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Athletic Department Debt

weaver75

Special Counsel
10 Year Member


“DOUBLE CORNHUSKER HONOR ROLL:
Give kudos to Nebraska: They are the ONLY public FBS athletic dept with NO subsidy from the school, and NO athletic debt. That's pretty impressive, Cornhusker friends!”

While this seems very positive, especially given the new $150+M facilities, there doesn’t appear to be a correlation with on field success.
 



While this seems very positive, especially given the new $150+M facilities, there doesn’t appear to be a correlation with on field success.
Nebraska's debt not correlating with on field success is a good thing. The almost stunning loyalty of fans buying tickets and boosters ponying up despite poor results is likely to be prove to have been key if we ever are good again.

Take a bow husker nation.
 
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Fairly recently (and maybe still?) the UNL Athletic Department was offering scholarship money to non-student athletes. They actually gave away scholarship funding for non-athletes to come to UNL and study chemistry or architecture or whatever.

That stands in stark contrast to most schools where the AD basically sucks money off the top of the school budget. Most universities are content to consider that a "marketing budget" since their sporting teams act like giant advertisements for the school. And there's probably some validity there - I bet for every football player who gets a scholarship from Nick Saban, the University of Alabama probably enrolls like 5 more self-funded (see: student loans) kids into the college.

But it's pretty nice to be recognized as a fiscally conservative school. We're about to ramp up the new facilities in Lincoln, too, so it's awesome that NU can keep running in this arms race without going into the poor house. It actually makes me even more hopeful for the future, because if CFB becomes some billion-dollar semi pro league, Nebraska can stand toe-to-toe with anyone just based on resources and despite our recent lack of winning.
 



Notice that Iowa is $245M. Barta retiring might be the best thing to happen to them. There has always been some shady stuff going on in that athletic department and football program. Just came across the article when KF broke nepotism rules and hired his son in 2012…Barta later claimed he made the decision to hire him.


Quick and dirty calculation tells me they’ve spent ~$100M on KF since 1999, $10M on BF since 2012, and $18M on Barta since 2007.

Any truth to the rumor that the remaining $117M of that total debt was spent searching for something labeled “offense” in Brian Ferentz’s house and rental storage unit?
 
Notice that Iowa is $245M. Barta retiring might be the best thing to happen to them. There has always been some shady stuff going on in that athletic department and football program. Just came across the article when KF broke nepotism rules and hired his son in 2012…Barta later claimed he made the decision to hire him.


Quick and dirty calculation tells me they’ve spent $100M on KF since 1999, $10M on BF since 2012, and $18M on Barta since 2007.

Any truth to the rumor that the remaining $117M of that total debt was spent searching for a file labeled “offense” in Brian Ferentz’s house and storage unit?
 
Notice that Iowa is $245M. Barta retiring might be the best thing to happen to them. There has always been some shady stuff going on in that athletic department and football program. Just came across the article when KF broke nepotism rules and hired his son in 2012…Barta later claimed he made the decision to hire him.


Quick and dirty calculation tells me they’ve spent $100M on KF since 1999, $10M on BF since 2012, and $18M on Barta since 2007.

Any truth to the rumor that the remaining $117M of that total debt was spent searching for a file labeled “offense” in Brian Ferentz’s house and storage unit?
Are you doubling down on the Ditch Chickens debt problems? ;)
 





“DOUBLE CORNHUSKER HONOR ROLL:
Give kudos to Nebraska: They are the ONLY public FBS athletic dept with NO subsidy from the school, and NO athletic debt. That's pretty impressive, Cornhusker friends!”

While this seems very positive, especially given the new $150+M facilities, there doesn’t appear to be a correlation with on field success.

Interesting to me of the top 25

  1. 5 are B1G schools
  2. 8 are SEC schools (incl UT and OU)
With all the revenues coming into to those two conferences … how can they be so in debt?
Another point … We Husker fans are celebrating no debt, and the positive impact NU Athletic Department has on the school but are we, by being so fiscally conservative, leaving some opportunity out there?

tOSU and Alabama being on this list gives me pause for concern.
 

Nebraska's debt not correlating with on field success is a good thing. The almost stunning loyalty of fans buying tickets and boosters ponying up despite poor results is likely to be prove to have been key if we ever are good again.

Take a bow husker nation.

NU fans are definitely unmatched when it comes to supporting losing teams.

But the leaks in attendance started creeping in two years ago, and last season saw us struggling to sell tickets the week of most of our home games. I don't think we'd survive another bad head coach while continuing to see amazing fan support through attendance.

Looking back at the Bill Jennings era for reference (smaller venue), peak home attendance with 39k when Minnesota came to town in 1960. By Jennings' last game at home against OU in '61 (our rival), it had dwindled down to 26k (33% reduction) -- and that was with a lot less forms of entertainment as alternatives than today.
 
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