people complaining about the cost of our scoreboard

[Frak]

Re: people compaining about the cost of our scoreboard

The typical anti-growth Ames resident uses this line everytime a new ISU athletics project is announced: they should be using the money to pay professors more, cut tuition, blah blah blah. These people don't acknowledge that there is a big wide world all around them, full of people with all sorts of different interests that have nothing to do with their narrow minded world. They should be ignored or at the very least, one must understand that they do not think like the rest of us and live in their own sad and boring world.

And as of this fiscal year, ISU AD is free of general fund money.

Yep, every time the AD does something, these guys come out of the woodwork. Probably remnants from the days when they actually DID have power to tell the AD what to do...a classic reason why ISU has sucked in FB since forever and Ames has stagnated growth-wise until just lately...anti-athletic, anti-growth faculty with too much power over ISU decisions. In the past few years, a lot of that power has been stripped from them. The AD is now self-supporting and the anti-growth politicians have been run out of the city council.

Just wait until ISU drops $40M to do the South Endzone. The wailing and gnashing of teeth will be legendary. There will probably be people chaining themselves to evergreen trees on the hillsides to stop the bulldozers.

 

[Acylum]

Re: people compaining about the cost of our scoreboard

just people i know. mostly non isu fans, but for example one of my friends works for Reiman Gardens and is upset because they need money. One of them is my aunt who did graduate from Iowa, but also said she hates the fact that Ferentz is paid so much. Another is an art student friend of a friend that is upset that they need money to etc etc.

I thought an artist could turd in a jar of vinegar and sell it so not sure why he's complaining.

 

[Senolcyc]

Re: people compaining about the cost of our scoreboard

"for example one of my friends works for Reiman Gardens and is upset because they need money."



I have a solution for that --- Round-up and asphalt. JTS needs more parking.

 

[Stumpy]

I understand that it's Iowa State UNIVERSITY and that it's purpose is for education. But why can't people understand that if you took away athletics that not only would the school die, but the town would be devastated.

I agree with your premise, and don't believe that people should be upset about the scoreboard. As you mentioned, anyone trying to make the argument that this money could have been better spent on academics doesn't understand the funding process.

However, I think the bolded part of your message is a ludicrous statement. Iowa State existed without athletics, and prestigious institutions continue to succeed without athletics (at least at the level seen at Iowa State). At every other institution I have been, athletics has been an absolute sinkhole for the college/university, kept afloat through student fees and other departments' funds. Would I want to imagine Iowa State lose its BCS football? No, but it wouldn't mark the downfall of the university.

 

[jaretac]

Re: people compaining about the cost of our scoreboard

I'm almost sure coaches salaries are paid out of the AD's budget. Ferentz is the highest paid state employee, but your tax $$$$ aren't being used to pay it. I'd assume once ISU's AD hits self sufficient status we'll have the same story here.

Yes, Athletics money is separate from that of the university, except for the base salaries that coaches make (someone correct me if i'm wrong)

The scoreboard was financed through athletics...Maybe I saw it on here, but wasn't it mentioned that the money we received from Nebby and CU leaving was used for the scoreboard?

I believe your correct bigcyfan. Most people don't realize that coaches base salaries are actually small in comparison. The bulk of the cash is a secondary agreement to do public appearances. This is one of the reasons that once you get out of football and basketball, there is a major drop in pay for the coaches of other sports.

 

[Cydkar]

Re: people compaining about the cost of our scoreboard

just people i know. mostly non isu fans, but for example one of my friends works for Reiman Gardens and is upset because they need money. One of them is my aunt who did graduate from Iowa, but also said she hates the fact that Ferentz is paid so much. Another is an art student friend of a friend that is upset that they need money to etc etc.

Right there is a cross section of the general public that I couldn't give a floating crap about.

 

[cyatheart]

Re: people compaining about the cost of our scoreboard

The AD department can do whatever they want with their money. It's not the professors money, it isn't anyone elses. If they want to complain, they should go talk to Pollard about a donation from the AD to Reiman Gardens, or whatever else it is. See how that works.

 

[jj-cyclones]

Re: people compaining about the cost of our scoreboard

"for example one of my friends works for Reiman Gardens and is upset because they need money."



I have a solution for that --- Round-up and asphalt. JTS needs more parking.

:twitcy: I needed that this Monday! Thank you!

I know some people that like to go visit there (Reiman Gardens) every now and then so I don't bash it too much, but that was funny!

 

[TheOne1]

When you donate money to ISU athletics do you get a tax write off?
Tax money still goes to ISU athletics, one way or another.

 

[alarson]

However, I think the bolded part of your message is a ludicrous statement. Iowa State existed without athletics, and prestigious institutions continue to succeed without athletics (at least at the level seen at Iowa State).

Maybe at one point it could have existed without athletics, but at this point unless you are a prestigious academic institution (we really arent in a lot of areas, and with declining state support thats only going to get worse), you really lose a ton when you lose athletics. You lose student enrollment (athletics is a big part of the student experience for many), you lose alumni\outside donors that wouldve kept connected to the school through athletics that ultimately dont donate back to the school because they

At every other institution I have been, athletics has been an absolute sinkhole for the college/university, kept afloat through student fees and other departments' funds. Would I want to imagine Iowa State lose its BCS football? No, but it wouldn't mark the downfall of the university.

Sinkhole? Most schools, especially BCS ones, get far more from their athletics than they put in. This is ESPECIALLY true at ISU. Any general fund contributions could easily be considered advertising and marketing expenditures, as it is proven that athletics have positive effects both on student enrollment and on alumni\donor retention, and overall esteem of the university. Iowa State returns an investment many-fold what it puts into athletics, so it isnt 'coming from other departments'. Only departments that see a pool of money that isnt theirs and assumes that if its not in their accounts, it was 'taken from them'

As for student fees, personally i think more ISU fees should be going into athletics at ISU in exchange for free football tickets for all students. After seeing all the pointless things that my student fees funded for a very small minority of the campus, why should student fees not fund something that a much larger portion of the campus derives enjoyment from?

And if ISU were to fall out of major athletics, yes, it would mark the downfall of the university. It would be the first major nail, but you can bet when it happened, it wouldnt be long before that gave the political clearance to push what has been many hawks' dream of making this state a University of Iowa System, with ISU becoming University of Iowa - Ames.

 

[isubeatle]

Re: people compaining about the cost of our scoreboard

I thought an artist could turd in a jar of vinegar and sell it so not sure why he's complaining.

gotta love narrow minded folks like you.

 

[alarson]

Speaking of the video board, theyre putting on the coverings for the remaining cross-bar with ISU logos.

Looks like some sort of canvas material strapped to the structure. Probably so we can easily change them when we change our logos again in a year or two

 

[CyArob]

Yesterday I went to the south parking lots to get a look at the scoreboard and noticed the gate was open, so I went inside to where my seats will be to see how magnificent it will look on gameday. The photos people were sharing earlier are nothing compared to seeing it in real life.

 

[cysocool]

There's a university for people like this.

Google Images

 

[clonz]

Re: people compaining about the cost of our scoreboard

just people i know. mostly non isu fans, but for example one of my friends works for Reiman Gardens and is upset because they need money. One of them is my aunt who did graduate from Iowa, but also said she hates the fact that Ferentz is paid so much. Another is an art student friend of a friend that is upset that they need money to etc etc.

This is a weird coincidence because I thought Rieman Gardens was monumental waste of money (and parking space) when it was built (or planted). I was a student at the time and thought the half a million or so that it cost would have been useful to more people as part of a new scoreboard.

 

[Frak]

Re: people compaining about the cost of our scoreboard

I believe your correct bigcyfan. Most people don't realize that coaches base salaries are actually small in comparison. The bulk of the cash is a secondary agreement to do public appearances. This is one of the reasons that once you get out of football and basketball, there is a major drop in pay for the coaches of other sports.

Actually, he's wrong. Base salaries come from the same pool that pays all AD employees...whether it be Pollard or Kevin Jackson or someone in the Ticket Office or CPR's secretary. They get paid out of the AD budget. CPR and FH and BF get paid above that with shoe contracts, appearance fees, radio shows and incentives.

 

[Stumpy]

Sinkhole? Most schools, especially BCS ones, get far more from their athletics than they put in. This is ESPECIALLY true at ISU. Any general fund contributions could easily be considered advertising and marketing expenditures, as it is proven that athletics have positive effects both on student enrollment and on alumni\donor retention, and overall esteem of the university. Iowa State returns an investment many-fold what it puts into athletics, so it isnt 'coming from other departments'. Only departments that see a pool of money that isnt theirs and assumes that if its not in their accounts, it was 'taken from them'

Note that I said "every other institution," referring to four colleges and universities I've attended and worked at besides Iowa State. At those, Athletics was paired with the Recreation Departments, so while Rec made a surplus from user fees, Athletics used that surplus and piled on debt. Iowa State, now that it is self-funded, is an exception.

Again, I would never want to see it happen - obviously, based on the forum we're having this discussion - but Iowa State has enough happening socially and academically that athletics could dissolve without spelling the end of the institution.

 

[Aclone]

Funny. I have also heard people say that football should be done away with altogether, and the money given to the "other" sports, like tennis and swimming.

I mean--where do they think the money comes from? Especially a good portion of what those sports get ing the first place!

And yes, I did hear that in Ames, and I heard it more than once.

Another good one (when I was a student) was one of my profs who was complaining bitterly that he had to track the attendance of the football players in his class. He "didn't get paid to do that". I sat ther ein his office and looked at him for a sec, then asked, "But don't you also have to track the attendance of guys on the GI Bill?"

Suddenly taken aback, he got this really strange expression on his face. And didn't answer.

My point being, sometimes when it's "fashionable" to complain about something, most people don't stop to think about the actual facts and rationale behind the point that they are trying to make.

 

[Frak]

When you donate money to ISU athletics do you get a tax write off?
Tax money still goes to ISU athletics, one way or another.

Sure, but that's not an ISU issue, that's a national issue. I'd argue that BCS conferences should NOT be tax exempt...if conferences are getting paid billions of dollars in TV rights, then they should be paying taxes on that. Same thing with donations for better FB seats, but that isn't ISU's battle to fight or not fight. That's something that has to happen in D.C. And it would change college sports as we know them, because the donations that ADs get now would fall off big time. Maybe that would get coaching salaries back into whack.

One thing I WILL say, ISU may get some tax benefits, but most people don't know that the AD is forced to go through the university for a ton of different things that cost them more than a normal business would pay. Think that they could have their grounds mowed and sidewalks cleared for cheaper than what the university charges them? What about janitorial services? IT? Think they could hire private firms to do those things that would charge less? I do.

 

[Aclone]

Sure, but that's not an ISU issue, that's a national issue. I'd argue that BCS conferences should NOT be tax exempt...if conferences are getting paid billions of dollars in TV rights, then they should be paying taxes on that.

Makes perfect sense. Tax the Universities so that there is more tax money to give to the Universities. Ya wanna think about that for a minute?

Anyone want to tell me where those "billions of dollars" of TV revenue go? The answer seems fairly obvious. Just look at ISU. They go right back into paying bills for the athletic department and the football program. The latest example being the new facility at Jack Trice. Taxing such revenue would merely add another layer of government bureaucracy for the revenue to sift away into.