MBB Final: Louisiana 73, GSU 84

[zephyr]

Basketball is dead in the Deep South.

No its not

[Big Buds]

No its not

If it’s not it’s damn near on life support. There is nowhere near the support or interest there was twenty years ago. On the other hand, college baseball has sky rocketed in that timeframe.

[zephyr]

If it’s not it’s damn near on life support. There is nowhere near the support or interest there was twenty years ago. On the other hand, college baseball has sky rocketed in that timeframe.

Not really. If you go back and look at our attendance from 20 years ago, it was not much higher than it is now. Schools all over the South are seeing record attendance because they are building good programs. If you went and looked at Houston's attendance, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas Tech etc.. I think you'd see that. You are looking at it from our perspective and applying it to a larger more general area. I saw MAT making this same claim a while back and addressed TV revenues and they are higher than they were even 5 years ago and baseball can't compare in attendance overall or TV marketing power.

[Scott Malkinson]

Last financial report I looked at did not indicate that diamond sports were taking in more than men's basketball. Do you have some data you are referencing or are you just assuming?

Last audit report had basketball revenue around a Mill and Diamond sports around 2 mill

[Turbine]

Last audit report had basketball revenue around a Mill and Diamond sports around 2 mill

Part of that is softball generates money and women's basketball not so much.

Another factor playing into the 2mil could be commitments to help pay for both of the new diamond parks.

In the end I have no idea, just spit balling.

[ULvictory]

If it’s not it’s damn near on life support. There is nowhere near the support or interest there was twenty years ago. On the other hand, college baseball has sky rocketed in that timeframe.

Then why are we paying our coach the highest salary in the conference? Why not take some of that money and invest it in sports that have a shot? If that's the case, then we are throwing away money.

Every year there is a conference champion who represents us in the Dance. We have had that opportunity one time in 11 seasons. The question is simple: is it because basketball is dead in the deep south that we have not had that success? Is it because our standards are not that high (I don't even know what our standards are in this sport)? Or is it because we have underachieved? The numbers do not lie. One appearance in 11 years with only one conference final appearance has nothing to do with basketball being dead in the south as much as it has to do with the lack of production. If it were the other way around, we would not be playing in a refurbished Cajundome nor would our coach make the highest salary in the conference.

[zephyr]

Last audit report had basketball revenue around a Mill and Diamond sports around 2 mill

Are the diamond sports being counted together? What fiscal year was this? I can promise this is not the case in the south or any other region. Basketball is just a bigger money generator, especially amongst the bigger conferences with better tv revenue to share. Period.

[CajunT]

Are the diamond sports being counted together? What fiscal year was this? I can promise this is not the case in the south or any other region. Basketball is just a bigger money generator, especially amongst the bigger conferences with better tv revenue to share. Period.

They are, because I've never seen baseball fund operating expenses over 1M. MBB was at $1.4M last audit I read which puts it in the Top 4 or 5 of the SBC.

[Big Buds]

Not really. If you go back and look at our attendance from 20 years ago, it was not much higher than it is now. Schools all over the South are seeing record attendance because they are building good programs. If you went and looked at Houston's attendance, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas Tech etc.. I think you'd see that. You are looking at it from our perspective and applying it to a larger more general area. I saw MAT making this same claim a while back and addressed TV revenues and they are higher than they were even 5 years ago and baseball can't compare in attendance overall or TV marketing power.

I definitely think basketball attendance was higher twenty years ago. Just use RP as a measuring stick. Way more fan traction on a mid-week baseball game thread than a Saturday night basketball game. Basketball is without a doubt the bigger money generating sport in the NCAA, I’m not questioning that. But the trends, in my opinion, are switching in the south.

[Big Buds]

Then why are we paying our coach the highest salary in the conference? Why not take some of that money and invest it in sports that have a shot? If that's the case, then we are throwing away money.

Every year there is a conference champion who represents us in the Dance. We have had that opportunity one time in 11 seasons. The question is simple: is it because basketball is dead in the deep south that we have not had that success? Is it because our standards are not that high (I don't even know what our standards are in this sport)? Or is it because we have underachieved? The numbers do not lie. One appearance in 11 years with only one conference final appearance has nothing to do with basketball being dead in the south as much as it has to do with the lack of production. If it were the other way around, we would not be playing in a refurbished Cajundome nor would our coach make the highest salary in the conference.

These are legitimate questions the university needs to answer. My point is that people talk and care way more about Cajun baseball around town than Cajun basketball. I may be off when regarding my opinion towards the Deep South but I’m not far off.

As a whole Mens basketball generates more money so therefore the coaches will get paid more...but our guy is WAY overpaid!

[ULvictory]

These are legitimate questions the university needs to answer. My point is that people talk and care way more about Cajun baseball around town than Cajun basketball. I may be off when regarding my opinion towards the Deep South but I’m not far off.

As a whole Mens basketball generates more money so therefore the coaches will get paid more...but our guy is WAY overpaid!

Our baseball program competes on a national level. As of today, we are a top 50 program. Basketball’s NET ranking is barely above #200. Just take a look at our baseball schedule in the next three weeks. We are playing the best of the best and will be competing in every game. Basketball plays the last place SEC team during the 27-win season that our coaches are STILL selling after THREE FULL SEASONS HAVE BEEN PLAYED, and they beat us by 18. Naturally, which sport will attract more fans?

It’s all about the return on investment. If you invest a quality product, you will get a return via fan support. Continue to pad your record with LSU-A and Dillard, and you get a Cajundome hosting 500 fans.

[Cajunsmike]

Our baseball program competes on a national level. As of today, we are a top 50 program. Basketball’s NET ranking is barely above #200. Just take a look at our baseball schedule in the next three weeks. We are playing the best of the best and will be competing in every game. Basketball plays the last place SEC team during the 27-win season that our coaches are STILL selling after THREE FULL SEASONS HAVE BEEN PLAYED, and they beat us by 18. Naturally, which sport will attract more fans?

It’s all about the return on investment. If you invest a quality product, you will get a return via fan support. Continue to pad your record with LSU-A and Dillard, and you get a Cajundome hosting 500 fans.

Basketball did not play the last place SEC team in 2018. LSU was middle of the pack and beat us by 8 in Baton Rouge.