TheFarmFan
Stanford Fan, Huskies Admirer
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2018
- Messages
- 2,016
- Reaction Score
- 14,296
Mods, please move to general basketball if this isn't UConn specific enough, but I thought many UConn-only fans may have insights on and interest in this, and times are slow now that we're out of season earlier than usual.
From what I am reading and hearing, my sense is that many D1 sports programs are about to take a great-depression-level hit financially. My sense is that serious cuts are in store for basically everything - staffing, recruiting expenses, travel, etc.
Schools are going to be hurting for revenue losses from:
-Loss of summer residential academic programs, sports camps, and foreigner study abroad programs. Those are cash cows.
-There will likely be a huge decline in foreign enrollment next fall, which is another cash cow, especially for many brand-name state schools. This was already the trend with all the travel restrictions put into place by the current Administration.
-The NCAA paid out half of what it was supposed to. Conferences will too - ad revenue will plummet on conference networks, and there will be no ticket sales revenue (already minimal) for the foreseeable future.
-State budgets are going to take huge hits - assume state schools will see cutbacks.
-University endowments have been blasted in the past 6 weeks.
-Donors have been hit similarly and are and will be scaling back on giving.
-Alumni weekends are being cancelled, which are often buffo fundraising opportunities.
-It is not inconceivable that many fall sports will be played without crowds, and therefore lost ticket revenue there, too. (Many anticipate a second wave of SARS-COV-2 in the fall, and there is no serious likelihood of widespread vaccination before mid-2021.)
There may be some offset from an uptick in school enrollments for those who would rather go back to school than find jobs in this climate, but it's too late for that to make an appreciable difference for the 20-21 academic year. And all of that revenue will likely go to offset other losses in academic department revenue, rather than to athletics.
D1 scholarships are a huge cost to universities, and now they aren't even generating the (minimal) revenue from these students' on-field performance. If you think of it like a business, they are putting out no product for sale but can't furlough any employees. And now some spring athletes may want to come back for a 5th year spring next year, which is a further crunch.
A Change is Gonna Come:
My guess is that a number of D1 athletic programs will have to fold at universities that were already losing a lot of $$$ on athletics. To that end, I have to think UConn's days as a D1 football program may be numbered now?
I would also predict that the era of huge guarantees and buyouts in coaching contracts will be over, and more coaches who are on the firing bubble will be kept at least until their contracts run out. And more internal promotions from assistant coaches.
What are other downstream consequences folks foresee? Curious for others' thoughts, especially those who work in higher ed. These are dark, dark times.
From what I am reading and hearing, my sense is that many D1 sports programs are about to take a great-depression-level hit financially. My sense is that serious cuts are in store for basically everything - staffing, recruiting expenses, travel, etc.
Schools are going to be hurting for revenue losses from:
-Loss of summer residential academic programs, sports camps, and foreigner study abroad programs. Those are cash cows.
-There will likely be a huge decline in foreign enrollment next fall, which is another cash cow, especially for many brand-name state schools. This was already the trend with all the travel restrictions put into place by the current Administration.
-The NCAA paid out half of what it was supposed to. Conferences will too - ad revenue will plummet on conference networks, and there will be no ticket sales revenue (already minimal) for the foreseeable future.
-State budgets are going to take huge hits - assume state schools will see cutbacks.
-University endowments have been blasted in the past 6 weeks.
-Donors have been hit similarly and are and will be scaling back on giving.
-Alumni weekends are being cancelled, which are often buffo fundraising opportunities.
-It is not inconceivable that many fall sports will be played without crowds, and therefore lost ticket revenue there, too. (Many anticipate a second wave of SARS-COV-2 in the fall, and there is no serious likelihood of widespread vaccination before mid-2021.)
There may be some offset from an uptick in school enrollments for those who would rather go back to school than find jobs in this climate, but it's too late for that to make an appreciable difference for the 20-21 academic year. And all of that revenue will likely go to offset other losses in academic department revenue, rather than to athletics.
D1 scholarships are a huge cost to universities, and now they aren't even generating the (minimal) revenue from these students' on-field performance. If you think of it like a business, they are putting out no product for sale but can't furlough any employees. And now some spring athletes may want to come back for a 5th year spring next year, which is a further crunch.
A Change is Gonna Come:
My guess is that a number of D1 athletic programs will have to fold at universities that were already losing a lot of $$$ on athletics. To that end, I have to think UConn's days as a D1 football program may be numbered now?
I would also predict that the era of huge guarantees and buyouts in coaching contracts will be over, and more coaches who are on the firing bubble will be kept at least until their contracts run out. And more internal promotions from assistant coaches.
What are other downstream consequences folks foresee? Curious for others' thoughts, especially those who work in higher ed. These are dark, dark times.
Last edited:
