Author Topic: Eastern Michigan University budget woes prompt cutting of 4 sports programs  (Read 17314 times)

Offline Penguin Nick

  • Royal Penguin
  • ***
  • Posts: 240
    • View Profile
Get real, that's not going to EVER happen...at least not with Akron and Buffalo

Offline Kandrase

  • King Penguin
  • ****
  • Posts: 424
    • View Profile
Get real, that's not going to EVER happen...at least not with Akron and Buffalo

Actually Akron seems realistic to me, plus they’ve got one of the best soccer teams in the country to fall back on.

Offline Penguin Nick

  • Royal Penguin
  • ***
  • Posts: 240
    • View Profile
Akron recently built a 30,000 seat state of the art football stadium, therefore, they aren't dropping football.

Offline IAA Fan

  • Administrator
  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 12051
  • Bring Coke back to YSU!!
    • View Profile
    • ysupenguins.com
Akron recently built a 30,000 seat state of the art football stadium, therefore, they aren't dropping football.

There are 2 other stadiums in that area that need replaced and they both draw more fans on a Friday night, than Akron draws on their best Saturday. Look at Butler. The coach said that he could not get anyone to come and play in Indianapolis. Here he was beating any team they could play. He said the final straw was when Ball Sate refused to play a game there. So they knew they had to make a commitment and take advantage of those incredible NCCA Tourney runs.

Offline ytownchief22

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2676
    • View Profile
Akron will not drop football. No way they'd be stuck with InfoCision as it's not even 15 years old. Heck, the rubber bowl is still standing which the city just bought I think.

Offline YSUGO

  • Global Moderator
  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 3433
    • View Profile
Akron was in a bowl game last year. Yea they got there ass kicked but they got exposure and if you think they would drop football after that really?. 
A Penguin for life!!!

Offline guinpen

  • Global Moderator
  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 4294
    • View Profile
Akron was in a bowl game last year. Yea they got there a$$ kicked but they got exposure and if you think they would drop football after that really?.

Yeah must have been the Toilet Bowl. As far as the exposure they got, I guess I missed it. Really did not see that they were in a bowl game.
“Life is hard, it’s harder if you're stupid” - John Wayne

Offline YSU1

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 694
    • View Profile
With the population shrinking in the Youngstown area, YSU will never have enough support to move up to the FBS.  We are closer to being D-2 than FBS.  Football is not what it was in the 90's and basketball is way below average.  It is what it is.  Even if both sports were promoted people will not attend.  The older loyal supporters are dying off and they have not been replaced.
« Last Edit: April 07, 2018, 02:36:45 PM by YSU1 »

Offline ytownchief22

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2676
    • View Profile
With the population shrinking in the Youngstown area, YSU will never have enough support to move up to the FBS.  We are closer to being D-2 than FBS.  Football is not what it was in the 90's and basketball is way below average.  It is what it is.  Even if both sports were promoted people will not attend.  The older loyal supporters are dying off and they have not been replaced.


Very true statement.

Offline guinpen

  • Global Moderator
  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 4294
    • View Profile
With the population shrinking in the Youngstown area, YSU will never have enough support to move up to the FBS.  We are closer to being D-2 than FBS.  Football is not what it was in the 90's and basketball is way below average.  It is what it is.  Even if both sports were promoted people will not attend.  The older loyal supporters are dying off and they have not been replaced.

I am fine staying in 1AA, I do not care for the league we are in. It started out ok but with WKU gone and the addition of the teams west of the Mississippi my interest in the league has waned. We all know that new league options are limited.

I think fans would respond better if we were playing some OHIO schools ( at 1AA ) but even then sellouts would be rare if ever again.

I think we have a chance to do something in BB yea the league now sucks, but the upside is that is will be easier for us to make the dance
“Life is hard, it’s harder if you're stupid” - John Wayne

Offline IAA Fan

  • Administrator
  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 12051
  • Bring Coke back to YSU!!
    • View Profile
    • ysupenguins.com
I know that this is probably not the thread, but YSU can look at OSU for many things that they do right. I mean we have 12k students and a student section that holds about 3,600 for football. 5k max (take into account the visitors and bands area). Are your children sent tickets/ticket vouchers after they register for Fall? Why not? Is there a coupon on the back of this voucher that is worth far more than the price of the ticket? (I.e.:\ student meals and/or a free t-shirt from the book store? How about 20% off of all items (including text books and on-line/special orders)? My gosh, students would be roaming the stands and tailgate lots (at least they would see the last few minutes of each game). How about a free month's rent raffle on campus housing? Penn Sate has "attendance wars". each section is measured by % of capacity in attendance and the winning sections' ticket stubs are good for free beer(drink), hot dog and popped-corn. Do we have a kid's section inside the stadium and sell kid's meals?

Is a YSU football game still the best place to be on a fall Saturday? Buckeye fans tailgate (in Columbus) during away games and the game is broadcast. I am sorry but this is the retail capitol of America (seriously can you believe how many retail establishments are in Ytown for the city's size)? Why are not every one of these sponsoring (at least in part) events associated with YSU? Why is my Penguin Club card not worth 10%-20% discount items in any one of hundreds of retail establishments? A membership to the YSU athletic center? Or maybe $500 off of a car? I work for an automotive software company and I work with 31-brands of cars sold in the US. There are 37 total. You can get car show pricing on cars all season long during football and during March for basketball. The dealer only has to show an NCAA DI college is in their market. My daughter gets email for these discounts all the time & I do not. What is the difference? She graduated from Ohio State. This is work, but it is out there if someone cares to take advantage of it. I am talking specifically about GM here; All of the brands have something similar. YSU does a very good job with what they do, but when your volume is small. you have to create more opportunities. Again we need to win games first.

Although if YSU discovers this, our ticket prices will skyrocket ...  8)
« Last Edit: April 08, 2018, 02:50:06 PM by IAA Fan »

Offline ytownchief22

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2676
    • View Profile
YSU athletic marketing is awful.

Offline go guins

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2453
    • View Profile
YSU athletic marketing is awful.
Frankly I wish it were awful instead of non-existent.  Awful would be an improvement!  Strollo thinks that marketing raises expectations and he is afraid he can't deliver, "so whatever you do, don't sell the program."
When you look up "loser" in the dictionary, you may see a picture of Ron!
Watching Penquins Football & Basketball since 1967!

Offline go guins

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2453
    • View Profile
Akron recently built a 30,000 seat state of the art football stadium, therefore, they aren't dropping football.
Akron recently built a 30,000 seat state of the art football soccer stadium,
Watching Penquins Football & Basketball since 1967!

Offline IAA Fan

  • Administrator
  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 12051
  • Bring Coke back to YSU!!
    • View Profile
    • ysupenguins.com
As usual, you are both being unfair and lack knowledge. YSU is in a financial position where they can only fund items that have demonstrated success, so monies for "experimental" marketing do not exist. It is unfortunate because that is how you achieve growth. However, Strollo cannot afford to try something for the next 4 or 5 years just to drop it for a lack of success. Penguin Club or loge revenue is the bulk of the revenue and this is where payroll dollars need to be spent. It is a catch-22 that many businesses find themselves in. I would like to see a person in the department that has the job of maximizing "existing" opportunities provided by the university/community, the conferences and the NCAA. In short, maximize the free and cheap opportunities. Here is an example in my business:

A car dealer is allowed to use funds for marketing. A GM dealership has corporate-backed matching dollars. For any of you that work in a GM dealership, this is your "spend", matched with your iMR dollars (Cadillac Pinnacle has the same). There is also a program with dollars earmarked for dealership signage and other "brick and mortar" improvements. There is also an NCAA program to promote DI college football. The smart marketer could get the NCAA funds to help cover the initial cost of a sign (to go in Stambaugh, Beeghly, or the tailgate lots), then matching dollars for the dealer would allow for even more revenue share. In short the NCAA and GM would fund the vast majority of the sign and the dealer claims the entire sign as a collegiate donation for tax purposes. I do the same thing for my company, only we do it for software. For example space on one of our websites, or maybe a direct marketing campaign. The key is having someone with enough ability to seek out these programs and get out into the community and "market".

Again this is very experimental, but there should be someone whose job it is to maximize low-cost opportunities within existing marketing venues. This person should live at OSU for the first year and get  some real-life experience and then transfer what he has learned to YSU.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2018, 11:05:31 AM by IAA Fan »