USA Today article on athletic revenue

[gorcajun]

Very interesting numbers.

Texas over $150,000,000

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...nue/54960210/1

[moorecajun]

There is a lot of good information here.

We don't need to reinvent the wheel:
"The school made its own breaks, too. Dodds and other decision-makers kicked off a wholesale upgrade of facilities in the 1990s, tending first and foremost to the football stadium. Not insignificant was the addition of suites and other premium seating that, beyond the cost of admittance, required various levels of donations to the athletics program. Premium seating now accounts for more than a third of Memorial Stadium's capacity, and Texas has moved to improve the game-day experience for those and other paying customers with a mammoth, 55-foot-high video board, an enhanced sound system and nicer concourses, among other things.

"People want amenities, and they'll pay for them," says Chris Plonsky, Texas' women's athletics director and director of both men's and women's athletics external services. "And that will pay for a lot of other things."

We just need to stay within our means; grow our means constantly, but stay within it.

[moorecajun]

Wow, there is so much information here ... everyone needs to look over this.

Before you compare our finances with CUSA you need to compare with other SunBelt teams. We are middle of the pack AND that is only after improving. We really do need to get our house in order before we want to go out and play with the big boys everyday!

It will take money, lots of money. And what I am hearing from a lot of people is "No I won't give until you do something for me." You can't pay for maintenance with that attitude.

A plan is imperative, but more so is our financial backing.

[wcd35]

At least we're trending upwards (slightly.) I'd imagine we'll get another nice boost this year, but yeah, student fees would help a lot. FIU with over 15M in student fees, MT/FAU over 10M, few others over 5M after that. We're the only ones with 0 reported last few years

WKU leads the conference in ticket sales over that period. We're right there with MT after them

[Hammer58]

Wow, there is so much information here ... everyone needs to look over this.

Before you compare our finances with CUSA you need to compare with other SunBelt teams. We are middle of the pack AND that is only after improving. We really do need to get our house in order before we want to go out and play with the big boys everyday!

It will take money, lots of money. And what I am hearing from a lot of people is "No I won't give until you do something for me." You can't pay for maintenance with that attitude.

A plan is imperative, but more so is our financial backing.

I disagree. What I hear people saying is "No, i will not continue to blindly give until you show me the concrete plans for projects for which you will use my money." People will give if they know where their money will go and see tangible progress and results. A good example is the Nutritional Supplement Program instituted by T-Boy Hebert a few years ago. He put the word out explaining the need, where the funds wold go and then followed up with reports to show the results. We were willing to contribute because he laid out a clear vision. We continued to give because he showed us the results and demonstrated that our money was not beign wasted.

[cajunhawk]

Only a 43% subsidy for us...lowest percentage in the belt. Doing more with less....

[crazycajun]

Middle of the pack? We are 2nd to last in the country! Only ahead of Monroe.

[MelRock]

At a quick glance Sun Belt

[moorecajun]

So if you look at North Texas you see they are spending more than they are making. By a lot. That can't go on for too long.

Welcome to CUSA.

[moorecajun]

I disagree. What I hear people saying is "No, i will not continue to blindly give until you show me the concrete plans for projects for which you will use my money." People will give if they know where their money will go and see tangible progress and results. A good example is the Nutritional Supplement Program instituted by T-Boy Hebert a few years ago. He put the word out explaining the need, where the funds wold go and then followed up with reports to show the results. We were willing to contribute because he laid out a clear vision. We continued to give because he showed us the results and demonstrated that our money was not beign wasted.

I hope you are right.

There is a huge gap between where we are and where we want to be; we need everyone to be on the same side of the rope to pull us through.

[wcd35]

If you missed it, there are plus signs on the left of the school name. Click it and there is a lot more info on each school

[moorecajun]

If you missed it, there are plus signs on the left of the school name. Click it and there is a lot more info on each school

There it shows we did collect student fees in 2006 & 2007 ... that must be the fees collected for improvements to Bourgeois Hall, the IPF and Lamson Park.

If we can't get the LA legislature to change the laws to allow us to collect student athletic fees we should use this avenue to assist in building/renovating athletic structures ...

[Ragingayle]

Wow, there is so much information here ... everyone needs to look over this.

Before you compare our finances with CUSA you need to compare with other SunBelt teams. We are middle of the pack AND that is only after improving. We really do need to get our house in order before we want to go out and play with the big boys everyday!

It will take money, lots of money. And what I am hearing from a lot of people is "No I won't give until you do something for me." You can't pay for maintenance with that attitude.

A plan is imperative, but more so is our financial backing.

We are only middle of the pack when we are placed in the pack alphabetically

[CajunFan3406]

There it shows we did collect student fees in 2006 & 2007 ... that must be the fees collected for improvements to Bourgeois Hall, the IPF and Lamson Park.

If we can't get the LA legislature to change the laws to allow us to collect student athletic fees we should use this avenue to assist in building/renovating athletic structures ...

I mentioned this in a lengthy post about a week ago. If we run into trouble getting a student fee passed specifically for athletics, like FIU has, then there should at least be some sort of fee for facility improvements (which is allowed under current rules). Although if I remember correctly it wasn't hard to sell students on the last fee because it went towards improvements to Bourgeois which all students use.

[andrepourciau]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...all/54959996/1

[Just1More]

Wow, there is so much information here ... everyone needs to look over this.

Before you compare our finances with CUSA you need to compare with other SunBelt teams. We are middle of the pack AND that is only after improving. We really do need to get our house in order before we want to go out and play with the big boys everyday!

It will take money, lots of money. And what I am hearing from a lot of people is "No I won't give until you do something for me." You can't pay for maintenance with that attitude.

A plan is imperative, but more so is our financial backing.

You're not getting the "no" that really hurts us... from reading this forum. Just because some people on here are threatening that they are tired of giving both money and personal time and effort, has nothing to do with the chase for the larger private revenue. It is not the "actively participating" people that we need to bring on board. With what we're doing in football and the people pleased over the Hud contract, we can keep 95% of everyone going with the existing RCAF stream.

To increase funding with others both joining RCAF and stepping up with significant pledges based on specific facility plans... you have to put those plans out in public and start putting benefits of inclusion in the faces of people with money. The next wave of rank and file membership in RCAF follows that wave. The only wave we captured was the first wave of people that were already participating.

"Hoping" that people would just show up with large checks is not a plan. Our administration "hoped" they'd get funding by asking a few people... prior to making commitments. That isn't how it works. You have to tell everyone that you are purchasing a new video display system for Cajun Field and it will cost approximately x dollars. You get a funding campaign just for that system. If you do it right... with promises of acknowledgement and the like, their will be companies that bite on it and give you funds for it. You don't just keep visiting the RCAF account and determine whether you've got enough money to start of project x.

As for football stadium improvements, you would hope they pretty much know all of the ins and outs of funding. What portion can be tagged to general campus improvements, tagged to private, tagged to general funds, tagged to athletic fees they specifically go after. Heck, if they have a brain in their head, they'll show the state some structural issues that mandate the state to act faster with funding or else risk public health and safety.

There are too many things that we don't get told and there are too many things that a university president may or may not wish to risk. Since we have inadequately pushed athletics properly, especially football, for so many years - as this has to become the adopted opinion of Dr. Joseph Savoie or else we are doomed - then we are not going to recognize that we cannot just limp into a brighter athletic future. We have to go after it like nothing else we've ever pursued... from the top.

I would rather see UL begging Louisiana's forgiveness for over-constructing a new stadium and begging for some economic assistance than to slow play this and guarantee our failure. It is never going to happen in a "slow play" funding as we go plan. It will not even sustain the position we are in today. We can seek and find plenty of excuses, but there is no doubt about what I just wrote.

[Turbine]

Non Subsidy money:

LA Tech's budget is only about $178G more than UL.

UL is third in the Sun Belt and $1mil out of first place.

[CajunT]

I hope you are right.

There is a huge gap between where we are and where we want to be; we need everyone to be on the same side of the rope to pull us through.

Exactly, a vision plan is needed so that everyone is on the same page. We can no longer nickel and dime together an athletic program. Its not Savoie or Farmer's fault that we are in this predicament, but you cannot continue to make promises to address athletics and not deliver. Savoie has delivered a capital outlay plan for the university, you can see new dorms, new student union in the works and renovations all over campus. He did this two years ago and waited on athletics. The time is now, no more waiting for the right politcal winds. Everyday that is delayed, we fall further behind. I was told a new capital facility outlay plan for athletics should be ready late September or early October. In the meantime, we can all buy season tickets, RCAF and get involved in any manner possible to help. NOW IS THE TIME!

[RaginRash]

Savoie and Farmer need to put up or shut up.

[Turbine]

With over 220 schools listed UL comes out in the top 1/3 for lowest subsidized athletic departments.