Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[Duncan Idaho]

where does uconn fall on this list?

The last number I saw was 6.5MM in the student fee subsidy. It had been as high as 8.8MM a few years ago IIRC.

 

[Drew]

In case you were wondering why the thought exists that we don’t take football seriously:

 

[noeynox]

How much do we spend on football?

 

[Kolumbo]

In case you were wondering why the thought exists that we don’t take football seriously:

It's the chicken and the egg. All those other public U's spending more on football are in power conferences so they can easily afford to spend more, even if they don't get results.

 

[How Sway?!]

In case you were wondering why the thought exists that we don’t take football seriously:

Idk, I feel like spending as much as the top G5 programs shows otherwise

 

[Waquoit]

Wow good remember. That was him. Whatever happened to him? Hopefully not a health issue.

I met him at a couple of tailgates. It probably was a health issue.

 

[Waquoit]

Then you believe in folklore.

Ain't that America?

 

[dayooper]

Ain't that America?

For you and me?

 

[JMick]

In case you were wondering why the thought exists that we don’t take football seriously:

This graph doesn't really make that argument.

 

[Drew]

This graph doesn't really make that argument.

You know as well as I do that the bar always shifts when it comes to us:

Them: “UConn spends more on men’s basketball than it does on football”

Us: “Yeah but we spend more on football than anyone else in the G5”

Them: “Yeah but you do that through a subsidy generated by massive student fees because your athletic department has so much debt”

And on, and on, and on

 

[JMick]

You know as well as I do that the bar always shifts when it comes to us:

Them: “UConn spends more on men’s basketball than it does on football”

Us: “Yeah but we spend more on football than anyone else in the G5”

Them: “Yeah but you do that through a subsidy generated by massive student fees because your athletic department has so much debt”

And on, and on, and on

But who is "them?"

Randos on Twitter that read at a third grade level?

 

[LetsGoUC]

We're literally spending more than almost every G5 school....plus if we were in a power football conference that would be different, but they powers have left us out so this is not UConns fault.

 

[Drew]

But who is "them?"

Randos on Twitter that read at a third grade level?

Anyone in college sports media and administration, including Athletic Directors as recently as last year from the Big 12

 

[Waquoit]

Speaking of folklore, the groundhog said we were going to get an early spring.

 

[Sole]

Ain't that America?

No.. Taylor Swift

 

[huskymedic]

You know as well as I do that the bar always shifts when it comes to us:

Them: “UConn spends more on men’s basketball than it does on football”

Us: “Yeah but we spend more on football than anyone else in the G5”

Them: “Yeah but you do that through a subsidy generated by massive student fees because your athletic department has so much debt”

And on, and on, and on

Guess we need to shift the narratives one by one :

James Madison’s Record $53M in Student Fees Tops All Public Schools

James Madison's athletic student fee subsidies reached a record $53,3 million in fiscal 2023, by far the highest of any public school in the country.

www.sportico.com

 

[ScottVib]

Idk, I feel like spending as much as the top G5 programs shows otherwise

It’s percentages and perception. Sure UConn spends the same absolute dollars on football as the G5 schools. However if those same G5 schools had access to what UConn spends on basketball as well they’d allocate some (in certain cases most) of that to football as well.

The argument is then we spend as much as any non-P5 program which bleeds into the basketball-only argument of why isn’t football successful, since it’s not let’s devote more to basketball (where they are not only among the highest achieving but also the highest funded programs).

To external forces… football revenue is greater than basketball revenue; if UConn has access to more resources why aren’t they allocating those resources accordingly to improve the program. Clearly they don’t care… and if they get more resources whose to say they’d spend it on football.

UConn is also the only school among the major basketball programs where basketball draws more revenue than football. For each of the others football draws significantly more revenue. The non-UConn fan/president/AD wonders why UConn puts in so much “effort” (funding) to find dimes at the expense of finding dollars.

It’s not necessarily a fair argument but it’s an easy one to make, especially if you’re already predisposed to reject UConn.

 

[huskymedic]

UConn is also the only school among the major basketball programs where basketball draws more revenue than football. For each of the others football draws significantly more revenue. The non-UConn fan/president/AD wonders why UConn puts in so much “effort” (funding) to find dimes at the expense of finding dollars.

It’s not necessarily a fair argument but it’s an easy one to make, especially if you’re already predisposed to reject UConn.

Bit more color: Ticket sales only (no NCAA Tourney Credits/Media Revenue):

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Even Jay Bilas believes BB can break away ala CFP. UConn can be a major player in such a move. It remains farcical that UConn bumps along financially while the likes of Syracuse, BFC get $30mm per year. ( Rutgers getting $65mm is beyond farcical!).
With the ACC blowing up, we'll find some allies to take over March Madness - like UNC, Duke. It's not crazy and if football did it, BB can too!

The big money in basketball is the tournament and the NCAA uses it for a variety of things not basketball related .
Simply demand a bigger share or break away completely.. With the additional costs to be competitive that money is necessary.

 

[JMick]

Anyone in college sports media and administration, including Athletic Directors as recently as last year from the Big 12

They wouldn't care how much money we spent if we didn't suck. We spend enough to be competitive. Can't change our region to a recruiting hotbed

 

[Drew]

They wouldn't care how much money we spent if we didn't suck. We spend enough to be competitive. Can't change our region to a recruiting hotbed

“We spend enough to be competitive” is relative and I would pretty easily argue that 2 bowl games in 12 years says that we do not spend enough to be competitive with our existing schedules.

 

[JMick]

“We spend enough to be competitive” is relative and I would pretty easily argue that 2 bowl games in 12 years says that we do not spend enough to be competitive with our existing schedules.

But we spend as much as teams that are competitive

 

[huskymedic]

 

[FfldCntyFan]

In other news, water is wet.

 

[UConnJim]

I think you have to look at the big picture with UConn's revenues. Basketball revenues were weakening with the school in the AAC and the men's team in a decline. Stabilizing and improving basketball revenues and performance became a top priority and it has been accomplished. Remember, the tweet is about last year's revenues and this year ticket revenues for both men and women has seen improvement.

Football revenues and performance have started to improve since Mora arrived, but much more needs to be done. I do think UConn has invested more in football, but we need to continue to invest to improve performance. It's a virtuous cycle: invest in football leads to better performance which leads to higher revenues which leads to more investment which leads to better performance which leads to higher revenues... At the present time, the AD needs to lean on sponsors and donors to increase the investment in football.

And, I look at it this way. Right now, UConn could compete in the Big 10 in all sports with the exception of football at current spending levels. (I know UConn is not getting a Big 10 invite.) But it's pretty clear that if UConn gets an invite to a P4 conference, the increase in revenues could go primarily into football.