(09-15-2014 04:32 PM)mjs Wrote:  I really have no "inside" knowledge with regard to the finances of our program. I know I was never asked to sell tickets by Chris,

Be kind of hard selling the expensive seats. If they could be sold, they probably already would be. Hell, several times when I couldn't come, I couldn't even give my tickets away. I never had that trouble when Newell and Wimp were coaching.

Watch the KTHV interview and listen to the buzz interview and tell me you don't expect changes in athletics in the next THREE months.


http://www.thv11.com/story/news/local/li.../15549989/

http://1037thebuzz.com/media-gallery/det...eryID=7218

(09-15-2014 07:14 PM)ez272 Wrote:  Watch the KTHV interview and listen to the buzz interview and tell me you don't expect changes in athletics in the next THREE months.


http://www.thv11.com/story/news/local/li.../15549989/

http://1037thebuzz.com/media-gallery/det...eryID=7218

He definitely is saying the right words. I'm glad to hear that he know some changes need to be made to increase the fan base.

"They travel all over the country with Little Rock on their jerseys." Hey, I like it.

After all the negativity lately, his upbeat attitude is exactly what is needed.

He's upbeat yes, and said some right things, but I didn't like the part about whether or not he is going to be a candidate for the permanent job. He's not a AD. He's got no background for the job. That's all we need, someone who doesn't know **** about athletics, in charge of a Division One athletic department. Of course, that sounds exactly what that bunch at UALR might do.

I can't imagine that he would do that if he is being mentioned as the next Chancellor.

(09-15-2014 08:31 PM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  I can't imagine that he would do that if he is being mentioned as the next Chancellor.

I can't imagine that he would either, but being mentioned and being selected are two different things, and don't ever forget that politics can't screw up anything it touches, and above all, they don't take their athletics very seriously at UALR.

(09-15-2014 07:14 PM)ez272 Wrote:  Watch the KTHV interview and listen to the buzz interview and tell me you don't expect changes in athletics in the next THREE months.


http://www.thv11.com/story/news/local/li.../15549989/

http://1037thebuzz.com/media-gallery/det...eryID=7218

There is already a change of attitude and some positive things in the pipeline. I'm excited about the future.

(09-15-2014 05:48 PM)LR Alum Wrote:  

(09-15-2014 04:32 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(09-15-2014 04:10 PM)LR Alum Wrote:  How many programs were cut under Peterson tenure? Maybe it was inevitable that programs needed to be cut. But when the women tennis program was cut the article did not sound like our program was on solid footing financially. But maybe like you say ualr is the hardest ad job in the nation.

I really have no "inside" knowledge with regard to the finances of our program. I know I was never asked to sell tickets by Chris, and he added an auction that has been raising about $200,000 a year. We added suites, club seats, and high dollar leather seats. We no longer have to pay rent to use an arena. We don't play a money "body bag" game this season. I thought we were pretty sound financially, but dropping tennis seems to argue against that. I really hope a new AD can do what is needed (whatever that may be) to get more folks in the stands. Still, raising money and selling the seats are a lot more essential to an AD than the number of butts in the seats. As a fan, I wish we would let folks in free or sell seats for 5 bucks- whatever it takes to fill the place. However, an AD who is trying to balance the budget simply can't do that.

http://ualr.edu/forum/index.php/2013/04/...n-savings/

From article (Fiscal Year 2013):
Basketball was in the deficit $130,000
Total athletic deficit: $850,000

We discussed this a year ago on this board. The deficit was a direct result of a significant drop in enroll which led to a significant drop in student athletic fees. The enrollment drop was believed to be due to the policy of requiring freshman to live on campus, which led to those students going to UCA or apparently Arkansas Tech. Not sure if that has been reversed, but we are certainly not keeping up with Arkansas Tech. Still interesting to me that we don't have a money game this year. 3 games against schools like Kansas, Kentucky, etc. can bring in a quick 300K if we really needed it.

(09-15-2014 09:59 PM)mjs Wrote:  We discussed this a year ago on this board. The deficit was a direct result of a significant drop in enroll which led to a significant drop in student athletic fees. The enrollment drop was believed to be due to the policy of requiring freshman to live on campus, which led to those students going to UCA or apparently Arkansas Tech. Not sure if that has been reversed, but we are certainly not keeping up with Arkansas Tech. Still interesting to me that we don't have a money game this year. 3 games against schools like Kansas, Kentucky, etc. can bring in a quick 300K if we really needed it.

You just can't force yourself to admit that the program was/is in deep do do budget wise can you? And it all isn't coming from freshmen going to UCA or Tech because freshmen have to live on campus here.

(09-15-2014 10:12 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(09-15-2014 09:59 PM)mjs Wrote:  We discussed this a year ago on this board. The deficit was a direct result of a significant drop in enroll which led to a significant drop in student athletic fees. The enrollment drop was believed to be due to the policy of requiring freshman to live on campus, which led to those students going to UCA or apparently Arkansas Tech. Not sure if that has been reversed, but we are certainly not keeping up with Arkansas Tech. Still interesting to me that we don't have a money game this year. 3 games against schools like Kansas, Kentucky, etc. can bring in a quick 300K if we really needed it.

You just can't force yourself to admit that the program was/is in deep do do budget wise can you? And it all isn't coming from freshmen going to UCA or Tech because freshmen have to live on campus here.

Just stating a simple fact. Student athletic fees are $17.25 a credit hour. Most students take 30 hours in a year. A loss of 1500 students (I don't know what the exact number was) would cost the athletic department- 17.25 X 30 X 1500= $776,250. Mike Newell would have had to sell more than ten thousand 75 dollar season tickets to make that up. Not sure even he could have done that. If decreasing enrollment is a continuing trend, we are in trouble. If enrollment goes up again, athletics will be fine. The student bodies in most State colleges around the country seem to be going up. Hopefully, we'll see enrollment go up here. Now that he is gone, we can all pile on Chris- but I don't think we can blame him for the enrollment decrease.

My point is that hopefully the next ad be creative and build the fan base so we don't have to worry about student enrollment. I remember attending games at Alltel and it look like we had at least 4000 butts in he seat at most games. Now at the jack it sounds like we are drawing 2000 or less actual butts in the seat. That has to impact our budget too. Also what about the other years when other teams were dropped that has to be due to our finances were not in the black.

(09-15-2014 10:38 PM)mjs Wrote:  Just stating a simple fact. Student athletic fees are $17.25 a credit hour. Most students take 30 hours in a year. A loss of 1500 students (I don't know what the exact number was) would cost the athletic department- 17.25 X 30 X 1500= $776,250. Mike Newell would have had to sell more than ten thousand 75 dollar season tickets to make that up. Not sure even he could have done that. If decreasing enrollment is a continuing trend, we are in trouble. If enrollment goes up again, athletics will be fine. The student bodies in most State colleges around the country seem to be going up. Hopefully, we'll see enrollment go up here. Now that he is gone, we can all pile on Chris- but I don't think we can blame him for the enrollment decrease.

I'm not debating that. Yes, the athletic fees lost go down with the decrease in enrollment. I'm talking about the fact that you don't want to admit that for whatever reason(the coach, the lack of an exciting brand of basketball)attendance is dropping each year. Sooner or later something is going to have to be done to stop it or disband the program. Shields finger prints are all over the program. It's on his back. Can't blame Platt or Wimp, or even Newell like some would like to do. Thirteen years and it's all Shields' baby.

(09-16-2014 12:41 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(09-15-2014 10:38 PM)mjs Wrote:  Just stating a simple fact. Student athletic fees are $17.25 a credit hour. Most students take 30 hours in a year. A loss of 1500 students (I don't know what the exact number was) would cost the athletic department- 17.25 X 30 X 1500= $776,250. Mike Newell would have had to sell more than ten thousand 75 dollar season tickets to make that up. Not sure even he could have done that. If decreasing enrollment is a continuing trend, we are in trouble. If enrollment goes up again, athletics will be fine. The student bodies in most State colleges around the country seem to be going up. Hopefully, we'll see enrollment go up here. Now that he is gone, we can all pile on Chris- but I don't think we can blame him for the enrollment decrease.

I'm not debating that. Yes, the athletic fees lost go down with the decrease in enrollment. I'm talking about the fact that you don't want to admit that for whatever reason(the coach, the lack of an exciting brand of basketball)attendance is dropping each year. Sooner or later something is going to have to be done to stop it or disband the program. Shields finger prints are all over the program. It's on his back. Can't blame Platt or Wimp, or even Newell like some would like to do. Thirteen years and it's all Shields' baby.

I would agree attendance, which has never been great, has been dropping. Some of the blame certainly belongs on our athletic department. I also believe that this is a national trend in programs similar to ours. I honestly believe most kids in their mid to late 20's (the age of my kids) would rather stay at home and watch multiple games on their big screen TV's and/or play video games than leave the comfort of their homes to watch midmajor basketball. Hopefully, our new AD will have some ideas about how to change that. We definitely need an infusion of younger fans. Again, I don't know if this is any different at South Alabama, Arkansas State, ULM, UTA, etc.

(09-16-2014 04:29 PM)mjs Wrote:  We definitely need an infusion of younger fans. Again, I don't know if this is any different at South Alabama, Arkansas State, ULM, UTA, etc.

It isn't. Times are tough all over.

(09-16-2014 04:44 PM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  

(09-16-2014 04:29 PM)mjs Wrote:  We definitely need an infusion of younger fans. Again, I don't know if this is any different at South Alabama, Arkansas State, ULM, UTA, etc.

It isn't. Times are tough all over.

I've certainly gotten that same feeling looking at box scores from around the country. I don't know if this trend is really reversible or not. I hope our new AD will bring a bunch of new ideas. The main focus should be on getting younger people to the arena. Holding on to the UALR students, who now attend our games, the minute they graduate should be our first goal. The majority will end up living in Central Arkansas upon finishing school.

I like what I am seeing from the Interim AD Bob Denman. At least what I am seeing as regards the Tip-In Club. I have to believe there will be a lot more fan friendly changes.

It is not that hard. The first thing you have to do is try, swallow your pride, and use a little imagination. Any marketing undergraduate could do it.

(09-16-2014 05:12 PM)RBL Wrote:  I like what I am seeing from the Interim AD Bob Denman. At least what I am seeing as regards the Tip-In Club. I have to believe there will be a lot more fan friendly changes.

Treating your best fans nicely should be a no-brainer. Who will it hurt to have your best fans in the arena early, buying hot dogs, beer, and cokes? The Tip-In Club was clearly growing at Alltel. We will grow again if the administration "allows" it.

(09-16-2014 05:06 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(09-16-2014 04:44 PM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  

(09-16-2014 04:29 PM)mjs Wrote:  We definitely need an infusion of younger fans. Again, I don't know if this is any different at South Alabama, Arkansas State, ULM, UTA, etc.

It isn't. Times are tough all over.

I've certainly gotten that same feeling looking at box scores from around the country. I don't know if this trend is really reversible or not. I hope our new AD will bring a bunch of new ideas. The main focus should be on getting younger people to the arena. Holding on to the UALR students, who now attend our games, the minute they graduate should be our first goal. The majority will end up living in Central Arkansas upon finishing school.

I think I will email mr. Denman the letter I sent to Peterson several years ago about increasing student and young adults attendance.