Budget Cuts will require UConn to cut some (not all) athletic programs

[Alibi Ike]

The world would never miss our football program oh, that's for sure.

It seems really strange that a university would abandon its football program, as UCONN seemingly has. They are usually the cash cow for most athletics departments.

 

[oldude]

It seems really strange that a university would abandon its football program, as UCONN seemingly has. They are usually the cash cow for most athletics departments.

Yes, at many programs football is a cash cow. Unfortunately, at UConn football is more of a black hole.

 

[bluedevil]

Isn't that why they re-joined the Big East?

 

[CL82]

It seems really strange that a university would abandon its football program, as UCONN seemingly has. They are usually the cash cow for most athletics departments.

UConn hasn't abandoned football by going independent. The AD has put together a surprisingly strong schedule and doesn't seem to behaving problems getting decent teams to come to Storrs. UConn's biggest (none Corona virus) issues are winning and attendance. They are closely related. Whether we can recruit as a northeaster independent is an open issue, but the AD hasn't abandoned football.

 

[reno tony]

Why don't they get rid of some of those highly paid coaches and hire some cheaper ones? Just made me think what Geno would be worth on the open market. Do you think TENN would pay him big bucks to wear the Orange? Would he like Indiana as his new home? Could Duke afford him? Just thinking out loud.

 

[ncteacher]

If they eliminate football,perhaps they can start a "riddled with athleticism," curling team to provide a few laughs on campus.

My son, who played high school football, took a trip to Alaska and said "curling" was now his all time favorite sport.

Also, where I live, App State (famous for beating Michigan at the Big House) said they were cutting 3 sports including men's soccer.

 

[j66kicker]

My son, who played high school football, took a trip to Alaska and said "curling" was now his all time favorite sport.

Also, where I live, App State (famous for beating Michigan at the Big House) said they were cutting 3 sports including men's soccer.

Ah yes - I remember it fondly. We had a really obnoxious die-hard Wolverine fan at work. The jokes were SOOO sweet...

Q: How many batteries does it take to beat Michigan?
A: One AAA

 

[triaddukefan]

Ah yes - I remember it fondly. We had a really obnoxious die-hard Wolverine fan at work. The jokes were SOOO sweet...

Q: How many batteries does it take to beat Michigan?
A: One AAA

The game was the first game on the Big 10 network if I recall.... so I listened to the game on the App State Radio Network. My favorite radio call in the history of sports

 

[X conn]

Good points everyone.
Ignoring what Covid has done, if Uconn drops football, what 2-3 women's sports should be dropped?
Hypothetically, of course.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Why don't they get rid of some of those highly paid coaches and hire some cheaper ones? Just made me think what Geno would be worth on the open market. Do you think TENN would pay him big bucks to wear the Orange? Would he like Indiana as his new home? Could Duke afford him? Just thinking out loud.

The one thing I think we can be sure of is The Vols not hiring Geno.

 

[EdSaid]

Brown cutting 11 sports

Brown University will cut 11 of its varsity sports

Brown University will eliminate 11 varsity sports ahead of the 2020-21 academic year. Men’s and women’s...

www.providencejournal.com

 

[maddoggy]

And then there's this...

Wagstaff (Groucho Marx): "Have we got a stadium?"
Professors: "Yes."
Wagsraff: "Have we got a college?"
Professors: "Yes."
Wagstaff: "Well, we can't support both. Tomorrow we start tearing down the college ".
Professors: "But where will the students sleep?"
Wagstaff: "Where they always sleep. In the classroom.”

Horsefeathers(1932)

 

[Fairfield Fan]

UConn's athletic deficit grows by $2M, totals $42M

UConn is reporting its athletic department deficit increased by $2 million in 2019 to more than $42 million

abcnews.go.com

UConn's numbers from a year ago:
The school's football program lost almost $13.3 million, generating just $3.3 million in revenue. Men's basketball lost $3.9 million. Women's basketball, a perennial power, had a deficit of almost $3.5 million.

You know, I have a problem with the deficit shown for women's basketball. Just doesn't make sense. Now, I might be all wet, but it would seem that the program's cash costs are relatively low. Yes, there's Coach Geno's salary (what, $1.8 million or so?). But the ass't coaches can't earn all that much. Yes, recruiting travel and hotels. But other than that, the student-athletes' tuitions are not actual cash costs, but seats in lecture halls. Their cash outlays are for food and uniforms and travel. But the program gets SNY revenues, it gets ESPN revenues, and revenues when its games are carried on other for-fee broadcasting, fees for games from other universities, parking and ticket sales revenues. And then when it gets to the top levels of the NCAA tourney, it gets more revenues. And then there are AAC (Big East to be) revenues and tournament moneys.

Women's basketball is nothing like football with its huge equipment costs and a phalanx of coaches, assistant coaches, and others. So where is this big $3.5 million cost coming from?

I suspect that if we delve into it, we'll see a huge amount of athletic department overhead is being allocated to women's basketball that doesn't rightly belong there. I mean, does it make sense that a football team that draws few fans, carries about a hundred players, plus a mountain of coaches, would lose $13.3 million, while a team of just a dozen student-athletes with three assistant coaches that draws thousands of fans and gets television and tourney revenue would lose $3.5 million?

Somehow, the differential is too small to make sense. Honestly, if the numbers, including overhead allocation, were put under a financial microscope, I would be willing to bet that an argument could be made that women's basketball makes a hefty profit, not a loss. Nothing to go on, except a wet finger in the wind, and a healthy skepticism.

 

[hoopsfan22]

The $3.5 million doesn't seem like a lot if Geno's $1.8 million salary is more than half of it.

 

[Wildgopher]

You know, I have a problem with the deficit shown for women's basketball. Just doesn't make sense. Now, I might be all wet, but it would seem that the program's cash costs are relatively low. Yes, there's Coach Geno's salary (what, $1.8 million or so?). But the ass't coaches can't earn all that much. Yes, recruiting travel and hotels. But other than that, the student-athletes' tuitions are not actual cash costs, but seats in lecture halls. Their cash outlays are for food and uniforms and travel. But the program gets SNY revenues, it gets ESPN revenues, and revenues when its games are carried on other for-fee broadcasting, fees for games from other universities, parking and ticket sales revenues. And then when it gets to the top levels of the NCAA tourney, it gets more revenues. And then there are AAC (Big East to be) revenues and tournament moneys.

Women's basketball is nothing like football with its huge equipment costs and a phalanx of coaches, assistant coaches, and others. So where is this big $3.5 million cost coming from?

I suspect that if we delve into it, we'll see a huge amount of athletic department overhead is being allocated to women's basketball that doesn't rightly belong there. I mean, does it make sense that a football team that draws few fans, carries about a hundred players, plus a mountain of coaches, would lose $13.3 million, while a team of just a dozen student-athletes with three assistant coaches that draws thousands of fans and gets television and tourney revenue would lose $3.5 million?

Somehow, the differential is too small to make sense. Honestly, if the numbers, including overhead allocation, were put under a financial microscope, I would be willing to bet that an argument could be made that women's basketball makes a hefty profit, not a loss. Nothing to go on, except a wet finger in the wind, and a healthy skepticism.

You forget that 11,000 fans at the football game is still more than a filled Gampel. At this point in time, Gampel also includes more students at the games that don't pay to get in than football does, so that still makes more paying football fans than a basketball game.
I would also say we have the highest paid assistant coaches in Womens BB, and the lowest paid assistant coaches in football.
Don't get me wrong, I am a season ticket holder for both, and have been for over 20 years, but cutting football would be very disappointing to me and the large group I attend the games with.

 

[TheFarmFan]

You forget that 11,000 fans at the football game is still more than a filled Gampel. At this point in time, Gampel also includes more students at the games that don't pay to get in than football does, so that still makes more paying football fans than a basketball game.
I would also say we have the highest paid assistant coaches in Womens BB, and the lowest paid assistant coaches in football.
Don't get me wrong, I am a season ticket holder for both, and have been for over 20 years, but cutting football would be very disappointing to me and the large group I attend the games with.

Speaking as an outsider, the only reason UConn has been on my radar as a sports school has been basketball, and in the last 5-6 years, just the women's team. If UConn runs a $3.5m deficit to get 11 national championships in 25 years and all the good press and attention that provides, I'd say that's an investment well spent.

But if you're running a $13.3m deficit -- almost $10m more than women's basketball -- and you have nothing to show for it but disappointment and embarrassment, then it's time to question whether that expense is helping or hurting you. At least the WBB team delivers for fans year after year after year.

I'd venture to say UConn WBB's $3.5m deficit is the best $3.5m spent in all of college sports.

 

[j66kicker]

Speaking as an outsider, the only reason UConn has been on my radar as a sports school has been basketball, and in the last 5-6 years, just the women's team. If UConn runs a $3.5m deficit to get 11 national championships in 25 years and all the good press and attention that provides, I'd say that's an investment well spent.

But if you're running a $13.3m deficit -- almost $10m more than women's basketball -- and you have nothing to show for it but disappointment and embarrassment, then it's time to question whether that expense is helping or hurting you. At least the WBB team delivers for fans year after year after year.

I'd venture to say UConn WBB's $3.5m deficit is the best $3.5m spent in all of college sports.

There was a point in time (10-15 years ago?) when UConn showed WBB making a profit. So Geno has probably had a couple raises since then, and they don't sell out every game now, but the shoe deal and media rights have to be higher now. What else has changed so much, other than accounting methods? They always traveled 5 star - remember the $500 orange juice scandal? Maybe Geno runs up $3 million of air charter costs with national and European recruiting?

BTW CD makes $400K+ and Shea makes $200K+

 

[CL82]

You know, I have a problem with the deficit shown for women's basketball. Just doesn't make sense. Now, I might be all wet, but it would seem that the program's cash costs are relatively low. Yes, there's Coach Geno's salary (what, $1.8 million or so?). But the ass't coaches can't earn all that much. Yes, recruiting travel and hotels. But other than that, the student-athletes' tuitions are not actual cash costs, but seats in lecture halls. Their cash outlays are for food and uniforms and travel. But the program gets SNY revenues, it gets ESPN revenues, and revenues when its games are carried on other for-fee broadcasting, fees for games from other universities, parking and ticket sales revenues. And then when it gets to the top levels of the NCAA tourney, it gets more revenues. And then there are AAC (Big East to be) revenues and tournament moneys.

Women's basketball is nothing like football with its huge equipment costs and a phalanx of coaches, assistant coaches, and others. So where is this big $3.5 million cost coming from?

I suspect that if we delve into it, we'll see a huge amount of athletic department overhead is being allocated to women's basketball that doesn't rightly belong there. I mean, does it make sense that a football team that draws few fans, carries about a hundred players, plus a mountain of coaches, would lose $13.3 million, while a team of just a dozen student-athletes with three assistant coaches that draws thousands of fans and gets television and tourney revenue would lose $3.5 million?

Somehow, the differential is too small to make sense. Honestly, if the numbers, including overhead allocation, were put under a financial microscope, I would be willing to bet that an argument could be made that women's basketball makes a hefty profit, not a loss. Nothing to go on, except a wet finger in the wind, and a healthy skepticism.

I just think that since WBB doesn't make it profit, it should shut down. I mean that is the standard, right?

 

[Fairfield Fan]

There was a point in time (10-15 years ago?) when UConn showed WBB making a profit. So Geno has probably had a couple raises since then, and they don't sell out every game now, but the shoe deal and media rights have to be higher now. What else has changed so much, other than accounting methods? They always traveled 5 star - remember the $500 orange juice scandal? Maybe Geno runs up $3 million of air charter costs with national and European recruiting?

BTW CD makes $400K+ and Shea makes $200K+

OK, so with those salaries and Coach Geno at $1.8 million, that makes $2.4 million. Transportation for recruiting has to be under $100k. Another $50k for meals for the kids? So that's cash expenses.

Against that are SNY revenues, ESPN revenues, CBSSN revenues, ticket revenues, parking revenues.

Something doesn't add up...

 

[j66kicker]

OK, so with those salaries and Coach Geno at $1.8 million, that makes $2.4 million. Transportation for recruiting has to be under $100k. Another $50k for meals for the kids? So that's cash expenses.

Against that are SNY revenues, ESPN revenues, CBSSN revenues, ticket revenues, parking revenues.

Something doesn't add up...

There are more salaries than that. There's another assistant, plus Director of Basketball Operations, training staff, plus whatever allocation they get for the Athletic Dept's administrative expense. I know you said "cash expenses" but they do count the full "cost" of scholarships = $50,000+ per year per scholarship athlete for school and living expenses. And a huge cash expense is team travel = chartered aircraft, 5-star hotels, entertainment - not only movies and dinners, but stuff like occasional NBA games (Dallas Mavericks, most recently), Broadway plays (Book of Mormon), etc. Being a UConn basketball athlete is a nice lifestyle - certainly far cushier than the WNBA. While at UConn, DT famously said, "We live like rock stars."

BTW I don't begrudge them these perks - at all. They earn it.

 

[CL82]

BTW CD makes $400K+ and Shea makes $200K+

Just a little context:

I wonder what the average D1 WCBB head coach makes? I was surprised by Shea's salary, but don't begrudge her a dollar of it.

 

[JeannoCT]

If you go the the UConn huskies website, look for the athletic department staff. Yes, in addition to coaches, there are administrative personnel, trainers, strength and conditioning people, compliance staff, and academic support staff. There are also team physicians, and a team dentist! I'm sure they are not permanently assigned to a team, but there is a retainer fee I'm guessing. There are also travel expenses, which I'm guessing are quite large. They fly charter, and stay in the best places. I'm sure a charter flight to Tulsa, Texas, etc is not cheap. I'm not begrudging any of this; it's just more than coaches' salaries.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

There won't be many schools, even those in a Power 5 conference, who come out of this without some cuts in salaries, travel, or non revenue sports. Football and TV contracts for it hold up the department at most schools and while they too will see some adjustments and changes it will be the other sports that will sacrifice the most.

UConn being in the BE will help for travel but I suspect some of their sports will be considered for elimination. I don't like to see any school lose programs but it is almost inevitable at more than a few places. The full economic fall out from the virus will unfold for years.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

If you go the the UConn huskies website, look for the athletic department staff. Yes, in addition to coaches, there are administrative personnel, trainers, strength and conditioning people, compliance staff, and academic support staff. There are also team physicians, and a team dentist! I'm sure they are not permanently assigned to a team, but there is a retainer fee I'm guessing. There are also travel expenses, which I'm guessing are quite large. They fly charter, and stay in the best places. I'm sure a charter flight to Tulsa, Texas, etc is not cheap. I'm not begrudging any of this; it's just more than coaches' salaries.

Yes, the team physician only gets a small fee for treating, on occasion, a dozen kids. And even if you add in travel, still the team receives a cut of revenues on the road. But let's say that we add another million to the expenses. That gets us to the amount that the university says the team is "losing," but all before a single dollar of revenues is taken into account.

Again, I strongly suspect that the team gets slammed with massive central athletic office expenses, which are probably much more related to football than the small basketball team.

Lots of other universities have retained basketball while dumping football. Football is the culprit, not basketball, and certainly not women's basketball.

The loss figure just smells. Not buying it.

 

[Steelerone]

Since Stefanie "bunny ears" Dolson took her bubbly personality to the wnba,the only comic relief we had at Uconn was the football team.If they eliminate football,perhaps they can start a "riddled with athleticism," curling team to provide a few laughs on campus.

Pacific, I know that our football team has not exactly been a powerhouse. We are not one of those schools who sell their soul in order to go to a bowl every year, but the young men who choose to sacrifice their time and bodies are not doing it for "comic relief". Please give them the respect they deserve.