Horizon/OVC

[sealhall74]

I would be curious to see a complete breakdown of the football budget. If i was a betting man i would say that the "money" games they play partially goes towards other sports at wiu.

7/7 mens to women is the same ratio it is now at 10/10, removing same three sports across the board. Eliminating costs equally on each side. Does cheer leading or dance offer scholarships? Honestly dont knkow

The cost of suiting up the football team is probably close to $100K EVERY year. Add in the cost of chartering a flight to the "Rust Belt" the last two years. Probably some left for the other programs but not too much. I would like to see us get a serious strength/conditioning staff upgrade with some of those guarantee game dollars.

[Tere North]

Yes, 7/7 would be the same as 10/10, yet still, anytime football is included, there is no way that the same number of men's and women's sports results in equal opportunity for both male and female athletes. Our dance and cheer squads are not NCAA sports, though this does happen at larger schools. For us, they are much like the club sports though their travel expenses are covered when they accompany the team. As such, there are no cheer/dance scholarships.

At Western, only football and men's and women's basketball offer the allowable number of scholarships. I believe baseball and softball are about midway, with the other sports being far, far below maximums.

NCAA-D1 scholarship limits for sports we currently offer. Not sure where a list is that indicates what Western actually offers.

Men: Baseball, 11.7; Basketball, 13; Track including XCountry, 12.6; Football (FCS), 63; Golf, 4.5; Soccer, 9.9; Swimming & Diving, 9.9; Tennis, 4.5.
Women: Softball, 12; Basketball, 15; Track including XCountry, 18; Golf, 6; Soccer, 14; Swimming & Diving, 14; Tennis, 8; Volleyball, 12.

[Tere North]

The cost of suiting up the football team is probably close to $100K EVERY year. Add in the cost of chartering a flight to the "Rust Belt" the last two years. Probably some left for the other programs but not too much.

Hmmmm, So the most cost effective decision would be to eliminate football and save that guaranteed $100K out of pocket. Plus, would save the most expensive scholarship and coaching costs.

Other schools are starting to recognize this very same quandary. At least we have a great Women's basketball team and have had good Men's basketball and other sports to make our key draws. Heck, we could move soccer to Hanson field and eliminate soccer field issues and make a great baseball/softball complex.

[vatusay]

if drop football might as well drop all athletics. it supports itself. all other sports cost the school money.

[LocalFan]

Eliminating football would also reduce corporate sponsorship opportunities and make fundraising much more difficult.

[WIU0812]

The cost of suiting up the football team is probably close to $100K EVERY year. Add in the cost of chartering a flight to the "Rust Belt" the last two years. Probably some left for the other programs but not too much.

Hmmmm, So the most cost effective decision would be to eliminate football and save that guaranteed $100K out of pocket. Plus, would save the most expensive scholarship and coaching costs.

Other schools are starting to recognize this very same quandary. At least we have a great Women's basketball team and have had good Men's basketball and other sports to make our key draws. Heck, we could move soccer to Hanson field and eliminate soccer field issues and make a great baseball/softball complex.

Football definitely costs the most and requires the most players and scholarships, but you also have to take in to account that it makes probably 10 times more money between attendance and money games than any other sports. Plus I am guessing more money comes in for football advertising than any other sport from our corporate sponsors. Men's basketball would be the only one close and we all know it is not make very much money at all lately. So if you eliminate football you most likely eliminate 500,000 to 1 million in expense and then lose 1 million+ in revenue. There was at least $600,000 in money games last year if I remember right and I thought I heard Illini was paying us $400,000 this year. It is also the most popular sport in the nation at this time which would make it the last to go. As for the argument that basketball teams are better (paraphrasing) WIU still holds the most winning football program in the state which even though it has been down for a while it definitely is one of the most prestigious and winning sports WIU has. Just my 2 cents on that no offense meant.

[Tere North]

I certainly wasn't saying I wanted to cut football. But as some other schools have decided, it was the only way they could minimize athletics losses. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Western football is paying the way for other teams, but with pay to play games, it may offset its losses.

But to say without football, there'd be no point in athletics is not true.

There are successful D1 athletic programs that don't have football, e.g., Bradley, DePaul, George Washington, Gonzaga, St. Johns, Seton Hall, etc. Wikipedia lists 96 of the 351 D1 schools plus 6 transition schools as not having football.

And among our biggest enrollment competitors, and one gaining numbers and credibility is SIUE.

[Western_101]

I certainly wasn't saying I wanted to cut football. But as some other schools have decided, it was the only way they could minimize athletics losses. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Western football is paying the way for other teams, but with pay to play games, it may offset its losses.

But to say without football, there'd be no point in athletics is not true.

There are successful D1 athletic programs that don't have football, e.g., Bradley, DePaul, George Washington, Gonzaga, St. Johns, Seton Hall, etc. Wikipedia lists 96 of the 351 D1 schools plus 6 transition schools as not having football.

And among our biggest enrollment competitors, and one gaining numbers and credibility is SIUE.

Tere North, I think it is safe to say from your remarks that you were insinuating the dropping of the football program. Everyone is entitled to their opinion

The only way one can view Bradley and DePaul as successful is if one has access to a time machine.

[vatusay]

Most, if not all, of those schools are private institutions in bigger markets with boat loads of money. Pay their basketball coaches close to a million dollars or more a year.

I wonder if SIU-E is not allowed to have a football program from their big brother SIU-C?

I'm just saying if trying to cut costs football is the absolute last program that would or should be considered.

Also, reading horizon league boards, there are tweets suggesting IPFW is on the wish list of league officials. It was last in the pecking order though.

[Western_101]

IPFW is a commuter school, hardly any students actually live on campus. Hard to imagine IPFW would be an attractive addition for the Horizon.

I guess Ft. Wayne is a decent sized market and it is in the Geographical footprint of the Horizon, but, do the Mastodons even have a fan base? I mean if IPFW is like IUPUI....students that graduate actually get an INDIANA degree or PURDUE degree.