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The stories are in order as they appear in this content area:
Sifting through athletics budget numbers a sport in itself (Great Falls Tribune).
UM, MSU top spenders in Big Sky Conference (Great Falls Tribune, 4/22/04).
UM sets ticket prices for the 2004 football season (UM Sports Information).
---
2004 I-AA Rookie Free Agent Signings (CFAA/I-AA.com).
***
Sifting through athletics budget numbers a sport in itself
By George Geise, Great Falls Tribune
When I chose the honorable profession of sportswriting more than 30 years ago, I looked forward to a journey of words, knowing full well the road would be littered with numbers.
In a business where success and failure are measured daily by winning and losing, it's essential to know how to keep score.
In a business where batting averages and field-goal percentages and goals-against ratios are languages all their own, it's important to be able to figure statistics.
In a business that publishes as much agate type on the sports pages as it does on the stock-market pages, it's useful to understand box scores.
But I never had any interest in the specialized world of budget numbers, unless some clever accountant could demonstrate how my favorite teams -- the Cubs or the Packers -- could acquire better players for less money.
Over the past month, however, I've spent more hours looking at revenues and expenses than I care to remember. Assistant Sports Editor Scott Mansch and I did exhaustive research for our series on sports spending at Montana, Montana State, the Big Sky Conference and the rest of NCAA Division I-AA schools.
And what did we learn about those numbers? Mainly, that you can interpret them, or spin them, any way you want to make the desired point.
We learned that if a school wanted to show its athletic program needed more
state money, it could ensure a deficit by taking dollars from one area and
moving them into another campus account. That's what UM does with the
sizable revenue from concessions at Grizzly football games. That real money
-- spent by real sports fans at real sporting events -- doesn't go into the
athletic department treasury, but is earmarked for repayment of the huge
debt at Adams Center.
We learned that schools like Eastern Washington appear to pay far less for
coaching salaries than its peers, but mostly because the EWU coaches earn
additional money for "teaching" duties.
We learned that if a school like Weber State wanted to show a profit --
perhaps to demonstrate fiscal restraint -- that could be accomplished
through creative accounting. WSU brought in less revenue than seven of the
eight schools in the Big Sky two years ago, but was able to show a "profit"
of almost $300,000.
We also learned that state support for athletics can be counted in different
ways. Several schools similar in size and scope to UM and MSU receive
millions more in state support for athletics than the Griz and Cats. Schools
like Sacramento State ($6.5 million) and Idaho State ($5 million) received
way more in general funds, fee waivers and student fees than Montana ($3.9
million).
Yet we also learned that our state, which ranks 46th in the nation in median
household income, spends more on athletic programs than schools from much
wealthier states like Arizona, Washington, Idaho, Utah and California.
The purpose of our two-day, seven-story series was to examine spending
patterns for athletics and the effectiveness of those investments. We'll be
following these issues closely in the coming weeks and months. We fully
expect the special committee investigating budget deficits at UM will
recommend some solutions for the persistent problems that have plagued our
state's athletic departments for years.
Mostly, we hope those recommendations come in the form of sentences and
paragraphs, rather than profit-and-loss statements.
***
UM, MSU top spenders in Big Sky Conference
Is it excess, or commitment to winning?
By GEORGE GEISE, Great Falls Tribune Sports Editor, 4/22/04
For most of the 42 years the Big Sky Conference has conducted athletic
competition, the Montana Grizzlies and the Montana State Bobcats haven't
been the league's big spenders.
For many years, that tag belonged to schools like Boise State and
Nevada-Reno, which funded more ambitious programs and recruited more
aggressively than their Big Sky brethren.
But Boise, Reno and the University of Idaho all bolted from the Big Sky
during the 1990s, in search of the greener pastures offered by NCAA Division
I-A football. At the time, Boise State and Reno were spending "a lot more
than the rest," said Doug Fullerton, Big Sky commissioner who formerly
worked as athletic director at Montana State.
When Reno left the conference in 1992 and Boise in 1996, each was spending
in excess of $5 million per year on athletics. In 1992, UM was spending $3.7
million and MSU $3.5 million, and both were thinking seriously about
dropping to Division II to save money.
More than a decade later, the Grizzlies and Bobcats find themselves as the
Big Sky's front-runners when it comes to spending -- and raising -- money
for athletics.
UM's budget is expected to top $10 million this year, while MSU's is closer
to $8.2 million. At the same time, both schools are wrestling with deficits
in their athletics budgets. UM's spending is the subject of an investigation
ordered by the state Board of Regents.
The schools now confront a perception dilemma: The successes of their
programs breed increased expectations. But the larger budgets and financial
problems raise questions about excess.
Marie Porter, UM interim athletic director, believes spending levels are
appropriate. She said the Treasure State schools invest more money in
intercollegiate athletics because Montanans care more about their programs.
"It's important to take into consideration the expectations of each
institution in the region," said Porter, who took over management of the
athletic department in March.
"Certainly at UM, our goal is to win championships," Porter said. "That's
important to the people of the state. There may be a different feeling at
other Big Sky schools."
Different status
Porter noted that UM and MSU are the flagship units of the higher education
system in Montana, which also operates smaller campuses at MSU-Billings,
MSU-Northern, UM-Western and Montana Tech.
The other six Big Sky institutions don't enjoy such elite status in their
home states.
Idaho State clearly is the No. 3 institution of higher learning in Idaho,
where Boise State and UI dominate the Gem State sports horizon.
Northern Arizona is a third wheel in its state, where the Arizona Wildcats
and Arizona State Sun Devils run big-time, big-budget programs that compete
at a national level.
Eastern Washington also operates in the huge shadow cast by Washington and
Washington State, Pac-10 Conference powers in several sports.
Similarly, Portland State endures third-string status below Pac-10 programs
at Oregon and Oregon State.
In Utah, Weber State struggles for recognition in a crowded playing field
that includes Division I-A schools Utah, Utah State and Brigham Young.
In California, Sacramento State draws little attention from sports fans who
can choose from more than a dozen state universities with national
reputations.
"It's a good place for Montana and Montana State to be," said Porter. "A
school like Weber State does a nice job in athletics, but the expectations
(of Utah fans) simply aren't the same as we have here."
Cost overruns
Wayne Hogan resigned March 3 as athletic director at UM after the revelation
that his department overspent its budget by about $981,000. That news came
just a few months after Hogan told the state Board of Regents the program
had a $200,000 surplus. UM President George Dennison said he had no
knowledge of the problem.
Accounting errors are blamed for about $381,000 of UM's deficit. Large
charter-plane expenses for a football trip to Maine last August, plus a
$150,000 guaranteed payment to the Idaho Vandals for a football appearance,
also were cited as major factors.
Questions about department mismanagement were serious enough that
Commissioner of Higher Education Sheila Stearns appointed a special
committee to investigate the problems. The panel is expected to present its
findings at a regents' meeting in Havre on May 20.
MSU woes
Montana State has its own financial woes, with the athletic department
running about $400,000 in the red this fiscal year. Accounting problems also
are being blamed in Bozeman.
And in the wake of such numbers, both schools' programs are being
scrutinized by supporters and critics alike.
"We are always trying to review what we're doing and how we're operating,"
said Peter Fields, MSU athletic director. "Everybody's awareness is
heightened right now because of what's happening at UM."
Administrators at other Big Sky schools also have noticed UM's problems.
"Montana's been on the edge of some pretty good things. To be honest with
you, programs that are on that edge tend to spend a little bit more," said
Terry Wanless, athletic director at Sacramento State. "That's the nature of
the beast. You kind of get caught up in what you think you have to do to
maintain that level of success."
Wanless said the problems in Missoula caught other league schools off guard.
"Everybody's surprised with the budget problems that they're having. In a
heartbeat you can be $100,000 or $200,000 off ... (but) a million is a
little on the edge," he said. "I guess I'm concerned about any institution
that experiences these kinds of problems, because it tends to reflect back
on all of us.
"You don't take any pleasure in seeing other people struggle professionally.
That's not what we're trying to do. We're trying to create an opportunity
for a student athlete to experience the good things about collegiate life."
Big Sky budgets
Every two years, Commissioner Doug Fullerton asks Big Sky schools to provide
details about their sports budgets. The most recent survey in 2002-03 showed
UM spent about $9.7 million on athletics, followed by Montana State at $8.4
million, and Sacramento State at $8.1 million.
This fiscal year, the school will spend a little more than $10 million on
athletics, said Bob Duringer, vice president for administration and finance
at UM.
"You can spin Doug's numbers in a lot of ways," Duringer said. "But I would
say our current budget would be slightly over $10 million. That would be in
the ballpark."
MSU's budget actually is slightly lower than the 2002-03 numbers, Fields
said.
"I have us currently at $8,176,000," Fields said. "There were some expenses
moved to the general fund last year in a few areas. ... I expect us to be at
$8.1 million or less next year."
According to the 2002-03 study, the other five Big Sky schools spent between
$5.5 million (Eastern Washington) and $7.5 million (both Portland State and
Northern Arizona). Eastern Washington's outlay is lower partially because
its coaches also teach and some of their expenses are allotted to
instructional budgets.
UM and MSU also rank 1-2 in the key component of "earned revenue," or money
generated directly from athletic programs such as gate receipts, advertising
sponsorships and booster donations.
In this category, the Grizzlies are in a league of their own. UM raised
about $5.9 million of its own budget, while Montana State was a distant
second with $3.3 in earned revenue. Most other Big Sky schools raised $2
million or less of their own funds.
"Montana ranks in the top 10 percent nationally among I-AA schools with
about 60 percent (of operating budget) coming from earned income," Fullerton
said.
"But the same success has made them more fragile," Fullerton added. "The
more of their own money they produce, the less they receive (by percentage)
from the state."
Less state money
UM and MSU are allocated state money based on enrollment, and each campus
decides where to spend those funds. Duringer said 2.3 percent of UM's state
funds go toward athletics, "and that (percentage) hasn't changed in about 10
years."
UM athletics got $1.9 million from the general fund for the 2002-03 fiscal
year, plus about $1.3 million in fee waivers for scholarships. UM collected
about $630,000 in student fees -- the lowest total in the Big Sky.
UM's "unearned income" of about $3.9 million compares with about $4.9
million in state money allocated to athletics by MSU. The Bozeman campus
also collects almost $200,000 more than UM in student fees.
Still, both UM and MSU receive less state support than other Big Sky
schools.
At Sacramento State, for example, almost $6.4 million comes from state
subsidies and student fees, while the Hornets raise only about $1.6 million
through their athletic programs.
Idaho State receives more than $5 million in state funding, yet produces
less than $2 million. Portland State at $4.7 million and Northern Arizona at
$4.8 million also receive much more state funding than UM.
Fullerton said the biggest difference between I-A and I-AA schools is their
ability to generate revenue through fan-based support.
"The average I-A schools get 85 percent (of their budget) in earned income,"
said Fullerton. "For schools like Michigan and Nebraska, it's more than
that."
Montana doesn't do that well, but the Grizzlies function more like the I-A
schools than the majority of I-AA schools.
"We certainly think it's appropriate to spend more money since we also
generate much more revenue than other Big Sky schools," said Porter.
Cash cow at UM
A lot of Montana's money pours in because of its powerhouse football
program, which won I-AA national championships in 1995 and 2002, and
finished second in 1996 and 2001.
The Grizzlies attract about 23,000 fans for each game at Washington-Grizzly
Stadium -- almost double the attendance of any other school in the league.
Montana State drew a record 12,059 fans per game last fall at Bobcat Stadium
in Bozeman. Most other league schools are lucky to draw 8,000 spectators
each week.
Two years ago, UM took in almost $2 million from football ticket sales, and
that was before its stadium expanded by about 4,500 seats. This fall, when
UM has seven home games, the school expects to rake in about $2.5 million at
the gate.
The estimated 160,000 fans who will attend those Grizzly games will buy a
lot of hot dogs, soft drinks and merchandise at the stadium. But income from
sports-related concessions isn't included on the UM athletics balance sheet.
All concessions revenue at UM, whether from football, basketball or other
sporting events, goes into a fund to pay off the debt at Adams Center, which
underwent a $16 million renovation a few years ago.
Montana State listed $50,000 in concessions revenue. "Our campus food
service runs concessions and they give us a flat fee for concessions," said
Fields.
The athletic departments at UM and MSU don't receive money from the sale of
license plates or athletic apparel such as caps or sweatshirts. Those funds
go into general university accounts.
Coaching salaries
Coaching salaries and related benefits (insurance, retirement funds, etc.)
are a big-ticket item for all athletic programs.
The most successful football program in the Big Sky pays the highest
salaries. UM has won or shared the Big Sky championship the past six years,
and has qualified for the I-AA playoffs 11 straight years.
According to a Big Sky Conference personnel survey for the 2003-04 fiscal
year, UM spent $403,500 on coaches' pay, including a base salary of $105,000
for head football coach Bobby Hauck. Portland State head coach Tim Walsh was
the league leader at $113,000, while Sac State head coach Steve Mooshagian
also got $105,000.
Still, football success doesn't always correlate with the money paid for
coaching salaries. The Big Sky's worst football program -- Sacramento State
-- was No. 2 on the list for total coaching salaries at $385,424. MSU was
fourth at $350,206.
Mike Kramer at MSU, who has guided the Bobcats to a share of the league
championship the past two years, was paid a base salary of $91,494. Kramer
also has a radio contract that is negotiated separately, while UM's Hauck
earns extra money through a TV show.
MSU was No. 1 in spending for men's basketball at $201,115, slightly more
than Weber State and UM. Montana paid its women's basketball staff $204,754,
about $40,000 more than the No. 2 program, Eastern Washington. MSU was third
at $157,532.
Hogan was the highest-paid athletic department employee at UM, making
$106,000.
School perks
Coaches and athletic staff at both UM and MSU have access to free
transportation. MSU has 20 courtesy cars, while UM has 32. Nobody else in
the Big Sky had more than 15 (Weber State) last year.
At MSU, Fields, Associate Athletic Director Dave Gantt, and another
assistant AD, Dan Davies, receive free memberships at Riverside Country
Club. No coaches have club memberships.
"That's a very common practice nationwide," Fields said. "We had those at
Missouri and Toledo and Kent State," he said, citing other schools where he
has worked.
At UM, only the athletic director and head football coach have school-funded
memberships at Missoula Country Club. "Those are paid out of foundation
money," said Director of Development Jim O'Day.
Porter said key people in the Big Sky Conference get similar perks.
"I know the commissioner (Fullerton in Ogden, Utah) has a country club
membership as part of his deal," she said. "We're all trying to cultivate
more corporate entities, at the league and school level. We cultivate
corporate and private donors, and it costs some money to do that. My guess
is it's a fairly common practice nationwide."
Bad reputation?
The deficits have brought added scrutiny to spending at both UM and MSU.
That, along with having the league's largest budgets, have created a
perception of excess that the schools say is undeserved.
"This certainly is a perception issue now, and frankly, that's much of what
the media have portrayed," Porter said. "The scrutiny extends from why we
purchase a tank of gas to airline tickets to every penny we spend. The more
people talk about it, it creates some perceptions.
"As far as the spending culture on campus, in day-to-day life, ask our
coaches or support staff and we pretty much pinch pennies. The gap between
perception and the reality is quite wide."
In response to the investigation, UM has trimmed costs. Lady Griz basketball
coach Robin Selvig planned to skip the Women's Final Four in New Orleans,
but wound up going because he was invited to speak at an NCAA clinic there.
"It (the Final Four) is not something Robin has always taken advantage of,"
Porter said. "This year, he hadn't intended to go, even though he deserved
it. I told him there was no way for us to pay to send him, but he found
money (from booster funds designated for Lady Griz basketball) to give that
speech."
Porter said UM is looking at reducing the number of people sent on road
trips, and at ways to cut travel costs without affecting the teams' ability
to compete.
"Clearly, travel squad size is certainly one area that we're taking a hard
look at," she said. "How we get to a place continues to be an issue. We have
to look at competitive advantages. We can't send teams on a bus at the risk
of it costing us a game, which would be much worse in the long run."
UM considered taking three buses to Portland next fall for a football game,
instead of chartering a plane. Busing 1,200 miles round-trip would have
saved about $24,000, but would have meant a three-day journey with more
class time missed.
UM soon will announce higher ticket prices for football games next fall, and
the cost of attending basketball events also may go up.
Former rivals
For fans wondering what happened to the former top spenders of the Big Sky,
they've gone on to mixed success in the big time of college athletics.
And it's cost them plenty, too.
Boise State has the best football program in the Western Athletic
Conference, winning bowl games the past two years while finishing among the
top 20 teams in the nation. The Broncos' athletic budget was $13.7 million
last year, and the school listed football expenses of $3.2 million.
Nevada-Reno -- now known only as "Nevada" -- has played in several leagues
the past 12 years and has been a middle-of-the-pack team in the WAC. But the
WolfPack basketball team qualified for the NCAA men's basketball tournament
this winter, for the first time in more than 30 years.
Nevada's sports budget was $14.4 last year, with $3.2 million devoted to
football expenses.
Idaho, which competes in the low-profile Sun Belt Conference, had a sports
budget of $9.6 million, a little less than UM. But the Vandals had
football-related expenses of $3.3 million, mainly because of high travel
costs plus the expense of paying for 85 scholarships -- 22 more than I-AA
schools offer.
***
UM sets ticket prices for the 2004 football season
By Dave Guffey of UM Sports Information Department 4/22/2004
Season tickets for 2004 University of Montana Grizzly football, which
includes seven home games, has been set at a price of $180.
Season ticket renewal invoices will be mailed during the week of May 3-7.
Any current season ticket holder who does not receive a renewal invoice
should contact the Adams Center Box Office at 243-4051 or 1-888-MONTANA.
“Not only do we have seven home games this season, but they are seven great
home games,” said UM Interim Athletic Director Marie Porter. “There is a
good possibility that our first three opponents at home will be ranked among
Division I-AA’s top 20 teams.”
The Grizzlies open their 2004 season against Maine on September 4 in
Washington Grizzly Stadium. A week later, Sept. 11, Montana hosts Hofstra.
After a road contest at Sam Houston State, Montana is back home for a Sept.
25 showdown against Northern Colorado, a 9-2 team last season.
“Not only do we play three quality non-league teams in our division at home,
but then you add in four Big Sky Conference games, including the 104th
Griz-Cat game, and we have one of the most fan-attractive schedules in the
country. We appreciate all of the support and loyalty of all of our Griz
football fans as we look forward to another great year.”
Tickets are priced at $30 for Homecoming (Idaho State), $35 for the Griz-Cat
contest, and $23 each for Montana’s other five home games.
MONTANA GRIZZLY 2004 FOOTBALL
Sep 4 Maine 1:05 p.m.
Sep 11 Hofstra 1:05 p.m.
Sep 18 at Sam Houston State 5:00 p.m.
Sep 25 Northern Colorado 1:05 p.m.
Oct 2 at Weber State* 6:05 p.m.
Oct 9 Idaho State* (Homecoming) 1:05 p.m.
Oct 16 at Eastern Washington* 3:05 p.m.
Oct 23 OPEN ---------
Oct 30 at Portland State* 4:35 p.m.
Nov 6 Northern Arizona* 12:05 p.m.
Nov 13 Sacramento State* 12:05 p.m.
Nov 20 Montana State*(104th meeting) 12:05 p.m.
*Big Sky game #Subject to Change
***
2004 I-AA Rookie Free Agent Signings
CFAA/I-AA.com, Apr 27, 2004, 22:00
Chad Lucas
Alabama State
WR
Tennessee
K.T. Stovall
Appalachian State
DL
Tennessee
Allen Suber
Bethune-Cookman
QB
Jacksonville
Kenny Heatley
Bethune-Cookman
CB
Detroit
Steve Baggs
Bethune-Cookman
LB
Tampa Bay
David Richardson
Cal Poly
DB
Jacksonville
John Frieser
Colgate
TE
St. Louis
Jason Nerys
Delaware
OG
NY Jets
Mike Adams
Delaware
DB
San Francisco
Yardon Brantley
Duquesne
WR
Philadelphia
Brandon Calton
East Tennessee State
DE
Pittsburgh
Nick Eller
Eastern Illinois
LB
Baltimore
Michael Woolridge
Eastern Kentucky
TE
Cincinnati
Kurt Sigler
Eastern Washington
OL
Buffalo
Shedrick Copeland
Florida A&M
DB
St. Louis
Jim Maxwell
Gardner-Webb
LB
NY Giants
Carl Kearney
Georgia Southern
WR
NY Jets
Tramon Douglas
Grambling
WR
Tennessee
Jonathan Brewer
Howard
WR
Washington
Isaac Mitchell
Idaho State
RB
Buffalo
Mark Weivoda
Idaho State
DT
Tampa Bay
Robert Kent
Jackson State
QB
Tennessee
Jeremy Cain
Massachusetts
LB
Chicago
Luke Lawton
McNeese State
RB
Buffalo
Roderick Royal
McNeese State
LB
Atlanta
Vick King
McNeese State
RB`
Tennessee
Jay Hackett
Montana State
DB
San Diego
Kane Iaone
Montana State
S
Tampa Bay
Jamal Jones
North Carolina A&T
WR
St. Louis
Mark Gould
Northern Arizona
P
NY Giants
Adam Matthews
Northern Colorado
RB
St. Louis
Andrew Martin
Northern Colorado
OL
Houston
Paul Hubbard
Northern Colorado
DE
Cincinnati
Benny Sapp
Northern Iowa
CB
Kansas City
Eddie Galles
Northern Iowa
WR
Cleveland
Jonathan Harrell
Northern Iowa
LB
Carolina
Justin Sandy
Northern Iowa
S
Tennessee
Marlus Mays
Northern Iowa
WR
Cincinnati
Michael Powers
Pennsylvania
OL
Cincinnati
Rob Butler
Robert Morris
DB
San Diego
Chris Frank
Sacramento State
OL
Tennessee
Dewitt Ellerbe
South Carolina State
DB
NY Giants
Scott Connot
South Dakota State
S
Kansas City
Kailan Williams
Southwest Missouri St.
DB
St. Louis
Nate Schurman
Southwest Missouri St.
FB
New Orleans
Brent Hafford
Stephen F. Austin
DT
New Orleans
David Phillips
Stephen F. Austin
OT
Buffalo
Deon Giddens
Tennessee State
DB
Buffalo
Scott Cunningham
Tennessee State
DB
Tennessee
Lewis Dawson
The Citadel
OL
Cleveland
Brian Gaither
Western Carolina
QB
Baltimore
Michale Spicer
Western Carolina
DE
Buffalo
Nick McNeil
Western Carolina
LB
Pittsburgh
Rich Musinksi
William & Mary
WR
Tennessee
Jimmy Miner
Wofford
P
St. Louis
Source: Tom Griz Fan
April 28, 2004
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