Portland State Football - "must be fiscally self-sufficient"

[The Sicatoka]

Portland State's football program has been told it must be fiscally self-sufficient going forward because of a $15 million budget shortfall at the university.

http://www.oregonlive.com/collegefootball/index.ssf/2013/12/portland_states_football_progr.html

Now, linking in a different, but related, thought by "ira" in another thread:

For the same reason UND needs to be positioning in the event other Big Sky schools or our pals from the AC and S.Dak decide to move up a notch. I don't think that is move to make cuz we would at best be like the Fresno States or N. Illinios of the world. We still need to be prepared.

We know there are "haves" and "have nots" in the Big Sky.

If this is the first sign of coming fiscal issues at other schools it's time for UND to behave as a "have" (because it is).

Don't get left behind with the have nots.

[BobIwabuchiFan]

I would find it very hard to believe that we would make the "Not Moving Up" mistake twice in a generation, but I guess anything can happen when its taking 30+ days to replace a coach on our #2 highest revenue generating sport...

[Cratter]

Article just goes to show its more about making money than winning games (making the playoffs) in today's world.

[fightingsioux4life]

Article just goes to show its more about making money than winning games (making the playoffs) in today's world.

Generally, those two things go together. A perennial 9-2, 10-1 program will generally make more money than a perennial 2-9, 1-10 program. And that is why the coaching search at UND is so important.

[Cratter]

If you want to BUILD a program you don't schedule FBS teams. You schedule non schedule cupcakes at home. It gives you two more wins and helps you make the playoffs because you are suddenly at an advantage thanks to virtually every other FCS team playing and losing to FBS teams. (FBS teams win at over 90% pace)

Or you schedule two FBS games in a season.

Maybe three the year next. Maybe cut a scholarship here or there.

They article doesn't seem to care much about winning only money...pound foolish penny wise?

[UNDBIZ]

They article doesn't seem to care much about winning only money...pound foolish penny wise?

Exactly. A losing team will just get worse unless it's given a shot in the arm (new coach, better scheduling, more money, etc.). Cutting costs rather than working to increase revenues is how most downward spirals start, just look at Sears, Kmart, Best Buy, JCPenny etc.

[fightingsioux4life]

Exactly. A losing team will just get worse unless it's given a shot in the arm (new coach, better scheduling, more money, etc.). Cutting costs rather than working to increase revenues is how most downward spirals start, just look at Sears, Kmart, Best Buy, JCPenny etc.

1000% correct. You simply cannot slash and burn your way into prosperity. You have to spend money to buy whiskey. I hope those are the principles Faison has in mind as he conducts this coaching search.

[WeAreNorthDakota]

Faison has to look at all those empty seats in the Alerus and see the potential for a lot more money to be coming through the door. The marketing and sales side has improved in the last few years, the IPF is going to be a shot in the arm, and a healthy bump in coach salaries are some great steps in the right direction. We're not very far away from being a top tier FCS football program. Faison needs to make a home run hire that can energize both the guys in the locker room and the fans. The potential is there, we just need to fulfill it.

[smokey the cat]

If you want to BUILD a program you don't schedule FBS teams. You schedule non schedule cupcakes at home. It gives you two more wins and helps you make the playoffs because you are suddenly at an advantage thanks to virtually every other FCS team playing and losing to FBS teams. (FBS teams win at over 90% pace)

Or you schedule two FBS games in a season.

Maybe three the year next. Maybe cut a scholarship here or there.

They article doesn't seem to care much about winning only money...pound foolish penny wise?

But those FBS games can really make a difference in making money or losing money. So which one benefits a program more? A couple of wins against a cupcake team, that you probably had to pay, or a loss and a fat paycheck? 6 of this and a half dozen of the other.

[Cratter]

That's the dilemma and real world questions....I don't know how about a compromise at one FBS game. Not at Portland State too desperate for money.

If PSU had higher attendance at home games they could make money on home games as I believe the stadium holds over 20,000. Chicken or the egg?

[smokey the cat]

That's the dilemma and real world questions....I don't know how about a compromise at one FBS game. Not at Portland State too desperate for money.

If PSU had higher attendance at home games they could make money on home games as I believe the stadium holds over 20,000. Chicken or the egg?

Agree. Then you almost have to wonder how many people care about PSU with Oregon playing? Any idea how their attendance has been over the years?

[Hawkster]

We played Valpo this year instead of a big money FBS game. We'd have been better off getting a paycheck for $350,000. A lot of good that W did us with Valpo. We need to start winning those big money games anyway, that's the best of both worlds.

[82SiouxGuy]

We played Valpo this year instead of a big money FBS game. We'd have been better off getting a paycheck for $350,000. A lot of good that W did us with Valpo. We need to start winning those big money games anyway, that's the best of both worlds.

UND will normally have a cupcake on the schedule at the beginning of the year, and that's what Valpo was. UND played both Montana and SDSU at home in non-conference games this year. One of those replaced a normal big money FBS game.

[Redneksioux]

But those FBS games can really make a difference in making money or losing money. So which one benefits a program more? A couple of wins against a cupcake team, that you probably had to pay, or a loss and a fat paycheck? 6 of this and a half dozen of the other.

Ndsu has done pretty well with those fbs games. Subtract those fbs games they've had and no way they are where they are today with fan excitement.

[SiouxFan100]

I know it is short sighted but I have trouble thinking about moving up a level in football. We have so far to go. The program is in such bad shape. How long till it can be turned around? How wrong am I?

[dmksioux]

I know it is short sighted but I have trouble thinking about moving up a level in football. We have so far to go. The program is in such bad shape. How long till it can be turned around? How wrong am I?

When people talk about moving up, I believe they are referring to the second division after the possible "big 5" conferences form their own division.

[smokey the cat]

Ndsu has done pretty well with those fbs games. Subtract those fbs games they've had and no way they are where they are today with fan excitement.

In the long run those games really had to have made a major impact for the program all around. They benifited with the money and get their fan base back and pumped. That all went into them winning their third title in a row. You know much more about football than I do so I ask you, how many of the upcoming bowl game matchups do you think they could win? I think from what little I know more than a lot of people here would give them credit for. And not as many as Bison fans would say.

[Redneksioux]

I don't know that much myself. If you were to ask me I think they met with the right fbs teams at the right time so luck had a little to do with it. But it wasn't all luck. In those games, they were simply the better team.

And you ask how many of the bowl games they would win? I'd say very few if any. Fcs is still a level below the top fbs/bcs teams and that has never been proven wrong. Just look at what a team like Wyoming can do for bohl compared to what ndsu could do for him.

[smokey the cat]

I don't know that much myself. If you were to ask me I think they met with the right fbs teams at the right time so luck had a little to do with it. But it wasn't all luck. In those games, they were simply the better team.

And you ask how many of the bowl games they would win? I'd say very few if any. Fcs is still a level below the top fbs/bcs teams and that has never been proven wrong. Just look at what a team like Wyoming can do for bohl compared to what ndsu could do for him.

How can they afford so much when Wyoming is smaller than ND and really has no more money than ND. Richer boosters? More NCAA money?

[82SiouxGuy]

How can they afford so much when Wyoming is smaller than ND and really has no more money than ND. Richer boosters? More NCAA money?

Wyoming has 1 public 4 year school to support. North Dakota has 6. U of Wyoming has an athletic department budget of more than $30 million. At last report UND was about $20 million and NDSU at $16 or 17 million, not to mention all of the other 4 year schools. The U of Wyoming gives the athletic department about $15 million with the remainder coming from ticket sales, donations, sponsors, etc. UND and NDSU get about $8 or 9 million each in funds from the school and students with the remainder of their budgets coming from those other sources. That's why Wyoming can afford to pay so much more than NDSU or UND.

[smokey the cat]

Wyoming has 1 public 4 year school to support. North Dakota has 6. U of Wyoming has an athletic department budget of more than $30 million. At last report UND was about $20 million and NDSU at $16 or 17 million, not to mention all of the other 4 year schools. The U of Wyoming gives the athletic department about $15 million with the remainder coming from ticket sales, donations, sponsors, etc. UND and NDSU get about $8 or 9 million each in funds from the school and students with the remainder of their budgets coming from those other sources. That's why Wyoming can afford to pay so much more than NDSU or UND.

Thank you. Still trying to figure out why ND has 6 schools to support.

[82SiouxGuy]

Thank you. Still trying to figure out why ND has 6 schools to support.

Because our forefathers wanted local education opportunities for the people of the state. They knew how important education was for the people to compete with the big city. And it's a big state with the population spread out (although the majority is in the Red River Valley). The problem is they put the schools in the constitution so they are hard to change. It is tough for people to close a school in a smaller town when it is probably a major employer for the community.

[smokey the cat]

Because our forefathers wanted local education opportunities for the people of the state. They knew how important education was for the people to compete with the big city. And it's a big state with the population spread out (although the majority is in the Red River Valley). The problem is they put the schools in the constitution so they are hard to change. It is tough for people to close a school in a smaller town when it is probably a major employer for the community.

I know all that but still....

[82SiouxGuy]

I know all that but still....

Having the schools spread around the state made sense when they did it. Putting it in the Constitution didn't. But a lot of things haven't made sense in North Dakota political history.

[smokey the cat]

Having the schools spread around the state made sense when they did it. Putting it in the Constitution didn't. But a lot of things haven't made sense in North Dakota political history.

Your kidding right? LOL Like Father Shanley's belief that ND would have 5,000,000 people? Elwyn said it best with the "too much mistake".