(11-05-2020 11:31 AM)Longhorn Wrote: (11-05-2020 10:56 AM)FBS Dave Wrote: (11-05-2020 07:18 AM)JMU2004 Wrote: (11-04-2020 09:17 PM)FBS Dave Wrote: Why not just move up? What is holding JMU back?
No conference, not enough money to play as an independent.
You already have costs equal to G5/MAC programs. How much more is it to be FBS independent? What is the actual $$$ number? I understand the extra scholarships for men and women. That it not much in actual costs.
FCS has no revenue. You would have more buy games as FBS and you could get a modest TV contract like UConn did.
Not much in actual costs? An estimate (now several years old) was an additional $4-5 million was needed to support JMU moving to FBS level FB.
When the university is struggling to address a COVID related $30+ million budget shortfall adding another $4 mil to the burden is not going to happen. Especially when G5 television is rapidly shrinking.
As I said JMU already is spending most of the FBS level costs. You have made significant investments that apply to FBS.
Let's look at the numbers. 22 more scholarships, times 2 for women's Title IX matching.
Let's fully load the costs at $35,000 as a mix of in-state and out-of-state. That's $1.54M.
From an accounting perspective these are really incremental costs. You aren't investing more overhead for classrooms, teachers, etc. for these incremental scholarships. So the real incremental costs are less than the fully loaded costs that are documented.
Where does the other $4M in costs come from? If you increase salaries, that is a choice. A regional travel schedule may cost less than a conference travel schedule, even a FCS conference.
That is a look at costs.
For revenue, a modest TV contract would be better than no FCS TV revenue. A better schedule means more fans. Revenue from more fans comes through multiple streams. As FBS you can get more revenue from buy games. Longer term you are building a product and a brand with more value.
So the increase in costs are modest. The increase in costs may be offset by increase in revenue. On top of that you are building long term value.
Now that Liberty has set the precedent for a direct move to FBS Independence, what is holding JMU back? A move seems obvious.