F I U Axes Band And Cheerleaders For 2009 Season

[drex]

This article got me to thinking back to the days when we could not pay the pep band for home basketball games. So, the volunteer students never were there for the Christmas/semester break games. My thanks to Greenjoe for his official North Texas backup pep band who filled in for us. I will always be grateful. Greenjoe was also a volunteer cheerleader on the press box side when we did not have enough cheerleaders for both sides. Greenjoe is a great supporter over the years.

[LongJim]

I have heard--not positive this is true--that even aTm has had to take out loans to subsidize some of their athletic programs recently.

[akriesman]

Will this have an effect on their attendence???

I am sure of that. I have been to games in Denton when the band and cheerleaders probably made up 1/4 of the total attendance

My 12 year old son loves coming to the games for the entire experience: game, band, cheerleaders (good boy) and the concessions. Take away 2 of those 4 and he would lose a lot of interest.

[MDH]

Add Georgia Southern in their place.

Georgia State

[NT80]

Well, I read in the local newspaper that Arizona State was forcing some coaches to take a furlough to save on expenses; times are hard in all conferences in this bad economy. Expect more of this in the coming year or two; we are not out of the woods by a long shot !!!

This is what should eventually push conferences to realign; based more on geography and travel expenses. Traveling to Miami from Denton for conference games is unrealistic in this economic crunch. I'd prefer we play Hawaii!!!

[buff64]

Tulane does not have a band either. At least they didn't five or six years ago , I have not heard of them starting a band program.

[TheTastyGreek]

Georgia State

Not just no, but HELL no to Georgia State. Not at this point, anyway. And probably not for at least a decade.

[UNT90]

"In order to fill the void left by the program, Athletics is reaching out to high school marching band programs to perform at sporting events."

At least they aren't reaching out to high school coaches...

cheap, but I couldn't resist.

[Legend500]

Re-invite Louisiana Tech to see if they're serious about staying as a FBS program (I can only imagine how much the travel costs are hurting them now). Failing that... Heresy of Heresies...

Texas State?

[GreenBrigadeDebbie]

Really...they can't afford to have them at their HOME games? I can understand not taking them to the away games and maybe prohibit the band from the extracurricular marching exhibitions, but they can't have them at the home games??? What a crock of bologna!!! If I were a student there, I would boycott!!

[NT80]

What a crock of bologna!!! If I were a student there, I would boycott!!

Most already have been boycotting by the looks of their home attendance.

[FirefightnRick]

This article got me to thinking back to the days when we could not pay the pep band for home basketball games. So, the volunteer students never were there for the Christmas/semester break games. My thanks to Greenjoe for his official North Texas backup pep band who filled in for us. I will always be grateful. Greenjoe was also a volunteer cheerleader on the press box side when we did not have enough cheerleaders for both sides. Greenjoe is a great supporter over the years.

I was thinking the same thing. This is what makes GoMeanGreen.com such a great website because there are so many recognizable folks here who many of us know personally who have contributed above and beyond the normal fan support for an athletic program.

It's All Green and All Good!

Rick

[Chrisattsu]

Re-invite Louisiana Tech to see if they're serious about staying as a FBS program (I can only imagine how much the travel costs are hurting them now). Failing that... Heresy of Heresies...

Texas State?

We've got a marching band, national champion cheer squads, a former UCA Mascot-of-the-year, and the Strutters waiting to entertain you.

We're here, hanging out and waiting for the moratorium to lift, just give us a call sometime...

Edited June 26, 2009 by Chrisattsu

[Side Show Joe]

Florida International University Games Will Be More Quiet Next Season

POSTED: Wednesday, June 24, 2009

UPDATED: 10:59 am EDT June 24, 2009

WEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. -- There will be no marching band or cheerleaders at Florida International University football games this coming season. FIU is no longer funding the band or cheerleaders.

The university blamed the economy for the cuts. It reportedly costs more than $200,000 to fund the band and $25,000 to maintain a cheerleading program.

FIU's dance team, the Golden Dazzlers, will stay.

The cuts come after FIU spent millions on a new stadium for the football team, and hired high-profile basketball coach Isiah Thomas.

This a great example of why we need to get out of the Belt as fast as we can! I know many of you don't want to join the WAC, but I'd rather be in the WAC then be associated with universities that can't afford to fully fund their programs, or universities who's admission standards are barely higher then those of the junior colleges they funnel their non-qualifying players to (see other post regarding Vito breaking a story). Year in and year out, the Sun Belt is ranked as the worst conference in FBS football, and the conference will stay there, because quality players don't want to go play at schools that lack stability, to the point that they can't even have their band, or cheerleaders at their games.

On a side note, with no band or cheerleaders at the games, FIU is really going to take a hit in attendance next year.They only averaged 13,852 last season. If you take out the band and cheerleaders, then you also have to take out the parents of the band members and cheerleaders, and maybe a few friends or classmates, so they will be lucky to average 13,000 this year. Again this reflects poorly on the Sun Belt, so it will reflect poorly on us. Lets get out now!

Edited June 27, 2009 by Side Show Joe

[LongJim]

http://www.aggiesports.com/blogs/Layoffs-at-A-M

[letsgiveacheer]

Speaking of the WAC, the University of Nevada is in danger of loosing their marching band as well.

[GreenBrigadeDebbie]

Wow, maybe I live under a rock, but how do you not have money to have the band sit in the stands at home games??? Sure you can't sell those seats and get revenue, but it doesn't seem like FIU has an attendance crunch that would affect that. So how do you not have money for that? And, how do you not have money to have the cheerleaders stand on the sidelines and cheer?? Maybe I am naive, but this seems so ridiculous!

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Damn Obama.

Am I right? C'mon guys...

And just who was Pres when the DOW dropped 5000 points and the banks were bailed out and the economy tanked. Not him, the other guy.

--- FUI can't come up with $25,000 for a cheerleader program... WOW. No band ( not even home games?? ) and no cheerleaders makes them look awfully small college. LaTech may be reconsidering their situation especially after this next year if the economy doesn't improve greatly. They are spending a fortune in travel expense. I support Texas State if LaTech is stubborn.. FUI needs to quickly get their act together or get out of Division I.

---Florida is really suffering because of all those crazy loans that were allowed after so many banking controls were removed (sometimes government oversight really is needed). Florida, California, and Vegas have a terrible repo problem and other financial problems.. Tax less and spend more doesn't really work well either ...

---Colleges in many states may be hurting some... Texas is a better off because we have something no one has... University Lands and with oil located on them... which supports the UT/A&M system colleges. Those schools require little tax money.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Tulane does not have a band either. At least they didn't five or six years ago , I have not heard of them starting a band program.

---Because of hurricane problems.?? It is a private school and may have a lot more financial problems.

[Side Show Joe]

Wow, maybe I live under a rock, but how do you not have money to have the band sit in the stands at home games??? Sure you can't sell those seats and get revenue, but it doesn't seem like FIU has an attendance crunch that would affect that. So how do you not have money for that? And, how do you not have money to have the cheerleaders stand on the sidelines and cheer?? Maybe I am naive, but this seems so ridiculous!

Maybe they had to set aside funds for future legal services Isiah Thomas might incur. He could have had that stipulation in his contract.

[Side Show Joe]

And just who was Pres when the DOW dropped 5000 points and the banks were bailed out and the economy tanked. Not him, the other guy.

--- FUI can't come up with $25,000 for a cheerleader program... WOW. No band ( not even home games?? ) and no cheerleaders makes them look awfully small college. LaTech may be reconsidering their situation especially after this next year if the economy doesn't improve greatly. They are spending a fortune in travel expense. I support Texas State if LaTech is stubborn.. FUI needs to quickly get their act together or get out of Division I.

---Florida is really suffering because of all those crazy loans that were allowed after so many banking controls were removed (sometimes government oversight really is needed). Florida, California, and Vegas have a terrible repo problem and other financial problems.. Tax less and spend more doesn't really work well either ...

---Colleges in many states may be hurting some... Texas is a better off because we have something no one has... University Lands and with oil located on them... which supports the UT/A&M system colleges. Those schools require little tax money.

I'm not going to get political on this post. It's not in the non-sports category, but in the related subject of the bad economy, I am trying to look for a bright side for our school and athletic program. It is terrible that so many athletic programs are suffering during this economic downturn, and more will probably come to light in the future, but it could be a good thing for North Texas.

Our new stadium and athletic fee should allow us to grow, while other programs are forced to contract. Should there be a shake up in the conferences do to a schools inability to meet their financial obligations, perhaps our financial position could be the deciding factor in deciding if we get selected in replacing such a school.

I know it sounds laughable, but If this recession continues for another three to five years, we could see TV revenues drop, and some of the weaker schools and or private schools in the large conferences really start to hurt too. Anybody got any other ideas?

Edited July 5, 2009 by Side Show Joe

[SilverEagle]

Ok, here's my take (view) on those lay-offs at A&M and possibly other big programs. For a very long time I've seen those big BCS programs, as being as bloated and loaded down with unnecessary positions and/or "projects" as any giant Federal give away program (and that includes both domestic AND military).

One word.....audit.

Update. In a related matter (cutting the bloat), here is an article about how NASA plans on managing one of their pet projects.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...mp;type=science

Here is a significant quote from Ed Wallace's article last Sunday (6-28) about how prices have changed in the last 20 years.

"Now it’s time to hold on to your hat: In 1989 the Chevrolet Suburban had a base price of just $15,615 and today its base price is $37,342, a 240 percent increase in the window sticker. Now you know why the profits from large SUVs have been so crucial to Detroit’s financial health."

Here is a link to the full article.

http://www.star-telegram.com/ed_wallace/st...1456629-p2.html

Edited July 5, 2009 by SilverEagle