(12-19-2018 07:41 PM)joshadam84 Wrote: (12-18-2018 09:46 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote: (12-18-2018 08:59 PM)KingSean Wrote: Will the WAC pay the exit fees for all the schools like they will for Dixie State?
No for any school and that includes Dixie State.
Page 17 from the feasibility study: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/d...y_10_1.pdf
Collegiate Consulting reviewed the current budget and projected both revenues and expenses based on the contemplated change to NCAA Division I and WAC membership. The following assumptions were made in these projections:
1. Entrance into the WAC would come with the WAC waiving conference initiation fees and paying the exit fees from the RMAC for Dixie State.
2. Dixie State wants to be competitive within the WAC.
Dixie State, according to the data from the Equity In Athletics Disclosure Act, had a $6.7 million athletic budget in 2016-2017. That includes football. Their athletic budget will need to increase to at least $10 million to accommodate D1 athletics. Once they receive the formal invite from the WAC, they will need to pay a $1.7 million application fee and submit an application with a copy of the feasibility study and Division I strategic plan.
So at a minimum, they are looking at an expenditure of at least $5 million to move up. An assumption of exit and entrance fees being waived is I guess something they could negotiate with the WAC, but again, if they are concerned about that, then they need to question if D1 is for them. Their annual membership dues in the RMAC are $16,200. How much can an exit fee be from the RMAC? $50,000? $100,000?
In the past schools have paid a $450,000 entry fee to the WAC. The only school to get their exit fees paid and a waiver on their entry fees waived has been UMKC. The WAC paid the $250,000 exit fee and waived the entry fee of $450,000 for UMKC. A different time, when the WAC actually still had some revenue and were able to steal a D1 team from a D1 conference.
The amount of money
assumed by Collegiate Consulting that would be waived or paid is not significant. For UMKC, the WAC offered "a free get out of the Summit card" with an increase in travel expenses. Dixie State has to spend millions to make the move with or without waivers. The WAC can't help with that.