UNA leaders face tough decisions in Division I move

[CSN Log]

09-04-2010 11:20 PM

In Steve Pierce’s vision, the University of North Alabama football team travels to Norman, Okla., on a Saturday afternoon in the fall for a game against the Oklahoma Sooners.

Game complete and after returning home, the Lions deposit a six-figure check into their bank account and have received 31/2 hours of national exposure for their effort against a Division I powerhouse program.

Right now, Pierce’s vision is only a dream. But it might not be too far from happening.

Read more ... (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/log/index.php/2010/09/04/una-leaders-face-tough-decisions-in-divi?blog=2#more6770)

More... (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/log/index.php/2010/09/04/una-leaders-face-tough-decisions-in-divi?blog=2)

[TexasTerror]

All comes down to finances... you need another $4-6M to make Division I work at North Alabama. I'm not quite sure the school can put together an increase that dramatic. Is the corporate revenue there? You know the guarantee games will help, but only go so far. Then you got the expected application fee...


The bigger issue is from a financial standpoint. Joining a conference such as the OVC would require a sizable jump in the athletic budget. In 2008-09, the most recent reporting date, UNA spent $4.9 million on athletics, according to a school filing with the U.S. Department of Education. That figure includes coaching salaries, scholarship allotments, recruiting and operating costs.

The OVC average athletics spending, according to similar filings, was $8.89 million per school, including a low of $4.7 million by Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, which does not have a football team. Three schools topped $11 million in spending (Murray State, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Illinois).