How are perspective WAC candidates doing financially? It is not that difficult to find out. The US department of education keeps track for the purposes of enforcing Title IX. Most schools at least break even, as their athletic programs are subsidized by student fees. Most FCS schools will do a little better in the FBS if they can get fans to show up to football games as that represents a big percentage of the money they collect. Below is a list of perspective new WAC members and how profitable their athletic programs are.
This is 2009 data. 2010 data is not yet available.
Here is the site to get the data:
http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/GetOneInstitutionData.aspx
Big Sky Conference:
Cal Poly 2,911,000
UC Davis 1,256,000
Idaho State 625,000
Northern Arizona 426,000
Weber State 287,000
Northern Colo 239,000
North Dakota 161,000
Montana 43,000
Montana State 11,000
Eastern Washington 0
Portland State 0
Sacramento State 0
Southland Conference
Sam Houston State 293,000
Lamar 126,000
Stephen F Austin 0
Others:
North Dakota State 43,000
Basketball Only
CS Bakersfield 0
Seattle 0
Texas Arlington 0
Utah Valley 0
Schools That Could Bring Back Football
CS Fullerton 0
Long Beach State 770
Pacific 0
UC Santa Barbara 490,000
Conclusion:
After seeing this data, I can see why Montana did not join the WAC last fall. They are not ready, the school would lose money with the extra expenses likely outpacing the extra revenues. Cal Poly and UC Davis, if they can get a stadium, would do well in the WAC. So would Sam Houston State and Lamar. Portland State, rumored to have an invitation from the WAC is breaking even, and would probably struggle for a while, unless they can get fans to come to games. You can also see why Utah State is luke warm to Utah Valley and why the WAC is hesitant to bring in any basketball-only schools. You can also see why there are so few schools willing to bring back football.
If you only had the financial numbers, and the size of the market of the schools, who would you pick?
2 comments:
The financial numbers and size of market says UC Davis. The reality is Lamar. Lamar will be ready by 2013 and could be ready by 2012.
The WAC should add UVU, Seattle, CSUB and Lamar. Get to an 8/12 set-up. Wait on the Big Sky schools in 2014.
I have a question for you. Did you hear about the WCC TV contract with ESPN? Did that ever get finalized?
If I was the WAC, I would figure out how to get UC Davis and Cal Poly. The only obstacle the Mustangs and the Aggies have is their stadium. They add a lot to the WAC. Not only financially but academically.
The conference does not seem interested in Valley unless they can get football. That could be in the works...more to come about that.
As far as I know, the TV deal between the WCC and ESPN have not been published.
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