2024-25 Offseason

[Flipper]

Yes...conferences like the MAC need to adapt to the landscape/insanity of modern day college sports

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Given the current discussion on costs/revenue, I think this is pretty interesting:

Alumni Mike and Jan Wilcox to Endow BGSU Head Football Coach Position:https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2025/6/26/ ... ll-program

[BillyLP]

Given the current discussion on costs/revenue, I think this is pretty interesting:

Alumni Mike and Jan Wilcox to Endow BGSU Head Football Coach Position:https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2025/6/26/ ... ll-program

A very generous gift. Surprised that was enough to have the endowment title on a head football coaching position. A $2 million endowment would churn out about a $100k spend annually. If the plan is to continue growing the endowment through other gifts or an estate gift, that's a great start.

[mbenecke]

Given the current discussion on costs/revenue, I think this is pretty interesting:

Alumni Mike and Jan Wilcox to Endow BGSU Head Football Coach Position:https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2025/6/26/ ... ll-program

A very generous gift. Surprised that was enough to have the endowment title on a head football coaching position. A $2 million endowment would churn out about a $100k spend annually. If the plan is to continue growing the endowment through other gifts or an estate gift, that's a great start.

Can you expand on this? What exactly does an endowment do when it comes to the title for a head coach?

[hammb]

Given the current discussion on costs/revenue, I think this is pretty interesting:

Alumni Mike and Jan Wilcox to Endow BGSU Head Football Coach Position:https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2025/6/26/ ... ll-program

A very generous gift. Surprised that was enough to have the endowment title on a head football coaching position. A $2 million endowment would churn out about a $100k spend annually. If the plan is to continue growing the endowment through other gifts or an estate gift, that's a great start.

Can you expand on this? What exactly does an endowment do when it comes to the title for a head coach?

I think he's saying he thought it would/should cost more to have their name attached to it.

Similarly, while maybe it made sense at the time, having the Stroh center permanently named for Kerm seems a bit short-sighted now that we live in a world where calling it the Marathon Oil arena could conceivably provided revenue year after year.

[Flipper]

Doyt Perry Field at Marathon Oil Stadium has a certain ring to it...,

[Warthog]

Doyt Perry Field at Marathon Oil Stadium has a certain ring to it...,

Except Marathon Oil Company doesn't exist anymore. Bought by ConocoPhillips last November.

Could try Marathon Petroleum though. It's still based in Findlay.

[jpfalcon09]

Doyt Perry Field at Marathon Oil Stadium has a certain ring to it...,

Doyt Perry Field at Full Pull Stadium presented by Tractor Supply. Make it as wordy as possible.

Any endowment or donation is better than nothing. Eddie and Derek have been aggressive this summer with fundraising activities. Hopefully we see more as this is going to be a big portion of staying afloat against the current of the collegiate athletics landscape.

[Flipper]

Doyt Perry Field at Marathon Oil Stadium has a certain ring to it...,

Except Marathon Oil Company doesn't exist anymore. Bought by ConocoPhillips last November.

Could try Marathon Petroleum though. It's still based in Findlay.

I had no idea...

We should sell the athletic department to a venture capital firm so they can completely gut it

[BillyLP]

Given the current discussion on costs/revenue, I think this is pretty interesting:

Alumni Mike and Jan Wilcox to Endow BGSU Head Football Coach Position:https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2025/6/26/ ... ll-program

A very generous gift. Surprised that was enough to have the endowment title on a head football coaching position. A $2 million endowment would churn out about a $100k spend annually. If the plan is to continue growing the endowment through other gifts or an estate gift, that's a great start.

Can you expand on this? What exactly does an endowment do when it comes to the title for a head coach?

I think he's saying he thought it would/should cost more to have their name attached to it.

Similarly, while maybe it made sense at the time, having the Stroh center permanently named for Kerm seems a bit short-sighted now that we live in a world where calling it the Marathon Oil arena could conceivably provided revenue year after year.

Exactly. I would think an HC job at the MAC level would be endowed at the $5mm level, which would produce approx $250k spend per year. That's enough to provide a lot of wiggle room on salary at this level. $100k is pretty nominal. This is also assuming the spend from an endowment is at the 5% level (it is usually 4 or 5%). It also takes at least one fiscal year to produce any spend, sometimes two, so the spend won't actually be touchable until July 2026 at the absolute earliest (assuming the $2mm is already in the bank and it's not a multi-year pledge).

Hammb, couldn't agree more on the Stroh naming. I recently moved into a fundraising exec role and the first new rule I implemented as that naming rights are never indefinite. Depending on the size of the gift, they can be 5, 8, 10, or 15 years. This is why corporate sponsor names are much more appealing than naming after a donor. That very well could be the case with the Stroh since we don't have the gift agreement, but I doubt it. There is still the opening to call it something like Owens Corning Arena at the Stroh Center.

[maskedopining]

I think the issue with any FCS discussion is what does it solve/accomplish.

I 100% believe that the MAC belongs in FCS based on things like budgets, on field competition, etc. I don't see any way we can hope to compete in the new FBS landscape where you're committing millions of dollars to player NIL on top of the bloated coach contracts, infrastructure costs, etc.

But the issue with FCS is revenue is gutted. You drop to FCS and you probably lose whatever pittance you get from the ESPN contract. Your OOC cash games take a massive hit in payout. You lose any of the bowl allotments/sharing from the championship, etc. And for that revenue hit what cost savings do you really see? Less scholarships, sure. Less NIL, obviously. But travel and infrastructure costs for the team largely remain unchanged. Coach salaries should drop precipitously. I don't know what the net gain is though given how much revenue will be impacted.

I've long felt the best path forward for BG (and much of the G5) would be to form a loose agreement to stay FBS but "opt out" of the new insanity. Stay FBS with regard to scholarships, etc, but admit we're not playing on the same field with regard to funding. Some sort of "salary cap" on coaching salaries/NIL, etc. A loose agreement where we can keep the revenue roughly static but prevent the astronomical increases in expenses.

Hammb - I largely agree with you on the opt-out as a potential strategy. Here’s the thing, the jolt of revenue loss from pay day games will be going away. It’s not if, it’s when TV offers the power conferences the $ they can’t turn down to simply fill their schedule with one another instead of the MAC.

I’d just like us to stop waiting for this happen with our head in the sand and be creative and proactive. So, if the jolt of losing that revenue is inevitable, why don’t we proactively approach this issue? Talk to other schools in the conference with a similar athletic budget, athletics donor and NIL profile and force reactions?

I’d rather be taking actions to plan and take counter measures for a loss in revenue rather than just eat it because someone else made the decision for me. However, maybe there’s just no incentive for people at the AD level of these schools to do so.

[jpfalcon09]

If you're a season ticket holder, check your email. RSVP for a Zoom call with Eddie at 6pm on the 21st. Opportunity to ask questions included.

[Flipper]

https://247sports.com/season/2025-footb ... erence=MAC

247 Sports pegs us as the #1 transfer class in the MAC

[jpfalcon09]

Omar Jacobs and Greg Kampe will be inducted into the athletic hall of fame the second weekend of October. Scott Hamilton receiving a gratuitous induction as well. Handful of legacy inductees also included.