The financial implications of a failed football program

[Thurston from Pender]

I paid $9 for a beer and $20 to park yesterday. I have never paid such high prices in Lincoln.  

 

A failed  football program has enormous financial implications throughout the whole state and for years if this continues.

 

USA Today reported a few years back that UNL athletics had revenue of $101m and expenses of $98m; top numbers for the NCAA and one of the few programs that shows a profit. With more conference revenue and the new Adidas deal, the gross revenue today probably approaches $150 million.

 

The top AD staffers and coaches (all sports) probably take 15% of the gross. What the AD knows is that probably about 10-15% of that revenue is in immediate jeopardy if this continues. Although Riley is paid $2m plus, terminating him this season would be a bargain. 

 

Turner Gill is the solution. He is winning at Liberty. Liberty beat Baylor. Baylor is better than NIU. Turner's time at Kansas can't be held against him. Nick Saban couldn't win at Kansas.

 

Turmer, of course, has a direct connection to the Glory Days and Dr. Tom. If he can recruit and win at Liberty, then surely he can win at Nebraska. 

 

Paying Turner $3m would be appropriate if he can turn the program around.

 

If not Turner, then Joe Mogilia at Coastal Carolina. He could work for the bargain rate of $1 million. 

 

One comment to me by a fan yesterday was that he was afraid that the NIU loss looks like the new normal. That, my friends, is a serious danger. Why should I drive miles to Lincoln and sit in the cold when I can stay at my home on the Rez and watch them lose without all of that time and expense?

 

The saddest thing about yesterday is that it looks like the basketball team is better than the football team. How could we have sunk so low? 

 

Footnote: Per SCOTUS, Pender is on the Indian reservation although we thought otherwise for decades.

 

 

 

 

[bugeater17]

If Riley is here next year I will give up my tickets which have been in my family for 3 generations.

[C N Red]

First off, there is no way anyone from Pender has the name Thurston. Second, have you seen Baylor? Even we could beat Baylor. Maybe. I think. Possibly. Right?

Anyways, point is NIU is better than Baylor. But that really doesnt mean anything. Thing is neither Gill nor Moglia is the answer. Its time to either get a real proven veteran or a big time up and comer.

[Thurston from Pender]

Okay, I live in Wayne.

[Stu]

I've been wondering why people go there for years now.  

I attend one game about every 10 years it seems, and all it does is remind me why I never go.  

Got playstation Vue this fall for football.  It's so awesome.  I can even watch the games on my phone if I'm out fishing. 

There's already so many reasons to skip the hassle and watch from home and having a pi$$ poor Nebraska team isn't going to convince anyone else to attend either.  

 

MR will probably finish the season out, but I have a feeling he'll be let go right afterwards.  Get a coach with a rep for winning, a name that I actually don't have to Google this time, and that will keep the butts in the seats.  

 

Winning = Revenue

[speedtoburn]

Good god, here we go again.

 

Turner Gill is NOT the answer, hiring him would be asinine. Neither is Mogila.

 

Posters like you who believe in thiose guys scare me, you truly do.

[Thurston from Pender]

Add the OWH to the list of businesses that would be hurt by continued football failure. Who would read the OWH if you had no interest in the Huskers? I certainly have no interest in what Erin Grace and that redhead from Red Cloud have to say. And I will remind you that the parent of the LJS was in bankruptcy not too long ago. 

 

[Thurston from Pender]

16 minutes ago, speedtoburn said:

Good god, here we go again.

 

Turner Gill is NOT the answer, hiring him would be asinine. Neither is Mogila.

 

Posters like you who believe in thiose guys scare me, you truly do.

 

Give me some good reasons why Turner is not the answer. He won at Buffalo and is winning at Liberty. Many fans love him. He was a winning player here. 

 

Mike Riley, Bo and Callahan were certainly not the answers.

[Ratt Mhule]

12 minutes ago, Thurston from Pender said:

 

Give me some good reasons why Turner is not the answer. He won at Buffalo and is winning at Liberty. Many fans love him. He was a winning player here. 

 

Mike Riley, Bo and Callahan were certainly not the answers.

 

Well the fact that his resume consists of Buffalo, Liberty and Kansas for one. Where are the other power 5 teams knocking down his door to come coach for them?

 

Secondly he has a worse winning percentage than Mike Riley had when he was hired. 

 

Third he has only won 9 games once in his career. Nothing more than 9 wins. 

[84HuskerLaw]

At this point, given a choice between Turner Gill and Scott Frost, I would choose Gill in a heart beat.   I loved watching both play but I believe Gill has a much nicer personality.   I am confident that Gill can coach and having been a Husker coach for a number of years, in addition to his playing time, he has closer ties to the program in my view.  Frost might surprise me but I just would prefer Gill.   But, I think if we want to really turn the program around, the hire has to be a big splash hire (almost sunami splash) and I don't see Frost anywhere near that type of hire.  Just my opinion.  He might be a good position coach I suppose.  Turner interviewed before and was rejected so not sure he would be all that interested and I suspect he really likes his current job.  Money is not always the primary consideration.

[VectorVictor]

24 minutes ago, speedtoburn said:

Good god, here we go again.

 

Turner Gill is NOT the answer, hiring him would be asinine. Neither is Mogila.

 

Posters like you who believe in thiose guys scare me, you truly do.

 

"Thiose" guys have proven they can win if the program and community supports them.

 

Kansas is a mulligan for Turner for a number of reasons, including (but not limited to) boosters who were opposed to his hire undermining him in recruiting and in the AD office. Why were they opposed? Partially because he's a DoNU alum, partially because he was a black man, and partially because he is in an interracial marriage. 

 

Turner has has done well elsewhere, and provided he got quality coordinators and position coaches, I wouldn't have a problem with him. TBH, Nebraska has an image problem being a red state trying to recruit minority players. Turner helps with this issue. 

 

Now, having said all that, Turner wouldn't be on my short list, but I sure AF wouldn't have a problem with his hire. As we have seen, there are plenty of less inspired, tepid choices that could be made. 

 

 

[neepster]

3 minutes ago, 84HuskerLaw said:

At this point, given a choice between Turner Gill and Scott Frost, I would choose Gill in a heart beat.   I loved watching both play but I believe Gill has a much nicer personality.   I am confident that Gill can coach and having been a Husker coach for a number of years, in addition to his playing time, he has closer ties to the program in my view.  Frost might surprise me but I just would prefer Gill.   But, I think if we want to really turn the program around, the hire has to be a big splash hire (almost sunami splash) and I don't see Frost anywhere near that type of hire.  Just my opinion.  He might be a good position coach I suppose.  Turner interviewed before and was rejected so not sure he would be all that interested and I suspect he really likes his current job.  Money is not always the primary consideration.

No, no no.  You don't chose a HC for NCAA Football by how 'nice' he is.  Not if you want to win you don't.  Turner failed at the only P5 coaching position he had (Kansas).  He's a great guy and I like him but he is not the solution.  Scott Frost, for all the questions about him would be a much better choice.  An even better choice would be Les Miles if he could be convinced to come here.

[84HuskerLaw]

6 minutes ago, neepster said:

No, no no.  You don't chose a HC for NCAA Football by how 'nice' he is.  Not if you want to win you don't.  Turner failed at the only P5 coaching position he had (Kansas).  He's a great guy and I like him but he is not the solution.  Scott Frost, for all the questions about him would be a much better choice.  An even better choice would be Les Miles if he could be convinced to come here.

Les Miles is not one of the choices stated so exclude him - it is Frost vs Gill only.  There are other coaches I would also prefer over either of them but that is not the discussion.

 

What, pray tell, does Frost present in your mind that suggests he would be better than Gill?   I would really like to know what so many see in Frost.   Seriously.

Miles would be on my short list and I would likely put him above both Gill and Frost but I would have to really learn alot more about his background and history and personality as well.  I think he is a fairly big 'splash' hire that we ought to consider too, 

 

And I don't want another 'a hole' for a coach.  Been there and done that and it doesn't work out.   We don't want a Paterno or Bo or Woody Hayes or other scandal waiting to happen.   This one needs to be right in all respects.     

[84HuskerLaw]

Another former Husker that would probably be dam good is Tom Rathman.  He has a long successful playing career with trremendous Nebraska ties and loads of NFL experience under great coaches, and coaching experience.   

[neepster]

2 minutes ago, 84HuskerLaw said:

Les Miles is not one of the choices stated so exclude him - it is Frost vs Gill only.  There are other coaches I would also prefer over either of them but that is not the discussion.

 

What, pray tell, does Frost present in your mind that suggests he would be better than Gill?   I would really like to know what so many see in Frost.   Seriously.  

 

Turner Gill is 60–74 as a head coach.  That is even worse than MR at 0.45 win/loss record (MR in college is 0.54).  Frost is currently 7-7 at UCF but that team started off godawful and he is on a positive upward trend.  Also he was the OC for the Ducks when they were very good and if you include their wins from 2013-2015 (which is reasonable since he was a large part of those), then his win loss % is 0.73.   He is also younger and if he works out would potentially be a long term solution for the Huskers.... longer than TG anyway.

 

Add to that that TG was 5-24 at Kansas....

 

So, 0.73 vs. 0.45... I know which one I choose.