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Budgets: a balance game

Before anybody panics, according to the NCAA, most such athletic departments across the country operate at yearly multi-million dollar deficits(and don't take my word for it, look it up yourself).

That college athletics is a money-making enterprise is a common misconception (the Ohio States and Notre Dames of the world being the exception). The goal, it seems, is to break even.

At any rate, the U. is involved in some major construction projects to improve athletic facilites, am I right?

Since when do students at UVU "love athletics" like Jacobsen says? We're lucky to get 200 students to a home basketball game! That's really lovin' it, eh?!?!

Any notion that BYU is in "same" position as other Utah schools in regard to making significant cut backs to fund althletic programs is a complete joke and misrepresentation by BYU administrators. For once let's be totally honest and stop all the BYU misinformation campaign. As is obviously the case, BYU is funded by the LDS Church who, most likely, has enough cash and other financial assessts to bankroll several NFL teams (maybe the entire league-who knows). Whats more, the BYU program is "indirectly" funded by "donations" from students, employees and alumni from all the other Utah colleges and universities. I believe it's a safe bet that BYU will take advantage of the hard times at other rival schools and actually increase funding for recruiting, facilities, and coaching salaries. This is one Aggie fan who would like to see BYU dropped from both the basketball and football schedules. There is no up-side to trying to compete with an in-state school who can out-spend the Aggies a 100 to 1 on their athletic programs. The Aggies will continue to lose and put up with a lot of foul trash talk from BYU types.

UVU averaged 2089 fans per game this past year. Still below most Division I schools, but it has been increasing.

the few fans that show up do a good job. But not one sport (including basketball) is worth all the fuss up there.

How much of BYU's surplus is related to their portion of Utah's Sugar bowl payout?

It's due to having to equalize everything. Equal amount of sports, but the problem with that is womens sports doesn't bring anything in AT ALL. Getting rid of women sports or not having title 9 would not only save money for schools, but they'd make money.

Maybe the reason BYU was in the black was because they actually sell out their football stadium. Also, they sell out 3-4 games in men's basketball a year, plus men's volleyball, women's soccer, are always well attended. I bet there are more people that attend a BYU women's soccer game than your pathetic football team.

I feel bad for the Utah team. They earn the BCS payout but have to split it between all non-BCS teams. They spent well over a million dollars just traveling to New Orleans. They deserved to keep a majority of the payout.

So you're blaming USU's mediocrity on the LDS Church "bankrolling" their athletics. How about you attend a BYU volleyball game and observe the turnout, so you can get a good look at who's doing the bankrolling.

But yeah, I can't blame you for not wanting the embarassment of having to get blown out by them once a year.

Something to think about. The MWC is pushing to get parity from the BcS. It would be interesting to see the discrepancies between the AQ Haves and the Non-AQ Have-Nots. Sounds like a golden opportunity to show Congress and Senate, along with the rest of the country, the economic and monopolistic impact of the BcS and why there needs to be a revamping of the system for D1 college football. Take a read on the story in the other paper today - marketplace - RIGHT.

Aggie Fan 74 needs to get a grip on reality. With his logic, you could say that the LDS church funds most of USU budget because 70% of Utahs taxpayers are Mormons.

Regarding all you BYU Fans: Wake up and Smell the coffee (oh that's right-I mean smell the diet coke)! Lets see, because you sell out the 65,000 seat Lavell Edwards Stadium and 23,000 seat Marriott Center you're saying that pays all the bills-huh!!!! The average cost to finance a Division I college athletic program in 2008 was $45.0 million. Because BYU is far superior to other programs and is in the very upper echelon of the entire college sports scene, my guess is that BYU spends somewhere in the neighborhood of $65.0 to $75.0 million to maintain all althletic programs and related facilities. Do the math (and assume a third of all attendence are students) and you will soon find out that an "average" football and/or basketball ticket needs to be in the $200 per game range to pay the bills. This number does not include payment on any construction debt for the on-campus NFL and NBA sized facilities. Yea!! I can see how attendance pays for athletics at BYU-HA! HA! HA! Hey Uncle George, go the closest Utah County Library and look up "taxes" versus "donations."

BYU doesn't use one penny of LDS Church support for it's athletic programs. Even its athletic facilities are build using funds from wealthy individuals (Why do you think it's called the MARRIOTT center)?

The BYU athletic program is required by the University to operate without using any tithing funds.

All you critics who spout off about BYU having an edge because of the Church's deep pockets are ignorant of the facts.

Like has been said before on these posts, too many people confuse their misinformed ideas for facts.

First of all I wish to thank Mike Sorensen for a well researched article. This is probably the best exposition of the finances of college sports I have seen.

We usually hear that athletic programs are self-supporting. That "self-support" comes at a cost though. I remember well when BYU expanded its stadium. People in the Development Office told me it almost completely dried up donations for anything else at BYU. Its very difficult to get donations for other worthwhile academic programs when they have to compete with an athletic program that frankly gives them more free advertising than the cancer research center can.

If BYU doesn't use any church funds to operate its athletic department, but must rely on "donations" from individuals, TV rights fees and gate receipts, etc. What does it tell you about the quality of a BYU education if their alumnni can make such large donations to the BYU sports programs while USU and U of U graduates can't (or won't) make the donations?

I guess Mr. Gomm was right. If the UofU guys are pumping the gas for the BYU graduates, it's no wonder the U of U doesn't get enough donations to make its athletic department whole.

If USU is $1 million in the red, the quality of education there must be even worse.

It's the law of the harvest folks. It's just applied in a very practical way.

Surely BYU and Utah are in better shape because of their wonderful TV package with the Mtn.

You need to quit making assumptions about a program you obviously know nothing about. Not one penny of church funds goes into the athletic program at BYU. I you ever want to be educated on the matter, take a short trip to Legacy Hall and look at the list of donors on the wall outside of the football offices. I donate a lot of money to the program, and I know for a fact that I am a very small fish compared to some many who donate. Why do you think we expect success from the program? And why do you think that the stadium is always sold out. Cougar fans are very passionate about their sports, always, and not just one sport, or once every 4 years.

Dear AggieFan74,

FYI, no tithing funds are used to finance the athletic programs at BYU as you imply.

I am grateful that all of our schools have athletic programs. As far as BYU and funding goes, I think the best method to avoid contention is just let each take care of their own business. I am glad that we Aggies are improving our funding abilities. We definitely are improving and I look forward to a great football season this year. Go Aggies!

The BCS games bring in so much money for those conferences with the automatic qualification. Yet schools in these conferences are struggling with athletic budgets. There's something wrong with this picture. Maybe coaches' salaries are too high? Maybe schools and conferences are trying to keep up with and get ahead of each other?

I feel for the schools like BYU, Utah, Utah State, etc. I don't think they are the ones trying to be so extravagant. I have little pity for the schools from BCS conferences that have huge deficits in huge budgets. I think they got hooked on the BCS money and wanted more, so they upgraded and spent lavishly. Also, the huge payouts that BCS schools give FCS and non-BCS schools has to be hurting. Maybe they should quit paying other teams just so they can destroy them. Maybe other teams should stop accepting the payouts also. And quit making coaches millionaires!