Ideas anyone?

mad dog · November 6, 2006

I'm working on a project for my Research Methods class at NT, and it was suggested that we use our football program as the subject of a program evaluation.

To this end, I'd like some suggestions on how the effectiveness of a program is measured. Just some variables we are considering are win-loss record, alumni donations, attendence, post-season play, and touchdowns.

Please post if you have any other ideas on how you can tell if a program is successful or not. Thanks for the help.

Zeke · November 6, 2006

season ticket sales

% growth over the previous year in Mean Green Club, season tix sold, and draw plays.

UNTBill · November 6, 2006

I'm working on a project for my Research Methods class at NT, and it was suggested that we use our football program as the subject of a program evaluation.
To this end, I'd like some suggestions on how the effectiveness of a program is measured. Just some variables we are considering are win-loss record, alumni donations, attendence, post-season play, and touchdowns.
Please post if you have any other ideas on how you can tell if a program is successful or not. Thanks for the help.
←

Fans in the stands. Not drunks in the tailgate lot. Butts in the seats is the only barameter.

shaft · November 6, 2006

Benchmarks:

UNT vs its own history

the rest of the SBC conference,

the Big West,

all of D1

Timeframe:

1992 (the creation of the 12 team SEC)

1995 (UNT's return to D1)

1997 (BCS creation)

2001 (creation of SBC)

Variables:

attendence vs. ticket sales

number of scholarship players (football vs Atheletic Dept)

cost per player

graduation rate

wins (all wins, D1 wins, good wins, elite wins)

atheletic departent budget vs. football budget

University attendence & avg ACT admissions scores.

Media coverage [number of lexis/nexus articles mentioning football vs. university]

univeristy advertising budget

Trend Analysis:

annual vs. 3 year average

Quoner · November 6, 2006

Benchmarks:
UNT vs its own history
the rest of the SBC conference,
the Big West,
all of D1
Timeframe:
1992 (the creation of the 12 team SEC)
1995 (UNT's return to D1)
1997 (BCS creation)
2001 (creation of SBC)
Variables:
attendence vs. ticket sales
number of scholarship players (football vs Atheletic Dept)
cost per player
graduation rate
wins (all wins, D1 wins, good wins, elite wins)
atheletic departent budget vs. football budget
University attendence & avg ACT admissions scores.
Media coverage [number of lexis/nexus articles mentioning football vs. university]
univeristy advertising budget
Trend Analysis:
annual vs. 3 year average
←

Good ideas - but one research concern for the coverage variable -

Since the time frame we are analyzing saw a complete change in the way sports media is (websites, blogs, etc.), its a given that the number will go up dramatically. You either need to find a way to adjust for it (doubtful), or just acknowledge this in the analysis section.

good_ken · November 6, 2006

Good ideas - but one research concern for the coverage variable -
Since the time frame we are analyzing saw a complete change in the way sports media is (websites, blogs, etc.), its a given that the number will go up dramatically. You either need to find a way to adjust for it (doubtful), or just acknowledge this in the analysis section.

Could you try and pull the stats from this site? Hits per month? Posts per month?

UNTBill · November 6, 2006

Benchmarks:
UNT vs its own history
the rest of the SBC conference,
the Big West,
all of D1
Timeframe:
1992 (the creation of the 12 team SEC)
1995 (UNT's return to D1)
1997 (BCS creation)
2001 (creation of SBC)
Variables:
attendence vs. ticket sales
number of scholarship players (football vs Atheletic Dept)
cost per player
graduation rate
wins (all wins, D1 wins, good wins, elite wins)
atheletic departent budget vs. football budget
University attendence & avg ACT admissions scores.
Media coverage [number of lexis/nexus articles mentioning football vs. university]
univeristy advertising budget
Trend Analysis:
annual vs. 3 year average
←

Damn. shaft, that's the most thoughtful response that I, for one, have ever seen you offer. I take back anyting bad I've ever said about you.

Go mean green, dude----We are on the same page ("GMG") when it really matters.

mad dog · November 6, 2006

Damn. shaft, that's the most thoughtful response that I, for one, have ever seen you offer. I take back anyting bad I've ever said about you.
←

Hey... us MPAs have a reputation to uphold, right, shaft?

Go_UTA · November 6, 2006

Among important measures, don't omit one of the most critical: cost to the university; that is, how much the university pumps into the program every year that is above and beyond what the department generates (from gifts, ticket sales, concessions, guarantees received from opponents, TV money) and above and beyond student athletic fees. In other words, I think you can breakdown the costs into 3 big buckets 1) athletic dept-generated, 2) student fees, and 3) university contributions.

University contributions must come from sources such as tuition and/or auxiliary enterprise income (such as bookstore profits and student housing profits).

Each of those 3 sources is highly important to funding the program, but undertanding #3 is key and is often highly sensitive. (It is often quite large.) In fact, it may not be all that easy to get, because the people who know usually don't like to publish or talk about it. (Gets faculty upset, etc.)

Upper-level administrators are the ones who understand how big #3 really is. And, if you are doing a research paper, understanding what it is, where it comes from, and the trends year-over-year sheds a lot of light, I believe, on understanding their views and subsequent behaviors towards a program.

FirefightnRick · November 6, 2006

It would be interesting to see the difference of money recognized or generated within the local economy in Denton between weekends we have a home game and weekends we are away, especially during the '01-'04 seasons? Not sure how you could find that out, possibly the Chamber of Commerce folks could tell ya. It has to be on the upside of things considering the vast increase in companies who have over the past 36 months have made sure their business is seen on game days.

As I have stated before, I feel Denton, and the fanbase of NT is hungry for NT to get back to it's championship ways.

Rick

BonfireBrian · November 6, 2006

It would be interesting to see the difference of money recognized or generated within the local economy in Denton between weekends we have a home game and weekends we are away, especially during the '01-'04 seasons? Not sure how you could find that out, possibly the Chamber of Commerce folks could tell ya. It has to be on the upside of things considering the vast increase in companies who have over the past 36 months have made sure their business is seen on game days.
As I have stated before, I feel Denton, and the fanbase of NT is hungry for NT to get back to it's championship ways.
Rick
←

This would be some very interesting information. Since I'd like to start that NT-

themed sports bar, I'd really like to know this information.

Illuvius32- please pass on this information to me if you find it out. I'll see what I can do to come across the same information and I'll be happy to send it to you if I get it.

Edited November 6, 2006 by BonfireBrian

shaft · November 6, 2006

Few more thoughts.

If your comparing UNT vs anyone else you don't have to worry about the media numbers being skewed. The marketshift in media coverage from print to digital should be simular across the board.

Meangreen.com hits is a bad indicator. You'd be measuring this site's popularity, not the Teams. Plus I think you be hard pressed to prove a corraltion between web hits and efficency.

I'd also be careful about doing an economic impact analysis. One, its a bigger undertaking that what your Methods paper ask for. Two, it is easy to skew an economic impact analysis. Studies on the Cowboys move to Arlington showed everything from $300 million profit to a $20 million dollar loss.

If you were to do a quick an dirty economic analysis look at

-game day parking

-vendor/concession profits

-merchandise profit/loss (which is going to be skewed because of the new logo)

-business occupancy & population within .5, 1, and 3 miles of Fouts

-Hotel Occupancy Tax collections

-Citations Issued

But I still advise against it. I think its too hard to discern the direct economic impacts of Game Day versus the presence of the new medical center, the city's population shift, and new consturction on campus.