Watching the Hilltoppers Next Move

[TexasTerror]

Following that great piece on I-AA.org by Kent Schmidt, we have this piece from the Louisville Courier-Journal looking at all the opposition, financial implications and such of a Western Kentucky move to I-A football.
===============
WKU considers move to Div. 1-A football

By Michael Grant
[email protected]
The Courier-Journal

Western Kentucky University is moving closer to a major upgrade of its football program. The university’s board of regents is expected to vote Nov.2 on elevating its Division I-AA program to I-A, the highest level of NCAA football.

If the board votes in favor, the Hilltoppers could be playing I-A football as a member of the Sun Belt Conference as soon as 2009.

However, the change will not come without some opposition.

Though results of a faculty referendum on I-A have not been released, the chairwoman of the University Senate, Michelle Hollis, an assistant professor of mathematics, said there is strong opposition on the part of the faculty.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060928/SPORTS/60928037

[UAalum72]

"Ransdell noted that WKU and Villanova University are the only two universities that belong to I-A football conferences but play I-AA football."

Forgetting, as many do, Georgetown football

[therealbigredrules]

.
chairwoman of the University Senate, Michelle Hollis, an assistant professor of mathematics, said there is strong opposition on the part of the faculty.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060928/SPORTS/60928037


Nothing new here. The Senate (it has no real power) has been trying to kill scholarship football (at any level) for 20 years. Again, I said any level...In 1992 WKU was about 12 hours away from ending ALL football. The program has come a long way. The senate views it as taking money away from their pockets. :bawling:

[AppMan]

WKU has made a nice come back from that near miss back in '92. Personally, I'd like to see the Apps in a league with you folks.

[henfan]

If WKU announces reclassification in Nov. '06, they will not be eligible for the I-AA playoffs in either '07 or '08 in advance of their move to the Sun Belch in '09.

BTW, no surprise that academicians aren't getting behind additional funding for athletics. They seldom do.

Best of luck to the 'Toppers with whatever they decide.:thumbsup:

[Killtoppers90]

I just want it done..one way or the other. Just make a freaking decision and let's roll!

[DetroitFlyer]

When will these folks get over the fact that athletics are not inherently evil? For crying out loud, more exposure for a university will draw more students, better students, more research dollars, etc. I am very tired of the negative attitude of athletics from this "academics".

[TexasTerror]

Memo from the President...

Memo from WKU President Dr. Gary Ransdell

Following is the text of a memo sent by Western Kentucky
University President Dr. Gary Ransdell to the school's faculty and
staff earlier this week regarding a potential move from I-
AA to I-A football.

As President, it is my responsibility to ensure that our decisions,
especially those that affect most of us in the WKU family are made in
a collegial, open, thoughtful, and inclusive manner. I have conducted
nine forums for various segments of our University family over the
last several weeks. In the next few weeks, I will also be conducting
forums in Glasgow, Elizabethtown, and Owensboro. There are many
constituencies with which this matter should be discussed. I am doing
my best to discuss it with as many groups and interested parties as
possible. There are segments of our campus population that have
concerns about this move, but there is also considerable interest and
encouragement, both on and off campus, to make the move.

The following points illustrate why it is important that we consider
this matter now. There is no crisis, but there are reasons why we need
to go on and address the matter. There are, and will always be, higher
budget priorities and many more important ways to spend our tuition
revenue than on the football program, but we cannot always control the
timing of when certain matters need to be addressed and when they can
be deferred. Following several years of investments in academic
quality and campus construction and given the following points, it is
my position as President, considering all points of view and the total
University perspective, that we address this matter once and for all.
Any of the following points, alone, are not reason enough to act, but
the combination of factors do require our attention. Relevant points
include:

*Sun Belt Conference started Division I-A football in 2001. This
season is the sixth year in which our athletic conference has been a I- A football conference. Eight of the thirteen institutions in our
conference play Division I-A football, four do not play football at
all, and then there’s WKU which plays I-AA football. The conference
needs WKU to join the league in all sports in order to create the
necessary compliment of nine teams which is required for consistent
scheduling.


http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060929/SPORTS/60928040

[TexasTerror]

Doesn't this make you drop your jaw?


Selig said Western football is losing almost $2 million a year. When the Hilltoppers won the 2002 I-AA national championship, the postseason expenses cost the program $100,000. In 1992 the school came close to dropping football.

In I-A, Selig said the program would stand a greater chance of at least breaking even.


The original article posted but even more...

WKU football nears vote on Division I-A
Could join Sun Belt by '09

By Michael Grant
[email protected]
The Courier-Journal

Western Kentucky University is moving closer to a major upgrade of its football program. The university's board of regents is expected to vote Nov. 2 on elevating its Division I-AA program to I-A, the highest level of NCAA football.

If the board votes in favor, the Hilltoppers could be playing I-A football as a member of the Sun Belt Conference as soon as 2009.



Change will not come without some opposition, however.

Though results of a faculty referendum on I-A have not been released, the chairwoman of the University Senate, Michelle Hollis, an assistant professor of mathematics, said the overwhelming majority of faculty members who have spoken out are against it.

Western has been studying I-A football for more than a year. The school was approached last year by the Mid-American Conference regarding joining its league. The Sun Belt, in which the Hilltoppers play 18 of their 20 Division I sports, also wants Western to be its ninth I-A football team.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060929/SPORTS/609290437/1002/SPORTS

[ChickenMan]

The 'egghead' academics exsist in a totally insulated world... where their views are consistantly re-enforced by other academics with similar eggheaded values.

[dbackjon]

One of the unique things on WKU's decision is the fact that WKU currently funds 20 more women's scholarships than male. The additional football scholarships for I-A? 22. So going I-A would be one way to bring WKU in compliance with Title IX

[henfan]

*In terms of post-season competition and potential revenues, one must consider that there are 30 bowl games in Division I-A; therefore, 60
out of 119 teams play in a post-season bowl game. At the I-A level,
the bowls cover your expenses and sometimes institutions make money by
going to a bowl game. At the I-AA level, there is no added revenue for
post-season competition, and the deeper you go, the more it generally
costs an institution.

Well, this quote is wildly inaccurate/misleading. How many schools who participate in minor bowls actually manage to cover expenses? A very tiny percentage. The majority lose money.

OTOH, all reasonable expenses for road trips in the I-AA playoffs are reimbursed by the NCAA. If you draw well enough for home games, you can actually make money as host. Tell Montana, Delaware, App State and McNeese that there's no added revenue for I-AA post-season.:nod:

WKU's FB expenses already meet or exceed some SBC teams. Unfortunately, there's not going to be a lot of chance to cut their bottom line debit as an SBC members, unless they play a lot of 'body bag' games.

Look, IMO, WCU has perfectly compelling reasons to join the Sun Belch for football. It's just humiliating for the president to resort to deceiving his constituents about the financial realities WKU is going to face in the years ahead. He'd do much better focusing on big picture issues like conference alignment, D-I voting power, getting all sports under one umbrella, ect. All good, sound reasons.

[Stang Fever]

I think it makes sense to me. As long as the fan base and support is there. then go ahead and make the move. THE SUNBELT is a terrible conf. but hey if you want to go there then go ahead. i support a move to I-A as long as its not to the bottom of the barrell conf. like the sun belt. but thats just me

[therealbigredrules]

I am glad that the response on this topic has been more positive than negative. Please understand that each school is very different and has unique items that impact a decision of this size. I don’t want to get into a debate about how many view that I-AA football is “cost containment” football. However, when you look at it from an incremental CASH standpoint at WKU, there is a compelling story to at least consider the move. You will never really hear much talk about this, but if you look at this decision from a cash standpoint, it sounds good. Why CASH? Because the last time I tried to deposit "Revenue" into my checking my banker said no.

LOOK AT THE CASH NOT JUST THE PUBLISHED FINANCIALS

What is the cost of 22 additional scholarships to a state school that is not at full capacity? Very little. Simply charging an athletic department for the equivalent of 22 scholarships (A few million dollars) is not the same as cash. It is an allocated expense that is passed to the athletic department. Incremental cash out the door is nowhere near what the athletic department is being charges. The way I look at it, the cash cost of 22 more students is really the equivalent of about 1-3 more classes, assuming a class of 22 students, assuming WKU is not at 100% capacity and does not need to build additional classrooms. It is not like WKU is Duke and an athlete is actually taking the spot of well deserved trust fund baby with $50,000 in his or her checking account.

However, on the other hand, cash income is not the same as revenue and this is where it gets fun! What you never hear anyone talk about is the impact of the 22 students in the State's funding formula. More students and you should get more cash. Then, add on the $2+Million in fees that will actually be paid for by student tuition in CASH, and what you are really looking at is a lot of extra cash hitting the WKU check book to pay the extra cost of coaches, food, and travel with very little needed to pay for fixed costs. Why? Again, coaches, food, and travel is paid for with CASH, not some booked expense to the Athletic Department that gets eliminated on a cash flow report.

The bottom line is, at a school such as WKU, the incremental impact of this decision results in an overstatement of expenses, an understatement of revenue and alot more CASH to pay the real expenses.

OTHER FACTORS IMPACTING THE DECSION

119 I-A teams means that 50% of all teams in I-A go to a bowl game and with that comes a payout. And yes, the lower bowl game payout per team is not huge, but I would take $500K cash over a loss of $100 in travel. (yes I know the bowls suck and it is not a real championship which is why we ALL love I-AA football)

Reverse gender equity…this one I love. Could it be that the WKU administration went hog wild on the Women’s programs just to make it an easier sell for Football? Not sure, but in any case the ACLU should be all over WKU until it adds 22 football scholarships. Where are the liberals when we need them? Come on guys, show your compassion for all that is fair and right with this world…organize a march, wage a sit in, let put an end to this.

Fundraising. This is why I love our current president. What has occurred on the WKU campus is amazing. As other state schools cry, whine, and complain about the State cutting funding, our president goes out and does it on his own. The result of his fundraising activities is countless Capital improvements and educational funding increases without the help of the Frankfort. Maybe it is time to take another look and spend some resources on football if you have all your other major items in good shape.

The Suck Belt, Well 20+ year ago it was a top Basketball Conference and received multiple bids. The Great 8 conference / Conference USA and other’s put and end to that. So what we are left with is a less than optimal conference, but also a weak I-A conference that allows WKU a chance to move up in Football. Perfect from a football standpoint. WKU would be new to I-A so lets start slow and what better way to start than the Belt. Also, I-A football opens up many more doors to a step up in Conference than staying I-AA. Sad, but for the 100th time, WKU has no choice other then the MVC – and they like their current number of teams and may not even like WKU….who knows. Moving to I-A give WKU more marketability to move up in conference.

Factor it all this together…It might be a good time to consider the move.

[SochorField]

Though results of a faculty referendum on I-A have not been released, the chairwoman of the University Senate, Michelle Hollis, an assistant professor of mathematics, said there is strong opposition on the part of the faculty.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060928/SPORTS/60928037


Faculty crack me up....so disconnected from athletics. At UC Davis the faculty voted "no" on our move from DII to DI. The students, on the other hand, voted 'yes' by a huge margin--to fund the move themselves.

[Mr. C]

I think it makes sense to me. As long as the fan base and support is there. then go ahead and make the move. THE SUNBELT is a terrible conf. but hey if you want to go there then go ahead. i support a move to I-A as long as its not to the bottom of the barrell conf. like the sun belt. but thats just me
That's just it, the fan base and support have been lacking for some time. WKU is, first and foremost, a basketball school. When I was in Bowling Green, Ky. for the 2000 quarterfinals, I didn't see very much support for a very good team. When I covered the Hilltoppers in the 2002 national championship game, I saw a school that was about as close as any team has ever been to Chattanooga bring a bleak amount of fans to watch their squad win a national title. For a school that has consistently been among the top programs in I-AA, the interest has been pretty pathetic. The only time they seem to draw is when they play Eastern Kentucky. WKU is one of those schools that is almost doomed to failure, if they move to I-A and the Sun Belt in football.

[Mr. C]

All this talk that half of the 119 teams play in bowls (by the way, how do you half that last team?) is erroneous. Teams from the Sun Belt have a 12.5 percent chance of playing in a bowl game (one team makes it out of eight) and that bowl is one of the least prominent and fiscally rewarding of all of the 30 bowls. A second team simply isn't going to be considered for a bowl from that league. WKU has a much better chance of playing for the national championship as one of the 16 teams than ever playing in a bowl.

[youwouldno]

Actually Mr. C, you're looking at it the wrong the way. The last thing in the world WKU would want is a bowl bid. Because that forces the unfortunate choice between actually declining a bid-- highly embarassing-- and taking a massive financial loss, which WKU would surely suffer.

Indeed, as has been mentioned, going I-A means much larger checks for money/sacrifice games. It's true that WKU's costs won't really go up all that much, but revenue from various sources will increase. So long as WKU avoids bowls, they should be fine.

Now, the problem is that, by losing, WKU eliminates the possibility of 'promotion' to a better conference. But that's thinking ahead, which is a little much to ask of University administrations. Heck, most schools seem unaware that in a few years the number of college-age people in the US is going to decline, thus making their massive expansions a huge folly.

[therealbigredrules]

(by the way, how do you half that last team?)

Rounding
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the linguistic process of vowel labialization, see roundedness.
Rounding is the process of reducing the number of significant digits in a number. The result of rounding is a "shorter" number having fewer non-zero digits yet similar in magnitude. The result is less precise but easier to use. There are several slightly different rules for rounding.

Example: 73 rounded to the nearest ten is 70, because 73 is closer to 70 than to 80.

Rounding can be analyzed as a form of quantization

[therealbigredrules]

Heck, most schools seem unaware that in a few years the number of college-age people in the US is going to decline, thus making their massive expansions a huge folly.

Actually, the US has an overall aging population which is good for college attendance (bad for Social Security - but that is a different story). Think about it, more than just High School grads go to college. Also, Given that and a higher % of the overall population is going to college.....And your point is "folly"

[youwouldno]

Actually, the US has an overall aging population which is good for college attendance (bad for Social Security - but that is a different story). Think about it, more than just High School grads go to college. Also, Given that and a higher % of the overall population is going to college.....And your point is "folly"

Trust me, you're wrong. Expect the trend to start around 2010-2011.

[henfan]

119 I-A teams means that 50% of all teams in I-A go to a bowl game and with that comes a payout. And yes, the lower bowl game payout per team is not huge, but I would take $500K cash over a loss of $100 in travel.

There is most certainly a payout for I-A bowl games, however, the devil is in the details. The total payout is split equally among conference members. As well, participating schools are required to sell a minimum number of tickets. If the tickets aren't sold, that money comes out of the coffers of the participating team's AD. How many SBC teams have ever made a profit off of a Silicon Valley Bowl or New Orleans Bowl appearance? Ask Troy what sort of hit they took when they managed to sell less than 500 tickets to the 2004 Silicon Valley Bowl.

You'll never see the day that a SBC teams clears $500K for participating in the post-season. It just ain't gonna happen and anyone who suggests otherwise is incredibly disingenuous. The SBC nows gets $750K payout split amongst 8 schools. If you add WKU, each school would get a payout of approximately $83K. If you think schools like Montana, Delaware, App State and McNeese don't clear make more than $83K by playing one playoff home game, you're just not smart. The thing is WKU, if they had enough fan support, could make money with I-AA football as well.

As I said before, WKU has several compelling reasons to move its football team to the Sun Belt. They'd do best not insulting anyone's intelligence by arguing that it's a financially sound move.

[arkstfan]

I think this is the final or near final I-A/I-AA shift, or actually the first and maybe only Bowl Subdivision/Championship Subdivision shift.

There are significant reasons for WKU to want to shift. They want to position for a better basketball league and there seems to be no prospect that the Missouri Valley will expand. That means the only viable option is a post-realignment MAC or CUSA, and that is only viable for WKU if they are playing I-A ball.

I believe WKU would have moved earlier except for three obstacles.
1. Limited likelihood of meeting actual attendance requirement.
2. No significant revenue differential between Gateway and Belt.
3. Possibility that realignment would end the Sun Belt.

Since then:
1. Attendance requirement shifted to 1 in 2 years PAID attendance.
2. Sun Belt gained over $1 million in the new BCS agreement.
3. UNT and UL Lafayette declined WAC invitations preventing demise of the Sun Belt.

With the new scheduling criteria creating the potential to greater access to game guarantees than previously existed it will be harder for an AD to convince a president or chancellor that a shift can be paid for by a one time stadium expansion expenditure followed by chasing checks in I-A. While at the same time the minimum expenditure annually required to be I-A has increased with the 200 grant requirement and 16 sport requirement.

Now if you want to be a check whore you can do that easily and remain in I-AA.

Add to that the fact that outside of Notre Dame, Army and Navy there aren't many teams that anyone would bother scheduling non-conference home/home in October and November. Meeting the schedule requirements from year-to-year in I-A without a conference home makes it unlikely that we will see teams move as independents as happened previously with Akron, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tenn, Troy, and UCF.

Once WKU does their thing, I suspect we are done unless Villanova gets a wild hair and finds a welcome reception from the Big East or the WAC grows tired of trudging to Ruston, La, and invites someone like UCD to replace them.

[DFW HOYA]

"Ransdell noted that WKU and Villanova University are the only two universities that belong to I-A football conferences but play I-AA football." Forgetting, as many do, Georgetown football

Is there any I-AA school which gets LESS publicity for its football team than Georgetown? I don't understand it, never will.

[MplsBison]

Once WKU does their thing, I suspect we are done unless Villanova gets a wild hair and finds a welcome reception from the Big East or the WAC grows tired of trudging to Ruston, La, and invites someone like UCD to replace them.


I actually expect both Sac State and UCD to go to the WAC.

Also, there are several I-AA schools that potentially could make the move. As well, at least some of the Ivy League schools are natural for I-A if they would allow scholarships.

[therealbigredrules]

They'd do best not insulting anyone's intelligence by arguing that it's a financially sound move.

I never knew people on the east coast could be so easily insulted. The 3 or 4 time a year I have to go to Philly or NYC for work everyone is enamored by my combination of Southern Charm and Mid West down to earth style.:D

If your incremental cash inflows exceed your incremental cash outflows....would you not consider the move?

or

If your Marginal Revenue is greater than your marginal cost...would you not consider the move?

Nothing more nothing less

[henfan]

I never knew people on the east coast could be so easily insulted. The 3 or 4 time a year I have to go to Philly or NYC for work everyone is enamored by my combination of Southern Charm and Mid West down to earth style.:D

If your incremental cash inflows exceed your incremental cash outflows....would you not consider the move?

or

If your Marginal Revenue is greater than your marginal cost...would you not consider the move?

Nothing more nothing less

Had to laugh at your latter comment, Red! Come on. Don't you know we're East coasters are really sensitive pony-tail guys at heart?xlolx

I'm just not seeing the overall financial advantage of an SBC move for WKU. Conversely, I don't think a move would be all that detrimental either. In fact, if I were running WKU, I'd be lobbying for an all sport affiliation with the SBC... just not for financial reasons. As I said, there are other more compelling motives for making a move. The chancellor would be wise to emphasize them over arguing a weak financial angle.

[NoCoDanny]

Where is documentation of N. TX and UL Lafayette declining a WAC invite?

[arkstfan]

Where is documentation of N. TX and UL Lafayette declining a WAC invite?

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/May/28/sp/sp02a.html
http://www.rgj.com/news/printstory.php?id=69743
http://www.lists.uidaho.edu/pipermail/vandal/2004-May/001395.html
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/May/14/sp/sp18a.html
http://www.lists.uidaho.edu/pipermail/vandal/2004-May/001377.html
http://www.nationalchamps.net/2004/sub/previews/northtexas.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2003-10-20-wac-replacements_x.htm

[dbackjon]

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/May/28/sp/sp02a.html
http://www.rgj.com/news/printstory.php?id=69743
http://www.lists.uidaho.edu/pipermail/vandal/2004-May/001395.html
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/May/14/sp/sp18a.html
http://www.lists.uidaho.edu/pipermail/vandal/2004-May/001377.html
http://www.nationalchamps.net/2004/sub/previews/northtexas.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2003-10-20-wac-replacements_x.htm

I don't see anything in any of those links were UNT or ULL were ever officially offered WAC memberships - but were listed as potential candidates for WAC expansion, plus the typical Athletics politically correct BS about "Reaffirming commitment to the Sunbelt", blah, blah. Neither UNT or ULL would say anything different even if they WERE interested in the WAC.

[SactoHornetFan]

Faculty crack me up....so disconnected from athletics. At UC Davis the faculty voted "no" on our move from DII to DI. The students, on the other hand, voted 'yes' by a huge margin--to fund the move themselves.

And you wonder why they are at a university teaching instead of working out in the real world xlolx

[arkstfan]

Sure.

No one with any awareness of how the game of college athletics business is played would ever even ask for "documentation" because they would understand that expansion happens like this. Conference has a meeting or teleconference and authorizes commissioner to contact schools. Commissioner contacts schools and lets them know they have a home in the league IF they agree to join. Invitations are NEVER issued until it is a known fact that the prospective team will accept.

I've got some pretty decent contacts around the Sun Belt. UNT was set to bolt to the WAC until the president at Louisiana Lafayette sent him copies of University of Louisiana System financial data on Louisiana Tech showing that travel expenses for La.Tech were significantly higher than the WAC had claimed and they noted that those expenses were based on La.Tech having short trips to Tulsa, Dallas, and Houston.

If you are interested the scenario actually went like this.
UTEP bolts. WAC board authorizes Benson to look at UNT, ULL, and Idaho in that order with the knowledge that Idaho was going to be a close vote that might not pass.

Benson contacts North Texas. UNT requests info then receives contradictory info from UL System and informs Benson they are not interested in pursuing the situation. Benson tells UNT they have until X date to change their mind because they are contacting ULL and if ULL accepts first, UNT will be left behind.

Benson contacts ULL president who immediately states he is not interested (unlike UNT's leadership he had been president when ULL was in the Big West and was quite familar with the burden of playing out west).

Benson informs the WAC board of the situation. Idaho comes up short in a straw vote. La.Tech reminds the league they had been promised that a central time zone team would be admitted. Board authorizes Benson to contact Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State to gauge interest with no committment to expand.

Benson contacts UNT again and informs them he has been authorized to contact the other two schools and again says if one caves UNT is left in the cold. UNT replies they will accept a WAC invitation on the condition that the WAC will find three additional central time zone institutions to join making a 2 division set that has 5 central time zone schools plus NMSU. Benson contacts ASU and MTSU who both say they are not interested in joining a nine team WAC. Benson takes the UNT proposition to the membership. The idea is rejected. The WAC votes to officially invite Idaho.

[BigApp]

If you think schools like Montana, Delaware, App State and McNeese don't clear make more than $83K by playing one playoff home game, you're just not smart.

Well, I guess that makes me "not smart". No way we "clear make more" than $83,000 on a playoff game.

We do well just to gross that on ticket sales, especially on 1st rounders.

[arkstfan]

There's not much money in any NCAA sanctioned post-season event other than the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and maybe 8 to 10 of the bowl games.

After that depending on your spending habits you are looking at anything from a modest profit to bleeding money.

[NoCoDanny]

If N. Texas had a chance to leave the Sun Belt for the WAC then they **** the bed by not going...

I'm still not convinced the WAC wanted either so we can agree to disagree on that one.

[arkstfan]

If N. Texas had a chance to leave the Sun Belt for the WAC then they **** the bed by not going...

I'm still not convinced the WAC wanted either so we can agree to disagree on that one.

Basically every media outlet west of the Mississippi River was on the story and many like you couldn't believe UNT turned it down. The reason is simple. MONEY.

Go visit the La.Tech fan site and do some searching. The admin there Dwayne from Minden sometime back posted a detailed analysis of their situation in the WAC. The Cliff Notes version was that once Idaho, NMSU, and USU have completed paying their WAC admission fees and take a full share of league revenue that Louisiana Tech will be unable to fund their program due to the high expense of membership in the WAC. Travel expense is up while revenue will fall dramatically (a 1/6th share vs. 1/9th share is a big difference).

Prior to that one of the area newspapers ran a story comparing Tech's possible expenses vs. revenue in the WAC vs. Sun Belt. In the article the conclusion drawn was that WAC membership was more expensive by far than Belt membership but that WAC revenue was just enough to make WAC membership the better deal by a few dollars.

It was the typical half-arse reporting. First the bulk of WAC revenue at the time was from some really good NCAA Tournament dollars, not football generated dollars and who knows how long those units will be there.

Second, the sample year for what it would cost to be in the Sun Belt was a year where La.Tech had traveled to Hawaii, Kansas State, Penn State, Middle Tenn, Auburn, Miami and Monroe.

The sample year for what it costs to be in the WAC was a year where they traveled in football to: Clemson, Penn State, Texas A&M, Rice, SMU, San Jose, and Boise. Remember that was a cheap year for Tech travel because they didn't go to Hawaii (unlike the "Sun Belt" sample) and two of their four conference road trips were to Dallas (261 miles) and Houston (340 miles). With Tulsa in the WAC they had 3 potential trips of 450 miles or less. Today their shortest trip is in excess of 900 miles.

Believe it or not but North Texas was absolutely offered a chance to join the WAC, and while you may live in a dream world where bills don't have to be paid, UNT does. Every dollar spent on travel is a dollar unavailable for facility improvements or salaries. To join UNT would have skyrocketed its expenses and for three years while paying the entry fee would have seen conference revenue be the same or less than it is now. If the state auditors didn't shut them down in that time frame they would then move to a point where they were still wouldn't be as well off financially as in the Belt but the bleeding would be less severe.

[NoCoDanny]

I guess I'd look at it with the attitude that you have to spend money to make money. Would moving to the WAC put you in a higher profile conference and thereby open up the potential to make more money? I'd answer yes but of course perhaps UNT was looking solely at short term budget constraints…

Having said all that I can't help but think the WAC prefers it now western centric footprint, with the obvious exception on La Tech, and can't see why they'd want to expand back in the Central time zone after finally, almost, divesting from it.

[arkstfan]

Yeah, there is a lot of truth to spend money to make it, but you are talking about a huge bite in the athletic budget to gamble on membership in a far flung league paying off at some point down the road.

But what happens if 5 years down the road and the next realignment happens and you don't get picked? La.Tech made that gamble and it failed to payoff because they didn't get picked. What if UNT goes, CUSA adds one and its not UNT? They are much worse off. What if five years down the road when the next realignment is supposed to come, all that happens is the Big East takes a MAC school and CUSA doesn't have an opening.

All you've got to show for it is frequent flier miles. If you stayed put and applied some of your travel savings to a bond issue to pay for a major stadium improvement at least you have something to show for your spending.

[NoCoDanny]

The future for UNT has to be in a conference w/ UTEP, Houston, TCU, Tulsa, etc. So whatever they have to do to get there they need to. What that entails I haven't the foggiest but good luck to them.

[galojay]

Arkst, interesting comments... I always enjoy reading your insight.

[JohnStOnge]

The saddest thing is reference to the myth that a school moving from I-AA to I-A is likely to improve its financial situation.

[therealbigredrules]

Well, I guess that makes me "not smart". No way we "clear make more" than $83,000 on a playoff game.

We do well just to gross that on ticket sales, especially on 1st rounders.

I am glad you made this point. Coming from a team that has historically had very stong attendance, it makes a much better point than I could have made. I thought about posting a response to this item but left if alone. You see, me and Henfan have recently begun a love fest due to my love for ponytailed Easterners...but that a story for a different time.

A first round game is generally a financial lose. Again, I cannot speak to all schools, but over Thanksgiving break and with few people on campus WKU has historically struggled on this one. You confirmed by belief that other have too. The thing to look forward to (other than winning) is playing Jacksonville State out of the OVC because they bring their entire band and the entertainment from that helps to offsets the burn in the back pocket. Man they got a great band....so does TSU's out of the OVC but we don't seem to play them anymore.

[therealbigredrules]

I'm just not seeing the overall financial advantage of an SBC move for WKU. Conversely, I don't think a move would be all that detrimental either. In fact, if I were running WKU, I'd be lobbying for an all sport affiliation with the SBC... just not for financial reasons. As I said, there are other more compelling motives for making a move. The chancellor would be wise to emphasize them over arguing a weak financial angle.

I don’t think our President is so much trying emphasize it from a a financial standpoint as to point out areas of concern with our current situation. It is just one of many items he has layed out explaining why WKU is exploring the move. He never said I-A will be our financial saving grace. He did however point out how we have had problems in the past.

However, what I am definitely saying is that the expenses are overstated in WKU's case and, if you don’t take into account all funding mechanisms such as the State’s funding formula, you are also understating income. Does it cost more – yes. You have to cut though allocated expenses which the accountants have to do (and that’s, OK – Insert your best Stuart Smalley voice here) and base your decsion looking at it from an incremental cash postion.

Fully loaded, allocated P&L don't always tell you the real story.