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The Virginian-Pilot
July 9, 2013

"Old Dominion University has kicked off a new era with its official move to Conference USA and the first rank of collegiate football.

It marks a swift ascent for a football program that's only four years old. The success from here will be measured in part by whether the university's athletic programs continue on this dizzying trajectory."

For the full opinion of the Pilot:

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/07/odu-arrives-big-time

Good little piece. See's the forest for the trees. It strengthens the entire University as a whole.

(07-09-2013 06:22 AM)ODU AGGIE Wrote:  The Virginian-Pilot
July 9, 2013

"Old Dominion University has kicked off a new era with its official move to Conference USA and the first rank of collegiate football.

It marks a swift ascent for a football program that's only four years old. The success from here will be measured in part by whether the university's athletic programs continue on this dizzying trajectory."

For the full opinion of the Pilot:

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/07/odu-arrives-big-time

Great find and read!
tnx

I beg to differ.

Harry Minium is a first-rate reporter, and we are fortunate to have him as our beat writer.

The V-P editorial board is nothing but a wishy-washy set of pencil pushers. This editorial, which says absolutely nothing of note, is par for the course.

(07-09-2013 06:31 AM)AdoptedMonarch Wrote:  I beg to differ.

Harry Minium is a first-rate reporter, and we are fortunate to have him as our beat writer.

The V-P editorial board is nothing but a wishy-washy set of pencil pushers. This editorial, which says absolutely nothing of note, is par for the course.

I am not so sure. It really depends on the accuracy of the information.

Maybe I missed something early on or I am just naive, but I was under the impression that the move would be made without raising student fees in the foreseeable future.

This quote:

Quote:University President John Broderick has said student fees won't be raised to pay for the move; that pledge must endure for more than a year.

seems to imply that not having initially raised student raising fees may already becoming a financial burden, and that the fees will be raised as soon as the Broderick pledge time frame is over.

A lot of assumption to be sure, but notable news if true.

ODUAlum78, I don't believe they are saying they will be raised. The writer is just saying ODU has to keep that promise for more than a year or they will come out looking real bad.

However, I highly doubt that will happen. They'll keep their promise for a number of years. I think they'll just increase the student body by the estimated shortfall and won't be surprised if ODU is at 30,000 students within 5 years or so.

Edit: Did they even give a time frame for a freeze on student fee increases? Would one year make their promise true?

(07-09-2013 07:17 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  ODUAlum78, I don't believe they are saying they will be raised. The writer is just saying ODU has to keep that promise for more than a year or they will come out looking real bad.

However, I highly doubt that will happen. They'll keep their promise for a number of years. I think they'll just increase the student body by the estimated shortfall and won't be surprised if ODU is at 30,000 students within 5 years or so.

Edit: Did they even give a time frame for a freeze on student fee increases? Would one year make their promise true?

That could be a good thing on many levels. However, in order to do that quickly, our admission rate would likely increase, thus giving JMU more ammunition in their argument supporting their superior selectivity.

The pledge was to not raise student fees in order to pay for the move.
If they knowingly intended to raise fees after a year, or knew it was likely that fees would have to be raised retroactively to pay for the move, then the pledge would amount to little more than PR.
I have no idea. I just thought that the wording in the Op-Ed was 'curious'.

I don't remember a time frame being attached to the pledge not to raise students fees.

Further, I disagree that "The success from here will be measured in part by whether the university's athletic programs continue on this dizzying trajectory."

With ODU's athletic ascent there will be diminishing returns. That has no bearing on the success of the CUSA move. It is extremely unlikely that our football program will continue to win at the clip we have experience the past 4 years. That fact isn't a sign of failure simply a recognition that our competition has become much stiffer; we are no longer one of the big fish in the tiny pond that is FCS.
The move to CUSA is in many ways already a success. ODU navigated the conference realignment waters about as well as any program. I still believe all the teams with the option to leave the CAA (for whatever reason) moved on.
I personally believe success moving forward has a lot more to do with things within ODU's control (like stadium expansion and cultivating/broadening the fan base) than outside of it.

(07-09-2013 07:40 AM)monarchoptimist Wrote:  I don't remember a time frame being attached to the pledge not to raise students fees.

I think that the idea is that student fees will not be raised fo the upcoming year (September 2013) and the next time student fees might be raised would be September 2014, or "more than a year" from now.

(07-09-2013 09:38 AM)ODUalum78 Wrote:  I think that the idea is that student fees will not be raised fo the upcoming year (September 2013) and the next time student fees might be raised would be September 2014, or "more than a year" from now.

Not that my opinion matters much but I feel if student fees are raised at all over the next few years it would be quite the bait and switch by Broderick and Selig. The decision makers in this process know moving to FBS means stadium expansion, increased coaching salaries and additional women's sports. Raising student fees for these reasons but not the official "CUSA/FBS move" is an extremely misleading and ultimately useless distinction.

In my opinion, it's more likely the pilot just chose strange phrasing.

(07-09-2013 10:27 AM)monarchoptimist Wrote:  

(07-09-2013 09:38 AM)ODUalum78 Wrote:  I think that the idea is that student fees will not be raised fo the upcoming year (September 2013) and the next time student fees might be raised would be September 2014, or "more than a year" from now.

Not that my opinion matters much but I feel if student fees are raised at all over the next few years it would be quite the bait and switch by Broderick and Selig. The decision makers in this process know moving to FBS means stadium expansion, increased coaching salaries and additional women's sports. Raising student fees for these reasons but not the official "CUSA/FBS move" is an extremely misleading and ultimately useless distinction.

In my opinion, it's more likely the pilot just chose strange phrasing.

I agree 100%
For some reason the 1 year phrase, and especially the word "endure" struck me as odd within the context of what we had been told.
Likely you are correct, just V-P phrasing.

(Unless of course something completely unexpected happens to change the forecasts, say CUSA votes to force all members to have 40K stadium capacity by August 2015, Title IX interpretations unexpectedly change, etc - then all bets are off)

I question the assertion that one measure of success lies in improving on the $840,000 profit made last year. While I think we'd all like to see even more of a profit, I certainly don't feel that increased profits MUST come as a measure of success. We all know there are big expenses coming up, and I would say breaking even for the forseeable future would be great success. If the program can finish in the black most years after stadium expansion and with increased scholarships (mens and womens), I would consider that an unqualified success.

You don't have to raise student fees, raise student enrollment. When we announced football, enrollment was 21K, we are planning to be 30K by 2015. Thanks almost a 43% increase in student fees received, without raising the fees per student.

Student fee for athletics per credit hour for 2013-14: $45.39 ($102.54 total per credit hour)
Student fee for athletics per credit hour for 2012-13: $40.35 ($99.58 total per credit hour)

Factoid: Harry Minium wrestled at ODU.