UNI & loss of State Funding

**gondozors** · 03-24-2010, 07:22 AM

Has anyone considered the funding impacts UNI will have on ISU?

If UNI has to cut $7 million which is almost half of thier athletic funds, they'll likely cut football.

If they cut football & go non-scholarship like Drake, and we don't play Drake anymore obviously............doesn't that mean ISU will never play UNI again in football?

**gogagig** · 03-24-2010, 07:31 AM

The worst case scenario that is being talked about is going to non scholarship football rather than completely cutting football.

**Al_4_State** · 03-24-2010, 07:41 AM

If UNI goes non-scholarship in football, we'd never play them again.

My guess is we replace them with a Sun Belt team, and just eliminate FCS teams from the schedule. I think that a lot of years, UNI is better than Sun Belt teams anyways.

**Wesley** · 03-24-2010, 07:52 AM

We might have more walkon football recruits from the state of Iowa.

UNO has 20k students in Omaha and their football has gone the pathetic route: small time. They have a hockey program instead. Their bball is low level also.

**2forISU** · 03-24-2010, 07:54 AM

I hope this doesn't happen. UNI has really been hurt by the economy.

**Wesley** · 03-24-2010, 07:56 AM

Culver will fix this problem. Is he not from that area?

**JJ4ISU** · 03-24-2010, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley

We might have more walkon football recruits from the state of Iowa.

UNO has 20k students in Omaha and their football has gone the pathetic route: small time. They have a hockey program instead. Their bball is low level also.

UNO is and always has been Division II, while UNI has been I-AA/FCS for about 30 years...but I get your point. I am guessing UNO never went I-AA (like SDSU, Northern Colorado and others in that conference) because of the Huskers presence...

**Clonehomer** · 03-24-2010, 08:19 AM

I think that Gartner would be forced out before anything like this would play out.

**ianuni57** · 03-24-2010, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by JJ4ISU

UNO is and always has been Division II, while UNI has been I-AA/FCS for about 30 years...but I get your point. I am guessing UNO never went I-AA (like SDSU, Northern Colorado and others in that conference) because of the Huskers presence...

The landscape of UNO athletics has really changed in the past 9 months. Trev Alberts as the AD is stiring a lot of interest into moving to Division I. The newest talk is that they are looking at the funding for a new arena that would house hockey and all other sports.

Now to compare it to UNI, UNO was a lot worse financially a couplke years ago, but they appear to be moving in the right direction by getting some donors on board. Hopefully UNI can do the same.

**gondozors** · 03-24-2010, 08:35 AM

I think Gartner is a hypocrite on this issue. Without tax favorable benefits from the City of Des Moines & Polk County, the I-Cubs would not be economically feasible in Central Iowa. The I-Cubs are a strong benefit to Central Iowa, just as college athletics are to the State. Gartner needs to go if he's going to be hypocritical.

**Frak** · 03-24-2010, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by Al_4_State

If UNI goes non-scholarship in football, we'd never play them again.

My guess is we replace them with a Sun Belt team, and just eliminate FCS teams from the schedule. I think that a lot of years, UNI is better than Sun Belt teams anyways.

I don't know that they would eliminate FCS because those games are at least a guaranteed home game. If they play a Sun Belt or another MAC team, that's a 3 for 1 at best if not a 2 for 1.

I do think that if UNI is forced over the next 5 years to cut 40% of their budget, they are looking squarely at joining the Pioneer League in non-scholarship FB. I don't see any other way around it. In a perfect world, they would keep FB, MBB, WBB and VB and be OK, but Title 9 and minimum number of sports for conference participation would prevent them from doing it.

**JJ4ISU** · 03-24-2010, 09:11 AM

UNI fans will need to step it up and open their wallets. Not sure what UNI charges for football and basketball games, but to continue to be successful and hire good, quality coaches like they currently have, Dannen will have to do some serious fundraising and raise ticket prices like Pollard has done. For their sake, I hope they have a better plan than to just drop baseball.

**Al_4_State** · 03-24-2010, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by Frak

I don't know that they would eliminate FCS because those games are at least a guaranteed home game. If they play a Sun Belt or another MAC team, that's a 3 for 1 at best if not a 2 for 1.

I do think that if UNI is forced over the next 5 years to cut 40% of their budget, they are looking squarely at joining the Pioneer League in non-scholarship FB. I don't see any other way around it. In a perfect world, they would keep FB, MBB, WBB and VB and be OK, but Title 9 and minimum number of sports for conference participation would prevent them from doing it.

I believe we play Western Kentucky in the next few years, but don't visit them. They're in the Sun Belt.

**aeroclone** · 03-24-2010, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by Al_4_State

If UNI goes non-scholarship in football, we'd never play them again.

My guess is we replace them with a Sun Belt team, and just eliminate FCS teams from the schedule. I think that a lot of years, UNI is better than Sun Belt teams anyways.

Why wouldn't we keep playing FCS teams? We don't play UNI every year as it is now, but we have picked up other FCS teams like NDSU and SDSU to fill the gaps. I think we would just find other FCS options to fill the spots just so we don't have to give up any home games.