Syracuse Budget Report and Athletics

[orangenauburn]

Step 1) Improve fundraising and donations - AD specific
Step 2) Eliminate waste in the AD admin area -- eliminate three or four positions that are basically drained dollars ($500k savings / year)
Step 3) Establish AD as a separate entity -- they are on their own, and all funding and revenue they receive are theirs ...

 

[longtimefan]

During our chat with Stephen Bailey, he passed along the link to the SU Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Affairs (SBC) Part II, which includes comments on the Athletics Department. Here is the link.

I have put some pertinent comments in boldface and I inserted a comment in brackets.
Beast of the East?

This committee cannot help but wonder whether, in an effort to remain competitive at the highest levels of college athletics, we have entered an arena where we must continue to get bigger to survive.That is similar to some business models where a contraction or a leveling off of growth will lead to the eventual downfall and demolition of the enterprise. There is an appearance that we must continue to expand our facilities, build new ways to generate revenues, and continue to expand our Athletic Department or be trampled by the competition. It seems clear that the move to the ACC was required by some of this thinking. The ESPN story and recent reports that a new stadium was proposed also seem to confirm this assumption.

I know this is a sports board, and I would match my fandom against most anyone. But. . .

The above paragraph points out the biggest dilemma of modern big-time college athletics--the "arms race". Yeah, if you want to play, you have to pay; but should SEC football programs be the exemplar for other institutions of higher learning (specifically, SU)? I want to be following the lead of the University of Alabama
on very few things.

 

[Crusty]

I know this is a sports board, and I would match my fandom against most anyone. But. . .

The above paragraph points out the biggest dilemma of modern big-time college athletics--the "arms race". Yeah, if you want to play, you have to pay; but should SEC football programs be the exemplar for other institutions of higher learning (specifically, SU)? I want to be following the lead of the University of Alabama
on very few things.

Yes, I don't like this aspect of big time college athletics either, but as you say - if you want to play, you have to pay. It won't stop until the market is overexposed.

 

[upperdeck]

I wonder how the numbers of today match up to the numbers for the ATH dept say back in 1960. the same costs of scholies and travel and the like, but the income side was vastly lower with only really radio/ads.

back in the day the sports program were seen as a cost and income was a bonus. when did it make the leap to break even or turn a profit?

is coaches salaries the big hit now more than new facilities really are?

 

[CuseOnly]

I wonder how the numbers of today match up to the numbers for the ATH dept say back in 1960. the same costs of scholies and travel and the like, but the income side was vastly lower with only really radio/ads.

back in the day the sports program were seen as a cost and income was a bonus. when did it make the leap to break even or turn a profit?

is coaches salaries the big hit now more than new facilities really are?

Not at Syracuse...

 

[AZOrange]

Accounting for tuition has always driven me crazy because the accounting is so obtuse.

Fixed for me.

 

[AZOrange]

Ok, I've read this whole thing now. It's kind of a joke. I mean could they ask more questions withou answers? I mean the read feels like paranoia in that respect. How many beds do we have? How many students do we need? Ahhhh! Burn it down!!!!!

There are a couple of competing things here which seem inexorably strained. The university needs more money to survive whether via more students and/or more tuition. The number of prospective students is dwindling and those that are in the pool can't really afford it anyway. So it sounds like the answer is that SU needs to cutback. Fewer teachers, more disciplined approach to capital projects, etc. colleges are businesses and they can put themselves out of business if they're not careful. Athletics, it seems, is being used as a scapegoat.

Is the budget public? How "red" are we?
Similarly how big is the endowment and what are its sources/uses?

 

[Crusty]

Ok, I've read this whole thing now. It's kind of a joke. I mean could they ask more questions withou answers? I mean the read feels like paranoia in that respect. How many beds do we have? How many students do we need? Ahhhh! Burn it down!!!!!

There are a couple of competing things here which seem inexorably strained. The university needs more money to survive whether via more students and/or more tuition. The number of prospective students is dwindling and those that are in the pool can't really afford it anyway. So it sounds like the answer is that SU needs to cutback. Fewer teachers, more disciplined approach to capital projects, etc. colleges are businesses and they can put themselves out of business if they're not careful. Athletics, it seems, is being used as a scapegoat.

Is the budget public? How "red" are we?
Similarly how big is the endowment and what are its sources/uses?

I know diddly about university finances, but I am guessing that the smartest thing SU could do is to put the AD on a pay as you go basis and to set up a meaningful AD trust. Raise money for the trust like other successful programs and run it ike the business that it is.

On the academic side it is like any other business, decide what you mission is and prioritize.

 

[qdawgg]

So should I take from this whole thread that I should hold no hope for the future of SU football?