University of Nebraska Regent Charles Wilson of Lincoln said he is open to any conclusions UNO draws in a study of its athletic future but is skeptical that a move to Division I is feasible financially.
"It does seem somewhat illogical to me to say, 'We're having trouble supporting ourselves financially in Division II, so the solution is to be Division I,'" Wilson said. "Now, I wouldn't foreclose the possibility without hearing all the information, but if you're having trouble getting donor and fan support as a Division II program, I question whether a solution to that is doing something even more expensive."
Fair enough, but I think this is another example of Omaha's "give us the real deal" mentality. 1-AA football is the real deal.
I just can't get over the possibility of UNO playing football in Lincoln every year (especially with the scheduling logistics of the new 12 game 1-A season) to nearly completely fund the entire UNO athletic department, not to mention the potential for National Championship football playoffs in Omaha.
Travis was on a tear this morning on TnT. Basically nothing new, but he is adamant about an external audit. He said Creighton soccer gets $100,000 just in in-stadium signage fees, so the UNO Ath Dept is just being completely bungled.
BTW, check out the poll on the front page of Omaha.com. The WH should just start linking here. Better get your lawyers ready, Jeff!
-Big E
Last edited by Big E on Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
A UNO task force aiming to find ways to support athletics on campus will take a look today at a proposed video scoreboard project at Caniglia Field that its supporters said could produce at least $220,000 per year annually over 10 years.
John Christensen, UNO's vice chancellor for academic affairs, said he hadn't heard about the project before attending a meeting last week between Chancellor Nancy Belck and members of UNO booster groups.
He put together the task force at Belck's request, and the group will hold its first meeting this afternoon. He said he put the scoreboard project on the agenda "to take a look at it and see if there's something valuable there."
The scoreboard project through the South Dakota firm Daktronics would allow UNO to generate advertising revenue well above what the department can produce through its string of banners that ring Caniglia Field, said Ben Titus, president of the Beef Club, UNO football's booster group.
Titus said the project appeared to be gaining momentum in December but then seemed to die.
Big E wrote:Travis was on a tear this morning on TnT. Basically nothing new, but he is adamant about an external audit. He said Creighton soccer gets $100,000 just in in-stadium signage fees, so the UNO Ath Dept is just being completely bungled.
BTW, check out the poll on the front page of Omaha.com. The WH should just start linking here. Better get your lawyers ready, Jeff!
-Big E
They do have a video board though. Not been to a game, not sure how much they advertise stuff on it.
after listening to Travis on TnT this morning things do seem fishy... He said the total revenue for the UNO football team was around 200,000. He then listed off NAIA schools like Doane and Dana, in which they had revenues from 400,000-800,000 in football alone.
I'm kind of having trouble following this. What would be the motivation for short changing the athletics department? Is it just football or all athletics?
DTO Luv wrote:Hmm. How can I blame this on the Huskers? ;)
I'm kind of having trouble following this. What would be the motivation for short changing the athletics department? Is it just football or all athletics?
I don't think it's implausible that the powers that be in Lincoln don't want any competition for the football dollars in the region. They have a hard enough time accepting the fact that western Iowa is going back to the Cyclones. I don't think this scenario is LIKELY, but it sure as heck is plausible. I think this is really more of an issue of gross incompetence as opposed to any fraud or evil-mastermind type stuff.
A money-losing football program is going to be a drain on ANY athletic department.
Do you realize if UNO moves to D-IAA it could potentially make the university about on par with say a UNI, in terms of money, attendence...etc
I don't know about you, but I'd rather be going to a school on par with Northern Iowa than one on par with the LaFont Agricultural College.
The more I read about you crazy Omahans...the more I realize that Nebraska really hates Omaha, it's just insane, the problem I see with Omaha being a MAJOR university is SPACE! UNO is TINY! It needs to grow I say.
Other people will tell you you're wrong, but you're right. For the most part, Nebraska hates Omaha. If they actually cared about getting more people in the state's college's they would be throwing money at UNO hand over fist. Omaha being a much bigger city than Lincoln would attract students that are looking for a big city atmosphere they won't find in Lincoln. Also how could having 2 schools like UNL hurt anyone? It wouldn't but the animosity between Omaha and the rest of the state has been around for a long time. I don't see it ever changing.
Or quit running a D1 program like its D2. They thought the with the Qwest the program would sell its self.
Jeff the Qwest won't help the Knights eather. You know because I have heard your stories, there is just too many people that think the Lancers are the "Top Quality" hockey in town.
But UNO would need to boost attendance to make it work. UNO's game-related expenses climbed from $375,000 to almost $700,000.
This is quite a difference to make up even if the attendance had stayed the same as what they had at the Civic.
According to the article, UNO lost the rush to get season tickets as people knew there were going to be plenty of seats available. Didnt someone mention something about UNO changing their policy about by season tickets?
True, although I can't enjoy instant reply on a video display at Hitchcock.
Seriously though, I am confident the Knights would pick up more fans just by virtue of their playing in the Qwest Center. People are turned off of the Civic since the Qwest Center opened. I'm sure some of them are convinced the Knights must surely be the 3rd tier of Omaha hockey just because they play at the Civic. But relax UNO fans, I'm sure it will never happen anyway (the Knights will go to the Sprint Center instead).
(the Knights will go to the Sprint Center instead).
Hope Not! Even though this is an "Event City" not a "Team City" The only team that ever seems to draw well is Creighton. The lancers drew well until they left Aksarben, UNO drew well until they left the Civic. I just don't get it.
Apparently Nancy B. asked her staff during a meeting the other day if anyone had a connection to the Mighty Big Sports 590 so that they can "Shut Travis Justice Up".
Apperantly ol' Nancy hasen't heard of a citizens 1st Amendment right to FREE SPEECH..
This is the United States..Right Nancy? ( )..
'The First Amendment of the United States Consititution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. See U.S. Const. amend. I. Freedom of expression consists of the rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and the implied rights of association and belief.'..
Brad wrote:Apparently Nancy B. asked her staff during a meeting the other day if anyone had a connection to the Mighty Big Sports 590 so that they can "Shut Travis Justice Up".
Talk about curing the symptoms instead of the disease.
Does anyone have any connection to Nancy B, so we can shut her up...or at least replace her with someone who is competent.
This morning on the Travis Justice show, they had David Karnes former US senetor on. Apparently he has been appointed by someone in lincoln to check out the UNO athletic program.
Scuzz wrote:Sure, the NCC will probably now have to fizzle away, but UNO can probably join a Mizz/KS D2 conference if need be. UNO is too good of a program at the D2 level that they'd be taken by a conference.
They still need to get their finances in order and move to D1AA. Omaha is a major city and needs a D1 or D1AA Football program. Its time to stop taking a back seat to Lincoln and move up. Pat Burns is an excellent football coach and he will move up to D1AA or higer in the future, unfourtently he will probably have to leave UNO to do it.
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