Skybox U. ~ Your hard earned dollars at work...

[Young Drachma]

Same drum as usual (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/sports/playmagazine/28thebusiness.html?pagewanted=1&ref=education), that colleges are investing massive money into stadium renovations that were once the domain of professional sports teams.

[Young Drachma]

Here's one example:

http://wyomingathletics.cstv.com/genrel/040307aaa.html

Which makes sense because of the weather, but is absurd for pretty much every other reason.

[Rich1033]

He should have done a little more research. Michigan's athletic department runs independent of the rest of the university.

[Galaxy]

Check out the lastest issue of Fortune. It has a story on the University of Florida.

[Marc Vaughan]

I've be amazed if the majority of the larger university sports setups don't run at a huge profit in America - simply put they don't have the immense salaries for players of 'professional' sports but have a heck of a fanbase from what I can tell.

As such I'd see stadium expansions, training facilities, whatever as a sensible investment if I was in their shoes ...

[BishopMVP]

I've be amazed if the majority of the larger university sports setups don't run at a huge profit in America - simply put they don't have the immense salaries for players of 'professional' sports but have a heck of a fanbase from what I can tell.

As such I'd see stadium expansions, training facilities, whatever as a sensible investment if I was in their shoes ...It's all in how you do the accounting. Most critics who claim the money isn't well spent on sports don't take into account the increased merchandising, alumni donations and marketing exposure to future students a good athletic program brings in.

[Klinglerware]

I've be amazed if the majority of the larger university sports setups don't run at a huge profit in America - simply put they don't have the immense salaries for players of 'professional' sports but have a heck of a fanbase from what I can tell.

As such I'd see stadium expansions, training facilities, whatever as a sensible investment if I was in their shoes ...

Only a handful of collegiate athletics departments turn a significant profit. Oftentimes, a college's lower profile sports are subsidized by sports that are higher revenue generators (generally Football and Men's Basketball). For schools who aren't generating enough revenue from their high profile sports, this typically results in a net loss.

However, intercollegiate athletics can be thought of as a marketing expenditure. Most universities do recognize the potential brand equity to the university generated by athletics, which is why they are willing to accept the fact that athletic programs can be a losing proposition, fiscally.

[Galaxy]

Check out the lastest issue of Fortune. It has a story on the University of Florida.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/18/news/companies/florida_gators.fortune/index.htm

[Young Drachma]

Serfs of the Turf

An op-ed in the Sunday New York Times, again banging the college athletics as a scam drum.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/opinion/11lewis.html


And another story from September 30th, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/sports/ncaafootball/30roberts.html?fta=y

I guess they're trying to make a point...but anyone who'd change the system doesn't read the NY Times.

[theclassic]

Come on Dark Cloud. The University of Wyoming has been renovating everything the past 10 years. I just took a trip there for the first time since 2004. I could at least tell that renovations were done to a few class room buildings, Prexy's pasture, and a year earlier I know they renovated the dining and resident life offices. Aren't they also renovating one of the dorms?

[Young Drachma]

The state is awash with energy money, so naturally the UW cartel can get whatever they want. And with all of the Hathaway scholarship kids (think Hope Scholarship for Wyoming..but different) comes down to Laramie now, they need to expand the campus dramatically.

It's a third-tier school, the football program doesn't enhance the school's reputation academically and never will. No one cares. The problems that Wyoming suffers from will never be remedied by funnelling more cash into the albatross that is UW football, especially with Joe Glenn at the helm.

But I understand that legislature would sell their first born if a coach told them that it'd help the football program and this is evidence of it, despite all of the other areas that are far more pressing.

That said, it's business as usual and none of it surprises me..and even if it's going to continue to happen, doesn't mean that it's not a legitimate gripe. And
"everyone else is doing it" is hardly a worthwhile claim and I'm not the first person to bring this up, it's just not the most popular discussion at the local watering holes is all.

[theclassic]

The problem the University of Wyoming has, is that's it's in the state of Wyoming. It's extremely frustrating, but most college bound high school graduates don't know where Wyoming even is off the top of their head. The University offers a lot of out of state resident tuition programs. But let's face it, most college students that are looking to go to an out of state public school, will go to schools like Colorado, Michigan, and Wisconsin, because there known as being located in fun and entertaining college towns. Laramie, will never be mistaken for having a lively college town atmosphere. There making strides, but I dare anyone to name a college of 10,000+ enrollment, that is located in a worse college town atmosphere. It's not like the students can even go a few miles out of town to get that experience Ft. Collins is an hour away, and Cheyenne being an hour away, doesn't provide much more than Laramie does in terms of entertainment.

Don't laugh but this is where the football team kind of comes in. If Wyoming was at the top of the Mountain West year after year, there would be a little bit more of a college town atmosphere. When I was going to Wyoming in 2002, they had a terrible season. The campus was dead during away games, and only somewhat lively during home games. If the football team was winning it would bring in more visitors, it would give Wyoming a name nationally, and the campus would become lively on Saturday afternoons. Any of those positives, could increase out of state enrollment, and diversify the student body. Which would certainly enhance the education each student would get.