NT Daily: UNT Athletics Department is more than $63.19 million in debt as of the end of 2017

Rudy · December 6, 2018

1 hour ago, wardly said:
fake news

They don't even qualify as news, just fake.

PlummMeanGreen · December 6, 2018

4 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

Very well stated. If UNT has its sights on competing then pull out all of the stops and compete. If they are fed up with drowning while trying to sporadically come up for air then go to FCS. UNT has struggled for so long because they tried to play a middle ground and that can't be done. But the system is flawed and not even close to a level playing field.

👍👍

Hunter Green · December 6, 2018

4 hours ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Journalism has trended this direction anyway over the past few decades (ever since the emergence of Social Media).
Much of journalism today is basically Op-eds (without the tag), and the writers opinions are stated as facts, or news. It is not shocking to see the same thing happening to our Alma Mater's student paper.

There is really not a single media outlet anywhere that can be taken at face value anymore (some are way worse than others).

In other words, Fake News!

GO MEAN GREEN!

UNTDoubleAlum · December 6, 2018

7 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

Very well stated. If UNT has its sights on competing then pull out all of the stops and compete. If they are fed up with drowning while trying to sporadically come up for air then go to FCS. UNT has struggled for so long because they tried to play a middle ground and that can't be done. But the system is flawed and not even close to a level playing field.

Thanks for reading my long post.

I agree with you that I want to see UNT compete in the system. I love UNT. I met my wife there. I met a ton of lifelong friends there. I want any of my future kids to go there. I want to go somewhere and be around UNT and a good Football game is the best way to do that.

But while I want UNT to succeed in spite of a rigged system, I’d much rather we, as a society, find a way to tear that system down. If we could find a statutory or regulatory way to cap the spending at the top end of the college athletics spectrum, I bet we could save a lot of money in the process.

Edited December 6, 2018 by UNTDoubleAlum

Hunter Green · December 6, 2018

3 minutes ago, UNTDoubleAlum said:

Thanks for reading my long post.

I agree with you that I want to see UNT compete in the system. I love UNT. I met my wife there. I met a ton of lifelong friends there. I want any of my future kids to go there. I want to go somewhere and be around UNT and a good Football game is the best way to do that.

But while I want UNT to succeed in spite of a rigged system, I’d much rather we, as a society, find a way to tear that system down. If we could find a statutory or regulatory way to cap the spending at the top end of the college athletics spectrum, I bet we could save a lot of money in the process.

Unfortunately, it's now survival of the fittest. We squandered so many years in mediocrity that we're playing catch up. Hopefully, the spending will pay off in a few years when realignment comes up again.

NorthTexasWeLove · December 6, 2018

1 minute ago, UNTDoubleAlum said:

Thanks for reading my long post.

I agree with you that I want to see UNT compete in the system. I love UNT. I met my wife there. I met a ton of lifelong friend there. I want any of my future kids to go there. I want to go somewhere and be around UNT and a good Football game is the best way to do that.

But while I want UNT to succeed in spite of a rigged system, I’d much rather we, as a society, find a way to tear that system down. If we could find a statutory or regulatory way to cap the spending at the top end of the college athletics spectrum, I bet we could save a lot of money in the process.

That would take court action, needed court action for it to happen. The G5 presidents, AD's, and BOR's have to band together, or at least a good 25 or 30 of them and flex their muscles with an antitrust suit. That is the way to get that ball rolling. The problem is that this industry that they wall work in, specifically at the G5 level, they'd be stepping on their own toes while they themselves are trying to climb the professional ladder. It's a good ole boys club and whatever incentives and inside networking they do have would vanish at the literal snap of a finger.

Prime example of this: Go look up videos of coaches speaking in regards to the G5 v. P5 model during CUSA media days. Bring a bucket with you, it's nauseating. Because let's face it the coaches, at the media made up G5 and (P5) level, are the faces of the programs and they would have to be the one's to really get this ball rolling down hill with some steam. But they are afraid to do it because they don't want to lose their personal inclusion and they don't want to be black-listed out of future (and higher paying) jobs. So, they just play along in their little bubble. It's all eff'd up.

Mrs. Esterhouse · December 6, 2018

26 minutes ago, UNTDoubleAlum said:

There’s no getting around paying good money for good facilities. Facilities that players want to play in, facilities that alumni want to come to. If colleges want to spend on better facilities, with a plan to pay them off, it doesn’t vex me much.

They also failed to mention that the University needed the land where Fouts is still partially standing so it benefitted everyone when we built Apogee and the new track facility.

UNTDoubleAlum · December 6, 2018

7 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

That would take court action, needed court action for it to happen. The G5 presidents, AD's, and BOR's have to band together, or at least a good 25 or 30 of them and flex their muscles with an antitrust suit. That is the way to get that ball rolling. The problem is that this industry that they wall work in, specifically at the G5 level, they'd be stepping on their own toes while they themselves are trying to climb the professional ladder. It's a good ole boys club and whatever incentives and inside networking they do have would vanish at the literal snap of a finger.

Prime example of this: Go look up videos of coaches speaking in regards to the G5 v. P5 model during CUSA media days. Bring a bucket with you, it's nauseating. Because let's face it the coaches, at the media made up G5 and (P5) level, are the faces of the programs and they would have to be the one's to really get this ball rolling down hill with some steam. But they are afraid to do it because they don't want to lose their personal inclusion and they don't want to be black-listed out of future (and higher paying) jobs. So, they just play along in their little bubble. It's all eff'd up.

I really love everything you said here.

I also think that we go about this the wrong way. We see an article from the hated NT Daily and think “Those nerds and their new art building. Leave our stuff alone!”

But honestly, they’re right. Colleges have to spend too much on sports because the system perpetuates spending too much on sports.

The conversation we should be having is “You’re right. How do we solve this in a way that changes the system so UNT can keep competing at sports?”

meangreenlax · December 6, 2018

I mean, would I rather have UNT spend $63.19m more on financial aid? sure.

Will that happen? No.

Railing against college athletics in the current race to the bottom we're engaged in is like pissing in the wind.

Cerebus · December 7, 2018

NT isn't running an athletics programs as a charity. The only reason they are doing it is because they are convinced it helps elevate their brand and value. Like it or not a successful athletic programs raises the University's value with perspective students, business partners, staff, and faculty.

Legend500 · December 7, 2018

3 hours ago, Greenrex said:

Okay, I give up. What the hell is a newspaper?

From what I understand, in the recent past, people would go outside in the morning, cut down and skin a tree, and then hire a "news-man" to come over and write the news on the dead tree.

Barbaric.

vpackrats · December 7, 2018

Wonder if the reporter will put this "gem" of an article on his resume when he applies for a job at the Washington Post or New York Times? Prolly.

UNTLifer · December 7, 2018

Question, since athletics works separately from the university from a financial perspective, should the athletic department receive market value for the land they are turning over to the university where Fouts stands?

MCMLXXX · December 7, 2018

22 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Question, since athletics works separately from the university from a financial perspective, should the athletic department receive market value for the land they are turning over to the university where Fouts stands?

I believe they did.

MattMakesLoans · December 7, 2018

Budget articles are hard to write. I don't expect student journalist to be able to convey the complexity of government accounting. They did stumble on a few good nuggets.

The good news. The Athletic Department is paying more than its standard debt service. That's a really good sign. One, it means they have extra cash to lay down on something. Two, it means they are freeing up debt capacity sooner to be able to move on to the next capital project. Growth is good.

The bad news. The two largest sources of funding are essentially internal transfers from the university. Not a sign of strength. But as others have pointed out this is problem throughout college athletics across the country.

The ugly. $38 bucks to market soccer. I'm guess that was some facebook ads to hype a game.

GrandGreen · December 7, 2018

This is a perfect storm, the writer knows little about athletics or finance.

As far as what much of this thread is about, which has little too to do with the article, is the ridiculous cost of college athletics. This could be addressed but most administrators are afraid to state the obvious.

Coaches and AD's have a heavily vested interest in the status quo or worse, as they are the primary benefactors of the athletic arms race.

The current model seems unsustainable, but keeps on going. Spend more to stay even with peers and keep from falling further behind the few athletic departments that actually generate money.

Edited December 7, 2018 by GrandGreen

Mrs. Esterhouse · December 7, 2018

35 minutes ago, MattMakesLoans said:

The ugly. $38 bucks to market soccer. I'm guess that was some facebook ads to hype a game.

Exactly. They should be spending more money on their most reliable program.

NorthTexan95 · December 7, 2018

4 hours ago, meangreenlax said:

I mean, would I rather have UNT spend $63.19m more on financial aid? sure.

Will that happen? No.

Railing against college athletics in the current race to the bottom we're engaged in is like pissing in the wind.

$63.19M spread across $38,000 students comes out to be less than $1,700 per student. In the short term it's not insignificant. In the long term it's pretty insignificant. Apogee is a tremendous benefit to the university.

* DISCLAIMER: no guarantee my math is correct or even close.

Edited December 7, 2018 by NorthTexan95

southsideguy · December 7, 2018

11 hours ago, NorthTexan95 said:

$63.19M spread across $38,000 students comes out to be less than $1,700 per student. In the short term it's not insignificant. In the long term it's pretty in significant. Apogee is a tremendous benefit to the university.

* DISCLAIMER: no guarantee my math is correct or even close.

That is ok you can still write for the NT Daily 😉

Edited December 7, 2018 by southsideguy

peanuts104 · December 7, 2018

9 hours ago, Talon90 said:

"The UNT athletics department is more than $63.19 million in debt as of the end of the 2017 fiscal year, according to documents filed with the NCAA."

https://www.ntdaily.com/athletics-debt-story/

**** ntdaily

edit: for clarification, it's just one hit piece after another from them. This debt is not that abnormal and it doesn't take more than a few minutes of research to confirm this. I'm so tired of that rag.

Edited December 7, 2018 by peanuts104

untjim1995 · December 7, 2018

5 hours ago, vpackrats said:

Wonder if the reporter will put this "gem" of an article on his resume when he applies for a job at the Washington Post or New York Times? Prolly.

Think more on the lines of the DRC or the Gainesville Herald...

Salsa_Verde · December 7, 2018

4 hours ago, peanuts104 said:

**** ntdaily

edit: for clarification, it's just one hit piece after another from them. This debt is not that abnormal and it doesn't take more than a few minutes of research to confirm this. I'm so tired of that rag.

Call them out on their comment section please.

peanuts104 · December 7, 2018

Just now, Salsa_Verde said:

Call them out on their comment section please.

That gives them clicks and money. Even bad comments are comments.

Salsa_Verde · December 7, 2018

7 hours ago, Cerebus said:

NT isn't running an athletics programs as a charity. The only reason they are doing it is because they are convinced it helps elevate their brand and value. Like it or not a successful athletic programs raises the University's value with perspective students, business partners, staff, and faculty.

I completely agree.

Salsa_Verde · December 7, 2018

Just now, peanuts104 said:

That gives them clicks and money. Even bad comments are comments.

Well...if that’s how you feel. I just don’t like these stories being posted without a rebuttal. This university has 38,000 students plus....the NT Daily does not speak for the student body.