Who Replaces Gene?

[proshox]

Shox1989 - you should really choose wisely on picking your next idols. GS has proven for over 15 years that he doesn't deserve much loyalty.

[Veritas]

According to the linked KSU Athletic budget, KSU's baseball budget was $1,590,793 in 2011. I recall reading something last year that WSU spent around $1.2 million on baseball. If that is right then KSU spends about 33% more (around $400,000) on baseball than WSU. I do wish we could find a budget document for WSU similar to the one we have for KSU to make the comparisons.

If true, this supports my belief that ADES did very little to support Gene or the program. ADES might well be a large part of the problem with WSU not being as competitive on the national scene as they once were.

[GoShockers89]

The bulk of the difference certainly does not come from the recruiting budget, as KSU's is a smidge over $60k per that document.

I am extremely curious where this alleged large expenditure difference lies. I can see some of it being travel ($258k seems high in the KSU budget...perhaps they fly more often than we do). The rest is a bit of a mystery, considering our facility maintenance fees should be considerably higher.

[ABC]

If true, this supports my belief that ADES did very little to support Gene or the program. ADES might well be a large part of the problem with WSU not being as competitive on the national scene as they once were.

You are a one trick pony. How does this support your belief?

You really think a large part of the decline of WSU baseball over the last five years is because of Sexton?

[MoValley John]

So what do you want? A new 10,000 seat Eck Stadium to be built every 10 years? I think the facilities suffice for a top tier college baseball program. Yes there needs to be some up-keeping, but tell me what Bradley and MSU's stadiums are doing thy at WSU's isn't doing, besides drawing less fans thayn what WSU is getting?

Fever, you might be giving your stadium a bit too much credit. I have no doubt that Eck is one of the nicer stadiums, but from what I have heard, it is nowhere near a top 10 facility. It is probably one of the larger stadiums, but many places have caught up and passed Eck. In The Big 10 alone, Nebraska has all around nicer facilities than Wichita State, and Indiana just opened a great facility with indoor everything. Minnesota has either opened their new baseball facilities or is in the process. Indiana, Minnesota and Nebraska all have indoor practice facilities as well. I think Ohio State is right there as well. Several of these stadiums are smaller, but can accommodate larger crowds. Nebraska is larger than Eck.

That is only what is happening in the B1G, not a baseball conference to say the least. But at the same time, these BCS conferences have more money than they know what to do with, so baseball is getting dollars thrown at them in buckets. I don't know what the SEC or ACC have for facilities, but I can only guess they have very nice digs.

This is not at all a knock on what you have, but the rest of the world is catching up, and in some cases passing Wichita State. I had moved to Nebraska only a few years before Solich was fired as the head coach. The false belief of the fans and AD was that Nebraska was a top 10 destination and had some of the best facilities, period. They were so wrong, coaches didn't want the job and facilities were falling way behind.

Wichita State should be able to land a great coach, but the fans really need to take an objective look at the facilities in which they are competing. My nephew plays for Creighton and I talked to him about his experience at the Eck this year. He said it was one of the bigger parks, but everything else wasn't much different from almost every other park. He did say, however, that a couple places in the Valley just such.

I guess what I'm trying to say, if Wichita State wants to hold on to being an elite program, more than a new coach, they need to jump back to the top of the heap in facilities.

[MoValley John]

So what do you want? A new 10,000 seat Eck Stadium to be built every 10 years? I think the facilities suffice for a top tier college baseball program. Yes there needs to be some up-keeping, but tell me what Bradley and MSU's stadiums are doing that WSU's isn't doing, besides drawing less fans than what WSU is getting?

Fever, you might be giving your stadium a bit too much credit. I have no doubt that Eck is one of the nicer stadiums, but from what I have heard, it is nowhere near a top 10 facility. It is probably one of the larger stadiums, but many places have caught up and passed Eck. In The Big 10 alone, Nebraska has all around nicer facilities than Wichita State, and Indiana just opened a great facility with indoor everything. Minnesota has either opened their new baseball facilities or is in the process. Indiana, Minnesota and Nebraska all have indoor practice facilities as well. I think Ohio State is right there as well. Several of these stadiums are smaller, but can accommodate larger crowds. Nebraska is larger than Eck.

That is only what is happening in the B1G, not a baseball conference to say the least. But at the same time, these BCS conferences have more money than they know what to do with, so baseball is getting dollars thrown at them in buckets. I don't know what the SEC or ACC have for facilities, but I can only guess they have very nice digs.

This is not at all a knock on what you have, but the rest of the world is catching up, and in some cases passing Wichita State. I had moved to Nebraska only a few years before Silica was fired as the head coach. The false belief of the fans and AD was that Nebraska was a top 10 destination and had some of the best facilities, period. They were so wrong, coaches didn't want the job and facilities were falling way behind.

Wichita State should be able to land a great coach, but the fans really need to take an objective look at the facilities in which they are competing. My nephew plays for Creighton and I talked to him about his experience at the Eck this year. He said it was one of the bigger parks, but everything else wasn't much different from almost every other park. He did say, however, that a couple places in the Valley just such.

I guess what I'm trying to say, if Wichita State wants to hold on to being an elite program, more than a new coach, they need to jump back to the top of the heap in facilities.

[shox1989]

Fever, you might be giving your stadium a bit too much credit. I have no doubt that Eck is one of the nicer stadiums, but from what I have heard, it is nowhere near a top 10 facility. It is probably one of the larger stadiums, but many places have caught up and passed Eck. In The Big 10 alone, Nebraska has all around nicer facilities than Wichita State, and Indiana just opened a great facility with indoor everything. Minnesota has either opened their new baseball facilities or is in the process. Indiana, Minnesota and Nebraska all have indoor practice facilities as well. I think Ohio State is right there as well. Several of these stadiums are smaller, but can accommodate larger crowds. Nebraska is larger than Eck.

That is only what is happening in the B1G, not a baseball conference to say the least. But at the same time, these BCS conferences have more money than they know what to do with, so baseball is getting dollars thrown at them in buckets. I don't know what the SEC or ACC have for facilities, but I can only guess they have very nice digs.

This is not at all a knock on what you have, but the rest of the world is catching up, and in some cases passing Wichita State. I had moved to Nebraska only a few years before Solich was fired as the head coach. The false belief of the fans and AD was that Nebraska was a top 10 destination and had some of the best facilities, period. They were so wrong, coaches didn't want the job and facilities were falling way behind.

Wichita State should be able to land a great coach, but the fans really need to take an objective look at the facilities in which they are competing. My nephew plays for Creighton and I talked to him about his experience at the Eck this year. He said it was one of the bigger parks, but everything else wasn't much different from almost every other park. He did say, however, that a couple places in the Valley just such.

I guess what I'm trying to say, if Wichita State wants to hold on to being an elite program, more than a new coach, they need to jump back to the top of the heap in facilities.

Thank you. In 2000 we had a top 10 stadium today it isn't even close (maybe top 50). A ton of schools have built new stadiums since 2000 and many of them nicer than the Eck. If you don't keep updating, you are falling behind.

[shox1989]

The bulk of the difference certainly does not come from the recruiting budget, as KSU's is a smidge over $60k per that document.

I am extremely curious where this alleged large expenditure difference lies. I can see some of it being travel ($258k seems high in the KSU budget...perhaps they fly more often than we do). The rest is a bit of a mystery, considering our facility maintenance fees should be considerably higher.

$258K does seem like a lot for the team travel unless they are flying charter for road trips (instead of busing charter like WSU does), which I guess would also be a good recruiting tool.

[ABC]

Thank you. In 2000 we had a top 10 stadium today it isn't even close (maybe top 50). A ton of schools have built new stadiums since 2000 and many of them nicer than the Eck. If you don't keep updating, you are falling behind.

Top 50? Anybody have any facts on rankings? I realize even rankings will be subjective, but it is a start.

[MoValley John]

I don't know how I double posted, sorry. Stupid phone!

[ShockTalk]

The bulk of the difference certainly does not come from the recruiting budget, as KSU's is a smidge over $60k per that document.

I am extremely curious where this alleged large expenditure difference lies. I can see some of it being travel ($258k seems high in the KSU budget...perhaps they fly more often than we do). The rest is a bit of a mystery, considering our facility maintenance fees should be considerably higher.

I'm not going to look at K St's travel for the last four years, but I doubt they've made trips to Hawaii the last 3 years in a row with a west coast trip the year before that.

[ABC]

Just adding up likely scholarship costs, Stephenson's salary and the assistant coaches salaries gets to a little over a million.

Scholarships $244,000
Stephenson $525,000
Asst Coaches $240,000

$1,013,000

That doesn't include any other salaries for the office, Shane Dennis, grounds keepers etc. That doesn't include any stadium expense, travel, recruiting etc.

I arrive at the scholarship costs by assuming half of the 11.7 scholarships were in-state and half were out of state. I estimated 30 hours for a year, $9000 room and board and $1000 books and supplies.

[shox1989]

The bulk of the difference certainly does not come from the recruiting budget, as KSU's is a smidge over $60k per that document.

I am extremely curious where this alleged large expenditure difference lies. I can see some of it being travel ($258k seems high in the KSU budget...perhaps they fly more often than we do). The rest is a bit of a mystery, considering our facility maintenance fees should be considerably higher.

Actually I think one of the biggest differences is in "Operating Expenses"
(defined on the document as: All expenses an institution incurs attributable to home, away, and neutral-site intercollegiate athletic contests (commonly known as ``game-day expenses''), for (A) Lodging, meals, transportation, uniforms, and equipment for coaches, team members, support staff (including, but not limited to team managers and trainers), and
others; and (B) Officials. This is calculated from data entered earlier in the system.)

They list $406,181 on this document for KSU. I recall WSU having a $70,000 operating expenses budget. I am not sure what all KSU is including in this line item to get such a big number. But my guess would be that travel and operating expenses are where the biggest differences are.

[Veritas]

You are a one trick pony. How does this support your belief?

You really think a large part of the decline of WSU baseball over the last five years is because of Sexton?

What makes you think he didn't have a part in it?

Did ADES lower ticket prices during the economic downturn to generate additional revenue in otherwise empty seats? Did he decrease the marketing budget?
Did ADES recognize other IN-STATE schools were closing the gap in baseball expenditures (or surpassing) and realized that a non BCS team has to compete with money in order to compete on the field.

It's not a one-trick pony ABC. We have an AD who is a freakin' idiot and just took a hell of a gamble. You are about to see the mid-majoring of the WSU baseball program thanks to ADES and his myopic vision.

[MoValley John]

Top 50? Anybody have any facts on rankings? I realize even rankings will be subjective, but it is a start.

All rankings are subjective and any list could be argued for years without a concensus. My metric for what would make great facilities would be first and foremost, training and development equipment for the kids and playable field. Then fan amenities, every seat a chair back, HD scoreboards, sound system and sightlines. Then I would get to player amenities like locker rooms. I think the locker room thing is crap, though, these kids are becoming very spoiled. But you have to give the spoiled brats what they want or you lose recruiting wars. Give me a dank, smelly locker room any day. One that Mean Joe Greene would call home.