BE GREAT

https://www.etsubucs.com/mtennis/news/20...athletics/

I don't understand why the article was posted under mens tennis. That has to be a mistake

(08-22-2023 12:25 PM)Buced_Up Wrote:  I don't understand why this is posted under mens tennis. That has to be a mistake

Oh, looking back — I see. Good question.

https://www.givecampus.com/schools/EastT...give-a-buc

Doc Sander — “As you know, today is an extremely challenging time for all of college athletics. The lack of leadership from the NCAA has created a truly difficult landscape for every Division 1 program. Fortunately, I feel that Charlie Baker, the new NCAA President, is the right person to deal with all the land mines facing the NCAA and the landscape of college athletics. However, right now is a time of uncertainty and confusion, so I have taken a great deal of time to try to develop the best path forward for ETSU Athletics to be successful.”

Agree or disagree with Doc Sander? And, no discussion of his “best path forward for ETSU Athletics”?

Good podcast today by Jay and Keith featuring Doc Sander.

(08-23-2023 12:58 PM)bucfan81 Wrote:  Good podcast today by Jay and Keith featuring Doc Sander.

I would encourage everyone to listen to Doc's comments on the podcast. Anyone who cares about ETSU athletics should be able to get behind this new initiative.

Also, I saw comments by Sander today that going forward, athletes who enter the transfer portal will no longer be able to return. I see this as a positive development.

Only time will tell if the new ETSU athletic transfer policy will work. We’re in a new world of college athletics, one personally I don’t like. Of course, others like it. From the old school — I still think a free, no debt degree is a good deal for college athletes. Sander leads off with GRATITUDE. Not much of that present anymore, anywhere among college athletes AND college coaches. As the big boys set the agenda — driven by MONEY — ETSU and its mid-major peers are recipients of the fallout and are now struggling financially and ethically with how to go forward. Sander is trying to bring some integrity back. I agree with his view of the “Future of ETSU Athletics”, but where the rubber meets the road, can it work long term?


https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/sports/...62626.html

I am definitely going to sign up with Doc Sander. Buc fans must step up and help and this is not asking that much at all. Doc knows what is needed and he is doing it. As for the transfer policy I too do not know if it is right for the current state of college athletics. Ten years ago it would have been fantastic. A lot of our best players would be gone right now with the new policy so I just do not know. Maybe the entire system will settle down and become more coherent nationwide and we can have a stable, workable system. Hope so.

Still cleaning up the Carter disaster. We will likely never know the full damage of that. It must have bern extensive and continuing to be costly.

“”These precious dollars will not go to pay off coaches or for fancy gear.””

https://www.etsubucs.com/mtennis/news/20...-campaign/


Appealing to the better side of college athletics in today’s environment is certainly a challenge — obviously. Will recruits and their families be attracted by this model? For a mid-major program that will send few folks to the NFL, the NBA, and other professional sports — as a parent - I would want my child in an environment like this — certainly the career planning component.

I pulled 2022 Athletic Budgets for the SoCon from a site called College Factual. Below are the results.

ETSU: $16,309,976
UTC: $18,806,203
WCU: $13;357,259
Mercer: $21,764,394
Samford: $21,376,339
Furman: $29,457,243
Wofford: $18,312,536
Greensboro: $18,440,340

Middle Tenn: $34,840,886
App State: $28,721,844
Jacksonville State: $15,854,684
UTK: $136,807,801

I don’t know how accurate this information if accurate gives some comparison with other universities.

(09-06-2023 04:39 PM)Etsuwins Wrote:  I pulled 2022 Athletic Budgets for the SoCon from a site called College Factual. Below are the results.

ETSU: $16,309,976
UTC: $18,806,203
WCU: $13;357,259
Mercer: $21,764,394
Samford: $21,376,339
Furman: $29,457,243
Wofford: $18,312,536
Greensboro: $18,440,340

Middle Tenn: $34,840,886
App State: $28,721,844
Jacksonville State: $15,854,684
UTK: $136,807,801

I don’t know how accurate this information if accurate gives some comparison with other universities.

Who knows — this is the one I’ve referenced (no privates):
https://knightnewhousedata.org/home

And this one seems to correlate with above one (no privates):
https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances

(09-06-2023 04:39 PM)Etsuwins Wrote:  I pulled 2022 Athletic Budgets for the SoCon from a site called College Factual. Below are the results.

ETSU: $16,309,976
UTC: $18,806,203
WCU: $13;357,259
Mercer: $21,764,394
Samford: $21,376,339
Furman: $29,457,243
Wofford: $18,312,536
Greensboro: $18,440,340

Middle Tenn: $34,840,886
App State: $28,721,844
Jacksonville State: $15,854,684
UTK: $136,807,801

I don’t know how accurate this information if accurate gives some comparison with other universities.

That appears to be good data. Remember the budgets of the privates above are skewed because that includes tuition costs at full cost of attendance.

I'm sure many, if not most, of you recently received an entreaty to donate to ETSU (again). Included in that letter was a repeat of this information from last fall:

https://www.etsu.edu/etsu-news/2022/10-o...l-2022.php

$163 million was raised since 2019 - a surpassing of the goal of $120 million by $43 million. (A "silent" phase of the campaign was started in 2017.) My point being................there's ETSU money "out there". Of course most of this raised money was (properly) for academic programs. But it just goes to show what could be possible if Sander can set up the good faith in what's going on. The bitterness of recent scandals and failures is very, very deep. Hard to measure how deep, and it'll take years to fully overcome. I postulated back in 2003 (egads that's been a looong time! ) that the loss of football would set the university back a minimum of ten years, and perhaps a whole generation. Well........we're approaching that time frame, and while we've begun the journey, we are *nowhere near* "what could have been". But that's not news to any of us. Again (and sorry for the tangent), the potential is clearly there. And as several have posted over the years here, "win and they will come", or various versions of that. And I think there's a good chance of that being true. And the Tri-Cities as a whole is probably something like 20% (or more) wealthier now than in 2017-2019.

This is not a "how to" post; that's Sander's business and Sander's baby, along with Noland, of course. I'm just pointing out that there's hope out there, even as things are moderately dark in the meantime. But there is no quick fix - and that's not news, either.

(09-07-2023 05:15 AM)posterformerlyknownasthedoctor Wrote:  I'm sure many, if not most, of you recently received an entreaty to donate to ETSU (again). Included in that letter was a repeat of this information from last fall:

https://www.etsu.edu/etsu-news/2022/10-o...l-2022.php

$163 million was raised since 2019 - a surpassing of the goal of $120 million by $43 million. (A "silent" phase of the campaign was started in 2017.) My point being................there's ETSU money "out there". Of course most of this raised money was (properly) for academic programs. But it just goes to show what could be possible if Sander can set up the good faith in what's going on. The bitterness of recent scandals and failures is very, very deep. Hard to measure how deep, and it'll take years to fully overcome. I postulated back in 2003 (egads that's been a looong time! ) that the loss of football would set the university back a minimum of ten years, and perhaps a whole generation. Well........we're approaching that time frame, and while we've begun the journey, we are *nowhere near* "what could have been". But that's not news to any of us. Again (and sorry for the tangent), the potential is clearly there. And as several have posted over the years here, "win and they will come", or various versions of that. And I think there's a good chance of that being true. And the Tri-Cities as a whole is probably something like 20% (or more) wealthier now than in 2017-2019.

This is not a "how to" post; that's Sander's business and Sander's baby, along with Noland, of course. I'm just pointing out that there's hope out there, even as things are moderately dark in the meantime. But there is no quick fix - and that's not news, either.

Now that’s a post from you with which I agree. It is a sobering analysis of the reality of the athletic situation. You seem to be saying it does not need to be an either or situation — academics vs athletics. Why not both?

Doc has given anyone who wants to support ETSU Athlectics an easy and low cost fundraiser program.

After two full weeks, only 75 donations/pledges andxa large That in itself shows that even though fans express their desire for better Athlectics they won't give even a small amount to help improve Athlectics. All talk, no action.

Again I ask were is Buc Nation? It appears, so far, that Buc Nation is a myth.

Buc nation monetary support is a myth.
They do support by their attendance but only when winning. Of course typical of many programs.

ETSU is a mid-major FCS program and has support similar or better than many comparable schools. There is a large number of schools like us in the same boat.

It'll only be a couple of years 'til we can be proud of our "tumbling" and acrobatics program.

(09-16-2023 10:02 PM)posterformerlyknownasthedoctor Wrote:  It'll only be a couple of years 'til we can be proud of our "tumbling" and acrobatics program.

I suspect this addition to the Buccaneer athletic department should open up the wallets and hearts of all die hard Buc fans. Really? It probably will lead to more supporters "giving a buc" as Buc76 so poignantly expressed above. Seriously?

Many of us have been supporting ETSU and its athletic department for decades but I must confess I've lately grown a wee bit skeptical of financially supporting the sinking ship this department has become. I'm closer to the fixed income stage of life now and choose to see some more competent, prudent and fiscally responsible decisions made by the powers that be, than to continuously and blindly spend and support what this product has become.

It is time for better results. It is time to see the completion of unfinished products. For stewarding multiple uncompleted projects through the finish line. Time for a tad more common sense and maybe a smidge more thought. It's time for progress not regress. It is past time for ending the future promises and the catchy slogans, AND BY JIMINY it is well past the time to stop and cease the blaming of loyal supporters of Buc Nation while telling us "It's our fault" and "if only we could give a little bit more" attitude that some seem to have.

Doc Sander, Brain Noland etc. all, have a tough row to hoe. Not impossible, but admittedly treacherous, with a few potholes, some trap doors, and maybe even a landmine or two along the way. Here is hoping they can get back on the right path. May God, luck, and good fortune be on their side.

Go Bucs!