CL82,
Assuming it plays out per the article, how does UConn sustain massive deficits for the next 7 years and maintain football facilities? What will its brand be after another 7 years of irrelevance or worse. Once it plays football in the B12, how can it fund $22mm per year for NIL? How long after 2031 will it earn a full payout. This can’t be a good financial deal for the University or State. Thanks
Football's current deficit is about 14 million. The Connecticut governor has indicated his support for both the football program and the university. I believe that Connecticut currently has a budget surplus so the money is there. They've committed to $100 million in renovations to Gampel, 125 million, I think, in renovations to the XL center, and additionally are planning 175 million in renovations to Rentschler field. That's 400 million right there. I don't think the annual $14 million football deficit is particularly daunting to them.
I just do not get them thinking they can be a big time football program . Their problem is that they invested big money in the program and they are stuck with it . Instead of eating their losses they are continuing to put good money into a bad product hoping that going into a football conference will help build their program. They will take the money and run . Good luck with that. Remember when anybody says it's not about the money IT ALWAYS IS !!!
Like it or not, and I don't particularly like it, football is where the money is. UConn's most recent athletic department deficit is $35 million, if I recall correctly. A full share in the big 12 would pay it off so we would essentially be breakeven. Of course that doesn't take into account the additional travel cost, which been estimated at about 2 million a year and other additional costs of membership in that conference. Of course it also doesn't take into account that a full share of college football playoff money is an additional $15 million.
At this point, especially given the considerable amount of money Connecticut has already invested in football, it would be dumb
not to chase full membership in a P4 conference.
Again, because I'm a basketball first fan, I don't love it, but not loving it doesn't mean I don't recognize that, for the time being, the future of college athletics is closely linked to big-time football.
Yep. Without the taxpayers footing the bill, there's no way we could compete at this level. Since I'm a New Jersey resident, I don't pay it, but, on the other hand, both of us paid to subsidize Rutgers.
It is what it is.
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