I have a feeling once the check from the Cary Estate clears, we'll know something more definite:
http://www.nola.com/uno/index.ssf/2009/0..._inte.html
If UNO adds FCS football, this should make it possible for them to join the Southland; if UNO goes FBS, it looks like they'll be staying in the Sun Belt.
Hey, "Varsity football is on the table" is a very positive statement. Let's go, UNO! I'd love to see it, even as a Jags fan :-)
It would just dig them deeper into the hole that their in... Then you have to compete with the LSU and Tulane fans in the area. Very bad idea for a program that is already in a deep hole financially. Even though it's a bad idea I'll support it since they are part of the Sun Belt, just don't get in over your head!
Good luck UNO!
Serious doubts that UNO would have enough $$$ to sustain a FBS program. Maybe FCS and the Southland would be a reasonable alternative.
(08-02-2009 01:24 PM)sotsclarinet08 Wrote: [ -> ]It would just dig them deeper into the hole that their in... Then you have to compete with the LSU and Tulane fans in the area. Very bad idea for a program that is already in a deep hole financially. Even though it's a bad idea I'll support it since they are part of the Sun Belt, just don't get in over your head!
Good luck UNO!
I agree with what you're saying, however, I've also already expressed that I'm afraid that this money UNO has received could definitely just end up being a temporary reprieve, unless they make some major changes. Adding scholarship football can really add excitement around a program(see:South Alabama) so maybe adding football will build the kind of excitement around the UNO program that will increased attendance and interest in all sports and bring in more donors, or it will chew up the money UNO has received much faster putting them back in this same position even faster.
Where could UNO play besides the Superdome? If FCS is the Privateers' final destination, they'll certainly need somewhere to play besides the Superdome.
(08-02-2009 03:18 PM)chargeradio Wrote: [ -> ]Where could UNO play besides the Superdome? If FCS is the Privateers' final destination, they'll certainly need somewhere to play besides the Superdome.
The UNO club football team plays at a local high school venue right now called Tad Gormley Stadium. Its a horseshoe stadium in City Park that holds about 26,000 and has been home to a few Tulane games. It has a much better college atmosphere than the Superdome, is closer to the UNO campus (About a 10 minute drive), and is where we will be playing until the university actually decides to add varsity football.
If they do add football, there are a few here that want to build a multi-purpose stadium on the UNO East Campus behind the Lakefront Arena and baseball field. If no on campus stadium is planned initially, Tad Gormley will more than suffice as the home stadium until one at UNO is built.
Good luck, UNO on starting up varsity football. USA is about to embark on it's first year of varsity on September 5. BTW, I'm new here! Go Jaguars.
I would hope someone with authority would demand to see more support for existing supports before adding the most expensive sport possible.
Make Men's Basketball profitable again before adding football.
It's like a game of who can bankrupt the school the fastest... I think the athletic department is close to winning...
Troy does have a great band, and an excellent football program. This school has made tremendous strides on the gridiron and other sports. IMO, they are the team to beat in the SBC this year. Will be glad when USA and Troy can start their rivalry on the field. It should prove to be one of the fiercest in the Sun Belt one day.
UNO should look at non-scholly football in the Pioneer League. Even FCS will drain your budget quickly. They should take most of that cash and invest it in an athletic endowment that can be used down the road to cover expenses and perhaps grow the overall budget.
I agree that fighting off LSU and Tulane fans would be quite a battle for UNO, not to mention UL and ULM also having a presence in the state. Oh, I guess I forgot about La Tech. I always forget those guys exist because I don't ever hear about them except for on this board.
Also, by my count UNO is offering 8 sports at present -- M/W Basketball, Baseball, M Golf, M/W Swimming & Diving, M/W Tennis, & W Volleyball.
It looks to me like the 6 cheapest sports to offer would be:
1. Sand Volleyball (cross-over WVB players)
2/3. M/W Cross Country
4/5. M/W Water Polo (since they already apparently have pool facilities)
6. Women's Golf
Alternately, I doubt Rifle is real expensive to offer. I don't know the real requirements for it though -- I'm sure there's a gun range around NO they could use.
That'd also total up to 12 SBC sports being offered. Only the water polos would not be SBC sports. Alternately, to get to 14 SBC sports, they need 2 of the 4 tracks (M/W; indoor/outdoor). Offering all 4 track options would get them to 16 SBC sports, which is what I think I've heard is the SBC minimum.
It's definitely not cheap, but they don't have to be Stanford. Until they really get their financial footing back, I feel like you can run that on a shoestring budget using some of the Cary Estate cash. They definitely need to press the students for an activity fee though.
(08-02-2009 10:30 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote: [ -> ]Also, by my count UNO is offering 8 sports at present -- M/W Basketball, Baseball, M Golf, M/W Swimming & Diving, M/W Tennis, & W Volleyball.
It looks to me like the 6 cheapest sports to offer would be:
1. Sand Volleyball (cross-over WVB players)
2/3. M/W Cross Country
4/5. M/W Water Polo (since they already apparently have pool facilities)
6. Women's Golf
Alternately, I doubt Rifle is real expensive to offer. I don't know the real requirements for it though -- I'm sure there's a gun range around NO they could use.
That'd also total up to 12 SBC sports being offered. Only the water polos would not be SBC sports. Alternately, to get to 14 SBC sports, they need 2 of the 4 tracks (M/W; indoor/outdoor). Offering all 4 track options would get them to 16 SBC sports, which is what I think I've heard is the SBC minimum.
It's definitely not cheap, but they don't have to be Stanford. Until they really get their financial footing back, I feel like you can run that on a shoestring budget using some of the Cary Estate cash. They definitely need to press the students for an activity fee though.
UNO offers NINE sports. Swimming and Diving counts as two - a men's sport and women's sport.
All UNO would have to offer is the SIX track and field components to get the number required by SBC and NCAA. MXC, WXC, MITF, WITF, MOTF and WOTF.
UNO intends to add sand volleyball, W Golf, soccer, softball and both cross country programs according to recent reports to get the number.
(08-03-2009 06:56 AM)Reduno Wrote: [ -> ]UNO offers NINE sports. Swimming and Diving counts as two - a men's sport and women's sport.
All UNO would have to offer is the SIX track and field components to get the number required by SBC and NCAA. MXC, WXC, MITF, WITF, MOTF and WOTF.
UNO intends to add sand volleyball, W Golf, soccer, softball and both cross country programs according to recent reports to get the number.
That is good. I would hope UNO would get those going and make them competitive before trying to add Football.
(08-03-2009 09:40 AM)galojah Wrote: [ -> ] (08-03-2009 06:56 AM)Reduno Wrote: [ -> ]UNO offers NINE sports. Swimming and Diving counts as two - a men's sport and women's sport.
All UNO would have to offer is the SIX track and field components to get the number required by SBC and NCAA. MXC, WXC, MITF, WITF, MOTF and WOTF.
UNO intends to add sand volleyball, W Golf, soccer, softball and both cross country programs according to recent reports to get the number.
That is good. I would hope UNO would get those going and make them competitive before trying to add Football.
What UNO REALLY needs, right now, is football at ANY level. That's what jump starts everything else. Club football doesn't cost much and can only help UNO Athletics in the future.
(08-03-2009 10:34 AM)Reduno Wrote: [ -> ] (08-03-2009 09:40 AM)galojah Wrote: [ -> ] (08-03-2009 06:56 AM)Reduno Wrote: [ -> ]UNO offers NINE sports. Swimming and Diving counts as two - a men's sport and women's sport.
All UNO would have to offer is the SIX track and field components to get the number required by SBC and NCAA. MXC, WXC, MITF, WITF, MOTF and WOTF.
UNO intends to add sand volleyball, W Golf, soccer, softball and both cross country programs according to recent reports to get the number.
That is good. I would hope UNO would get those going and make them competitive before trying to add Football.
What UNO REALLY needs, right now, is football at ANY level. That's what jump starts everything else. Club football doesn't cost much and can only help UNO Athletics in the future.
What UNO REALLY needs, right now, are the required number of sports to remain Division I and in the SBC. Beyond that, their can be discussion about adding football or investing more in current sports.
(08-03-2009 04:23 PM)galojah Wrote: [ -> ] (08-03-2009 10:34 AM)Reduno Wrote: [ -> ] (08-03-2009 09:40 AM)galojah Wrote: [ -> ] (08-03-2009 06:56 AM)Reduno Wrote: [ -> ]UNO offers NINE sports. Swimming and Diving counts as two - a men's sport and women's sport.
All UNO would have to offer is the SIX track and field components to get the number required by SBC and NCAA. MXC, WXC, MITF, WITF, MOTF and WOTF.
UNO intends to add sand volleyball, W Golf, soccer, softball and both cross country programs according to recent reports to get the number.
That is good. I would hope UNO would get those going and make them competitive before trying to add Football.
What UNO REALLY needs, right now, is football at ANY level. That's what jump starts everything else. Club football doesn't cost much and can only help UNO Athletics in the future.
What UNO REALLY needs, right now, are the required number of sports to remain Division I and in the SBC. Beyond that, their can be discussion about adding football or investing more in current sports.
Don't worry about that. UNO will be DI and SBC compliant.
I hate when schools try to sponsor cross country but not track and field. Doing that makes it extremely difficult to attract the best distance runners because they would be unable to compete all year long. In my experience, most athletes who are satisfied only running cross country are not as good as those who also want to do indoor track and outdoor track, even if they are exceptional students.
New Orleans has apparently already made up its mind, if what has been stated above is true, but they are really taking the wrong path in my opinion. Duplicating existing sports is simpler. I would add men's and women's cross country, men's and women's indoor track, men's and women's outdoor track, and women's golf, but they seem to be set on doing otherwise so best of luck to the new Privateers.