votb
Active member
ROAR...you know I love you, man! You're like family ( 
) Just as a point of information...yes, the FB team did cut out the hotel rooms this past season for home games. I'm sure there are still ways to cut (tuna sandwiches, no 10pm pizzas on the road, etc.). I guess my point is that if a solution is built around always cutting back (like we see happening everywhere) instead of increasing revenue streams, eventually you've cut an organization into non-existence. I know here at my station, I realized years ago that I couldn't rely on funding from student fees (which was the sole source of funding when I was hired 10 years ago). It also didn't help that the school president wouldn't allow us to do on-air pledge drives. I was constantly looking for other revenue streams to help the station, and was slowly (almost at a snail's pace) finding some. Then when Dr. Vailas came...he and I had a talk about the station and he agreed with me that I needed to run it like a business...not like an "educational" arm of a university. We were fortunate to qualify for some grants...we've found (with Dr. Vailas' blessings) ways to increase financial support from our listeners and businesses in the region, and now student fee funding only accounts for about half of our station revenues. It's a good thing, too, because if I had just relied on student fees, we'd have shut down years ago. Our student fee funding this past year was only about $20k more than it was when I arrived 10 years ago...yet the cost of operating the station has more than doubled, and I'm still the only full-time employee.
I know that was a laborious story...but I believe the university has to find ways to give MORE support to athletics...instead of constantly telling it to find ways to cut. With new student fee increases coming this year...the cost of every athletic scholarship also goes up respectively. The same revenues can't cover what they used to. There are some great things going on at ISU athletics...i.e., the Jared Allen weight training facility, the new softball field (almost all materials and labor donated), etc. Some way, this school has to find a way to say to athletics...here's more support...more resources...more people. Once we develop that forward momentum...building winning programs will be possible. Until then, we can hire the best football coach in the world...and without the tools needed to succeed...this will become his graveyard, too.
I know you guys hurt A LOT for the Bengals...thanks for all you've done, and will continue to do. We need you out there...
) Just as a point of information...yes, the FB team did cut out the hotel rooms this past season for home games. I'm sure there are still ways to cut (tuna sandwiches, no 10pm pizzas on the road, etc.). I guess my point is that if a solution is built around always cutting back (like we see happening everywhere) instead of increasing revenue streams, eventually you've cut an organization into non-existence. I know here at my station, I realized years ago that I couldn't rely on funding from student fees (which was the sole source of funding when I was hired 10 years ago). It also didn't help that the school president wouldn't allow us to do on-air pledge drives. I was constantly looking for other revenue streams to help the station, and was slowly (almost at a snail's pace) finding some. Then when Dr. Vailas came...he and I had a talk about the station and he agreed with me that I needed to run it like a business...not like an "educational" arm of a university. We were fortunate to qualify for some grants...we've found (with Dr. Vailas' blessings) ways to increase financial support from our listeners and businesses in the region, and now student fee funding only accounts for about half of our station revenues. It's a good thing, too, because if I had just relied on student fees, we'd have shut down years ago. Our student fee funding this past year was only about $20k more than it was when I arrived 10 years ago...yet the cost of operating the station has more than doubled, and I'm still the only full-time employee. I know that was a laborious story...but I believe the university has to find ways to give MORE support to athletics...instead of constantly telling it to find ways to cut. With new student fee increases coming this year...the cost of every athletic scholarship also goes up respectively. The same revenues can't cover what they used to. There are some great things going on at ISU athletics...i.e., the Jared Allen weight training facility, the new softball field (almost all materials and labor donated), etc. Some way, this school has to find a way to say to athletics...here's more support...more resources...more people. Once we develop that forward momentum...building winning programs will be possible. Until then, we can hire the best football coach in the world...and without the tools needed to succeed...this will become his graveyard, too.
I know you guys hurt A LOT for the Bengals...thanks for all you've done, and will continue to do. We need you out there...
