View From the Corner Office
11/8/2010 5:02:00 PM | Athletics
I wanted to look back at the Battle of the Piney Woods. If you were there, I don't have to tell that it was a huge success. I want to thank everyone involved who helped promote this game. It was a year-long effort by our entire athletic department and involved all of the university community, the alumni association, student services and student activities. Without the work of the entire university, this would not have been a success.
Also, Lone Star Sports and Entertainment worked so hard getting us publicity in Houston that would not have had otherwise. In addition to three stories in the Houston Chronicle, including a front page column by lead columnist Richard Justice, we were also featured on two Houston television stations and three of the four sports talk radio stations in Houston. The positive publicity we received from this game in Houston, as well as the crowd of close to 25,000 made this the biggest event the university has had in a long time.
Basketball season is right around the corner as well. The men are coming off a great season last year and look to put together another strong performance and hopefully you will be there to see it.
Our attendance at basketball averaged just 1,700 per game. That is an improvement, but nowhere near what a championship caliber team deserves. The Division I average is a little more than 5,000 fans per game. It would be nice if we could challenge that number. For years our men have put a very entertaining product on the floor and there is no reason more people shouldn't be in Johnson Coliseum to see them play.
A few years ago we drew one of our largest crowds ever for a men's basketball game when Texas Tech came to town and we thought people were finally starting to catch on. However, for some fans, that is the last Bearkat game they have seen. Just like in football, for our programs to continue to improve, they have to have the support from our fan base.
The Presidents Cabinet and Championship Committee met last week along with our head coaches to hear the presentation from the NACDA Consulting group who conducted our department feasibility study. The Executive Summary from the committee is now available on our web site, and it didn't tell us anything we don't already know. For us to be competitive as a top FCS football program and position ourselves for potential movement to an FBS conference, it is going to take a major commitment from all parties involved, not just this athletic department.
The recommendation in the Executive Summary is to remain in the FCS in football and work to be a top-flight program, competing for national championships. That has been our goal all along and will continue to be a focus of this department. However, as the report notes, there might be a unique opportunity to make a move as long as it will be in the best interest of not just this department, but this university.
According to the findings of the study, a decision to move this football program up will take a major financial commitment. That is why this has to be a university community decision. President Gibson along with the other university administrators will not only look at a potential move from an athletic standpoint, but also one that makes sense academically.
Also, a move forward has to be supported by the students. They are a big part of our success, not only financially from their athletic fees, but also from their support in attending games. The necessary funding to stay competitive is only part of the equation. Another big issue concerning a potential move to the FBS is the mandatory attendance requirement of an average of 15,000 fans per home game, which is where the students can play a big part. We draw an average of 1,500 students for a football game. For a university that now has more than 17,000 students, that number has to be higher.
Finally, a potential move is going to take a major commitment from our donors and alumni. From both revenue generated by tickets sales, as well as donations, we can't even think about moving forward with out support from our fan base that has been around the longest. We made significant strides this year in season ticket sales, including a record number of first-time buyers. But for us to be an attractive university to other potential conferences, we have to show we have a fan base that will be here week-in and week-out every single season.
The study was just the first part of this process, and it gives us an idea of what needs to be done as a university to ensure we will always put a competitive program our there in every sport. Our focus will remain to continue to get stronger and win Southland Conference championships and compete for a national championship in FCS football. However, as we continue to strengthen as a department and a university, we will always keep our options for conference membership open as long as it is in the best interest of Sam Houston State University.
