Soccer the most profitable program at Akron??

[MDZip]

The average NCAA soccer program costs about $600k to run. Ours costs easily over $1 million thanks to higher coach's salaries and a high home-game production value (fireworks, two concession stands, more ticket staff and security, etc.). If we sold out all our home games and got the full 14 home games possible, at $5 a ticket and with 1500 students attending on average brings in just $15k. Season ticket premiums bring it to around $25k. Concessions and advertising maybe doubles it to $50k.

Soccer operates at a massive loss.

I won't get into all of the assumptions you made here, but at least look at your math. This year, soccer sold 750 season tickets at an average of $75 apiece, That alone is over $55,000 and that does not count GA ticket sales. And with your other assumption if we sold out every game and had 1500 students in attendance, that would still be 2700 paying customers. At $5 apiece and 14 homes games, that would be $189,000. I'm not saying it operates at a profit, but at the very least your ticket math is a bit off.

[ZachTheZip]

The average NCAA soccer program costs about $600k to run. Ours costs easily over $1 million thanks to higher coach's salaries and a high home-game production value (fireworks, two concession stands, more ticket staff and security, etc.). If we sold out all our home games and got the full 14 home games possible, at $5 a ticket and with 1500 students attending on average brings in just $15k. Season ticket premiums bring it to around $25k. Concessions and advertising maybe doubles it to $50k.

Soccer operates at a massive loss.

I won't get into all of the assumptions you made here, but at least look at your math. This year, soccer sold 750 season tickets at an average of $75 apiece, That alone is over $55,000 and that does not count GA ticket sales. And with your other assumption if we sold out every game and had 1500 students in attendance, that would still be 2700 paying customers. At $5 apiece and 14 homes games, that would be $189,000. I'm not saying it operates at a profit, but at the very least your ticket math is a bit off.

Crap. I knocked off a zero somewhere. That's what I get using my phone for a calculator. You're right, my math is way off. But I was being generous with the amount of paying customers by assuming only 1500 students show up per game. In reality it's more than that.

But as far as soccer operational cost, there was an article linked to Zipsnation a year or two ago that showed the cost of the top-10 non-revenue sports, with Men's Soccer at the very top. It was $600,000 per year, and ours is much higher thansk to paying Coach Porter an order of magnitude more money than most college soccer coaches (don't get me wrong, it's money well spent). Your $189,000 figure doesn't even cover coach Porter's salary. Soccer doesn't cover even 50% of the cost of the program. I think Football breaks even or comes close.

[Z.I.P.]

The average NCAA soccer program costs about $600k to run. Ours costs easily over $1 million thanks to higher coach's salaries and a high home-game production value (fireworks, two concession stands, more ticket staff and security, etc.). If we sold out all our home games and got the full 14 home games possible, at $5 a ticket and with 1500 students attending on average brings in just $15k. Season ticket premiums bring it to around $25k. Concessions and advertising maybe doubles it to $50k.

Soccer operates at a massive loss.

I won't get into all of the assumptions you made here, but at least look at your math. This year, soccer sold 750 season tickets at an average of $75 apiece, That alone is over $55,000 and that does not count GA ticket sales. And with your other assumption if we sold out every game and had 1500 students in attendance, that would still be 2700 paying customers. At $5 apiece and 14 homes games, that would be $189,000. I'm not saying it operates at a profit, but at the very least your ticket math is a bit off.

Crap. I knocked off a zero somewhere. That's what I get using my phone for a calculator. You're right, my math is way off. But I was being generous with the amount of paying customers by assuming only 1500 students show up per game. In reality it's more than that.

But as far as soccer operational cost, there was an article linked to Zipsnation a year or two ago that showed the cost of the top-10 non-revenue sports, with Men's Soccer at the very top. It was $600,000 per year, and ours is much higher thansk to paying Coach Porter an order of magnitude more money than most college soccer coaches (don't get me wrong, it's money well spent). Your $189,000 figure doesn't even cover coach Porter's salary. Soccer doesn't cover even 50% of the cost of the program. I think Football breaks even or comes close.

Interesting thread here! Just about EVERY sport with a few exceptions make $$ at some schools. I'm sure John's Hopkins has a profitable lacrosse program (to support the Med Center). The most profitable sport at the U of Hawaii is women's volleyball with >5000 ave attendance. I suspect schools like Cal Poly and UCSB make money from men's soccer. I'll look into it further.

[Dr Z]

I think Football breaks even or comes close.

Football 2009 revenue $17,942,424.

[Zipmeister]

The average NCAA soccer program costs about $600k to run. Ours costs easily over $1 million thanks to higher coach's salaries and a high home-game production value (fireworks, two concession stands, more ticket staff and security, etc.). If we sold out all our home games and got the full 14 home games possible, at $5 a ticket and with 1500 students attending on average brings in just $15k. Season ticket premiums bring it to around $25k. Concessions and advertising maybe doubles it to $50k.

Soccer operates at a massive loss.

I won't get into all of the assumptions you made here, but at least look at your math. This year, soccer sold 750 season tickets at an average of $75 apiece, That alone is over $55,000 and that does not count GA ticket sales. And with your other assumption if we sold out every game and had 1500 students in attendance, that would still be 2700 paying customers. At $5 apiece and 14 homes games, that would be $189,000. I'm not saying it operates at a profit, but at the very least your ticket math is a bit off.

Crap. I knocked off a zero somewhere. That's what I get using my phone for a calculator. You're right, my math is way off. But I was being generous with the amount of paying customers by assuming only 1500 students show up per game. In reality it's more than that.

But as far as soccer operational cost, there was an article linked to Zipsnation a year or two ago that showed the cost of the top-10 non-revenue sports, with Men's Soccer at the very top. It was $600,000 per year, and ours is much higher thansk to paying Coach Porter an order of magnitude more money than most college soccer coaches (don't get me wrong, it's money well spent). Your $189,000 figure doesn't even cover coach Porter's salary. Soccer doesn't cover even 50% of the cost of the program. I think Football breaks even or comes close.

Interesting thread here! Just about EVERY sport with a few exceptions make $$ at some schools. I'm sure John's Hopkins has a profitable lacrosse program (to support the Med Center). The most profitable sport at the U of Hawaii is women's volleyball with >5000 ave attendance. I suspect schools like Cal Poly and UCSB make money from men's soccer. I'll look into it further.

I suspect all that sunshine is starting to rot your thinker.