UNI: Dropping Football won't save much money - study

[dbackjon]

A consultant’s finding that there would be no long term savings if Northern Iowa’s football program is eliminated or turned into a non-scholarship sport shows there is no easy answer to the issue of general fund support for athletics at the school, the president of the State Board of Regents said Wednesday.



“It shows there is no silver bullet here,” Regents president David Miles said. “It indicates that there can be some cost savings, but they aren’t going to be substantial and not what some people may have thought they would be.”

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... gent-says-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dbackjon]

The study recommended that the department consider increasing revenues by having Northern Iowa schedule two games annually against teams in the higher Football Bowl Subdivision. Major college football schools will pay $350,000 to $500,000 to play home games on their non-conference schedule.

Dannen said he is likely to begin scheduling two games annually beginning in 2013 to increase revenues, even though he worries it might impact the school’s ability to make the annual FCS championship playoffs.

[∞∞∞]

Why does UNI have such a money issue in the first place? Is it the economy, lack of donors, mismanagement, something else, or a combination of the previous points?

[grizzaholic]

Why does UNI have such a money issue in the first place? Is it the economy, lack of donors, mismanagement, something else, or a combination of the previous points?

It is because they play in a dome.

[∞∞∞]

Why does UNI have such a money issue in the first place? Is it the economy, lack of donors, mismanagement, something else, or a combination of the previous points?

It is because they play in a dome.

Domes suck, but I'm not sure if you're being serious or not. You think they'd have more fans if they played outside?

[grizzaholic]

It is because they play in a dome.

Domes suck, but I'm not sure if you're being serious or not. You think they'd have more fans if they played outside?

With the weather and constant natural, and unnatural, disasters it is probably a good thing that the football team plays in a dome.

[JayJ79]

Why does UNI have such a money issue in the first place? Is it the economy, lack of donors, mismanagement, something else, or a combination of the previous points?

UNI had always gotten part of their athletic department funding from the school's "general fund" (and since it is a state school, some of the general fund money comes from the state). With the recent economic situation in this country, the state budget is needing to make cuts across the board, and one area they are looking at is to get the three state schools' athletic programs to become "self sufficient". So UNI is scrambling to try to become compliant with that.

Being a university primarily centered on education/teachers, UNI doesn't produce quite as many millionaire alumni as other schools might. There are, and have been, a number of very generous donors to the athletic program but fundraising isn't always the easiest around here.

I've heard rumors that the previous AD perhaps wasn't as budget-conscious as he maybe should have been. With a tendancy towards spending reserves instead of making budget cuts in certain areas. But that is just hearsay, so I don't know how much validity is there. But I do know that when the new AD came in, he was forced to make a number of cuts in various areas, that made him rather unpopular with a portion of the fanbase.

There is also the matter of student fees. From what I've heard, UNI has fairly low student athletic/activity fees compared to some of it's peer institutions. So it is possible that some additional funds could be raised through that. But doing so would raise a stink amongst the student population.

[clenz]

It is because they play in a dome.

Domes suck, but I'm not sure if you're being serious or not. You think they'd have more fans if they played outside?

A lot of what Jay said is true.


As for what you mentioned, the economy is the biggest part of it. I'll link the thread from panthernation.com that is talking about this subject.


The big problem here is that the BOR wants all three of the regent universities to be self sufficient, well I believe only 5 universities in the entire nation are completely self sufficient. I don't remember who those 5 were, but I think it was SEC and B12 schools like Texas. The other side of that is that the BOR, at least one member of it, is as anti-athletics as it gets. If all three regent universities in Iowa (Iowa, Iowa State, and UNI) cut sports he would likely cum himself instantly for about 10 years non-stop.


The numbers may be in this thread discussion the subject on panthernation, but if not I read that issue that is causing them to want to cut UNI football is something like 2-4% of the entire budget. It has been likened to a 1-3 dollar issue in a $100 budget crisis. The real problem is the fact the BOR, the state of Iowa (well the entire US), and other entities have spent money at a rate that isnt' sustainable for anyone the last 10 years. This is now starting to bite them in the ass thanks to the economy. Professors are taking pay cuts (this really pisses them off to no end, especially when UNI football and basketball coaches get a raise, they ignore the fact both were privately funded with no budget money), colleges within the University having to merge, programs cut, etc...


The last athletic director, who was loved by many and was a great people person, didn't help things though. From what I've heard (just speculation like Jay said) UNI had a reserve surplus of MILLIONS (I've heard a number around 10M+), and by the time he left I think the reserve was in the red. He spent money like crazy, gave free tickets away to sporting events like crazy, selling tickets for $5 etc... The free ticket thing is what really hurt us. He would give tickets away to fill venues because we couldn't sell them...well we couldn't sell them because companies knew that if the event didn't sell he would be giving tickets away to companies just to fill seats. From all accounts he was a good guy, but he sucked the university dry and then bolted when the president and provost stopped letting him do that, and wouldn't give him an extension.


The new AD came in with a lot of controversy over the hire, and didn't start off well. He cut baseball (needed to be done, but the way he handled it was complete and utter shit), after saying in his press conference that no sports would be cut as long as he was AD...baseball was cut less than a year later. He isn't a great people person to the general public. He is a smug, self serving, arrogant prick according to many, and I can't say that my interactions have been a whole lot better than that. However, he has been able to network and find fudning/donations like you can't believe. I think in his time at UNI we have gotten 4 or 5 donations of over a million dollars to just the athletic department, plus private funding to get new turf in the dome, a new contract for Coach Farley, and a 5.6 million dollar contract for our basketball coach. So regardless how he comes off to those he works with and the general public, he is doing his job quite well it would seem.



In terms of would playing outside help us? Big fat NO. Our problem is that we are 90 miles north of the Unviersity of Iowa. I would say 90% of our fan base is Hawkeye fans first, UNI fans second. If the Hawkeyes are work a damn, to Iowa City our fans go for football and basketball. Most years for basketball the only time we well out is for the Iowa or Iowa State games when they are at home, thankfully that is changing. Our dome brings is a lot more revenue than just football season. Outside of UNI football games in there we rent the dome out to 2 local high schools for their home football games, we rent the dome out to the Iowa High School Athletic Association and they hold the state football playoffs in the dome, we hold indoor track meets in the dome, we hold the national duals for wrestling in the dome, all kinds of craft/boat/outdoors/etc... shows, concerts, USA wrestling events, and the list goes on. The Dome is known as a football venue, but that is just a SMALL portion of it. In terms of football seating it helps us greatly. Most of our season ticket holders are companies in the Cedar Valley and people who are 45-50+. The hot weather of August/early September and the cold weather of October-December would likely cause those people to go..."I can sit here and watch UNI in this weather or I can go watch the Hawkeyes in this weather...the Hawkeyes would win that one. It isn't that the people in Iowa wouldn't watch a game outside, it is that they would rather go to Iowa City or Ames to watch "real D1" football if they have to be outside.



Like Jay mentioned, we don't have a lot of rich alumni. We produce mostly teachers and CPA's. Those aren't real "high paying gigs". Also, like I mentioned before almost all of our fans are Hawkeye fans first, so their donations that they give will likely go there before UNI. The one real famous alumni we have doesn't necessarily have the best feelings about UNI because he feels he got "shafted" in terms of playing time at UNI and what not. Apparently he gives some money to the athletic department or football team, but asks for it to be a private thing so no one knows how much it was, and with the current crisis we are in it doesn't seem like it is a whole lot. If it is a lot and we are still in this crisis things are a lot worse than we think/are lead to believe.

[Uncle Buck]

...He isn't a great people person to the general public. He is a smug, self serving, arrogant prick according to many, and I can't say that my interactions have been a whole lot better than that. However, he has been able to network and find fudning/donations like you can't believe...

At least you have no worries of losing the program, that's great news. As for the AD comment, i think a lot of them may be like that. You can take your statement above and apply it directly to the Hofstra AD, except for the part about raising money, he doesn't do shit for that.

[Appaholic]

A consultant’s finding that there would be no long term savings if Northern Iowa’s football program is eliminated or turned into a non-scholarship sport shows there is no easy answer to the issue of general fund support for athletics at the school, the president of the State Board of Regents said Wednesday.



“It shows there is no silver bullet here,” Regents president David Miles said. “It indicates that there can be some cost savings, but they aren’t going to be substantial and not what some people may have thought they would be.”

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... gent-says-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The consultant's findings' also concluded that Northern Iowa, by dropping the football program, would suffer no serious impact on their ability to win a FCS football national championship...or beat Montana....ever.....

[clenz]

A consultant’s finding that there would be no long term savings if Northern Iowa’s football program is eliminated or turned into a non-scholarship sport shows there is no easy answer to the issue of general fund support for athletics at the school, the president of the State Board of Regents said Wednesday.



“It shows there is no silver bullet here,” Regents president David Miles said. “It indicates that there can be some cost savings, but they aren’t going to be substantial and not what some people may have thought they would be.”

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... gent-says-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The consultant's findings' also concluded that Northern Iowa, by dropping the football program, would suffer no serious impact on their ability to win a FCS football national championship...or beat Montana....ever.....

Seriously though, the Board of Regents really wants to drop UNI to Non-Scholly football (thinking it would save money) or even Division 3.


If you read the report ticket sales would drop an estimated 70% the first year, not to mention donations would dry up REAL fast. It wouldn't take long for UNI to turn into Indiana State

[GannonFan]

So basically, when all is said and done, UNI breaks even on the football team.

[clenz]

So basically, when all is said and done, UNI breaks even on the football team.

We run about 300K in the red each year. The second FBS game we are going to start adding in 2012 or 2013 is going to make us break even, if not more.

[clenz]

With that said, however, they wanted to see if it would save money if we cut football completely.


It doesn't make sense for the BOR to make the university athletic department, who is already cash strapped, pay $30K for a study that proves what they were told. If football is already breaking even, or right around there, cutting it completely won't save money. It, in the long run, would cost the school money due to lack of donations coming back to the school, and something that the academia don't want to admit, but students wouldn't come to UNI as the same rate.


As proof the Vice President of Student Affairs at UNI, Terry Hogan, has come out and said that UNI has made contact with schools across the country in similar settings who have had similar athlet success that thrust them into the national spot light (ASU after beating Michigan, George Mason final four, etc...) and every school has reported 20% increase of applications for admission, and more qualified students wanting to attend that school.

Hell, according to the director of marking and public relations at UNI, the sweet 16 run did more in terms of exposure, mentions in media, and general interest of the university than anything UNI could have afforded to do in our wildest dreams.

[lizrdgizrd]

With that said, however, they wanted to see if it would save money if we cut football completely.


It doesn't make sense for the BOR to make the university athletic department, who is already cash strapped, pay $30K for a study that proves what they were told. If football is already breaking even, or right around there, cutting it completely won't save money. It, in the long run, would cost the school money due to lack of donations coming back to the school, and something that the academia don't want to admit, but students wouldn't come to UNI as the same rate.


As proof the Vice President of Student Affairs at UNI, Terry Hogan, has come out and said that UNI has made contact with schools across the country in similar settings who have had similar athlet success that thrust them into the national spot light (ASU after beating Michigan, George Mason final four, etc...) and every school has reported 20% increase of applications for admission, and more qualified students wanting to attend that school.

Hell, according to the director of marking and public relations at UNI, the sweet 16 run did more in terms of exposure, mentions in media, and general interest of the university than anything UNI could have afforded to do in our wildest dreams.

Athletic success is definitely the best "free" publicity you can get.