Again this is not about WHAT needs to be done, it's about HOW is it going to be done.
We're already missing opportunities. I have many thoughts but I'll give one example for now in the interest of time.
If you went to the Bobcat Bash in Nashville you probably noticed that the Athletic Department was charging $15 at the door. I think that's a dumb decision. $15 is small potatoes.
What they should have been doing was having people sign in, so the department would know who they are. If they had their digital files they could instantaneously know if someone was an OBC member, when the last time was that they donated, how much they donated, etc.
With the right information the options would have been endless. Ask people who haven't donated in a set time to fill out a donation promise. Get people not in the club into it. Ask current donors who are feeling great about the team's success if they'd like to donate on the spot.
Certainly you don't want events like this to feel uber-salesy but there's a professional way to do it without it devolving into that. Have Schaus include something in his remarks about donations like the ones they're receiving today making athletic success like this possible (especially given the economic climate). Give people opportunities and nudge them to donate without pushing it.
I know there are a few people on this board who were in the 110. Those people will remember the Macy's parade trip in 2000. Each 110 member had to pay their own way (maybe like $300 a piece? nothing major but enough that a college student certainly felt it.) Well about halfway through the season the 110 played at a tailgate for President Glidden and some of his well funded friends. At the end of the tailgate Dr. Suk mentioned that the 110 was headed to the Macy's parade, had some trouble funding the trip, and one of Glidden's guests wrote the 110 a check (well into the 5 digits if I'm not mistaken). The 110 members didn't need to make their last trip payment and some of the money was used on entertainment (like a cruise on the Hudson and tickets to a musical) while they were in NYC.
That's what the Athletic Department should be doing. Forget the $15 a head. It's time to go big game hunting.
695 already hit the point that it is the Alumni Association that hosts/runs the Bashes, and they rarely cash flow, but are an important means for both the General Development team for the University as a whole and ICA's Development staff to network with alumni. Whether or not you realize it, that is happening at every Bash, and every game.
Typically, the development staff are spending time "working the room" with current and potential donors, but they are always interested in meeting anyone that has an interest in increasing their giving or simply thanking those that give at a modest level. Jim Schaus has done a phenomenal job at both downsizing staff to make the ICA program "cash flow", while at the same time hiring very smart, hard working staff to grow the OBC program.
If you haven't met them, you need to find someone to introduce you to Jim, Jim Harris, Rob Norris, Drew Ossakow and the remainder of the staff and interns. Most of our staff are either graduates of our Sports Admin program or current students, and I for one feel we are in very good hands. And if you are in town on a non-game day, just call the Convo, introduce yourself over the phone and schedule a time to meet with them. They won't bite.
And I'm sorry to see the thread drift into the seemingly annual debate against being able to have strong basketball AND football programs. Having been on the ESPN family of networks dozens of times over Frank Solich's career, I think you would be hard pressed to make a credible argument that the FB program hasn't brought a dramatic increase in positive exposure for the University, while at the same time we struggle to get regular national exposure in regular season basketball save for the MAC title game.
Why not just be the strongest programs in the MAC for both? We always have posters that are more fond of one sport or the other, but why must one or the other sacrifice? Do you want positive exposure for the University from September to April or just March and April? Why devolve into being only one or the other before you have ever determined that you are incapable of doing both?
To JSF's point, unfortunately the primary answer is cold, hard cash. And there are three primary revenue streams: student fee, ticket/concession sales and donations. It didn't take $750k to hire a coach the calibre of John Groce, but it will likely take that or more to retain him, and the donor base stepped up in 2010 to support a five year program to provide coach a $50k/year raise after the Georgetown victory. The NCAA payout for the two victories thusfar plus the Temple exit fee (which is largely already committed to other projects) might be able to close some of the gap from his currently salary, but it will take all alumnus stepping up in a big way to retain John for more than next season. (as I don't see a desire to increase the student fee and/or a dramatic increase in tickets sold to cover the gap)
I'll be hosting over 50 alumni in Boston for a game watch tonight, and when I address the group, I'll be promoting the MPC, the Basketball Lockerroom fundraising project, the upcoming public phase of the Promise Campaign (which is already over 70% of the way to it's goal before even being public) AND the Marching 110 uniform replacement program, all of which I have supported financially. I am very fortunate to be able to support all these, and I encourage you all to increase your support in any way that you can, and do what you can to promote the causes of your interest to your friends of OHIO as well. Peer pressure if a powerful motivator.