UNI Athletics Funding

[unipanther99]

I merged two threads about UNI's funding issues.

[Snaggletooth]

nm

[unipanther99]

I've moved this thread to the basketball forum. The issue involves UNI's entire athletic program obviously, but Snaggletooth's linked article does reference the basketball team.

Here's hoping we receive good news from the Board of Regents Thursday.

[unipanther99]

From the Des Moines Register tonight:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... -athletics

Sums it up pretty well.

[Aargh]

Prez Allen made what might be the most ill-advised statement by a University Prez in several decades.

Trimming ...blah, blah, blah... would mean the university would seriously consider eliminating all sports at UNI because of lost revenue related to the loss of Division I status, Allen said.

That's what athletes considering schools are going to hear and what coaches recruiting against UNI will be repeating.

I understand that it's political posturing, but that statement, particularly when picked up by ESPN, is recruiting poison. When the year in question is 2015, that's going to be a consideration for recruits starting NOW.

Throw in axing the baseball program, and it's easy to paint the picture that UNI is in the process of dropping athletics.

[unipanther99]

Perhaps, but hopefully the long term status of the program will be resolved tomorrow. If the Board decides to revisit this issue every year, it could definitely become a recruiting issue.

[unipanther99]

UNI's proposal to the Board of Regents passed unanimously this afternoon. We have work to be done in fund-raising, but this decision gives the program stability for the foreseeable future.

[valleychamp]

Prez Allen made what might be the most ill-advised statement by a University Prez in several decades.

Trimming ...blah, blah, blah... would mean the university would seriously consider eliminating all sports at UNI because of lost revenue related to the loss of Division I status, Allen said.

That's what athletes considering schools are going to hear and what coaches recruiting against UNI will be repeating.

I understand that it's political posturing, but that statement, particularly when picked up by ESPN, is recruiting poison. When the year in question is 2015, that's going to be a consideration for recruits starting NOW.

Throw in axing the baseball program, and it's easy to paint the picture that UNI is in the process of dropping athletics.

holy overreaction batman.

[Aargh]

holy overreaction batman.

Even with the news that the state funding will continue, I don't think I've overreacted.

ESPN ran the piece about "elimination of all athletic programs at UNI". Do you think ESPN is going to run the "state funding for UNI athletics approved" article?

RicardoDelRio predicted that SIU would sink into the abyss once Lowery had to work with his own recruits. That prediction appeared inaccurate until Lowery was actually coaching his own recruits, well those that were left.

I think it's safe to predict that UNI is going to join SIU in "the abyss". The possibility that UNI will discontinue all athletics has been raised by the President of UNI. The fact that it's not happening - at least right now - is going to scare recruits away from UNI.

[Snapshot9]

Exactly, what in the world was he thinking?