NCAA $$$ Pandemic Fallout

[Xudash]

Dana O'Neil tweeted that Central Michigan's total expenses for track was $241,794. The school's football expenses were $3.8 million. And they cut track.

I wonder how long before the "non-power" football conf schools rethink football and the benefits vs. costs.

It's probably a little more complicated than a simple spreadsheet. I know for a lot of schools sports like football spur alumni giving. Any good administration is going to know (or should) the total economic impact of each of their programs--whether it be athletic, academic or social. In Central Michigan's case I'd be interested in seeing the impact of a successful football season has on alum controbutions.

Exactly.

It's essentially viewed as a "business development" expense - - fundraising donations and student applications.

The top of the P5 don't look at it that way, since their athletic departments operate as true profit centers.

However, once you get beyond the P5, as we all know, the subsidies kick in, some places more heavily than others, and the thinking is along the lines of keeping up appearances, since there is no way to keep up with the P5 Jones's.

As an aside, the more I think about how UCONN finally handled all this, the more I think they made a rather brilliant move.

Otherwise, it will be very interesting to see how UC handles this environment moving forward. I feel like they bet a lot of the farm on receiving a Big XII invite back when that possibility was alive. It feels like a Bridge Too Far in UC's case right now.

Finally, if fans aren't allowed in the stands this fall, but they play the games, what impact will that have on the big payouts for teams that are in the MAC, etc. to serve as early season patsies for the B1G and SEC? Worse yet, if those attendance numbers aren't available to factor into their attendance date, already knowing that Miami of Ohio attracts zilch fans to their home football games, how on earth are they going to be able to reflect minimum D1 attendance figures of 15k per game, or whatever it is these days?

[Savannah Jay]

It's probably a little more complicated than a simple spreadsheet. I know for a lot of schools sports like football spur alumni giving. Any good administration is going to know (or should) the total economic impact of each of their programs--whether it be athletic, academic or social. In Central Michigan's case I'd be interested in seeing the impact of a successful football season has on alum controbutions.

I totally get it...and how athletic departments account for revenue (alum contributions athletic revenue or no?) can change the argument somewhat. But I just don't see that being the case in non P5 football.

In the attached article, it states that CMU's athletic budget of $33.6M is augmented by $25.2M in university funds. That's not good.

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/2020/05/19/central-michigan-mens-track-field-football-bowl-subdivision/5224447002/

Their annual report for year end 6-30-2019 notes "gifts for other than capital purposes" of just shy of $6M; "gifts for endowment purposes" of about $3.4M; and capital grants/gifts of $3M. Now, the previous football season (fall 2018) the Chippewas were horrendous so I looked at their annual report for YE 2010 because the football team was 12-2 in 2009. The numbers aren't dramatically different.

YE 2019 (found the data on page 24 of document)
https://www.cmich.edu/fas/fsr/OAC/AccSvcs/AccYear-End/Documents/2019/Financial%20Report%20FY2019.pdf

YE 2010 (data on page 34 of document)
https://www.cmich.edu/fas/fsr/OAC/AccSvcs/AccYear-End/Documents/2010/Financial-Report-2010.pdf

I'd be willing to bet that this is a similar story to non P5 football schools. They just don't have the same identity and emotion tied up in football and are less likely to get a significant bump with a good season.

I could be wrong...wouldn't be first time today...

[LMS]

Ohio State planning on having student athletes back on campus beginning June 8. AD Gene Smith discussed possibly playing football with 20-30K fans in the stadium.

[Xudash]

Ohio State planning on having student athletes back on campus beginning June 8. AD Gene Smith discussed possibly playing football with 20-30K fans in the stadium.

30k equates to approx. 29% of capacity. 30,000 fans at the Horseshoe for an Ohio State home game. Talk about unprecendented.

[Xudash]

Loosening up:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2020/05/20/ncaa-says-college-football-basketball-team-activities-resume/5231877002/

[ArmyVet]

Lengthy but interesting story of the financial importance of college football.

As more and more college athletic departments cut sports programs, the financial wreckage due to the coronavirus pandemic is becoming devastatingly clear -- and that's without factoring in a $4 billion loss if the 2020 football season is canceled, a development that would forever alter college-level sports.

University systems have suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses thus far, which could grow significantly as decisions are made about whether to return students to campuses this fall.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... s-pandemic

[Xudash]

Lengthy but interesting story of the financial importance of college football.

As more and more college athletic departments cut sports programs, the financial wreckage due to the coronavirus pandemic is becoming devastatingly clear -- and that's without factoring in a $4 billion loss if the 2020 football season is canceled, a development that would forever alter college-level sports.

University systems have suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses thus far, which could grow significantly as decisions are made about whether to return students to campuses this fall.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... s-pandemic

Very informative. Thanks for sharing.

[ArmyVet]

I must have missed that ECU was dropping 4 sports:

Ron Mitchelson, the interim chancellor at East Carolina University, said his school's decision to eliminate four sports – men's and women's tennis and men's and women's swimming and diving – resulted from a deliberate review and in-depth analysis of the athletics department’s budgets and programs.

“The current athletics budget was not sustainable pre-COVID-19 and the university was working closely with athletics to decrease the annual deficit over the next year," he said in a statement. "With the pandemic, the deficit began to grow significantly where the impact was immediate and will affect future revenue and expenses for years to come. Ultimately, the reduction of sports aligns ECU with our American Athletic Conference peers and provides a roadmap to a more sustainable future for the University and athletics."

In addition to eliminating four sports – the most any college has cut thus far – East Carolina trimmed athletics operations. The school reduced its sports budget by regionalizing scheduling and travel for select sports, eliminating several positions that are currently vacant, limiting summer school for student-athletes and suspending all professional development conferences for a minimum of one year. The moves are expected to save the school an estimated $4.9 million.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/c ... 241443002/

[ArmyVet]

Appalachian State dropping men's soccer, tennis, and indoor track.

[Xudash]

Brown announced that it is dropping 11 sports, but specifically noted that it was not because of Covid-19.