Wazzu's Money Problems...

[ScottyBuff]

Washington State outlines plan to balance budget

An example of a "mid-major" program trying to keep pace and only getting themselves into financial trouble.

The budget strategy, contingent on media-rights fees, record donations to the Cougar Athletic Fund, improved ticket sales, corporate sponsorships and a spike in student fees...

WSU’s strategy is dependent on increasing revenue 27 percent by fiscal year 2023. A portion of that may stem from a rise in student fees, which would need student approval.

WSU is also anticipating a noticeable boost in revenue generated from media rights, which currently account for $19.6 million of the annual revenue. According to calculations, that number could rise to $25.2 million by the end of fiscal year 2023.

WSU consistently spends less than any other Power Five conference program in the country.

The current debt can largely be traced to the commitment – important, albeit costly – that former AD Bill Moos made to enhancing WSU’s athletic facilities, most notably the addition of a $61 million football complex.

Yet, two years ago they already proposed a similiar plan to get inline by 2020 but things haven't gotten any better since then.

WSU Students balk at paying higher fees.

The Cougs are really trying hard to play above their head in the Pac-12 and in football in particular; this is going to put alot of pressure on the Pac-12 and Commissioner to increase media rights distributions between now and 2023 but also beyond that.

 

[Bufffan68]

CFB is quickly turning into the haves and have nots. Unless they are proactive (haha), it will only get worse and I could see them losing fans (like me) if it becomes as openly craven as pro sports. I think the NFL does it right...particularly revenue sharing and salary/expense caps...and something like that could help CFB but I don't see the elite programs having a more egalitarian revenue sharing or capping expenses (i.e. 'consultants', facilities etc). If they don't go the NFL route, it's gonna look like MLB...ugh!

 

[Bison]

WSU comes from a remote area and it's not helped by the fact that University of Idaho is eight miles away across the state border. Maybe with the Vandals dropping down to FCS, that might help somewhat. You have about 70,000 people between the two counties that both towns are located in plus Spokae-CDA are a hour and a half away. I don't think that is a sustainable to support two FBS teams and WSU is more closer to a mid-major when you consider the locations it is part of. Plus the older PAC schools didn't invite Idaho after the breakup of the PCC...PAC might be getting ready to do the same thing to WSU and Oregon State.

 

[Highlander]

CFB is quickly turning into the haves and have nots. Unless they are proactive (haha), it will only get worse and I could see them losing fans (like me) if it becomes as openly craven as pro sports.

Not true. CFB has always been this way. It is just the internet makes access to information way more accessible than it was even just 10 years ago.

 

[skibum]

Not true. CFB has always been this way. It is just the internet makes access to information way more accessible than it was even just 10 years ago.

This is a fair point, but I do think that the disparity between the average program and the top programs is growing larger.

In absolute terms, I'm 100% confidence that is the case - but I'm pretty sure it's also true in relative terms: i.e. 40 years ago the top programs had budgets that were 2x bigger than the average, but now they're 4x bigger. (note: completely pulling those numbers out of my ass, so I'm definitely wrong on the exact numbers, but I'm pretty sure I'm right on the direction of the trend).

 

[ahoelsken]

CFB is quickly turning into the haves and have nots. Unless they are proactive (haha), it will only get worse and I could see them losing fans (like me) if it becomes as openly craven as pro sports. I think the NFL does it right...particularly revenue sharing and salary/expense caps...and something like that could help CFB but I don't see the elite programs having a more egalitarian revenue sharing or capping expenses (i.e. 'consultants', facilities etc). If they don't go the NFL route, it's gonna look like MLB...ugh!

I think their situation is unique to a school like that..........who clearly is second fiddle in their state. That said, it does put an onus on Larry to do something about the TV contracts we have as league, which is good.

 

[Bufffan68]

Both good points. Perhaps the amount of money now casts into stark relief disparities that have always been there. And the little brother thing is valid too.

 

[BlackNGold]

So WSU would have benefited from the increase in revenues from the PAC12 but every time there is a revenue increase we see a corresponding "arms war" with spending increasing as fast as the money comes in to the program.

 

[Not Sure]

I really hate the direction college football is headed. CU will do OK for most of the changes, but we are definite outliers when it comes to the upper echelon of college football and college athletic departments. There’s a small handful of programs that are poised to outspend just about everybody else and make it impossible to compete. This, combined with a shrinking talent pool (fewer kids playing youth football) is a disturbing trend.

 

[Buffnik]

Quick edit to thread title: Washington State is Wazzu. It's not spelled like Missouri did with Mizzou.

(Little things like that which grind my gears - like people writing OU for Oregon instead of UO. We're not in the Big 8 any more. This is not an attack on anyone. I fully realize that this is me having my panties in a bunch. )

 

[BuffsNYC]

Quick edit to thread title: Washington State is Wazzu. It's not spelled like Missouri did with Mizzou.

(Little things like that which grind my gears - like people writing OU for Oregon instead of UO. We're not in the Big 8 any more. This is not an attack on anyone. I fully realize that this is me having my panties in a bunch. )

This reminds me . . . I miss the Big 8.