Uconn recruiting and the AAC impact

[60'sfan]

How is UConn going to pay these coaches? The women's team no longer makes a profit, it lost $1.2 million last year, and even the men's team is unprofitable, losing $1.1 million. The other athletic programs lost a combine $16 million. It's football that brings in the money and the AAC can't negotiate the mega-millions the P5 conferences do. Is ESPN going to pay a lot of money to televise Tulane vs Temple?

The AAC is decent in men's basketball, bad in women's bball after UConn & USF, and bad in football after Central Florida and Cincinnati. Yes, Central Florida is the best team in the league. there is no money to be had in this league - UConn needs out or it won't be able to give a decent salary to Geno's replacement or the guy that replaces KO after he heads to the NBA.

They will just raise tuition. People in the state of Connecticut are used to that. The governor raises taxes all the time and will be re-elected easily.

 

[JoePgh]

How is UConn going to pay these coaches? The women's team no longer makes a profit, it lost $1.2 million last year, and even the men's team is unprofitable, losing $1.1 million. The other athletic programs lost a combine $16 million. It's football that brings in the money and the AAC can't negotiate the mega-millions the P5 conferences do. Is ESPN going to pay a lot of money to televise Tulane vs Temple?

The AAC is decent in men's basketball, bad in women's bball after UConn & USF, and bad in football after Central Florida and Cincinnati. Yes, Central Florida is the best team in the league. there is no money to be had in this league - UConn needs out or it won't be able to give a decent salary to Geno's replacement or the guy that replaces KO after he heads to the NBA.

It is noteworthy that the same source for revenue and expense data indicates that UConn football lost $2.6 million last year. So already, the taxpayers are subsidizing EVERY UConn sport, including football. Unless the economy tanks again, it's reasonable to assume that this level of taxpayer support will continue. It is probably true that membership in a major conference would swing the football program into profitability, but probably not to the point where football could cover the losses in basketball, not to mention other sports that produce no significant revenue.

I suspect that even at places like Alabama and Ohio State (not sure about Texas), while football in itself may be profitable, its profits are probably not sufficient to cover the losses on other sports, so taxpayers or private funding sources cover the deficits from athletic programs as a whole. This has been the case for a long time, and there is no reason to expect that people's appetite for subsidizing college sports will suddenly evaporate (unless, of course, there is an economic cataclysm).

 

[HoopsFan21]

It is noteworthy that the same source for revenue and expense data indicates that UConn football lost $2.6 million last year. So already, the taxpayers are subsidizing EVERY UConn sport, including football. Unless the economy tanks again, it's reasonable to assume that this level of taxpayer support will continue. It is probably true that membership in a major conference would swing the football program into profitability, but probably not to the point where football could cover the losses in basketball, not to mention other sports that produce no significant revenue.

I suspect that even at places like Alabama and Ohio State (not sure about Texas), while football in itself may be profitable, its profits are probably not sufficient to cover the losses on other sports, so taxpayers or private funding sources cover the deficits from athletic programs as a whole. This has been the case for a long time, and there is no reason to expect that people's appetite for subsidizing college sports will suddenly evaporate (unless, of course, there is an economic cataclysm).

I don't think your last paragraph is true. When it comes to funding sports those big P5 schools aren't broke. Some of the big schools' athletic departments make enough money to return a profit back to the University. Granted not many are in this fortunate situation, but it does happen. If those schools need to shell out huge bucks for a coach or new facilities they can easily get the money from alumni and then some. Penn State recently needed a new hockey arena, so one guy, the owner of the Sabres for those that follow NHL, dropped over $100 million of his own coin to cover it. UConn just doesn't have that kind of alumni base to bring in enough money to pay for athletic endeavors without state assistance. You can find similar examples to the Penn State hockey arena at other schools: Oregon's ridiculous facilities all paid for by Phil Nike, Oklahoma State's facilities and Stadium expansion paid for by T. Boone Pickens, and so on. Like I said a lot of these big P5 schools really are in a league of their own financially. Outside of UConn the big schools are making money and lots of it on athletics, more specifically football. That's what all this conference realignment and NCAA upheaval is about - money and who gets how much of it.

 

[meyers7]

I find this so premature that it's ludicrous to talk about it.

You're the one who started the thread.

 

[UcMiami]

I don't think your last paragraph is true. When it comes to funding sports those big P5 schools aren't broke. Some of the big schools' athletic departments make enough money to return a profit back to the University. Granted not many are in this fortunate situation, but it does happen. If those schools need to shell out huge bucks for a coach or new facilities they can easily get the money from alumni and then some. Penn State recently needed a new hockey arena, so one guy, the owner of the Sabres for those that follow NHL, dropped over $100 million of his own coin to cover it. UConn just doesn't have that kind of alumni base to bring in enough money to pay for athletic endeavors without state assistance. You can find similar examples to the Penn State hockey arena at other schools: Oregon's ridiculous facilities all paid for by Phil Nike, Oklahoma State's facilities and Stadium expansion paid for by T. Boone Pickens, and so on. Like I said a lot of these big P5 schools really are in a league of their own financially. Outside of UConn the big schools are making money and lots of it on athletics, more specifically football. That's what all this conference realignment and NCAA upheaval is about - money and who gets how much of it.

There are very few athletic departments that make a profit in any given year and even fewer that make a profit when you look at a 5 year period. Most of them are subsidized by tax payers or by the school's 'general fund'. Uconn has actually done pretty well on getting major private donations for facilities expansion. And there are not a lot of schools that see those $100M gifts and they are generally sort of random events.

 

[HoopsFan21]

There are very few athletic departments that make a profit in any given year and even fewer that make a profit when you look at a 5 year period. Most of them are subsidized by tax payers or by the school's 'general fund'. Uconn has actually done pretty well on getting major private donations for facilities expansion. And there are not a lot of schools that see those $100M gifts and they are generally sort of random events.

Is that anything like the way many wealthy individuals and corporations "don't make a profit?" I'm not an accountant and can't claim to know how the big athletic departments are structured legally, but if they were all so broke you have to imagine like any enterprise the schools that were persistent losers would eventually ditch that financial albatross, especially when said albatross doesn't further the mission while adding quite a bit of risk. Someone said the MCBB team loses over a million per year, and all I can remember is Calhoun chewing out that student reporter for all the money his program brings in to justify his salary.

 

[60'sfan]

There are very few athletic departments that make a profit in any given year and even fewer that make a profit when you look at a 5 year period. Most of them are subsidized by tax payers or by the school's 'general fund'. Uconn has actually done pretty well on getting major private donations for facilities expansion. And there are not a lot of schools that see those $100M gifts and they are generally sort of random events.

Totally agree with you. When we decided to go division one A football, I was thinking this is going to cost us a lot. Are we ready for this kind of commitment. Will we ever be able to compete with Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Texas etc.? Football is very expensive and very few teams make money. Some of the bigger schools mentioned above only survive because of alumni donations. It takes a lot of time to reach the place where alumni are able and willing to make those kinds of contributions. Unfortunately, alumni commitment at that level brings a whole new set of problems.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Totally agree with you. When we decided to go division one A football, I was thinking this is going to cost us a lot. Are we ready for this kind of commitment. Will we ever be able to compete with Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Texas etc.? Football is very expensive and very few teams make money. Some of the bigger schools mentioned above only survive because of alumni donations. It takes a lot of time to reach the place where alumni are able and willing to make those kinds of contributions. Unfortunately, alumni commitment at that level brings a whole new set of problems.

Your last sentence is quite true. I'm almost to the point of wondering if college athletics in general are worth it. Think of the massive donations being made in the name of sports, and now think of what impact that kind of money might have on the academic side.

 

[oneresult]

One thing it's still there for a while [Big East Money]

 

[baggerbob]

When Geno retires UConn loses not just the best coach, but the 2 best coaches, because CD will probably retire with Geno. Until then conference affiliation will not bother the women's program.