Football at Wichita State

[ISASO]

T. Boone Ruffin?

We could even change the school nickname.

How about the Wichita State Ruff-N-Readys?

:clap:

Let's Go Ruffin's!!!!

[Ricardo del Rio]

The schools in the Valley that have football seem to be really struggling financially.

Having 30K seats is OK for starters. Putting 30K butts in those seats is an obstacle. With no established tradition and not much of a following outside of Wichita, 20K butts in seats could be tough.

With no recruiting base and sitting in the middle of Big 8 or 12 or 10 or whatever country, WSU would be pretty certain to end up with players who may have played D2 or NAIA if they didn't go to WSU. That was a big part of WSU's previous on-field problems.
It could be an "all in" wager. If anybody tried to bring football back and it failed for whatever reason (fan apathy, uninteresting games and teams) the downside is possibly taking the entire athletic department with it and no one wants to place that bet.

You could have said the same thing to Texas Christian, or to Southern Methodist (pre-penalty). Tulsa faces the same problems, as does Memphis. Houston put together a pretty good year last year, and there are even teams like Georgia Tech that manage to pull it off in the middle of SEC country.

Football had significant problems before, but I don't think that anyone can debate how dramatically the sports landscape has changed. Football is now king in this country, and there isn't a close second. While I doubt the football would be great for a long, long while (if ever), even bad football changes the campus feel. Would you tell Tulsa to scrap its program?

The school can either decide that it is satisfied in a mediocre conference with mediocre programs, or they can use this large conference upheaval to re-evaluate the position of football in the college sports landscape. There is no chance we're going to be anything other than a Valley mid-major without it.

I have two words for you - Bass brothers.

[1972Shocker]

T. Boone Ruffin?

We could even change the school nickname.

How about the Wichita State Ruff-N-Readys?

:clap:

Let's Go Ruffin's!!!!

I think he would be satisfied with naming rights to the stadium and being allowed to place slot machines throughout the concourse areas.

[shockball]

T. Boone Ruffin?

We could even change the school nickname.

How about the Wichita State Ruff-N-Readys?

:clap:

Let's Go Ruffin's!!!!

I think he would be satisfied with naming rights to the stadium and being allowed to place slot machines throughout the concourse areas.

If he wanted the slot machines and use of the track to run dogs I'd be all for it.

[tw805]

This whole contention that football programs are losing money has always baffled me. I'm not sure there is any such thing as accurate NCAA accounting numbers. Are these schools forced by any regulation to account for so-called "soft" donations in any way? I occasionally think that is how Lew Perkins created a sudden influx of revenue he attributed to the football program. Just take non-specific donations and attribute them to the football program and you've got a success story.

I would think that if football truly generated a negative revenue stream, didn't keep donors in the mix, and didn't generate booster interest for the vast majority of football schools, there wouldn't even be the 112 D-I teams there are now.

[wsushockerdude]

I would have to assume that Marshall wouldnt want a 500K paycut for a football team that wont be good for a few decades.

[shockerfan]

I would have to assume that Marshall wouldnt want a 500K paycut for a football team that wont be good for a few decades.

If SIU can pay Lowery 750,000 a year AND have football...I am sure WSU could also. I realize that SIU's football is well established, but it can still be done.

I'm willing to bet that most, if not all, of the current coaches at WSU would LOVE to see football back at WSU regardless. I've heard a couple of them talk about how it could help recruiting. I wouldn't think it's that big of a deal to recruits, but evidently it has SOME bearing on them. Can't remember now which coaches I've heard talk about it. I think Kemnitz and maybe Turgeon??! I just remember hearing a couple of them comment on it during a show a few years back.

[eeshocker]

Interestingly, they also mention Georgia Southern (together with Youngstown State) in discussing this issue. However, this article points out that both these schools, despite having won 10 national championships between them lost $1 million each in 2005. Not sure if that was a representative year or not.

Not sure how they get those figures, but I can assure you that GSU football does not loose money. I can also tell you that the enrollment at GSU has nearly doubled since they brought football back. The stadium, while small, is always full. They did a feasibility study last year to look into going 1A and they determined that it could be done financially (they'd have to expand the stadium), so they must not be doing too bad.

[Ixiah]

If you think about it from a logical standpoint - football should do better now then back in the 80's if for no other reason then there are a lot more warm bodies. Wichita has picked up 70,000 people since then and is the fastest growing city in the region. Add to this some of the suberbs are growing in dramatic fashion - Derby's growth rate is 25%!

Wichita, KS, the region’s fastest growing larger city, doubled its growth rate,

http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2008/0710_census_frey.aspx?emc=lm&m=216993&l=19&v=656693

[SB Shock]

If you think about it from a logical standpoint - football should do better now then back in the 80's if for no other reason then there are a lot more warm bodies. Wichita has picked up 70,000 people since then and is the fastest growing city in the region. Add to this some of the suberbs are growing in dramatic fashion - Derby's growth rate is 25%!

Wichita, KS, the region’s fastest growing larger city, doubled its growth rate,

http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2008...&l=19&v=656693

If you all are waiting for the average person to have a ground swell of financial support football - your going to look a long time. The economy is lagging and employment at the aircraft companies are flat with targeted layoffs and furloughs still continuing going on every week (this then effects all the secondary industry). People are just trying to stay afloat and survive.

I know some people who had b-ball tickets near me who gave them back this year because the husband has been layed off for over a year and can't find a job. This is just one example, I have friends and family members in the same boat. It is very tough. And there is no glimmer of hope that I can see any time soon.

[SpanglerFan316]

If SIU can pay Lowery 750,000 a year AND have football...I am sure WSU could also. I realize that SIU's football is well established, but it can still be done.

SIU cannot really afford to pay Lowery $750,000. They signed the contract and so have to pay him but it is hurting their athletic program. Go visit SalukiTalk and ask them if you like.

[shocker3]

The vast majority of division 1 public universities manage to find a way to fund football. There is no reason WSU can't do it too.

[Ricardo del Rio]

The vast majority of division 1 public universities manage to find a way to fund football. There is no reason WSU can't do it too.

Hoping it so sounds like the federal government.

There are few, hard, cold business facts to support the notion of reviving the football program.

While it would be enjoyable for many and I include myself in the many, I am pretty sure it can never be cost justified.

If Koch, Devlin, Ruffin and others like them are willing to cover the deficit every year, then there might be a possibility.

[Snapshot9]

If you think about it from a logical standpoint - football should do better now then back in the 80's if for no other reason then there are a lot more warm bodies. Wichita has picked up 70,000 people since then and is the fastest growing city in the region. Add to this some of the suberbs are growing in dramatic fashion - Derby's growth rate is 25%!

Wichita, KS, the region’s fastest growing larger city, doubled its growth rate,

http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2008...&l=19&v=656693

If you all are waiting for the average person to have a ground swell of financial support football - your going to look a long time. The economy is lagging and employment at the aircraft companies are flat with targeted layoffs and furloughs still continuing going on every week (this then effects all the secondary industry). People are just trying to stay afloat and survive.

I know some people who had b-ball tickets near me who gave them back this year because the husband has been layed off for over a year and can't find a job. This is just one example, I have friends and family members in the same boat. It is very tough. And there is no glimmer of hope that I can see any time soon.

I got 1 word for you - Robotics, with the areospace industry here, it is a small jump into robotics, and would provide many jobs. Just ask Utah.

[SpanglerFan316]

Robotic football players? Wow, what a great idea! ;-)