[TallyW]

Let's not sit on our hands for 10 years (AND LETS NOT GET AHEAD OF OURSELVES) but since this is a discussion board... why not have a place to dump transition information?

It'd be great if this thread became an educational thread where we can learn about how other programs made the jump from 1-AA to 1-A. If the school has a goal of 10 years, let us (Alumni and fans) learn what is in store so we can both become educated and so that we can educate others as the time approaches.

With that in mind, I submit a situation that is one of the concerns... money: from the SWAC board http://www.swacpage.com/vbulletin/showt ... hp?t=46843

The $6.25 million debt might propel more borrowing, higher fees.

By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer


BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic University's Fighting Owls have racked up a $6.25 million debt that could force the athletic department to borrow from other school budgets and raise student fees.

The deficit includes $1.75 million owed to the university and an estimated $4.5 million borrowed from the university's foundation.

Problems with the athletic department's $10.1 million budget were severe enough that officials recommended Wednesday that the department be allowed to borrow from the university's auxiliary budget, which includes money brought in by the bookstore, student housing, the lifelong learning center and other organizations.

To curtail future money woes, students could be facing a $2 increase to their $11.75-a-credit athletic fee. That change, which would would be subject to the approval of FAU's Board of Trustees, could bring in an additional $1.2 million annually.

Ken Jessell, FAU's vice president for financial affairs, said several factors have contributed to the deficit: a lack of ticket sales, low student athletic fees and fund-raising efforts that have brought in just $179,085 of the $2.1 million expected in private donations this year.

At the same time, the 4-year-old football program is seeking to move into college football's top tier, Division 1-A, which would mean increased travel costs, additional scholarships and hiring more coaches.

The athletic department budget was $8.9 million last year and rose to just over $10 million this year.

"Becoming 1-A is expensive and we are looking at restructuring how we do business," said Jessell, who defended the football program, if not its budget problems. "The football program was very successful this year, beating teams no one thought they could."

But trustees who attended the meeting of the audit and finance committee Wednesday said they want to see success in the department's bank account as well as on the field.

"I think we understand the value the football program has brought to the university," trustee Chairwoman Sherry Plymale said. "But unfortunately, value or not, it's not paying the bills."

Football has been a drain on the athletic department's budget since its inception in 2001.

When Frank Brogan became FAU president in 2003, his transition team issued a critical report that said the young football program was spending money as if it had achieved 1-A status, even though it remained a Division 1-AA program.

The program began making cost-cutting moves such as playing home games at Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium instead of Pro Player Stadium, which was charging $100,000 a game. It also combined ticketing, training and marketing operations.

But the athletic department still had to rely on the university's foundation for help.

Executive Director Ann Paton said the foundation has given the athletic department an estimated $16.3 million since 1998. Not included in that figure is a $4.5 million interest-free loan, Paton said.

"The foundation was very supportive of the football team when it first started," Paton said. "We loaned them money with the idea that, at some point, it would be repaid. They are not in a position to begin to pay us back just yet."

Paton also told trustees that it is difficult to ask potential donors for money that is going to cover a deficit.

It is unclear how the department's budget problems could affect the football team's move to Division 1-A, if at all. The team is entering its second year of a two-year transition to 1-A status but may not know its fate until the NCAA management council meets in April.

FAU and a handful of other 1-A hopefuls did not meet the home-attendance requirement of 15,000 a game during their first year. School officials hope the council changes that rule.

The athletic department had estimated it would earn $471,500 from ticket sales this year but has brought in just $282,045.

"This is painful to listen to," Athletic Director Craig Angelos said at the meeting. "The business model on football was flawed from the beginning. As we birthed this baby called football, it started racking up debt."

Angelos, Brogan and other school officials are working on a plan to pull the athletic department out of its hole.

Trustee Chairwoman Plymale said she doesn't want the plan based solely on an increase in student fees, and financial affairs Vice President Jessell said no more can be borrowed from the auxiliary budget.

"In the past, the answer has always been, 'Go out and raise more money.' We need to do more than that," Angelos said.

Trustee Norman Tripp agreed, making a firm demand that an adequate plan to balance the budget be presented soon.

"This is a big problem," Tripp said. "Everyone needs to go out there and do better."

[A.G.]

Objectively speaking, I would think LU needs to do something about the existing athletic department debt, before they can even think about I-A. Of course, to play devil's advocate, perhaps going I-A would bring in enough money over and beyond the extra it would cost, and actually help erase the debt.

[RedDog]

I work at a I-A school that has a good football program ... We have been to bowl games for 8 of the past 9 years and won 4 conference championships since 1996, Average 6 television appearances a year on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and other networks ... So I understand what it takes to be successful at this level.

Our budget is between $16-18m and we break even every year ... We don't pay our coaches or staff members what they should be paid because we don't have it ... We have 16 sports (10 women's and 6 men's sports)
When Liberty goes for I-A status we all want them to be successful ... In order to be successful, the budget needs to be in 20-25m range for the school to do what is needed to do to be successful at that level ...

One concern is conference affiliation ... It is very hard to try and survive at that level without being in a conference ... Only Notre Dame can do that because they have 20m in endowments to help supplement their budgets ... Plus their alumni giving is into the millions of dollars so they can do what they want ... No matter how good or creative your fundraising methods are, it is very hard to raise that much money alone by just fundraising ...

W/O being in a conference, it is next to impossible to go to bowl games because most of them are tied into conferences and if your fans don't travel well, the bowls won't pick you even if your record is good. We travelled with between 10-20K when we play in most bowl games and we get picked for other bowl games because of that.

Television appreances on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, CBS are pretty much tied into conference affiliation and you have to be attractive to the networks for them to put you on ... Attractive meaning successful, tradition and travel with a good crowd ... When you are on Fox networks, CSTV, ESPNU - you get exposure but no money and most of the time you have to pay to be on those networks.

Then in order to bring in top notch competition to play at your place so you can drawl a big crowd to make money, you are going to have to offer 3 or 4-for-1 deals to get them to come or pay them 400,000 or more than and that depletes your budget as well when you have to pay that kind of money ... If you play too many of those games in a year, you have losing seasons because if you are being paid that much money, you are suppose to lose those games

Just a few thoughts ....

[TallyW]

RedDog--
Thanks for that even handed and realistic annalysis.... very informative... now I can't help but to be curious as to the university you work for.... thanks again...

[Sly Fox]

Those are obviously the top hurdles to overcome: money & conference affiliation.

Right now money is in short supply and there are no obvious conference possibilities.

While we've talked money ad nauseum on the old board and this one, the conference situation to me presents the greatest challenge. We cannot be a I-A independent. That is not an option. We also can't strap ourselves to a farflung lower tier league where the travel costs for all our non-football sports would deplete the increased revenues from football. So we must have an agreement from a league before we can consider making the move.

Geographically speaking we sit right between the MAC and Sunbelt. Neither one is a practical solution. The C-USA would be a better fit if we could get in. But frankly, I don't see us joining in current league. I see the most likely scenario being a newly formed conference. We're not the only school in the region considering the move up. If we were to align ourselves with Appalachian State and Georgia Southern from the SoCon and some of the other I-AAs who are flirting with the idea, we might be able to attract some current I-AAs like East Carolina, Temple and some of the Eastern Sunbelt schools. Who knows, perhaps even CCu will be in position to join us making the step up.

Its all just pure speculation at this point. But since speculation seems to be hot today on the boards
I felt at ease joining in.

[Stevev]

It is nice to have a positive outlook for the future dispite our embarrasing performance on the football field this year. The Sunbelt or the MAC, or the idea of a newly formed conference would be great if we could work it out financially. We certainly must do a better job of that than what we are doing now with this Big South mess.

[RedDog]

I believe another problem is the BCS schools keep trying to do things to keep pushing the Non-BCS conference schools down so they can't survive .... I believe in 5-10 years that the there will be another total realignment in I-A so that the BCS schools form a mega-conference and try to push as many of the non-bcs schools that can't draw the attendance or can't go to bowl games and win games back to I-AA.

I think it will be very tough for the MAC, Sun Belt, some WAC, some Mountain West and some Conference USA schools to survive because of the strict I-A requirements the BCS conferences are trying to get passed ... They want higher attendance requirements, facility requirements, a certain size budget, you have to average at least 5 home games each year over a two-year stretch ... Fully-fund all of sports with scholarships and have so many men's and women's sports and other things ... By the time the smaller schools try to fund and do everything to meet requrierments, they don't have any money left and have to drop back.

That just my feeling about the future of college football ... I hope this never happens.

[Sly Fox]

I believe you are dead on regarding the potential I-A super conference. Without a playoff system there essentially exists a super society in college football already. Even with the BCS' concessions last winter to avoid the CUSA lawsuit, the system is still set up to protect the BCS schools. And frankly, I wonder how much longer the Big East will remain in the BCS. There have also been rumblings of dropping the I-A and I-AA designations and making it all Division I football. But that's not going to happen anytime soon.

One way or another, I see another major realignment coming in I-A football. Perhaps we'll be in a position to be in the right place at the right time.

[RedDog]

I think as long as Mike Tranghese is still around the Big East, it will survive for a while ... I don't think they should keep their bid but I think West Virginia is carrying that conference and with Tranghese's political pull, I think they let them keep the bid long enough for schools such as Cincinnati, USF, Connecticut and others to catch up ... Rutgers made strides this year and Louisiville is going to be good once again next year but I think West Virginia will carry them again next year. With the BCS money in the conference and the basketball money, I think they will raise their bar high enough to stay where they need to ...

[Agent2Be]

Tranghese is the sole reason that the Big East is in the position they are in. He took the reigns as the head of the BCS, and positioned the BCS structure in such a way that even with the attrition from the Big East, it will be next to impossible for them to lose the BCS affiliation. Since the Big East is firmly entrenched in the BCS, I am not going to bash the system - I am glad to be part of it.

Does there need to be a fundamental shift in the way things are done - absolutely, but like the MLBPA, the BCS committees and Bowl committees are so powerful, there will never be a change made. The only thing that could potentially damage the BCS/Bowl committee (that does not apply to the MLBPA) would be some anti-trust legislation, but that gets sticky because non-BCS conferences have made it to BCS Bowl games. As much as I hate to say it, the Feds would have to step in to change the system, and I dont see that happening.

[PAmedic]

actually pulled it off CCU's board- thanks guys!



Lord knows, Falwell, Liberty thinking big in football

Feb. 9, 2006

By Dennis Dodd
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer

Of all the fires Jerry Falwell has started with his mouth, this nugget might be among the more incendiary:

"I refuse to die," the famous televangelist told SportsLine.com this week, "until we get this done."

What, a 900-foot Jesus? More fundamentalist doctrine?

No. Football. Falwell, 72, wants to preside over a Division I-A football program in his lifetime. A big-time D-I program, one that could take the field against Notre Dame some day on even terms.

More than that, the Liberty University chancellor is fast-tracking the sport. Liberty's I-AA program went 1-10 last year. The coach was fired. The AD resigned.

Falwell quickly hired Virginia assistant Danny Rocco. A new 36,000-seat stadium has been promised. A $7 million football complex opens in June.

"Just in the last year," he said, "we've decided to take football (to another level)."

The goal is for I-A to happen in the next decade. By then Falwell, who underwent heart surgery last year, will be 82.

"The issue," he said, "is getting it done soon enough for me to see it happen."

Lord willin' and the interest rates don't rise, Falwell's vision will be realized. America will have a fundamentalist Christian football superpower.

Don't be alarmed. ACLU vs. LU isn't on the schedule yet.

What Notre Dame is to Catholics and BYU is to Mormons, Liberty can be to evangelical Christians.

There's not a thing wrong with that, though Liberty's burden will be great. The school has a chance -- no, a duty -- to get it right.

It's not just Notre Dame and BYU -- two religion-based schools Liberty is using as football role models -- that have wandered off course at times.

Sooner or later, it seems big-time college sports corrupts everyone. Or at least compromises best intentions.

BYU with its rash of honor code violations -- and worse -- in recent years.

And Notre Dame often is about nothing more than Notre Dame. It left the old College Football Association hanging 15 years ago when it bolted for an exclusive contract with NBC. It just fired a coach before the term of his contract ended and awarded the new guy a 10-year deal after seven games.

Brings new meaning to do unto others.

"BYU and Notre Dame, for us, are the pacesetters because they have much the same challenge as we have," Falwell said.

That is both inspiring and disturbing. Maybe Falwell and the trustees have been stricken by the glitz.

A glitz that has shined in the eyes of secular newbies like Marshall and Central Florida. Each achieved varying levels of success after moving to I-A in the past decade.

Each has genuflected before the altar of big-time success. Marshall took Randy Moss when no one else would -- including Notre Dame. George O'Leary rebounded at Central Florida.

The man who committed ethical suicide at Notre Dame was a hero this year for the Golden Knights.

"The youth of the world speak two languages -- athletics and music," Falwell said. "They may not know who Billy Graham is, but they certainly know who Michael Jordan is, who Reggie Bush is."

Praise the ... President?

The ultimate goal, of course, is to use football to spread the Word of God, Liberty-style. But the chore of doing it with football, doing it right, doing it ethically, doing it consistently, is daunting.

According to 2005 statistics, there are 67 million Roman Catholics in the U.S. and 5.5 million Mormons. Falwell estimates there are 80 million evangelicals.

"There is no end to where it can go," he said.

The numbers are there, but so are the pitfalls. Winning souls while winning national championships? Tough chore. Sooner or later there is the danger of winning becoming the only message.

"Without (football), a university has a big gap in it that is not filled," Falwell said. "Basketball has a great appeal, but football is still king in America.

"Our message is the gospel of Jesus Christ ... you can do it better from a winning platform than from a losing platform."

So I-AA isn't that platform. It has to be nationally televised sun-splashed afternoons in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It has to be Falwell, who now he insists that cable news networks refer to him as "Liberty University chancellor" when speaking on their air.

The man is saved and savvy. Falwell is theoretically addressing the world's largest booster group every time he appears.

It has to be the largesse of Art Williams, a local millionaire insurance executive who has promised the stadium.

"He thinks reading, writing and 'rithmetic are nice, but football is the important thing," Falwell said.

Some might argue the 35-year old school with an enrollment of 9,000 in Lynchburg, Va., is fine the way it is. The campus is beautiful. The school is exclusive. Nineteen thousand kids have applied for acceptance in the fall, Falwell said. Only 4,000 will make it.

The long-term goal is to increase enrollment to 25,000.

When the athletic department was purged last year, it was speculated that the dearly departed didn't agree with Falwell's long-term, big-time vision.

"We're just going up another level on competency," he countered.

The men's basketball team already has been to the tournament. The women reached the Sweet 16 last year.

Lynchburg Christian Academy (K-12) is on campus and could be a potential feeder school. It is coached by Rocco's brother Frank and is undefeated the past two seasons.

"That's the first thing that pops into your mind, why not Liberty?" Rocco said. "I don't think you can find many, if any, campuses across the country that are more developed than this one right here, right now."

Rocco's presence at Liberty might be a validation of the vision. He coached at a Catholic school (Boston College) and for a religious coach (Bill McCartney at Colorado). For the past five years Rocco has been at Virginia, most recently as associate head coach.

"For all the passion Rev. Falwell has for his God, his church and university, he loves his football," Rocco said. "I want to see this thing through. I want it to happen."

If he could it hurry it up, that would be great with his boss.

When it comes to football, even eternal life has its limitations.

[PAmedic]

REALLY?

A new 36,000-seat stadium has been promised. A $7 million football complex opens in June.

now THIS comment has to be a first!

The school is exclusive. Nineteen thousand kids have applied for acceptance in the fall, Falwell said. Only 4,000 will make it.

love it, love it, love it- Katie would be proud!

"That's the first thing that pops into your mind, why not Liberty?" Rocco said.

[Guest]

Wow... what an article!

I'm very pleased and impressed. Thanks CBSsportsline.com!

[jcmanson]

That is an amazing article! It sent chills up and down my spine reading it. I believe that it will happen one day. If Falwell will be alive to see it, is the real question for me.

[TallyW]

The guest above was me. Lo Siento!

[Sly Fox]

That may be the first national story on our program that didn't include at least half dozen cracks on us. It kept our situation im perspective while not bashing our idealogy. That was very even-handed. And its not surprising coming from a top notch writer like Dodd. Frankly I'm a little surprised he gave us the ink considering everything else he covers.

You can give Dodd direct feedback on his webpage:
http://www.sportsline.com/columns/writers/dodd

There is also a feedback area on the story where as you can imagine the reaction is mixed. Perhaps we need to have some folks from here get on there and represent.

Go to bottom of this linked page and find 'TALK BACK!'

[PAmedic]

exactly right. Not only was I amazed at the balance to the piece- there were actually a few positive comments about the doc's faith and purpose, as well as the mission of the school- written in all seriousness and in no way construed as mocking. Very very nice.

[bigsmooth]

very nice article. the stadium bit is true. williams stadium was built for expansion capability to 36,000. i really woul dlove to see dr. falwell's vision come true.

[Rocketfan]

Boy would i love to see the design? How is that stadium going to seat that many, wow??

[PAmedic]

"back in the day" the discussion was filling in the oval around the scoreboard end, and then adding tiers to either side. One big horeshoe, so to speak. It wouldn't be difficult, and cheaper than building another stadium I'm sure.

[PAmedic]

this isn't a great comparison, but you can see how an upper level could be put over the existing "bowl" and one end get filled in. The upper tier wouldn't have to extend around either.



a modification COULD look something like this (horrible photo shopped job):

[PAmedic]

to give that rendering perspective- you'd be standing on the 9th floor of the Flames Club lounge at Campus North, looking down on the new fieldhouse at the near end, the pressbox/home side to your right, and the score board end with University Blvd behind it. (and the old fieldhouse/locker rooms removed).

PROTO may have a legit artists' rendering of proposed upgrades for all I know.

[bigsmooth]

very nice medic! glad to see you using UVA as an example. with the current layout i would put a deck on the student side, and then eventually either do the same to the pressbox side or tear down the existing fieldhouse and bowl it in. if anyone has been to maryland's byrd stadium they left the press box side with one level like ours now and then started decking the opposite side. a weird dsign, but kinda cool.

[PAmedic]

I knew you'd like that SMOOTHIE. the original photoshopped pic looked good too, w/out the fieldhouse and lettering- it would actually be a neat design!

here it is before I got REALLY carried away:

[PAmedic]

here's the MD stadium to which SMOOTHIE was referring: doesn't knock me over