Louisiana athletics operated at $8 million deficit during 2023 fiscal year

[CajunVic]

Some have a difficult time with math. Many here have posted that they do not partake in concessions because of the price, quality and lines. I’m not sure what the answer may be but am very sure spending another $1,250,000 to $2,500,000 on a HFC would have just put us further in the hole. See attendance under Napier.

[facelessjonmoon]

I’m not against the charter flights, but we have a 12k seat arena and we can’t sell 2k in season tickets.

I agree.... Its a big problem
At this point with the price of everything (in general) going through the roof I'm not sure if I'll renew my 6 bball season Tix next year

[Scott Malkinson]

Biggest thing is the disconnect from the fanbase or lack there of and the administration.

[Cajunrunner]

I’m not dismissing the lost ticket sales revenue, but is MH funding athletics fully yet??

That is a highly politically charged issue. When you are (right or wrong) already losing the perception battle of how you fund athletics, piling more general fund transfers probably isn’t the best until the revenue/donation aspect improves.

[Policarp]

Pretty sure they only budget 2% vs 3% of total school revenues......hence they have 10-12M of funds available to athletics NOT in budget but well within the 3% state cap.

They just as soon simply budget to the full 3% available and report a surplus.

[ManAboutTown]

I just can't understand how one would think we have a spending problem when our two biggest money generators can't average 40% of their attendance capacity. We get brutalized by Ticketmaster and how long did that take to change? We get brutalized by Sodexo, and how long will that take to change? We lost $3mm in revenue after Barnes and Noble took over merchandise. How long will that take to change and when will the person responsible for that jackassery be fired?

If you look at the trends, season tickets and attendance have declined three straight years in basketball and two straight years in football. We don't pay full cost of attendance and we have a skeleton staff for everything. The issue is generating revenue in the current climate of collegiate athletics.

When I found out we weren't selling out Lamson and Russo, I knew we were in trouble. I had no idea it would be this bad. And this is from LAST year. Wait until the 2023 numbers get tailed up.

[R1Letterman]

I’m not dismissing the lost ticket sales revenue, but is MH funding athletics fully yet??

Sounds like they did, albeit somewhat after the fact

[cajunref]

Exactly, wait till FY23-24 is published. The problems start at the top, I believe we have been in a downward trend since Maggard was hired.

[ManAboutTown]

Exactly, wait till FY23-24 is published. The problems start at the top, I believe we have been in a downward trend since Maggard was hired.

I think the real problems revealed themselves when Nico left. I never thought I'd say that 3 years ago, but it's become painfully obvious.

[ZoomZoom]

Total ticket sales dropped by over 500,000
Football dropped by 542,000.
One might surmise some other sports may have increased

Welp, ya get what you pay for. It’s a chicken/egg thing.

Throw in the treatment of students, what different outcome can one expect?

And the aversion towards work going with third party contracts, here UL sits.

Next year will be worse. Torn up stadium won’t draw. MH needs to run Matilda the Hun and get the students to events…and make it memorable in a positive way. That’s the future donors, most old guys are getting tired watching our memories fade away.

[CajunVic]

I think the real problems revealed themselves when Nico left. I never thought I'd say that 3 years ago, but it's become painfully obvious.

Have always really loved Nico, however Nico left as the NIL and free transfer rules came into effect. I have a feeling that the lion’s share of the issues were caused by the latter.

[ManAboutTown]

Welp, ya get what you pay for. It’s a chicken/egg thing.

Throw in the treatment of students, what different outcome can one expect?

Throw in the aversion towards work going with third party contracts, here UL sits.

Throw in the people in power having no earthly idea how to connect with our community and treat them like embeciles with the way they communicate... Every bit of this is earned and we've been screaming it for 3 years.

[CharlieK]

Pas bon

[CajunNation]

Pretty sure they only budget 2% vs 3% of total school revenues......hence they have 10-12M of funds available to athletics NOT in budget but well within the 3% state cap.

They just as soon simply budget to the full 3% available and report a surplus.

This right here.

[Turbine]

A bona fide ticket drive in all sports would make a dent.

As is no bona fide ticket drives to speak of.