UNI Athletics Funding

by **unipanther99** » September 10th, 2010, 10:11 am

As some of you know, the Iowa State Board of Regents has directed UNI (and Iowa State) to come up with proposals for eliminating or significantly reducing general fund support for athletics. Those reports are in, and will be discussed at the Regent's meeting next Thursday.

Here is the adgenda (UNI's report starts on page 5):

http://www.regents.iowa.gov/Meetings/Do ... ITEM11.pdf

Basically UNI is proposing to continue to reduce general fund support of athletics over 4 years, down to a level of 2.4% of the total general fund. It's long, but the report really spells out the financial realities most public Divsion 1-FCS schools our size face.

**Sponsor**

by **bigdawg** » September 10th, 2010, 11:03 am

unipanther99 wrote:As some of you know, the Iowa State Board of Regents has directed UNI (and Iowa State) to come up with proposals for eliminating or significantly reducing general fund support for athletics. Those reports are in, and will be discussed at the Regent's meeting next Thursday.

Here is the adgenda (UNI's report starts on page 5):

http://www.regents.iowa.gov/Meetings/Do ... ITEM11.pdf

Basically UNI is proposing to continue to reduce general fund support of athletics over 4 years, down to a level of 2.4% of the total general fund. It's long, but the report really spells out the financial realities most public Divsion 1-FCS schools our size face.

Is this a concern for keeping Jake?

by **MoValley John** » September 10th, 2010, 11:17 am

bigdawg wrote:
unipanther99 wrote:As some of you know, the Iowa State Board of Regents has directed UNI (and Iowa State) to come up with proposals for eliminating or significantly reducing general fund support for athletics. Those reports are in, and will be discussed at the Regent's meeting next Thursday.

Here is the adgenda (UNI's report starts on page 5):

http://www.regents.iowa.gov/Meetings/Do ... ITEM11.pdf

Basically UNI is proposing to continue to reduce general fund support of athletics over 4 years, down to a level of 2.4% of the total general fund. It's long, but the report really spells out the financial realities most public Divsion 1-FCS schools our size face.

Is this a concern for keeping Jake?

I don't think keeping the coach is a major concern for Panyther fans, when and if Jacobson takes the big check, there is nothing that UNI can do about it. At the same time, there are some donors that stepped up to the plate to keep him.

The concern for Panther and Cyclone fans should be the University of Iowa. They control the B of R. They are putting all of this in motion. How quickly Hawkeye fans forget that up until the Big 10 Network started raining cash in Iowa CIty, the Hawkeyes sucked at the same teet as the Panthers and Cyclones.

by **unipanther99** » September 10th, 2010, 11:57 am

I think the majority of the board will be receptive to UNI's proposal. Some may grandstand and balk (Michael Gartner), but I don't think any of them really want to be known or remembered as the killer(s) of Panther Athletics.

As for Jake, he signed a new 10 year contract that bumped his salary way up right before the sweet sixteen game. Does that contract or the money hold him here if one of the big boys open up their wallet? No. But there are signs that he (and his family) are happy here. I have no illusions that he will be our coach forever, or even through the end of the contract, but it doesn't appear that he's out shopping around for a new job either.

by **MoValley John** » September 10th, 2010, 11:58 am

I should mention that the Iowa B of R is loaded with Drake grads and a couple of Iowa State grads. I think UNI only has one voice on the B of R.

by **DUBulldog** » September 10th, 2010, 2:10 pm

MoValley John wrote:I should mention that the Iowa B of R is loaded with Drake grads

Is that true? I don't know, it may be. I do know that the president of the Board of Regents is a Drake grad, which seemed odd.

by **unipanther99** » September 10th, 2010, 2:42 pm

DUBulldog wrote:
MoValley John wrote:I should mention that the Iowa B of R is loaded with Drake grads

Is that true? I don't know, it may be. I do know that the president of the Board of Regents is a Drake grad, which seemed odd.

Not exactly loaded with Drake grads, but there is a definite lack of UNI influence on the board. I did a little research and posted it on panthernation a while back:

http://www.panthernation.com/showthread ... post178404

by **WSUbballer** » September 13th, 2010, 9:49 pm

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100911/NEWS/100911001/1095/SPORTS/Without-taxpayer-money-UNI-could-lose-all-sports

How concerned are UNI fans for possibly being demoted to Division II or III athletics or maybe having athletics eliminated altogether?

What sport(s) would be the best to eliminate to try and maintain Division I eligibility?

Kinda looks bleak..

by **unipanther99** » September 13th, 2010, 10:05 pm

WSUbballer wrote:http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100911/NEWS/100911001/1095/SPORTS/Without-taxpayer-money-UNI-could-lose-all-sports

How concerned are UNI fans for possibly being demoted to Division II or III athletics or maybe having athletics eliminated altogether?

What sport(s) would be the best to eliminate to try and maintain Division I eligibility?

Kinda looks bleak..

Actually I'm not that concerned. President Allen wouldn't put together a report like this without indication that It would be well received by most of the Board. We are complying with their request that we tighten our belt and they have some actual facts and figures to explain why UNI =/= U of Iowa when it comes to funding athletics.

I don't think any new sports will be cut anytime soon. Wrestling would be the next logical choice, but you don't fire your coach and hire a new one if you think you are going to cut the program in the next couple of years.

If disaster happened and they demand we eliminate public funding, it seems fairly clear that it wouldn't make sense to go to Div. II or III. Those kind of programs don't break even either. It's Division I or nothing.

by **valleychamp** » September 14th, 2010, 2:01 pm

All of that stuff is just posturing by UNI. We will have to make some changes, and have been in the process of successfully doing so in the last few years. The BOR seems to think it is realistic for our AD to be totally self sustaining since the U of Iowa is (only has been for a few years, because of the B10 network..).

We will be fine.