Let me pose this question: does Ohio University as an institution want to take the next step in football?

I ask because while most of us on BA would like to see it (since we're football junkies) I'm not sure Ohio University as an institution does.

Presumably the title of this thread implies that the next level is not to compete every year for a MACC (that Ohio already does) but to become a major major G5 player, one that is able to compete yearly for the G5 spot in the New Years Day bowl. Question is, does Ohio want to spend the $ to get to that spot, and if it does, will it be sacrificing some of the small school charm that we've all come to love? I truly don't know the answer; I just pose the question to ponder.

To be polite, no. The university wants nothing to do with being an excellent in athletics. I feel as if they made that abundantly clear when they hired the new president from TTU over the fella from NDSU. NDSU built a juggernaut in the FCS and it’s the main attraction for going there.

Yeah, I can see the head coach in a living room now selling a kid that if you come to OHIO, you can work in the garden, and therefore eat better. I mean, what 17 year old football player from the city or suburbs would not jump all over that offer????

Not to mention, do you have any idea how large that garden would need to be?

Of course, with the current Athens City Council, zoning board, etc., the hotel would have to be built outside the city limits, as it could not be more than three stories high in Athens so as not to upset anyone's "viewshed." Perhaps, it could be located in Nelsonville, or The Plains! :-)

My question that I would ask, not just about Ohio, but to all the MAC, and many other G5 schools is this:

How much longer to they want to continue to try to play the arms race with increasing spending? I'd say at some point in the future, coaching salaries and football spending has to peak, and then start to decline. But at what point, if we're not already there, is it worth it to continue to try to keep up with the P5 schools in spending?

This past weekend, I watched the FCS semi's with my dad, and also the DII final. It led me to wonder how those schools' spending differs from MAC Schools? Is there a continued benefit for the MAC, etc., for being FBS?

On this note, why does a hotel really need to be more than three stories high to be a really nice hotel? Particularly in Athens?

That asked, I agree, another location with conference facilities like Wes brings up would be a big bonus. I think there's a demand for it, but is there enough real demand to convince an investor to go there? One way to start creating that demand: Demonstrate that the City, County, University, and the University Athletic Department are doing things together and are on the same page. Examples: When we have Homecoming, everyone KNOWS it's Homecoming. Yet in the Winter, more than half the uptown businesses have a clue if there's a home basketball game. Other examples: The University schedules Dad's weekend a couple weeks after Homecoming, during a weekend there's not even a real game. Instead, schedule it, and Sibs during the sports seasons and promote the hell out of it months in advance. The University needs to work with Athletics, and the community to make those family weekends a bigger deal, and take advantage of them with home games that matter. It rarely feels like there's a plan to have a buy in with everyone to sell what the University community, and the Athens Community have to offer on those weekends. Instead, everyone just ends up bar hopping and nothing else. It just seems to me like it could be so much more on those family weekends. And why not have a winter Alumni weekend with a basketball game and a band performance at the game?


(All that said, I have no clue what efforts are made, so if there are efforts made, I'd like to hear about them, and give credit to those who do them)

I have to say, OU has done a pretty good job in arranging alternate activities for Dad's and Mom's weekends. I usually get an email with a listing of stuff to do, like hiking, comedy shows, music shows, seems like maybe art shows. Can't remember everything, but it's always a pretty good itinerary.

OHIO is the biggest spender in MBB budget in the MAC, and has the best facility.

OHIO is in the 50th percentile in FB spend in the MAC, and with many of the facilities being worse than their peers.

Is football spending really a problem when we are significantly outspent by some of the programs in the G5 with whom many here believe should be able to compete?

A program like Boise spends more than double what OHIO spends, and any investments made at OHIO in the last five to seven years to elevate the program to a modest level (IPF/new locker room) have been done so 100% at donor expense, not raising student fees to pay for them.

I know that local journalists check in on this site from time to time. We keep hearing about TV money. Would someone find our exactly how much we're talking about? My guess it is very little in the whole scheme of things.

OHIO is the biggest spender in MBB budget in the MAC, and has the best facility. OHIO is in the top third in the NCAA in budget.

OHIO is in the 50th percentile in FB spend in the MAC, and with many of the facilities being worse than their peers. OHIO is in the bottom third in FB budget.

Is football spending really a problem when we are significantly outspent by some of the programs in the G5 with whom many here believe should be able to compete?

A program like Boise spends more than double what OHIO spends, and any investments made at OHIO in the last five to seven years to elevate the program to a modest level (IPF/new locker room) have been done so 100% at donor expense, not raising student fees to pay for them. You can't put the IPF solely on FB, because every ICA program PLUS the 110 and the general student body get to use that facility.

What data do you have that indicates we are spending like drunken sailors to keep up with the Joneses?

Help me understand precisely what OHIO has been doing since, let's say the new ESPN contract revenues kicked in (and that wouldn't have occurred without FBS football, yet the additional revenues help the whole ICA budget) that in your perception is egregious and irresponsible, and that has been done to keep up with or outspend G5 peers?

Now if by "arms race", you are calling in all programs, then my mistake, as OHIO has increased our MBB budget far greater as a percent since Groce left in 2012 than we have increased any other single budget in our athletic department. [/QUOTE]My thoughts or questions were not intended to be directed specifically at Ohio, but rather the MAC as a whole. In terms of the "arms race", I was wondering, as we see other schools pay coaches 4,5,6,7,8 million a year, at what point is it no longer sensible for all of the MAC to continue to try to keep up with that kind of crazy money in the FBS?


Operating Expenses for Football 2015

James Madison: $2,093,030
North Dakota St: $1,049,025
Ohio: $1,122,958
South Dakota St: $659,642

I have to say, OU has done a pretty good job in arranging alternate activities for Dad's and Mom's weekends. I usually get an email with a listing of stuff to do, like hiking, comedy shows, music shows, seems like maybe art shows. Can't remember everything, but it's always a pretty good itinerary.