UConn trying to fix athletics mess (Hugh Bailey -> Register-Citizen)

[huskymedic]

 

[TMB4405]

This column basically says nothing new or even interesting actually. All Uconn sports teams need to win. That’s the bottom line. I like to think I am immune to this, but football, men’s hoops , both soccer teams, men’s hockey have all been below average to terrible the last several years and even as a true diehard alum they are sucking the life out of me. Baseball and women’s hoops offer a small salvation but in my formative years we were rolling in most of these sports (except hockey which was lower level). Our current state has me questioning spending my money and time so I understand how someone with less of a connection has already split. Winning will bring back at least some of these people.

 

[uconnell]

This column basically says nothing new or even interesting actually. All Uconn sports teams need to win. That’s the bottom line. I like to think I am immune to this, but football, men’s hoops , both soccer teams, men’s hockey have all been below average to terrible the last several years and even as a true diehard alum they are sucking the life out of me. Baseball and women’s hoops offer a small salvation but in my formative years we were rolling in most of these sports (except hockey which was lower level). Our current state has me questioning spending my money and time so I understand how someone with less of a connection has already split. Winning will bring back at least some of these people.

At the end of football season I question whether I will renew next season. Then I think they might do something good and i’ll Miss it. I’d like to cut back to a flex pack but my son doesn’t want too. I’m old and can’t take the humidity/heat/cold. So that leaves very few games to attend comfortably. We like our seats which are easy for me to navigate and we don’t want to lose them or to feel like we are deserting the team. I am so torn!

 

[uconnbill]

At the end of football season I question whether I will renew next season. Then I think they might do something good and i’ll Miss it. I’d like to cut back to a flex pack but my son doesn’t want too. I’m old and can’t take the humidity/heat/cold. So that leaves very few games to attend comfortably. We like our seats which are easy for me to navigate and we don’t want to lose them or to feel like we are deserting the team. I am so torn!

I hope you stay but you need to do what's best for you. UConn needs all the real fans it can get with all the fair weather fans out there.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

The Board of Trustees, Gov. Lamont and Republican leaders need to get behind UConn sports and realize how important they are for the state, both in terms of fan enjoyment and as a marketing tool for economic development. It's a tragedy what has happened to the football team.

 

[Exit 4]

The Board of Trustees, Gov. Lamont and Republican leaders need to get behind UConn sports and realize how important they are for the state, both in terms of fan enjoyment and as a marketing tool for economic development. It's a tragedy what has happened to the football team.

It is disappointing we have had 20+ years of governors with very little interest in UConn sports. If the Gov showed up to a couple football games a year, it would get the attention of other top brass in the state.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Lamont did show up for men's hockey game but I totally agree with football attendance.

 

[Slick]

It is disappointing we have had 20+ years of governors with very little interest in UConn sports. If the Gov showed up to a couple football games a year, it would get the attention of other top brass in the state.

Lamont sat in front of me at at least one football game this year with his wife

 

[Exit 4]

Lamont sat in front of me at at least one football game this year with his wife

Excellent. The symbolism is important.

 

[BlueDogs]

It’s an oddity that universities are expected to “make money” on sports. It shows just how distorted and perverted the landscape as become due to nexus dollars. They lose nothing. It’s the cost of running a large state university and traditionally they are subsidized by state taxpayers because they bring economic value in research, new business creation and local entertainment. You may as well say they are losing money heating the buildings. Every sport is losing money, even the greatest college sports team in history (WBB). These are arguments are red-herrings. The cost of losing a national brand reputation of excellence and media exposure, declining quality in applicants, etc. far exceeds 40 million. Try buying a three hour commercial on prime time National TV. People are really ignorant about economics.

 

[Stinger92860]

Lamont sat in front of me at at least one football game this year with his wife

Which team did he root for?

 

[Redding Husky]

I have nothing new or original to say. Again, it’s just frustrating that the state doesn’t support our land grant school’s athletics like people do in places like Nebraska, Arkansas, and Oregon.

 

[billybud]

I have nothing new or original to say. Again, it’s just frustrating that the state doesn’t support our land grant school’s athletics like people do in places like Nebraska, Arkansas, and Oregon.

It is fan support and media money that makes the difference.

Arkansas takes no state money for athletics and has returned an average of $2 million per year the last five years from athletics to the school for the academic side.

Nebraska takes no state money for it's AD and has returned an average of $5 million per year from the AD to the academic side of the university.

Oregon did use $247,000 in government funding for the AD...

Connecticut's governmental financial support has been in the tens of millions per year....

...it is media money and fan support....

Nebraska had 6X UConn's contributions...Arkansas had 8X the contributions...Oregon, about 7.5X the contributions.

 

[ZachFan]

Which team did he root for?

The team in blue of course (hope we weren't in white that game).

 

[BlueDogs]

It is fan support and media money that makes the difference.

Arkansas takes no state money for athletics and has returned an average of $2 million per year the last five years from athletics to the school for the academic side.

Nebraska takes no state money for it's AD and has returned an average of $5 million per year from the AD to the academic side of the university.

Oregon did use $247,000 in government funding for the AD...

Connecticut's governmental financial support has been in the tens of millions per year....

...it is media money and fan support....

Nebraska had 6X UConn's contributions...Arkansas had 8X the contributions...Oregon, about 7.5X the contributions.

Each case you raise are beneficiaries of the money caste system that has been created and has nothing to do with anything else. State universities are subsidized by taxpayer $$ plain and simple. That includes research universities that take millions from the federal government. The real issue is the state is balancing its books on the backs of the state university and college system year over year, and the employee unions insist on their largesse. The fees are out of control and tuition has skyrocketed. UConn is a microcosm of the state. They will eat their young (taxpayers and students) to keep the state union class enriched with pay and benefits the rest of the private sector can’t get.

 

[Irishfan]

Each case you raise are beneficiaries of the money caste system that has been created and has nothing to do with anything else. State universities are subsidized by taxpayer $$ plain and simple. That includes research universities that take millions from the federal government. The real issue is the state is balancing its books on the backs of the state university and college system year over year, and the employee unions insist on their largesse. The fees are out of control and tuition has skyrocketed. UConn is a microcosm of the state. They will eat their young (taxpayers and students) to keep the state union class enriched with pay and benefits the rest of the private sector can’t get.

so are you saying that fan support and media money don’t matter?

 

[billybud]

Political comments aside...

Total AD revenue is absolutely a function of media revenue...

It is no coincidence that every program ranked above UConn in AD revenue is in a P5 conference...

and only one P5 program (Washington State, ranked one spot below) has less AD revenue.

And that is with a massive Connecticut infusion of money.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Here is my problem with all the hand-wringing about football. Everyone wants to cut it because of the deficit.

OK, thought experiment:

If UConn continues to lose money, but football goes 9-3, 10-2 and becomes a very good Indy team. What happens? NO chance they get rid of football.

This is more a result of losing than it is losing money. Because of that, I really can't take the cut the program stuff seriously.