Maryland Could Drop As Many As 10 Varsity Programs
by Brian Favat on Nov 11, 2011 8:01 AM EST
in Boston College Football
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PrintSad news out of College Park where earlier this week, Athletic Director Kevin Anderson is considering eliminating the Terrapins swimming & diving program. But that might all all the cuts that the Terps athletics department end up cutting. Bob Groseth, executive director of the College Swimming Coaches Association was told that swimming was one of as many as 10 sports identified for possible elimination at Maryland.
The financial situation at Maryland for athletics looks grim.
"Maryland's athletics department is on track to lose $4.7 million this fiscal year. The deficit is projected to more than triple, reaching $17.6 million, within the next five years unless spending is drastically cut, revenues are sharply increased or both."
Maryland currently offers 27 varsity sports, four more than the ACC average (23) and 11 more than the NCAA mandatory minimum for a Division I program (16). The only ACC schools that offer more sports than Maryland are North Carolina (28) and Boston College (31).
BC currently has the largest athletics department in the conference in terms of number of different varsity sports. And while I have no reason to think that the BC athletics department is struggling financially nearly as much as Maryland, the ever intensifying cost-containment pressures aren't unique to College Park and Maryland athletics.
Could Boston College Athletics' financial position worsen over the next couple of years, would the athletics department consider cutting one or more of the school's 31 different varsity programs? Something to keep an eye on.
In my mind, Maryland's current financial situation doesn't completely shut the door on the Terps possible exit from the conference. Should Delany and the Big Ten wake from its expansion slumber, could the conference make a run at Maryland and say, Georgia Tech to expand the conference's reach to the East Coast and the Southeast? Even as a founding member of the conference, Maryland leaving the ACC doesn't seem beyond the realm of possibility when you consider Delany possibly flashing dollar bills in front of Anderson, Kevin Plank and the Maryland athletics department.
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Let me take the wind out of the sails of some of the trolls that will inevitably read this article and comment….most likely from that other New England college with a FBS football program. Here goes:
BC should cut their football program because they stink.
Darhahahahaha. DERP
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by A.J Black on Nov 11, 2011 8:06 AM EST via mobile reply actions
I don't see Maryland leaving the ACC
And while I think they might cut a few programs (they have announced that men’s & women’s swimming & diving are gone) they probably will not cut 10. Maryland’s issues are deal more with stupid economic planning, which if all plays well with a new ACC TV deal, plus Under Armor’s recent cash love to the school, they should get back on the right track in 3-5 years.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
The difference at Maryland is the AD has to be self-sustaining. That’s a significant budget shortfall to make up. And while Under Armour loves to pimp ugly uniforms on Maryland, they aren’t infusing that kind of cash on the department.
Thanks, Debbie Yow!
Editor, BC Interruption
Maryland is required to field a self-sustaining athletics program — one that pays for itself, albeit with help from mandatory student fees, without receiving appropriations from the university’s general fund.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Nov 11, 2011 10:02 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah Debbie did not help the situation
So she promptly moved to NCSU to make sure they don’t have no monies either.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
College Costs
Colleges and universities are notoriously inept at managing costs. Tuition, room and board just keep going up and up at a rate far in excess of inflation. And with the job market the way it is and the proliferation of useless majors – the value of the degree is not commensurate with the cost. If the sport does not pay for itself in some measurable way (directly or indirectly) – eliminate it. No way BC should have 31 different programs if they are running a tight ship. This can’t all be related to Title IX compliance.
Costs increase because of lending. Student loans are government-backed and cannot be shed in bankruptcy, so lenders don’t need to qualify applicants. Why would colleges stop increasing prices if people continue to pay them?
I agree – until the government stops making loans a sure thing, the colleges don’t feel the pressure to be competitive on pricing. I’m worried, however, that demographics will force the decision. The low birth rates are going to catch up with all of these schools at some point. So its essential for BC to manage its expenses and raise its academic profile as much as possible so that its a high demand institution in the lower demand environment coming down the road. The higher profile that successful football and hoops programs brings to the school will also help maintain or increase applications. Getting rid of under performers like Spaz is an essential business decision for BC.
Edsall probably should have thought twice before jumping from one state school with budget constraints to another state school with budget constraints. #dreamjob
Editor, BC Interruption
Big Ten ... yuck.
Some Maryland folks want the Terps to go to the Big Ten. I am definitely not among them. Maryland is east coast – a mix of the northeast and southeast. It’s definitely not midwestern.
According to this (and calculating the per-school-per-year average), each Big Ten school will receive an average of $4.75 million more per year ($17.667 mil) more than each ACC school ($12.917 mil) over the life of their respective TV contracts.
But … there’s a $20 million exit fee to leave the ACC. Short-term, it’s far more expensive for the Terps to leave. And there’s also the consideration of what a re-negotiation might bring of the existing TV contract.
Assuming the ACC moves to 9 football games, the “inventory” of ACC football games will increase from 48 to 63. Assuming the basketball teams play 18 games instead of the current 16, there will be 126 conference bball games instead of 96. Both of those are a 31.25% increase in the number of games. That should be worth more to ESPN. It won’t catch up to the Big Ten, but it will help.
I’m presuming the sports that Maryland is competitively weak in and cost a lot of money will be the first to be cut. I’m not sure if it’s accurate, but one of the commenters on the Washington Post article said that the swimming/diving teams lose “nearly $32,000” per member. If that’s correct then there could be good savings from cutting those teams.
If Edsall is able to improve the program and the football team starts bringing in more money, that would help too. I suspect there’s more improvement going on behind the scenes and that will eventually translate into more success on the field. Edsall needs to take a PR course, but I’m not concerned yet about the team.
Oh, and please – no reminders of Debbie Yow. aCK.
(As a sidenote, if the BCS was scrapped and we went to a 16-team playoff, the money brought in from that would help enormously.)
Assumption is the mother of all @#%-ups.
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