Does UNC's recent budget shortfall cast a long shadow?

[WYOBISONMAN]

This from the Greely Tribune....

The University of Northern Colorado is slicing $400,000 from its athletic budget, but athletic director Jay Hinrichs is confident the short-term cuts will lead to a long-term solution for the UNC athletic department.

The Bears made the cuts to reach their fiscal budget of just over $6.4 million for the 2007-08 fiscal year. The cuts are a 17 percent reduction from a year ago. UNC is the lowest-funded athletic department in the Big Sky Conference.

"This fiscal year will be the toughest year we've had to face," Hinrichs said.

Also this:

Hinrichs does see help on the horizon for next year. The Bears will receive $500,000 in assistance from the Big Sky Conference and the NCAA Special Assistance Fund and that combined with the guaranteed money from the school's football game with Purdue will bring in over 1.1 million at the beginning of the next fiscal year.

Link:

http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20070704/SPORTS/107040106

[already123]

figures....xcoffeex

[89rabbit]

Wow what a counter point to the SDSU stories:

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26218

[NoCoDanny]

Ok, here's the deal, the truth is finally coming out on a lot of this... ultimately the problem comes down to 2 high dollar contributors that bailed.

The leadership team that existed at the time the move was announced had a plan in place financially that would have bankrolled the majority of the move. However, when that leadership moved on so did those donation obligations... so the University was left holding the bag.

It's a touchy subject. Big dollar donations were the linchpin to the deal, once they bailed it's been impossible to fully recover.

People can do with their money as they see fit but it's really unfortunate when you make a commitment to something and then once the plan is put into motion to renege on that promise. It has put the entire athletic depart in the bind they now are stuck in.

I won't name names but you can rest assured, me, nor any UNC fan with a conscience will drink Coors beer or support Colorado Rockies baseball...

[AZBison]

I won't name names but you can rest assured, me, nor any UNC fan with a conscience will drink Coors beer or support Colorado Rockies baseball...

I knew Anheuser-Bush was behind this!! xrotatehx

[WYOBISONMAN]

Sure makes the case for development of a broad base of support.......

[Mort]

Sure makes the case for development of a broad base of support.......

BINGO!!! xsmileyclapx

[ncbears]

Wyobisonman. I think you need to get over this obsession with UNC getting into the Big Sky over NDSU. I can imagine your wife kids and other loved ones are concerned about the countless hours you spend trolling over the 'net to find something bad about UNC. Get over it!

[ncbears]

Ok, here's the deal, the truth is finally coming out on a lot of this... ultimately the problem comes down to 2 high dollar contributors that bailed.

The leadership team that existed at the time the move was announced had a plan in place financially that would have bankrolled the majority of the move. However, when that leadership moved on so did those donation obligations... so the University was left holding the bag.

It's a touchy subject. Big dollar donations were the linchpin to the deal, once they bailed it's been impossible to fully recover.

People can do with their money as they see fit but it's really unfortunate when you make a commitment to something and then once the plan is put into motion to renege on that promise. It has put the entire athletic depart in the bind they now are stuck in.

I won't name names but you can rest assured, me, nor any UNC fan with a conscience will drink Coors beer or support Colorado Rockies baseball...

I have a little different take the you. Yes donations have been down but UNC and CSU, CU have had very little help from the state government in all areas, including sports. Last I checked we were 48th among state funding for education in the entire country. There is no way a state like Colorado should be that low. Look at CU, their debt is well over 10 million dollars, CSU is last in the MWC in budgets. Referendum C was the death bed of public education in Colorado. Unless something changes in the next few years CU, CSU and UNC will be private schools. That's not what I said, it's what Hank Brown (CU Pres, our former Pres.) has said.

[WYOBISONMAN]

Wyobisonman. I think you need to get over this obsession with UNC getting into the Big Sky over NDSU. I can imagine your wife kids and other loved ones are concerned about the countless hours you spend trolling over the 'net to find something bad about UNC. Get over it!

Hey....I am just sharing some information I heard....and it is information that is of interest to many on this board. Just because it shows problems with UNC and the DI transition doesn't mean I am attacking UNC. I think I just stated facts and nothing more. I did not even render an opinion on it. Some of the UNC fans are just overly defensive about the failures in Greely. But, I am used to the wailing and gnashing of teeth that seems to follow any post I make about UNC and the problems in Greely.

By the way.....with the Dakotas in the Summit and Gateway bound....we are much better off than if we were in the Big Sky....except for games against the Montana schools.

[ncbears]

Hey....I am just sharing some information I heard....and it is information that is of interest to many on this board. Just because it shows problems with UNC and the DI transition doesn't mean I am attacking UNC. I think I just stated facts and nothing more. I did not even render an opinion on it. Some of the UNC fans are just overly defensive about the failures in Greely. But, I am used to the wailing and gnashing of teeth that seems to follow any post I make about UNC and the problems in Greely.

By the way.....with the Dakotas in the Summit and Gateway bound....we are much better off than if we were in the Big Sky....except for games against the Montana schools.


You always do the "Hey...I am just sharing some information" a little too much. Every time something pops up in the Tribune that sheds a bad light on UNC, you're right on top of it.

[WYOBISONMAN]

You always do the "Hey...I am just sharing some information" a little too much. Every time something pops up in the Tribune that sheds a bad light on UNC, you're right on top of it.

I have not seen anything that sheds a good light. If it is there....post it. And....quit crying......xcoolx

[Mr. C]

It is the same every time someone posts something negative about the Northern Colorado program. There is an almost instant push to discredit the messanger. Anyone who has seen what has been going on in Greeley knows that the UNC program is an absolute mess. I'm sorry if folks like ncbears has a problem with this. This is a story that a lot of FCS fans will be interested in. That is the bottom line. Please get over the other stuff.

[Green Cookie Monster]

From a seldom poster and frequent lurker my opinion is that a few western and mid-west schools are always trying to discredit and portray other schools in a bad light. What I do notice is that eastern schools generally have a high degree of respect for one another. Most of the schools in the east have facilities and budgets that are subpar for FCS, but I don't see other schools in the same region bashing on each other continually.

Why can't the western schools just respect one another and be happy that we have FCS football? Information is information, but do we always have to post this with such a degree of glee?

UNC will be fine, they are new and have a state gov't that doesn't fund the programs as much as other state schools. So what?

These same posters were OCD about Sac State even thinking one AD kept them out of the BSC, so I assume these same posters have an issue with anything that doesn't shed a positive light on their program.

Ever hear of the statement, 'If you don't have something nice to say about something, don't say anything?'

I don't post here very much anymore because it seems every post I make is in defense of what somebody said negatively about my school fact or fiction. I guess these people just like to live in a negative world.

here is a positive UNC story....

UNC to play Air Force
Tom Wright, (Bio) [email protected]
June 28, 2007

During the car ride back from the Sports Corp kickoff luncheon Tuesday afternoon in Colorado Springs, University of Northern Colorado head football coach Scott Downing spoke with colleagues about how exciting it would be to play Air Force.

Little did he know plans were already in the works to make his dream a reality.

Undeterred by an unsuccessful attempt to open the 2007 football season at the Air Force Academy, Northern Colorado has made plans to play Air Force in 2009 and 2012 at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs.

No contracts have been signed, but Air Force associate athletic director Troy Garnhart said the dates have been "penciled in" for 2009 and 2012 after an attempt to schedule a game in 2008 didn't fit Air Force's schedule.

"We do not have contracts," Garnhart said. "We are still putting the contracts together at this end to send them. ... This is on our master plan in pencil. When it comes back on paper then it will be even more final."

Air Force Director of Athletics Dr. Hans Mueh said the Falcons look forward to helping UNC root itself in Division I football.

"We want to help them get established as a Division I program," Mueh said. "We actually had them scheduled for this year, but the Division I thing didn't come through in time and so we had to delay it for a year."

[OB55]

I personally know a regular and well to do contributor to UNC who bailed out because of the handling of the firing of O. Kay Dalton and staff. He is now contributing to CSU and Wyoming instead. He has told me that until UNC makes some major leadership changes (AD I assume) no more bucks from him.

He is also a member of the UNC Athletic Hall Of Fame. He has also told me there are others doing the same, though no more names were given.

Maybe the timing of Dalton's firing right before the first season in the Big Sky wasn't such a swift move? xnonox

BTW, I think Coach Downing was a good hire, hope he can stomach the no funding and hang on. He comes from a budget that spends more money on tape and gatoraide than UNC spends on it's football program.xnodx