ASU Drops Wrestling Program

[cmc]

ASU has been running there sports program into financial ruins for many many years. If the NCAA had provisions for chapter 11 ASU would have ran that course a about 2-3 years ago. They've been digging bigger holes each year with either coach buyouts or outrageous expenses. Either way for them it starts from the top down. Get rid of the Queen bee running that program and get a real AD and maybe there's a chance to save what little is left.

 

cmc

[Non-Typical Solutions]

I took a chance and emailed Lisa Love yesterday....of all names. Mainly out of frustration, and figured it would hit the round file cabinet. But instead I got this lengthy letter which is basically the same thing you will read if you pull up the subject on ASU's website. Here are a couple of excerpts from that letter.

 

Mr. Mortensen,

"Thank you for your correspondence regarding our decision to discontinue three varsity sports at Arizona State University. Your passion and frustration with the decision is noted."

 

 

Then it goes into lengthy details as to why, but this one is the comment that really gets me:

 

"With a dedicated effort to a successful 20-sport varsity program in mind, these three sports were selected with the following criteria: financial impact, potential competitive success, conference/regional support and gender equity."

 

Gender equity, title nine in other words....

 

Womens soccer and water polo were added to the varsity program in 2002........I am sure that water polo is a money making machine and probably top 10 in the nation.

 

 

As for the kids on scholarships, the article goes on to state that scholarships will be honored for all students who have been affected by the drop in programs.

 

 

 

[Schmitty]

The real problem with Title 9 is that there is no women's equivalent to Men's football. NCAA allows football programs to offer 85 scholarships to it's athletes. There isn't a women's sport that comes anywhere close to that number.

 

As football essentially covers the entire athletic budget for the entire year, you aren't going to ever see them cut football schoarships. All other sports w/ the exception of Men's basketball are huge drains on the athletic budget.

 

I saw this first hand as a scholarshiped athlete who participated in two sports at BYU. Fortunately, I had a football scholarship, everything was paid for, lots of free nike's, flew chartered planes, stayed in first class hotels, etc.

 

Our Men's track team only had 12 full scholarships that were spread amongst the whole team. One guy would get tuition, another would get housing, and other's would only get their books paid for. The budget didn't allow for the whole team to travel to far away meets and traveling was certainly more spartan accomodations.

 

Meanwhile the women's track team had twice the # of scholarships and budget due to Title 9. They'd travel the bulk of their athletes, rent nicer vehicles and stay in nicer digs. It was quite frustrating for the Men's coaching staff to deal with and there was alot of animosity between the Men's and Women's staff.

 

However, both track teams were a large financial burden on the athletic program. Home meets were free to attend and we'd only get a couple hundred folks to come out, mainly friends and family.

 

Of the 14 football games we played each year, 10-12 were nationally televised. Every home game was sold out with 65,000 paying fans, not to mention concession and merchandise sales, bowl game payouts, etc.

I'd like to see the #'s on how much $MILLIONS we made the University.

 

However, most anything we made went on to pay for all of the other atheltic programs, administration, facilities, etc. and I think the atheltic budget balanced pretty close to the $0 mark each year.

 

Men's wrestling was lost the year before I started at BYU and there were alot of peeved folks. However, our wrestling team sucked, unlike ASU who had a national championship to their credit and national respect.

 

Until there is a provision for removing football from Title 9, you are going to see alot more reductions in Men's sports across the country.

[Non-Typical Solutions]

Nice post Schmitty, what year did BYU drop their wrestling program?

 

I agree, football carries the torch for many a sport to have money, it is just the way things are. I know here just at the high school level, nobody makes any money off of gate, just football, and basketball if Alchesay is playing here.

 

 

[Schmitty]

I think they announced it in 97. My first season there was '98 and I believe that was wrestling's final season, however by that point most athletes had jumped ship to other programs.

 

I really feel for the athletes, coaches and families involved. It sounds to me like it would be pretty easy to raise the $5 million to permanently endow wrestling. It would have been nice to have given them the shot to do so before cutting the program. I know the Cougar Club at BYU raised something like $25 million over a couple of years to pay for the fancy new indoor practice facility that was built a few years back. You'd think a program with a rich history like ASU could raise $5 million in a year or so. I'm just glad I wasn't the one that had to make the announcement.

 

Sad Day,

 

Schmitty

[Non-Typical Solutions]

I did the google thing on ASU coaching salaries and here are some excerpts from an agenda from a meeting about their womens coaching contract.

 

ISSUE: Arizona State University (ASU) requests approval of a multiple-year employment

contract for Charli Turner Thorne as Head Women’s Basketball Coach from the

execution of the contract through April 15, 2012, pursuant to ABOR policies 6-1001

through 6-1003.

 

Coach’s current annual salary is $275,000.

 

 

Effective July 1, 2007, Coach’s salary will be increased to $400,000 per year, consisting of

$350,000 base salary and $50,000 additional salary. This salary increase is in lieu of any

performance criteria salary increase under Coach's existing contract. Coach's salary will be

for basic duties relating specifically to coaching and for additional duties consisting of

participation in media programs, development activities, public relations activities and

endorsements, and other promotional activities.

Effective July 1, 2008, Coach will receive an increase in additional salary from $50,000 to

$100,000.

 

 

Academic Performance

Compensation Academic Year GPA Graduation Rate

(Fall/Spring semesters) (NCAA 4-year rolling rate)

$20,000 2.8 OR 75%

$22,500 2.9 OR 80%

$25,000 3.0 OR 85%

 

 

A single payout for the highest achievement in post-season competition:

NCAA two games $10,000

NCAA three games $25,000

NCAA four games $35,000

NCAA five games $50,000

NCAA national championship $65,000

 

 

 

Coach may also receive retention bonuses for staying through certain dates. If Coach stays

as Head Women's Basketball Coach through April 15, 2011, Coach will receive a bonus

for staying for the 2010 to 2011 basketball season of $240,000. In addition, if Coach stays

as Head Coach through April 15, 2012, Coach will receive a bonus for staying for the 2011

to 2012 basketball season of $160,000.

 

 

AS you can see, there is some serious money being earned by coaches at the college level...UofA Livengood Athletic Director was making a million plus in 1998, so I can imagine what miss Love is making at ASU........lots of money floating around to be cutting programs.

 

Definitely top heavy.

 

 

 

[ac guy]

If you haven't heard, It's been reinstated. Someone chipped in 8 mill so they'll have wrestling for at least another decade.

[300 wsm]

Yes I read that too. That is awesome. Wrestling is a great sport.