If Illinois State goes FBS in football, who replaces them?

[uniftw]

These numbers are a couple years old (2008), but were the quickest ones I found on a google search.


No MVC team can come close to budgets like this...if they could, they would have already...these are the piss poor B12 teams being talked about.

KU
Revenue: $86,009,257
Expense: $65,707,114

K-State
Revenue: $48,160,113
Expenses: $40,409,150

MU
Revenue: $49,113,786
Exepense: $48,793,770


ISU
Revenue: $38,642,013
Expense: $38,642,013

Baylor
Revenue: $44,151,763
Expense: $44,151,763


Iowa State is the lowest B12 team...are the ANY MVFC/MVC teams even close to that?

[valleychamp]

Iowa State is the lowest B12 team...are the ANY MVFC/MVC teams even close to that?

No.

But, as has been pointed out earlier, those budgets are not exactly the whole story. A lot of a school like Iowa State's budget is made up from conference money, BCS money, etc...

Without that conference money that a bottom feeder like Baylor or ISU did not earn themselves, then where would their budget be?

[MoValley John]

Nobody said Valley teams jumping to BCS level, simply FCS levels. Even lowly BCS members are going to have higher budgets than members of non-BCS conferences. Boise State, has been operating quite successfully with a budget of around $20 mill. I'm sure it will grow. And big-time Cincinnatti has a budget of $25 mil. Cincinnatti's budget would shrink if they weren't in the Big East. MAC schools operate in the $15-$18 million range, not a huge jump for Missouri State that currently operates in the neighborhood of $12 million. A well run program in the Valley that has a current $10 or so million budget could expect another five million if they jumped to FBS simply by associating with the right conference and working hard. It's not that big of a stretch.

Back to Iowa State. Have you looked at where they derive their revenue? It's not from ticket sales and it's not from their radio and advertising deal. Advertising distributions from Big XII corporate sponsors dwarf what Iowa State banks on their own advertising and from Leerfield. Furthermore, they get more than $7 million a year from the Big XII tv deal alone. They also get more than a million in NCAA revenue distributions from championships. Much more than $10 million comes directly from their association with the Big XII. They also continue to use student fees and direct institutional support. I thought the State of Iowa was weaning you guys off of that. If they eliminate it from Iowa State, their budget shrinks even more.

All in all, Iowa State is a taker. A leach and dead weight to the Big XII. Their $38 million budget is only attainable because they are in the Big XII. When was the last time Iowa State brought any money back to the conference? It's been more than a couple of years. In total, more than $10 million is derived simply because they are in the right conference. If they dropped to the MAC, not only would most of that $10 plus million evaporate, so would much of their ability to generate their own money. Leerfield would pay less for the rights, ticket prices would drop, attendance would drop, fan interest would drop, all the while, Iowa State has made a commitment to eliminating direct institutional support. If big and bad Iowa State loses the Big XII, they will look alot like Missouri State and Eastern Michigan.

[uniftw]

If15 mil is all it takes UNI should jump FBS as our budget is already 14 mil

[MoValley John]

If15 mil is all it takes UNI should jump FBS as our budget is already 14 mil

$15 million is the bottom of what MAC budgets are. But $18 to $20 million can be a great MAC budget and a decent C-USA budget. Also worth considering, is the UNIDome large enough? Teams must maintain average attendances of 15,000. And while the NCAA has largely turned a blind eye, there are more than a few rumblings that this rule is soon going to be enforced. With the UNIDome holding just over 16,000, that is cutting the 15,000 threshold pretty close.

Also, as I mentioned with Iowa State, last I heard, the Iowa State legislature is trying to reduce or eliminate athletic subsidies at ISU and UNI. Without solid fundraising, UNI drops a few more million shy of $15 mil. I'm not saying UNI can't do it, I'm simply presenting a few challenges.

[jwa123]

I hate to be the skeptic here but I don't think Iowa State gets into the MAC regardless. The MAC is looking to the east for expansion candidates because that is where the people are. I am of the opinion that Iowa State is too far west for what the MAC wants geographically. Besides, what does Iowa State have to offer the MAC?

Some of my friends here in Redbird land want to go to the MAC if and when the football program is to the point of moving up from FCS. Who knows if the MAC would even want Ill St? At that juncture, the only thing that possibly be of value to the MAC is that the combination of NIU & Ill St in the same conference gives the conference more visibility in the Chicago area. If getting more visibility for the MAC in Chi-town is mere speculation on my part and would not in reality happen, I guess ISU would have to go to C-USA with Mo St if it wanted to play FBS football and the MVFC isn't able to grow to that point. Of course that would depend if Ill St could get Mo St's approval.

[valleychamp]

If15 mil is all it takes UNI should jump FBS as our budget is already 14 mil

$15 million is the bottom of what MAC budgets are. But $18 to $20 million can be a great MAC budget and a decent C-USA budget. Also worth considering, is the UNIDome large enough? Teams must maintain average attendances of 15,000. And while the NCAA has largely turned a blind eye, there are more than a few rumblings that this rule is soon going to be enforced. With the UNIDome holding just over 16,000, that is cutting the 15,000 threshold pretty close.

Also, as I mentioned with Iowa State, last I heard, the Iowa State legislature is trying to reduce or eliminate athletic subsidies at ISU and UNI. Without solid fundraising, UNI drops a few more million shy of $15 mil. I'm not saying UNI can't do it, I'm simply presenting a few challenges.

The UNIdome holds 17K, and that FBS attendance rule is loosely enforced at best, if at all.

I believe that in the past year, ISU acutally did get off of that state money. (I believe, but not positive) And it was also decided that UNI's money from the state, while much smaller now, is still going to keep coming.

[panther-state]

If15 mil is all it takes UNI should jump FBS as our budget is already 14 mil

$15 million is the bottom of what MAC budgets are. But $18 to $20 million can be a great MAC budget and a decent C-USA budget. Also worth considering, is the UNIDome large enough? Teams must maintain average attendances of 15,000. And while the NCAA has largely turned a blind eye, there are more than a few rumblings that this rule is soon going to be enforced. With the UNIDome holding just over 16,000, that is cutting the 15,000 threshold pretty close.

Also, as I mentioned with Iowa State, last I heard, the Iowa State legislature is trying to reduce or eliminate athletic subsidies at ISU and UNI. Without solid fundraising, UNI drops a few more million shy of $15 mil. I'm not saying UNI can't do it, I'm simply presenting a few challenges.

The UNIdome holds 17K, and that FBS attendance rule is loosely enforced at best, if at all.

I believe that in the past year, ISU acutally did get off of that state money. (I believe, but not positive) And it was also decided that UNI's money from the state, while much smaller now, is still going to keep coming.

I could be wrong, I haven't the time to look up the numbers, but I thought we were around the 13-14K area for attendence and a jump up to the FBS "could" bump that up...of course you have to consider the initial growing pains of that move, as its unlikely UNI would continue racking up conference titles right away and thus attendence would lag for a period

[beatingrillz]

There will be no move for any school cutting teachers jobs. The move will be the 3 or 4 big schools. Largest alumni and in bettersrkrts for a FBS expansion. Not saying UNI couldn't succeed at the FBS level but the Iowa BOR won't allow it.

[uniftw]

UNI's attendance the past couple seasons has been right about 14K...That is with 80% of the state thinking we are D2, and about 18% of the state not knowing UNI has football.

A jump to the MAC very well may push attendance to a SRO sell out every week (which is over 17K in the dome)


Adding in the MAC garuntees and all that bull s***, and it makes up for the money we lost from the state.

I would also add that UNI could be a very very competitive MAC football team.


The biggest problem UNI faces (and I'm not a proponent of moving up, in fact I love the FCS but I'm also being realistic here) isn't that UNI couldn't find the donors, becuase we could. It isn't that we couldn't compete, because we could. It isn't that there wouldn't be fan support, because their would be. The problem was laid out by beatingrillz....The Iowa BOR doesn't want UNI to move up....or UNI to be a state school in general.