The Book 2008 Football

[zephyr]

_ If a coach has job security after multiple losing seasons, then it must be accepted that the administration at his institution has decided that athletics aren't a priority in the university's mission, they're merely another necessary expense, like groundskeeping maintenance.

Although I'm admittedly an outsider, I cannot understand the "can we afford?" line of questioning. No school can afford the going rate for a quality coach, let alone the costs involved in maintaining the arms race...but, conversely, football is one of the very few areas in higher ed where the initial investment and continued commitment has the ability to turn a profit. Currently, the real question for any school is "can we afford not to perpetuate the growing expense?"

I'll have to dig through my files, but I saved a few good articles and spreadsheets from the NCAA website that broke down NCAA football profit/loses by institution. What I found fascinating weren't the huge profits made by the traditional programs, but the trend over the past 10 years for everybody else. Even some D1AA schools have started to cut losses/break even, and amazingly enough a couple actually are turning profits. The numbers defy all reason and are entirely counter-intuitive. For instance Connecticut put forth a mediocre effort for upgrade to 1A in '00...yet somehow football already out-earns a basketball program with 2NCs in the last 10 years...by a significant amount.

Furthermore, being a Troy Alum as well, I've seen how signing on for 'rent a slaughters' can finance the entire athletics dept. If UL merely dropped the McNeese State game and the annual MAC matchup, they could earn $600K-$1mil/game signing on for another school's open dates. Without even batting an eyelash, the athletics dept has another $1-1.5 mil to upgrade their staff.

Look at UNC, that program was terrible for a long time, and still has substandard facilities...Paying Butch Davis $2.1mil/yr has quickly changed from a perception of gross fiscal responsibility, to that of an astute investment in less than 2 years. _

What you don't understand is that we don't have the athletic budget of a UNC who can go out and do this. Just a couple of years ago, our entire athletic budget was 7 million dollars. We had the next to lowest athletic budget in all of D-1 programs. Where do you expect these dollars to come from? We are in the process of instituting the RCAF but last I heard, it wasn't official yet. Dr. A had driven away many of the people who did want to donate private dollars because he didn't want to allow them to dictate where those dollars went. We would love to insititute a student fee that would help with funding but first, that must be passed through the state university system and must be voted on by the students. We are open to your wisdom on how we can raise dollars through the university system but until then, we are hamstring with a less than adequate budget.

A budget that does not allow us to pay coaches whatever we like. Do I wish we could offer a head coach 700k? Absolutely. Until we are allowed to do so, we have to be able to "afford" a coach and his assistants he brings in.

[zephyr]

_ OK I found the it in a previous post .... "LAFAYETTE – University of Louisiana at Lafayette head football coach Rickey Bustle has agreed to a two-year contract extension, keeping him on the sideline through the 2010 season, ..."

Also, if I am not mistaken he has options for automatic extensions. I can not recall exactly what they are. Possibly winning the Sun Belt and a bowl game. 1 year for each accomplishment.

If we win the Sun Belt, will this be a topic of discussion? I am sure it still will be ...

Again, I say we focus on what we have good on the field right now. A group of guys who truly want to win and who put forth 110% on the field each game. _

Yes, but I think that extension is incentive based. Meaning, if he doesn't have a winning season this year or win conference which would also mean a winning season, he doesn't get the extension. The best person to answer this officially would be Jay Walker if you email him.

[zephyr]

_ Us LSU guys are nothing if not helpful.

If you going to the game, have a fun and safe trip. _

If we could only get you LSU guys to launder a little bit of your budget to us!!! I promise I won't tell.

[Zeebart21]

_ Us LSU guys are nothing if not helpful.

If you going to the game, have a fun and safe trip. _

LOL!! I find something very, very humorous about that statement! Can't quite pinpoint it...I'll let you know when I do!

Z

[Zeebart21]

_ Con men abide.

I'll be heading out soon. I snuck out early yesterday PM in order to get the weekly golf round out of the way. No way I make the usual time and day this week end. LOL!!! _

I can't make it, but remember what happened the last time you ventured North?

You need to sit in the same area of the stadium...same seats, same section....bring an extra wrench...maybe a screw driver...just in case a seat comes loose!

[Zeebart21]

_ This is like putting lipstick on a pig.

Do I want the Cajuns to win it? Absolutely, just like the other 8 games left on the schedule. But, it's no "rivalry game" to me.

_

I just spoke to her...she said GO CAJUNS!

[Hammer58]

Josh fell for the hype written earlier in the week by one of the Gannet guys in moanroe. That "trophy" was created and pushed by the moanrovians to try to get us to by into their hype. As an earlier post pointed out it is an important conference game and one step on the road to the dome. But don't try to make it more than it is.

[Parrott]

I don't believe I fell for any "hype" concerning this game.

Players and coaches on both sides expressed interest in bringing back the trophy for this game. And you might not believe it's a "rivalry" game, but ULM is the closest thing UL currently has to a "rival" on the schedule year-in, year-out, and vice-versa.

Again, just ask the players and coaches from both sides. Their words carry this story.

Sorry you guys don't agree.

[Parrott]

_ Yes, but I think that extension is incentive based.

Bustle's current contract runs through January 2011.
He gets an extra year with a winning record.
He gets two years with an outright conference championship.

[snote]

"The coaches and fans probably don't take it as seriously as the players do," Thompson said. "We all know a couple guys from the other team, and there's a little jawing back and forth leading up to the game. But we're not friends when we step on the gridiron.

"Whoever wins this game gets to brag until next year."

UL defensive line coach Gerald Broussard, who played for the Cajuns from 1979-83, offered a simple solution to increasing the interest in the series. His suggestion involved no trophy upgrades.

" If we both win, this will become a bigger game," said Broussard, who has spent 15 years as an assistant at UL. "We both have to do our part to develop our programs to win on a consistent basis.

"If we do that, it will make this game even bigger."

the 4 players and 1 coach i talked with yesterday on the snote all expressed various degrees of positivity ( from "no doubt" to yes, but not as big as rams/lions) when asked if the warhawks football game was a rivalry..