ESPN Reporting UNI might drop to Div 2

[SB Shock]

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/15285/northern-iowas-division-i-status-threatened

"I think we're pretty close to the edge of what we can cut and maintain competitiveness," he said.

[martymoose]

I've heard many people say for years that UNI should be DII. They have very little fan support. It's been surprising they've been so competitive in basketball and DI-AA football, but it looks like the lack of fan and donor support might finally bite them, it's too bad.

[vbird53]

I thought they already were. :D

[WuDrWu]

I don't consider this news.

[Aargh]

I think UNI's President is just politicking to keep the public money flowing and to gain support for public funding of sports at UNI.


But...


As far as recruiting goes, that was about the dumbest thing he could have ever said. People would have to work overtime, stay up nights, and hire think tanks to come up with anything more damaging to a school's athletics.

Trimming ...blah, blah, blah... would mean the university would seriously consider eliminating all sports at UNI because of lost revenue related to the loss of Division I status, Allen said.

That's what recruits are going to see in that article. Try recruiting into that environment. Go ahead, try it.

I'm sure coaches of other schools would never clip that particular ESPN article and take it on recruiting trips. That would violate the ethics of big-time college recruiting. I'm sure no coaches recruiting against UNI would mention the axing of the baseball team last year as an example of what's going on at UNI.

Jacobsen's resume is probably at the publisher right now.

[Txlen]

With the way the financial situation is in modern collegiate athletics, this only serves as a warning bell to a lot of programs of the possibilities of what they may face in the future. I would hate to think that Wichita State would ever be in that position. I cross my fingers and hope for the best.

[ShockBand]

I have this gut feeling you are right txlen. Considering this report in the Eagle today (http://www.kansas.com/2010/09/15/149...athletics.html) I think we may see a college athletic bubble bursting on many programs. I just don't think the expanding expenditure levels are sustainable, and things are certainly starting to price the average joe out of season tickets. I'm only able to continue because my one share of the four my bunch holds is still in the sub-$400 range. And if push came to shove, season tix would be one of my first discretionary expenses to go.

[martymoose]

With the way the financial situation is in modern collegiate athletics, this only serves as a warning bell to a lot of programs of the possibilities of what they may face in the future. I would hate to think that Wichita State would ever be in that position. I cross my fingers and hope for the best.

WSU doesn't have the money flowing in like the BCS schools, but our lack of football combined with other sports turning a hefty profit, we're in no danger.

[WuDrWu]

WSU doesn't have the money flowing in like the BCS schools, but our lack of football combined with other sports turning a hefty profit, we're in no danger.

I don't know about the hefty profit part, but I would like to point out there was a great crowd at the volleyball game last night.

Tuesday night, out of conference game with no promotions.....I bet there were a solid 2100+ at the game.

Very impressive.

[The Mad Hatter]

With the way the financial situation is in modern collegiate athletics, this only serves as a warning bell to a lot of programs of the possibilities of what they may face in the future. I would hate to think that Wichita State would ever be in that position. I cross my fingers and hope for the best.

WSU doesn't have the money flowing in like the BCS schools, but our lack of football combined with other sports turning a hefty profit, we're in no danger.

There has been a lot of talk about a divide between those that have football and those who don't. I believe the real divide is between those that can run an athletic department in the black and those that can't.

WSU has made sustainability of funding a priority and I believe it will help us weather an impending crisis in college athletics. We recent recession demonstrated the problems of propping up an economy on the basis of unsustainable borrowing. College athletics is operating under a similar model and a bubble is likely to burst. There are the very rich schools at the top of the system that can afford to spend big bucks (Texas, Ohio State, Florida, etc.), but a lot of schools have spent beyond their means to try to keep up. It can't last forever, especially when the economy is such that you can't keep raising ticket prices to cover reckless spending.

[Txlen]

I have this gut feeling you are right txlen. Considering this report in the Eagle today (http://www.kansas.com/2010/09/15/149...athletics.html) I think we may see a college athletic bubble bursting on many programs. I just don't think the expanding expenditure levels are sustainable, and things are certainly starting to price the average joe out of season tickets. I'm only able to continue because my one share of the four my bunch holds is still in the sub-$400 range. And if push came to shove, season tix would be one of my first discretionary expenses to go.

The real problem is the sustainability of the fanbase. Many of us gravitated to being fans of Wichita State when we were much younger and have been loyal to the University for years. However, the question is whether younger people are coming in as fans to replace those of us who gradually will be gone in the future. You see this with other organizations and such. The fanbases are graying, with only a few younger people really truly committed in the numbers needed to sustain programs.

It makes you wonder!

[WuDrWu]

We (sic) recent recession demonstrated the problems of propping up an economy on the basis of unsustainable borrowing. College athletics is operating under a similar model and a bubble is likely to burst. There are the very rich schools at the top of the system that can afford to spend big bucks (Texas, Ohio State, Florida, etc.), but a lot of schools have spent beyond their means to try to keep up. It can't last forever, especially when the economy is such that you can't keep raising ticket prices to cover reckless spending.

You can search high and low, but you are unlikely to find many posts more on the money than this one.

[SB Shock]

The real problem is the sustainability of the fanbase. Many of us gravitated to being fans of Wichita State when we were much younger and have been loyal to the University for years. However, the question is whether younger people are coming in as fans to replace those of us who gradually will be gone in the future. You see this with other organizations and such. The fanbases are graying, with only a few younger people really truly committed in the numbers needed to sustain programs.

It makes you wonder!

For this to happen I think you need some good success to help get that young fan base to buy into. The S16 run for basketball helped some, but there needs to be more sustained success. I have noticed a younger fan base at Shocker B-ball since I have had season tickets.

Now baseball is different. The hardcore fanbase seems to be alot older. But what can you expect when this program hasn't been to CWS for 15 years.

[1972Shocker]

The real problem is the sustainability of the fanbase. Many of us gravitated to being fans of Wichita State when we were much younger and have been loyal to the University for years. However, the question is whether younger people are coming in as fans to replace those of us who gradually will be gone in the future. You see this with other organizations and such. The fanbases are graying, with only a few younger people really truly committed in the numbers needed to sustain programs.

It makes you wonder!

For this to happen I think you need some good success to help get that young fan base to buy into. The S16 run for basketball helped some, but there needs to be more sustained success. I have noticed a younger fan base at Shocker B-ball since I have had season tickets.

Now baseball is different. The hardcore fanbase seems to be alot older. But what can you expect when this program hasn't been to CWS for 15 years.

One of the big problems with baseball is that March and April in Wichita are not particularly fan friendly for the most part. You have to be a real die hard (not to mention just plain ol' hardy, maybe even foolhardy) to sit through many of those games.

[GoShockers89]

98% of the youth at baseball games is on the hill. There are more young fans than many people think, but they remain isolated and the chairbacks remain three-fourths empty.