Non-Revenue Sports

[leebiddlecome]

After soccer the women's golf program has easily been the most successful. They are down a bit this year but Coach Bo Ryan has won some league titles and made an NCAA appearance or two with his recruits.

[SFP]

If we take the men's basketball revenue out of the equation then all the other sports are operating at a cost to the University. There are some intangibles that sport program brings to a community regardless of cost. Those operating expense of the non-revenue sports are not going toward other areas of the university. What you are saying is let's take out funds from some other budget of the university and put it toward these sports. I cannot disagree more. We need funds to attract best professors, students and facilities for academic purposes. I'm a sports junkie but the BU's foremost responsibility is to recruit and retain the best academic minds possible. Men's basketball helps us achieve these goals without question and all the other sports need close scrutiny IMHO. I for one have no complaints on how the university has chosen to spend their limited resources. I would say BU is ran by astute business leaders.

[southpaw nothin]

After soccer the women's golf program has easily been the most successful. They are down a bit this year but Coach Bo Ryan has won some league titles and made an NCAA appearance or two with his recruits.

And Bo is a guy who has a unique and great motto about losing.

Really, with the new facilities going in place on campus, there will be ZERO reason the women's basketball and volleyball can not be programs that are the class of the Valley. I think maybe only one other school in the league can boast a facility that will be solely for the use of those two sports, and not have to share with any men's program.

The MVC is every bit as competitive nationally in those two sports as it is men's basketball. Two years ago, the MVC sent 4 teams to the NCAA in volleyball. Even though it's not a big money sport, the league benefited tremendously from it's NCAA appearance money.

It's not about dollars and cents. It's about commitment. Winning in those sports can make a big difference in fully funding sports like tennis, and hopefully sand volleyball.

[BuB]

The basketball program generates excess funds beyond what is actually spent for basketball so more than enough funds are available for the basketball program.
Clearly, basketball should be and is the first priority. What I am referring to are the excess funds beyond what is needed for and spent on basketball. These funds are available and could be used if the University would make a committment to fielding other competitive non-revenue sports teams like they did in soccer.

Is it possible our new president is starting to do this now? For example our new baseball coach was given resources that Dewey Kalmer did not get. A $35,000+ raise, a raise for the top asst. coach, doubling the recruiting budget, and a 2nd full time assistant with benefits added $100,000+ to the budget. Some may be shocked by the giant increase but thats what schools pay when they think they are upgrading.

[LG281]

Wiz - I agree with you completely but I can see where others are coming from.

For programs that are already in place, making them competitive should be a priority. Travel, uniforms, even coaching costs are already in place - give them the scholarships to be competitive.

Men's & Women's basketball are a wash when it comes to title IX. I've got to think that baseball and softball, the tennis and cross country teams, and golf squads cancel each other out too. So then you've got men's soccer and women's volleyball/track & field that even each other out.

So really if you gave softball, baseball, tennis, golf, and cross country the scholarships they need to be successful you wouldn't be doing anything to effect Men's basketball. So the question becomes if you give soccer more scholarships are there enough volleyball/track stars to even it out?

I don't think anyone on here (mods or posters) really knows what it takes to run a non-revenue sport. I also think that BU should strive to put the best product it can out into the marketplace (whatever that marketplace may be).

Slightly OT: but if BU needed more female scholarships what do you think would be added? I say women's soccer - we already have first class facilities. Or perhaps something like bowling or fencing that have low overhead.

[southpaw nothin]

Is it possible our new president is starting to do this now? For example our new baseball coach was given resources that Dewey Kalmer did not get. A $35,000+ raise, a raise for the top asst. coach, doubling the recruiting budget, and a 2nd full time assistant with benefits added $100,000+ to the budget. Some may be shocked by the giant increase but thats what schools pay when they think they are upgrading.

Yes. And it's a very good thing. You have to spend money to make money.

[southpaw nothin]

Slightly OT: but if BU needed more female scholarships what do you think would be added? I say women's soccer - we already have first class facilities. Or perhaps something like bowling or fencing that have low overhead.

You have to look at where the true opportunities for growth are. . .

Soccer stands to explode over the next 10-20 years. You have everything in place for a women's soccer program to be successful.

Other sports that are experiencing tremendous growth and popularity are water polo, lacrosse, sand volleyball, and rugby.

More schools are likely to play lacrosse and sand volleyball. Equipment costs for water polo are minimal, and not very many teams play, so if you get in early, you can establish a program that has some tradition if there is a boom in programs long-term.

[tornado]

Equipment costs for water polo are minimal,

where would a team play?
Don't you need a pool, and generally it has to be a pretty big one. The one at the Markin is nowhere near big enough and you'd even need seating as well.

[Da Coach]

We may be confusing Bradley with a mega-sized state school if we expect to see an expansion of the athletic program.

Bradley will not be adding new sports anytime soon (unless existing sports are dropped).

[SFP]

Yes. And it's a very good thing. You have to spend money to make money.

Spending money in these sports does not mean making money. Contrary it will take money away from other potential areas where the university can make a bundle like research and development.

Stanford University made a mint when they used their funds in funding Google. Creating the infrastructure for future commercial enterprise is where the university needs to go. Sports do add a sense of community, pride and PR to the school but I doubt any business would spend a huge percentage of their budget on PR when it should be spent on R&D. Men's basketball is in a class by itself because it makes money and is a great PR tool, any other sports program needs to be weighed in for its cost benefit ratio.

I'm sure if you were talking about your money you would think differently. It would be like sending your kids to piano, guitar, tennis, golf, gymnastic and swimming lessons and not sending them to a tutor if they need it because you can't afford it all. I would bet unless your kid is the next Tiger Woods or Michael Phelps (sacrafices will be made) you would chose the tutor over any of the extracurricular lessons.

[Lakeview Brave]

15 years ago Bradley was surrounded by a crime ridden neighborhood complete with gang, murder, prostitution ect.. Bradley Hall was antiquated and had almost none of the latest technology. Parking on campus was nearly impossible for students or visitors. The science center was outdated and unable to attract the top science students. The soccer team played in horrible conditions and almost never won a game. The tennis team had to go off campus to play because Bradley didn’t have courts. The baseball team played in a decent but not phenomenal facility. Somehow without Bradley becoming a mega university all of these things have changed for the better. I dont think its unrealistic or asking to much for us to be competitive in sports we already field and to perhaps add a womans soccer team. It takes vision and determination to get the job done but it can be done. Its not like asking for anything crazy like a top 3 finish for the basketball team.

[SFP]

Hey LakeView I love your signature. We do a lot using private funds, instead of tax dollars like ISU and SIU!

[tornado]

15 years ago Bradley was surrounded by a crime ridden neighborhood complete with gang, murder, prostitution ect.. Bradley Hall was antiquated and had almost none of the latest technology. Parking on campus was nearly impossible for students or visitors. The science center was outdated and unable to attract the top science students. The soccer team played in horrible conditions and almost never won a game. The tennis team had to go off campus to play because Bradley didn??™t have courts. The baseball team played in a decent but not phenomenal facility. Somehow without Bradley becoming a mega university all of these things have changed for the better. I dont think its unrealistic or asking to much for us to be competitive in sports we already field and to perhaps and a womans soccer team. It takes vision and determination to get the job done but it can be done. Its not like asking for anything crazy like a top 3 finish for the basketball team.

and there are some who claim that the athletic director during virtually that entire stretch had nothing to do with those remarkable achievements....

[southpaw nothin]

If you are referring to anything I wrote, tornado, that is a terrible mis-representation.

I fully acknowledged "universal facility improvement" as the obvious achievement of Kavanagh's tenure in my very first sentence.

However, I also thought it responsible to point out that several of the projects were on the drawing board or in long-term strategic plan before he became AD, and that his involvement in them was not unilateral.

[tornado]

it was my assessment that in a couple prior threads there were some posts, and I don't recall from whom, that suggested none of the positive achievements recently was to the credit of Mr. Kavanagh.