clarkwgriswold

The only thing of value I derived from that article was the statement "The first thing you say to a school facing financial exigency is: Do not cut sports," Lopiano said. "Every alumni that ever played that sport at your institution in the last 100 years will be on your case, and the loss of future donated revenues and goodwill is not something you want to deal with." The company that employ the woman quoted is a consulting firm apparently devoted to developing sports programs. Not sure she's a disinterested expert.

It was better when Churchill said it! One area the president could save money is in video production. The weekly end of the world updates could be done in a brief memo form.

I hate to disturb the lovely quiet over here but here's a Beacon article on the anticipated budget deficit. The original article is short enough to paste here- The University of Akron’s financial woes as a result of the coronavirus outbreak are “at least a $65 million to $70 million challenge,” President Gary Miller said in a video message to campus Monday. That number takes into account both “real and anticipated” loss of revenues for next fiscal year, Miller said. Miller also announced an initial plan to consolidate the university into five colleges. Newly appointed Provost John Wiencek will announce further details within the next week, he said. The announcement came a week after Miller released a similar video sharing plans for substantial cuts to athletics and a reorganization of departments. Executives will also take a 10% pay cut. The university was already expecting financial uncertainty, as enrollment has continued to drop for the last decade to just under 20,000 this year. The budget approved for the current fiscal year, which ends in June, called for dipping into the university’s reserves by about $11 million.

Wow, Joe Lunardi must have been really bored in his downtime.

I saw something about PCCC signing 3 kids that never visited the school due to the coronavirus. I'd say kids not traveling to Brimfield can only benefit Mr. Pinky.

Right now, there's one very large reason, unfortunately- the cost of attending (travel.hotels, ,food, etc.).

Mr. Pinky and Mr. Stinky taking 10% pay cuts in Brimfield.

But administrators are in part politicians (except Scarborough, LOL) and part of their decision making involves where they'll take heat from and what decisions won't draw criticism. The students and the teaching unions aren't marching on the President's office over cuts to sports. Don't get me wrong guys, I don't want to see drastic changes, I'm just saying in a world of pay to play and criticism of the finances of athletics that a winless football program is an easy target. Hopefully, there are enough donor alumni to apply enough pressure to prevent drastic changes.

Agreed, not at all. I just point to it as an example of the environment in which these decisions will be made.

Fair enough. I respect a respectful disagreement! I just think if you pull an average UA student or faculty member off of the street and ask them how the basketball team did this year or who the starting QB is, you will get a blank stare. Unfortunately, that's the environment in which these decisions will be made.

...and the reason we haven't has been that no one in authority gives a **** or they would have devoted the budget to it to do it right.

I would say that collectively the University of Akron as a whole cannot get past step one as the administration and students by and large do not give a **** about athletics. Looking at the crowds tells you the students don't care. Looking at history tells you that the administration has never made athletics a priority or acknowledged the benefits a strong athletic program can have on a campus. They can't be uncomfortable with the current state as they don't care.

I think it would also help fuel local interest in the team. I think some kids though just want to go away to college and there's not much you can do about that.

...and recruiting coordinator. The Pryor kid shows promise. He came from Glen Oak. He is only a sophomore.

https://www.beaconjournal.com/news/20190412/ua-seeks-1-million-for-construction-deficiencies-at-infocision-stadium

I didn't mean to infer it couldn't happen. I was just referencing how it might work in the "real world", not the public institution/bond world.

Imagine that conversation in the private sector. "We have this property that we're upside down in that nobody else wants and it's 10 years old and already decaying. We'd like to refinance." Click. "Hello.....hello?"

I'd have to see how much was donor supported. We could always put the Skeeles' names on the JAR. Rhodes can't complain!

Fair enough. The MAC is a good fit. It begs the question- where do they look to make the cuts? Axe programs? Across the board cuts?

Who would want a decaying, depreciating, unmarketable white elephant? If I live in Akron there's no way in hell I'd ever support the city or school district taking that on.

I'd just like to say that in a world of budget cuts and debates and awful football that it's great to have a team we can enjoy and get behind.

Their noodling team and washboard and jug band program are doomed.

Yep. Our enemies in Brimfield set a record for that last year.

Wouldn't fewer scholarships at the FCS level make it less of a financial burden on some level?

Fresh from Cleveland.com (with some small modifications at the beginning)- "Brimfield, Ohio – PCCC President Todd Diacon announced Monday the university intends to reduce spending, including salary cuts, layoffs and a hiring freeze, to offset as much as $110 million in losses incurred because of the coronavirus crisis. In an email to faculty and staff, Diacon said the university plans to reduce its budget by 20% for fiscal year 2021, which begins on July 1, 2020." "Other cost-saving measures including a hiring freeze in effect through fiscal year 2021, pausing all university-sponsored travel, reducing spending on athletics and postponing new campus construction projects." This along with the stuff posted about other schools is actually promising. It shows, as we've hoped, that others are going through the same things and that system wide changes could be coming as a result.