The elephant in the room

Womens hoop. Huge crowds & the SNY TV deal.

1 Like

I agree about there being too many private schools (not that it would stop me from taking BYU…), but JMU is a public school with a private-sounding name.

I believe they’ve been offered by Conference USA. They’re a little bit proud in that they don’t seem to want to make the jump for any conference but a P5 or apparently ours. That’s a point in their favor, in my opinion. I do think it would be easier to take them if they were already a top-flight team in Conference USA, though, rather than a straight invite. They may have to swallow their pride to make it happen, though.

lotta G5 schools betting on P5 or bust…but the odds are against all of them…

We have to remember that a successful Athletics Department creates the most cost efficient advertising for a university.
Donations to ALL internal schools (Law, Business, Engineering, etc) go straight up when our programs are successful.
I talked at length many many times with Ross Margraves (A&M Chair) about this and he confirmed exactly the same occurs there.
RK sees the BIG picture, not just Athletics.

5 Likes

What happens if we do get a conference and revenue upgrade? Will our expenditures remain more or less constant so that we can relieve the burden on the school and the students? Or will we continue keeping up with the Jones’s, like a wife whose budget expands to fill her husband’s income?

3 Likes

Also, remember that scholarships are accounted as expenses, but in reality are mostly paper losses. The athlete is typically not taking a spot in a classroom from a tuition-paying student, they are usually an additional student in that class that would not otherwise be there.

2 Likes

I think it will be a combination of the two. We will definitely reduce the subsidy. The question is by how much. JMO

What’s the plan B? If there is one.

Good question…probably ESPN’s wet dream of a G5 playoff/sub-league. Pretty much the death rattle of big time CFB. Their dream of everyone flocking to the so-called blue-bloods will be a flop.They will be alienating the majority of CFB with their semi-pro league.

I don’t care how much they try to shove it down our throat, I will never be an LSU, UT, A&M or Bama fan, or whomever they trot out…that’s not how this works

2 Likes

I don’t think ESPN is trying to contract the sport. But even if they are, the strategy isn’t bad.

As of right now the P5 schools make up a majority of FBS teams in the NCAA. And P5 schools make up an even larger percentage of fans attending games as well as tv ratings.

1 Like

Then don’t act surprised when That attitude sinks us.

So far, the blue blood dream as you call it seems to be working. I’m a Coog but have a tremendous Respect for Alabama! They got it goin on.

This is exactly right. Dr Khator sees athletics as an investment for the University. They do well the school does well. It isn’t a coincidence that the school has seen an influx of donors and student applications in the last decade coinciding with our Athletic successes.

10 Likes

Yeah, I know you’re a big fan of other programs. My point wasn’t that they ‘got it goin on’ now, my point is that marginalizing fans is not a good business strategy IMO. Moncoog seems to think it is, but IMO CFB is not the NFL, the further regional matchups/rivalries are destroyed and schools are further marginalized, it will ruin CFB.

3 Likes

Athletics is the marketing arm of the University. We will continue to try to compete at the highest levels.

4 Likes

We got a significant boost from the TV deal.
Sell out the games and that increases revenue.
Go to bowls and the dance (as many teams as possible).
Donations from the Alumni.

It is the other G5 teams that really have to worry as they get a lot less.

5 Likes

I agree. I think anyone in the AAC is going to be ok. I think the MWC is going to start to splinter.

The MWC and especially CUSA. You can’t survive with small crowd, low paying bowls, one team to the Dance, and tiny TV money.

But the donations haven’t been enough to eliminate the need for a subsidy. Not even close.

1 Like