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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8314 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 06/30/17 12:35 pm ::: UConn athletics in money trouble |
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As Big East Money Dries Up, UConn Must Create Fresh Revenue Streams
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UConn's share is larger than many AAC teams because the conference redirects more money from Big East exit fees to former Big East schools, but that money ends after the next fiscal year. That means UConn's revenue share will be considerably less.
Combine that with a drop-off in attendance in football and men's basketball, and UConn faces revenue challenges. The AAC is hoping for a more lucrative TV deal for football, but the current contract does not expire until 2020.
The revenue disparity between the AAC and the Power Five also is huge. The AAC reported revenue of about $79 million in the 2015-16 fiscal year. ACC revenue was $373 million, the Big 12 was $313 million and the SEC $639 million. |
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"The difference is right now we average under 20,000 people a [football] game and [Power Five schools] average 90,000 or 100,000. |
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. . . the Huskies pay football coach Randy Edsall a salary of $1 million, several million less than most Power Five coaches. The Huskies also pay the football staff, overall, far less than the sum of a Power Five staff. Of course, some of this is offset by the salaries of Geno Auriemma (five years, $13 million, through 2021) and Kevin Ollie (five years, $17.9 million, through 2021). |
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 67491 Location: Where the action is
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Posted: 06/30/17 12:47 pm ::: |
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One of the reasons people were speculating Geno might leave before he signed his extension was concern that UConn might not be willing or able to afford him.
_________________ The truth is like poetry
Most people hate poetry
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linkster
Joined: 27 Jul 2012 Posts: 5433
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Posted: 06/30/17 2:10 pm ::: |
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If UConn were to just drop football a lot of the financing issues would disappear.
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WNBA 09
Joined: 26 Jun 2009 Posts: 12793 Location: Dallas , Texas
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Posted: 06/30/17 2:34 pm ::: |
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linkster wrote: |
If UConn were to just drop football a lot of the financing issues would disappear. |
Would they really drop football though in a country where football is #Heaven ? Maybe not in Conn but speaking for the entire country.
_________________ 3-Time WNBA Champion-3-Time National Champion-4-Time Olympic Champion....And Yes DT "We Got Confeti" lol
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summertime blues
Joined: 16 Apr 2013 Posts: 7884 Location: Shenandoah Valley
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Posted: 06/30/17 3:34 pm ::: |
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WNBA 09 wrote: |
linkster wrote: |
If UConn were to just drop football a lot of the financing issues would disappear. |
Would they really drop football though in a country where football is #Heaven ? Maybe not in Conn but speaking for the entire country. |
They could go back to the Big East that way.
_________________ Don't take life so serious. It ain't nohows permanent.
It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom
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calbearman76
Joined: 02 Nov 2009 Posts: 5194 Location: Carson City
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Posted: 06/30/17 4:20 pm ::: |
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summertime blues wrote: |
WNBA 09 wrote: |
linkster wrote: |
If UConn were to just drop football a lot of the financing issues would disappear. |
Would they really drop football though in a country where football is #Heaven ? Maybe not in Conn but speaking for the entire country. |
They could go back to the Big East that way. |
The question is whether the Big East would want them back. The Big East is now all private schools that are primarily Catholic. Connecticut doesn't fit. Their best hope is that either the ACC or the Big 12 take them in, but neither appears likely right now. UConn can maintain their dominance in women's basketball as long as Geno stays, but their men's basketball team has already fallen off and with that the appeal of their program as a whole to other conferences.
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Durantula
Joined: 30 Mar 2013 Posts: 5223
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Posted: 06/30/17 6:49 pm ::: |
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linkster wrote: |
If UConn were to just drop football a lot of the financing issues would disappear. |
How would you respond to this paragraph from the article then?
"The misnomer with that thought process is that a lot of the money that we derive from multimedia rights — if you look at our ticket sales for football, even though they're not great right now, if you look at the multimedia rights deal, you'd lose the majority of those dollars if we said we're going to drop down to FCS in football," Benedict said. "I think most of those people are saying that because of the financial piece, but it's counter-intuitive because we're going to get over $9 million from our multimedia rights deal next year. … They're not going to pay us like that if we don't have football."
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 14550
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Posted: 06/30/17 7:30 pm ::: |
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Durantula wrote: |
linkster wrote: |
If UConn were to just drop football a lot of the financing issues would disappear. |
How would you respond to this paragraph from the article then?
"The misnomer with that thought process is that a lot of the money that we derive from multimedia rights — if you look at our ticket sales for football, even though they're not great right now, if you look at the multimedia rights deal, you'd lose the majority of those dollars if we said we're going to drop down to FCS in football," Benedict said. "I think most of those people are saying that because of the financial piece, but it's counter-intuitive because we're going to get over $9 million from our multimedia rights deal next year. … They're not going to pay us like that if we don't have football." |
I suppose I'd ask how much they're losing on football? Is it more than $9 million?
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IM in OC
Joined: 25 Mar 2009 Posts: 1001 Location: Orange County, CA
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Posted: 06/30/17 7:39 pm ::: |
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WNBA 09 wrote: |
linkster wrote: |
If UConn were to just drop football a lot of the financing issues would disappear. |
Would they really drop football though in a country where football is #Heaven ? Maybe not in Conn but speaking for the entire country. |
Gonzaga does just fine and no football at that school. I believe they have their own jet for the sports teams.
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linkster
Joined: 27 Jul 2012 Posts: 5433
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Posted: 06/30/17 8:54 pm ::: |
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WNBA 09 wrote: |
linkster wrote: |
If UConn were to just drop football a lot of the financing issues would disappear. |
Would they really drop football though in a country where football is #Heaven ? Maybe not in Conn but speaking for the entire country. |
I doubt it. There are too many people making a living off of college football.
High school and college football just isn't a huge thing in CT. There are three pro teams within a couple of hour's drive from about anywhere in CT and people support those teams. I haven't watched a college game in 20 years.
Everything goes in cycles and while you may think that college football is heaven there is a dark side to the sport where the massive use of PED's, traumatic head injuries and gambling reside. Look at the size of players. When I was in college a big pro tackle was 260 lbs. Today they are 320+ lbs. That isn't due to evolution. High school boys are basically told that they need to bulk up if they want a scholarship and no one adds 40 lbs of muscle by lifting alone. There are billions of dollars at stake in keeping the dark side of football in the shadows. First in that line is the media. But things change. Remember, boxing was once one the most watched sports in the country.
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Queenie
Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Posts: 18131 Location: Queens
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Posted: 06/30/17 9:12 pm ::: |
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Ahahahahaha.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: UConn wanted to be a football school. UConn wanted to be in a football conference. As ye sow, so shall ye reap.
_________________ "We all have a platform. We all have a voice & they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury."
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Durantula
Joined: 30 Mar 2013 Posts: 5223
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Posted: 07/01/17 9:23 am ::: |
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When UConn football was winning, didn't they get good attendance and presumably make a lot of money? Right now UConn is bad but the hard part about these financial projections is you are assuming the current performance and attendance is going to flat line. If UConn can get back to their winning ways, does that change the economics of their athletics department? That's the thing with football, the upside is so high financially.
Gonzaga doesn't have football but they never did, right? It's hard to take away football at a school that invested a lot in it, won, made a BCS bowl even, and just take it away.
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 11403
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Posted: 07/01/17 10:45 am ::: |
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The other issue about football is that it inspires alumni donations more than any other college activity. Very few write big checks because the math department is any good.
And the TV money is the golden goose. Attendance is nice, but the TV checks pay the bills, and not just for football.
Cut football, and you lose the TV money, and you lose donations.
_________________ Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 14550
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Posted: 07/01/17 10:54 am ::: |
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Durantula wrote: |
When UConn football was winning, didn't they get good attendance |
Not really. They averaged 40,000 one year, in 2005. In their "good" years they drew in the high 30s. Now they draw in the high 20s.
(26,796 last fall).
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FrozenLVFan
Joined: 08 Jul 2014 Posts: 3521
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Posted: 07/01/17 11:29 am ::: |
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Their football stadium seats 40,000. With the exception of some old-time rivalries like the Harvard-Yale game, football isn't a big-time draw in New England like it is in the large public universities of the South and Midwest. (Note that Harvard's Stadium only seats 30K.)
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 11403
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Posted: 07/01/17 11:59 am ::: |
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So I cover Cal football for a website, and due to a variety of circumstances, many of the home games are at 7:30 p.m. -- which the fans hate. The games don't get over until after 11, the traffic must be battled, and it's also cold on occasion.
And that impacts attendance, no question, but the ratio of money from ticket sales to that of TV money makes the attendance pretty much irrelevant to the bottom line. And since Cal is struggling mightily financially due to the necessity to earthquake-proof its ancient stadium, the bottom line is the key. (And game times are set by TV networks as a result of a Pac-12 contract, so there's nothing Cal can do anyway.)
A difference of 10,000 fans in attendance is a significant amount of money, no question, but the TV deals more than make up for it.
_________________ Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā
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FrozenLVFan
Joined: 08 Jul 2014 Posts: 3521
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Posted: 07/01/17 12:25 pm ::: |
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"cold on occasion"
Err, no. But that's another reason why football isn't all that big in New England.
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calbearman76
Joined: 02 Nov 2009 Posts: 5194 Location: Carson City
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Posted: 07/01/17 12:43 pm ::: |
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ClayK wrote: |
So I cover Cal football for a website, and due to a variety of circumstances, many of the home games are at 7:30 p.m. -- which the fans hate. The games don't get over until after 11, the traffic must be battled, and it's also cold on occasion.
And that impacts attendance, no question, but the ratio of money from ticket sales to that of TV money makes the attendance pretty much irrelevant to the bottom line. And since Cal is struggling mightily financially due to the necessity to earthquake-proof its ancient stadium, the bottom line is the key. (And game times are set by TV networks as a result of a Pac-12 contract, so there's nothing Cal can do anyway.)
A difference of 10,000 fans in attendance is a significant amount of money, no question, but the TV deals more than make up for it. |
This is especially true for me. Driving 3 1/2-4 hours each way is tough enough for a game starting at 1 pm, but when the game starts at 7:30 I either have to get a hotel (not cheap in the Bay Area) or get home at 4 am. Add in the traffic and parking hassle and its hard to justify more than a couple of games per year.
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 14550
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Posted: 07/01/17 12:50 pm ::: |
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FrozenLVFan wrote: |
"cold on occasion"
Err, no. But that's another reason why football isn't all that big in New England. |
It's not colder in New England than in State College or East Lansing or South Bend or Lincoln or Iowa City or Madison. That's not the reason.
Oh, they have night games in all those places too (for TV purposes), and it inconveniences fans, but they still show up.
Last edited by ArtBest23 on 07/01/17 1:01 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ArtBest23
Joined: 02 Jul 2013 Posts: 14550
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Posted: 07/01/17 12:56 pm ::: |
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I think you underestimate the revenue from live attendance at schools that actually draw. At Notre Dame, for example, the weighted average ticket price is $115. Times 80,000 sold is $9.2M per game. Plus considerable revenue from sky suites and premium seats, plus parking, concessions, t-shirts , and the per game is closer to $12M, Times six home games per year. $70 million before ever considering TV money is a lot if money.
And there are schools filling stadiums with 100,000+ fans.
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Ex-Ref
Joined: 04 Oct 2009 Posts: 9274
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Posted: 07/01/17 12:58 pm ::: |
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pilight wrote: |
One of the reasons people were speculating Geno might leave before he signed his extension was concern that UConn might not be willing or able to afford him. |
I don't think that lack of money would cause Geno to leave UConn. Certainly not as long as they are winning.
_________________ "Women are judged on their success, men on their potential. It’s time we started believing in the potential of women." —Muffet McGraw
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Fighting Artichoke
Joined: 12 Dec 2012 Posts: 4079
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Posted: 07/01/17 4:36 pm ::: |
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ArtBest23 wrote: |
I think you underestimate the revenue from live attendance at schools that actually draw. At Notre Dame, for example, the weighted average ticket price is $115. Times 80,000 sold is $9.2M per game. Plus considerable revenue from sky suites and premium seats, plus parking, concessions, t-shirts , and the per game is closer to $12M, Times six home games per year. $70 million before ever considering TV money is a lot if money.
And there are schools filling stadiums with 100,000+ fans. |
And you haven't even mentioned that alumni must donate money just to get football tickets. I would consider that income as football ticket money as well.
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8314 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 07/01/17 5:32 pm ::: |
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TV revenues vs. stadium revenues:
The linked article in the OP says the AAC has a seven year football/basketball TV deal with ESPN for $126 million, which is $18 million per year. Divided among 12 schools, that would be $1.5 million each per year.
The article also says UConn has a TV deal with SNY for about $1 million a year and a "media rights deal" with IMG for about $9 million, which expires next year.
If Art's calculations are correct, Notre Dame can make those bucks from stadium revenues in one game. |
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 67491 Location: Where the action is
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Posted: 07/01/17 5:41 pm ::: |
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Fighting Artichoke wrote: |
ArtBest23 wrote: |
I think you underestimate the revenue from live attendance at schools that actually draw. At Notre Dame, for example, the weighted average ticket price is $115. Times 80,000 sold is $9.2M per game. Plus considerable revenue from sky suites and premium seats, plus parking, concessions, t-shirts , and the per game is closer to $12M, Times six home games per year. $70 million before ever considering TV money is a lot if money.
And there are schools filling stadiums with 100,000+ fans. |
And you haven't even mentioned that alumni must donate money just to get football tickets. I would consider that income as football ticket money as well. |
None of that applies to UConn and never will.
_________________ The truth is like poetry
Most people hate poetry
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summertime blues
Joined: 16 Apr 2013 Posts: 7884 Location: Shenandoah Valley
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Posted: 07/01/17 6:54 pm ::: |
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Football isn't king everywhere.
_________________ Don't take life so serious. It ain't nohows permanent.
It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom
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