The Media and the DI-AA Issue

[PCM]

Over the past few days, the Fargo Forum has been using UND documents obtained through state open records laws to whip up an emotional frenzy aimed at forcing the Sioux to join the Bison in DI-AA.

The one common theme that resonates throughout the UND documents is that the move to DI-AA must make sense financially before UND can seriously consider it. This is not news. Charles Kupchella, Phil Harmeson and Roger Thomas have been saying this publicly for months. The documents serve only to reaffirm their message.

If the Forum and other Fargo media are so interested in this subject and want to shed light on UND's legitimate concern, a logical place to start would be an open records request of NDSU's athletic budget.

As I recall, NDSU was projecting a $1 million athletic budget deficit at the start of the year. Has NDSU made any progress toward dealing with its budget shortfall? If so, how? If NDSU has solved its athletic budget problem, wouldn't it be useful for UND to know how?

If NDSU hasn't fixed its athletic budget problem, doesn't the public have a right to know how the university intends to solve it? And shouldn't the public have a voice in deciding whether it wants two public universities facing athletic budget problems instead of one?

Journalists truly interested shedding light on the DI-AA issue would explore it from all angles. In Fargo, reporters have an example of a DI-AA school with budget problems sitting in their own back yard. The best way to allay UND's concerns would be to prove that NDSU is successfully coping with similar problems.

[PCM]

The silence is deafening.

[star2city]

If NDSU hasn't fixed its athletic budget problem, doesn't the public have a right to know how the university intends to solve it? And shouldn't the public have a voice in deciding whether it wants two public universities facing athletic budget problems instead of one?

Journalists truly interested shedding light on the DI-AA issue would explore it from all angles. In Fargo, reporters have an example of a DI-AA school with budget problems sitting in their own back yard. The best way to allay UND's concerns would be to prove that NDSU is successfully coping with similar problems.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What would also be interesting is how much discussion has gone on between NDSU and the Fargo arena developers downtown. IMO, the Forum/WDAY are not going to do any serious journalistic investigation into NDSU’s athletic finances because that is not in the best interest of NDSU. The GF Herald is unlikely to do it because the GFH is not a state-wide paper with state-wide responsibilities and it would just further NDSU animosity toward UND. Clear Channel radio stations like KFGO or KFYR likely wouldn’t, because they are UND broadcast stations. There are few other outlets that have the resources or temerity to do it, without feeling the wrath of the Forum or from Cass County legislators.

I think that the Forum has been surprised that there has been no formal submittal of the expansion questionaire to the Big Sky (yet). What the Forum has done is make the NCC all the more unstable and thereby making it all the more likely that UND will be forced up. In a way, their story makes it all the easier for UND to submit the documents by the 13th, as now it is clear that UND would only be doing so reluctantly. Ironically, the Forum articles practically proved that there was no immediate move to the Big Sky, as there has been no notice sent to the NCAA by the Dec 1st deadline and UND has not been backing out of 2005-6 contracts. Finally, UND move up now would not in the best interest of NDSU athletics from recruiting or media standpoints. The only benefit to NDSU is from ticket sales for UND/NDSU games, which might be an indicator of how badly NDSU needs the money.

Since the REA was built and capacity crowds have filled it, it has practically been inevitable for UND to move up, but on its own timeline. With another five-seven years, a football/track practice facity could have been built, the Betty would likely have been paid for, the Alerus/UND could have benefitted from the D2 football championships, a scholarship trust fund built up, and a $2 million contingency fund for REA repairs could have been in place. A move now would make the financial pressures all the more intense.

Edited December 6, 2004 by star2city

[bisonguy]

Why should The Forum bother to publish athletic budget shortfalls, when it's public information right here?- http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/InstList.asp

FY2004-

North Dakota State- -$40,406

University of North Dakota- -$406,724

Last year's numbers were fairly similar.

As far as a $1MM budget shortfall for NDSU, a lot may have happened since the beginning of the fiscal year (when it was announced). I'm fairly sure UND did not project a loss of over $400k last year. Projections and actual numbers are two entirely different things.

Now, the question that should be raised is "How can a school with ten times the athletic budget shortfall possibly consider being able to fund a move to DI?"

[star2city]

Why should The Forum bother to publish athletic budget shortfalls, when it's public information right here?- http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/InstList.asp

FY2004-

North Dakota State-

Edited December 6, 2004 by star2city

[bisonguy]

[nodakvindy]

Why should The Forum bother to publish athletic budget shortfalls, when it's public information right here?- http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/InstList.asp

FY2004-

North Dakota State-    -$40,406

University of North Dakota-  -$406,724

Last year's numbers were fairly similar.

As far as a $1MM budget shortfall for NDSU, a lot may have happened since the beginning of the fiscal year (when it was announced). I'm fairly sure UND did not project a loss of over $400k last year. Projections and actual numbers are two entirely different things.

Now, the question that should be raised is "How can a school with ten times the athletic budget shortfall possibly consider being able to fund a move to DI?"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Those numbers are interesting. First, becuase a large portion of NDSU's revenues and expenses were lumped in the vague "unallocated by gender" pot. This seems like it could be some accounting trick to make things appear better than they are. I think the opposite is happening at UND, with Betty construction costs being absorbed by the athletic department.

More importantly NDSU is no where near complying with Title IX, with men receiving 66% of scholarship funds and making up 70% of all athletes despite making up only 55% of the student body. Those scholarship numbers will be further skewed this year with an additional 20 football scholarships. But hey, good luck with that.

[star2city]

Questions to Ponder:

Does the Big Sky really prefer the UND/NDSU combo over the SDSU/NDSU combo, so much that they do not expand east of the Rockies unless the ND combo is available? Is this why the Forum is pressuring UND in an editorial to move up, because NDSU would be left out in the cold without a conference unless UND moves up? SDSU will probably get a MidCon invite if it is left out of the Sky. In the past, the Forum has trumpeted NDSU’s DI status over UND DII level. Why the change by the Forum, when NDSU would seemingly benefit by being the sole DI school in ND?

[Cratter]

Questions to Ponder:

Does the Big Sky really prefer the UND/NDSU combo over the SDSU/NDSU combo, so much that they do not expand east of the Rockies unless the ND combo is available?  Is this why the Forum is pressuring UND in an editorial to move up, because NDSU would be left out in the cold without a conference unless UND moves up?  SDSU will probably get a MidCon invite if it is left out of the Sky.  In the past, the Forum has trumpeted NDSU

[bisonguy]

I hold the opinion that The Forum is actually trying to find out and report what UND is doing in respect to looking at DI, rather than just publishing the press releases from UND. Do any of you honestly believe that editorials by The Forum would force Kupchella's hand in moving UND to DI? Do you think that Chapman was in any way influenced by Ryan Bakken's condemning editorial of NDSU's move in The Herald?

star2city,

You pose some interesting questions, however, I have a hard time believing that The Forum knows anything about the Big Sky preferring a NDSU/UND combo to NDSU/SDSU combo, especially when it's not sure that the Big Sky will expand. Major benefit to NDSU/UND: established rivalry that may only be surpassed by Montana/Montana State in the Big Sky, who otherwise doesn't have much in the way of large rivalries. Major benefit to NDSU/SDSU: nearly twice the media exposure that NDSU/UND would have. From what I have seen/heard (although not much in the last couple months) is that the Mid-Con has no interest in expanding.

The next couple of months will indeed be interesting.

[bisonguy]

Cratter,

Roger Thomas stated on WDAY's Hot Talk that there were about a dozen schools, other than those that had already expressed interest(NDSU, SDSU, UNC, SUU, and possibly more), that were sent letters from the Big Sky encouraging them to express interest.

So, another question to ask is who are these other schools?

Some of my guesses- UC-Davis, Cal-Poly (both of which will not leave the Big West for a conference that includes a vast greater travel budget and offers fewer sports that they offer- especially with Sac St. looking at "other options"), Idaho, possibly Wyoming, USD, maybe even UNO, Denver (if they haven't already expressed interest anonymously), and who knows who else?

When are those IAC minutes from the last two months going to be updated?

[The Sicatoka]

bisonguy: UND is short two assistant athletic directors (due to resignations over the summer). One's responsibilities was the IAC site. Patience. The better question is where is NDSU's IAC site so we can see where these "unallocated" dollars come from.

PCM's post to start this thread is the question that nobody wants to touch: The Forum reported NDSU nearly a million dollars red to start FY05. Has it changed? If so, how? Where are the investigative journalists in ND?

[NDSU grad]

bisonguy: UND is short two assistant athletic directors (due to resignations over the summer). One's responsibilities was the IAC site. Patience. The better question is where is NDSU's IAC site so we can see where these "unallocated" dollars come from.

PCM's post to start this thread is the question that nobody wants to touch: The Forum reported NDSU nearly a million dollars red to start FY05. Has it changed? If so, how? Where are the investigative journalists in ND?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Didn't the Forum report an anonymous 1M donation a couple of months back? I think some of that was used to purchase K-State's basketball floor, but some may have been used to offset any budget shortfalls.

[The Sicatoka]

Didn't the Forum report an anonymous 1M donation a couple of months back?

I don't recall it and you'd think something like that would have made a big splash in the media. Have a link?

EDIT: You mean the $1 MM someone donated for football locker rooms?

[NDSU grad]

I don't recall it and you'd think something like that would have made a big splash in the media. Have a link?

EDIT: You mean the $1 MM someone donated for football locker rooms?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, I wasn't talking about the locker rooms. I'll try to find but I think it was 6-8 weeks ago. I'll see what I can do.

Ask and ye shall receive. From the story the money was seemingly donated toward the expected BSA renovation, but it may have went to offsetting any estimated budget deficits.1MM donation

The part about the donation is at the very bottom of the article

[The Sicatoka]

Why should The Forum bother to publish athletic budget shortfalls, when it's public information right here?- http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/InstList.asp

It is amazing what all one can find in there (parenthesis means deficit):

School Revenues Expenses Net

Big Sky Conference

Montana $8,989,596 $9,843,693 ($854,097)

Montana State $9,898,383 $10,304,679 ($406,296)

Weber State $5,542,616 $5,620,988 ($78,372)

Idaho State $7,606,643 $7,614,372 ($7,729)

Eastern Washington $5,168,734 $5,224,212 ($55,478)

Portland State $7,556,641 $7,558,111 ($1,470)

Northern Arizona $8,756,908 $8,756,908 $0

Sacramento State $2,436,833 $5,212,346 ($2,775,513)

Former NCC schools

NDSU $6,280,471 $6,320,877 ($40,406)

SDSU $4,785,218 $4,785,218 $0

Northern Colorado $3,794,872 $4,390,478 ($595,606)

Also of interest

Southern Utah $4,563,446 $4,582,393 ($18,947)

DI-AA hockey-playing schools

Maine $12,633,336 $12,554,890 $78,446

New Hampshire $18,898,771 $18,412,738 $486,033

Massachusetts $18,013,213 $18,652,453 ($639,240)

[The Sicatoka]

NDSU will soon kick off a capital campaign to pay for renovations to the Bison Sports Arena, where the basketball teams now play. The goal is to raise $8 million to $16 million for arena improvements. NDSU recently received a $1 million anonymous donation.

You have to admit, that was pretty vague.

Was that the $1 MM for the football locker rooms or was it a different $1 MM? If it was an additional (beyond the locker room donation), if it's used to cover immediate debt doesn't that harm the capital campaign for the BSA?

I'm asking because NDSU recently halted attempt to build a beef processing facility partly because:

NDSU still must raise $500,000 to achieve the $1 million in private funding needed ...

Fundraising there didn't go as well as it could have.

[NDSU grad]

[

You have to admit, that was pretty vague.

Was that the $1 MM for the football locker rooms or was it a different $1 MM? If it was an additional (beyond the locker room donation), if it's used to cover immediate debt doesn't that harm the capital campaign for the BSA?

I'm asking because NDSU recently halted attempt to build a beef processing facility partly because:

Fundraising there didn't go as well as it could have.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, it was quite vague. As far as hurting the fundraising for the BSA, of course it would be approximately 1MM less for the BSA if those funds were use to cover existing athletic department debt. The main point I was trying to make is that it's silly to talk about a 1MM deficit that was reported about 6 months ago. Erv's been out fundraising and that could be gone by now.

And I think comparing fundraising for an athletic facility and a beef processing plant is comparing apples and oranges. How much did Ralph give to academic facilities? I'm guessing it wasn't anywhere near 100MM.

[The Sicatoka]

Erv's been out fundraising and that could be gone by now.

... or not. That's why the facts would be good. An open records request could get the facts out there and end this.

How much did Ralph give to academic facilities?  I'm guessing it wasn't anywhere near 100MM.

$100 MM? No, but his donations for the academic side of UND were more than I expected or knew about.

[Cratter]

... or not. That's why the facts would be good. An open records request could get the facts out there and end this.

[IowaBison]

They would have been far more IMO if a number of the UND faculty hadn't been so rude. The best case in point was the Department of Scandhovian Languages, or whatever its real name is, receiving $$$ and then declining it because of Ralph's mascot position.

Why would you give any more money to the academic side of the institution just to hear that? Being wise, Ralph gave it to the most accepting group, the hockey fans.

[sioux goo]

bisonguy: UND is short two assistant athletic directors (due to resignations over the summer). One's responsibilities was the IAC site. Patience. The better question is where is NDSU's IAC site so we can see where these "unallocated" dollars come from.

PCM's post to start this thread is the question that nobody wants to touch: The Forum reported NDSU nearly a million dollars red to start FY05. Has it changed? If so, how? Where are the investigative journalists in ND?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

actually the athletic dept secretary does that site!! does it take 6 months to hire a replacement???

[The Sicatoka]

IowaBison: I won't disagree with that.

goo: Remember, this is government/collegiate/administration/red-tape land. Of course it takes six months to hire an admin assistant!

[NDSU grad]

IowaBison: I won't disagree with that.

goo: Remember, this is government/collegiate/administration/red-tape land. Of course it takes six months to hire an admin assistant!  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I applied for a USDA job at the end of August and they said it would be about 6 months before I was even contacted for an interview. Of course that does give me time to finish this stupid dissertation.

[bisonguy]

Sicatoka,

The $1MM for the locker rooms was not donated (at least not towards building the locker rooms). It was during the discussion phases between NDSU and the Fargodome Authority. The anonymous donor stated that he would foot the bill for the locker rooms.

The locker rooms are still in that "city-owned building, NDSU owns the land and is the primary tenant, who should pay the bill, what exactly does NDSU want in the offices/locker rooms and what will the actual cost be?" limbo land.