Bowlsby: Men's Olympic sports in jeopardy

[colbycheese]

In 2012 (most recent season on NCAA site)...

6 teams averaged 5,000+ per game (LSU, Arkansas, S. Carolina, Ole Miss, Texas, Mississippi State)
14 averaged 3,000-5,000
23 averaged 1,500-3,000

I doubt any of them are even close to breaking even. The ones with the highest attendances also spend a crapton of money.

Let's say each ticket is sold for $7 (very conservative since that's just general admission in most college baseball parks). If a team averaged 5000 tickets at $7 per with 32 home games, that's $1,120,000 in ticket revenue alone. Pollard said the cost of fielding a team in the Big 12 is $2 million per year. I think it's feasible that the rest could come from premium tickets, luxury booths, ad revenue, concessions, and so on. This seems like it fits my statement that baseball teams are "close to" being self sustaining. The teams that have smaller average attendances would have more of a gap to fill for revenue for baseball, but a baseball team would still be better off financially than most other Olympic sports just because baseball will actually sell tickets, unlike track, golf, tennis, etc.

 

[theshadow]

Let's say each ticket is sold for $7 (very conservative since that's just general admission in most college baseball parks). If a team averaged 5000 tickets at $7 per with 32 home games, that's $1,120,000 in ticket revenue alone. Pollard said the cost of fielding a team in the Big 12 is $2 million per year. I think it's feasible that the rest could come from premium tickets, luxury booths, ad revenue, concessions, and so on. This seems like it fits my statement that baseball teams are "close to" being self sustaining. The teams that have smaller average attendances would have more of a gap to fill for revenue for baseball, but a baseball team would still be better off financially than most other Olympic sports just because baseball will actually sell tickets, unlike track, golf, tennis, etc.

You've gone from "Most programs are close to self-sustaining" to showing how 6 teams out of 300+ might be close to self-sustaining, given enough home games and private high-roller seating.

 

[colbycheese]

You've gone from "Most programs are close to self-sustaining" to showing how 6 teams out of 300+ might be close to self-sustaining, given enough home games and private high-roller seating.

First, I misquoted Pollard on the cost of fielding a baseball team. I looked it up, and he said it would cost $1.5 million to field a team in the Big 12, not $2 million. With my back-of-the-envelope calculation, that leaves ~$380K to be paid for using premium ticket prices, luxury boxes, ad revenue, sponsorships, donations, etc. Seems reasonable to me - especially if you have a TV network/channel that you're trying to fill with new content and get even more ad revenue and subscriptions. Granted the amount needed for solvency grows with decreased attendance, but baseball is still better off than the rest of the Olympic sports that have next to zero ticket revenue (track, tennis, golf, etc.). I challenge you to show me an example of an Olympic sport that comes that closer to being solvent than baseball.

 

[im4cyclones]

First, I misquoted Pollard on the cost of fielding a baseball team. I looked it up, and he said it would cost $1.5 million to field a team in the Big 12, not $2 million. With my back-of-the-envelope calculation, that leaves ~$380K to be paid for using premium ticket prices, luxury boxes, ad revenue, sponsorships, donations, etc. Seems reasonable to me - especially if you have a TV network/channel that you're trying to fill with new content and get even more ad revenue and subscriptions. Granted the amount needed for solvency grows with decreased attendance, but baseball is still better off than the rest of the Olympic sports that have next to zero ticket revenue (track, tennis, golf, etc.). I challenge you to show me an example of an Olympic sport that comes that closer to being solvent than baseball.

Possibly more solvent than perhaps 6 programs, maybe. (This is probably what you meant)

 

[Frak]

Its not that universities couldn't support non-revenue sports. Its that they will choose to not support them. They would have the money to support non-revenue teams if that was a priority. Instead, they will continue to pay their coaches multi-millions every year. They will build bigger and fancier facilities.

Guess I see this as the consequence for the huge money grab the past few years with conference realignment, etc. You guys (athletic directors, college presidents, and conference commissioners) made this bed, now you have to lie in it.

And let's be honest... The loss of a non-revenue sport really doesn't impact very many fans or supporters of the university. When ISU cut baseball, very few people cared. And now, even fewer care that it is gone.

I agree. And, I think that Deadspin's editorial is short sighted. Yeah, schools COULD cut coaches salaries and they COULD quit building FB facilities and upgrading stadiums. But when they do that, other schools that don't will pass them. Like it or not, FB drives the bus. And if you cut funding that goes toward the FB program, ticket sales and donations decline. And then the overall budget plummets. Unless there is some sort of limit in place, schools are going to keep investing in FB because that is pretty much the only sport where you see a return on your investment.

Bowlsby is right. If you actually start PAYING all student athletes, Olympic sports are going to get cut.

 

[Wesley]

JP would not let track vaporize.

 

[NWICY]

Let's say each ticket is sold for $7 (very conservative since that's just general admission in most college baseball parks). If a team averaged 5000 tickets at $7 per with 32 home games, that's $1,120,000 in ticket revenue alone. Pollard said the cost of fielding a team in the Big 12 is $2 million per year. I think it's feasible that the rest could come from premium tickets, luxury booths, ad revenue, concessions, and so on. This seems like it fits my statement that baseball teams are "close to" being self sustaining. The teams that have smaller average attendances would have more of a gap to fill for revenue for baseball, but a baseball team would still be better off financially than most other Olympic sports just because baseball will actually sell tickets, unlike track, golf, tennis, etc.

I think you are overstating baseball attendance at ISU substantially back in the 80's you could watch for free and there was very seldom any problem finding a seat. The team that really got screwed over was men's gymnastics they were actually good and got the ax before baseball if I remember right.

 

[00clone]

I think you are overstating baseball attendance at ISU substantially back in the 80's you could watch for free and there was very seldom any problem finding a seat. The team that really got screwed over was men's gymnastics they were actually good and got the ax before baseball if I remember right.

You know what else ISU students are pretty good at? Broomball. Know why there's no team for that? Same reason....

 

[BryceC]

First, I misquoted Pollard on the cost of fielding a baseball team. I looked it up, and he said it would cost $1.5 million to field a team in the Big 12, not $2 million. With my back-of-the-envelope calculation, that leaves ~$380K to be paid for using premium ticket prices, luxury boxes, ad revenue, sponsorships, donations, etc. Seems reasonable to me - especially if you have a TV network/channel that you're trying to fill with new content and get even more ad revenue and subscriptions. Granted the amount needed for solvency grows with decreased attendance, but baseball is still better off than the rest of the Olympic sports that have next to zero ticket revenue (track, tennis, golf, etc.). I challenge you to show me an example of an Olympic sport that comes that closer to being solvent than baseball.

This is all well and good until you consider one those teams with 5k+ in attendance probably has facilities that have zero chance of ever being paid for with their own revenue. Even if a place like LSU could make a little money how long until they pay off their stadium?

 

[Harry]

There is no way ISU would average 5000 fans playing baseball in April. The Iowa Cubs had 19 home dates in April and had 7 days of good weather. My guess they would have trouble averaging 1000.