State of the Program- Post Week 7 Edition

[4EverPurple&Gold]

I think we are damn near at the point in life where we need to ask the serious question:  Would Gonzaga basketball be as successful today had they NOT abandoned their football program during WWII and never resumed it?

 

That's hard to say, but here's some data on public schools that have dropped football and how many NCAA tournament appearances they have:

Nebraska-Omaha (dropped football in 2010 during move to DI) - 0 NCAA appearances (11 eligible seasons)
UMass-Lowell (2002) - 0 NCAA appearances (10 eligible seasons)
Cal State Northridge (2001) - 2 NCAA appearances (2001 and 2009), 2 after dropping football
Cal State Fullerton (1992) - 4 NCAA appearances (1978, 2008, 2018, 2022), 3 after dropping football
Cal State Long Beach (1991) - 9 NCAA appearances (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1993, 1995, 2007, 2012), 4 after dropping football
UC Santa Barbara (1991) - 7 NCAA appearances (1988, 1990, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2021, 2023), 5 after dropping football
Wichita State (1986) - 16 NCAA appearances, 11 after dropping football
UT Arlington (1985) - 1 NCAA appearance (2008), 1 after dropping football
Maryland Eastern Shore (1979) - 0 NCAA appearances (43 eligible seasons)
UC Riverside (1975) - 0 NCAA appearances (22 eligible seasons)
Vermont (1974) - 9 NCAA appearances, 9 after dropping football
UW-Milwaukee (1974) - 4 NCAA appearances (2003, 2005, 2006, 2014), 4 after dropping football
UI-Chicago (1973) - 3 NCAA appearances (1998, 2002, 2004), 3 after dropping football

So, I'd say overall the results are mixed. Schools like Wichita State, Vermont, and UC Santa Barbara have had pretty decent success since dropping football. However, schools like Maryland Eastern Shore, UC Riverside, and UT Arlington have a grand total of 1 appearance and all dropped football over 35 years ago. The schools are across a range of enrollments, with the UC schools, UT Arlington, and Wichita State all having fairly high enrollment, but Vermont and Maryland Eastern Shore being much closer to us. Vermont is the "flagship school" for the state, but most of the others are more "regional" universities.

I think a big part of the question of our success would be, if we were to drop football, are we more likely to roll a lot of that money into the basketball program, or just cut that money and not spend it on athletics at all?
If we go with the first, then I think we could see some success. If we drop football and don't use any of that to invest in the basketball program, then I don't think we're likely to get much better than we have been.

We spend roughly $1.4 million for our basketball team and $3.1 million for our football team. If we cut football, and put half of what we spend there towards men's basketball, we're spending about $3 million for men's basketball which puts us in the range of the MVC, for the most part (about even with Missouri State, higher than Indiana State, Murray State, SIUC, or UIC, but lower than Illinois State, Northern Iowa, or Bradley).

I don't really know the answer to all this. I don't want to see us cut football, but we obviously have not had a great deal of success over the last few years.

 

I agree. Don't want us to cut football especially moving to a conference that we should compete better in, but I do understand if we don't and finances get worse then we got to make a decision. If we got rid of football would the OVC still keep us for everything or not really is a question too
 

[HoosierNeck13]

Not to be negative, but didn't the other coach we interviewed (Army?) withdraw his name from the process? Myers seems like a nice guy, but going from NAIA to FCS is a huge jump. Wish him the best, but not sure if he's our guy.

[rocki]

Not to be negative, but didn't the other coach we interviewed (Army?) withdraw his name from the process? Myers seems like a nice guy, but going from NAIA to FCS is a huge jump. Wish him the best, but not sure if he's our guy.

 

I honestly don't remember. Maybe we can go back through the posts about hiring a new coach and see if it is there?

[ST_Lawson]

Not to be negative, but didn't the other coach we interviewed (Army?) withdraw his name from the process? Myers seems like a nice guy, but going from NAIA to FCS is a huge jump. Wish him the best, but not sure if he's our guy.

 

I think you're probably talking about Matt Drinkall: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Drinkall
From Bettendorf, coached TE here at WIU in '06-'07, coached at St. Ambrose in Davenport from '08-'13, was at Kansas Wesleyan from '14-'18 (at which point Hendrickson took over there), has been at Army since '19 and this year is Co-OC/O-Line.

[sealhall74]

Not to be negative, but didn't the other coach we interviewed (Army?) withdraw his name from the process? Myers seems like a nice guy, but going from NAIA to FCS is a huge jump. Wish him the best, but not sure if he's our guy.






 

I think you're probably talking about Matt Drinkall: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Drinkall
From Bettendorf, coached TE here at WIU in '06-'07, coached at St. Ambrose in Davenport from '08-'13, was at Kansas Wesleyan from '14-'18 (at which point Hendrickson took over there), has been at Army since '19 and this year is Co-OC/O-Line.





 

Going from 2-9 first year as HC at KWU to 10-2 next, must have been doing something right.  However, one thing I have learned in life is that there is usually a HUGE talent gap between small parochial/religious schools (whether HS or college) and the larger enrollment public schools.  A kid can be a stud in the former and would not carry water bottles in the latter.  That is why states like Texas have entire multi-level athletic systems (e.g. TAPPS) devoted to the private and parochial schools.  So kids can experience the joy of athletics.
 
 
 
 
 

[pvk7072]

You also have to consider other effects of dropping football. E.g., I could be wrong, but USI sans football appears to have no marching band. They do have a jazz band, which is probably great for bball etc. Logical, though. Why have a band for a fall parade when you're Homecoming is indoors in early February with MBB/WBB games as the centerpiece? The whole concept of Homecoming -- and participants -- changes without football.

BTW, SIUE does have a "concert band." So I'd imagine the WIU band could perform several times in the new CPA.

Asking ST_Lawson ... how many students are in today's band, and when/where do they perform? Thanks.
 
 

[sealhall74]

You also have to consider other effects of dropping football. E.g., I could be wrong, but USI sans football appears to have no marching band. They do have a jazz band, which is probably great for bball etc. Logical, though. Why have a band for a fall parade when you're Homecoming is indoors in early February with MBB/WBB games as the centerpiece? The whole concept of Homecoming -- and participants -- changes without football.

BTW, SIUE does have a "concert band." So I'd imagine the WIU band could perform several times in the new CPA.

Asking ST_Lawson ... how many students are in today's band, and when/where do they perform? Thanks.
 
 

 

If you have the numbers like GMU does, the band can be awesome indoors.

https://www.google.com/search?q=gmu+gre ... 0PUjo,st:0


 

[rocki]

If you use Facebook at all, peruse this thread. There is a post by Evan Crum that talks about the state of the football team and alumni dissatisfaction with it. However, nobody seems to want to "pass the hat" so to speak,  to fundraise. There is also downright apathy from people that are more interested in the arts. Doesn't seem to be too encouraging as it now stands (as far as getting alumni to  pony up extra $$$$ for facilities, etc).
 

[sealhall74]

If you use Facebook at all, peruse this thread. There is a post by Evan Crum that talks about the state of the football team and alumni dissatisfaction with it. However, nobody seems to want to "pass the hat" so to speak,  to fundraise. There is also downright apathy from people that are more interested in the arts. Doesn't seem to be too encouraging as it now stands (as far as getting alumni to  pony up extra $$$$ for facilities, etc).
 

 

Alumni as a whole generally dont fund major capital projects.  Maybe some rich one donates a lot to get his or her name on it.  Even the big schools have had to resort to creative financing to build new stuff.  A couple years back, universities like Michigan went the bond route to get things done.  Not sure how relevant it is to a place like WIU though.  Interest rates have skyrocketed since then also.

https://record.umich.edu/articles/unive ... -projects/

[rocki]

If you use Facebook at all, peruse this thread. There is a post by Evan Crum that talks about the state of the football team and alumni dissatisfaction with it. However, nobody seems to want to "pass the hat" so to speak,  to fundraise. There is also downright apathy from people that are more interested in the arts. Doesn't seem to be too encouraging as it now stands (as far as getting alumni to  pony up extra $$$$ for facilities, etc).
 


 

Alumni as a whole generally dont fund major capital projects.  Maybe some rich one donates a lot to get his or her name on it.  Even the big schools have had to resort to creative financing to build new stuff.  A couple years back, universities like Michigan went the bond route to get things done.  Not sure how relevant it is to a place like WIU though.  Interest rates have skyrocketed since then also.

https://record.umich.edu/articles/unive ... -projects/

 

I get where you are coming from, but with the state of IL in the shape it is in it seems that if people really want something done it is going to require thinking outside the box. I know I am not the rich one that can donate something (with or without my name on it), lol!!!