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Spiderlegs:
I make no claim to know how to run an athletic department and think that Strollo has yielded good results with little, but here are the numbers for those who need them to continue this thread: The FY 2010 athletic budget for YSU was $11 million. The proposed FY 2015 budget is $14 million. There's a proposed 3.6% increase for FY 2015, which amounts to a single-year increase of $491K. You do the math.
 
It only takes a few minutes to look up the numbers.  Here's a link: http://web.ysu.edu/gen/ysu/Budget_Planning_m753.html

Lets_Talk:
Here is my take on the comments made by the AD. He is a highly intelligent person. He spent his first 4+ years of working in the Athletic Department under the tutelage of a master of BS, that being one James Tressel. I admire Tress, and am glad he is back at YSU as President. One of the things I admire about him is the way he mastered the art of BS. And, when he was AD/Head Football Coach at YSU, this served him well, since the local media never seemed interested in investigative journalism. So, if Tressel said something, that was the final word. End of story. Why would he ever say something that was not true?  :o Unfortunately for Tress, when he took the job at TOSU, he faced the scrutiny of a very hawkish Columbus media, plus an extremely hawkish National Media.

I'd like to issue a challenge to the local media, with this including ALL the people who get media passes to games and press conferences, not just the Vindy, Tribune and TV Stations. There is something called the Freedom of Information Act. Use this to find the ACTUAL FACTS on how much YSU made off the 3 OOC home games last season, both Net and Gross. Then, find out how much YSU has made off the "money games", Net and Gross.

Also, due to the Freedom of Information Act, the financial data for other PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES is accessible. So, contact the schools and use other media contacts to find out how much said schools make from playing 2 FBS opponents. Again, net and gross.

Also, find out how big a traveling party YSU takes to the FBS games. Do they go by bus or plane? If they go by plane, what is the difference in cost between air and charter bus. Check the travel costs for ALL away games. The only games where traveling by bus can be deemed a necessity is when playing the Dakota Schools. The other teams in MVFC can be done by bus. Yes, it would be a long ride. But, from what I understand, several of thee schools require a 1-2 hour bus ride to get to after the plane lands at the airport into which the team flies. Also, the University and Athletic Department are at a point where ALL excessive costs need to be curtailed, and to be honest, I think the football program has lost their flying privileges to road games unless it is more cost efficient than going by bus. Even if going by bus only saves $5,000 - $10,000 per game, that would be $10,000 - $20,000 for this years 2 road games not in the Dakotas. Add in the Illinois game, and you have $15,000-$20,000. That is not chump change for a University and Athletic Department that needs to save every penny possible.

I understand budgets have been cut at the Vindy, Trib and local tv and radio stations. So, this can be a collaborative effort among the local media. And, why not use The News Outlet http://www.thenewsoutlet.org/
to help with the data collection? They do some really nice stories, and it would give students from YSU, Akron and Cuyahoga CC a chance to do investigative journalism.

For the professionals in the local media, this could be an opportunity to investigate the goings-on of the entire athletic department for neglect and wasteful spending. And, once done investigating the Athletic Department, then move on to the other departments on campus. The AD is now on record as saying YSU faces financial challenges other schools in the MVFC do not face. And, I believe that to be the case. I also seem to recall the number of people in administrative positions in the department being defended in the past by using the excuse the positions are justified  to keep pace with other schools in the MFVC and HL. Seems to me that is wanting to have it both ways. The proverbial, having one's cake and eating it too ???

Why are people in the local media, and so many people in general willing to take the word of the AD? How do we know the $200,000 is not a figure he pulled out of thin air? I mean, $200,000 is a very exact dollar amount, and I have a hard time believing YSU nets $200,000 from every home game, irregardless to the number of people that actually attend the games. I understand loges are sold for an entire season. I understand tickets sold for games mean guaranteed revenue whether people with tickets attend the game or not. But, less people in attendance means less people paying to park. It means less people to buy items at the concession stands. Less people to buy programs and souvenir items. I'm not accusing the AD of a bold face lie. Rather, I'm saying it is highly possible he used a best case scenario to arrive at the $200,000 figure. Also highly likely he rounded up. So, the $200,000 might actually be $175,000.

IAA Fan:
Right on Guinpen. No one considers that those signs cost the advertiser by the number of home games. No one considers how an ad in the program costs the advertiser per-game. Season ticket prices (which are most of our sales) cost more with more home games. Loge prices go up with 1 more home game. Tell the MAC to shove-it. Home and home only, with a requirement that the 1st-game be at Stambaugh ...so they cannot back out. Maybe 3 crap games is bit much, but we should expect to play two of these ...RMU and Duquesne sound good to me.

Wick250:
Just a few things.  Strollo is definitely being fast and loose in his discussions about finances with the media, but he is under no obligation whatsoever to even respond to their inquiries.  I suspect few university athletic directors would be as forthcoming as Strollo was, even if he rounded the figures.  Of course I almost choked when he said in the Scalzo article that we made only 30-35K extra from the UNI game two years ago.  Even my primitive math skills can compute the sum from 7,000 more fans buying tickets for at least 12 bucks.

Institutions hate when media utilize the Freedom of Information Act.  To maintain a civil working relationship, media companies usually invoke that privilege only when scandal or criminal activity is suspected.  Strollo might be misleading the media with his figures but nobody believes that he is "cooking the books."

State universities in Illinois and particularly Iowa are in as much financial distress as those in Ohio.  UNI has dropped sports and plays two money games because they have to....not because they want to.  So challenging times for YSU, yes.  Challenges not shared by some other MVFC members, no.

Lets_Talk:
SpiderLegs, thank you for the link. And, I agree with you that Ron Strollo does a good job as AD. Also, let me be perfectly clear. I am NOT accusing Ron Strollo of "cooking the books". Like Wick250, I believe he is being loose with the numbers he is providing the public. And, that is his right as AD. It is up to the media to dig deeper and find out the actual numbers.

Under Strollo, things have been pretty good with all sports but football and basketball(men and women), which are the 2 most followed sports. For a "football school", 1 trip to the FCS playoffs in 13 seasons is UNACCEPTABLE. Especially when the program had made the playoffs 9 times in the previous 12 seasons, with 4 NC's and 2 NC runner's up. Avg attendance for football games continues to dwindle and each year, more and more people go from the frustrated stage to the "I don't care anymore" stage.

The same is true with mens basketball, and with womens basketball. Although, the womens program seems to have turned the corner to become a top tier HL program. The same cannot be said for the mens program, which has never finished higher than 5th in the HL since joining the league in 01-02. Well, some people will argue YSU finished 4th in the 06-07 season, when in a 3 way tie at 7-9 with GB and UIC. But, YSU shows up as 5th in the standings, and was the #5 seed in the HL Tournament. The only other season YSU finished as high as 5th was in 2012-13, when they tied for 5th at 7-9, and were the #6 seed in the tournament. YSU has a record of 4-13 in the HL Tournament.

The other sports are very important. Unfortunately, it is football and basketball that garner the most attention. As a person who played a minor or "Olympic Sport", I think this stinks. I also realize the football and basketball are the only 2 sports with the potential to create revenue. Not just at YSU, but at the vast majority of Universities and Colleges with athletics.

1AA Fan, why on earth would a MAC school play at YSU? They are not having any problems finding other FCS teams to play. Plus they can play 1 or even 2 "money games" against the big boys. In basketball sure, but not football. As for playing Duquesne and RMU in football, the Duquesne game is fine. And, with Duquesne seems intent on building as good a program as possible when offering less than the maximum allowable scholarships. Same is true of RMU . Just do not wine and complain about how the selection committee is anti-YSU and anti-MVFC when YSU goes 8-4/5-3 or 7-4/5-3 and misses out on the playoffs.

This is a comment in general. It will be interesting to see how things play out come playoff time. Personally, I believe UNI at 8-4/6-2 would get into the FCS playoffs. Indiana State at 8-4/6-2 will be in the playoffs. Not so sure if 7-5/5-3. YSU at 9-3/6-2 will be in the playoffs. Not so sure if 8-4/5-3.

EKU has a good chance of making the playoffs as they won their first FBS game. At 9-3, EKU will make the playoffs. If 8-4, it will be dicey, but the win over Miami(OH) ought to help. EIU plays at OU, which is a winnable game. Beating Illinois State will also help if EIU loses to OU, and is one of the teams at 8-4.
Murray State likely needs to win the OVC, as they play 2 Non D1 teams

Charleston Southern gets into the playoffs if the win the Big South. Same is true for Liberty.

Some of these schools will not have winning records, let alone get close to making the playoffs. And, for EVERY school on the list, winning their conference means an auto bid.

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