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

[superjohn]

We actually don’t know if basketball is rev positive or neutral or negative. Nobody does. The accounting the school provides every year gives us some insight into sport by sport economics but it’s not a perfect view. For example, the license deals with Learfield, Nike, Coca Cola, etc cover the entire athletic department and don’t cover one sport.

Any one of us could make an argument X% is attributable to Y sport but we don’t actually know.

Benedict has mentioned in the past that if you cut football it would impact all of those agreements mentioned above and others so simply cutting a sport does not result in 1:1 savings since you are impacting revenue side of this for things directly related to football plus revenue that covers entire department.

Also playing at the Rent or XL is a cost on UConn’s books but it’s a state entity giving money to another state entity so one can argue this is hardly a cost but an interdepartment accounting adjustment.

And then lastly regarding hoops it has no accounting of donations, admissions and enrollment impacts looking at individual sport accounting.

Basketball makes an unbelievable amount of money for UConn.

 

[upstater]

In that case demolish the XL and the Rent and save everyone a lot of money. As much as I love UConn, I don’t think state taxpayers should be subsidizing a small segment of the population. Maybe build a satellite campus for Smith College. That might help the school pay for his salary

Have you looked at Smith's endowment lately? They have over a million dollars for every student.

 

[Storrs South]

It's the exact opposite of this. They will NOT support the expense, and this is already proven.

What you’re saying does not match reality considering the university laid it out in those terms and the state capitulated

 

[Ha Who]

Have you looked at Smith's endowment lately? They have over a million dollars for every student.

Not my point

 

[upstater]

What you’re saying does not match reality considering the university laid it out in those terms and the state capitulated View attachment 103274

With this deal, the shortfall for UConn academics (not counting UConn Health & others campuses) has gone from $95m to $30m.

They still have a $30m shortfall.

 

[Exit 4]

This is interesting...

 

[GoKU]

This is interesting...

I doubt it, but possible. I know the Big 12 has zero interest in either school.

 

[CL82]

Also playing at the Rent or XL is a cost on UConn’s books but it’s a state entity giving money to another state entity so one can argue this is hardly a cost but an interdepartment accounting adjustment

Except that the state doesn't actually make a dollar for dollar payment for those rentals. That amount comes out of the school's budget generally. You can argue that if those rental fees weren't being charged the state would pay us less, but that's just speculation.

To the extent that Connecticut loses income opportunities, such as concession or parking revenue that is probably just lost revenue, and it is unlikely that it is in anyway accounted for in the funds we receive from the legislature.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I've wondered about how much debt is carried on the UConn books for stadiums/arenas? Is it nothing? Does it sit on State of CT books? Anyone know about the debt service?

 

[Fairfield_1st]

We actually don’t know if basketball is rev positive or neutral or negative. Nobody does. The accounting the school provides every year gives us some insight into sport by sport economics but it’s not a perfect view. For example, the license deals with Learfield, Nike, Coca Cola, etc cover the entire athletic department and don’t cover one sport.

Any one of us could make an argument X% is attributable to Y sport but we don’t actually know.

Benedict has mentioned in the past that if you cut football it would impact all of those agreements mentioned above and others so simply cutting a sport does not result in 1:1 savings since you are impacting revenue side of this for things directly related to football plus revenue that covers entire department.

Also playing at the Rent or XL is a cost on UConn’s books but it’s a state entity giving money to another state entity so one can argue this is hardly a cost but an interdepartment accounting adjustment.

And then lastly regarding hoops it has no accounting of donations, admissions and enrollment impacts looking at individual sport accounting.

Let's not forget that the scholarships don't really cost what they cost. It's more, this is what we could have had for revenue had your bed been given to a paying student. I believe they also use the out of state student rate, even if the athlete, like DC, is in state.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Men’s and women’s Bball will be just fine staying in the BE as long as the school lets them keep a few million of their revenue to pay players. But that would unfortunately require cutting football and half the women’s non revenue sports.

Pretty sure “bball identity” is code for dropping football once and for all

College athletics needs to adopt the Canadien Junior hockey model for all sports. The Major junior players ( WHL, OHL, QMJHL) get paid, all the rest of the leagues are a step below and don’t get paid. For college athletics the SEC, B1G, B12, ND, and for now the ACC can be the “major” division of college athletics for all sports. Those schools financially can compete with each other. All the other conferences are at a financial disadvantage and in the long run be better off competing at a lower level. That’s what needs to happen. No one wants UConn to drop down a level but, eventually that’s going to happen anyway. Without money UConn cannot compete.

 

[CL82]

Let's not forget that the scholarships don't really cost what they cost. It's more, this is what we could have had for revenue had your bed been given to a paying student. I believe they also use the out of state student rate, even if the athlete, like DC, is in state.

Plus, out of state students often don't pay the full undiscounted rate

 

[upstater]

Let's not forget that the scholarships don't really cost what they cost. It's more, this is what we could have had for revenue had your bed been given to a paying student. I believe they also use the out of state student rate, even if the athlete, like DC, is in state.

It's all real money. I'm not sure what you're point is. Every department has allocations from the college according to head count. This is how they pay professors. Those bean counters consider each and every student.

 

[Dizzy21]

Sportico’s Intercollegiate Finance Database

In 2023 men's bball made ~$10.6mill in revenue and had operating expenses of ~$13.8mill. that's a net loss of ~$3.2million.
In 2023 football made ~$6mill in revenue and had operating expenses of ~$20mill. that's a net loss of ~$14million!!!!

You think the fact that football lost less money per player makes up for the fact that it lost ~$11mill more than men's bball??? No. Saying UConn has the best men's bball program in the country and the worst football program in the country isn't bias its fact, and funding the best men's bball program in the country is well worth all the intangible benefits it brings to the school/state. Football only brings embarrassment.

The added benefit of cutting football is cutting 6 of the 12 women's sports (volleyball, swimming, crew, cross country, tennis, lacrosse). In 2023 non-revenue women's sports were a net loss of ~$18mill. So cutting football (~$14mill) and half the women’s sports (~$9mill) would have saved the school ~$23mill in 2023...

Starting next year the men's bball program will need to use about half its annual revenue (~$5mill) to pay players rather than cover operating expenses but the program will also be earning an extra ~$2mill per year from the new BE tv deal.

So... while it will cost the school a couple mill more per year to fund men's bball, it's still well worth it for all the intangible benefits. Continuing to fund men's (and women's) bball will also be affordable if the school starts saving over $20mill/year by cutting football and 6 women's sports.

i really hope UConn gets into the big12 or ACC but if we dont get into either by 2025 when revenue sharing starts then the school needs to sacrifice football and half its women's sports to save the remaining sports (bball, soccer, hockey, track, baseball/softball, golf/field hockey).

First of all I said women's and men's basketball. When you add in Hurley's raise, combined it about equals the loss of football, which has 4 times as many athletes.

Regardless, the point is you said give basketball their revenue to cover the cost. Fact is that basketball does not have some revenue to cover the increased cost while in the Big East and they will be more in the hole when paying players. It is simply not sustainable in the Big East, even when cutting a huge swath of the athletic department like you want to.

The Big 12 payout will soon be 5 times that of the Big East and over $50 million. If you dumped $20 million a year into football for 4 years to get it up to snuff for the Big 12, then after two years in the full Big 12, that $80 million would be paid off and we would be making $40 million a year more than in the Big East. Even with the increased $20 million a year spent on football, that is $20 million a year net more to pay basketball than in the Big East.

Any way you look at it, investing in football to get into the Big 12 helps generate revenue for the basketball team and will make them more competitive financially. Cutting football and remaining in the Big East hurts basketball and puts them at a disadvantage.

 

[shizzle787]

This is interesting...

Doubt it. They likely stay independent for a while.

 

[bendm]

Any way you look at it, investing in football to get into the Big 12 helps generate revenue for the basketball team and will make them more competitive financially. Cutting football and remaining in the Big East hurts basketball and puts them at a disadvantage.

It doesn’t matter how many athletes idk why you keep saying that. And Hurley will be making another ~$3mill/year.

But I never said we should stay in the BE rather than join the big12. I’m 1000% in favor of that. We were talking about what happens if the invite doesn’t come by next year when revenue sharing starts. The school can keep funding the bball programs if it’s saving over $20mill per year elsewhere.

 

[BlueandOG]

If by "football school" you mean a middle of the pack Big 12 team, then I 100% believe the program can be built to that level. If you mean that we would actually be competing for Big 12 titles and a playoff spot, then I don't think that's ever going to be possible and I'm ok with that. I just want us to be competitive again against your average to above-average P4 schools.

I know we can win a power conference championship. We did it before, and we can do it again.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

This is interesting...

So interesting that the guy that tweeted it out took down the tweet.

 

[GoConn]

So interesting that the guy that tweeted it out took down the tweet.

What did it say??

 

[hank970]

I know we can win a power conference championship. We did it before, and we can do it again.

Conference co-champion (shared w/ WVU) in 2007. Conference co-champion (shared w/ WVU and Pitt) in 2010. Both during the reign of RE1. UConn never won an outright Big East Conference football championship.

 

[UConn Dan]

What did it say??

I believe the initial tweet said that the PAC-2 couldn’t come to an agreement with the Mountain West for a scheduling agreement for 2025.

There was a reply to that tweet from a UConn fan saying wouldn’t be surprised if Wazzu and Oregon State joined the ACC.

 

[Padutch5]

Lol, that's not what you said. What you said was that towns between Route 91 and stores "would not allow traffic". So I was wondering just how you believe they would stop that?

It now appears that you believe towns will deny their municipal police forces the ability to pick up a lucrative overtime gig paid for by the state? Lol, highly unlikely, my friend, and if they did, other towns police would just get the gig. In any event, the only place that would likely be needed is in the immediate vicinity of Storrs.

It also sounds like you've never actually been to a football game, because if you had, you'd probably be at least vaguely familiar with the concept of "tailgating" and the fact that fans arrive Starting hours before the start of the game and leave up to hours afterwards. That naturally feathers the traffic is the way virtually every football playing college manages traffic across America.

Or, maybe you are familiar with tailgating and are just being disingenuous? It's either one or the other though.

Wow. I dont know where to start. Yes I said the local towns wouldn’t allow it. They will delay it in their councils and courts until long after we are both gone [and probably long after the current leagues are gone.
Sorry to enlighten you. We are season long time ticket holders for football [I well remember 40000 fans in the stadium for Big East games and 45000 for MIchigan]. And mens and women’s basketball. Unlike many on these sites, we are not fair weather fans. We attend almost every game. We are actually in our seats for the start of the game.
We have also been at games accross the country. sorry for you feeling you have to talk down to Me.
Tailgating at many college stadiums is not limited to a few hours before and after a game. My comment was that because of traffic, Penn State tailgating started Thursday and went through Monday.
In any event, the reason we dropped BB games in storrs is because the commute to Hartford took longer than the games. I can’t imagine what it would be for 50,000 or more for football

 

[CL82]

They will delay it in their councils and courts until long after we are both gone [and probably long after the current leagues are gone.

Please, enlighten me further. How exactly are they going to delay it "in their councils". Let me get you started a bit. What municipal approvals do you believe are necessary from the communities along route 44

Also, what exactly do you anticipate happening in these communities "municipal courts"? Perhaps a vigorous issuing of traffic and parking tickets?

We are season long time ticket holders for football

And apparently royalty, or perhaps suffer for multiple personality disorder?

In any event, the reason we dropped BB games in storrs is because the commute to Hartford took longer than the games. I can’t imagine what it would be for 50,000 or more for football

Well, let me know again that basketball is very different than football in terms of how fans arrive and when they leave. Let me note again that tailgating allows fans to feather, their arrivals departures. You can keep repeating that you "can't imagine" 50,000 people all trying to leave Storrs at precisely the same moment. The good news is that imagination is the only place that this event would occur.

In the real world, universities across the country, managed to get people in and out of their stadiums without a limited access highway up to the front gate without Armageddon occurring. For reasons that are not clear to me, you choose to "imagine" Storrs, Connecticut is the only place in the world in which this will not occur. I disagree.

 

[ScottVib]

Conference co-champion (shared w/ WVU) in 2007. Conference co-champion (shared w/ WVU and Pitt) in 2010. Both during the reign of RE1. UConn never won an outright Big East Conference football championship.

True.. although worth noting that while the Big East while the Big East declared co-champions among the teams tied with the same record (much like the 4-way ties that resulted in the sole conference championships for Rutgers or BC); UConn did win head-to-head against both the other "co-champions" in 2010, earning the BCS bid and while I never felt like UConn was a "deserving" champion in 2007 (they got destroyed in a matchup between ranked teams and only claimed the co-championship after a shock upset by Pitt the week after UConn-WVU) UConn certainly felt like they earned that bid in 2010.