Checkbook not being 'wasted' on D1 football that may be nothing more than a footnote in the modern D1 football era. I'd be interested to compare what they spend on hoops to what Ohio (and other MAC schools) spends on football + men's basketball, and what each school gets for it respectively.

The ridiculousness is both in the comparison and trying to "keep up" with them. One report I read said that Thunder Dan is pulling in $1.5 million a year. They don't have football. They're in a massive city. They're using the men's basketball team as the face of the university in a manner than Ohio never would do even if it had the budget. Their goal seems to be to become the University of Phoenix in terms of profit while creating a sense of legitimacy that a "real" university with an actual campus confers. Seeing Grand Canyon University playing Duke on the ESPN ticker provides instant cache and builds brand awareness among hundreds of thousands of prospective online students.

As far as what they're doing to get students involved at the actual games, if there's something we can mimic that's viable and reasonable, sure, why not? But I think it probably helps to have an NBA team owner calling in favors to get things like a home-and-home with Louisville where Louisville pays $100,000 for the privilege! Can you imagine that scenario in Athens?

How about this: you go to school for 4 years, why not support ALL the sports, theater and music events that your fellow students are involved in? It's not realistic to go to every event, but you get the idea. If you're not going to campus activities, why not just go to the University of Phoenix?

I suppose private funds for a scoreboard etc might be a possibility. However, if anyone thinks there is going to be big time spending for college athletics in Ohio's public colleges and universities, those days are just about gone. Below is a link to Governor Kasich's budget ideas about tuition freezes and free and reduced textbooks for certain situations. The thing about these proposals is there is bi-partisan support. There is no support for large increases in athletic based spending.

I have a neighbor who is a big shot in higher education and has a Bobcat background. He has connections to all the major players. We talked over the weekend about Akron's dire situation and their stadium debacle, as well as other public black eyes for state schools. He can't see any major projects happening that are publicly funded.

The problem isn't just public institutions, lots of Division II colleges and universities are reevaluating their sports programs. Urbana University went under and had to be absorbed into Franklin University, a debt Franklin is still paying. Ohio Dominican is not where they thought they would be when they did their master plan some ten years ago, neither is Ashland and they aren't alone.

A few years ago some big time money boosters at Dayton tried to persuade the powers that be to go Division I football. I was told by someone who should know that the Marianist Religious Order said no because they were told by some of their religious brethren at other institutions that it is a headache not worth having. Some of the boosters that initially pushed for the effort are now said to be grateful they weren't taken up by their offer.

In the last 10 years, coaching salaries have risen exponentially in the non-Power 5, we have talked about this before, so I won't go into it again. However, I think we may have jumped the shark in non-Power 5 athletic spending. We may have peaked out.

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/01/31/kasic...

Alan, my understanding of the phrase "Jump the Shark" has been related to the Happy Days episodes where the gang left Milwaukee for a vacation and went to California. The culmination of the episodes came when Fonzy jumped a shark cage on water skies (all the while wearing his black leather jacket) if my childhood memory serves me correct. Happy Days never again rose to the TV ratings prominence that it once had.

I used that example due to the exponential growth in coaching salaries and cable TV coverage of NCAA Non-Power 5 sports conferences. I just don't see us eclipsing where we have been, and I certainly don't see government officials in this state (and most others as well) receptive to increases in spending for athletic expenditures.

This year we've eclipsed where we've been with the games on CBS Sports for the first time. They'll bump up our coverage windows with a really good team. Won't pay enough to keep the coaches around unfortunately. SMU flat out buys itself wins. That limits the upside to 24-25 wins per year at Ohio by a coach and 9-10 wins per in football with a few big years thrown in there.

No one in the MAC can touch us...it's not even a contest for crowd size or relative atmosphere.

The one thing that everyone is overlooking here? The Convo is just too big. Always has been. Always will be. We've never come remotely close to filling it on a consistent basis. We all have memories of a few select "big" games - but the vast majority of games it's been 50% empty at best with a so-so atmosphere.

In a perfect world, we get a 7,000ish seat arena (like the one Grand Canyon has) and can fill it on a consistent basis. That to me would do more to change the atmosphere than any scoreboard or LED lights.

I did...that game is always a good atmosphere. Two things:

1. That's their Super Bowl. Kent is 20 minutes down the road. They'll get maybe 3,000 for NIU on a Tuesday.

2. Their arena sits 5,500 generously. We almost have that many season ticket holders.

Sorry Zippy, not impressed.

It's like 4,000. At least according to this from the start of the season: http://www.ohiobobcats.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/11171...

Still though, if we had a 5,500 seat arena - you'd be over 70% sold out before a single student, band member or fan comes in.

With regard to attendance, yes no one can touch us and it has been that way as long as I remember. Sadly, it only proves our point that not only has Ohio basketball jumped the shark so has most of the MAC. Think about it, Akron's arena is half the size of ours, it isn't always sold out and Akron has about 2,000,000 people within 50 miles of it, while Athens has about 500,000. If someone took a poll on game day on campus in Oxford and Ypsilanti and pointed to the arena and asked any idea what's going to happen there tonight? I doubt most would have the faintest idea.

We can't get more exposure if we don't get bids and the big boys have cornered the at large bids, even conferences like the Atlantic 10 get 3,4, or 5 bids. We have TV coverage that I could only have dreamed about when I was an undergrad. I am sure the assistant coaches back in the day wince whey they see the huge increase in salaries that assistant coaches are getting paid today. Yet, students attendance isn't what it once was and it isn't only a MAC problem. When was the last time there was a string of sold out games for Ohio State basketball? When was the last time anyone feared their student body? Yet, they have been to the Elite 8 three times in the last 10 years and the Final Four twice.

We live in different times with many options for students. It is simply a reality we have to face, we have thrown all kinds of money--coaching salaries, promotions etc at the the problem. The truth of the matter the MAC had better chances of getting a 2nd bid 20 or 30 years ago (and we actually did) than we do now. College basketball attendance and ratings aren't what they were 20 or 30 years ago either. We shouldn't give up trying and we should always expect to be the ones in the MAC with a bulls eye on our back. However, we have to face reality.

Actually 50 miles from Athens you get into Fairfield County--Lancaster, Pickerington etc. You also deal with Parkersburg etc. Don't forget to throw in Chillicothe. 500,000 may be a stretch, but closer than you think. Throw in 70 miles from Akron and I may have underdone the 2,000,000 figure.

Well then I guess there's only one thing left to do...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-hDl6OALv4

I have to ask good for what. The several thousand parents and friends that couldn't get in for graduation. This is an academic institution that has a couple of basketball teams and other sports that use the convo. It's not a basketball program that just happens to offer a few classes.