http://northernstar.info/campus/article_...f6878.html

At the bottom of the article.

Interesting. If that proposal becomes reality, you can rest assured that a lot more money will be coming from season ticket holders and donors. I would expect to see donor levels completely revamped.

If its optional, I hope at least they make it default to the student pays it, but they can opt out. I don't know how much it is. I assume it is "reasonable"

Last I checked, I believe there already is an athletics fee.

This could hurt attendance.

If KU's wasn't optional, I'd probably go to every Football game.... But it's not, so I don't show up because I don't want to pay out of pocket.

(10-30-2014 02:09 PM)zdsmith Wrote:  Last I checked, I believe there already is an athletics fee.

Proposal to make it optional for students to pay an athletics

Nobody would opt to pay. Would they not get free tickets then? Attendance would drop certainly.

(10-30-2014 02:21 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  Nobody would opt to pay. Would they not get free tickets then? Attendance would drop certainly.

Correct. I hope they give this more thought.

Baker also said there is a proposal to make it optional for students to pay an athletics or fine arts fee.

That is big difference in philosophy. Students pay over $500 in required fees to support the athletic program. The simple math is $500 times 20,000 students equal $10 million big bucks. Where is the athletic program going to find the money for this lost revenue?

I doubt this gets approved, but this shows you how bad the financial situation with the state has gotten that they're even considering this. Rauner will probably eke out a win next week, so we'll see if things get better under his watch.

(10-30-2014 02:26 PM)NIU75 Wrote:  Baker also said there is a proposal to make it optional for students to pay an athletics or fine arts fee.

That is big difference in philosophy. Students pay over $500 in required fees to support the athletic program. The simple math is $500 times 20,000 students equal $10 million big bucks. Where is the athletic program going to find the money for this lost revenue?

Us. Start saving.

you wouldn't lose it all.

Maybe students would value it more?

I no, I don't buy it either.

We are too much of a commuter school already. Why not take the athletics fee from the commuters? That is the point of it.

Are commuters the answer to getting enrollment up? Do commuters make NIU a better school?

I know the faculty honestly doesn't like athletics they see it as money that they don't get and no i am not kidding either. Look at the outrage of the bowl spending. The faculty who is so loyal to the school we had how many hundreds of people leave weeks before school actually started due to pensions from the politicians that they voted for and support in the northern star.

If anything NIU needs to get some debt while its cheap and upgrade somethings that never got done while the last administration did all the great things they did.

The metra/bus idea is a pipe dream people flat out don't want to take a train to a bus. Get the train to dekalb and raise the standards of getting into the school just like ISU did. Nobody wants to send there child to a school that has low standards.

I hope this was Baker just telling the facility what they want to hear. They all want more money. The teachers want the 500 bucks a student to go into their pockets not the athletic department.

The 500 bucks to athletics isn't the problem, educational greed is the problem.

(10-30-2014 04:02 PM)GOONSQUAD41 Wrote:  We are too much of a commuter school already. Why not take the athletics fee from the commuters? That is the point of it.

Are commuters the answer to getting enrollment up? Do commuters make NIU a better school?

I know the faculty honestly doesn't like athletics they see it as money that they don't get and no i am not kidding either. Look at the outrage of the bowl spending. The faculty who is so loyal to the school we had how many hundreds of people leave weeks before school actually started due to pensions from the politicians that they voted for and support in the northern star.

If anything NIU needs to get some debt while its cheap and upgrade somethings that never got done while the last administration did all the great things they did.

The metra/bus idea is a pipe dream people flat out don't want to take a train to a bus. Get the train to dekalb and raise the standards of getting into the school just like ISU did. Nobody wants to send there child to a school that has low standards.

I hope this was Baker just telling the facility what they want to hear. They all want more money. The teachers want the 500 bucks a student to go into their pockets not the athletic department.

The 500 bucks to athletics isn't the problem, educational greed is the problem.

And don't forget to vote next Tuesday!...

(10-30-2014 04:02 PM)GOONSQUAD41 Wrote:  We are too much of a commuter school already. Why not take the athletics fee from the commuters? That is the point of it.

Are commuters the answer to getting enrollment up? Do commuters make NIU a better school?

I know the faculty honestly doesn't like athletics they see it as money that they don't get and no i am not kidding either. Look at the outrage of the bowl spending. The faculty who is so loyal to the school we had how many hundreds of people leave weeks before school actually started due to pensions from the politicians that they voted for and support in the northern star.

If anything NIU needs to get some debt while its cheap and upgrade somethings that never got done while the last administration did all the great things they did.

The metra/bus idea is a pipe dream people flat out don't want to take a train to a bus. Get the train to dekalb and raise the standards of getting into the school just like ISU did. Nobody wants to send there child to a school that has low standards.

I hope this was Baker just telling the facility what they want to hear. They all want more money. The teachers want the 500 bucks a student to go into their pockets not the athletic department.

The 500 bucks to athletics isn't the problem, educational greed is the problem.

Hmmm...Physics prof makes what $140...football coach makes $400..... idk... it's all a bubble

(10-30-2014 04:37 PM)jjprender Wrote:  

(10-30-2014 04:02 PM)GOONSQUAD41 Wrote:  We are too much of a commuter school already. Why not take the athletics fee from the commuters? That is the point of it.

Are commuters the answer to getting enrollment up? Do commuters make NIU a better school?

I know the faculty honestly doesn't like athletics they see it as money that they don't get and no i am not kidding either. Look at the outrage of the bowl spending. The faculty who is so loyal to the school we had how many hundreds of people leave weeks before school actually started due to pensions from the politicians that they voted for and support in the northern star.

If anything NIU needs to get some debt while its cheap and upgrade somethings that never got done while the last administration did all the great things they did.

The metra/bus idea is a pipe dream people flat out don't want to take a train to a bus. Get the train to dekalb and raise the standards of getting into the school just like ISU did. Nobody wants to send there child to a school that has low standards.

I hope this was Baker just telling the facility what they want to hear. They all want more money. The teachers want the 500 bucks a student to go into their pockets not the athletic department.

The 500 bucks to athletics isn't the problem, educational greed is the problem.

Hmmm...Physics prof makes what $140...football coach makes $400..... idk... it's all a bubble

It's not that unreasonable to think that a coach would make more than a teacher is it?

edit: except for Ivy schools

(10-30-2014 04:37 PM)jjprender Wrote:  

(10-30-2014 04:02 PM)GOONSQUAD41 Wrote:  We are too much of a commuter school already. Why not take the athletics fee from the commuters? That is the point of it.

Are commuters the answer to getting enrollment up? Do commuters make NIU a better school?

I know the faculty honestly doesn't like athletics they see it as money that they don't get and no i am not kidding either. Look at the outrage of the bowl spending. The faculty who is so loyal to the school we had how many hundreds of people leave weeks before school actually started due to pensions from the politicians that they voted for and support in the northern star.

If anything NIU needs to get some debt while its cheap and upgrade somethings that never got done while the last administration did all the great things they did.

The metra/bus idea is a pipe dream people flat out don't want to take a train to a bus. Get the train to dekalb and raise the standards of getting into the school just like ISU did. Nobody wants to send there child to a school that has low standards.

I hope this was Baker just telling the facility what they want to hear. They all want more money. The teachers want the 500 bucks a student to go into their pockets not the athletic department.

The 500 bucks to athletics isn't the problem, educational greed is the problem.

Hmmm...Physics prof makes what $140...football coach makes $400..... idk... it's all a bubble

After 2003 do you know what the spike was in applications to NIU?? Do you think it was because of the physics Prof? Let me know when 10k people show up to see an experiment.

The size and pay of the football staff is actually small compared to science dept. Physics Prof works 32 weeks a year. Our football staff works more like 50 weeks a year.

Maybe we should have more student loans for students so we can pay people who work 32 weeks a year more money because they are so great. Educational Greed is the problem not athletics.

(10-30-2014 04:37 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(10-30-2014 04:02 PM)GOONSQUAD41 Wrote:  We are too much of a commuter school already. Why not take the athletics fee from the commuters? That is the point of it.

Are commuters the answer to getting enrollment up? Do commuters make NIU a better school?

I know the faculty honestly doesn't like athletics they see it as money that they don't get and no i am not kidding either. Look at the outrage of the bowl spending. The faculty who is so loyal to the school we had how many hundreds of people leave weeks before school actually started due to pensions from the politicians that they voted for and support in the northern star.

If anything NIU needs to get some debt while its cheap and upgrade somethings that never got done while the last administration did all the great things they did.

The metra/bus idea is a pipe dream people flat out don't want to take a train to a bus. Get the train to dekalb and raise the standards of getting into the school just like ISU did. Nobody wants to send there child to a school that has low standards.

I hope this was Baker just telling the facility what they want to hear. They all want more money. The teachers want the 500 bucks a student to go into their pockets not the athletic department.

The 500 bucks to athletics isn't the problem, educational greed is the problem.

And don't forget to vote next Tuesday!...

Already did and so did my grandma (she died in 2003)

As a teacher, I'm gonna back away from this because I can't possibly give an unbiased opinion lol.

Rauner winning will not be good for education. Giving tax breaks to wealthy people and cutting every thing else has never helped a economy or a school or a state or a country. It will make a few wealthier though!