You get what you pay for

[clawman1]

What is athletic budget?

What is football budget?

What is our budget for coaching staff?

Its easy to say "clean house" but who can we expect to rehire?

 

[LDopaPDX]

I totally agree with this statement. Our problems are playing out over a single season, but this check has been in the mail for a long time and there's plenty of blame to go around. It doesn't just fall on football coaches and players. There's no question the football team and staff have fallen well short of any reasonable expectation this season, but the issues that have caused this are systemic to the abomination of a university and athletic department that have turned a blind eye to all of their problems for far too long.

The university has no money and has been running operational deficits due to hemorrhaging enrollment. The athletic department runs on tiny budgets compared to their peers. Fan support has waned and tickets aren't getting sold. Facilities remain subpar with no improvement in decades. Football is the one we're all complaining about, but has any athletic program improved since Hickey has been here? Even other programs that have historically competed at the top of the conference like basketball and soccer are way down from their normal positions.

I remember reading Shantay Legans exit interview with the Spokesman Review and I thought it was telling and alarming. He said (paraphrasing) that it was impossible to plan for the future at Eastern because you never knew what weird request or change was gonna come at you in a given day from the athletic department. There was never any stability. This has been a massive problem for Eastern for so long that's it's almost pathetic no one is leadership has managed to course correct.

 

[Obzerver]

You guys are spot on. Boils down to $$$ and having no one give a shit what happens win/lose. They use to care and tried keeping high profile teams competitive and it worked for awhile. Fired Bodnar (RIP) cause he mouthed off about getting a coach replaced that had left. Had 2 coaches..no other team had less than three several had 4. Look at our other sports teams...not a pretty site. My guess they don't fullfill every scholarship available(in every sport). I know this to be true back in 2000's imagine it's the same now. They trimmed programs down to bear minimums. Best ain't going anywhere he took cut in pay bet they didn't give it back to him. EWU is on the ledge.....errr edge. Not just because of failing football program but even Hickey is juggling two jobs...give me a break. Days of getting a president that knows the value for recruiting students are gone. They don't give a crap bout athletics they care if the school is frickin woke. We don't have big donors to fill in the cracks...cracks are ravines. Our assistant coaches aren't getting paid compared to rest of league for all sports...just guessing. We saw the movement awhile back to really make stadium something special and get facilities up towards top of league. Didn't make it, not for lack of trying there was was go-getters behind that. Felt like that was our last harrah. Sure hope I'm way off base on everything I said. I see it everytime i go to football and basketball games...we are dropping further back slowly but surely. Solution? over my paygrade but know it starts at the top.

 

[LDopaPDX]

As a former long-time resident of Cheney, I can assure you it starts at the top--- starting with the university President and trickles down from there. Athletics is one of very few programs that has consistently outperformed the university's status. While athletic teams see our peers as Montana, Montana State, Idaho, UC Davis (etc), our university admin views our peers as Montana State-Northern, Eastern Oregon, and Central Washington. It's extremely hard to sell a vision of growth to people that have such a depressive view of their own enterprise. Arevalo was able to sell the vision, but he was one of few university administrators that wanted and worked to elevate the university. Almost everyone before and after has been a bureaucrat just trying to make things pencil and survive. Can anyone name one thing (just one) that the university has done positively and successfully to encourage enrollment in the past 3 years? I drive around Cheney, and you see a few things being built, but by and large, it's just the same old shit that's always been there. Comparatively, if you drive around WSU in Pullman or Gonzaga in Spokane, (even Idaho) you see all kinds of new things. I can't speak to Montana and Montana State- or even Central or Western- but I can't imagine they are doing less than Eastern.

 

[luckyintheorder]

This is all well documented on the site in various places repeatedly. Heard the Spokesman was espousing the same thoughts. Doesn't change a thing. If you think Best is keeping the wheels from completely coming off the program then keep him is likely your position. It will be another year wasted in my opinion and create a larger rebuilding effort when the plug gets pulled but I understand the illogic of fear as well anyone. Tired of the false veneer. I don't have as much invested as many of you do so can empathize with the hesitation. I vote for change.

Reminder: after the first fall scrimmage, Best actually spoke to the low energy by the players. We mostly ignored that at the time, it now appears to have been a harbinger to the fact he'd lost the team already. One of the many signals that catastrophe was imminent. :|

Probably won't comment further. Won't necessarily trust the process should it unfold but there are worse places for good upcoming coaches to land and new energy will be welcome.

[media]https://twitter.com/FootballScoop/status/1591875009651380224?s=20&t=SCOK0em8YmZzGW_I4DWtjg[/media]

 

[Obzerver]

Well one thing that may help enrollment or is a plus was the opening last Fall of the $67 million state-of-the-art Interdisciplinary Science Center. I hope that helps.
I thought i had heard Lynn Hickey is stepping down end of this year. They gave her that additional job as associate vice president so maybe that was a way for extra pay to get her to stay.

 

[EWURanger]

The reality is that we weren’t going to continue to win forever and ever without attention to specific areas. Some of us have been saying these things on this board for 10+ years now.

Yes, we need to increase capital investment into infrastructure, facilities, etc. it all has a tangible effect on recruiting.

I really think the focus of our past Presidents and AD’s has been to maintain the status quo. Athletics hasn’t been a priority. It’s a little bit of a chicken and egg argument, but we’ve heard time and again that attendance numbers don’t justify stadium upgrades which is basically just an excuse because it was only a short few years ago when we were selling out every game.

We’ve lacked leaders with vision since Dr. Arevelo. The BOR is a joke and just hires people who are going to focus on the things they want them to focus on and not necessarily those who are the most qualified for the job or who have any sort of grand vision for the University writ large.

I agree with Dopa - the school suffers from “little brother” syndrome WRT to the Pac-12 schools and little will change until the current composition of BOR change. The previous President was a complete disaster and should never have been hired and most of us saw that when they announced it. I also have very serious doubts about the most recent hire…they would have done better to hire the guy who was the interim. He at least displayed passion for the school and for athletics in particular. But nope, it’s another bureaucrat for Eastern.

It seems like alumni should have some sort of say or influence into these decisions…especially those who donate.

We lack LEADERSHIP.

 

[chicagoeag]

This seems to be the bigger problem.

I agree the previous president was a bad hire, god rest her soul. Was told by a S-R staff member that she and her husband were some of the kindest people they've met at EWU and from my experience that's saying ALOT.

3,000 students with room and board at $21K per student (in-state tui + room/board)

That's $63m in lost revenue in the last (8) years.

2014 Fall enrollment was 13,453
Last fall 10,892

Not all of the students pay EWU for room and board so even if you cut this in half its over $30m of revenue EWU had in 2014 that they don't have now.

Hopefully with the Spokane Med school, and the engineering programs that become certified 10 years ago will start to kick out high-income alums to give back.

We've been down this road before, but those of who have the resource need to donate. Talking/tweeting/posting about the problem won't fix this. Adressing the problem will.

Joining EAF and give if you are able

GO EAGS

 

[HeavyIsTheCrown]

As a former EWU FB player (student athlete) who played under Coach Best I can tell you he’s a great coach and a great person. I know nothing about the administration, you guys are far more knowledgeable on that side of things.

I think it starts with facilities! Specifically football facilities, EWU’s current FB facility is basically smallest in the BSC at 8,600 seats, and if EWU averages $60/ticket (including fees), at 75% capacity, and 5 home games (2022 for ex.) that brings in ~$1.9m in ticket revenue per season.
Compare that to a renovated 20k-25k seat facility, ticket prices can be increased and increased revenue would buy additional home games.
20k seats at 75% capacity, $90/ticket, 6 home games, brings in ~$8.1m per season. That $8.1 million is more than enough to build a new track and soccer complex, with a ~500 or ~1,000 seating capacity. $8 million per season is enough to a lot of things around campus, it could pay a higher couches salary, it could renovate locker rooms, it could build a championship center for EWU FB/sports, it could include on-site gameday locker rooms so Eastern doesn’t have to walk two miles to the stadium, and it’ll do a great job at ATTRACTING BETTER RECRUITS!

 

[marceagfan5]

As a former EWU FB player (student athlete) who played under Coach Best I can tell you he’s a great coach and a great person. I know nothing about the administration, you guys are far more knowledgeable on that side of things.

I think it starts with facilities! Specifically football facilities, EWU’s current FB facility is basically smallest in the BSC at 8,600 seats, and if EWU averages $60/ticket (including fees), at 75% capacity, and 5 home games (2022 for ex.) that brings in ~$1.9m in ticket revenue per season.
Compare that to a renovated 20k-25k seat facility, ticket prices can be increased and increased revenue would buy additional home games.
20k seats at 75% capacity, $90/ticket, 6 home games, brings in ~$8.1m per season. That $8.1 million is more than enough to build a new track and soccer complex, with a ~500 or ~1,000 seating capacity. $8 million per season is enough to a lot of things around campus, it could pay a higher couches salary, it could renovate locker rooms, it could build a championship center for EWU FB/sports, it could include on-site gameday locker rooms so Eastern doesn’t have to walk two miles to the stadium, and it’ll do a great job at ATTRACTING BETTER RECRUITS!

$90/ticket wont bring people in, no one is willing to pay that outside of the die hard EWU fans. Heck, we can't sell them for $60, nor should we, so increasing ticket prices is not the answer. The Griz routinely sell out and have a fantastic atmosphere, our ticket prices at Roos are higher than theirs, so raising ticket prices is not the answer. What EWU does need to do is bring people to the games, they should give tickets to schools, churches, companies...gets butts in the seats. That will generate $$$ from concessions, parking, etc....It also adds to the gameday experience and then they'll come back and spend money the next time.

 

[HeavyIsTheCrown]

$90/ticket wont bring people in, no one is willing to pay that outside of the die hard EWU fans. Heck, we can't sell them for $60, nor should we, so increasing ticket prices is not the answer. The Griz routinely sell out and have a fantastic atmosphere, our ticket prices at Roos are higher than theirs, so raising ticket prices is not the answer. What EWU does need to do is bring people to the games, they should give tickets to schools, churches, companies...gets butts in the seats. That will generate $$$ from concessions, parking, etc....It also adds to the gameday experience and then they'll come back and spend money the next time.

Maybe you should go to their website and see what they sell their tickets for. I’ve got receipts. Also, that’s loser talk my man. Correct, $90/ticket isn’t worth the CURRENT product EWU FB offers, a renovated 20k - 25k facility, with great food, etc is another story. Also, advertising the CFB product at Eastern definitely needs work, but It’s no coincidence the top 4 teams in the conference have the biggest and best facilities. Eastern’s facility improvements in 2010 lead to a national championship. Montana’s continued success in the conference has more to do with their facilities than anything else. (Imo) If nothing else, facilities can recruit for you, they can advertise for you, and they can create a fun atmosphere for you. Like, literally without the football team’s or football coach’s input. Weber State completed upgrades to their facilities and guess what happened? Same goes for Montana State. A solid commitment to football facilities at Eastern will help many problems at Eastern, including recruiting, enrollment, alumni pride and booster donations, national attention and much more.

 

[ewueagle2010]

Rather than posting these concerns here - or in ADDITION to posting here, you all should be voicing these concerns to the administration. And I'd recommend calling.

Ms. Barb Richey (Vice President and Executive Director University Advancement; EWU Foundation) commented on a Facebook post the other day about some of these same concerns and left her phone number to be contacted by anyone. That's pretty transparent of her - 509-359-7022.

For what it's worth, I agree with much that's been said by all of you. But, if they don't hear from us directly, we can't expect much change.

 

[LDopaPDX]

Rather than posting these concerns here - or in ADDITION to posting here, you all should be voicing these concerns to the administration. And I'd recommend calling.

Ms. Barb Richey (Vice President and Executive Director University Advancement; EWU Foundation) commented on a Facebook post the other day about some of these same concerns and left her phone number to be contacted by anyone. That's pretty transparent of her - 509-359-7022.

For what it's worth, I agree with much that's been said by all of you. But, if they don't hear from us directly, we can't expect much change.

The issue is Barb Richey is already supportive of EWU athletics. She’s not someone who needs to be won over. There are a lot of problematic people in Eastern’s admin that have a weird hatred for athletics, but Mz. Richey isn’t one of them. But I’d recommend reaching out if you want to, maybe she’s got a good perspective to offer.