Haslam's Recent Interview on Where UM Is

[406football]

If Montana is serious about moving up, there is no way around not increasing student fees

 

[EverettGriz]

Haslam clearly stated it would take additional state support. I don't think that's probably shocking to anyone. But it was also clear to me he believes it's doable.

The state and the universities will have a large ROI on that investments.

 

[flowtowngriz]

Raise the student fee's would raise,

ticket prices may go up depending who we play like it is today. ( homecoming and scats games) plus added students from larger footprint in coverage. It well documented that our national televised brings 10 fold of u of m searches on the internet.

We would get about 6 to 10 million a year for media deal from the MWC. That number what has been floated around with pac hoping to get 10 plus.

So I do not see 20 million being the hurtle. I watch a podcast showing the actually budgets for schools like Ohio st and Oregon compared to the G6 schools. Most schools do not depend on ticket sales. They depend on media deal, state and school money ( student fees and tuition. There is lots more i could add but there is many ways to do this. But do wee have will or want to do this. I think it has been the plan for the last 25 years with all the upgrades from seating, to locker room, student center and indoor practice field. That has been hurting us to move up. Now we have all that in place now it is about money. I do believe we that easier then some people think. What is the schools budget yearly. Not just sports , all the budget. Ii think it is well over 100 million a year. I might be wrong but I remember reading that it is large and the athletics is paid all on its own including scholarships.

 

[Wolf777]

Haslam clearly stated it would take additional state support. I don't think that's probably shocking to anyone. But it was also clear to me he believes it's doable.

The state and the universities will have a large ROI on that investments.

I believe that this current administration is pretty hell bent on tapping the untapped in Montana and continuing to try and make us a popular destination for new business ventures and population growth (especially through influx). Investing in the football programs to bring more attention to the universities here helps achieve that even if they don’t agree with the education value of universities. More exposure, more students, more influx, more retention after graduation. I believe the state will be more likely to invest in football than they have been for healthcare/mental health, senior/youth services or other critical expenditures. Why else does gianforte make it a point to make it to a coin toss at each stadium at least once a year (even on non-election years) just as his democratic predecessor did.

 

[griz4life]

Good grief. Student fees would be a poor funding source for full-scholarship football and the accompanying women's scholarships for compliance. It might help with a launch, but state revenue is what's needed.

Tuition needs to go down, not up for sports, which means the state share for both students and athletics should increase. That's a bigger deal than getting your ticket punched to the Mountain West.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

I have two questions:

1. Can you join an FBS conference in FB only (I think GU is doing it for BB, or are they joining for all sports?); and
2. Is an FBS program required to spend as much as other programs in their conference? Is there a rule on that?

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

I have two questions:

1. Can you join an FBS conference in FB only (I think GU is doing it for BB, or are they joining for all sports?); and
2. Is an FBS program required to spend as much as other programs in their conference? Is there a rule on that?

1. Yes it is possible, but you not only need to find a conference that is OK with just FB and another that is OK w/o for the rest of your sports. It is not common. Gonzaga is joining the PAC for all their sports that are offered by the conference.

2. Not directly, but they will have minimum requirements to be met that would dictate a minimum monetary commitment.

 

[Griz Time]

I have two questions:

1. Can you join an FBS conference in FB only (I think GU is doing it for BB, or are they joining for all sports?); and
2. Is an FBS program required to spend as much as other programs in their conference? Is there a rule on that?

1. Yes. Hawaii was a football only member to MWC until the conference recently got Hawaii to then recommit in all sports. I can't recall what effect this had on the mwc but it changed something with them being a full time member.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

1. Yes it is possible, but you not only need to find a conference that is OK with just FB and another that is OK w/o for the rest of your sports. It is not common. Gonzaga is joining the PAC for all their sports that are offered by the conference.

2. Not directly, but they will have minimum requirements to be met that would dictate a minimum monetary commitment.

Thanks for the info in bold.

So, we'd have to find a conference like the BSC, AAC, or even when the PAC was looking at Toledo and NIU, that is cool with FB only members. If we can't do that, I wonder what the minimum monetary commitment would be to fulfill the minimum requirements, and what those requirements truly are.

 

[MissoulaMarinerFan]

Unfortunately, it isn't just as easy as "well just charge $2,000 for the athletic fee to students".

Straight up tuition and fees - which includes the $81 athletic fee (not including campus housing, meals, etc) for the Fall 2024 semester at 12+ credits is $4,276 for an in-state student. That cost is one of the most "affordable" in the west. Which makes it easier for MT students to be able to attend college.

You could raise it a little (like maybe to $100 or $125 per semester) with minimal pushback, but raising it a lot simply won't fly. The students would raise hell and it would directly contradict the University's current administration philosophy that the university needs to do everything it can to make attending UM possible for all MT residents.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

Thanks for the info in bold.

So, we'd have to find a conference like the BSC, AAC, or even when the PAC was looking at Toledo and NIU, that is cool with FB only members. If we can't do that, I wonder what the minimum monetary commitment would be to fulfill the minimum requirements, and what those requirements truly are.

I believe it was the MWC that was rumored to be interested in NIU and Toledo as football only members.

I also don't believe that Montana brings enough that a FBS conference would be interested in football only.

 

[HikeGlacier]

Thanks for the info in bold.

So, we'd have to find a conference like the BSC, AAC, or even when the PAC was looking at Toledo and NIU, that is cool with FB only members. If we can't do that, I wonder what the minimum monetary commitment would be to fulfill the minimum requirements, and what those requirements truly are.

Comparing Montana football to Gonzaga basketball is laughable.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

Comparing Montana football to Gonzaga basketball is laughable.

Totally, right? Good thing nobody did it.

 

[mthoopsfan]

Comparing Montana football to Gonzaga basketball is laughable.

How is it laughable?

 

[AZGrizFan]

I don't think the beer sales and probably not the increased hoops attendance raises much. Football ticket prices would get some, but $50 more for season tickets would be about $1 million (20,000 of revenue tickets times 6 games). A guarantee game. Less home playoff games would reduce some things a bit. New conference distributions and ncaa money.

Donors don't like to fund ongoing operational expenses. They like one-time projects or building expansion, I am told.

The Performance Center was for athletes and keeping the team near the top of FCS, as well as for any future move. So done for various reasons.

The students wouldn't go for large athletic fee increases. They rioted in the past about some fee increases. I can't imagine the State Legislature would be too excited about this. Some of the legislators, I am told, don't even like to fund the universities to the extent they do now.

And what about NIL? That's on top of this.

NIL money is almost exclusively donor money, isn't it?

 

[GrizTexas]

Unfortunately, it isn't just as easy as "well just charge $2,000 for the athletic fee to students".

Straight up tuition and fees - which includes the $81 athletic fee (not including campus housing, meals, etc) for the Fall 2024 semester at 12+ credits is $4,276 for an in-state student. That cost is one of the most "affordable" in the west. Which makes it easier for MT students to be able to attend college.

You could raise it a little (like maybe to $100 or $125 per semester) with minimal pushback, but raising it a lot simply won't fly. The students would raise hell and it would directly contradict the University's current administration philosophy that the university needs to do everything it can to make attending UM possible for all MT residents.

State sales tax... split the revenue allocation between UM and MSU...cap the allocation

 

[mthoopsfan]

NIL money is almost exclusively donor money, isn't it?

Businesses and some donors, is my understanding.

 

[mthoopsfan]

Some Mountain West info:

1. "The MW has set a precedent for uneven revenue distribution with its media-rights revenue.

The MW's annual per-school distribution could increase from approximately $5 million to $7.5 million if its $45 million media deal with CBS and Fox is extended beyond 2026. However, this seems unlikely with four of the conference's biggest schools departing."

https://www.google.com/search?q=mou...ions&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari [this may be AI generated.]

2. "The Mountain West Conference (MWC) will distribute the money it receives from exit fees and poaching fees to its remaining member schools as follows:

• Air Force and UNLV: Receive 24.5% of the exit fees and poaching fees
• Nevada, New Mexico, San José State, and Wyoming: Receive 11.5% of the exit fees and poaching fees
• Hawaii: Receives 5% of the exit fees and poaching fees
  
  
  The MWC received $90 million in exit fees from the five schools that left for the Pac-12: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State, and San Diego State. The schools are each responsible for roughly $18 million in exit fees, but negotiations may result in lower totals. The MWC also has $55 million in poaching fees from its previous scheduling agreement with Washington State and Oregon State."

[This is AI generated too.]

3. "The MW paid most of its members around $5 million in the last fiscal year with Boise State leading the way with the highest distribution at $7.9 million, perSportico. Boise State has a special television revenue carveout that pays the Broncos an additional $1.8 million per season, which has been a point of contention for many of the league's members, especially as Boise State football has lost some national prestige since that bonus was agreed upon in2012 under the MW's previous television deal with ESPN."

"According to Nevada's 2023 fiscal year report, the Wolf Pack received$1,494,163 in MW distribution with an additional $3,335,247 in media rights for a combined $4,829,410. Nevada did not reach a bowl in FY23, which usually comes with a mid- to-high six-figure payout from the MW to its member school to cover expenses. The Wolf Pack also got an NCAA distribution of $1,427,498 in FY23. Those three revenue sources combined for $6,256,908 as the Wolf Pack had a school-record $49.533 million in revenue last fiscal year, which was largely boosted by an additional $10 million in direct university support. Almost half of Nevada's 2022-23 budget— $24,145,006— was funded by public-money sources.

https://nevadasportsnet.com/news/re...erence-distribution-compares-to-other-leagues

4. This is a 3/24/24 article, so now probably out of date.

"As noted above, this year's 10 NCAA Tournament units will bring $20 million to the conference over the next six years. The MW, like most conferences, evenly distributes that money. The conference office does not take a cut, so each of the league's 11 full-time members is in line for $1,818,182 over the next six years from this tournament (or $303,030 per year per school through 2029). The only caveat is the MW might change its distribution formula to align more similarly with the West Coast Conference, which does not have an even revenue split. That change was made to appease Gonzaga, and San Diego State is desirous of a similar situation in the MW given it has earned 10 of the MW's 26 active units."

The financial impact of the MW's conference-record 10 NCAA Tournament units

The Mountain West sent a conference-best six teams to this year's NCAA Tournament that resulted in a conference-best 10 units.EachActive NCAA Tournament units2

nevadasportsnet.com

 

[ordigger]

You have no knowledge or substance on UM athletics. You can’t say how UM can get to $40 million. So you try to attack me. And, my view is that $40 million would get UM only to mediocre. No way UM can round up $40 million. I talked to the Gianfortes today. Have you ever even met them? My good friend is former chair of BOR. in fact, two of my friends are the last 2 chairmen. How are your Regents sources? What are they indicating to you?

Hopefully you body slammed GG with a good wrestling move.

 

[ordigger]

Haslam clearly stated it would take additional state support. I don't think that's probably shocking to anyone. But it was also clear to me he believes it's doable.

The state and the universities will have a large ROI on that investments.

Closing Nothern (already rumored) and maybe Western would help