Turner, Knight Commission, and SMU Football

[CA Mustang]

Why isn't there an athletic endowment? Doesn't stanford have one? If we can raise 1 billion in the new century stuff couldn't we raise at least 100 million for an athletic endowment? Maybe thats just wishful thinking.

Sure, SMU could start one. Who's writing the checks to get it started?

[coloradoStang]

Why isn't there an athletic endowment? Doesn't stanford have one? If we can raise 1 billion in the new century stuff couldn't we raise at least 100 million for an athletic endowment? Maybe thats just wishful thinking.

Sure, SMU could start one. Who's writing the checks to get it started?

I've got 20 bucks

[Water Pony]

The real problem is the annual 40-45 Million Dollar revenue gap between SMU and P5 schools. You ignore reality and want to lash out at Turner for "not getting serious about football". As if the 10,000 SMU fans that actually go to games doesn't tell the real story. Well its a little too late for that unless you want to endow the athletic program with about 250 Million or so. But go ahead and threaten not to buy season tickets (which you probably don't use) or renew your Mustang Club donation (which probably won't cover the spread). So whose going to make up that 40-45 Million annual revenue gap so Turner "can get serious about football"? Because you got to be an idiot if you think its coming from SMU school operating expenses or the endowment. The only logical plan of action is to hire the best Football Coach and staff that our Millionaires can fund and hope that we can increase ticket sales revenue to make up some of that gap-which btw will get bigger every year forever. That idea failed last time although Turner hired the overwhelming popular choice of most of the same people criticizing him now. Most are [deleted] about Turner picking the guy they wanted. This is the future of a non-P5 small private school in Dallas Texas whose fans really don't care too terribly much about college football

I agree. This Board excels at wanting to cash other people's checks. If we want to endow Athletics (most notably FB), attendance and participation needs to be much higher. Otherwise, even the CoC and our major donor$ will ask the obvious question ... should I throw good money after bad?

Although endowment may be the answer, we should be honest about what we are collective "entitled". Perhaps hubris interfers with our goal? To paraphrase Denny Green, "they are what we thought they were". Condemning/blaming others stops the discussion what we need to do.

[redpony]

I suspect a substantial endowment specifically for athletics would a) reduce the strain on the schools finances and b) reduce the longer term requirements on booster donations ala CofC and c) enable the AD to fire a coach when necessary and justified without the blessings from outsiders. i.e.- tiki and the ASU fiasco.

I suggested a long time ago the idea of an endowment for athletics. We could look at Stanford and how they have done their endowment as a potential model.

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

The real problem is the annual 40-45 Million Dollar revenue gap between SMU and P5 schools. You ignore reality and want to lash out at Turner for "not getting serious about football". As if the 10,000 SMU fans that actually go to games doesn't tell the real story. Well its a little too late for that unless you want to endow the athletic program with about 250 Million or so. But go ahead and threaten not to buy season tickets (which you probably don't use) or renew your Mustang Club donation (which probably won't cover the spread). So whose going to make up that 40-45 Million annual revenue gap so Turner "can get serious about football"? Because you got to be an idiot if you think its coming from SMU school operating expenses or the endowment. The only logical plan of action is to hire the best Football Coach and staff that our Millionaires can fund and hope that we can increase ticket sales revenue to make up some of that gap-which btw will get bigger every year forever. That idea failed last time although Turner hired the overwhelming popular choice of most of the same people criticizing him now. Most are [deleted] about Turner picking the guy they wanted. This is the future of a non-P5 small private school in Dallas Texas whose fans really don't care too terribly much about college football

I agree. This Board excels at wanting to cash other people's checks. If we want to endow Athletics (most notably FB), attendance and participation needs to be much higher. Otherwise, even the CoC and our major donor$ will ask the obvious question ... should I throw good money after bad?

Although endowment may be the answer, we should be honest about what we are collective "entitled". Perhaps hubris interfers with our goal? To paraphrase Denny Green, "they are what we thought they were". Condemning/blaming others stops the discussion what we need to do.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. That sounds hard, expensive, and requires some actual reflection and thoughtfulness. I'd rather just sit back and blame Turner. . .and Obama. F those guys. They killed SMU athletics. If we could just get rid of Turner, the Board of Trustees, and most of the faculty, it would be Mustang Mania all over again!!!

[redpony]

Russ Potts for president.

[ponyswim]

I think an athletic endowment is a good idea - endow the coaching positions, scholarships, etc.
BUT, this will not happen unless the specific program has good facilities in place. There was no interest in a swimming endowment, because they wanted to use "swimming money" for a new facility. Once tennis, swimming, now basketball, have excellent new facilities, I think then it is time to get the ball rolling on those things.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Russ Potts for president.

He croaked.

[SoCal_Pony]

The real problem is the annual 40-45 Million Dollar revenue gap between SMU and P5 schools. You ignore reality and want to lash out at Turner for "not getting serious about football". As if the 10,000 SMU fans that actually go to games doesn't tell the real story. Well its a little too late for that unless you want to endow the athletic program with about 250 Million or so. But go ahead and threaten not to buy season tickets (which you probably don't use) or renew your Mustang Club donation (which probably won't cover the spread). So whose going to make up that 40-45 Million annual revenue gap so Turner "can get serious about football"? Because you got to be an idiot if you think its coming from SMU school operating expenses or the endowment. The only logical plan of action is to hire the best Football Coach and staff that our Millionaires can fund and hope that we can increase ticket sales revenue to make up some of that gap-which btw will get bigger every year forever. That idea failed last time although Turner hired the overwhelming popular choice of most of the same people criticizing him now. Most are [deleted] about Turner picking the guy they wanted. This is the future of a non-P5 small private school in Dallas Texas whose fans really don't care too terribly much about college football

Can't say I disagree with anything you're saying, but to put some context to this, the other schools we have been competing against in our conferences have also had the same fiscal restrictions we have. Truth is even more so as few have the means to create a CoC and have their coaches paid Top 20 salaries. Yet under Turner 20 years with no championships. 20 years and our BB team can't even get a Top 65 ranking. Prior to our minor bowl run, we had to be the most inept athletic department in all of Div1. Seriously, the MOST inept out of over 100 schools. Anyone who disputes this please name a school.

So in this off week, when some on PFs want to reflect on our past, I will go on record as saying RGT IMO is an OK President, hardly anything special, who for reasons including those you accurately mentioned above, allowed our athletics to decline, with possibly our most important one to a point of no return.

Final note. When people say look at LB, I respond this could have been done a decade+ ago with proper leadership.

[CA Mustang]

I suspect a substantial endowment specifically for athletics would a) reduce the strain on the schools finances and b) reduce the longer term requirements on booster donations ala CofC and c) enable the AD to fire a coach when necessary and justified without the blessings from outsiders. i.e.- tiki and the ASU fiasco.

I suggested a long time ago the idea of an endowment for athletics. We could look at Stanford and how they have done their endowment as a potential model.

It wouldn't be too hard to set up, just need the money to get it going.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rogergroves ... ootball-2/
http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB100014 ... 3355000052
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/27/sport ... d=all&_r=0
Old list: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... zhoS1p3k.8

[Mustangs_Maroons]

Stanford's endownment is $19bn, that is why they can allocate some portion to athletics.

Our endownment is not what folks make it out to be. We're not even top 50. More importantly, we need our athletic program to become self sustainable instead of bleeding money year after year with no end in sight.

[redpony]

Suggest you check it out. Stanford has a separate endowment for their athletics. It more than pays for all of the expenses of their athletics as well as schollies etc. They are a model for how an athletic program can be self-sustaining.

[fifty]

Isn't the first step admitting your problems? SMU is not good in sports and no matter how rich we think we are, we're small beans compared to many d1 programs. "We compete at the highest levels"...of good sportsmanship.

Let's drop men's track when they're top 5 ranked...then blow up the natatorium when swimming is top 10, then fire the golf coach when golf is top 10...argh!!

Being the worst football team ever hurts now more than I thought it would.

[alyssa]

I give some people gifts of mirrors and marbles.

[Greenwich Pony]

Frankly, I like the idea of an Athletics endowment. Obviously some big fish would "fill the tank" faster, but even small contributions add up quickly and would give the department a reliable income. I'd stroke a (Albeit smaller) check to help get it going. It isn't that hard to set up and someone over at the AD's office should be on this. Heck, make it an add-on for tickets or donations. $25 here and $25 adds up.