its development was hampered for several decades by inadequate facilities, by uncertain financial support, and the relatively small number of male students in an institution designed to develop elementary school teachers. Tennis remained a constant from 1898 on and men’s basketball dates back to 1909, but attempts to field teams in football (1922), baseball (1896-1901), swimming and hockey were aborted. Expansion into men’s and women’s sports increased after World War II, and then expanded greatly in the 1960s (men’s sports of lacrosse, track & field, cross-country and swimming moved from club to varsity status, and women’s tennis, softball, field hockey, basketball and swimming were introduced), a direct result of the introduction of the new Uptown Campus (see item above) and its expanded athletic facilities. A nickname change also occurred, the Pedagogues becoming the Great Danes — making UAlbany the only American college or university with that mascot.

All athletics are run by the University at Albany Department of Athletics and Recreation. After the 1972 NCAA restructuring, the university competed in Division III athletics till the 1995-96 school year. The university would remain in Division II athletics until 1999 and currently has 19 varsity sports (8 men, 11 women) competing at the Division I level. The school's sports teams have participated in the America East Conference since 2001. Football participates in the Football Championship Subdivision (former Division I-AA) as an associate member of the Northeast Conference.

In addition to varsity sports, UAlbany competes in many sports at the club level such as men's hockey, rugby, crew and swim. However, these teams are not affiliated with the Department of Athletics and Recreation and are funded by the Student Association.

Teams

° - "Signifies Co-Champions"

Football

One of the most well known coaches at the university is football coach Bob Ford. The architect of the University at Albany's football program, Ford has been Albany's only head coach since the program was reinstated after a 46-year absence. Ford joined the program in 1970 when it was a club. After only three seasons at the club level, the program was upgraded to varsity status in 1973, and finished with a 7-2 record. In 1974, the team finished 9-0, the school's only undefeated season. Ford has compiled a 35-year varsity record of 216-139, while his 225 career victories ranks second among active NCAA Division I-AA head coaches. His Albany teams own a 86-44 mark for a .661 winning percentage over the last 12 years (all records as of the end of the 2007 season).

2000-Present

One of Ford's most celebrated season at the Division I level with the Great Danes was in 2002 by winning the program's first-ever Northeast Conference title. They would go on to defeat unbeaten Duquesne in the ECAC Division I-AA Football Classic.

Ford's knowledge has also created a "coaching factory scenario" at the university. More than 100 coaches, who have started their careers under Ford, are currently employed with 60 different high schools, colleges, and professional teams from around the world.

Success for Ford's program continued during the 2006 season. The Great Danes would defeat #11 Division I-AA ranked University of Delaware (a full-scholarship program) 17-10 in front of just over 22,000 people on September 16. Two weeks later, for the first time in the program’s history, the team would be ranked in both The Sports Network and College Sporting News Division I-AA national polls, ranked at No. 23 in both national rankings. The Great Danes would finish the season 7-4.

The 2006 season also marked a major change in recruitment of athletes for the football program. The program which had played non-scholarship football since being established, as of the 2006 season had begun offering scholarships to part of its roster players, joining other Northeast Conference programs in the expansion of the conferences football teams.

In 2007, the Great Danes ran through the NEC Conference, going 6-0, to win their second conference championship. In what was deemed the 'NEC Championship Game', UAlbany defeated Central Connecticut State University 49-14 in the final regular season game. The Great Danes became the fifth team in NEC history to go undefeated in conference play. The victory also gave them a postseason appearance against the University of Dayton of the Pioneer League in the Gridiron Classic in Dayton, Ohio.

In 2008, the NCAA Board of Directors' approved the expansion of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision post-season bracket, allowing the Northeast Conference to gain automatic access into the Division I Football Championship beginning in 2010. The NEC’s automatic access could come sooner than 2010 if its champion meets each of three specified criteria. The Football Championship Committee has determined to award a guaranteed at-large position to any conference champion team that:

1) accrues at least eight Division I victories; 2) wins a minimum of two non-conference games against Division I teams from a league that has earned an automatic berth in that given year; 3) ranks 16th or higher in an average of the last regular season media, coaches and/or computer polls.

UAlbany and the NFL

The UAlbany football program continues to grow under Ford's leadership, leading to connections between the program and the National Football League. Rudy Vido, who graduated in 1974 as a fullback and defensive end, became the first player in school history to try-out for an NFL team. He tried out for the New England Patriots, but never played in the league.

In 2005, Kurt Campbell became the first player in the program's history to be drafted into the NFL. Campbell was selected in the 7th round by the Green Bay Packers.

In the 2007 NFL Draft, Rashad Barksdale, who made the game winning interception against Delaware in 2006, became the second player in school history to be drafted. He was selected in the 6th round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Barksdale was cut however at the end of training camp, but was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, and became the first player in school history placed on an NFL 53-man roster.

Barksdale made his National Football League debut on October 7, 2007 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It marked the first time a UAlbany player had appeared in an NFL regular-season game when he took the field on special teams. He also played on the punt cover and punt return units and recorded his first career tackle in the fourth-quarter.

Barksdale was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs on August 31, 2008, but was subsequently signed to the New York Giants' practice squad.

In addition to the NFL, multiple alumni have participated in the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League.

The strongest connection to the NFL is the university hosting the New York Giants summer training camp. Since 1996, the universities practice fields are handed over to the Giants, bringing fans and media from around New York and the United States to Albany. In 2007, the school dedicated the University’s football practice field in honor of Wellington Mara and Preston Robert Tisch, the late co-owners of the Giants. Mara and Tisch were instrumental in making the University at Albany home to the Giants’ summer training camp.

Men's Basketball

auers Era

The second longest serving coach in UAlbany history belongs to Richard “Doc” Sauers. Sauers served as Great Danes men's basketball coach from 1955-1997. Little known to many, Sauers is one of the most victorious coaches in the history of college basketball with 702 victories. He led the program to eleven NCAA and four NAIA post-season tournament appearances in his tenure.

Sauers joined the program when the school was known as the State College for Teachers, and helped in the transition from the College Division into Division III and then Division II basketball. From 1975 to 1995, Sauers led the team to 10 NCAA Tournaments, 2 ECAC Championships (1978 and 1989), ten 20-win seasons and 26 17-win seasons.

Sauers finished his career with a 702-330 record in 41 seasons. Sauers achieved the prestigious 700-win mark on Feb. 8, 1997 in an 89-71 victory over the University of Bridgeport. He would retire one month later.

A banner is flown in the rafters of the SEFCU Arena honoring Sauers accomplishment of 702 wins. The college is planning on naming the court at SEFCU Arena in his name in the near future. Sauers still coaches for UAlbany, now leading the Women's Golf program, in which he led the Great Danes to the 2004 America East Championship. He also was head coach for men's golf from 1962-79. He was inducted into the university's Hall of Fame in 2004.

Division I

The process to become a legit Division I program was slow. From the 1999-00 season, the first year in Division I, to the end of the 2004-05 season, UAlbany recorded a 48-118 record. The team finished with over 10 victories in only two seasons. However, in the 2005-06 campaign, the Great Danes compiled a 21-11 season. In that season, the Great Danes would take on both the eventual national champion Florida Gators and UCLA Bruins, both of which would play each other for the National Championship.

"Why Not Us?"

On March 11, 2006, the men's basketball team won the America East conference tournament, earning the school (and the SUNY system) its first ever berth to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, defeating the University of Vermont 80-67 in a sold out RACC. The Great Danes were seeded #16 in the Washington, D.C. region and were matched up against top-seeded UConn. Despite the #16 seed being 0-87 before Albany took the floor, Head Coach Will Brown believed that his team had a chance to beat UConn in the tournament. With that, the team took the motto, "Why Not Us?". Fans and alumni wore shirts with the motto.

On March 17, 2006, the Danes nearly became the first #16 seed to defeat a #1 seed in the Division I tournament. The Danes, down only 1 at the half, went on a 13-0 run early in the second half to take a double-digit lead over the Huskies. With the game televised on CBS, the Danes led 50-38 with just over 11 minutes left in the game. However, a late run by the Huskies' stifling defense stopped the Danes' offense, and the Huskies averted the upset, winning 72-59. The play against UConn gave the program instant notoriety.

2006-Present

In the 2006-07 season, the Great Danes faced a much stronger America East conference. The Great Danes would accomplish a 20-9 regular season, but be the #2 seed in the conference tournament. This forced the Great Danes to travel to Vermont, who was the #1 seed for the conference championship, where they were previously 0-7.

The Great Danes, considered underdogs, would not falter. On March 10, 2007, the men's basketball team won their second consecutive America East title beating Vermont 60-59 in the conference final on a last second steal by Carl Ross and Brent Wilson. The Great Danes would be seeded 13th in the South Division of the 2007 NCAA Division I Tournament, and lost to the 4th seed Virginia Cavaliers 84-57 in the first round in Columbus, Ohio.

Prior to the conclusion of the 2006-2007 season, the men's basketball program retired the number 31 of player Jamar Wilson. Wilson finished his career as the school’s all-time scorer with 2,164 points, plus ranked second in assists with 488. Wilson became the first player in school history to score 500 points or more in three different seasons. He also shattered the school standard with 620 points in a season, breaking a record set by Jason Graber in 1993-94. He would also win two America East Player of the Year Awards, something only three other people in conference history had achieved. Many believe that his commitment to the university is part of the early Division I success of UAlbany's men's basketball program. No athlete in the program's history has had their number retired prior.

The program has participated in ESPN's BraketBuster series in 2005-06 at Virginia Commonwealth, 2006-07 at Boise State, both of which were shown on one of ESPN's family of networks. Early in the 2007-08 season the Great Danes played a nationally televised game against the Duke Blue Devils, losing by a score of 111-70. The Great Danes participated in ESPNU Bracketbusters for the third consecutive year in 2007-08, against the Canisius Golden Griffins.

In 2009, the University at Albany will play host to its first America East Men’s Basketball Championship at the 4,538-seat SEFCU Arena on campus. The nine-team tournament runs from Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8, with the quarterfinal and semifinal games played on Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8.

Men's Lacrosse

One of the fastest growing programs in the school is the UAlbany Men's Lacrosse Program.

The program began in 1970 with a 3-7 record competing in Division III. In 1975, the program would reach the ECAC Division III Tournament under coach Dave Armstrong. From 1975 to 1997, the Great Danes would reach two more ECAC Division III Tournaments. In 1997 the Great Danes would reach the finals of the ECAC Division II Tournament.

2000-2006

In 2000, the Great Danes began play in the America East at the Division I level. In 2001, Scott Marr was given the reigns of the program. Even though the Great Danes finished with a 3-8 record in 2001, the Great Danes compiled an 8-6 regular season to take the regular season conference championship in the America East in 2002. They would reach the championship game but lose to Stony Brook University 8-6.

Led by a new crop of recruits, some of the first lacrosse players in school history to be on scholarship, such as Kevin Rae and Luke Daquino, the Great Danes would start making a mark on college lacrosse in 2003. The Great Danes would go 8-6 and seek revenge against Stony Brook in the America East semifinals 11-5 to move on to face the University of Hartford for the America East Championship. On May 3, 2003, Albany would defeat Hartford 7-5 to win their first ever America East Championship. They would go on to face and lose to Princeton University in the first round on the NCAA Tournament.

The success for the Great Danes would not stop after 2003. With incoming recruits and a strong core of returning players, the Great Danes would continue their championship ways. In 2004, including an upset against the University of Massachusetts, the Great Danes would go on to win another America East Championship. They would play Syracuse University in the first round and lose 21-13.

The surge would continue into 2005 as the Great Danes defeated Stony Brook 16-7 to win their third straight America East Championship. However, the first round NCAA Tournament jinx would continue as the Great Danes were demolished by the University of Virginia 23-9.

2006 would be an off year for the Great Danes. With all-time career points leader at the time Luke Daquino and career saves leader Kevin Rae graduated, the team was young and over matched. The Great Danes would sneak into the America East Tournament, but lose 19-10 to UMBC. However, it would be soon that the Great Danes would go back to their winning ways.

Despite a season of struggles in 2006, the program took one major stride during the season. In the fall of 2005, John Fallon Field was completed and became the new home of the Great Danes. An all-weather facility, Albany finally had a place to call home. In previous seasons the team would play home games at University Field. However, do to harsh winters and wet springs, the field was usually not in playing condition come lacrosse season. This forced many home games to be played at local high schools and community colleges. With John Fallon Field, Albany now had one of the premier outdoor lacrosse fields in the Northeast.

2007 Season

In the 2007 season, the lacrosse team would be ranked in the top-25 in both USILA and Nike/Inside Lacrosse polls and reached a high of #2 in the USILA poll. Notable wins were against #1 ranked Johns Hopkins Blue Jays and #10 Delaware. On May 13, 2007, the men's lacrosse team became the first team at the Division I level to advance/win a match in the NCAA Tournament, defeating Loyola College 19-10 in front of nearly 3,000 people at John Fallon Field. One week later, the Great Danes were defeated by undefeated Cornell University 12-11 in the NCAA Quarterfinals at Princeton University.

The team finished ranked #4 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse poll, the highest ranking for any team in school history. Head Coach Scott Marr was awarded the USILA Division I National Lacrosse Coach of the Year to cap the amazing season.

One of the big stars for the lacrosse team in 2007 was senior attackman Frank Resetarits. He would become the first Great Dane in school history to earn first-team All-America honors as he was selected to the 2007 USILA All-America Team. Resetarits was also named a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy. Resetarits would also become the first lacrosse player in school history to be drafted into the Major League Lacrosse, selected by the Washington Bayhawks, but being traded and making his debut with the Long Island Lizards. Resetarits would also join the National Lacrosse League, drafted #5 overall by the San Jose Stealth in 2007 NLL Draft.

Resetarits was joined in the pros by UAlbany elite goal scorer Merrick Thomson. Thomson would sign a free agent contract with the New Jersey Pride on the MLL, and then drafted #2 overall by the Philadelphia Wings in the 2007 NLL Draft. Both Thomson and Resetarits are ranked one and two in career points at Albany. Thomson is also the all-time leading scorer in Great Danes history. Defender Liam Gleason was also signed by the New Jersey Pride shorty after the 2007 Major League Lacrosse draft.

Two other pieces of the championship team were drafted in the 2008 Major League Lacrosse draft. Midfielder Jordan Levine was selected 10th Overall by the New Jersey Pride re-uniting him with Thomson and Gleason. Star goaltender Brett Queener was selected 48th Overall by the Rochester Rattlers making him the 5th UAlbany graduate to play professionally in Major League Lacrosse.

At the conclusion of the 2008 Major League Lacrosse season, Queener gained the win the in the championship game against the Denver Outlaws on Sunday August 24, 2008. Queener not only played a part in goal, but also ran down the field and gained an assist on a play that was voted the most exciting of the championship weekend on the Major League Lacrosse website. The following Tuesday, Merrick Thomson was named the most improved player of the 2008 season with his improved statistics in his second year with the New Jersey Pride.

Other Division I Athletic Success

* The Athletic Program would win a record-tying eight conference titles in the 2006-2007 school year, including five during the spring sports period. The Great Danes took home the conference championship in women's volleyball, men’s indoor track & field, men’s basketball, men’s lacrosse, men’s & women’s outdoor track & field, baseball and softball.

* The women's volleyball team in 2006 became the first team in school history to host a Division I NCAA Tournament event. In 2007, the Great Danes won their second consecutive America East Conference championship and defeated Cleveland State 3-0 to win their first NCAA Division I Tournament match, led by coach Kelly Sheffield. Sheffield would lead UAlbany to three NCAA Tournaments during his seven seasons as head coach.

* Men's soccer goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul would sign a contract with the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer and make his professional debut, the first for an Albany alumni in the major-American (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS etc...) sports, on May 13, 2006. In January 2008, Coundoul was named to the Senegal National Soccer Team to compete in the 2008 African Cup of Nations Tournament in Ghana. The African Cup is the highest level soccer championship tournament in Africa. With being named, Coundoul became the first MLS player to ever compete in the tournament.

* Baseball won its first ever conference championship in 2007. They were selected as the #4 seed in the Fayetteville Regional in the 2007 NCAA Baseball Tournament (#1 University of Arkansas, #2 Creighton, #3 Oklahoma State).

* UAlbany has had six players selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft: Terry Kenny (9th round, 1974, San Francisco Giants), Steve Checksfield (10th round, 2001, Houston Astros), Mike Grasso (11th round, 2002, Atlanta Braves), Adam Kroft (30th round, 2004, San Diego Padres), Tom Hill (34th round, 2007, Kansas City Royals), and Mike Konstanty (39th round, 2008, Cincinnati Reds). No Great Dane has ever played in the majors.

* Softball won three straight conference titles from 2005-2007. The team would win its first NCAA Division I Tournament game and advance to its first regional final after defeating Harvard 1-0 and Hofstra 4-2 in 2007.

* Three former student athletes have competed in the Olympic Games. Andy Seras competed in the 149.5-pound Greco-Roman wrestling group in the 1988 Seoul Olympics for Team USA. Shawn Sheldon competed in the 114.5-pound Greco-Roman wrestling group in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics for Team USA. Rob Caracciolo competed in the 1,500 meter Track and Field event in the 2004 Athens Olympics for Equatorial Guinea.

Rivalries

iena

UAlbany's biggest rival is Siena College located in Loudonville, NY. Both schools are separated by convert|8|mi|km and both fan bases have strong hate for one another.

While teams from multiple sports will face each other annually, the strongest part of the rivalry lies with men's basketball. Both teams met for the 47th time in 2007. The first match-up was February 23, 1957 in which Siena defeated Albany 75-66 at Albany. After nearly twenty years, the series ended on February 3, 1977 with a 62-49 Albany victory. The series was restarted in 2001 with Siena going 6-1 against the Great Danes. Overall, Siena is 29-18 against UAlbany.

All games since 2001 have taken place in the Times Union Center, officially making it a home game for Siena. Since 2001, the game has averaged 10,428 attendance for the annual match-up.

While the women's basketball match-up receives less fan fare then the men's game, it is part of the Albany Cup battle. Siena owns a 10-3 all-time record against UAlbany, with their first match-up in the 1975-76 season.

While both the men's and women's basketball games battle for the Albany Cup, the rivalry has been dubbed the "Crosstown Showdown" by sportscasters in the Capital Region.

Binghamton

A notable rivalry exists between the Great Danes and the Binghamton University Bearcats. Both teams joined the America East conference around the same time, and are relatively new to Division I sports. Their SUNY connection as well as geographic proximity has fostered the rivalry and generated the name, "The I-88 Rivalry"." Both teams post the largest away crowds at either school's athletic events. While Siena is sometimes viewed as Albany's top rival, Albany is largely considered Binghamton's biggest rival.

Broadus vs. Brown

In 2007, the rivalry between the two schools took an unexpected and interesting twist. After a Binghamton 71-57 victory at Albany on January 12, 2008, UAlbany's Will Brown said he was an "Al Walker guy," a reference to the Binghamton coach that was fired after the 2006-07 season.

In the postgame comments, Brown also spoke about Binghamton players Mike Gordon, who scored 32 points in the game, and Reggie Fuller. About Gordon, Brown stated, "Gordon is the best point guard in our league. They’ve got a lot of talent. I thought we came out flat. We let a good player in Gordon get in a rhythm. It’s probably a career night for him shooting." Brown then followed up on Fuller saying, "We’re playing against Reggie Fuller, not Dikembe Mutombo. I mean, come on. Fuller’s a decent player at this level. He had six points and three blocks. We’re pump-faking and hesitating like we’re trying to score over Mutombo. It’s not a knock on Fuller. He’s a solid player. But why not go right through the guy. Pump-fake. Go right through him. We were soft. I’ve got no problems saying it. We were soft."

In an interview with Binghamton student newspaper Pipe Dream writer Ben Masur prior to the second meeting of the season, Binghamton coach Kevin Broadus unloaded on Brown. Broadus said, "Trust me, the players are aware of it. It was unprofessional, we don’t do that as the coaching fraternity. I don’t know the guy, his past with Walker, or anybody. It's been a rivalry. You don’t do that." He would add, "These guys will be hyped up. And I will be hyped up. The guy put something in my system that will not go away. You just don't do those things. I would never talk about Albany. I have two dear friends there. I would never say anything negative if they’ve had some success. Its classless."

After hearing the comments, Brown was quoted as saying, "I didn’t attack Mike Gordon. My thing is, to play the percentages, Mike wasn’t known as a 3-point shooter. I stand by that. You take the 8 for 11 away, and he’s a 30 percent shooter (from 3-point range). A good player stepped up and made plays. He beat us … so there was nothing to attack on Mike Gordon. And the thing I said about Reggie Fuller, we were hesitating around him. He’s a great athlete, but my reference to Mutomobo, we were hesitating like were playing against one of the greatest shot blockers in the history of the game. You can spin things how ever you want."

After a 74-62 UAlbany victory at the Events Center on February 27, 2008, the teams had to be separated during the postgame handshake line when Binghamton coach Kevin Broadus pointed at UAlbany coach Will Brown and then pushed Great Danes assistant Chad O'Donnell. The incident started when at game's end, Broadus and Brown shook hands, but Broadus began pointing at Brown as they spoke. He continued pointing at Brown as the UAlbany coach proceeded down the line.

Broadus stated, "I just said, 'Please don't talk about my players and my program in the media, that's all that was said. I wanted to make sure he understands that, you know, I'm going to protect my guys and I'm not going to let guys take shots at my guys."

Broadus then pushed O'Donnell. "He got up in my face and said, 'Back up,' " Broadus said. "And I was like, 'No, no, no don't touch me.' That was as simple as that."

America East commissioner Patrick Nero was in attendance and spoke with both coaches after the game. The results of the incident were a one game suspension for the final regular season game for both Broadus and O'Donnell.

Vermont

The other notable athletic rivalry is between Albany and the University of Vermont (UVM). UAlbany and UVM have twice met in the America East tournament finals (basketball) with Albany winning both games. The first win came in 2006 at home and the second came in 2007 at Vermont (Albany's first-ever win in Vermont).

Annual Sporting Events

The Department of Athletics annually host two major sporting events. The first event is the Homecoming Football Game.

The University’s first Homecoming Weekend was held October 31, 1953 and it featured a soccer game, punch party, and a dance. This first Homecoming appears to have been organized by the Senior Class, reuniting the Classes of 1951, 1952, and 1953.

Every fall since then, the UAlbany campus becomes a hub of activity during Homecoming/Family Weekend. One highlight of the Weekend is checking out Great Dane Athletics. The highest level of tail-gaiting takes place during this weekend while the University hosts the Homecoming Touchdown Tailgate.

During Homecoming Weekend, the Athletic Department also enshrines players, coaches and administration from the past into the UAlbany Athletic Hall of Fame. The most recent inductees can be found at the UAlbany Athletic Website. [http://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15800&KEY=&ATCLID=839038&SPID=9801&SPSID=82656]

The Big Purple Growl is the annual winter homecoming. The Ferocious Feast kicks off the festivities with lots of great food and fun. The Growl usually features a doubleheader with both the women’s and men’s basketball teams playing home at the SEFCU Arena. Beginning in 1997, this annual event is an exciting fun-filled, spirited day for all members of the University community.

The University also hosts an annual Cross Country Meet (UAlbany Invitational), Track and Field (UAlbany Classic) and other events.

Fight song

Purple and gold,
your colors shining through
Hear as the carillons
are ringing true
The State of New York
sends up its cheer to you
Let’s go Albany!

Hail, young and old
We shall prevail,
purple and gold
One true triumphant call
Albany Danes are standing tall

Purple and gold,
our flags are waving high,
sending our victory song
into the sky
All of the world will fear
our mighty cry
Let’s go Albany!

Project 2010

As part of the Athletic Departments "Project 2010" and continuing to improve the programs recognition, the University has a stated goal of updating and renovating the current athletic facilities to be completed by the year 2010.

Phase 1 - Includes synthetic turf fields for the Lacrosse and Field Hockey teams, seating for 2,500. It also includes the construction of a University wide Cross Country Trail entitled "The Purple Path." - "Phase complete; however, full Purple Path to be completed at a date TBD."

Phase 2 - Calls for the construction of a Multi-purpose stadium. The stadium, which will host campus and community events, concerts and UAlbany Football program, and will seat 10,000 fans. In addition to the multi-purpose stadium, Phase 2 will also see renovations to SEFCU Arena.

Phase 3 - Upon moving the location of the football field, Phase 3 renovates the vacated UAlbany Bowl into open green space. The Track and Field events will also be moved behind the current softball field.

Phase 4 - Includes a turf field for soccer (2500 seats) as well as a Baseball Stadium (2500 seats). In addition field venues and practice fields, and Indian Lake Amphitheater/Plaza.

Phase 5 - Will see renovations to the Physical Education building (volleyball courts and indoor swimming pool).

Phase 6 - Includes new parking lots on the Northwest side of the track, as well as cleaning up the area around Indian Lake.

External links

* [http://www.albany.edu/ University at Albany]
* [http://www.ualbanysports.com/ UAlbany Athletics]
* [http://historyisfreakingawesome.com/2008/08/22/great-danes-the-origin-of-americas-greatest-college-mascot-revealed/ The History Of UAlbany's Mascot, The Great Dane"]