Week 9 Not too long ago, I asked some friends in college athletics in various ways a series of questions. Read each of the “My Questions” responses (these are short & useful reads fyi). Respond to

Week 9 Not too long ago, I asked some friends in college athletics in various ways a series of questions. Read each of the “My Questions” responses (these are short & useful reads fyi). Respond to
(from a D1 Softball Coach) What do you now know about the money side of athletic administration & coaching that you wish you had known when you started? The main thing is, you can’t just “ask and receive”! Even if it’s vitally necessary to your program, if the money isn’t there, it’s not happening. The main thing I didn’t realize is that it’s more of a “bottom line” figure than an actual “budget-line” expense. We are now able to move funds around in certain categories for overspending in one area (uniforms & supplies are always our “negative” areas) with excess funds in others (usually meals). The first 5-6 years I coached, I didn’t realize this & we were draining our booster club each year for practice shirts, cleats, batting gloves, & other things necessary for the game. At the same time, we’d have $3 – $4 thousand left in meals (we never knew how much we started with and thus approached each meal very frugally). It was only by accident that I learned of the “bottom line” aspect. Dealing with the budget is much easier for me now. Of course, not all areas can be adjusted: scholarships, salaries (for example) are non-negotiable & non-adjustable. What about the money side of athletic administration & coaching do you wish you knew now? I wish I knew better how to properly scholarship, clothe, equip, & train our team on our allotted budget. We have to decide what we need most each year and some valuable aspect always has to be sacrificed to some extent. We are very appreciative, however, of the money we are allotted each year. If you were standing in front of PED 692 talking about the money side of coach & sports admin, what would you tell them? Don’t be intimidated by it, but don’t approach it lightly. Learn as much as you can and RESPECT your budget guidelines. If you overspend, someone else has to make up for your incompetence! What thoughts do you have about the money side of athletics that the questions above have not addressed? Don’t be “above” fundraising; always approach it with a positive mindset. Ever sport—at every level—has to do it. Some are fortunate enough to have big money boosters who do it for them. Some of us, however, must “$50” people to death to supplement our programs. That’s just part of it.
Week 9 Not too long ago, I asked some friends in college athletics in various ways a series of questions. Read each of the “My Questions” responses (these are short & useful reads fyi). Respond to
(From a D1 Associate Athletic Director responsible for marketing the programs) What do you now know about the money side of athletic administration & coaching that you wish you had known when you started? College athletics is a big business and needs to be treated like one. College athletics in general is based on a very tight budget that must be expended to perform needed elements such as facility building, scholarship endowments, and salary growth. The way to expand a budget is through fundraising, sponsorships, ticket revenues and licensing fees. In the last 20 years, states have drastically reduced financial support to colleges and universities. Due to that, research dollars, fundraising, and alternate revenue sources have become a critical need to colleges and universities to operate. What about the money side of athletic administration & coaching do you wish you knew now? A better understanding of television revenue and conference distribution of fees. In recent years, conference realignment has become to norm, and it has been dictated by the growth of revenue from television and conference distribution of those funds. No one in college athletics has their arms around this issue as it is being driven not by regional rivalries, similar type universities, and travel partners, but rather by networks at TV stations that are selling these rights. A byproduct of this is encouraging big market cities to be grouped together for maximum revenue selling potential. If you were to stand in front of PED 692 talking about the money side of coaching & sports administration, what would you tell them? You will not get rich working in college athletics; it is a profession that is booming right now with many qualified applicants coming into the workforce every year. College athletics is a profession where it is crucial to obtain internships and graduation assistantships to further gain knowledge in the profession and build a personal network. In 5, 10, 10 years, college athletics will look drastically different that it does now due to technology, revenue needs, and the NCAA. What thoughts do you have about the money side of athletics that my questions above have not addressed? College athletics, while a big business, is also in the business of shaping & molding men & women, and allowing them to receive a great education for free or reduced on their particular sports skills and the scholarships awarded. Typically, only 1-2 sports break even or make money for the athletic department (mostly likely, football and men’s basketball), and on average only 14-20 schools each year turn a profit in their athletic department. Revenue generated from those two sports helps offset costs for the additional sports that the school offers. College Athletics is a big business and needs to be treated & looked upon that way. However, it must never lose the original reason & importance that college started: to assist in the development of the men & women of the world.
Week 9 Not too long ago, I asked some friends in college athletics in various ways a series of questions. Read each of the “My Questions” responses (these are short & useful reads fyi). Respond to
(from a small college Athletic Director who was formerly a Coach) What do you now know about the money side of athletic administration & coaching that you wish you had known when you started? It is amazing how much I have learned going from coaching to administration. To understand you have to break it down by scholarships and budgets. Scholarships–as much as we would like to operate and scholarship like the top tier in NCAA D1 schools we can’t do it. We would never survive. It may sound cold but every athlete has a dollar value associated with them just as they have an athletic value. Scholarship average is key and they are plenty of ways to go about it and be very successful. Budgets–To me an athletic program is only as good as the money invested in it. By being able to spend on uniforms, supplies, meals, travel, etc., you can enhance the student athlete experience which helps with retention and recruiting. Schools that do spend more are more likely to be successful and are able to keep coaching staffs intact. Commitment from the school is key as well as a financial commitment from the local community. What about the money side of athletic administration & coaching do you wish you knew now? I wish I knew the projected enrollment growth. That way I could prepare a better long range plan for the department. Small schools are enrollment driven and it is hard to prepare budgets and make staff upgrades when you just don’t know what will happen in enrollment. If you were to stand in front of PED 692 talking about the money side of coaching & sports administration, what would you tell them? Honestly I would say money is everything on the administration side. Administrators don’t coach, they work a very complicated math problem with the hopes of growing the program and try to generate revenue for the school all while trying to help coaches put the best product on the field. What thoughts do you have about the money side of athletics that my questions above have not addressed?  Money is everything!!!
Week 9 Not too long ago, I asked some friends in college athletics in various ways a series of questions. Read each of the “My Questions” responses (these are short & useful reads fyi). Respond to
(from an NAIA Basketball Coach Who was previously coach and A.D.) –What do you now know about the money side of athletic administration & coaching that you wish you had known when you started? The ability to be involved in the budget process is very important. You must be able to explain what your yearly costs would be, down to the very small details. Be prepared to answer any questions relative to the costs of running your program. Don’t “fly by the seat of your pants”. You may be able to sell others (budget directors) on your needs and have them understand what your true costs really are. Proper planning and the ability to convey your exact needs is very important. It is also very important to be efficient at raising Booster Club funds. Be a good fundraiser. Be able to sell your program. –If you were to stand in front of them talking about the money side of coaching & sports admin, what would you tell them? It all starts with being organized. Budgets are there for a reason and it is important to stay within budget. It takes a good thought process and thorough planning to accomplish this goal. When scheduling, the budget is always a factor. Can you afford these trips? If not, don’t take them or raise the money to cover what the budget won’t cover. You can do some extra things for your program by being a good fundraiser. Too many coaches complain about not having enough budgeted money but are unwilling to fundraise to make up the difference. You must know what the current costs are for meals, lodging, transportation, supplies and uniforms, ect.  You must keep great records, receipts, ect. for any and all related costs. You never know when an audit will take place. –What thoughts do you have about the money side of athletics that my questions above have not addressed? Be a prudent spender. We tend to spend others’ money less wisely than our own, so treat your budget money as if it was from your checkbook. Costs are always going up, so look for deals and don’t be afraid to ask for one.