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Athletic budgets by ranking

bobcatfan123 said:
True that UM does much better with ticket sales. But it does seem as though MSU did much better with overall contributions this year (MSU about 6million, UM 3.5). That is a very significant figure as many msu alumni must be contributing or a few wealthy alum are contributing alot!

I am pretty sure the year we are looking at is the year that MSU did their big fundraising effort for the stadium enclosure / upgrades.
 
84GRIZ said:
bobcatfan123 said:
True that UM does much better with ticket sales. But it does seem as though MSU did much better with overall contributions this year (MSU about 6million, UM 3.5). That is a very significant figure as many msu alumni must be contributing or a few wealthy alum are contributing alot!

I am pretty sure the year we are looking at is the year that MSU did their big fundraising effort for the stadium enclosure / upgrades.

The stadium expansion cost, headed up by President Cruzado, was $10 million which included donations and I seem to recall a bond to be paid back with the added revenues associated with increased attendance.
 
MissoulaMarinerFan said:
I think they just had some alum donate 2 million this past year for a new business building as well, so that probably helps.

$25 million


Silvertip said:
The stadium expansion cost, headed up by President Cruzado, was $10 million which included donations and I seem to recall a bond to be paid back with the added revenues associated with increased attendance.

I think the bond is only for the 4 million the school donated.
 
KoolMoeDee said:
MissoulaMarinerFan said:
I think they just had some alum donate 2 million this past year for a new business building as well, so that probably helps.

$25 million


Silvertip said:
The stadium expansion cost, headed up by President Cruzado, was $10 million which included donations and I seem to recall a bond to be paid back with the added revenues associated with increased attendance.

I think the bond is only for the 4 million the school donated.

The $25 million comes from Jake Jabs, a self-made man if there ever was one. Just gave another $10 million to Univ of Colorado's Business School. An MSU grad who grew up in Lodge Grass raised by Russian immigrant parents. Jake used to show up at Denver's Griz-Cat parties. Owns the Colorado furniture market with 12 stores. A Bobcat - but a helluva generous guy! And nice to boot... :thumb:
 
I think he grew up on a St. Xavier farm. Good family..I knew his brother and sister. They may actually be German.
 
Spanky said:
I think he grew up on a St. Xavier farm. Good family..I knew his brother and sister. They may actually be German.

The next time I see Jake I'll have to tell him he's been wrong for the last 80+ years on both his ethnicity and birthplace. ;)
 
Silvertip said:
Spanky said:
I think he grew up on a St. Xavier farm. Good family..I knew his brother and sister. They may actually be German.

The next time I see Jake I'll have to tell him he's been wrong for the last 80+ years on both his ethnicity and birthplace. ;)

Hahaha......It's Lodge Grass. When he was in Bozeman, he owned Montana Music. My Pops bought a guitar I wanted from him. I was about knee high to a Oly at the time. He also gave a million bucks for our lights. Homeboy has been stepping up for MSU.
 
Tip...many of the German people were actually born in Russia. I don't recall the family living in Lodge Grass, but maybe they did. I admit, my memory is growing dim.
 
Spanky said:
Tip...many of the German people were actually born in Russia. I don't recall the family living in Lodge Grass, but maybe they did. I admit, my memory is growing dim.

...let me bail you out...you're probably thinking of someone from that Tibetan monk clan that hangs out in Crow Agency :?:
 
Interesting to look at and think of the people that think a "move-up" Montana could be more like Boise than it would like Idaho. Yet... look and see which school we're more similar to:

Boise: $43.2 mil revenue / $13.5 mil in coach salaries / $6.3 mil in scholarships / 25% state subsidy

Montana: $20 mil revenue / $5.3 mil in coach salaries / $3.8 mil in scholarships / 39% state subsidy

Idaho: $18.5 mil revenue / $5.2 mil in coach salaries / $5.4 mil in scholarships / 47% state subsidy
 
BWahlberg said:
Interesting to look at and think of the people that think a "move-up" Montana could be more like Boise than it would like Idaho. Yet... look and see which school we're more similar to:

Boise: $43.2 mil revenue / $13.5 mil in coach salaries / $6.3 mil in scholarships / 25% state subsidy

Montana: $20 mil revenue / $5.3 mil in coach salaries / $3.8 mil in scholarships / 39% state subsidy

Idaho: $18.5 mil revenue / $5.2 mil in coach salaries / $5.4 mil in scholarships / 47% state subsidy


this makes all kinds of sense to me,,,,we are where we are because it is what we can afford, it really is that simple,,,we have the keys to a ford, not a Mercedes,,,,,get used to it,,with a million tax payers in the state and msu billings, mt westeren, northern, msu, tech,montana etc. a ford is all it's ever going to be and stay competitive imo....
 
krammer said:
this makes all kinds of sense to me,,,,we are where we are because it is what we can afford, it really is that simple,,,we have the keys to a ford, not a Mercedes....
This - and I'd repeat it over and over and over. Why people cannot understand the financial limitations is beyond me.
 
BWahlberg said:
Interesting to look at and think of the people that think a "move-up" Montana could be more like Boise than it would like Idaho. Yet... look and see which school we're more similar to:

Boise: $43.2 mil revenue / $13.5 mil in coach salaries / $6.3 mil in scholarships / 25% state subsidy

Montana: $20 mil revenue / $5.3 mil in coach salaries / $3.8 mil in scholarships / 39% state subsidy

Idaho: $18.5 mil revenue / $5.2 mil in coach salaries / $5.4 mil in scholarships / 47% state subsidy

C'mon Brint, you're too smart to throw out the tired "UM will never be a BSU" argument that has already been successfully discounted as being without merit at least a dozen times - most recently in the GSU video thread (which most of the status quo crowd has avoided like smallpox.) Sadly and too predictably, you drag in Idaho whose lackluster credentials have already been discussed ad nauseum. Continuing to use BSU as the sole yardstick for gauging Montana's prospects in the FBS is patently dishonest. The Broncos story is truly remarkable, however it is hardly representative of other schools that have grown out of the FCS, or are in the process of doing so - or will be announcing their intentions in the future. Considering the title of this thread you won't have far to go to find other examples of schools with resources comparable to UM that have successfully raised their game. There are approximately 120 schools in the FBS and the overwhelming majority of them have no pretentions about becoming the next USC, Ohio State - or Boise State...The BSU/UI/UM fable deserves being given a long overdue burial... :!:
 
Here is a column from Rial Cumming in 2002 (when Montana was being considered for the WAC). Very similar argument to what is being made today, but his conclusions about Boise State and Nevada of course were somewhat flawed. What makes it interesting to this discussion was at the time Montana had an athletic budget of about $10 million, and Boise State's was just shy of $11 million. Boise at the time was dealing with a budget deficit, and of course Montana would deal with a $1 million dollar deficit a year later. But it does make you wonder if Montana would have the $43 million budget if the move had been made in 2002.

October 06, 2002 12:00 am • By RIAL CUMMINGS of the Missoulian
Montana Grizzly football fans can consider themselves lucky for many reasons. One is that they aren't in Moscow, Idaho, shaking pompons for the Vandals.

The border rivals, only 142 miles apart and similar in enrollment and resources, have a competitive history dating back to 1903. Their last four meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less, including the Grizzlies' 38-31 victory Saturday. Turn to USA Today this week, and you found Montana ranked 88th in the nation (among all Division I teams) and Idaho 89th in the Sagarin computer ratings.

But their present records - and future prospects - couldn't be more different. The difference is that Idaho is officially "big time," a I-A school, while I-AA Montana isn't. Oh, you lucky Griz.

There are 121 colleges playing Division I-AA football this fall, and the defending national champion Griz, who went 15-1 last season, rule the food chain. There are 117 colleges playing Division I-A football, and the Vandals, who went 1-10 last season and stand 1-5 this year, are bottom feeders.

Idaho left Montana behind in 1996, jumping to the supposedly richer pastures of I-A football to join ex-Big Sky members Nevada-Reno and Boise State. Where are those three today? Football fever is only a memory in Reno, where the Wolf Pack has endured three straight losing seasons for the first time in 40 years. Boise has been successful on the field, and snubbed off it - the Broncos went 8-4 last year and didn't even get an invite to the hometown Humanitarian Bowl.

Idaho? The Vandals are adrift in a nowhere conference, the Sun Belt, with "rivals" such as Middle Tennessee State, Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State. It's great if you're into gumbo and grits, but not so hot if you have a travel budget. For the first time in three years, the Vandals have been permitted by I-A attendance rules to move their games from larger Martin Stadium in neighboring Pullman, Wash., back to their on-campus Kibbie Dome. However, the Kibbie Dome seats only 16,000 with little room for growth, and it wasn't even close to capacity Saturday.

By contrast, Montana is in a stable conference, with recognizable (if not always scintillating) rivals, and football excitement has never been higher. Griz tickets are arguably the most prized possessions in a town where a third of the population, close to 20,000 folks, packs the stadium on autumn Saturdays to watch a team that has won 19 straight games, claimed four consecutive conference championships and played for the national I-AA crown four times in the past seven years.

Idaho jumped to I-A because boosters insisted on keeping up with Boise State. The move made sense for BSU, the only game in town in a thriving metropolitan area. Moscow is metropolitan only if you consider Potlach a suburb.

So now Idaho is not only getting pounded, but paying through the nose for the privilege of competing in a conference it can't stand. Meanwhile, it has to shell out $13 million worth of improvements to its facilities, and boost fund raising for scholarships from $1.1 million to $1.8 million.

Even then, there's no guarantee that the Vandals will be able to meet new NCAA rules requiring I-A schools, by 2004, to stage five home football games against I-A foes; sponsor 16 sports and 200 athletic scholarships; draw 15,000 actual attendance for home football games; and fund at least 90 percent of the maximum of football scholarships (85).

The Bowl Championship Series conferences dominate I-A football, and they're going to do everything possible to avoid sharing the wealth with urchins like Idaho.

Look at the record. Only one I-AA school, Marshall, has been able to make a successful transition to I-A.

But it's all worth it, right? Because even if Idaho has to endure beatings from BCS teams like Washington or Oregon in return for $400,000 guarantees, the Vandals will wind up rolling in dough. Right?

Not really. Division I-A schools do, on average, make more money than I-AAs. But erase the incredibly rich BCS schools from the skewed averages, and there's hardly any difference. An NCAA study has concluded that the bottom 25 percent of I-A schools (such as Idaho) averaged roughly $5,000 more in revenue than the top 25 percent of I-AA schools (such as Montana). And here's the kicker - the I-A schools spent, on average, roughly $1 million more to gain that slim edge.

Idaho's chances of reaping any kind of bowl bonanza are dubious. And the Vandals' biggest source of football revenue, guarantee games, may be curtailed.

If the Griz wanted to move up to I-A, they certainly could be competitive, at least with the no-names like Idaho. They could also say sayonara to seven home games (or eight, or nine, or 10, depending on their playoff success) and a dynasty that is the envy of their peers.

Are the Griz misguided enough to follow the Vandals? Let's hope not.
 

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