Way OT in a way, but relevant in a way.

We talk about sports as the "front porch of the university", as athletic spending as an advertising expense. We also talk about prestige and visibility.

Well, hosting a Presidential debate is as visible as an RNP state university in a medium-sized metro area is ever likely to be. And Wright State just backed out, citing increasing security costs and disappointing fundraising.

http://www.whio.com/news/news/wright-sta...oradio_sfp

Security costs for Wright State are $8,000,000?!?!?!?! Whoa. That seems remarkably high.

I guess Hofstra will pick up the event. But it would have been (1) good for the Dayton economy, and (2) some nice publicity for Wright State University (90% of folk probably don't know the school exists, much less what state it is in). Oh well.

(07-19-2016 03:00 PM)NittanyLion Wrote:  Security costs for Wright State are $8,000,000?!?!?!?! Whoa. That seems remarkably high.

I think $8,000,000 is the total cost. They've apparently already spent $500,000 upgrading the Nutter Center arena, and paid a $2,000,000 fee to the Commission on Presidential Debates (refundable deposit? maybe)

I guess after the Paris and Nice attacks and now cop assassinations, the costs of what you "have to do" have skyrocketed. And after all that, the Chief of Security or whoever still has to say "not really" if the college president asks "And would our students be protected from random nuts with guns/axes/trucks attracted by the debate?"

Quote:I guess Hofstra will pick up the event. But it would have been (1) good for the Dayton economy, and (2) some nice publicity for Wright State University (90% of folk probably don't know the school exists, much less what state it is in). Oh well.

Somebody will pick up the event. And apparently Wright State is having budget problems I didn't especially know about.

(07-19-2016 03:08 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  Somebody will pick up the event. And apparently Wright State is having budget problems I didn't especially know about.

Hofstra has already stepped up, it's theirs. They also hosted a debate back in both 2008 and 2012.

Something that did surprise me --- Wright State was going to have it at the Nutter Center? Do you really need a whole arena for the event? I suppose one does need to house all the media somewhere.

Lynn University, which most people even here likely doesn't know exists, managed to host one of the 2012 debates. I doubt they have a big sports arena. But I don't know for sure.

If they didnt talk sooooo fast it would be fun to watch
Why so fast, its just stupid
Give me your reason WHY it has to be so fast
Dont tell me about time, that can be changed back to the way it used to be

The Nutter Center has been the host of a lot of political stuff the last eight years. It was where Sarah Palin was introduced as McCain's running mate, Obama has showed up a whole bunch of times, Romney gave speeches there, etc. I'm not exactly sure what has recently happened with Wright State's finances. Just a few months ago, they were making a big deal about how they greatly exceeded various fundraising campaigns for new construction, the endowment, and some scholarship funds and they were announcing that there was a big surplus. Now they're saying that some investments that the endowment and some of the research funding is based on didn't turn out the way they expected, and there's a big deficit. A whole lot of people are also ticked off that during the "we have a great surplus" period, they bought out the remainder of [men's basketball coach] Billy Donlon's contract, and gave a much bigger contract to the new coach, Scott Nagy, while they're having to lay off a bunch of faculty. According to the most recent alumni magazine, the Nutter Center generates $18 million a year for the university, and almost all of it is from things that aren't Wright State basketball.

(07-19-2016 03:15 PM)NittanyLion Wrote:  

(07-19-2016 03:08 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  Somebody will pick up the event. And apparently Wright State is having budget problems I didn't especially know about.

Hofstra has already stepped up, it's theirs. They also hosted a debate back in both 2008 and 2012.

Something that did surprise me --- Wright State was going to have it at the Nutter Center? Do you really need a whole arena for the event? I suppose one does need to house all the media somewhere.

Lynn University, which most people even here likely doesn't know exists, managed to host one of the 2012 debates. I doubt they have a big sports arena. But I don't know for sure.

It doesn't have to be in a big sports arena.

Case Western had the VP debate in 2004 when I was a student there. I believe it was held in our little gymnasium, which seats under 2,000 even if there's chairs on the entire court.