The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(09-05-2021 11:49 AM)StrikeGold1 Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 11:46 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 11:41 AM)StrikeGold1 Wrote:  The people on this board sometimes have absolutely no grasp on reality. The PJ Fleck-era Broncos are OVER. He was spending money at P5 levels, the staff salaries were at the top of the MAC, the president was supporting athletics and he was allowed to do whatever he wanted with no repercussions. That's NOT our reality anymore. We literally have ONE person staffing the entire SID/marketing department. Our freaking hockey SID had to travel with the football team yesterday. The football salaries are towards the bottom of the MAC now. The president wants nothing to do with athletics and emphasizes making budget over winning games.

Get this into your head. It's apples to oranges with the Fleck era. We all have to stop reminiscing on the glory days. It's not even close to the same program anymore. It sucks! But it's our reality.

I admit I didn’t read the details on it. But I don’t understand how or why the $50 million donation to the athletic department isn’t being tapped for things like this.

To my understanding from a few people I trust - most of the money is going into an endowment that kicks off a % yearly. I heard that it did help them get back some minimal budget and staffing money but it's truly pennies to what they need right now.

That's why we play games like yesterday. $ 1.8 million is nothing to sneeze at. Presumably we'll get a chunk of change out of Pitt as well, though I doubt it'll be near $ 1.8 million.

Best way to spoil a standing relationship like that is to upset your Big 10 opponent. Didn't we beat Iowa a few years back at their house and their AD swore never to play us again-and they didn't for like 15 years after that (clobbered us in 2013 59-3). As a mid major you get no respect.

(09-05-2021 11:54 AM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 11:51 AM)StrikeGold1 Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 11:48 AM)bronco89 Wrote:  

(09-05-2021 11:41 AM)StrikeGold1 Wrote:  The people on this board sometimes have absolutely no grasp on reality. The PJ Fleck-era Broncos are OVER. He was spending money at P5 levels, the staff salaries were at the top of the MAC, the president was supporting athletics and he was allowed to do whatever he wanted with no repercussions. That's NOT our reality anymore. We literally have ONE person staffing the entire SID/marketing department. Our freaking hockey SID had to travel with the football team yesterday. The football salaries are towards the bottom of the MAC now. The president wants nothing to do with athletics and emphasizes making budget over winning games.

Get this into your head. It's apples to oranges with the Fleck era. We all have to stop reminiscing on the glory days. It's not even close to the same program anymore. It sucks! But it's our reality. We need to support Tim and hope he can get over the hump this year and get us back to Detroit. He's one of us - let's get behind him.

Ok- valid points. Perhaps we should pull the plug and move down a level. Why be D1 in football when you don’t have the resources to compete and will never have a chance at a National Championship with a business model that is upside down. Makes no sense to me.

Valid question that's being asked across board rooms in the MAC. I think it's becoming more likely that it happens in the next 5-8 years with super conferences forming. Pull up the best FCS teams and remaining G5 and do their own thing. But that's just my own thoughts and not based on anything I've heard from within WMU

I think schools at our spending level are going to have to check themselves out of the FBS arms race whether we like it or not. Whether that leads to dropping down is a different question that may not be entirely in the schools' control.

I haven't seen a real analysis on it but I suspect dropping down may not be that much better financially. Running a competitive FCS program is not that cheap either and you lose some attendance (probably) and buy games are not as lucrative.

I think it will happen sooner than 5-8 years my friend. The “arms race” is only going to get worse with NIL in play. Jim H makes more money than our whole staff combined and 10 times what Tim makes. We will never be able to compete with that and frankly, I don’t think we want to join the semi pro ranks with Bama etc. That model will implode at some point.