FAU will be dangerous

[Guest FIU Panther Fan]

Sorry to disappoint, but as long as the students are paying their athletic fee, which they have supported since the beginning of the football team, then we don't have a problem, the FIU football team could have 0 spectators and they would still be solvent.  However we do have a small base of 9,000 season ticket holders and we were able to fill up our on-campus stadium this past weekend in our win vs. FAMU.  The best part about it was that our student section was into it and had a great time.  Every year, that student section is growing and that's excatly what we need to keep this team on the field....and a new stadium!  Go Panthers!

 

[Joe]

WHo is paying for the UCF football stadium? I have heard rumors from a friend in the UCF sports management school, that many of their big boosters have offered a million a piece, and Rich DeVos (orlando magic) offered 3-5 mil.

[DawgPound]

Wouldn't surprise me.  I keep hearing that everyone wants in.

[smazza]

ftu/ou/oc who

[DawgPound]

Exactly.  Who names their school "ftu/ou/oc?"

In other words:  Get a clue.

[Knight_Light]

I'd be surprised if FAU has a team in 5 or 10 years.  They won't be able to compete with the other teams in Florida, including UCF.  They have no true conference identity, no TV rights, and they get the bottom of the barrel on FL recruiting.  They average about 12,000 fans, so they aren't making any money.  

How are they going to be dangerous ever?  They are only Provisional Division 1A depending on attendance the next two years.  I think they'll fold the way of the UT Spartans did back in the '70s.  Anyone remember them?

 

Don't be fooled on reported attendance by FAU.

When they played Oklahoma State at Joe Robbie Stadium in the beginning of the season...some reporters, stadium workers, those that watched some of the game on ESPN, and even OSU's radio announcers mentioned that the crowd was more like 4,000-5,000...not the 16,400 that was reported.

That's why even some FAU diehards know that their Div I-A Football Program is in trouble...as even a great "Salesman" like Howard S can't seem to "sell" those in South Florida anymore.

KL

[Knight_Light]

FAU is in a realm where there is "0" support from alumni and fans.  Schnelly will eventually burn out on trying anymore.  FAU is in the Sunbelt and will probably win some conference games or even compete for the Sunbelt title...but that's not saying much.  They're rebuilding already...it'll be a while before they're back.

UCF is on an upswing and although climbing slowly...they're still climbing and receiving a lot more support from alumni and brass.  The program will have better facilities on campus in all sports within 5 years....Football and indoor sports within 2.  By 2007...UCF will have a solid experienced team and be competing for the top 25.

In fact...once UCF's facilites are built...it will be USF that will be wondering how UCF got right back in the game.  UCF will be one of most attractive schools for athletes to go to in FL.  Not saying that UCF will be competing with the Big 3...but FAU won't catch up or grow like USF did.

Competing for Top 25?

Relax...that's a nice long-term goal (or vision)...but let's focus on getting to .500 someday...then maybe challenging for a CUSA East Title...then maybe winning a CUSA Title...then maybe winning a Bowl Game.

I don't think UCF will make the Top 25 TILL they win a CUSA Championship...and even if we do...if UCF loses some tough non-conf games...still no guarantee in making Top 25.

One step at a time....

BTW...one team's improvement on the field (or off with facilities) won't normally effect others...as almost EVERY Div I-A Program (including UCF and USF) have either made improvements and both have future plans to continue to invest in athletics and facilities.

KL

[GarySJ]

That's why even some FAU diehards know that their Div I-A Football Program is in trouble...as even a great "Salesman" like Howard S can't seem to "sell" those in South Florida anymore.

He's trying to sell a product that nobody wants. There was never any demand for a new football team in this area. Certainly not in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, where they're playing their games. The market is saturated. And FAU has no existing fan base. Orlando and Tampa aren't overrun with existing pro teams and higher-profile college programs like Dade/Broward is.

As for FIU, I have a hard time believing that S&A fees are all that's needed to pay the program's expenses. Football is expensive. Great for them if it is, and if the students are committed to paying it, but that gets to be a tough sell after awhile.

[Guest S.  Bien]

He's trying to sell a product that nobody wants. There was never any demand for a new football team in this area. Certainly not in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, where they're playing their games. The market is saturated. And FAU has no existing fan base. Orlando and Tampa aren't overrun with existing pro teams and higher-profile college programs like Dade/Broward is.

As for FIU, I have a hard time believing that S&A fees are all that's needed to pay the program's expenses. Football is expensive. Great for them if it is, and if the students are committed to paying it, but that gets to be a tough sell after awhile.

No way student fees make an athletic program solvent.  The costs for football scholarships in 1-A is some gaudy $2M, and that's just the scholarships, recruiting, throw in coaches salaries, equipment, travel, stadium rental, promotion, I've heard to run even a moderately decent football program you'll need at least a $6M budget for just football- and that's probably an average HC and staff making around $900k annually.  Most big schools have budgets for football in the $15-20M range.   Consider the fact if you had 23k students taking 9 credit hours a piece, and charged them $11 per credit hour for JUST FOOTBALL (which is illegal incidentally), then the athletic department would only raise about $2.3MM, that leaves a program about $3.7M short (all of which is on the high side).  That's why schools have donations for season tixs, and raise ticket prices.  

[Guest FIU Panther Fan]

Let's go through this calculation....per the Instutitutional website, follow link http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/Search.asp and look up Florida International University, we have an expense for football of approx. $2.8MM.  

FIU has 35,000 students and we will go with your avg. of 9 credit hour per student.  

We have an $11.66 athletic fee which would be approx. $3.7MM.

We have a $10.00 inter-collegiate sports fee which would be approx. $3.2MM

That's $6.9MM just in student fees, rough estimate, but I think it's about right.  

Like I said, the fees more than make up for the expense of football, and like I said, the students by an overwhelming majority.  We will be around for a while, what we need is to start construction on our on-campus stadium expansion (that's right, we don't pay stadium rent).  Hopefully, Coach Strock can make it happen, a lot of us are ready for a change if we don't improve this year.