Big East expansion exercise approaching 2025…

[Storrs South]

So equating road safety and helping with tax revenue with a recreational product. If a referendum is required for the university to be run fiscally responsible, so fine. There is oversight for state expenses, not enough for sure, for the athletic department not enough. These are tough economic times for taxpayers in CT, the state is losing citizens and businesses, so increasing expenses on fewer sources.

It's not a recreational product, it's a marketing tool for education with recreation and civic pride as the by-product. The monies we are talking about in the scheme of the athletic department are also peanuts in terms of the bigger picture. The annual budget is $1.6 billion and has a great ROI on said budget as already noted above. You're getting bent out of shape for less than 3% of the university's annual budget, most of which is just switching hands within the university or other state entities. It's a larger deficit on the books than actual boots on the ground. The CT state budget is many more billions. This is small time stuff to get worked up about, let it go.

 

[CL82]

Oh stop with the taxpayer nonsense please. UConn generates about $8 in direct income for every $1 the state invests

Link?

 

[CL82]

And your source? Here is one, the athletic department itself.
The athletic department spent $80.9 million in 2019, and received a $42.3 million subsidy from the university, the highest in the nation. This nearly two-to-one deficit in spending-to-revenue has persisted for several years.

UConn athletic budget deficit increases to $43.5 million

The deficit is slightly higher than the $42.3 million from the year before and remains...

www.nhregister.com

Hey Nick, do you realize a big chunk of that $40 million deficit is on discounted tuition payment back to the University? In essence, the university pays the athletic department to pay the university. That’s a paper loss, because virtually no student ever pays full freight for tuition. Another huge chunk of it is the cost of renting out Rentschler field in the XL center for men’s basketball, woman’s basketball and hockey. In that case it is the state charging us exorbitant rates in then paying us the money which we then pay back to the state. Again, it’s a paper loss. Intra-company charges are always tricky and can be used to move losses around in entity.

 

[UCONNJACK]

Link?

UConn Impact

From the Connecticut shoreline to the hills of Litchfield and the heart of the capital region and beyond, UConn’s economic impact can be found through employment, labor and value added to the state’s economy.

impact.uconn.edu

I believe this is the latest economic impact report UConn has on Connecticut.

 

[Kolumbo]

UConn Impact

From the Connecticut shoreline to the hills of Litchfield and the heart of the capital region and beyond, UConn’s economic impact can be found through employment, labor and value added to the state’s economy.

impact.uconn.edu

I believe this is the latest economic impact report UConn has on Connecticut.

These are the numbers some people don't consider. Imagine the additional boost if there were a steady stream of 1,000s of B1G football fans coming to CT every fall.

 

[CL82]

These are the numbers some people don't consider. Imagine the additional boost if there were a steady stream of 1,000s of B1G football fans coming to CT every fall.

Yep, I remember when we had to add an extra 3000 seats at Rentschler field for Michigan?

 

[npignatjr]

Hey Nick, do you realize a big chunk of that $40 million deficit is on discounted tuition payment back to the University? In essence, the university pays the athletic department to pay the university. That’s a paper loss, because virtually no student ever pays full freight for tuition. Another huge chunk of it is the cost of renting out Rentschler field in the XL center for men’s basketball, woman’s basketball and hockey. In that case it is the state charging us exorbitant rates in then paying us the money which we then pay back to the state. Again, it’s a paper loss. Intra-company charges are always tricky and can be used to move losses around in entity.

Yes accounting games I understand. When the athletic department reports the deficit it is not reporting with an asterisk. Link into your numbers.

 

[npignatjr]

It's not a recreational product, it's a marketing tool for education with recreation and civic pride as the by-product. The monies we are talking about in the scheme of the athletic department are also peanuts in terms of the bigger picture. The annual budget is $1.6 billion and has a great ROI on said budget as already noted above. You're getting bent out of shape for less than 3% of the university's annual budget, most of which is just switching hands within the university or other state entities. It's a larger deficit on the books than actual boots on the ground. The CT state budget is many more billions. This is small time stuff to get worked up about, let it go.

Impossible, every public taxpayer funded entity in the state should be operated fiscally responsible.

 

[CL82]

Yes accounting games I understand. When the athletic department reports the deficit it is not reporting with an asterisk. Link into your numbers.

I’ve posted links to the financials a bunch of times, Google it if you are curious.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

fiscally responsible

Hashing out what this means is where the real conversation begins.

 

[npignatjr]

I’ve posted links to the financials a bunch of times, Google it if you are curious.

Funny what I posted was what came up. Not the accounting gymnastics. When the AD was reporting on cutting sports and staff salaries he didn't say there was no real department losses, he said the department lost money and changes had to be made.

 

[CL82]

Funny what I posted was what came up. Not the accounting gymnastics. When the AD was reporting on cutting sports and staff salaries he didn't say there was no real department losses, he said the department lost money and changes had to be made.

Real estate department losses? Lol what the heck are you talking about? In any event, google University of Connecticut financials, or don’t. It’s really not that hard.

 

[freescooter]

Impossible, every public taxpayer funded entity in the state should be operated fiscally responsible.

Yes indeed. They should be run like a business! Of course no business is responsible for plowing the roads, or repairing bridges and highways, providing public safety, fighting fires…here’s a cool idea Nick. How about every property owner is responsible for the street in front of his house. Or maybe we send the fire dept in an emergency and they give you an estimate of the cost, maybe get a credit card. You don’t pay, they go back to the station.

We, and every other state have decided it is wise to maintain a state university. That entity is partially taxpayer funded, maybe 15-25% on average. Then we empower a Board of Trustees (they go by various names but that’s the concept) to decide how the place is run. They do that in consultation with the Governor and the Legislature most of the time. You want to put it to a vote as to whether they serve chicken parm in the dining halls on Wednesdays? Or whether the medical school enters a cooperative arrangement with Jackson labs? Or the English Department hires a certain faculty member? Some of those are far more significant to the functioning of the university and its prestige that what athletic conference we are in.

 

[freescooter]

Real estate department losses? Lol what the heck are you talking about? In any event, google University of Connecticut financials, or don’t. It’s really not that hard.

I suspect that Nick is one of those cranky old guys who goes to the local town meeting and complains that we don’t need computers in the town hall. In his day the selectman’s secretary also did the bookkeeping, and a damned good job too. Good enough for granny it should be good enough for the girls of today!

 

[freescooter]

But getting back to the original purpose of this thread, namely Newbie expansion, I would target:
Temple
UMass

Temple has tradition and could be very good again. With the right coach they could be Houston. plus they are a major public university. They are in the footprint. The 2 problems of course, are what to do about football and nobody wants to tick off the only legitimate program in the league. But if you can virtually walk from Duke to UNC to NC State, I think it is workable.

UMass is a major public University, in the footprint. Not exactly a great history but it Would be a good partner for us and allow us to develop a real multi-sport rivalry. We really have no true rival now.

 

[CL82]

But getting back to the original purpose of this thread, namely Newbie expansion, I would target:
Temple
UMass

Temple has tradition and could be very good again. With the right coach they could be Houston. plus they are a major public university. They are in the footprint. The 2 problems of course, are what to do about football and nobody wants to tick off the only legitimate program in the league. But if you can virtually walk from Duke to UNC to NC State, I think it is workable.

UMass is a major public University, in the footprint. Not exactly a great history but it Would be a good partner for us and allow us to develop a real multi-sport rivalry. We really have no true rival now.

Temple doesn’t bring the Philadelphia market and the big east conference already has a presence there in Villanova.

UMass brings absolutely nothing. They don’t get ratings, they don’t win games, hell they don’t even have fans show up.

But other than that…

 

[freescooter]

Temple doesn’t bring the Philadelphia market and the big east conference already has a presence there in Villanova.

UMass brings absolutely nothing. They don’t get ratings, they don’t win games, hell they don’t even have fans show up.

But other than that…

Nobody brings fans when they dont win..A good UMass program will bring fans.

I think Temple would do fine in Philly. They draw a different fan base. More Urban. Draw a solid fan base among the younger folks, the hipsters if you will. Villanova is the 55 year old guy who lives in the suburbs and hopes the game doesn’t go into ot because he wants to get up early because Home Depot has a sale on lawn trimmers tomorrow. Temple is the 25-30 year old who doesnt care when it ends as long as he can still get to his favorite bar for a few brews before closing time. I get why Villanova doesn’t want them in the league. Never has even though it has always made sense. And as I said, they appeal to different fan bases.

 

[CL82]

Nobody brings fans when they dont win..A good UMass program will bring fans.

I think Temple would do fine in Philly. They draw a different fan base. More Urban. Draw a solid fan base among the younger folks, the hipsters if you will. Villanova is the 55 year old guy who lives in the suburbs and hopes the game doesn’t go into ot because he wants to get up early because Home Depot has a sale on lawn trimmers tomorrow. Temple is the 25-30 year old who doesnt care when it ends as long as he can still get to his favorite bar for a few brews before closing time. I get why Villanova doesn’t want them in the league. Never has even though it has always made sense. And as I said, they appeal to different fan bases.

Based what scooter? Your imagination?

 

[Kolumbo]

Temple doesn’t bring the Philadelphia market and the big east conference already has a presence there in Villanova.

UMass brings absolutely nothing. They don’t get ratings, they don’t win games, hell they don’t even have fans show up.

But other than that…

I think you are short-changing Temple. It's the 2nd largest university in the great commonwealth of PA, and the largest one sucks at basketball. It has a larger enrollment than UCONN. I've spent minimal time in Philly so I don't know the atmosphere but Temple has always been in a lower tier basketball conference. Philly and New York could both support a 2nd team. I don't think many kids in Philly have an opportunity to go to Nova home games either. The Big East Basketball would be a major boost to Temple.

 

[CL82]

I think you are short-changing Temple. It's the 2nd largest university in the great commonwealth of PA, and the largest one sucks at basketball. It has a larger enrollment than UCONN. I've spent minimal time in Philly so I don't know the atmosphere but Temple has always been in a lower tier basketball conference. Philly and New York could both support a 2nd team. I don't think many kids in Philly have an opportunity to go to Nova home games either. The Big East Basketball would be a major boost to Temple.

I’m open to being convinced. Do you have any metrics like ratings or attendance that would lead us to believe there a school boys to break out? I don’t remember their tenure in the old Big East really being much of a bump for them.

 

[Kolumbo]

I’m open to being convinced. Do you have any metrics like ratings or attendance that would lead us to believe there a school boys to break out? I don’t remember their tenure in the old Big East really being much of a bump for them.

The basketball team never had the opportunity to play in the Big East so we have no metrics or way to predict what type of bump it would get. Football oddly enough has been to 5 bowl games in the past 7 years while in a pretty good football conference.

 

[CL82]

The basketball team never had the opportunity to play in the Big East so we have no metrics or way to predict what type of bump it would get. Football oddly enough has been to 5 bowl games in the past 7 years while in a pretty good football conference.

Good point about Big East basketball. I had forgotten that they were football only until they re-joined in 2012.

Football records are irrelevant to the Big East

 

[Kolumbo]

Good point about Big East basketball. I had forgotten that they were football only until they re-joined in 2012.

Football records are irrelevant to the Big East

The football record was relevant to the point that a conference has an impact on the program. Temple has been able to make a go of it with football in the AAC and I think basketball would be a far better product in the Big East.

 

[CL82]

The football record was relevant to the point that a conference has an impact on the program. Temple has been able to make a go of it with football in the AAC and I think basketball would be a far better product in the Big East.

Yeah I’m just saying the Big East really doesn’t care about temples football record, and in fact considers the fact that it plays football on net negative.

Everyone who has a favorite to join the Big East is sure that their basketball will get better. I’d rather get a team that consistently has played better basketball already and not have to hope for the best.

 

[shizzle787]

Yeah I’m just saying the Big East really doesn’t care about temples football record, and in fact considers the fact that it plays football on net negative.

Everyone who has a favorite to join the Big East is sure that their basketball will get better. I’d rather get a team that consistently has played better basketball already and not have to hope for the best.

Temple has made the tournament 24 out of the last 36 years. 10 of the 12 years they missed they were in the NIT.