From the May 15 edition, interesting story about college baseball and how it seems to be failing financially. Some schools have cut baseball all together.

Some snipits from the story:

- On average, baseball programs cost $900,000 and lose nearly $700,000 overall, which the NCAA cites is more than the loss per team in any other men's sport.
- Some coaches site the season starting in February as a reason of declining profits, saying that northern schools, which are nearly half the programs in Div. 1 baseball, have to travel for the first month of play to avoid cold and snowy conditions up north. That puts them at a competitive and financial disadvantage.
- Last year, 30 percent of baseball programs did not meet the minimum APR, although the APR is generally climbing the past two years.
- Teams play 56 games in 90 days.
- Only 10 percent of Div. 1 baseball programs avg. more than 2,000 fans per game. The Chronicle cited Vermont's 276 average attendance figure as "more typical"
- Of all Div. 1 programs that have baseball teams, only about half offer the full 11.7 scholarships allowed by the NCAA.

Interesting facts and a good read in the Chronicle

At schools that don't have marquee athletic teams, expenses for non-revenue generating sports have to be made up elsewhere, including revenue from other sports (mainly football and men's basketball), sponsorships and donations. In FAU's case, I think the success of football and basketball revenues will dictate the financial future of other athletics teams (outside of donations and other fund raising sources.)

Makes you wonder how FAU will be able to upgrade it's baseball program.  The field they play at now is such a piece of crap…it's sad, especially given how well FAU's baseball program has done over the years.

The said

Makes you wonder how FAU will be able to upgrade it's baseball program.  The field they play at now is such a piece of crap…it's sad, especially given how well FAU's baseball program has done over the years.

Think about a university athletics program as a business. If we upgrade the baseball field, it would FANTASTIC, and much EARNED, but will it put butts in the seats? Maybe down the road… because a better facility will attract better recruits that eventually will turn into more wins and higher profile. Example: FAU football six years after our 2003 season.

But if you sink some money into the basketball area, you are essentialy improving three sports: women's basketball, men's basketball and volleyball. You charge tickets for all three and men's basketball now has a high-profile coach and is considered a "revenue sport."

I'm not saying FAU should or shouldn't go one way or another. But I'm looking at the area from the blimp… so to speak…

smittysahoot said

But if you sink some money into the basketball area, you are essentialy improving three sports: women's basketball, men's basketball and volleyball. You charge tickets for all three and men's basketball now has a high-profile coach and is considered a "revenue sport."

I'm all about upgrading facilities and I believe the Burrow looks several times better than it used to.

That being said, I don't think volleyball sells any tickets. I feel kinda bad for student athletes that play poorly-attended sports. I know they still get the scholarship, I know they still get to play the sport they love, etc but it's gotta be disheartening to know you're giving your best and nobody's really seeing it except your teammates…

owlcountry said

smittysahoot said

But if you sink some money into the basketball area, you are essentialy improving three sports: women's basketball, men's basketball and volleyball. You charge tickets for all three and men's basketball now has a high-profile coach and is considered a "revenue sport."

I'm all about upgrading facilities and I believe the Burrow looks several times better than it used to.

That being said, I don't think volleyball sells any tickets. I feel kinda bad for student athletes that play poorly-attended sports. I know they still get the scholarship, I know they still get to play the sport they love, etc but it's gotta be disheartening to know you're giving your best and nobody's really seeing it except your teammates…

owlcountry: what I meant was that FAU improved the facility that three ticket-based attendance sports play in.

But yes, you are correct. Not a lot of people watch sports like men's soccer, women's soccer, swimming and diving, cross country, golf, volleyball, softball and baseball. It's a shame because those students play their hearts out. But that's the trent across the nation. Of course you get your UF's, UCLA's, Penn State's, etc. that nearly sell out for volleyball because they are one of the top teams in the country.

I've been saying this for a while now. The only way they are going to upgrade and renovate the baseball stadium anytime soon is if a hurricane comes through and does severe damage to the stadium. Right now, how would it look if the president turned down a raise, the budget keeps getting cut but we're going to renovate our baseball stadium? Kimberly Miller would have a field day with that.

If a hurricane does damage to the stadium, like it did to the burrow then they can use their insurance money to fix it once and for all and upgrade it, like they did with the burrow.