This is what basketball success can do for a school.

by **Jsnhbe1Birds** » May 14th, 2018, 4:29 pm

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... l-four-run

Excerpts:

A trip to the Final Four for Loyola-Chicago has resulted in a 660 percent increase in donations as compared to the previous year, the school announced Monday.

Donations to George Mason's athletic department went up 25 percent in the year after the team made it to the Final Four in 2006. VCU saw 500 new donors give money to the school in March 2011, when it went to its first Final Four, compared to a standard month of 30 to 40 new donors.

Gonzaga's run in the NCAA tournament, beginning as Cinderellas in 1999 and now being perennial contenders, has done wonders for the small school. Between 1999 and 2017, the school saw its endowment grow from $67 million to $213 million (up 218 percent), annual fundraising grow from $13.4 million to $31.1 million (up 127.7 percent) and total donors grow from 7,006 to 13,261 (up 89.3 percent).

The Final Four run could give the school a chance to become more national, as was the case with George Mason when the school received 54 percent more applications from out-of-state after its Final Four run.

**Sponsor**

by **Salukimadness86** » May 14th, 2018, 6:17 pm

Pretty amazing stuff, but not totally surprising. Just another reason why the BCS boys want fewer mid majors making the NCAA.

by **underdawg** » May 14th, 2018, 7:46 pm

That's great, but wonder what dollar amount that was--that's the real test--I will not yet be sold on Loyola as a new Gonzaga till they get more than 2500 fans each game

by **uniftw** » May 14th, 2018, 7:55 pm

underdawg wrote:That's great, but wonder what dollar amount that was--that's the real test--I will not yet be sold on Loyola as a new Gonzaga till they get more than 2500 fans each game

Agreed. 600% is a huge increase by %, but given what I have been led to believe the previous support was, it might not be a world breaking $ amount. Or if that donation level continues.

Still great for them regardless.

by **tribecalledquest** » May 15th, 2018, 8:24 am

Salukimadness86 wrote:Pretty amazing stuff, but not totally surprising. Just another reason why the BCS boys want fewer mid majors making the NCAA.

Why would anyone want someone other than their own school making the NCAA's?

by **Jsnhbe1Birds** » May 15th, 2018, 8:37 am

tribecalledquest wrote:
Salukimadness86 wrote:Pretty amazing stuff, but not totally surprising. Just another reason why the BCS boys want fewer mid majors making the NCAA.

Why would anyone want someone other than their own school making the NCAA's?

If your conference mates make the tournament your school gets money, too. The more that make it the more chances the conference has to have at least one team go deep increasing the amount of money your school gets.

by **BirdsEyeView** » May 15th, 2018, 8:48 am

Jsnhbe1Birds wrote:
tribecalledquest wrote:
Salukimadness86 wrote:Pretty amazing stuff, but not totally surprising. Just another reason why the BCS boys want fewer mid majors making the NCAA.

Why would anyone want someone other than their own school making the NCAA's?

If your conference mates make the tournament your school gets money, too. The more that make it the more chances the conference has to have at least one team go deep increasing the amount of money your school gets.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story ... 466678002/

by **uniftw** » May 15th, 2018, 8:59 am

If your school is relying on, what amounts to >1% of almost everyone in the MVCs athletic budgets to upgrade facilities or pay coaches more or anything like that you shouldn’t be D1.

If 180-200k per year....even 240k.... is a big deal to your D1 AD in the grand scheme of things....you’re doing it way wrong.

by **havoc** » May 15th, 2018, 9:30 am

uniftw wrote:If your school is relying on, what amounts to >1% of almost everyone in the MVCs athletic budgets to upgrade facilities or pay coaches more or anything like that you shouldn’t be D1.

If 180-200k per year....even 240k.... is a big deal to your D1 AD in the grand scheme of things....you’re doing it way wrong.

You've clearly never been around an organization that has operated on a budget. While perhaps not significant as a percent of the overall budget, I would have to think any AD would be thrilled to receive any windfall amount of money. My guess (hope) is that no AD in the MVC could write a check today for $200k without going to the school's administration or knocking on donor's doors. Like it or not, budgets are tight at every Valley school. These types of payments can speed up large capital expenditures significantly.

by **BEARZ77** » May 15th, 2018, 9:54 am

havoc wrote:
uniftw wrote:If your school is relying on, what amounts to >1% of almost everyone in the MVCs athletic budgets to upgrade facilities or pay coaches more or anything like that you shouldn’t be D1.

If 180-200k per year....even 240k.... is a big deal to your D1 AD in the grand scheme of things....you’re doing it way wrong.

You've clearly never been around an organization that has operated on a budget. While perhaps not significant as a percent of the overall budget, I would have to think any AD would be thrilled to receive any windfall amount of money. My guess (hope) is that no AD in the MVC could write a check today for $200k without going to the school's administration or knocking on donor's doors. Like it or not, budgets are tight at every Valley school. These types of payments can speed up large capital expenditures significantly.

I never quite understand the posters on here who act like their schools athletic departments are doing so well. Every University in the MVC is subsidizing significant shortfalls in their athletics bottom line with general revenue funds and student fees. Any additional revenue streams are huge because they allow you to be less dependent on subsidies, which for the State schools could be significantly cut back at any time depending on the current politics and state budgets. It's just the way it is. Schools budget and report their budgets for athletics differently, but underneath all of them at this level are significant subsidies.

For example in 2015 only 24 D-1 schools didn't rely on some form of subsidy to offset losses in their athletic department. But here's the biggie; in FBS schools that subsidy average was only 20%, in FCS schools it was about 70%. The average in the MVC is mid 60% ; UNI does better than most, but still subsidizes at about 50% of their total budget for athletics. Just the way it is, but it will probably have to change; states are increasingly questioning funding that level of cost for athletics at state universities.