Where the fees go

[Flipper]

So the solution is for BG to switch to amazon or Netflix?

Hulu plus

[Schadenfreude]

Without the fee, BGSU would not be Division I.

[ilive4fri]

I just wish there was a way to spread the money around a little bit more for all the groups on campus. A few years ago my daughter went to the Military Bowl and they stayed in a nice hotel, had great meals, attended a professional basketball game and were shuttled around on various DC tours. A week or so after she got back we noticed that the BG Choir was in town so we decided to go hear them. They performed at a church (probably a free venue). They thanked some of people in the audience who so graciously opened their homes to host a singer or two overnight. Then they passed a hat for donations for gas to get home.

[Flipper]

My 13 year-old daughter is a musician. She plays harp, flute and piano...(going to brag now) well enough to play on the Toledo Symphony Youth Orchestra on harp and flute. Even at her tiny little 350ish total enrollment K-12 school in Toledo..where the music program has a half dozen kids on TSYO...an unheard of number proportionally... music takes a back seat to the sports teams that are barely competitive. She already knows that musicians get next to nothing compared to athletes. Then again, she can busk and they can't.

Quick plug...she will be appearing with the rest of the TSYO on Monday night (May 4th) in Kobacher hall. She and a violinist will be performing a solo during one of the concert orchestra's selections. Tickets are $10 at the door..proceeds support the TSYO. Doors open at...I think 6pm.

And yeah...I'm pretty fricking proud of that kid....

[mscarn]

The latest Division I spending figures were just released. In the MAC, BG spent the lowest amount of money and received the second-lowest support subsidy from their university. The success we've had is near miraculous considering how little the program is supported by the administration. Getting people who recognize the value and role of athletics on the Board of Trustees seems to be the only answer.

Expenditures
Akron $32 million
Buffalo $31 million
EMU $30 million
WMU $30 million
CMU $29 million
Miami Ohio $28 million
Ohio $27 million
NIU $26 million
Toledo $26 million
Ball State $25 million
Kent $24 million
BG $23 million

Subsidy
EMU 83%
Buffalo 76%
Kent 76%
Ball State 74%
CMU 73%
Miami 71%
Akron 69%
WMU 69%
NIU 67%
Ohio 66%
BG 62%
Toledo 57%

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances/" target="_blank

[mscarn]

Just to be clear, this isn't a case for or against the use of student fees to subsidize athletic programs. Regardless of whether it's worthy or justified, as a practical matter it's happening and BG is at a severe competitive disadvantage by continually being at the low end of the totem pole.

The "it's just for one year," "we had no other choice" and "we could win and get attention" arguments in favor of Tennessee are looking better and better in this context.

[transfer2BGSU]

The latest Division I spending figures were just released. In the MAC, BG spent the lowest amount of money and received the second-lowest support subsidy from their university. The success we've had is near miraculous considering how little the program is supported by the administration. Getting people who recognize the value and role of athletics on the Board of Trustees seems to be the only answer.

I bet the <NAME THE DEPARTMENT> faculty would disagree with the statement about how little the program is supported by the administration.

The state subsidy is not going to go up, and the state legislature is getting ready to enact legislation that will limit tuition and fee increases (scuttle-butt out of Columbus is NO INCREASE for the 2016-17 academic year). So guess what? You better be ready to open that wallet and donate to the Falcon Club if you want to see that increase, because it's not going to happen otherwise.

[Critical Thinker]

How do we have the lowest expenditures in the conference with one of the three hockey teams? Those aren't cheap to run.

[mscarn]

Great point about hockey.

To address transfer's points, of course fill-in-the-blank faculty department will disagree that the athletic department is not sufficiently supported, and as with many things they'd be completely wrong as the numbers themselves starkly prove.

As for support from the state not changing, it's the role (and duty, I'd argue) of many people associated with and employed by the university to achieve the opposite. Donors are worthy and needed, but broader steps must be taken at the highest levels of leadership in conjunction.

[footballguy51]

Great point about hockey.

To address transfer's points, of course fill-in-the-blank faculty department will disagree that the athletic department is not sufficiently supported, and as with many things they'd be completely wrong as the numbers themselves starkly prove.

As for support from the state not changing, it's the role (and duty, I'd argue) of many people associated with and employed by the university to achieve the opposite. Donors are worthy and needed, but broader steps must be taken at the highest levels of leadership in conjunction.

As one of those people employed by the University, I can assure you we are in a constant battle to get a larger slice of the pie from the state. The issue is the pie from the state remains the same or decreases, and we thus need to battle the other state institutions and take part of their share for us. We are making strides.

[Falconwriter]

It's been said time and time again. Athletics serves the University in a marketing/recruiting role, an avenue for a specific demographic of student to obtain a college education (athletes), and a popular opportunity for donors. Students are paying those fees, and in-turn they get a University that has Division 1 athletics, is on ESPN, and they get to attend these athletic events for FREE. Many other universities charge similar fees and the students still pay to attend the games. So, view the fees as more of a front-loaded ticket fee, because if you were to factor in season tickets for football, men's and women's basketball, hockey, volleyball, and whatever other sport we have that charges entry, I'm sure that price will get pretty darn close to, if not exceed, $800.

Good post. When I was at BG (back in the stone ages), we actually had to buy tickets to all the events. Now student tickets weren't terribly expensive, but ANY money out of pocket for a student is money that can't be used for food, beer...oh, and books!

I had season tickets to football, men's basketball and hockey. Sports like baseball and track (we actually had a good men's team then with people like Sink and Wottle) were free.

No reason they can't bring back student tickets if they want to reduce the percentage of fees that go to sports. But that means they'll have to be competitive and find a way to market teams that actually gets them to the games. If they aren't coming when it doesn't cost them anything more than what they've already paid, how you going to get them to come when they have to buy a ticket?

Honestly, once you've gone the route of letting people go "free" to games, I think it's pretty hard to go back. Students don't value athletic events in the same way once they have a pass to everything and don't have to pay any more out of pocket.

Edited to add: Funny thing, though. Back then, schools like Kent had passes for all sports like BG now has, and they had trouble getting anyone to go to any major sporting events (particularly football and men's basketball); while BG routinely would get football crowds at or above 20,000, and Anderson Arena was usually sold out (or close to it).

[transfer2BGSU]

Good post. When I was at BG (back in the stone ages), we actually had to buy tickets to all the events. Now student tickets weren't terribly expensive, but ANY money out of pocket for a student is money that can't be used for food, beer...oh, and books!

I had season tickets to football, men's basketball and hockey. Sports like baseball and track (we actually had a good men's team then with people like Sink and Wottle) were free.

My freshman year (back when Reagan was President), I had an All-Sports Pass that I think I bought for $24. Gave me priority pickup for tickets to men's basketball and hockey (Monday and Tuesday at the AA box office) and just had to show it at the gate for football.

[Flipper]

When I hit campus during the Carter administration, we had the all sports pass.God help you if you lost it or left it in your laundry, because you were screwed.

Maybe classof61 can clue us into the Eisenhower administration policies towards BGSU...or. BGU...sports