UConn athletic department in 2018: generated $40 million in revenue, $81 million in expenses

[metsfan2323]

It won’t be the one some people are wishing for...

... he also has no choice but to say that after this week’s colonoscopy.

Yup, there are several low profile sports that can be cut before you get to football, all of those sports can be brought back if our situation changes, but once football is gone it is likely gone forever.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Well that has to make many on this board happy.

It won’t be the one some people are wishing for... ... he also has no choice but to say that after this week’s colonoscopy.

I'm no fan of cutting sports, but some upper income alumni, friends, fans and even parents of golf, M&W tennis, M&W cross country, M&W track&field, M&W swimming/diving, and other zero-revenue teams might not rule out $tepping up to the plate $ooner versus whining along down the road ...

 

[huskymedic]

 

[LoyalFanCT]

what sports should they cut? i think that is an awful way to balance the budget

 

[J187Money]

It would seem awfully difficult to do any accounting that doesn’t have transactions in to make them whole for the full cost. How would you manage the fund otherwise?

I agree. But I honestly just don’t know the answer. But I assume it works that way.

 

[WrenchFan69]

what sports should they cut? i think that is an awful way to balance the budget

I'm partial to cutting men's tennis, golf, and swimming/diving. Would put us at NCAA minimum of 7. All remaining men's sports outside track/XC (essentially one sport, only need one set of coaches, but counts as 2 to NCAA) provide exposure, potentially revenue to the University. Most track meets are local and we have a pretty solid program already. Can send a few individuals to nationals or further meets without having to send the whole team. If cutting these men's sports allows you to cut the filler women's sports like rowing or whatever you deem next on the chopping block you cut them as well. We should not be above NCAA minimum for men's sports at least until we're in a P5

 

[uconnphil2016]

It won’t be the one some people are wishing for...

... he also has no choice but to say that after this week’s colonoscopy.

Yeah. I'd take a look at something like T&F. Their losses are pretty significant.

 

[uconnbill]

Already exists > Athletic's Fund Me

The sad part is that more minor sports have received more funders than Men's Basketball at this time.

This is the time I wish I was well off and could give each sport 100,000 each

 

[uconnbill]

That hockey program sure seems like a luxury now.

Add lacrosse? Pffffft

Hockey has a lot of backers though, more than Men's basketball by a good amount. Hockey is not the issue, UConn needs to have better contract and some winning seasons.

 

[whaler11]

Hockey has a lot of backers though, more than Men's basketball by a good amount. Hockey is not the issue, UConn needs to have better contract and some winning seasons.

Hockey has more donors than the men’s basketball team does?

Now I’ve read it all.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I don't think there is any way around UConn having to shut down, at least temporarily, some of its non-revenue Olympic sports. An $81M AD budget is along the lines of several P5 ADs but without the benefit of having P5 money. We are certainly paying our Old Money Club penance for being far too slow to bring football up.

Unfortunately, I agree and due to the numbers games, its going to be a men's sport or two. I do wonder if the school may slow down the facilities upgrade (thinking baseball) until this issue is solved. Even if the private money is there, the optics would be bad. It also means that the dream of a men's lax program is dead for the foreseeable future unless a donor comes out of the woods and writes a big check.

 

[UCFBfan]

Unfortunately, I agree and due to the numbers games, its going to be a men's sport or two. I do wonder if the school may slow down the facilities upgrade (thinking baseball) until this issue is solved. Even if the private money is there, the optics would be bad. It also means that the dream of a men's lax program is dead for the foreseeable future unless a donor comes out of the woods and writes a big check.

I'd imagine the soccer stadium gets upgraded but the baseball and softball fields get put on hold. Not enough donors for either program while the soccer team had that big donation.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I'd imagine the soccer stadium gets upgraded but the baseball and softball fields get put on hold. Not enough donors for either program while the soccer team had that big donation.

For better or worse, Title XI will ensure that the softball stadium does get an upgrade. Soccer is used by both men's and women's teams (women's lax, too?) and with the donation noted, should be safe.

 

[huskymedic]

I do wonder if the school may slow down the facilities upgrade (thinking baseball) until this issue is solved. Even if the private money is there, the optics would be bad.

I'd imagine the soccer stadium gets upgraded but the baseball and softball fields get put on hold. Not enough donors for either program while the soccer team had that big donation.

Not according to Benedict (and the construction/infrastructure work for the new fields has actually already begun). I can’t speak towards softball - but baseball has the donors/supporters to get it done financially.

>>Athletic Director David Benedict has said UConn’s financial struggles won’t impact the planned construction of new baseball, softball and soccer stadiums, which are being paid for mostly through private donations.<<

 

[uconnbill]

Hockey has more donors than the men’s basketball team does?

Now I’ve read it all.

look on the page where they list the donors and more have donated to hockey than Men's Basketball. I am not saying that basketball doesn't bring in more money but look and count and you will see.

 

[whaler11]

look on the page where they list the donors and more have donated to hockey than Men's Basketball. I am not saying that basketball doesn't bring in more money but look and count and you will see.

Do they add up the donations or just show names?

 

[uconnbill]

Do they add up the donations or just show names?

Just names or anonymous with some amounts as well

 

[metsfan2323]

The sad part is that more minor sports have received more funders than Men's Basketball at this time.

This is the time I wish I was well off and could give each sport 100,000 each

If the minor sports have so many "funders" how are they losing 23 million a year? How does the best Women's basketball team in the country with just 13 scholarships lose 3 million? On a per scholarship basis they lose much more than football which seems impossible.

It really makes me question these numbers. I would love to audit the AD. It just proves that if you give someone a blank check (which the state has been doing) expect a drunken orgy. The good news is there is probably a lot of fat to trim.

 

[lsuconnman]

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

>>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.

Ticket sales during the 2017-18 season showed the men’s basketball team had its lowest attendance numbers in 30 years, which led to a reduction in revenue generated by the team. While the revenue produced by the football program held even from the previous year, the women’s basketball team saw an increase of about $1.2 million thanks, in part, to improved attendance.<<

Not sure why this was surprises anybody. Our revenue generating squads play all big games thirty minutes from campus ...when the teams are down, it’s no surprise there’s a lack of organic interest, which only accelerates and illuminates the problem.

This outcome was inevitable after a couple teams left the Big East...but were allowed to take the conference name and trademarks with them. It’s actually very ironic. Those schools didn’t quit the conference, they just kicked UConn out.

 

[metsfan2323]

Does the money UCONN pays to rent the Civic Center factor into the 40 million deficit? If it does it should be removed from the equation because I would consider that as money the state is spending to fund the Civic Center and downtown Hartford not UCONN athletics.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Does the money UCONN pays to rent the Civic Center factor into the 40 million deficit? If it does it should be removed from the equation because I would consider that as money the state is spending to fund the Civic Center and downtown Hartford not UCONN athletics.

great point Mets Fan!

 

[uconnyankee]

How much value is in Uconns climb to a top 20 University?
How much value in the additional thousands of applications received, driving up admission standards?
What about the value to CT local economy or simply value to UConn branding?


Don't see any if these happening without athletic success over past 15-20 years.

The current state shouldn't be a surprise. P5 budget on G5 tv deal means a big gap. Only troubling issue I see is AD response. They have been turtling rather than getting out ahead of this.

 

[UCFBfan]

This outcome was inevitable after a couple teams left the Big East...but were allowed to take the conference name and trademarks with them. It’s actually very ironic. Those schools didn’t quit the conference, they just kicked UConn out.

The problem is that it wasn't just the Catholic schools who took the BE name. The conference name plays no impact on UConn. It was the fact that Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville, Rutgers and previously BC, Miami, and VTech all left. Had the first four (Cuse, Pitt, LVille, RU) stayed, this situation would have been different.

There's no reason to go back to the NBE outside of nostalgia for some fans. Unfortunately, that nostalgia is misplaced because the schools we really enjoyed hating/playing are no longer in the conference.

 

[Palatine]

Nike will make annual payments of $1,285,715 ($1,285,710 the first year) to UConn, totaling $9 million. There will also be annual product allotments from Nike starting at a value of $3.2 million in the first year and increasing by $50,000 through the life of the deal.

How is this counted? It should take 3.2 mil off the expense ine and add 1.2 mil to the revenue line.

 

[Dooley]

I'm sure UConn could save some money if it no longer paid lease/rent money to use the XL Center. MBB, WBB, and hockey (soon) all have or will have on-campus facilities that UConn controls. But I could absolutely see our beloved state politicians driving up the lease at the Rent if UConn were to back out of the XL and that would only fuel the nonsense Big East debate more.

I think cutting at least a half dozen sports is inevitable.