IMG Academy

[blion72]

have any of you had a chance to see this place? last time we went to Florida, I was curious to see it, so we drove there. This was like a small college campus, and very big time facility. Modern dorms and eating facilities. Also the investment is substantial, so not totally sure where they get the revenue to pay for it other than tuition. If they have to waive a lot of tuition, they must have some way to make money.

I know Phil talks about some of the DMV high schools have become IMG like operations, especially the catholic schools. anyone ever see these facilities? where do they get the funds to build these type operations? is it just the church, donations and tuition? seems like a tall order. just curious how all the DMV schools funded that type of platform. Impressive and must have taken some real innovation.

 

[Bison13]

With regard to IMG I can only speak a little bit about the baseball. A former player of mine who was probably a division 2 level baseball player, ended up going there for a post-grad year. I won't get into the specifics of his decision but his parents had money and thought that was the best option so they were willing to spend the $80,000 in tuition, room and board for him to stay there for a year. They have multiple levels of teams at every sport with large rosters. The elite kids get scholarships and others do not so that's at part of the way they get everything paid for.

 

[pamdlion]

St Johns in DC got $15 million from Under Armour founder Kevin Plank a few years ago. Most schools in the DMV have a sugar daddy or two. Poggi at St Frances and before at Gilman. Good Counsel had their own as well as most others.

Winning in the WCAC or MIAA is all about money.

 

[s1uggo72]

A co worker son went to IMG in 20-21. Paid $80000 to go. Son got a couple of bucks to go to Bluefield state in WV for golf. though he did become an all American

 

[pamdlion]

The ones paying $80k at IMG are funding the football team to go there for free.

 

[blion72]

St Johns in DC got $15 million from Under Armour founder Kevin Plank a few years ago. Most schools in the DMV have a sugar daddy or two. Poggi at St Frances and before at Gilman. Good Counsel had their own as well as most others.

Winning in the WCAC or MIAA is all about money.

that is a nice donation for St Johns. Are these DMV schools set up like an IMG in terms of the facilities, dorms, coaches, etc? I don't know the investment at IMG, but would not be surprised in the $100M range for everything there. were some of these schools prep/boarding schools before they turned into IMG like operations?

 

[pamdlion]

A few have limited boarding. Georgetown Prep and McDonogh have limited boarding (pretty sure DDS boarded there since he's from Delaware). St Frances has a few houses in Baltimore where the kids live. All of them (other than St Frances) have great facilities and are always trying to keep up or outpace one another. Tuition ranges from the high mid/teens to the mid 30's. They all recruit, some more than others. They all offer $$$, some a lot more than others. Some will say that financial aid is only based on "need"...as in they need a stud QB, LB, RB etc.

Again, those who spend the most, win the most. It's a pretty simple formula.

 

[Nitt1300]

The ones paying $80k at IMG are funding the football team to go there for free.

talk about a bad investment

 

[91Joe95]

have any of you had a chance to see this place? last time we went to Florida, I was curious to see it, so we drove there. This was like a small college campus, and very big time facility. Modern dorms and eating facilities. Also the investment is substantial, so not totally sure where they get the revenue to pay for it other than tuition. If they have to waive a lot of tuition, they must have some way to make money.

I know Phil talks about some of the DMV high schools have become IMG like operations, especially the catholic schools. anyone ever see these facilities? where do they get the funds to build these type operations? is it just the church, donations and tuition? seems like a tall order. just curious how all the DMV schools funded that type of platform. Impressive and must have taken some real innovation.

Eh, they probably still have less funding than public schools. They just don't have to grease any wheels.

 

[J.E.B]

IMG is the old Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy times two. It was bloody impressive in 1993 when I visited and it’s even more so now. Prime time sports prep school cranking out D1 players in several sports.