Non-BCS funding

[Nacho]

The story is mostly about Tulane but has some very interesting things to say about SMU and others.

<A HREF="http://www.nola.com/tulane/t-p/football/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1054362653158290.xml" TARGET=_blank>www.nola.com/tulane/t-p/football/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1054362653158290.xml</A>

[FloridaMustang]

Great article Nacho! Keep em comin.

[Stallion]

I notice that Copeland constantly blames SMU's inability to put a quality program on the field on the break-up of the SWC. I'm getting a little tired of that excuse when you look west and see TCU playing in 5 straight bowl games. Explain how the TCU program is at its highest level in at least 45 years and SMU has suffered through the 14 years of futility. Nice try Cope but the breakup of the SWC is about as much the problem as all the head coaches SMU has fired every 4-5 years. SMU sucks because SMU deliberately deemphasized the athletic program. SMU fans don't support the SMU program because SMU has not shown the commitment needed to compete at the Division 1A level.

[Cheesesteak]

Good research, Nacho. The links to articles that you provide balance the interesting personal opinions posted on PonyFans.

Without Ford Stadium on campus, SMU football would probably be in a worse predicament than Tulane. SMU has the location and resources to survive upcoming events and become successful again in D1 football.

[Charleston Pony]

Stallion: I don't read Copeland's comments as blaming the SWC for our not being able to field quality teams. This article touches on fund raising and budget issues...and you have to remember as Copeland sets out to find that $20 million, the SWC "carryover effect" was that the death penalty forced SMU to disassociate some of our most loyal and generous supporters. There were others who stopped giving and were ashamed we had stooped to the level of UT and A$M in our cheating (or were they just ashamed we got caught?).

I will be the 1st to agree SMU under Ken Pye made it extremely dificult for our coaches to compete, but I think we are moving past that. I do not see SMU funding "athlete friendly" majors and that is going to continue as an impediment since we are competing with public universities that offer a much broader curriculum.

[leopold]

If I was a suporter, athlete, or the Athletic Director of Tulane I would be furious with the administration right now! They willingly pulled out of the SEC, the richest conference in the country right now, in the 60's, tore their huge on campus stadium down in the 70's, have kept thier basketball program in the 50's with a glorified high school gymnasium and now they're upset because they can't break even?! Despite the success they've had on the field and on the court, and all told they have done very well, they have managed themselves into a corner after decades of bad decisions that have completely cut-off any possible major avenues for revenue. Even Ken Pye had a better vision for his school's athletics. I would argue SMU is in a much better position than Tulane and would do well to take note of their mistakes.

[Buddha]

Perhaps (part of) the answer to Tulane's financial woes is to do like SMU and build a smaller, on-campus stadium. Surely they have some Gerald J. Ford-like alum who can cough up some serious cash for the ol' alma mater. Until reading that story, I had no idea they were still playing in the Superdome. That, in and of itself, has to be a revenue drain, but when you consider they get ticket sales only - no concessions, no parking, no signage revenue, etc. - that's obviously crippling financially. Certainly the Tulane athletic department doesn't have the cash now to build a new facility at its own cost. But if they can chase down some rich alums and convince them of how such a facility could benefit the school in the long run, maybe it's a possibility.

Nacho, you're a never-ending source of information on these subjects. Great work.a

[Charleston Pony]

Buddha: that's one of Tulane's big problems. I read a couple of years ago (when Ford was opening) that Tulane had no available site on campus to build a stadium. Apparently, they tore their original stadium down years ago and must have built something silly like classrooms...imagine that on a college campus! I'm surprised they haven't done something about their bball facility, though.

[Boston Pony]

At Tulane, when they pulled down the Sugar Bowl (their on campus stadium), I believe they put up a new baseball stadium after a number of years of keeping the site vacant.

[Nacho]

I went to a game once in the old Sugar Bowl. Believe me it was time to come down. Miami doesn't have their own stadium either. They play in the Orange Bowl. Maybe they can afford a new stadium in the ACC.

I was surprised to read that Tulane has a small endowment. Are they a Church school? Who owns them?