MSU to Conference USA?

[uniftw]

I really can't find any newspaper articles where Troy Dannon was quoted to say UNI would have to drop down a division if X happened. I think the board and others wanted to hear about the option, but everytime it was discussed our AD easily explained why it wouldn't save any money, and would in fact cost more.

I remember hearing something about that. This is the closest I can find about it:

Athletic Director Troy Dannen said it would be impossible to maintain a Division I athletic program without support from the university.

http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/regents-approve-modest-cut-to-uni-athletics/article_973e55a6-c1d6-11df-a795-001cc4c002e0.html

Gee.... I think I could find 300+ other D1 athletic directors that would say the same.

[Aargh]

I really can't find any newspaper articles where Troy Dannon was quoted to say UNI would have to drop down a division if X happened. I think the board and others wanted to hear about the option, but everytime it was discussed our AD easily explained why it wouldn't save any money, and would in fact cost more.

I remember hearing something about that. This is the closest I can find about it:

Athletic Director Troy Dannen said it would be impossible to maintain a Division I athletic program without support from the university.

http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/regents-approve-modest-cut-to-uni-athletics/article_973e55a6-c1d6-11df-a795-001cc4c002e0.html

Gee.... I think I could find 300+ other D1 athletic directors that would say the same.

I believe UNI is the only Valley athletic department that gets direct funds from the state government. The UNI athletic department gets something like like $4.1 mill a year from the state of Iowa. The quote cited seems like some journalistic wandering. The threat to drop from D1 athletics was made in response to the State of Iowa challenging UNI to find a way to fund athletics without state support, which Iowa had already done.

Since ALL the other schools in the MVC have "already done" that (they really didn't have a choice, they never got direct funding from their states), I'm skeptical of your finding even 100 AD's who will threaten to drop from D1 if their state subsidy is cut off.

I've been criticized for my attitude that UNI is really a D2 program skating by in the Valley as a D1 athletic department. UNI is dependent on the state of Iowa providing them $4+ mill for UNI's athletic department.

I don't think UNI has the booster support to replace those dollars if Iowa cut UNI off. Since no other Valley schools get direct money from their states, UNI's athletic department is heavily subsidized by a source not available to other Valley schools.

An extra $4 mill a year for WSU, even in 1980's $$ when WSU dropped FB would have been the difference between WSU dropping FB or being in a different league than the Valley. That would have put WSU in a position similar to Cincinnati, Memphis, and Louisville.

An extra $4 mill a year for WSU would just about make FB a reality. UNI needs to get off the backs of the taxpayers. The taxpayer subsidy makes for an uneven playing field, and UNI requires that to compete.

As long s UNI is on the college equivalent of getting food stamps, I'm going to be reluctant to hear that UNI is on the same level as schools who have managed to achieve the same things without the government subsidy.

[Khan4Cats]

I believe UNI is the only Valley athletic department that gets direct funds from the state government. The UNI athletic department gets something like like $4.1 mill a year from the state of Iowa. The quote cited seems like some journalistic wandering. The threat to drop from D1 athletics was made in response to the State of Iowa challenging UNI to find a way to fund athletics without state support, which Iowa had already done.

Since ALL the other schools in the MVC have "already done" that (they really didn't have a choice, they never got direct funding from their states), I'm skeptical of your finding even 100 AD's who will threaten to drop from D1 if their state subsidy is cut off.

I've been criticized for my attitude that UNI is really a D2 program skating by in the Valley as a D1 athletic department. UNI is dependent on the state of Iowa providing them $4+ mill for UNI's athletic department.

I don't think UNI has the booster support to replace those dollars if Iowa cut UNI off. Since no other Valley schools get direct money from their states, UNI's athletic department is heavily subsidized by a source not available to other Valley schools.

An extra $4 mill a year for WSU, even in 1980's $$ when WSU dropped FB would have been the difference between WSU dropping FB or being in a different league than the Valley. That would have put WSU in a position similar to Cincinnati, Memphis, and Louisville.

An extra $4 mill a year for WSU would just about make FB a reality. UNI needs to get off the backs of the taxpayers. The taxpayer subsidy makes for an uneven playing field, and UNI requires that to compete.

As long s UNI is on the college equivalent of getting food stamps, I'm going to be reluctant to hear that UNI is on the same level as schools who have managed to achieve the same things without the government subsidy.

Interesting you mention Cincinnati since their subsidy was $10.7 million in 2008. Not sure what it is now. Must make them a D-2 school masquerading as a FBS school since they take a state subsidy.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/ ... ysis_N.htm

[Khan4Cats]

Here's an even more recent database put together by USA today. Uh-oh, looks like Wichita State received $6.6 million in subsidy in 2010.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/ ... able_n.htm

None of the private schools in the Conference show up in the database, but this how the public schools fared:

School conference 2006% 2010% 2006$ 2010$
Southern Illinois Mo. Valley 62% 61% $8,244,527 $14,110,082
Illinois State Mo. Valley 57% 66% $6,509,289 $10,315,138
Northern Iowa Mo. Valley 60% 47% $9,930,647 $7,755,242
Indiana State Mo. Valley 71% 72% $7,127,568 $7,607,790
Wichita State Mo. Valley 31% 33% $5,464,890 $6,608,726
Missouri State Mo. Valley 41% 39% $5,449,468 $5,563,249

This includes total subsidies which include student fees, direct and indirect institutional support, and direct state support.

Regardless, a subsidy is a subsidy. Looks like UNI is the only public school in the conference to actually REDUCE the amount of money it takes in subsidies, though it still has a large percentage of its total.

[Haha]

http://www2.indystar.com/NCAA_financial_reports

why everybody fights over this crap is beyond me. this looks old though because UNI is listed in gateway. so maybe this won't help anybody.

[Khan4Cats]

http://www2.indystar.com/NCAA_financial_reports

why everybody fights over this crap is beyond me. this looks old though because UNI is listed in gateway. so maybe this won't help anybody.

Has to be an old collection in terms of associations because it still has Western Kentucky listed as a Gateway school, they went FBS 5 years ago... and no XDSU's listed.

And again, these statistics, much like the ones I pulled up, can be turned however you want. This ones actually show $0 in direct government funding for any of the Valley schools.

[Haha]

http://www2.indystar.com/NCAA_financial_reports

why everybody fights over this crap is beyond me. this looks old though because UNI is listed in gateway. so maybe this won't help anybody.

Has to be an old collection in terms of associations because it still has Western Kentucky listed as a Gateway school, they went FBS 5 years ago... and no XDSU's listed.

And again, these statistics, much like the ones I pulled up, can be turned however you want. This ones actually show $0 in direct government funding for any of the Valley schools.

I noticed that as well, i just posted it since it seems to break it down more. I also noticed the one you posted actually uses 2006 numbers and then uses inflation to project todays numbers.

I understand the panther fans being defensive since they are getting attacked but I really don't get why everybody loves arguing this. It's the MVC, no schools budget is anything to be proud about. I know I've even thrown out barbs in the past but they were just that barbs. I think some people on here take some of this stuff a little too serious. The truth all teams in the MVC are at the mercy of whatever happens.

[DoubleJayAlum]

This includes total subsidies which include student fees, direct and indirect institutional support, and direct state support.

Regardless, a subsidy is a subsidy.

While it may be a subsidy, I'm not sure it is legitimate to count student fees in the same way as a government handout. One is a cost to taxpayers, while the other is not. Further, in a lot of cases, student fees are subject to some sort of approval vote by the student body, so the students are volunteering to pay those fees, usually in exchange for not having to buy tickets to sporting events.

I don't think many taxpayers get to vote directly on the issue of whether the state should subsidize (and, if so, how much) state colleges. I know I never get to directly vote on funding of the state schools here in Nebraska...

[Khan4Cats]

This includes total subsidies which include student fees, direct and indirect institutional support, and direct state support.

Regardless, a subsidy is a subsidy.

While it may be a subsidy, I'm not sure it is legitimate to count student fees in the same way as a government handout. One is a cost to taxpayers, while the other is not. Further, in a lot of cases, student fees are subject to some sort of approval vote by the student body, so the students are volunteering to pay those fees, usually in exchange for not having to buy tickets to sporting events.

I don't think many taxpayers get to vote directly on the issue of whether the state should subsidize (and, if so, how much) state colleges. I know I never get to directly vote on funding of the state schools here in Nebraska...

You never get to vote?

Must not, because all it would take would the election of enough people to the Nebraska legislature who want to change how the funding goes for there to be a change in the funding of state schools.

I know it's not a realistic prospect, but imagine what that conversation would be like if this was happening for the first time in the current economic climate. Should 'we the people' be funding post-secondary education in our state?

The same goes for student fees. One of the surprising elements to come out of the funding debate that UNI was in last year was how little UNI collects in student fees in comparison to the rest of the conference. I think if we came up to the average of student fees collected in the conference we would almost wipe out the direct support we receive. Of course, that would require getting the support of a student vote. UNI was behind the game in switching to student fees as many other schools did long ago, wouldn't be in as deep of a mess had we done so 'back in the day'.

[Khan4Cats]

http://www2.indystar.com/NCAA_financial_reports

why everybody fights over this crap is beyond me. this looks old though because UNI is listed in gateway. so maybe this won't help anybody.

Has to be an old collection in terms of associations because it still has Western Kentucky listed as a Gateway school, they went FBS 5 years ago... and no XDSU's listed.

And again, these statistics, much like the ones I pulled up, can be turned however you want. This ones actually show $0 in direct government funding for any of the Valley schools.

I noticed that as well, i just posted it since it seems to break it down more. I also noticed the one you posted actually uses 2006 numbers and then uses inflation to project todays numbers.

I understand the panther fans being defensive since they are getting attacked but I really don't get why everybody loves arguing this. It's the MVC, no schools budget is anything to be proud about. I know I've even thrown out barbs in the past but they were just that barbs. I think some people on here take some of this stuff a little too serious. The truth all teams in the MVC are at the mercy of whatever happens.

Agree. The state schools have to worry about what state budget cuts mean, the private schools have to worry about the exploding operating costs while still maintaining enough enrollment to keep tuition costs down.

And I don't think it's going to be getting any better any time soon.