Syracuse University to overhaul budget system, in part due to 'controversial' athletic budget (PS)

[OrangeXtreme]

http://blog.syracuse.com/sports/201...ue_to_controversial_athle.html#incart_m-rpt-2

 

[Scooch]

This seems SIGNIFICANTLY more important than fake rumors about UConn going to the B1G.

So it'll get 3 replies.

 

[FAL]

Reply #2:

Rumor I heard is that to placate pssed-off faculty members, they're going to convert Club44 into a faculty-only lounge. To save money, Desko, Boeheim, and Shafer will be doing the renovations. Renovations to start coincidental with the start of the Dome renovation/expansion.

 

[bnoro]

Do faculty realize how much athletics helps the profile of the school? There's always so much bitching about athletics. Building a new IPF is just like building a new Law building, so what's the problem?

 

[NashvilleOrange]

It's nice to have a good women's lax team but Gary Gait being one of the 5 highest paid SU employees is ridiculous.

 

[Full_Rebar]

People would be wise to pay a lot of attention. DG is probably going to have to make some major changes to how he operates in terms of budget.

The issue is that Athletics is asking for University handouts without disclosing where the revenue is going. Now that folks know how much Gait is making, the questions aren't going to stop. I'm not sure if DG has had to defend his hiring of so many Exec. Assoc AD folks, but he'll probably need to explain it going forward.

This isn't about the importance of Athletics, it's about a University that overspent recently and from what I hear, everyone at SU is now under a closer watch.

 

[rrlbees]

That article doesn't surprise me. Things have to change. Marcoccia even said in there that the figures people see at the Dept of Ed site are wrong. It's missing many costs.

 

[Scooch]

Do faculty realize how much athletics helps the profile of the school? There's always so much bitching about athletics. Building a new IPF is just like building a new Law building, so what's the problem?

Some academics are predisposed to hate big-time, well-funded sports, so that's unavoidable.

I think the more pervasive issue is the lack of transparency in the budget. If I were the member of an academic department I'd certainly be against pitching in to help the AD pay off leaving the Big East. That seems ludicrous to me.

Honestly this issue just reinforces how crappy our athletics fundraising seems to be. These shouldn't be problems if boosters were paying for the bulk of things, like they do at other major D-1 institutions.

 

[cuseinchina]

If the faculty can't see the value of athletics and the long run importance of the roll it plays in preserving and enhancing the academic environment at the university and thus the importance to their careers - then they really make the ivory tower generalizations seem pretty true. Academics can be so smart that they miss the obvious, or so hung up in their own discipline that they have no concept of the university as a whole. Sorry to say it but with rankings in the 50's and weather in the 0's, you need to focus on 'student experience' to make it worth it to pay $160k vs $40k at your state school with a not dissimilar ranking and employment outcome.

At the same time it does seem like Gross has had something of a blank check and hasn't made the best resource allocation decisions - getting some appropriate oversight and some clear priorities in place with the coming of the ACC windfall would probably be timely and useful.

This chancellor will get it right, it's clear he doesn't around.

 

[Chip]

One thing that sticks out to me is that Lou Marcoccia seems to have a long tenure for a guy who always has to explain budgeting that no one ever understands. If Gross goes, does Lou go with him?

This article seems like a bizarro article compared to how we budgeted at the end of the Buzz/Jake era.

Faculty and Athletics can help each other, so they need some common ground. Sounds like Syverud should wear stripes and bring a whistle to the office.

 

[anomander]

Do faculty realize how much athletics helps the profile of the school? There's always so much bitching about athletics. Building a new IPF is just like building a new Law building, so what's the problem?

It just shows the culture up here. It seems like every other major University is 100% behind their athletic program. They understand the value it brings it the University as a whole. I feel bad for our Athletic Department, and coaches, it seems they have to fight tooth and nail for everything they get.

Sure it could be argued that private donations were raised for those Law buildings, but that's on the University. Our fundraising until recently has been an epic failure. I'm not sure if the I'm In campaign is working, but at least it's something. For too long nothing was done on a plan that was obviously not working.

Pretty sad.

 

[javadoc]

http://blog.syracuse.com/sports/201...ue_to_controversial_athle.html#incart_m-rpt-2

"The potential for unionized college players and financial stipends has increased faculty concerns about athletic costs." Big big big red flag there, IMO.

And Marcoccia should be careful what he says about the school's Title IX reporting.

 

[TheCusian]

"The potential for unionized college players and financial stipends has increased faculty concerns about athletic costs." Big big big red flag there, IMO. And Marcoccia should be careful what he says about the school's Title IX reporting.

Kind of a boogie man mentality.

 

[CarolinaCuse]

These are the struggles of almost every private university in a P5 conference. Funding struggles between academics and athletics is nothing new.

 

[cuseguy]

It's a good thing they don't have to pay their football and basketball coaches big boy salaries.

 

[rrlbees]

It just shows the culture up here. It seems like every other major University is 100% behind their athletic program. They understand the value it brings it the University as a whole. I feel bad for our Athletic Department, and coaches, it seems they have to fight tooth and nail for everything they get. Sure it could be argued that private donations were raised for those Law buildings, but that's on the University. Our fundraising until recently has been an epic failure. I'm not sure if the I'm In campaign is working, but at least it's something. For too long nothing was done on a plan that was obviously not working. Pretty sad.

I don't think it is as much athletics vs academics as that. I know several faculty and other members of the university academia. Each one lives SU sports, go to games, talk about the teams. I think it is more about the transparency and also not always having a plan that meets the budget. While one side is made to toe the line and justify everything, the other side isn't all the time. But it's a tough deal as a private school. Nobody is ever happy and feels they are getting a fair shake. But I do know many academics fully realize the value of the sports programs.

Just out of curiosity, not just asking you but asking anyone this question. JB gets a recruit who is going to enroll in say Newhouse. Who should pay for that scholie? Newhouse or the AD?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Just out of curiosity, not just asking you but asking anyone this question. JB gets a recruit who is going to enroll in say Newhouse. Who should pay for that scholie? Newhouse or the AD?

Isn't the AD currently responsible for the cost of that schollie ... at least on paper anyways. I wonder if they get a volume discount?

Just like the AD has to pay to "rent" the Dome for every event.

 

[javadoc]

Just out of curiosity, not just asking you but asking anyone this question. JB gets a recruit who is going to enroll in say Newhouse. Who should pay for that scholie? Newhouse or the AD?

Doesn't the NCAA mandate that the athletic department pay for that?

 

[rrlbees]

Isn't the AD currently responsible for the cost of that schollie ... at least on paper anyways. I wonder if they get a volume discount? Just like the AD has to pay to "rent" the Dome for every event.

Paper is paper and you can do what you want as to how you show something. But the actual cost of the scholie is paid for by the school they are enrolled in.

 

[Scooch]

It just shows the culture up here. It seems like every other major University is 100% behind their athletic program. They understand the value it brings it the University as a whole. I feel bad for our Athletic Department, and coaches, it seems they have to fight tooth and nail for everything they get.

Sure it could be argued that private donations were raised for those Law buildings, but that's on the University. Our fundraising until recently has been an epic failure. I'm not sure if the I'm In campaign is working, but at least it's something. For too long nothing was done on a plan that was obviously not working.

Pretty sad.

Nah. Every university has some element of faculty vs. jocks. And this seems specifically about the budget, particularly the AD having academic departments pay for their choices. I don't think it's at all unhealthy to discuss that and bring more transparency to the process. As an alum, I don't want my academic school paying for the Big East exit or an IPF.

 

[rrlbees]

Doesn't the NCAA mandate that the athletic department pay for that?

Not that I am told.

 

[AZOrange]

Some academics are predisposed to hate big-time, well-funded sports, so that's unavoidable. I think the more pervasive issue is the lack of transparency in the budget. If I were the member of an academic department I'd certainly be against pitching in to help the AD pay off leaving the Big East. That seems ludicrous to me. Honestly this issue just reinforces how crappy our athletics fundraising seems to be. These shouldn't be problems if boosters were paying for the bulk of things, like they do at other major D-1 institutions.

It's insanity to me that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing...

 

[javadoc]

Not that I am told.

I may have been thinking of the case when someone plays track and football - I believe there the NCAA says football has to foot the bill.

 

[rrlbees]

I may have been thinking of the case when someone plays track and football - I believe there the NCAA says football has to foot the bill.

That is true. My understanding is that most schools the AD pays the scholie but some have the individual college pay. But what you are talking about is definitely true. They "count" against football not track regardless of whether the AD or the school actually pays.

 

[GoSU96]

Slide 28 in that report shows what is probably the biggest problem, almost 1/3 of managers in the University have one direct report. Fat, Fat, Fat with high paid people probably not close to fully applied.