WSSU dropping back to D2?

[Purple Pride]

Winston-Salem State University's move to Division I athletics could be hitting the wall.

Chancellor Donald Reaves of WSSU asked the UNC board of governors to approve an increase in student-athletics fees at a meeting in January, said Joni Worthington, a vice president of communications for the UNC system.

Winston-Salem State -- formerly a Division II program that played in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association -- is in the third year of a five-year transition period to Division I and is scheduled to join the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2011.

WSSU's athletics fees for the current academic year are $579 per full-time student. Only one other school in the UNC system with an athletics program has a higher fee -- UNC Asheville, at $590 a student. Reaves requested a 31.3 percent increase for next year, to $760.

If the board of governors does not grant his request, Reaves could keep WSSU in Division II, provided the school's board of trustees approves.

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/feb/01/unc-may-deny-bid/news/

[MplsBison]

That would suck for the MEAC but that's what the transition is about. If you can't do it, don't try to Savannah State the thing. Go back to DII.

[dgreco]

That would suck for the MEAC but that's what the transition is about. If you can't do it, don't try to Savannah State the thing. Go back to DII.

Savannah State has saved face this past year in all sports so far.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I've been looking this over multiple times to make sense of everything.

One thing that leaps out to me is: They are renting the stadium? As far as I could tell they owned the stadium and were making a huge amount of capital investments in upgrading them.

But this looks like a work-in-progress - WSSU may very well get the money they need anyway. If their student fees are the highest in the UNC system, does it really matter as long as families are willing to pay them? I don't say that to sound flippant, but I just don't see what the big deal is. WSSU will not become NC State just because its students want to have a sports team.

[TexasTerror]

Perhaps the student should get to vote on the fee increase.

If the students are the ones throwing all the money at it and they are not generating the necessary funds from outside revenues (alums, etc) -- they should have the say.

Let'em vote! A vote would give more weight and help the regents decide.

[brownbear]

I've been looking this over multiple times to make sense of everything.

One thing that leaps out to me is: They are renting the stadium? As far as I could tell they owned the stadium and were making a huge amount of capital investments in upgrading them.

But this looks like a work-in-progress - WSSU may very well get the money they need anyway. If their student fees are the highest in the UNC system, does it really matter as long as families are willing to pay them? I don't say that to sound flippant, but I just don't see what the big deal is. WSSU will not become NC State just because its students want to have a sports team.

According to wikipedia, the city of Winston-Salem owns the stadium. Remember, it is the one with the racetrack around the field?

http://www.ljvm.com/bgstadium2.jpg

[SuperJon]

Yeah, Bowman Gray Stadium is also a race track.

[appsfan]

Yeah, Bowman Gray Stadium is also a race track.

Back in the day, my high school played its home games in that stadium. I hope WSSU can stay Division I as I think they are a good fit in the MEAC.

[SuperJon]

Yeah, anyone from the Triad knows Bowman Gray as more of a race track than football stadium.

[AmsterBison]

$760 a year for athletic fees? Holy carp! That's more than my tuition for the year was at NDSU my first year! That's 10x what the student fees for athletics are at NDSU (the activity fee is $240/year but only 30% of that goes to athletics).

[Big Dawg]

They need their alumni to give some money, man.

[clenz]

fees at UNI are $836, however, that isn't broken down into any subcategories such as athletics fee, computer fees, health center fees, etc...

[WileECoyote06]

$760 a year for athletic fees? Holy carp! That's more than my tuition for the year was at NDSU my first year! That's 10x what the student fees for athletics are at NDSU (the activity fee is $240/year but only 30% of that goes to athletics).
Does the state of North Dakota provide funding for athletics at NDSU?

[AmsterBison]

Does the state of North Dakota provide funding for athletics at NDSU?

The official line is that NDSU gets no state funding for sports. I tried in vain to see how we make budget though.

[blackcaesar3k5]

To be honest, WSSU is making the right decision moving back down to CIAA conference and Division II.. This could program save school money when it comes to traveling...

NCCU should seriously think about applying for membership in BIG South Confernece...

[WileECoyote06]

The official line is that NDSU gets no state funding for sports. I tried in vain to see how we make budget though.

After reviewing your attendance records, I can see. You guys have two money making sports, whereas your average mid-major lives and dies by football. Your facilities are so nice, you are set for many years.xthumbsupx

[WileECoyote06]

To be honest, WSSU is making the right decision moving back down to CIAA conference and Division II.. This could program save school money when it comes to traveling...

NCCU should seriously think about applying for membership in BIG South Confernece...

That's a two-way street blackcaesar.

[gr8ness97]

Sigh...

Yes we rent the stadium, and having a piss-poor season drove us into the red.

Think about this. It takes 6000 ticket sales to break even on one game at Bowman-Gray. Most of our home games, we didnt even crack 3000 because no one wants to see a losing product on the field. Last year wasnt the case with a 6-5 season + both of our rivalry games were at home (NCA&T and NCCU). We need to alternate those games (1 home 1 away) to smooth out earnings. Next year, you'll prob see WSSU in the upper tier of attendance because of these 2 games + Homecoming (at least 15K for each).

The stadium was offered for sale at one point to WSSU because the city couldnt afford to pay for the upkeep. Sadly, we were D-II at that point with less that 3K enrollment. When I was a freshman in 2003, we still had that same 3K enrollment. I graduated last May and we topped 5300 for undergrad and another 6-7 in grad. This year its 6400.

Basketball..we dont earn much because...well no one cares as much. If we dont play on campus, we RENT (theres that word again) the LJVM Coliseum (Home of Wake Forest) or Annex. Wake are Renters as well.


Keep in mind that our enrollment is 70-75% Female as well. Pretty soon, I can see a revolt happening on campus. IDK why the chancellor would ask for such a large increase knowing he wasnt going to get it. He surely hasnt been popular so far on Campus.

[WestCoastAggie]

Yeah the UNC General Assembly isn't going to vote for their fee increase. This may be a sad thing for WSSU but a few MEAC teams were looking for a reason to drop them from their schedule so they could boost their OOC Schedule to make a playoff run.

[gr8ness97]

^ to that I say, win the games you're supposed to win and you shouldnt have to worry about the playoffs.

The top MEAC teams may be a little ticked at having to play WSSU, but then again WSSU has had moderate success in FCS football. We've been every team except Norfolk State and South Carolina State since we've joined. I mean, if schools are going to complain about WSSU being on the schedule, they should point the finger at those schools who have worse records in that same span (Howard and NC A&T for starters)

[WileECoyote06]

^ to that I say, win the games you're supposed to win and you shouldnt have to worry about the playoffs.

The top MEAC teams may be a little ticked at having to play WSSU, but then again WSSU has had moderate success in FCS football. We've been every team except Norfolk State and South Carolina State since we've joined. I mean, if schools are going to complain about WSSU being on the schedule, they should point the finger at those schools who have worse records in that same span (Howard and NC A&T for starters)

Or they could go out and beat other non-conference teams: Towson State, William & Mary, Central Connecticut State, Coastal Carolina, Georgetown, etc. WSSU doesn't have any effect on those results.

[gr8ness97]

^ so true...but its Winston's fault.... *rolls eyes*

[Purple Pride]

Chico Caldwell, the athletics director at Winston-Salem State since 2000, was fired Monday by Chancellor Donald Reaves, school sources have confirmed.
Caldwell was hired by former chancellor Harold Martin and had been instrumental in steering the Rams athletics program into Division I.
The school is in its third season of transition after leaving Division II and the CIAA.
Tonia Walker, the associate director of athletics and the senior women's administrator at WSSU, will be named the interim athletics director, school sources said.

[RabidRabbit]

$760 a year for athletic fees? Holy carp! That's more than my tuition for the year was at NDSU my first year! That's 10x what the student fees for athletics are at NDSU (the activity fee is $240/year but only 30% of that goes to athletics).

Dating yourself Amster!!! xlolxxlolxxlolx

Prices haven't been that low since Nixon took US off the Gold Standard xthumbsupx

Yes that's a healthy fee for priviledge of being D-I.