Moose on BG's Financial Restraints....from the Blade

[FalconTurf]

While this is the Football Board, this seems pertinent to the content of this thread.

http://board.uscho.com/showthread.php?1 ... ost6500129" target="_blank

It would be interesting to compare these numbers to 5 years ago when theOSU, Mich, Mich St, Notre Dame, Miami and Western Mich fans were all paying full price after making a reasonable drive to BG. Then you could contend those numbers would have been even better had the program been in a good place. I think we can saw opportunity has been wasted. All our athletics had times to build upon but were left to die on the vine now we are in a save and rebuild mode in too many areas.

[Flipper]

The money generated by the B1G network makes any discussion about financials at member institutions getting a full cut an academic exercise. They make so much money they can pretty much do what they want and not feel the consequences. It's like the Dodgers or Yankees in baseball. They can sign a $20 million a year free agent that sucks and not feel the pinch. The Indians or Tigers...not so much

[FalconPatriarch]

MAC goes from 12 schools to 10 (preferably 8 with a strong out of conference schedule) the regional talent is spread out over fewer programs and the TV money the conference received would be a bigger slice between fewer programs. It's a stretch but an option.

[FalconTurf]

Not having 12 football schools eliminates the championship game and much of the blathering that goes on during MACtion games. You need to have games with conference championship implications to promote. Most don't care but it does bring some attention.

[Schadenfreude]

Not having 12 football schools eliminates the championship game and much of the blathering that goes on during MACtion games. You need to have games with conference championship implications to promote. Most don't care but it does bring some attention.

I believe the NCAA has adjusted its rules so that a championship game is permissible.

Also, it is possible that ESPN would renegotiate its contract or that a penalty would apply if the MAC lost members.

[Clubber]

Not having 12 football schools eliminates the championship game and much of the blathering that goes on during MACtion games. You need to have games with conference championship implications to promote. Most don't care but it does bring some attention.

I believe the NCAA has adjusted its rules so that a championship game is permissible.

Also, it is possible that ESPN would renegotiate its contract or that a penalty would apply if the MAC lost members.

Probably would be some type of fine if schools dropped football. ESPN contract is obviously brutal anyway. It's a big secret so ADs, Presidents and the MAC can hide the real cost of FBS football. Gives them this imaginary crutch to fall back on.

"Sure we spend and lose Millions on football, but the exposure and money from ESPN makes it ok!"

In reality the money isn't that great and the schools have to produce content for ESPN3...that costs money too.

[Schadenfreude]

ESPN contract is obviously brutal anyway.

This isn't obvious. Fans of the Sun Belt and Conference USA seem envious of the deal.

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/m ... bc507.html" target="_blank

[footballguy51]

In reality the money isn't that great and the schools have to produce content for ESPN3...that costs money too.

More like we GET to produce that content. That's great experience for students at BGSU that work with WBGU-TV. There is a reason that WBGU boasts 100% job placement after graduation for its student employees.

[hammb]

In reality the money isn't that great and the schools have to produce content for ESPN3...that costs money too.

More like we GET to produce that content. That's great experience for students at BGSU that work with WBGU-TV. There is a reason that WBGU boasts 100% job placement after graduation for its student employees.

No doubt it's good training for students and it's a worthwhile expense. But it does cut into the bottom line of the ESPN deal.

I think BG already had the infrastructure in place, which is good, other schools had to invest heavily to even get the stuff online with ESPN3.


To me our TV deal with ESPN is mediocre at best, and awful at worst. We do bring in some cash, but we also take on all of the production costs. And the $830k or whatever they cited in the article (if that's accurate) probably includes Men's Hoops combined with football. I believe the deal is probably not nearly as good as what the MAC office wants to boast, largely because if it were that great it wouldn't be so secretive and shady. All we get are "total dollars" but we don't really know how much it costs to produce these things and what investments had to be made to get the deal signed.

For me it's not worth whoring our schedule out, but others obviously disagree. The deal may be better than what the AAC or SunBelt have, but it's still not anything to write home about. It's still not nearly good enough to make MAC football a sustainable product long term.

[bgbill]

Without studying the hockey article in depth, I would call to question "students attend free". BG students pay a general fee of up to $747.00 per semester for services and privileges including admission to sporting events.

[MarkL]

Bill, I had the same thought. The statement is both deceptive and not. It is deceptive because students are free due to the student fee. It is not deceptive because that student fee is money already guaranteed. Not a single cent of revenue from sold tickets is guaranteed, and we need each and every one of those cents to support top level football, men's and women's basketball, and hockey.

[FalconPatriarch]

Bill, I had the same thought. The statement is both deceptive and not. It is deceptive because students are free due to the student fee. It is not deceptive because that student fee is money already guaranteed. Not a single cent of revenue from sold tickets is guaranteed, and we need each and every one of those cents to support top level football, men's and women's basketball, and hockey.

How much of the Student Fee is earmarked for sport's?

[FalconPatriarch]

Not having 12 football schools eliminates the championship game and much of the blathering that goes on during MACtion games. You need to have games with conference championship implications to promote. Most don't care but it does bring some attention.

I believe the NCAA has adjusted its rules so that a championship game is permissible.

Also, it is possible that ESPN would renegotiate its contract or that a penalty would apply if the MAC lost members.

Probably would be some type of fine if schools dropped football. ESPN contract is obviously brutal anyway. It's a big secret so ADs, Presidents and the MAC can hide the real cost of FBS football. Gives them this imaginary crutch to fall back on.

"Sure we spend and lose Millions on football, but the exposure and money from ESPN makes it ok!"

In reality the money isn't that great and the schools have to produce content for ESPN3...that costs money too.

Yes, it raises many issues but it beats other alternatives such as joining the Big 12

[Flipper]

We're a candidate to join the Big 12? Are we going to do that after we fly to the moon with our rocket boots?

[hammb]

Bill, I had the same thought. The statement is both deceptive and not. It is deceptive because students are free due to the student fee. It is not deceptive because that student fee is money already guaranteed. Not a single cent of revenue from sold tickets is guaranteed, and we need each and every one of those cents to support top level football, men's and women's basketball, and hockey.

How much of the Student Fee is earmarked for sport's?

$413 per student per semester.

A total of about $12.7 million of our $22 million athletic budget comes from general fees.