COVID Impact on Football

[rjsuperfly66]

I know there has been a lot of talk nationally about how the impact of a reduced or cancelled football season would negatively impact the finances of FBS athletic departments.

Has there been any talk about how some of these things (say lost buy games or home gates) would impact URI or because they are FCS is the impact negligible?

[steviep123]

I know there has been a lot of talk nationally about how the impact of a reduced or cancelled football season would negatively impact the finances of FBS athletic departments.

Has there been any talk about how some of these things (say lost buy games or home gates) would impact URI or because they are FCS is the impact negligible?

That's an excellent point. I know they have buy games at Va Tech and Pittsburgh coming, correct?

[rambone 78]

They lose those buy games and that 500K a year loss will be a lot bigger.

[Rhody74]

Is the loss of spring practice a big deal?

[RhowdyRam02]

I know there has been a lot of talk nationally about how the impact of a reduced or cancelled football season would negatively impact the finances of FBS athletic departments.

Has there been any talk about how some of these things (say lost buy games or home gates) would impact URI or because they are FCS is the impact negligible?

That's an excellent point. I know they have buy games at Va Tech and Pittsburgh coming, correct?

Virginia Tech was this past season. We're at Northern Illinois this year, UMass next year, Pitt in 2022, Georgia State in 2023 and Minnesota in 2024

[RhowdyRam02]

Is the loss of spring practice a big deal?

I'd have to think so for us with the loss of both coordinators and breaking in a quarterback with minimal or no college experience

[SGreenwell]

At least in the NFL and NBA, when there have been shortened seasons because of strikes or other issues, there is an advantage for teams with roster continuity. I imagine that would hold for college football to an extent as well. Obviously each year, the roster can change by 10 to 40 percent, but that in turn would magnify the importance of your coach, because you can't "make up" the gap with more practice time.

As far as the economics of this go, I mean, who knows? 9/11 didn't really effect sports attendance and business; the Great Depression led to an increase in baseball attendance eventually. This will probably cause a one-year deflation in a bunch of the pro sports, but most of them and college sports is now supported a lot by television money, and that'll stay the same or even increase in some situations, because a bunch of scripted shows were unable to be filmed.

[steviep123]

I know there has been a lot of talk nationally about how the impact of a reduced or cancelled football season would negatively impact the finances of FBS athletic departments.

Has there been any talk about how some of these things (say lost buy games or home gates) would impact URI or because they are FCS is the impact negligible?

That's an excellent point. I know they have buy games at Va Tech and Pittsburgh coming, correct?

Virginia Tech was this past season. We're at Northern Illinois this year, UMass next year, Pitt in 2022, Georgia State in 2023 and Minnesota in 2024

Northern Ill and Ga State are FBS? And UMass can afford to give us a buy game? (I love it lol!)

[RhowdyRam02]

Northern Illinois is in the MAC and Georgia State is in the Sun Belt. Georgia State was a member of our conference in 2012 and plays their games at Georgia State Stadium. You might know that stadium as Turner Field, former home of the Atlanta Braves, or Centennial Olympic Stadium

[rjsuperfly66]

The economic impact is definitely larger for P5 schools. I think Ive read that the average P5 school earns $100 million in revenue just from football, much of which helps fund other olympic sports at schools. Brett McMurphy wrote an article where he had some quotes that said some schools may have to cut certain sports if there were lost football revenue this year. URI is obviously not operating an athletic budget $100+ million like those schools, and football is definitely not as large a revenue-driver, but if the program normally operates at a deficit, and then potentially loses buy games and home gates (even if an abbreviated season is played), that could take a $500K loss and can turn it into a $1 million or $1.5 million loss. Add that into the lost basketball revenue from the lost tournament, and does that magnify the football losses and potentially lead to difficult decisions about other olympic sports?

[rambone 78]

Believe it or not, looking on the bright side, losing those revenues are somewhat offset by saving a ton of money on travel costs.

So the amount of the losses will be mitigated somewhat.


Still the losses will be bigger than normal for URI football though.