Not to be negative, but the basketball coach search . . .

[Caveman Catfan]

The rumors about UK offering 3-3.6 million to Donovan per year may have the basketball fan in me excited, but the football fan in me is discouraged by these reports, somewhat.

Fans want to emphasize that UF is a football school that does not support basketball anywhere close to what UK fans do. And, the speculation is that whatever Donovan would be offered from UF, would also have to be offered to Meyer. Both, I think are true.

But, if UK really does pay its next coach 3+ million, what does that say about the football program? Will UK EVER pay its football coach that much?

UK fans support their football. From a FAN support perspective, this school has been and can be more than just a basketball school, but will it be from a money and admin position?

Does paying the next UK basketball coach that much hurt UK football? Does it solidify a basketball school, at the expense of the possibility of being both a football and basketball school? Will it make bringing the next football coach in more difficult?

[tauzreborn]

I think if we could get a coach with a national championship MB might consider opening the bank a bit. If I remember correctly we pulled a guy out of retirement and he wasn't in demand.

Rich has done an excellent job, but it is supply and demand that determines the size of your starting salary.

I dont think it will hurt the football team, but it won't benefit from anything the basketball team does anyway.

[Craig the Blueheart]

I have hope that we will someday pay a coach that type of salary. We have the facilities, and we do have the fans, contrary to a few posters' opinion. I think that RB is the man who can take us to that consistent 6 win territory. I think we have to go about this thing in baby steps. If we can start a tradition of going to bowl games every year, or ever 3 out of 4 years, then that is a great beginning. After RB decides to go elsewhere, then we will be in prime position with the cubboard almost full. We will have the peices there, but they just need to be put together.

I have hope...

[bret1555]

I think it does hurt football, in a roundabout way. Although our coaching situation is settled for now, Rich is going to retire eventually. Hopefully, by that time, he will have built a program capable of challenging in the SEC East year in and year out. If so, we have to empty the pockets to get that coach who will put us over the top. I don't know if I ever see it happening in football. . . Especially if the UKAA is already on the hook for 30 million to the basketball coach.

The comparison to UF is problematic, though. . . UF won a NC in basketball last season, yet couldn't sell out the O'Dome; UK had a dip in attendance for football, but only after years (decades?) of losing. UK can be one of those rare schools with a rabid fan base in both basketball & football, if the team keeps improving.

[gerntz]

Fact is that FB makes UK more direct money than hoops & by a goodly amount. However, in terms of positive image for UK, i.e., soft money, hoops is probably more valuable at this time & thru history. So hard to say which position is more valuable.

[Coldstream]

The problem with this is that UK's current coach doesn't qualify enough to earn that much. If we had Bob Stoops, Mack or something of that caliber, then by all means we should pay them what they are worth. I think MB was prepared to do so when he tried to lure Bill Parcells to Lexington.

[bleedbluelady]

I have thought about this quite a bit. I'm sure it will be used against us in football recruiting. I think it could also give Rich some leverage to get more money for the football program. A lot of our football facilities need upgrading.

[Sam K.]

Caveman, you echo sentiments that I feel.

No wonder you're one of my favorite posters.:D

[The Old School JPS]

Interesting topic.

I think the reason Donovan would leave Florida for Kentucky is that at the end of the day, at Florida, football will always be king. Every school pays lip service to the "we're not a one sport school" thing, but at every school there is one sport that is king of the hill and that sport's interests will always come first. When the day comes thatboth the football and basketball programs at Florida want orneed money for a new facility of some type, football will win out. When the day comes that the money-losing women's programs there need an infusion of cash, it'll come at the expense of basketballbefore football. Donovan knows that, and knows that at UK it'll be the opposite. We'd like to think otherwise, but for now that's how it'll appear to anyone. And, truth be told, an outstanding up and coming football coach at UK or UNC or Duke wouldprobably see itthat way also. Same for U of L too, at least right now, having Michigan State take Smith away, and Petrino always interested in other schools. Having said that, if one day, say,head coach Joker Phillips wins the SEC East, we'd hope (and expect) that UK would do what it took to keep him no matter what - but until then, expectations are otherwise.

So, here's hoping that the result is that it all helps UK land a top flight basketball coach, and then maybe one day we'll have a football coach who causes a serious reassessment of all of that.

[johnkyblue]

That's a load. UF is a sports school in general. The reason Billy D would leave UF is because some UK boosters would rather pay millions than do the little things to support their team like cheer.

As far as pay goes, you can pay a guy $2 M a year, much more than anyone else, and still lose. Why care so much about it?

[johnkyblue]

deleted by author, I just want this thread to go away.

[Coldstream]

johnkyblue wrote: That's a load. UF is a sports school in general. The reason Billy D would leave UF is because some UK boosters would rather pay millions than do the little things to support their team like cheer.

As far as pay goes, you can pay a guy $2 M a year, much more than anyone else, and still lose. Why care so much about it?
What? It is a football school. Always will be. Texas and Stanford are sports schools (they compete for the Sears Cup every year). So is Georgia (it is know as the Jock School) but football is the fan favorite there.

[johnkyblue]

Favorite? Yeah.

By some degree where they are willing to sacrifice one for the other? NO.

The paradigm where one sport sacrifices for another is only religion for some schools, certainly not all of them. I would say it WAS limited to Kentucky, but Duke exists and still does so. Thank God that has disappeared from here.

[Coldstream]

johnkyblue wrote: Favorite? Yeah.

By some degree where they are willing to sacrifice one for the other? NO.

The paradigm where one sport sacrifices for another is only religion for some schools, certainly not all of them. I would say it WAS limited to Kentucky, but Duke exists and still does so. Thank God that has disappeared from here.
This doesn't make any sense. You do realize that when I say "football is fan favorite at Georgia" that mean that the passion for the sport is greater than say Duke. Football is a fan favorite at nearly every D1 school otherwise most of the athletic programs would not exist because of the financial support it brings in. KY, UNC and maybe a handful of other schools are the only universities where their bastketball programs at least break even financially. Pretty widespread religion if you ask me.

[Caveman Catfan]

johnkyblue wrote: That's a load. UF is a sports school in general. The reason Billy D would leave UF is because some UK boosters would rather pay millions than do the little things to support their team like cheer.

Hard to argue that a school that sells 500 tickets to the first round the NCAA tournament, cannot sellout non-conference games in an 11,000 seat arena, and is out numbered by a school playing in the first round of the SEC tourney when the favorite is a basketball school.

[RaleighCat]

gerntz wrote: Fact is that FB makes UK more direct money than hoops & by a goodly amount. However, in terms of positive image for UK, i.e., soft money, hoops is probably more valuable at this time & thru history. So hard to say which position is more valuable.

I don't know about "a goodly amount."

If UK football averages 65,000 fans for 7 home games at $35 per ticket = $15.9m.

If UK basketball averages 23,000 fans for 20 home games at $30 per ticket = $13.8m.

A couple million in gross revenue, minus the cost of schollies and travel, doesn't equate to that big a difference in department money.

[jwade]

RaleighCat wrote: gerntz wrote: Fact is that FB makes UK more direct money than hoops & by a goodly amount. However, in terms of positive image for UK, i.e., soft money, hoops is probably more valuable at this time & thru history. So hard to say which position is more valuable.

I don't know about "a goodly amount."

If UK football averages 65,000 fans for 7 home games at $35 per ticket = $15.9m.

If UK basketball averages 23,000 fans for 20 home games at $30 per ticket = $13.8m.

A couple million in gross revenue, minus the cost of schollies and travel, doesn't equate to that big a difference in department money.
Revenue generated is not solely about ticket sales. According to the UKAA web site, budgeted revenues for 2005-2006 were $17.5M (32.3%) for football and $10.93M (20.2%) for basketball. I'll leave it for the two of you to argue whether that difference constitues a "goodly amount."

Here's the link in case you're interested: http://www.ukathletics.com/doc_lib/blueprint_summer2005_2.pdf


Jim

[sojourner]

jwade wrote: RaleighCat wrote: gerntz wrote: Fact is that FB makes UK more direct money than hoops & by a goodly amount. However, in terms of positive image for UK, i.e., soft money, hoops is probably more valuable at this time & thru history. So hard to say which position is more valuable.

I don't know about "a goodly amount."

If UK football averages 65,000 fans for 7 home games at $35 per ticket = $15.9m.

If UK basketball averages 23,000 fans for 20 home games at $30 per ticket = $13.8m.

A couple million in gross revenue, minus the cost of schollies and travel, doesn't equate to that big a difference in department money.
Revenue generated is not solely about ticket sales. According to the UKAA web site, budgeted revenues for 2005-2006 were $17.5M (32.3%) for football and $10.93M (20.2%) for basketball. I'll leave it for the two of you to argue whether that difference constitues a "goodly amount."

Here's the link in case you're interested: http://www.ukathletics.com/doc_lib/blueprint_summer2005_2.pdf


Jim


Yes, but then you have to also take expenses into account. I have to beleive that football generates a lot more expenses than does basketball. Heck there are 85 shcolarships in football versus what 13? for basketball.

[jwade]

sojourner wrote: jwade wrote: RaleighCat wrote: gerntz wrote: Fact is that FB makes UK more direct money than hoops & by a goodly amount. However, in terms of positive image for UK, i.e., soft money, hoops is probably more valuable at this time & thru history. So hard to say which position is more valuable.

I don't know about "a goodly amount."

If UK football averages 65,000 fans for 7 home games at $35 per ticket = $15.9m.

If UK basketball averages 23,000 fans for 20 home games at $30 per ticket = $13.8m.

A couple million in gross revenue, minus the cost of schollies and travel, doesn't equate to that big a difference in department money.
Revenue generated is not solely about ticket sales. According to the UKAA web site, budgeted revenues for 2005-2006 were $17.5M (32.3%) for football and $10.93M (20.2%) for basketball. I'll leave it for the two of you to argue whether that difference constitues a "goodly amount."

Here's the link in case you're interested: http://www.ukathletics.com/doc_lib/blueprint_summer2005_2.pdf


Jim


Yes, but then you have to also take expenses into account. I have to beleive that football generates a lot more expenses than does basketball. Heck there are 85 shcolarships in football versus what 13? for basketball.


Actually, the difference in expenses is less than $1M. Click on the link and check it out. The chart below budgeted revenue is budgeted expenses. Net revenue generated by football is over $11M. Net revenue generated by basketball is less than $6M.


Jim