Haslam's Recent Interview on Where UM Is

[MissoulaMarinerFan]

Did he say why?

Additional trips to Frisco that include multiple home playoff games might be a propellant for the fan base...I don't know.

I just think absent some whale donors, moving up is not fiscally possible in our state under current conditions.

I don't think so (at least in this recent interview) - but I think some has to do with not over-charging and getting less butts paying for tickets because then folks who need to travel could be priced out due to higher ticket costs, higher costs to stay somewhere if needed, etc.

Full disclosure, I'm just speculating, but can you imagine folks paying $100+ for a ticket against a bottom feeder Big Sky School? Granted, you'll have some that will pay regardless, but some will choose to spend that money elsewhere - especially since the majority of the games now can be streamed.

 

[get'em_griz]

And my $105 figure is above and beyond what they're ALREADY CHARGING.

Yep. For people who say that our ticket prices will need to increase dramatically to match what FBS programs charge, we already are paying more for tickets than any of the "new" mountain west conference teams. Below is a look at the starting package for season ticket prices at each Mountain West University (Montana and Montana State included). Using season ticket prices gives you a general idea of how much each game costs (yes, some more high-profile games will be more expensive, but the average is what you can expect to pay for most games):

Montana $200 ($28.57 / game)
Wyoming $170 ($28.33 / game)
Montana State $160 ($26.67 / game)
UNLV $150 ($25.00 / game)
Hawaii $150 ($21.43 / game)
Air Force $109 ($18.17 / game)
Nevada $99 ($14.14 / game)
San Jose State $99 ($14.14 / game)
New Mexico $86 ($17.20 / game)
UTEP $65 ($13.00 / game)

 

[SoldierGriz]

I don't think so (at least in this recent interview) - but I think some has to do with not over-charging and getting less butts paying for tickets because then folks who need to travel could be priced out due to higher ticket costs, higher costs to stay somewhere if needed, etc.

Full disclosure, I'm just speculating, but can you imagine folks paying $100+ for a ticket against a bottom feeder Big Sky School? Granted, you'll have some that will pay regardless, but some will choose to spend that money elsewhere - especially since the majority of the games now can be streamed.

Plentiful options to see the game without attending makes some sense...

In that case, seems he should be knee-deep in reaping some of that money. Perhaps he is. Perhaps that responsibility belongs to the conference.

I don't know if what people will pay for tix is knowable. Maybe it is.

Complicated.

 

[DayLaw]

You lost me at "small tax increase."

Over a million people in the state...stadium capacity is under 26,000. Both schools together less than 50,000.

You really think the rest of the state is going to prioritize subsidizing this? Not a chance. It's just a non-starter.

Increase student fees? Not a chance - they tried and failed.

The move up should be almost exclusively funded by those buying tickets.

I don't see it.

Better find a sugar daddy with deep pockets...

I think I understand it fairly well as an attorney. I think you discount the political push with the use of lobbyists from corporate interests. It’s low hanging fruit to score points politically to pass it because football is popular. I say that even with a large conservative legislature especially when there has been surpluses and that money hasn’t been fed into social welfare programs. I bet football would get subsidized before that money going elsewhere. It’s possible maybe plausible and hasn’t been attempted so to say “not a chance” is short sighted was my point.

 

[EverettGriz]

I believe that evidence shows that playing fbs football generates its own income well beyond any additional costs.

But if the state has to invest, simply raise the hotel tax a few pennies.

 

[SoldierGriz]

I think I understand it fairly well as an attorney. I think you discount the political push with the use of lobbyists from corporate interests. It’s low hanging fruit to score points politically to pass it because football is popular. I say that even with a large conservative legislature especially when there has been surpluses and that money hasn’t been fed into social welfare programs. I bet football would get subsidized before that money going elsewhere. It’s possible maybe plausible and hasn’t been attempted so to say “not a chance” is short sighted was my point.

I understand...certainly not zero chance, you are correct.

I just have my doubts in the current conditions - absolutes are not useful, lesson learned.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

EG, no one will argue that FBS doesn't generate additional revenue. The issue is closing the gap between what the athletic department generates now and what they forecast a move to FBS would generate. I think that is a gap difficult to close currently without additional government money and/or an increase in student fees.

 

[hm.grwn.grizfan]

At this point I’ve just about given up hope that UM will ever move up. There just doesn’t seem to be the desire or wherewithal at UM or in Helena to do it. I look forward to playoffs without the dakotas or any other school we give a shit about in the near future

 

[PTGrizzly]

Yeah, the ridiculous duplication in Montana became obsolete the day Mr. Ford invented the horseless carriage

Northern and Western provide a lot of usefulness, especially in some vocational training, that UM and MSU don’t do. I know a lot of farmers and mechanics that went to school there.

 

[3-7-77]

But if the state has to invest, simply raise the hotel tax a few pennies.

Spoken like a true left-winger. "Invest."
FYI, the State 'hotel tax' produced about $40,000,000 in all of last year. That's Statewide, not just Missoula.

 

[oldngrizzly]

Spoken like a true left-winger. "Invest."
FYI, the State 'hotel tax' produced about $40,000,000 in all of last year. That's Statewide, not just Missoula.

I need a piece of that action!

 

[GrizTexas]

I believe that evidence shows that playing fbs football generates its own income well beyond any additional costs.

But if the state has to invest, simply raise the hotel tax a few pennies.

Hotel tax is pretty steep already ... state sales tax albeit hard to pass through the legislature would generate much more revenue...

 

[Griz til I die]

Hotel tax is pretty steep already ... state sales tax albeit hard to pass through the legislature would generate much more revenue...

As somebody who works in hospitality, I can tell you firsthand that the state bed tax is steep. As for a sales tax, some (not many) state lawmakers may be in favor of that, but none of their constituents will EVER be in favor of that. Not unless they repealed state income tax or property taxes (which are already absurdly high). MT would be outrageously expensive with a sales tax on top of income tax and soaring property taxes. That conversation is a non-starter.

 

[GrizTexas]

As somebody who works in hospitality, I can tell you firsthand that the state bed tax is steep. As for a sales tax, some (not many) state lawmakers may be in favor of that, but none of their constituents will EVER be in favor of that. Not unless they repealed state income tax or property taxes (which are already absurdly high). MT would be outrageously expensive with a sales tax on top of income tax and soaring property taxes. That conversation is a non-starter.

 

[ElrodGrizzly]

Hotel tax is pretty steep already ... state sales tax albeit hard to pass through the legislature would generate much more revenue...

For me personally, I would be appalled to hear we are adding a sales tax in order to move up in football divisions, and will happily shift any political donations to anyone opposing that. The people I know who are struggling financially have been hit very hard at the grocery store. I'm not interested in asking the poorest people in the state to pay more money for bread and milk so that the Griz can play Air Force instead of Cal Poly.

 

[GrizTexas]

As somebody who works in hospitality, I can tell you firsthand that the state bed tax is steep. As for a sales tax, some (not many) state lawmakers may be in favor of that, but none of their constituents will EVER be in favor of that. Not unless they repealed state income tax or property taxes (which are already absurdly high). MT would be outrageously expensive with a sales tax on top of income tax and soaring property taxes. That conversation is a non-starter.

I don't disagree with you point of view but it seems that an adjustment in general tax structure ie. lowering or getting rid of the state income tax and imposing some version of a general sales tax would generate more revenue especially given the #1 industry in the state is tourism. Just a thought...

 

[GrizTexas]

For me personally, I would be appalled to hear we are adding a sales tax in order to move up in football divisions, and will happily shift any political donations to anyone opposing that. The people I know who are struggling financially have been hit very hard at the grocery store. I'm not interested in asking the poorest people in the state to pay more money for bread and milk so that the Griz can play Air Force instead of Cal Poly.

In most (if not all) states , sales tax excludes a tax on food at the grocery store .... FYI

 

[ElrodGrizzly]

In most (if not all) sales tax excludes a tax on food at the grocery store .... FYI

That's great. Honestly didn't know that, so thank you for educating me. I still don't want anyone who is struggling, which is a lot of our state, sadly, to be paying more their toilet paper or the pencils they send their kids to school with, but your point is very well taken.

I don't disagree with you point of view but it seems that an adjustment in general tax structure ie. lowering or getting rid of the state income tax and imposing some version of a general sales tax would generate more revenue especially given the #1 industry in the state is tourism. Just a thought...

My concern there, and I've often heard the argument that replacing part of the income or property tax with a sales tax would be that I do not trust our state government to not go jack the income and property tax back up. Either way, when it comes to tax structure, I just don't like the way that the sales tax spreads more of the financial burden to the people who can least afford it. Taxation is a necessary evil to have nice things as a society, but I'm just not in favor of raising taxes like this in order for the Griz to move up.

Just my perspective, I get that many others will disagree.

 

[Griz til I die]

Here's something I've been thinking about over the last couple days. Let's say the Griz and cats do decide to go to the MWC. If that happens, how many other Big Sky teams would want/try to move up as well? We know Sac State has been trying, but it remains to see if they'll actually be successful or not. I could see Weber, Idaho, Davis all contemplate it as well. Maybe NAU??? Would Cal Poly? I could see Eastern wanting to, but there's no way they'd ever be able to pull it off. I'm not saying these teams would ever be able to get into the MWC but if CUSA came calling? NAU kind of fits the footprint. Just something interesting I thought about.

 

[ElrodGrizzly]

Here's something I've been thinking about over the last couple days. Let's say the Griz and cats do decide to go to the MWC. If that happens, how many other Big Sky teams would want/try to move up as well? We know Sac State has been trying, but it remains to see if they'll actually be successful or not. I could see Weber, Idaho, Davis all contemplate it as well. Maybe NAU??? Would Cal Poly? I could see Eastern wanting to, but there's no way they'd ever be able to pull it off. I'm not saying these teams would ever be able to get into the MWC but if CUSA came calling? NAU kind of fits the footprint. Just something interesting I thought about.

Davis may have the easiest route to getting the money up where it needs to be. I'd be surprised if Idaho was not interested in going back to the FBS after learning some lessons along the way last time. If they had a solid conference, they could want to make the move again.