CWG Wrote:BucDoctor Wrote:HatterFan Wrote:JU being a small private school (~3500 enrollment) I wonder if they could ever accrue the fanbase to support such a thing, let alone the money.
That puts JU at the same size as Wake.
I don't understand why so many people equate size with money. Most of the small private schools in the A-Sun have much more money than the larger public schools.
Example:
Mercer: Enrollment Approx 7500, Endowment $200,000,000
Kennesaw: Enrollment Approx 20,602, Endowment $25,700,000
So Mercer who has about 13,000 fewer students than Kennesaw has about $174,300,000 more than Kennesaw.
Just because the school is smaller doesn't mean they have trouble with money or raising money-I get so tired of hearing this B.S. argument.
I will agree that the smaller private schools do have problems with attendance. I know in Macon much of the community sees the "rich" private schools kids as stuck up...
Kennesaw's endowment is awful...but it won't be in 10-20 years. Think about it. If Kennesaw is graduating 5000 students a year (conservative estimate) and Mercer is graduating 1500 students a year then in 10 years that is 25,000 more potential donors. Let's say 1/4 of each's school base gives $50 a year to help out the school. That would be $62,500 (12,500 students graduated over that period of time x $50)...Mercer would take in $18,500 a year (3,750 graduates x $50). Again multiply that times 10 years and Kennesaw just brought in over half a million with those estimates ($625,000), while Mercer doesn't even bring in a third of that (185,000).
Numbers matter over the long term if you are a viable Division I university. Right now Kennesaw is way behind everyone, but we will catch up quickly, and much of that success will have to do with our numbers. Also anyone that has any significant financial investments knows that the more money you bring in, the more money you make on your investments.
$5,000 investment doubles 4 times in 20 years = $40,000 total ($35,000 net gain)
$8,000 investment doubles 4 times in 20 years = $64,000 total ($56,000 net gain)
A $3,000 difference at the beginning makes a $24,000 difference at the end. Without big numbers donating, the small private schools will be forced to get large donations, which can be difficult at our level. Doesn't mean that it is impossible for a small private school to compete in football, but it is very difficult.
Combine these two examples and you will see the money gap that can occur between these two different kinds of universities.
Kennesaw initial investment $625,000 doubles 3 times in 18 years... Total: $2,500,000 (Net Gain: $1,875,000)
Mercer initial investment $185,000 doubles 3 times in 18 years....... Total: $740,000 (Net Gain: $555,000)