The huge influx of FEMA money and upsurge in the Louisiana economy due to outright gifts and enormous free funds from generous Americans has boosted the Louisiana economy and flooded the State of Louisiana coffers.
The College Board of Regents now with massive new money available has authorized the state colleges to more or less DOUBLE the amount of taxpayer money that can be diverted to athletics. Most schools already received between three and four million and this will go up to five million or more. It is recognized that the schools have very little fan support and without these infusions, allowable annually now, they can bail lthem out. Thanks a lot for giving us the fruits of your hard work. I am sure that schools like USM who have to pound the pavement and raise every single dollar on their own really envy those like ULM, ULL, La Tech, etc who are getting a mostly free ride now.

Have you ever made a post that wasn't about Louisiana Tech?

MichiganTiger Wrote:Have you ever made a post that wasn't about Louisiana Tech?

Lets see, I guess I left McNeese State, Southern U, Nichols State, NW State, SE La U, UNO, Grambling, and maybe another or two from the list. Just trying to save space. Do you feel better now?

Tiger has a point, you seem to dislike Tech more than you like USM. I'm sure you had Grambling in mind though when you were posting.

He certainly despises La Tech, one of USM's oldest opponents. I think he's terrified that La Tech might someday earn membership to C-USA. Well, I don't think there's any risk of that within the next 5-7 years.

eager eagle Wrote:The huge influx of FEMA money and upsurge in the Louisiana economy due to outright gifts and enormous free funds from generous Americans has boosted the Louisiana economy and flooded the State of Louisiana coffers.
The College Board of Regents now with massive new money available has authorized the state colleges to more or less DOUBLE the amount of taxpayer money that can be diverted to athletics. Most schools already received between three and four million and this will go up to five million or more. It is recognized that the schools have very little fan support and without these infusions, allowable annually now, they can bail lthem out. Thanks a lot for giving us the fruits of your hard work. I am sure that schools like USM who have to pound the pavement and raise every single dollar on their own really envy those like ULM, ULL, La Tech, etc who are getting a mostly free ride now.

Can you provide a link to support your claim?

USM@FTL Wrote:He certainly despises La Tech, one of USM's oldest opponents. I think he's terrified that La Tech might someday earn membership to C-USA. Well, I don't think there's any risk of that within the next 5-7 years.

At least USM can beat Tulane in football...

I'm guessing this is why UNO is still playing basketball in a high school gym and has a temporary score board at its baseball stadium and why McNeese and Nicholls still have temporary lighting on their football fields. Just flush with cash.

Seriously, you don't need to disparage UNO and the UL system. LSU has that field covered.

Sophandros Wrote:

eager eagle Wrote:The huge influx of FEMA money and upsurge in the Louisiana economy due to outright gifts and enormous free funds from generous Americans has boosted the Louisiana economy and flooded the State of Louisiana coffers.
The College Board of Regents now with massive new money available has authorized the state colleges to more or less DOUBLE the amount of taxpayer money that can be diverted to athletics. Most schools already received between three and four million and this will go up to five million or more. It is recognized that the schools have very little fan support and without these infusions, allowable annually now, they can bail lthem out. Thanks a lot for giving us the fruits of your hard work. I am sure that schools like USM who have to pound the pavement and raise every single dollar on their own really envy those like ULM, ULL, La Tech, etc who are getting a mostly free ride now.

Can you provide a link to support your claim?

I made several comments. Which one or ones do you need me to provide a link for support? Actually, all of the information came from local newspapers, article after article discussing the billions coming from the fed govt (american taxpayers), donations, , and how that influx jump started the Louisiana economy whereby they had millions upon millions in surplus which was just recently divided into many legislators pet projects in addition to additional millions to the state universities from which they can use more and more for athletics. Really, it would take a truck to haul to articles. Tax revenue from the casinos (a lot of taxpayer money was spent there) reached record numbers. The sensible legislators are already asking what the state will do once the bonanza ends.

eager eagle Wrote:

Sophandros Wrote:

eager eagle Wrote:The huge influx of FEMA money and upsurge in the Louisiana economy due to outright gifts and enormous free funds from generous Americans has boosted the Louisiana economy and flooded the State of Louisiana coffers.
The College Board of Regents now with massive new money available has authorized the state colleges to more or less DOUBLE the amount of taxpayer money that can be diverted to athletics. Most schools already received between three and four million and this will go up to five million or more. It is recognized that the schools have very little fan support and without these infusions, allowable annually now, they can bail lthem out. Thanks a lot for giving us the fruits of your hard work. I am sure that schools like USM who have to pound the pavement and raise every single dollar on their own really envy those like ULM, ULL, La Tech, etc who are getting a mostly free ride now.

Can you provide a link to support your claim?

I made several comments. Which one or ones do you need me to provide a link for support? Actually, all of the information came from local newspapers, article after article discussing the billions coming from the fed govt (american taxpayers), donations, , and how that influx jump started the Louisiana economy whereby they had millions upon millions in surplus which was just recently divided into many legislators pet projects in addition to additional millions to the state universities from which they can use more and more for athletics. Really, it would take a truck to haul to articles. Tax revenue from the casinos (a lot of taxpayer money was spent there) reached record numbers. The sensible legislators are already asking what the state will do once the bonanza ends.

Then please, bring out your truck.

As LawGreenie said, the state schools not named "LSU" aren't seeing this influx of millions in their athletic programs. At least, that is, from what I have seen and heard.

Then again, if you're talking about the same "local newspapers" that other posters have used to claim that New Orleans is more dangerous than Bagdhad, then, well, maybe you should only use those rags to line your bird's cage or your cat's litter box.

I think eager eagle is 90% LaTech hater and 10% USM fan.

I am not surprised at what EagerEagle reports. FEMA has thrown money around like it was going out of style.

SMUmustangs Wrote:I am not surprised at what EagerEagle reports. FEMA has thrown money around like it was going out of style.

Someone ought to tell UNO, McNeese, and Nicholls State about all of the money they're getting for their sports teams, then.

Sophandros Wrote:

SMUmustangs Wrote:I am not surprised at what EagerEagle reports. FEMA has thrown money around like it was going out of style.

Someone ought to tell UNO, McNeese, and Nicholls State about all of the money they're getting for their sports teams, then.

The schools you mention dont have to be told. They have their hand out already and will receive additional money based on the same formula as the others. LSU will not be included since they make enough to actually contribute to their schools general fund rather than take from it. Check the state auditors records and you can find the amounts the schools already receive.

eager eagle Wrote:

Sophandros Wrote:

SMUmustangs Wrote:I am not surprised at what EagerEagle reports. FEMA has thrown money around like it was going out of style.

Someone ought to tell UNO, McNeese, and Nicholls State about all of the money they're getting for their sports teams, then.

The schools you mention dont have to be told. They have their hand out already and will receive additional money based on the same formula as the others. LSU will not be included since they make enough to actually contribute to their schools general fund rather than take from it. Check the state auditors records and you can find the amounts the schools already receive.

Yeah, so that's why UNO's still playing at high school facilities for all of their sports and several departments still haven't opened yet.

Dude, get your head out of your arse.

LawGreenie Wrote:I'm guessing this is why UNO is still playing basketball in a high school gym and has a temporary score board at its baseball stadium and why McNeese and Nicholls still have temporary lighting on their football fields. Just flush with cash.

Seriously, you don't need to disparage UNO and the UL system. LSU has that field covered.

ALL of these Louisiana schools have little or no fan base at all. They pump out "announced" attendance figures just as a smoke screen in order to avoid complete embarassment. If you dont believe this then just take a look at their revenue from ticket sales. La Tech averages just over $100,000 per game for football and my gosh, at even a paltry ticket price of just $20. that would mean only 5,000 paid fans. ULL, for that same year, only took in a total $439,000 in ticket sales for their home football games. The others dont even fare that well. THERE ARE TOO MANY four year schools and with the state population as a whole being avid LSU fans then there just arent enough to go around and support the others. I DO disparage ALL of them, we have too many and it is a crime to allocate so much money when it could be used for better purposes. The taxpayers, state and federal, are giving their few fans a free ride.

eager eagle Wrote:

LawGreenie Wrote:I'm guessing this is why UNO is still playing basketball in a high school gym and has a temporary score board at its baseball stadium and why McNeese and Nicholls still have temporary lighting on their football fields. Just flush with cash.

Seriously, you don't need to disparage UNO and the UL system. LSU has that field covered.

ALL of these Louisiana schools have little or no fan base at all. They pump out "announced" attendance figures just as a smoke screen in order to avoid complete embarassment. If you dont believe this then just take a look at their revenue from ticket sales. La Tech averages just over $100,000 per game for football and my gosh, at even a paltry ticket price of just $20. that would mean only 5,000 paid fans. ULL, for that same year, only took in a total $439,000 in ticket sales for their home football games. The others dont even fare that well. THERE ARE TOO MANY four year schools and with the state population as a whole being avid LSU fans then there just arent enough to go around and support the others. I DO disparage ALL of them, we have too many and it is a crime to allocate so much money when it could be used for better purposes. The taxpayers, state and federal, are giving their few fans a free ride.

Southern and Grambling have large fan bases. ULL has a good sized fan base.

But you still have not shown ANY credible evidence to support any of your foolish claims.

Right now, your posts are full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Now try to remember who and what that was said about.

I'm sorry. Eagle and Mustang, you're completely wrong.

First, FEMA isn't throwing money around, except into the hands of its contractors (KBR, Fluor) and their employees. They've racked up over $5B in administrative costs. Second, most of the emergency aid that was distributed was spent in Texas, Georgia, and wherever else those unfortunate folks landed. Very little funding for schools, roads, health care, and general services has been distributed.

Additionally, sports facilities are specifically excluded from FEMA funding. That's why UNO's Lakefront Arena sits in substantially the same condition it did on August 30, 2005.

Finally, it's ironic that an USM fan is accusing anyone of having their hand out. How do you think USM's Gulf Coast campus, to say nothing of lots of debris removal, power restoration, and emergency aid to students and residents at the Hattiesburg campus, were funded? In fact, as a percentage of damages, the state of Mississippi has received substantially more federal aid than Louisiana.

Honestly, you have no idea of the scope of this disaster if you get so agitated over some preceived "advantage" gained by one University sports team or another because of this hurricane. (I would point that even if such advantage exists, it is offset many others - see generally UNO's inability to keep a basketball coach, the resignation of the basketball, football, and AD at McNeese, and the resignation of the baseball and football coaches at Nicholls). Which again makes me wonder if you are a USM fan, since you only have to drive 30 minutes to see utter devastation (still) on the coast.

Here's a link: http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/8403702.html

As usual, EE has left out some facts in his ridiculous missive. This legislation doesn't take one more cent out of the "tax-payer's" pocket. It allows the school administration to transfer more money from the general fund to the athletic department. It will bring the allowable transfer up to a whopping 3% (national average=5%) of the University budgets. ALL schools governed by the board of regents will benefit...including McNeese, UNO, ect.

I love the "beat the streets" comment. 6 million of USM's budget comes from student fees and a GF transfer. If Eagle was a USM fan, he'd know that. But, alas, he's a Tech hater, not a USM fan.

If you want DI athletics, you should fund it as such. This is a good thing and was overwhelmingly adopted by the extremely pro-LSU BoR (all but one or two members have LSU degrees).

What makes EE nervous is the fact that this legislation alone will push Tech's budget into the 16 million range (very close to USMs budget) by 08-09.

OH, and the legislation that capped the transfer (as well as preventing student fees going to athletics...5 million of USMs budget) was almost 20 years old and needed to be replaced. This is good for Louisiana, regardless of what EE says.