UNI ponies up

[RoyalShock]

The operational costs of the additional sports would be easily covered by the profits from even a mildly successful football program.

You assume too much.

So you are opposed to bringing back football?

I don't have a position on what I think WSU should do. But I do know it's foolish to bank on success as a part of staying financially viable.

I've studied what it will take to keep football once it's started. Besides the massive startup costs, if you don't get the students to approve a fee increase of at least $5 per credit hour, FCS football will not be sustainable at WSU, let alone FBS.

And seeing as how the students are getting a renovated student union paid for by increased fees, I don't see it happening in a very long time.

I would love football at WSU, but only if it is financially viable and doesn't cause basketball to suffer.

[SHOCKvalue]

I have to question whether you guys who don't support the resurrection of WSU football are fans, or students/alumni.

I was at WSU during the transition from a football school to no football school. My frosh and soph year - with football, after that no football. I attended the games - ROTC would do a cannon crew to shoot the cannon every time WSU either scored (in football) or hit a HR (baseball). So I went to almost all the games.

I can't say that after football was gone that there was any great void in my life. My lasting memory of WSU football is the Moorehead State debacle.

I also lived in Manhattan (stationed at Ft. Riley) when the start of the resurgence of K-State football occurred. I saw the energy in the city that was there on game day.

There was never close to a similiar energy or atmosphere in Wichita. Maybe had there been then I could see bringing WSU football back (but then again had there been that type of energy then WSU would still have football).

You highlight another void in the WSU culture. What the heck ever happened to our ROTC program(s)? IMO, that's really a major organization to have missing from your school. It's an issue I've never thought to bring up or ask about on SN, but I think about often.

I was thinking the same thing. My dad was ROTC at WSU in the early 1960s. By the time I arrived they had just shut down the program. Why was that?

President Warren Armstrong. His was a liberal who didn't like the military and had a track record of every school he went to of shutting down ROTC programs.

In '88 I believe, the Military was trying to cut cost so they would combine program with other universities. They basically would have one university be responsible for all satellite schools admin (paperwork) instead of each school having their own admin section. Each school would retain their own Cadre (so you cut the cost of couple secretaries, LTC, and 1 or 2 NCO's. That would leave you with a Maj, 2 captains and couple senior NCO's).

WSU was going to become a satellite program off of KU. Armstrong said if WSU is not good enough to it's own program then there was no need to have ROTC on campus. So he got rid of the program completely.

It is unfortunate because the WSU program did well for it's size in national competitions and for commissioning Regular Army Officers. It also had a good pool of people due to the number of Guard and Reserve units in the area.

Thanks for the info! No ROTC at WSU is disappointing.

One sure would think the field of interested parties would be much larger at a blue collar, urban school in a decently-sized metro area, than at an amazingly liberal, elitist college town filled with trustafarians majoring in cannabis consumption.

[RoyalShock]

Trustafarians.

:lol:

[KC Shox]

Thanks UNI, you just cost us some dough. :D

[tw805]

I have to question whether you guys who don't support the resurrection of WSU football are fans, or students/alumni.

I was at WSU during the transition from a football school to no football school. My frosh and soph year - with football, after that no football. I attended the games - ROTC would do a cannon crew to shoot the cannon every time WSU either scored (in football) or hit a HR (baseball). So I went to almost all the games.

I can't say that after football was gone that there was any great void in my life. My lasting memory of WSU football is the Moorehead State debacle.

I also lived in Manhattan (stationed at Ft. Riley) when the start of the resurgence of K-State football occurred. I saw the energy in the city that was there on game day.

There was never close to a similiar energy or atmosphere in Wichita. Maybe had there been then I could see bringing WSU football back (but then again had there been that type of energy then WSU would still have football).

You highlight another void in the WSU culture. What the heck ever happened to our ROTC program(s)? IMO, that's really a major organization to have missing from your school. It's an issue I've never thought to bring up or ask about on SN, but I think about often.

I was thinking the same thing. My dad was ROTC at WSU in the early 1960s. By the time I arrived they had just shut down the program. Why was that?

President Warren Armstrong. His was a liberal who didn't like the military and had a track record of every school he went to of shutting down ROTC programs.

In '88 I believe, the Military was trying to cut cost so they would combine program with other universities. They basically would have one university be responsible for all satellite schools admin (paperwork) instead of each school having their own admin section. Each school would retain their own Cadre (so you cut the cost of couple secretaries, LTC, and 1 or 2 NCO's. That would leave you with a Maj, 2 captains and couple senior NCO's).

WSU was going to become a satellite program off of KU. Armstrong said if WSU is not good enough to it's own program then there was no need to have ROTC on campus. So he got rid of the program completely.

It is unfortunate because the WSU program did well for it's size in national competitions and for commissioning Regular Army Officers. It also had a good pool of people due to the number of Guard and Reserve units in the area.

Thanks for the info! No ROTC at WSU is disappointing.

One sure would think the field of interested parties would be much larger at a blue collar, urban school in a decently-sized metro area, than at an amazingly liberal, elitist college town filled with trustafarians majoring in cannabis consumption.

That's what I thought too. That is really interesting information. It doesn't take much to run an ROTC batallion, and (if memory serves) there is a National Guard Infantry company in Wichita. You could just attach to them for FTX and drill purposes. It's too bad they cut the program.

[Veritas]

i don't mean to offend anyone, but WSU COULD have football as soon as people stepped up and did something about it.

It's a lot easier to sit around and complain about every one else who isn't doing something than to take the inititive and MAKE IT HAPPEN.

I just looked at a website and found that it would cost about 10 million a year to maintain a D-1 Football program. Your challenge, if you want Football is to get enough people to make a 5 year 10 million dollar commitiment to WSU Football.

If you had that and took it to Sexton, I bet he would be willing to bring back Football or tell you what else you needed to do.

For those of you that want Football that is YOUR CHALLENGE.

What will you do???

I believe this to be the job of the AD and WSU President to have the vision and rally the support; not the thousands of boosters. The boosters and students provide the money. The AD directs the athletic programs. Blaming boosters for not starting football, or providing a blueprint in starting football is an excuse used by weak leadership at the university level - - and a tired and worn out excuse at that.

To your point, I don't want another website that is little more than a feel good effort in futility. I want someone to grab the facemask of the program with both hands and make it happen. IMO that's the Prez and the AD.
Who the hell is going to contribute $10-$20m to an athletic department that hasn't show they want football, nor have the expertise in designing the roadmap to make it happen?

[calfan]

Veritas,

My point is not to blame the boosters or the students. In a perfect world, the administration would lead the way. It seems like on this issue that they are not for whatever their reasons.

The result is that some people have an interest in bringing back football, but feel helpless to do anything about it.

I was just trying to offer an alternative to feeling that helplessness.