What do you want out of our next AD?

[SubGod22]

Did he have anything to say?

[shox1989]

Mike Kennedy is co-hosting Sports Daily this morning. I'm sure Mike doesnt' really have a lot more info than most at this point, but it will be interesting to here what he may have to say about the WSU AD situatuion.

I didn't get to listen, can anybody who did give us some highlights?

[WyoWu]

Continuity and fund raising experience. Gary Cundiff provides both.

[shox1989]

http://www.kansas.com/sports/story/365992.html


The first part of this article reveals my initial concern and addresses what I consider to be THE most important and crucial point.


So many of our really good coaches are BIG JS fans. They have to be sold that the next AD is going to be as supportive and helpful as he was.....I shudder to think of the outcome if JS had left a few weeks earlier.


Other schools are going to be much more attractive to our stable of fine coaches. Their interest in staying at WSU has just been weakened. The next AD's PRIMARY goal should be to make sure our staff understands they have his/her total support and focus.

An AD looking to make a name for himself and shake things up would be completely disasterous at this moment in time.

That article is pretty scary. I would love to see our next AD bring back football or at least come up with a long range plan to do so.

But this article makes it crystal clear that the number 1 priority is to re-assure all of our current coaches.

[wsu789]

I'm not sure I'm following you, 1989. Are you suggesting that bringing back football should be the number one priority, over reassuring current coaches?

Personally, I think football needs to be way, way down the list...

[NCAABound]

The first thing I thought of was to bring in somebody from a similar athletic department with similar results. Oral Roberts comes to mind. A midwest school with very successful programs (especially basketball/baseball) and no football. Plus, it would probably be a step up the ladder. Anybody know anything about their AD?

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

IF, IF, and I mean IF football were to come back to WSU, we would have to start in the FCS, would fit nicely in the Gateway Conference with Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois, and Youngstown State, along with new members North Dakota State and South Dakota State.

With a capacity of 30,000, Cessna Stadium would easily be the largest in the conference. Younstown State currently has the largest stadium in the Gateway Conference with Stambaugh Stadium holding 20,630. Indiana State's Memorial Stadium is the smallest at 12,764.

Budget wise:

Illinois State football ended $671,000 in the red, and $289,000 in the red overall.

Indiana State football ended $1,220,000 in the red, but program overall finished $3,000 in the black.

Missouri State football ended $581,000 in the red, and the program balanced its budget overall.

Northern Iowa football ended $280,000 in the red, but program overall finsihed $10,000 in the black.

Southern Illinois football ended $1,250,000 in the red, but $138,000 in the black overall.

Western Illinois football ended $332,000 in the red, and $58,000 in the red overall.

Youngstown State football ended $1,170,000 in the red, but $732,000 in the black overall.

North Dakota State and South Dakota State did not submit athletic expense statements.

[vbird53]

Downtown Shocker Brown:

Thanks for all this info, although I'm not sure what you're arguing. From looking at these figures, it appears that in all but two of the examples, the program finished in the black. So, even though it is apparent that the football teams finish in the red, a balanced budget can be achieved, and on field success can be attained (in several sports).

In my opinion, this would stand as an argument to reinstate our football program.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I was just stating that several have stated the desire to go to the FBS, and I believe that won't happen.

Going to the FCS, competing with fellow MVC Basketball schools and being able to maintain a revenue producing department is doable, if the start up capital to re-start the program can be raised.

I don't know what renovations would be necessary to Cessna Stadium, and all the equipment and practice requirements would have to be new, and that is going to cost a lot, plus building and recruiting a team, and supporting it through the start up phase. Several teams in the conference would be close enough to road trip to.

Everyone was talking about how it was always losing money, but most still managed to break even or better.

[vbird53]

I was just stating that several have stated the desire to go to the FBS, and I believe that won't happen.

Going to the FCS, competing with fellow MVC Basketball schools and being able to maintain a revenue producing department is doable, if the start up capital to re-start the program can be raised.

I don't know what renovations would be necessary to Cessna Stadium, and all the equipment and practice requirements would have to be new, and that is going to cost a lot, plus building and recruiting a team, and supporting it through the start up phase. Several teams in the conference would be close enough to road trip to.

Everyone was talking about how it was always losing money, but most still managed to break even or better.

I couldn't agree more.

[shockar25]

Football would be cool, but don't forget that Mr. Beggs has not been supportive or made any favorable comments about reinstating football, so I doubt very, very seriously it will ever happen.

Doesn't Mr. Beggs have the ultimate say?

[RoyalShock]

Football would be cool, but don't forget that Mr. Beggs has not been supportive or made any favorable comments about reinstating football, so I doubt very, very seriously it will ever happen.

Doesn't Mr. Beggs have the ultimate say?

Excellent point. And it would even appear that he is not just unsupportive, but against it. One of the rumors out there is that he wouldn't even listen to someone willing to put up $10mil toward startup costs.

I doubt he will hire anyone who admits to entertaining the thought of reviving football.

I still have not made up my mind as to whether I want football revived because I don't want MBB, BB or VB to suffer. But as I've said many times before, the money issue is solvable, but it has to start with a majority of voting students willing to play $5-$10 extra per credit hour to subsidize football and the other women's sports.

[Hotel Paper]

As a student, I wouldn't mind to be honest. But I'm one of many.

[RoyalShock]

As a student, I wouldn't mind to be honest. But I'm one of many.

I know I'm harping on this point, but IMO only the students can ensure that football won't be a drain on future athletic budgets.

Money can be raised from alumni to start things up, even support it for a few years, but if things begin to go south, that money will dry up. Only a dependable revenue stream, like student fees, will prevent football from becoming a drain on the overall athletic department.

[60Shock]

I made this point a couple of years ago and I still think it is valid.

Our future is not in the MVC for basketball, baseball, etc., nor in the Gateway Conference for football.

Our future is in the Big 16 or perhaps Big 20. But we will never get there without playing football. Nor will it happen without a 10, 15, or 20 year, step-by-step, plan for getting there.
1st five years - Plan and field a football team to play in Gateway
2nd five years - Go D1 and opt for D1 conference -
3rd five years - Schedule and play away games at top tier football
schools. Take lumps and lose badly
4th five years - Go for broke

Presently, our entire sports program (minus perhaps WBB) is quite successful, due primarily to our departing AD. We don't even have to be good in football. In fact, not being good just might be more of an attraction. In the BCS conference, the schools beat themselves up enough playing conference games. That’s why Duke is such a valuable school to have around. The other schools get an easy win playing a weak D1 school which counts for their minimum wins of six to get into a bowl game.

Our natural rivalries are Tulsa (who will probably be the next school chosen when the Big 12 expands), KU, KS, OU, OS. We play most of them already in baseball.

Virtually every year, one or more schools, that were not even schools or had no football 15, 20, 30 years ago, are going D1. Unfortunately the synergy in Wichita has always been on the ultra conservative side.

We love to dream about the NCAA and national championships, but if the people of Wichita and the University are not willing to move forward, then that’s all they ever will be - dreams. And while we watch the BCS conferences grow larger and larger, our opportunities for recruiting athletes will lessen and lessen. The way I see it, if we are not in a major BCS conference in the next 20-25 years, WSU will be unlikely to sustain mediocrity in virtually all sports.