The field is named....

[duke4ever19]

If I contribute that kind of cash to a football program not named Alabama, Fl State, Ohio St. etc. then I expect that field named after me.

This is a serious boost to a program that was, till recently, a complete joke among NCAA football programs. Good on Cut for resurrecting it these past few years, but he hasn't yet earned the right to have a football field named after him. Win a few more bowl games and a ACC Championship and we can talk.

[snowdenscold]

I would rather it be Brooks Field than being named after a corporate donor. So there's that silver lining.

Just want to echo this sentiment. Last name >>> corporate name.

[CameronBornAndBred]

If I contribute that kind of cash to a football program not named Alabama, Fl State, Ohio St. etc. then I expect that field named after me.

This is a serious boost to a program that was, till recently, a complete joke among NCAA football programs. Good on Cut for resurrecting it these past few years, but he hasn't yet earned the right to have a football field named after him. Win a few more bowl games and a ACC Championship and we can talk.

But that's the thing...we can't. The field has been named. Think they are going to take that away in the future to name it after Cut (or any other athletic contributor)? Doubtful. I echo the others that naming a building (hell, they ARE building a new press box after all) would have been a nice and appropriate acknowledgement. I also agree with others that at least it isn't corporate.

[Duvall]

If you don't like the name of the field, there's a simple $14 million solution...

[Wander]

Why do we even name fields/courts separately from stadiums/arenas, anyway?

[Duvall]

Why do we even name fields/courts separately from stadiums/arenas, anyway?

To get two (or three!) naming opportunities for the same facility without having to rename anything.

[Billy Dat]

To get two (or three!) naming opportunities for the same facility without having to rename anything.

Sporks for Wu. Imagine if Russell Tyrone Jones had put up the $. ODB Field, which bring us back to Bill Cosby.

[duke09hms]

Duke's endowment is a solid $7.0B (when I was a freshman in 2007, it was around $2.3B IIRC. Broadhead can raise funds). However, that is only good for 15th in the country. Any funds that can go into academics and the students is a huge plus. So, if someone wants to spend $13M for naming rights to a school, I say, "Awesome. That will mean more money for the school and, through a trickle down effect, academics".

That is actually not true at all. Among the several knocks people have on Dr. Brodhead, an undeniably material one is his inability to fundraise on par with his peers. In 2007, the endowment was 5.9B. Don't know where you got your 2.3B from but we haven't been anywhere near that ballpark since the 90s. And I would say, what is more important is our relative place. Since Brodhead took the reins, several schools have passed us by in endowment and fundraising. Sure there was the downturn in 08, but since that affected everyone, it's still notable that we have fallen behind. This is a conversation for another time however.

https://dukeforward.duke.edu/downloa...FY14_final.pdf

Anyway, my point was if someone was going to donate enough money to remove the possibility of Cutcliffe Field, I'd expect it to take much more than 13M. What the man has done and continues to do is legendary.

[duke09hms]

If you don't like the name of the field, there's a simple $14 million solution...

I'm working on it!
And if I get there, Imma name it Cutcliffe Field!

[BD80]

For those mentioning that you prefer naming buildings after donors, from the ESPN online article (http://espn.go.com/college-football/...ion-donation):

"Steve Brooks is the president and CEO of the Phoenix American Insurance Group Inc. One of his sons, Matt, is a former Blue Devils football player. The family has two other campus facilities named for them: the Brooks Practice Facility and the Brooks Football Building."

...

That was some top notch recruiting!

[duke09hms]

The good news is, in 50 years it will be "historic Brooks field."

I would prefer that a building be named after a donor than our football field, but then again I did not give millions to the University to build it.

Still, Brooks-Cutcliffe field would work.

Actually, how about Wade-Cutcliffe Stadium? Similar to Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium, so it wouldn't be unheard of. Very few Dukies know who Wallace Wade even was, so it might give us a more recent connection to the football stadium.

Strangely, part of me feels like Cut hasn't done enough to get his name on a stadium though. Field, sure. Stadium, the bar should be higher, like ACC Championship. I so want that to happen, but just don't see how it ever could ...

[Tom B.]

Just want to echo this sentiment. Last name >>> corporate name.

The three words that best drive this point home:

KFC.

Yum!

Center.


(And two more for good measure: Comcast Arena.)

[tux]

Actually, how about Wade-Cutcliffe Stadium? Similar to Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium, so it wouldn't be unheard of. Very few Dukies know who Wallace Wade even was, so it might give us a more recent connection to the football stadium.

Strangely, part of me feels like Cut hasn't done enough to get his name on a stadium though. Field, sure. Stadium, the bar should be higher, like ACC Championship. I so want that to happen, but just don't see how it ever could ...

Yeah, this is interesting. K accomplished a lot more when the court in Cameron was named after him. Cutcliffe has done an amazing job, but I think it's too early to name anything after him. And I don't think one championship (unless national) should be enough either. I think it's a reflection of the desperation of Duke fans for some kernel of football success that makes us want to start naming things after Cut. I mean, if they named it Cutcliffe Field instead of Brooks Field, can you imagine what our ACC rivals would say? I could even write that Onion article...

[Duvall]

The three words that best drive this point home:

KFC.

Yum!

Center.


(And two more for good measure: Comcast Arena.)

You mean the XFINITY Center?

[Tom B.]

You mean the XFINITY Center?

Yeah, forgot that the name had changed. Point still stands, though.

[duke09hms]

Yeah, this is interesting. K accomplished a lot more when the court in Cameron was named after him. Cutcliffe has done an amazing job, but I think it's too early to name anything after him. And I don't think one championship (unless national) should be enough either. I think it's a reflection of the desperation of Duke fans for some kernel of football success that makes us want to start naming things after Cut. I mean, if they named it Cutcliffe Field instead of Brooks Field, can you imagine what our ACC rivals would say? I could even write that Onion article...

I suppose that's true. Wallace Wade got the stadium name after winning 6 conference titles. The modern era is more competitive though in the 14-team ACC. I think if Cutcliffe continues to keep us relevant like averaging 7+ wins from now till retirement, Brooks-Cutcliffe Field should be a lock. If he wins the ACC or gets us into the Playoffs, then a strong argument can be made for Wade-Cutcliffe Stadium.

[Duvall]

Yeah, forgot that the name had changed. Point still stands, though.

Oh, sure. Selling your stadium's name to a commercial product instead of just a corporation is probably even worse.

[ChillinDuke]

Anyway, my point was if someone was going to donate enough money to remove the possibility of Cutcliffe Field, I'd expect it to take much more than 13M. What the man has done and continues to do is legendary.

Listen, I agree with the general consensus that I wish it was named based on merit and not money. That said, of course the field can be renamed in the future. I tend to agree with others that it's unlikely. However, even though Cut has done a tremendous job as Duke's coach, resurrecting the program, I would argue that he is nowhere close to being so good as to have a field named after him. That's the stuff of legendary, Hall of Fame worthy, championship winning coaches. Now, I love Cut and think he still has that potential. But naming a field after him? Right now? C'mon folks, a little perspective here. He's great, but on what merits? Do we name fields after people just because they turned a horrible team to a good team? I mean, in that light it just seems silly.

Now, if he continues at his current trajectory and starts winning Duke some major games and titles with consistency - all bets are off. And I'd go so far as to venture a guess. If Cut turns into a truly legendary, championship coach at Duke, I bet Mr. Brooks, clearly an avid Duke football fan (his son played on the team), would consider giving up the field name in order to honor Coach Cut.

At the current moment, this is hardly as big a tragedy as some are making it out to be (IMO).

- Chillin

[duke09hms]

Listen, I agree with the general consensus that I wish it was named based on merit and not money. That said, of course the field can be renamed in the future. I tend to agree with others that it's unlikely. However, even though Cut has done a tremendous job as Duke's coach, resurrecting the program, I would argue that he is nowhere close to being so good as to have a field named after him. That's the stuff of legendary, Hall of Fame worthy, championship winning coaches. Now, I love Cut and think he still has that potential. But naming a field after him? Right now? C'mon folks, a little perspective here. He's great, but on what merits? Do we name fields after people just because they turned a horrible team to a good team? I mean, in that light it just seems silly.

Now, if he continues at his current trajectory and starts winning Duke some major games and titles with consistency - all bets are off. And I'd go so far as to venture a guess. If Cut turns into a truly legendary, championship coach at Duke, I bet Mr. Brooks, clearly an avid Duke football fan (his son played on the team), would consider giving up the field name in order to honor Coach Cut.

At the current moment, this is hardly as big a tragedy as some are making it out to be (IMO).

- Chillin

A matter of perspective. From where Duke football has been, Cutcliffe has resurrected the program from historically low depths of futility to respectability and relevance. If Cutcliffe even maintains that until he retires, and he doesn't retire anytime soon, say a few Division championships, no ACC championships, that is worthy of him sharing the field name. He will have done enough for Brooks-Cutcliffe Field. What he's done here is on par with Saban winning national championships at Alabama.

No tragedy here, just keeping things in perspective. If national championships are a requirement for naming fields and stadiums (stadia?), there's going to be a lot of unnamed fields and stadiums around the country.

[Bluedog]

Trinity College had a nice ring to it and JB basically bought the naming rights. There is an established pattern of this kind of behavior.

Well, the Duke president at the time, William Preston Few, wanted to distinguish Trinity College from the various other Trinity's of the time. He was the one who went to James B Duke after the establishment of the Duke Endowment to insist they rename it Duke University. James B Duke at first thought it would be too much of self-aggrandizement but eventually agreed as a memorial to his deceased father. I think the "re-branding" of the university was pivotal (and the money at the same time didn't hurt) in transforming the trajectory of the university. "Duke" is much more recognizable than "Trinity College" or "Trinity University."