Rhody72 wrote: ↑9 months ago
Obadiah wrote: ↑9 months ago
...
URI is a perennially underfunded program, both from a capital investment side and the annual operating budget – revenue/expense side. We can clearly see the deficiencies in the investment side with the low quality of the athletics facilities (ex Ryan Center) and via the internet we can compare our facilities with peer institutions and sadly come to the conclusion that we have some of the worst overall facilities in all D1.
...
I have little hope for additional State funding. I want excellence in all programs we offer even at the cost of fewer programs. Sadly, the only solution I see is the elimination of the football program which involves/saves ~56 scholarships and ~56 women's scholarship (for Title IX compliance), numerous staff positions and significant operating costs. This would provide more than the necessary money to field excellent programs in remaining sports. With the money that remains, I would upgrade a M & W hockey program to the D1 level.
It is what I suggest or continue to have as you said "some of the worst overall facilities in all D1". I have been suggesting the above for years. But as the late Richard Gelles said "show me a weak program at URI and I'll show you one with a strong external constituency".
Ah yes, the idea that reducing the size of the athletic department will somehow magically increase the amount of budget athletics gets. Brilliant.
I also like your idea that somehow cutting a program that costs URI a few hundred thousand a year, to bring up 2 programs costing millions of dollars a year, is somehow financially sensible. Especially when you take into account that 20,000 people went to Rhody football games last year, and maybe 1/10th of that attended hockey games. Nevermind all of the other things that URI would have to do infrastructure-wise to support D1 hockey that aren't in place now.
Plus the "cutting football" idea is a pretty irrelevant, tired, and stupid argument considering the team has been ranked in the top 25 for FCS for the majority of the past few years, along with putting out multiple NFL players in that time.
Thankfully, considering the state set aside $50M for a new football stadium, track, soccer, and other facilities, your 1st point is moot.
Sometimes I hate that you post here and that people associate you with URI sports via this board, but then I remember what a lonely, sad existence you attempt to carve in your life outside of the internet, and I guess I almost feel bad.
I can't imagine you ever played sports based on your complete and total lack of knowledge of anything athletic, but I am curious as to where your head injuries came from.
If we're going to continually be subjected to the brain drippings of an invalid, I'd at least like to know the backstory.