Question: Why no Baseball team?

[colbycheese]

Tell that to Wisconsin - they don't have baseball either. If a huge Big 10 school with a $90 mil athletic budget can't find the $$$ to bring baseball back, I don't see how ISU can. And remember, Pollard and Malchow came from Wisky, and probably use their budget models.

Darn Wisconsinites - just because the Brewers are terrible, they think they need to ruin baseball for everyone.

[Wesley]

thanks & I'll take the answer off air

$$$$$$ and more $$$$$$$.

You need to have female athletic slots/programs to balance also.

If you grow the football program, maybe this can be discussed.

To have a baseball team plus Title IX, the full cost would be what a year? $2M? $4M? Just wondering.

[Tornado man]

Wisconsin dropped baseball because of their severe budget problems, prior to Alvarez arriving. Football then became very successful, and athletic department revenue exploded. It's fascinating to me that with budget issues disappearing, Wisky has still never brought the sport back. Proof of the old adage that the more money you have, the more expenses you consider "necessary."
It's no coincidence, IMO, that JP and his right-hand man, Steve Malchow, have sought no inventive solution to bring back baseball, since they were at Madison and didn't miss it.

[alarson]

Considering the stadium would be such a massive expense, what about playing in des moines at sec taylor at least until the program got off the ground\money could be secured?

[colbycheese]

Considering the stadium would be such a massive expense, what about playing in des moines at sec taylor at least until the program got off the ground\money could be secured?

This crossed my mind too. Sounds good to me. As a student, I went down to principal park pretty frequently to catch I-Cubs games. If it was an ISU team playing I would have made this trip more often. Plus we could buy beer there (WIN!). That would bring in the students.

[Rhoadhoused]

It rhymes with shmitle shmine

[Three4Cy]

Considering the stadium would be such a massive expense, what about playing in des moines at sec taylor at least until the program got off the ground\money could be secured?

Wouldn't be a problem if you can schedule around the I-Cubs. The Big 12 schedules conference games on Fri/Sat/Sun, so you might end up with a lot of Fri/Sat afternoon games if there was a night game for the I-Cubs, Sunday you could play a double header if you played in the afternoon with an ISU game first, followed by the I-Cubs.

The only thing I can picture is Principal Park looking like it does when the 1A schools play the state tourney there, nobody in the crowd.

[alarson]

The only thing I can picture is Principal Park looking like it does when the 1A schools play the state tourney there, nobody in the crowd.

From everything ive heard it doesnt sound like there was much of a crowd when it was in ames anyways. I think youd draw in a decent number of ISU fans, if nothing else for an excuse to tailgate. (i know about this time i'm ready for that), but otherwise might not drive all the way to ames for baseball. Being down in des moines you might see a decent number of corporate tickets picked up too like you do for ICubs games.

[tyclone25]

Just wondering how long of a drive is it from the campus to the ballpark in Des Moines?

[Tornado man]

Wouldn't be a problem if you can schedule around the I-Cubs. The Big 12 schedules conference games on Fri/Sat/Sun, so you might end up with a lot of Fri/Sat afternoon games if there was a night game for the I-Cubs, Sunday you could play a double header if you played in the afternoon with an ISU game first, followed by the I-Cubs.

The only thing I can picture is Principal Park looking like it does when the 1A schools play the state tourney there, nobody in the crowd.

I would imagine the Big 12 would have something to say about the times and dates of games, and Principal Park would be hard to work out. I doubt that the I-Cubs would adjust their times at all - crowd size and game receipts are critically important to them.
I can't envision JP taking a chance on another big expense/no revenue program like baseball, as we have enough sports that are funded half-heartedly already.
Along with the new track/soccer/softball complex, we sorely need a decent pool/natatorium. We need a campus tennis complex. It's embarrassing.

[alarson]

Just wondering how long of a drive is it from the campus to the ballpark in Des Moines?

45 min.

[alarson]

I can't envision JP taking a chance on another big expense/no revenue program like baseball, as we have enough sports that are funded half-heartedly already.
Along with the new track/soccer/softball complex, we sorely need a decent pool/natatorium. We need a campus tennis complex. It's embarrassing.

Agreed. Its fun to talk about, but the chances are slim to none of it ever happening without a boone pickens type donor. Gotta take care of our existing programs first, and all of those from football on down need more funding before we can take on baseball.

If some donor said 'hey, here's 100 million, but i want it only spent on baseball', we'd do it as it wouldnt affect our other programs. But other than that..

[colbycheese]

The only thing I can picture is Principal Park looking like it does when the 1A schools play the state tourney there, nobody in the crowd.

From everything ive heard it doesnt sound like there was much of a crowd when it was in ames anyways. I think youd draw in a decent number of ISU fans, if nothing else for an excuse to tailgate. (i know about this time i'm ready for that), but otherwise might not drive all the way to ames for baseball. Being down in des moines you might see a decent number of corporate tickets picked up too like you do for ICubs games.

Agreements like this between college teams and minor league teams happens all of the time. I know Duke plays all of their ACC games at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. If ISU and I-Cubs got something worked out there would be some empty seats, no doubt about it, but I think there would be a pretty decent crowd. Sec Taylor sounds like a better and better idea the more I think about it.

Here is a link to some attendance numbers from last NCAA Baseball season. Granted, many are in warmer climes, but I think in a city the size of Des Moines, combined with the possibility of students being able to drink while watching an ISU sporting event, we'd actually pull in some good numbers.
College Baseball Attendance Report #3 | College Baseball 360

[Three4Cy]

From everything ive heard it doesnt sound like there was much of a crowd when it was in ames anyways. I think youd draw in a decent number of ISU fans, if nothing else for an excuse to tailgate. (i know about this time i'm ready for that), but otherwise might not drive all the way to ames for baseball. Being down in des moines you might see a decent number of corporate tickets picked up too like you do for ICubs games.

The problem, you're always playing in the afternoon, you never get night games unless the I-Cubs are gone. I don't think baseball is an appointment sporting event like basketball or football are. As for corporate tickets, they are spread out from April to September, for ISU, it would be April and May, so a much shorter window.

[alarson]

The problem, you're always playing in the afternoon, you never get night games unless the I-Cubs are gone. I don't think baseball is an appointment sporting event like basketball or football are. As for corporate tickets, they are spread out from April to September, for ISU, it would be April and May, so a much shorter window.

True