$5 million to bring back football at WSU!

[shox1989]

Just saw on tv that Don Begg's says it will take $5 million in start up costs to bring back football at WSU.

That amount is a lot smaller than I thought. I can't understand how we can't raise $5 million lousy dollars to return the #1 sport in America back to Wichita.

[shock49]

The figure to bring back Shocker football as reported by the wsu administration for the LAST 15 YEARS HAS BEEN $30,000,000. You can bet it was a way to stop an effort to revive the program!

[martymoose]

Yeah, that's just start up costs...not even sure that includes funding the first season. I remember hearing 20 - 30 million was what is needed to fund multipule years, don't remember the number exactly. Either way, someone with deep pockets needs to step up! Koch has way more money than T. Boone Pickens and that guy donates 100's of millions to OSU.

Charles Koch ranks #5 in the Forbes 400 with $21.5 billion
T. Boone Pickens ranks #290 with $1.4 billion

I will say however I've very happy with what Charles Koch has done for the university...the basketball renovation couldn't have happened without him. He might as well bank roll another renovation success at WSU!

[_kai_]

The problem with 5 million in start up costs, is that its just that, "start up costs." When you open a business, you need to expect that it could take a few years to where you're bringing in enough money to just stay afloat. And thats one of the top reasons businesses fail, is under capitalization. It might be 5 mil for the first year to start up, but we'd need a fund of probably 20-30 million to guarantee success in future years, without draining the rest of the athletic budget. Thats probably where you got the figure from the administration a few years ago.

The upside is that we already have a stadium in good condition, and a great athletic department. We just need to go big or go home on this. And we also need to understand that it might be 10 years before we're even deciding to go D1 FBS. We might go MIAA like Emporia and Pitt, and we'd still probably get our asses waxed for a few years.

[shock49]

ABSOLUTELY NOT!The start up figure that was stated AT $30 mil.

[Kung Wu]

ABSOLUTELY NOT!The start up figure that was stated AT $30 mil.

How do you know the $30M figure was right and Begg's figure is not? Edit: I doubt he is just throwing out numbers for fun or without some background in understanding it.

[WuDrWu]

http://www.ksn.com/news/local/story/Questionable-call-Should-WSU-bring-back-football/EkngwMoldEmFn5pNYo7bkw.cspx

[SB Shock]

“Until we find a funding source that doesn't take away from the other students in the university, then from my standpoint our primary mission is the teaching and the research and the service activities that we do here,” said Beggs.

So I think the short answer is - there is no football coming to WSU in our lifetime.

[martymoose]

ABSOLUTELY NOT!The start up figure that was stated AT $30 mil.

Looks like you're ABSOLUTELY WRONG...

[ShockerGorilla]

“Until we find a funding source that doesn't take away from the other students in the university, then from my standpoint our primary mission is the teaching and the research and the service activities that we do here,” said Beggs.

So I think the short answer is - there is no football coming to WSU in our lifetime.

As long as Beggs is there, at least.

[martymoose]

“Until we find a funding source that doesn't take away from the other students in the university, then from my standpoint our primary mission is the teaching and the research and the service activities that we do here,” said Beggs.

So I think the short answer is - there is no football coming to WSU in our lifetime.

I guess it depends on how old you are...I’m 33 and expect to see football here again someday.

Beggs is a good president and I'm happy with the job he's done. I also believe he too is happy with the job he's done and is content to leave things the way they are. Athletics are profitable at WSU unlike 95% of schools with FBS football or probably pretty much any kind of football. Football would be a wild card...if he supported bringing it back and it flopped, costing the state millions then he'd be on the hook for that. We'll need a new ambitious president who wants to take some chances to have a shot at this. At this point however I'm content with Beggs running things until he's ready to retire, he's done a hell of a job with the University as a whole.

[SB Shock]

“Until we find a funding source that doesn't take away from the other students in the university, then from my standpoint our primary mission is the teaching and the research and the service activities that we do here,” said Beggs.

So I think the short answer is - there is no football coming to WSU in our lifetime.

I guess it depends on how old you are...I’m 33 and expect to see football here again someday.

chuckle. I guess everybody should have their dreams (or nightmares).

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it

[RoyalShock]

Beggs knows that no school like WSU, from a size and support standpoint, can operate a football program without increased student fees. I'm pretty sure that's how every other Valley program does it. And I would bet a number of FBS schools do that, too. Thus his litmus test of it not impacting the other students can never be reached. It's a built-in, convenient excuse.

I'm still on the fence, but if the students want to subsidize it, let them.

[shocker3]

Yeah, that's just start up costs...not even sure that includes funding the first season. I remember hearing 20 - 30 million was what is needed to fund multipule years, don't remember the number exactly. Either way, someone with deep pockets needs to step up! Koch has way more money than T. Boone Pickens and that guy donates 100's of millions to OSU.

Charles Koch ranks #5 in the Forbes 400 with $21.5 billion
T. Boone Pickens ranks #290 with $1.4 billion

I will say however I've very happy with what Charles Koch has done for the university...the basketball renovation couldn't have happened without him. He might as well bank roll another renovation success at WSU!

$5 million is actually very doable. That is the first time I have heard a number that small.

I think the only thing we are missing right now is a university president willing to take on the challenge.

I agree that Dr. Beggs has been very good for the university and it appears it is just too big a challenge for him as a guy nearing retirement to
take on.

[RoyalShock]

I could be way off, but $5 million sounds like a number that would only cover facilities, equipment, salaries and scholarships for one year. Not a recipe for success. I thought the $30 million number came from a study that was commissioned a decade or so ago, and was expected to cover the first X-number of years (five?) and cover additional women's sports plus the creation of a marching band.

I know I'm a broken record, but raising funds must be done in concert with a commitment from students to subsidize with higher student fees.