How can Women's Basketball reduce its deficit?

[BroadwayVa]

Conn athletic department in 2018: generated $40 million in revenue, spent $81 million in expenses
UConn athletic department in 2018: generated $40 million in revenue, spent $81 million in expenses - Hartford Courant

The athletic department incurred $80,905,645 in expenses in 2018, down slightly from 2017, while generating $40,418,969 in revenue, also down from 2017. The school’s sports programs were once again heavily subsidized by the university, receiving more than $8.5 million in student fees and more than $30 million in additional institutional support.

The biggest individual team culprit of the UConn athletic department’s 2018 deficit was the school’s football program, which lost $8.7 million. Additionally, men’s basketball lost about $5 million, women’s basketball lost about $3.1 million and the rest of the school’s sports lost about $22.3 million among them.

In 2017, UConn’s athletic department overall incurred more than $83 million in expenses while generating about $41 million in revenues.


What can be done to reduce the net loss of some $3.1M?

All programs losing more than 3.5 million should be shut down. Uconn should take over all Internet rights to their brand and charge for the use of it. With proper billing they'd make up for the losses on the BY alone if they billed those not registered as Uconn WBB fans. (kidding obviously)

 

[BroadwayVa]

I think travel IS a big expense. For example, figure what it would cost for 1 couple to go to the Virgin Islands.
What was the total number of people that went there, players, coaches, (others?) ?

It would be cheaper if they purchased a sleep-on bus and traveled from court to court only coming to Storrs for Xmas and end of the year. Air travel is expensive as are good hotels. Maybe CD should make sandwiches to take along.
Has anyone totaled the money the WBB team brings into Connecticut from all possible area's/ I think if that were known, there would be no talk about the 3.1 mill they apparently are costing Ct taxpayers; Uconn WBB is a product, make no mistake about that they bring in TV money, Uconn is known worldwide because of them,--can the football team say the same??

 

[mbr33ct]

What can be done to reduce the net loss of some $3.1M?

 

[HuskyMJ]

Women's college basketball is basically a money loser across the board. This is true of most college sports. The difference is that at most big schools football and men's basketball make money and subsidize the rest of the programs.
.

But most sports outside of football and men's basketball pay their coaches much less than women's basketball. Women's basketball is really the anomaly for salaries and spending for a non revenue sport.

 

[HuskyNan]

Why? What do you have to offer a Power 5 conference? The conferences aren't charities that hand out money to schools just because they feel deserving. They exist to make money for their members, and adding UConn would not be not a money-making deal. If it was, you would already be there.

UConn has as much to offer as Rutgers, which is now in the Big 10. Mostly, what UConn can offer is access to recruiting in the Northeast.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

UConn has as much to offer as Rutgers, which is now in the Big 10. Mostly, what UConn can offer is access to recruiting in the Northeast.

Which would most likely be of interest to the Big 10, in that regard. For the ACC, UConn would be a good fit with BC and Syracuse within "shouting distance".

I wouldn't think the other 3 should be thinking a school in New England - I know geography isn't what it once was, but for the Big 12 or SEC a college in NE would be such an outlier.

 

[ProSkeptic]

Why do people think UConn can just magically re-join the Big East? They’re all Catholic schools, and UConn is a public university. As for P5, I’m betting the inclusion of Rutgers had to do with a lot of greased palms. After all, it’s in New Jersey and Christie was the Governor at the time.

 

[Charliebball]

UConn has as much to offer as Rutgers, which is now in the Big 10. Mostly, what UConn can offer is access to recruiting in the Northeast.

the best football recruits from this are are already leaving the North East in droves with the exception of Penn State and a few to Boston College................Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, Alabama, West Virginia are all cherry picking here..................if Rutgers did nothing more but keep a third of the ranked talent in state they would be a much better football team

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Why do people think UConn can just magically re-join the Big East? They’re all Catholic schools, and UConn is a public university. As for P5, I’m betting the inclusion of Rutgers had to do with a lot of greased palms. After all, it’s in New Jersey and Christie was the Governor at the time.

It was complicated, but no, I don't think greased palms were involved. Rutgers offered the B1G increased revenue from a particular media market and fit the right academic profile and was in general attractive. We were told years ago by someone who was involved with B1G governance that Rutgers was "wanted" for a number of years before it happened.

And for all of Rutgers football woes, and currently they are completely dreadful, bear in mind that they are one of the 2 college teams with the most players in the Super Bowl.

 

[tomcat]

We are not dropping football. Give it up, already.

We will get a P5 invite; inevitable.

Well, just to argue the other side, I hope you're right, but I think your conclusion is delusional. I cannot think of any reason at all why a P5 conference would invite UConn unless something drastic happens to it (as in, three teams move to another conference).

 

[tomcat]

We are not dropping football. Give it up, already.

We will get a P5 invite; inevitable.

Well, just to argue the other side, I hope you're right, but I think your conclusion is delusional. I cannot think of any reason at all why a P5 conference would invite UConn unless something drastic happens to it (as in, three teams move to another conference).

 

[Ozimoto]

The chances of UConn getting into a P5 conference are directly related to what they would bring in eyeballs to a television deal to cover the conference games. If UConn could somehow prove that their inclusion would bring people from the Boston and New York markets to TV sets for a P5 conference they would be in.

 

[Adios]

Why? What do you have to offer a Power 5 conference? The conferences aren't charities that hand out money to schools just because they feel deserving. They exist to make money for their members, and adding UConn would not be not a money-making deal. If it was, you would already be there.

Worrying about football donations plummeting when they don't even cover the cost of the football program is irrational. The question you should be asking is, "How are Big East schools faring financially compared with AAC schools?" You should know that the AAC schools covered in the USA Today database are all subsidizing their athletic programs to the tune of over 40% of expenses - the whole league is populated by schools who are operating under the same delusion. The Big East programs (all private) aren't in that database, but you can be pretty sure that they are on a far better financial footing.

Market. I am pretty sure the state of Connecticut is more densely populated than most other states.

 

[Adios]

Well, just to argue the other side, I hope you're right, but I think your conclusion is delusional. I cannot think of any reason at all why a P5 conference would invite UConn unless something drastic happens to it (as in, three teams move to another conference).

Many ACC fans consider us next in line. Call me delusional all you want.

You guys can go ahead and live with the woe is me mentality. Thank God real leaders don't roll over.

 

[HuskyMJ]

UConn has as much to offer as Rutgers, which is now in the Big 10. Mostly, what UConn can offer is access to recruiting in the Northeast.

New Jersey is a fertile recruiting area for football and basketball though, that is one pro for RU.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Hartford is the 33rd largest media market in the country between Kansas City and Columbus OH. Yes, UConn's TV market is bigger than the one the mighty Ohio State Buckeyes are in. The Huskies have a bigger market than most P5 teams without even accounting for the fact that the part of the state where the most alumni live is in the New York market, and Storrs is a stone's throw from another top 10 market (Boston). P5 slots do not come available all that often because the conferences are pretty much maxed out with 12 or 14 teams most of which are boat anchors that were in the right place at the right time and grandfathered in. If conferences could just dump teams, I'm sure there is at least one P5 conference that would trade some of their current members for UConn tomorrow if it were possible.

 

[bennyskid]

Many ACC fans consider us next in line. Call me delusional all you want.

You guys can go ahead and live with the woe is me mentality. Thank God real leaders don't roll over.

Do you suppose that any of those "many" fans would bring in UConn if they knew that it would cost each current member several million dollars?

 

[Adios]

New Jersey is a fertile recruiting area for football and basketball though, that is one pro for RU.

We have 20+ championships. How about Rutgers?

 

[Adios]

Hartford is the 33rd largest media market in the country between Kansas City and Columbus OH. Yes, UConn's TV market is bigger than the one the mighty Ohio State Buckeyes are in. The Huskies have a bigger market than most P5 teams without even accounting for the fact that the part of the state where the most alumni live is in the New York market, and Storrs is a stone's throw from another top 10 market (Boston). P5 slots do not come available all that often because the conferences are pretty much maxed out with 12 or 14 teams most of which are boat anchors that were in the right place at the right time and grandfathered in. If conferences could just dump teams, I'm sure there is at least one P5 conference that would trade some of their current members for UConn tomorrow if it were possible.

14 is not the end number.

 

[billybud]

My thought is that we are in a rapidly changing environment.

"Markets" could drive in 2012....but maybe not in 2025.

The last round of realignment was driven by inventory— bundle together as many schools from as many markets as possible to command the highest possible subscriber fees.

The next round will be more about content. Put on the biggest possible games to garner the largest possible audience because the viewers themselves will sort of become the buyers rather than Comcast or Time Warner.

Compelling match ups that people want to watch...

UConn, in basketball, could provide such compelling viewing...I can imagine the Duke, UNC, VIrginia, etc games.

Last week....

ESPN maintained its hold over the Saturday cable ratings yet again a week ago.

Once again, it was ESPN that took the top spot in the Saturday cable ratings. However, unlike the NFL wild card game that put the network on top the week before, it was college basketball that won the night this time around.

I think compelling football match ups will still be of higher value (many more viewers), but there is a value in marquis basketball match ups.

And that, should be the Huskies strong suit.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Conn athletic department in 2018: generated $40 million in revenue, spent $81 million in expenses
UConn athletic department in 2018: generated $40 million in revenue, spent $81 million in expenses - Hartford Courant

The athletic department incurred $80,905,645 in expenses in 2018, down slightly from 2017, while generating $40,418,969 in revenue, also down from 2017. The school’s sports programs were once again heavily subsidized by the university, receiving more than $8.5 million in student fees and more than $30 million in additional institutional support.

The biggest individual team culprit of the UConn athletic department’s 2018 deficit was the school’s football program, which lost $8.7 million. Additionally, men’s basketball lost about $5 million, women’s basketball lost about $3.1 million and the rest of the school’s sports lost about $22.3 million among them.

In 2017, UConn’s athletic department overall incurred more than $83 million in expenses while generating about $41 million in revenues.


What can be done to reduce the net loss of some $3.1M?

I am highly skeptical of that $3 million loss figure. I suspect that they are being allocated a major chunk of overhead that they don't deserve to shoulder. A back of the envelope calculation would show about $1.5 million for Geno, perhaps several hundred thousand max for the other coaches. Except for room and board, scholarships are a non-cash item (just more bodies in classrooms). Yes, there's transportation. But on the other side is something like 150,000 attendance at home.

 

[billybud]

Scholarships do have a cost...just as regular students are not educated free. You do have to prorate the costs of operating an institution across the students receiving an education.

The NCAA, however, determines the reporting methodology that drives these reports of deficit.

Net Results. New terminology for the net operating results of the athletics department also was introduced in the 2008 report. "Net generated revenue" results when total generated revenues exceed university-paid (or guaranteed) expenses. A "negative net generated revenue" results when university-paid (or guaranteed) expenses exceed generated revenues.

 

['nuff sed]

14 is not the end number.

First things first.....lets not forget....the root cause of UConn's current position in Athletics comes down to 2 words....

BOSTON COLLEGE pure and simple, the ACC would have taken us at one time, but BC pulled out every stop to block it.....yes, I know ancient history.....but it was the screw over job of all time, and continues today.

TV - The B1G and Rutgers is not about anything other than their TV network, they lusted after Rutgers because it gave them entry into the NYC media market. That's revenue that Connecticut cannot compete with. B1G marketers and researchers say that. Fact is, for football, the NE is not the SEC or the midlands. So, until the B1G Network gets to the point that they want to extend into the NE past NYC we are getting no invite. The ACC got what it wanted in Syracuse and BC.

ACC - BC continues to screw us, and laughs as they do it. I am sure the ACC would have taken us at one time, they are the P5 with a vested interest in BB. But then there's that BC thing, where they want to be the ONLY P5 program in NE. I don't blame Syracuse or Pitt for doing what they had to do.

AAC - This is like the Island of Misfit Toys, and we're on it and can't get off. And it's sucking revenue from its members faster than a $5 whore in a Norfolk Navy Yard. There are NO rivalries to give anyone a foothold to increase both the stadium gates and TV ratings.
The name of the game for Uconn and the rest of the league is just survival, and hope and pray the next TV deal puts a dent in the cash flow exodus just to the point you can live with it.
People have suggested travel restrictions and cutting some sport programs.....Travel is huge, remember we have to send EVERY team to SMU and lots of smaller markets where airfares aren't cheap.....and how many of these teams can you reasonably cut ?

Football - It just doesn't work in the AAC, and the headwinds are HUGE at UConn.

• Our Stadium is significantly undersized (it was a consolation prize back when Kraft played the State Legislature as Patsy's) and we can't fill it.
• It takes 8-12 quality recruits over multiple years to rebuild
• Without a rebuild that undersized stadium won't get filled.
• The program's effect on the balance sheet is not commensurate with its benefits and it has very limited ability to self correct
• Geography - The TV markets have been poached by the ACC and B1G, the AAC contract cannot generate enough to compete with the P5's. SU is huge in NYC and forget Boston.
• The Stadium again - a P5 would need to see a new stadium, filled, and TV ratings

"Prestige" - Undeniably basketball elevated the UConn brand nationally and was instrumental in starting funding from the State Legislature that enhanced all other departments.
But lets be honest --- the real impetus for improvements at the school are economic conditions that exploded college and University costs for non-state schools. The average rise in SAT scores to gain admission to Main Campus is a direct result in people's ability to pay. Period. It's not the "safety school" anymore, its the 1st choice and often only choice because of costs, not because of the Athletic Dept.

Solutions

• 1. Wait and do nothing, and see what kind of remediation we can get under the new AAC TV contract. This is even questionable as a balance sheet repair solution as costs will rise while the revenue stays static.
• Wait and do nothing and hope for conference reorganization - understanding that we have little leverage in negotiation.
• Drop Football - this is the center of the problem, it is not sustainable under the current conditions.
• Beg re-entry back into the Big East

It's time for folk to put aside the sentimentality of keeping Football. We tried it, and because of mistakes or broken relationships from the very start, it didn't work.

At some point - even though they still have "golden calf" status in the legislature - there will be blowback and it will flip. You will lose New Haven and Bridgeport, Meriden and Waterbury. That's reality.


All IMHO

 

[veryolddog]

A couple of things to consider when looking at this issue is the changing demographics of the United States and the income representation of each State. Populations are migrating to warmer weather states and with that migration is the income that goes with it. Business demographics show that a strong migration to the warmer weather States will still continue along with corporate headquarters. Frankly, statistics of New England populations and wealth are shrinking as taxes and government obligations are increasing. Why bring Connecticut into a Power 5 program when you can recruit great athletes into power programs from anywhere. And, football, has never been really supported financially by the State in money and in attendance.

UConn basketball under Calhoun was exceptional because of the Big East. Even football had a moment or two and then waned into oblivion. Women's basketball due to the reputation of Geno has done well and will do reasonably well as long as he remains as Coach. After that, who knows.

If you had a long memory, you can think back when Connecticut burned its bridges with other Athletic programs by using politics to protest the admission of other Big East programs to other leagues leaving UConn behind. UConn will eventually assimilate into the AAC and consider itself to be lucky in that league and perform accordingly or to save money, which I suspect is the next course of action, downgrade athletics at the University.

All this is just speculation and what I have observed since I attended and graduated from UConn from 1961 to 1964 and has no other foundation than historical and financial demographic data to create this theory so take it with a grain of salt.

 

['nuff sed]

The thread topic makes the assumption that there is an issue with WBB budgets, and at UConn.

Sure there's an issue with WBB budgets -----they are UNDERFUNDED

UConn's 3.1M reported deficit.....nothing at all wrong with it......its a red herring. What's 3M to a 80M bill, geez, you can barely fill a bunch of Hartford potholes for 3M.

What WBB can do is market itself to increase revenue......there's 2 sides to the balance sheet ya' know.

You need to realize its the non-sports crowd that is sustaining the system.....and WBB appeals to the non-sports crowd.

Older, upper middle class, educated and white, ---that want to be attached to a brand image--- that's the ticket, its been the ticket since '95......I think Geno, more CD really I think, delivers that.

And Burning Bridges....yeah, we went to war with BC.......but if you went to UConn in the 60's , I went in the late 70's, you know UConn was very adept at burning in state bridges too....I'm from New Haven and there are still a lot of folks around that don't want anything to do with them. It was an earned reputation.