Lady trustee: "Would the MEAC be open to a payplan for their exit penalty?"
"Is there a membership fee we have to pay upfront?"

Another trustee met personally with SWAC commissioner. There's a fee schedule. No exit penalty if leaving within 5 years.

Lady trustee likes that a report in 2014 also recommended the SWAC. She thinks it provides a more sound financial foundation.

Another lady trustee thinks this process is rushed and she's not yet comfortable with it. Worries there could be a larger upfront deficit without a full season. Senses inconsistencies with the AD's report.

(06-03-2020 02:03 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  So now AD gives a 5-year revenue projection SWAC vs MEAC model.

He has:
SWAC - $697k
MEAC - $1.1M

So $400k more yearly revenue plus the reduction in travel expenses.

Do you have those numbers reversed?

Same young lady trustee "I just hope we don't repeat the same past mistakes of overpromising. A lot of our costs are fixed so we can't move things around as flexibly as we'd like"

She knows more about athletic finances than the actual AD.

(06-03-2020 02:29 PM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(06-03-2020 02:03 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  So now AD gives a 5-year revenue projection SWAC vs MEAC model.

He has:
SWAC - $697k
MEAC - $1.1M

So $400k more yearly revenue plus the reduction in travel expenses.

Do you have those numbers reversed?

Oops. Yes.

SWAC - $1.1M
MEC - $697k

They're saying take a vote tomorrow, then make a written request to the SWAC for the things they need, then the SWAC presidents will vote expeditiously (they've heard there's already unanimous agreement).

They've already discussed potential exit fee plan with MEAC. It'll be deducted from the conference distribution.

Hard number: Travel savings are $30k annually.

Trustee: "5-year projection: MEAC - $3.5M deficit, SWAC - $3.0M surplus"

(creative accounting on display)

Attorney Wallace says she's reading the by-laws and there's more layers to exiting than what the AD is presenting. Says something about 4 seasons (of football schedules?).

Others don't think so. One says he talked to MEAC commissioner this morning. Others say nothing like that happened with Hampton or NC A&T.

Vote will be 10:40 a.m. tomorrow. They're moving onto other presentations (that are an hour behind schedule).

Going back over the powerpoint, this AD really doesn’t know WTF he‘s doing.

In the meeting he said travel expenses would decrease by $30k.
On the slides he says travel expenses would decrease by $400k (30%).

This slide is total dog$hit (they’re going to fly to 6 SWAC schools but bus to all MEAC schools?):



Then the numbers here don’t add up:



1) Why would MEAC revenue be $447k one year followed by $697k of 4 years while SWAC revenue stays fixed at $1.1M all five years?

2) How is there a $600k difference in expenses? Neither matches the $400k travel difference on a previous slide nor the $30k one he said at the meeting.

3) Why is salary $50k higher in the MEAC than SWAC for 3 years?

See. And you thought Chicago State had problems. They (FAMU AD) can't even present an accurate proposal.

I don't understand the travel slides saying "no connecting flights." Tallahassee has air service to four hubs: Atlanta (Delta) and Charlotte, DFW, and Miami (American). Jackson has flights to all of those places. Alexandria is served from Atlanta and DFW. Little Rock is connected to all but Miami. The flight situation is no different than to New Orleans, Birmingham, or Houston - no direct flight from Tallahassee. Even if you bus them 90 minutes to Panama City, the only additional direct flight of relevance is to Houston on Southwest.

Did they like look up the current COVID-affected travel schedule or something? This sounds like total amateur hour.

On a separate note, one thing that is interesting is that the SWAC has better revenues reportedly but significantly smaller budgets. That's not all just travel savings.

The SWAC has a much more flexible program with rights, so the schools are free to get their own rights deals. I looked at the data and it's correct, SWAC do way better in that category. It probably is $500K a year better.

I do think FAMU will get better crowds for SWAC schools, as those deep South schools in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are much more competitors for students than the DMV schools of the MEAC. That means many more of their students will know people in the SWAC schools than the MEAC. That should improve interest.

I calculated with FAMU in the SWAC average football attendance is 15,398 compared to 8,739 for the remaining MEAC. Not great, but the SWAC is nearly double, the best in FCS. (Basketball both leagues will hoover around 1,500 with the new alignments)

(06-03-2020 05:17 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  The SWAC has a much more flexible program with rights, so the schools are free to get their own rights deals. I looked at the data and it's correct, SWAC do way better in that category. It probably is $500K a year better.

I do think FAMU will get better crowds for SWAC schools, as those deep South schools in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are much more competitors for students than the DMV schools of the MEAC. That means many more of their students will know people in the SWAC schools than the MEAC. That should improve interest.

I calculated with FAMU in the SWAC average football attendance is 15,398 compared to 8,739 for the remaining MEAC. Not great, but the SWAC is nearly double, the best in FCS. (Basketball both leagues will hoover around 1,500 with the new alignments)

I haven't been following this as close as you folks but is this meeting to decide whether to leave the MEAC and if so, do they have a SWAC offer waiting for them? Or is it just wishful thinking?

It would not get to the BOT to vote unless an invite was waiting. The MEAC had made a play for the Alabama schools a few years back, but the SWAC has been interested in FAMU for 7 years or more. The discussions with the MEAC office suggest this is very far along.

IMO it's a done deal, it's just getting the ducks lined up and the details sorted out.

As a Tallahassean, I’m glad they’re making this move. From a travel standpoint and a cultural standpoint it makes a lot of sense. I’m curious because one of the trustees mentioned rumors that there was another “flagship” meac school that was rumored to be leave and two others that were rumored to be dropping down. I wonder who these schools are?

What qualifies as a flagship in the MEAC? Howard? NC Central?

My WAGs:

Delaware State is really heavily subsidized by the school, over $11m a year. They have dreadful attendance. They make the most sense to drop down. Coppin State and UMES have little to no gate either, but the are not draining school funds. SC State seems to have fixed it's athletic budget problems, but school enrollment is a problem.

Norfolk State is the one that most strikes me as possibly leaving, with Howard and NC Central also in there. These are the healthiest. No clue on Bethune Cookman