Wednesday, January 30, 2019

FSU booster notes & FSU's culture impacts AD hires

Some concern about AD hires the last decade or so. The last 3 were weak AD hires. Mostly because many outside of athletics (ie presidents, trustees, etc) want to control it. The last pro who was a fit was Dave Hart and the insiders were pissed they couldn't control things. FSU has to start hiring professionals. Too many want the power to move games to Jax, etc. Hire an experienced AD.  FSU refuses to do so.  Perhaps this is part of FSU's issue?

Below (directly below) you can read the FSU booster justification for hiring an AD with zero college athletic experience.  FSU often prefers the insider hire which allows those in power behind the scenes to maintain that power.  It has hurt FSU greatly.

https://floridastate.forums.rivals.com/threads/booster-decline-trends.250065/page-3
Happy to do so.
Short answer is yes. The stars have aligned with President Thrasher, David Coburn, Willie Taggart and the Boosters.

We now have an AD who has institutional knowledge, who has a great relationship with the president, the CEO of the university and Seminole Boosters executives (including me). There's financial expertise, institutional knowledge and most-importantly respecet and trust. What that allows is a willingness to listen, to debate, to argue and to find solutions. There's still financial tension for sure and always will be but I think the President's choice of Coburn was brilliant for the next couple of years.

As for relationships in the past, present and future, its really no different than in any business or family... there is always financial stress. When you have ambitious people, who want whatever the Jones' have, you have stress. If you have really deep pockets, the stress is less than if you don't have a big enough budget.

The relationship between athletics and Boosters, the president and the head coach -- and frankly our donors who we are always asking to fund this stuff -- is constantly under strain because of ambition. Life in the champions lane. it can get personal if you choose for it to - and it does in fits and spurts - but at the end of the day it's about money.

All of college athletics is under financial strain, even the SEC. If consumers force the cable industry to unbundle by unplugging, watch out! A lot of these schools have borrowed to build based on permanent streams of network revenue that could dry up quick. If that ever happens - and it is predictable possibility - you could see the landscape shift.

If the ACC Network doesn't generate additional revenues for its members, the financial strain is going to intensify. That's where the president's appointment of Coburn is especially important.

Besides being very credentialed in budgets and institutional knowledge, the president can rely upon David's word and will act on it. Same goes for Boosters. He has our ultimate respect. A new AD would have to earn that from the President and the Boosters and the employees therein . Coburn earned that years and years ago.

In addition, David is a Seminole who attends a lot of games and has a feel for all things garnet and gold. He is passionate about things that matter to you and me in terms of home and home and the color of the numbers. He's heard all the logo debate and has his own opinions on all of those things. They are real to him as he is a Seminole.

He is totally a stand up guy. He met with Ira and Jim Henry early on to disclose what he knew about the budget issues and will be do more of that at the appropriate times.

I think everything you wrote is relevant and important. The sense of "belonging" is real and a part of the equation as you noted. The risk you run when you hire an AD who is not an alum is you can stray to far from home. You get an important frame of reference on other things and a greater national presence, which are also important, but frequently there is an insensitivity to those "belonging" kind of decisions.

There are numerous FSU alumni in senior management positions at othere places -- including Alabama and Georgia -- who will be ready to come home when the time is right for Coburn to exit stage right and turn the program over.

As you may know, virtually every employee at Seminole Boosters is a Seminole alum. And most of the athletic department - the middle managers and some senior -- are too. If you know them as I do, they care deeply and probably have many of the same ideas you have.

The relationship between the Boosters and Athletics is much more functional than you would imagine from the outside but is largely shaped by the public's perception of the top guy.

Hope this addresses your request. Feel free to call me anytime. Its easier to talk than type.
 

Andy Miller has been pursuing this for 20 years. It was part of the original University Center Club he conceived, tied in with the Club and Hospitality school, but state politics deleted it from the project. Recently the hotel project made it right to the finish line before being set aside again by the university who has plans for a hotel complex connected to the Civic Center (1 mile from stadium). It would serve the same purpose as described in this thread but be closer to the state office complex which has year round revenue benefits. Its viable. There's also a hotel project planned in College Town that would be very close to the stadium and a year round RVPark under consideration.
 

Contributions to University Sports in 2017 TOP 10

TEXAS A@M $75.5m
Oklahoma $46.6m
Florida $43.1m
Texas $42.2m
Michigan $37.6m
Auburn $35.7m
Clemson $35.6m
Tennessee $34.1m
LSU $33.5m
West Virginia $33.5m


https://floridastate.forums.rivals.com/threads/i-have-an-honest-question-regarding-fsu%E2%80%99s-financial-situation.243995/page-2







1. If the ACC Network does not generate the projected revenue, it will be very difficult to field 20 competitive men's and women's teams. Right now that gap between the ACC and others is $10 million a year. If new network revenues don't close that gap there will be pressure across the conference to drop sports to NCAA Div. 1 minimum of 16. Or to come up with creative ways to fund those sports.
2. FSU has never been on a par financially with Texas or Florida. We've done more with less for generations. We've been able to do that because we have a very talent-rich state, an attractive community (state capitol, HBC, woods/water, weather). But the university must hire the right people to do it. You can't hire an SEC raised coach who believes you have to have gold plated weight room to recruit. You have to find coaches who love this place, prioritize what is needed and can sell what we have.

I prefer that the ACC generates the revenue we need to close the gap.












Sorry, it took me so long to respond. I just saw this.
1. Other revenue generators in the short term could include adding beer sales, concerts, special events, variable pricing models for seating, renegotiated contracts, College Town, Champions Club, University Center Club, fundraising, etc.
In the mid term or longer term, renovation of the stadium is the major revenue generating opportunity. It would include mid-level skyboxes, better seating (wider seats and more space between rows), better concourses, concessions and restrooms. We've had Legends run numbers and a rebuilt Doak would generate a good bit more with about 70,000 seats than the existing structure with 80k providing multiple price points for seats from high to low.
2. I think the ACC Network picture will come into focus by launch in August. We have very little information right now about market penetration. There should be announcements over the coming 6 months.Until then you have to have a conservative estimate.
3. I think scheduling is a key issue. FSU needs to scheudule one home and away each year with an interesting P5 opponent. Willie is on board with it. As you know we can't control time of kickoff. That is controlled by TV.
4. As for the football issues... FSU has been willing to spend money to skin the football cat. FSU's football operations budget was second in the nation in 2016, its coaches were the 6th highest paid in the nation, and we built over $150 million in facilities within a seven year period. We started to slip in football a several years ago and are in a transition. WT has a very large budget to hire coaches, recruit players and build the program. The university is committed to being succesful in football so I have confidence we will turn the corner sooner than later.
5. I understand your concern but I remain optimistic. FSU hired WT because they think he has a high ceiling. I think Cristobol not coming forced him to hire an OC and quarterback coach and a new offensive line coach on very short notice. Those critical hires did not work. So now he has an opportunity to do a reset. Time will tell but I know FSU is committed to having an elite program. Not only does our leadership WANT to have a great football program, they are convinced we HAVE to have a great program to fund athletics. I am not a rainbows and lollypops kind of guy, this sport is unforgiving even under the best of conditions (see Alabama this season) and FSU is being tested again.

If FSU were a stock, I'd buy it and hold. It will come back.






https://floridastate.forums.rivals.com/threads/booster-numbers-are-declining.250191/#post-4266584






100 percent agree with you about the need for home and home schedule as it is one thing - and the most important thing - we can control. 

Andy Miller and I have been arguing for this for as long as we have known each other (1982). And I know you know that. I know you are old enough to remember we haven't had but a handful of good home and homes since the 1970s. You older guys will remember getting a KY or Ga a few tymes before they went home with upset loses and sworn statements they'd never come here again. Auburn dropped the home and home in the 1980s. 

Jimbo didn't want them. I know that. We discussed it. Monk was my friend and told me he worked hard to find games but really struggled to do so. They would play neutral sites but not come to Tallahassee.

I don't get it but Jimbo and Monk showed Andy and I the history, with press guides all laid out as proof. You all help me. But these are the only non ACC schools I can remember playing in Doak since 1980: Auburn (1 or 2), Pitt (with Marino), USC (1), ND (2 or 3), LSU (1), Michigan State (1), Oklahoma (8). In 40 years we've had 10 of the kind of games we are talking about plus 20 against Florida.

We believe we need to replace one of the Directional State games with an interesting team. Oklahoma would be great or Ohio State. But if a W is important, then go for a more beatable team with an interesting location for a nice home and away. It could be an Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, TCU or Baylor. Something different at home and a road trip to look forward to. 

I think Taggart and Coburn agree. We'll see if they can do what others have not been able to do very often.

I do know we have ND coming in at least 3 times in the next 10 years, so that solves 3 of the 10 slots.








Attendance at live events has been trending down on a nationwide basis across college and pro ball. Most everyone in the SEC has felt the pinch including Alabama, Tenn and Fla who lost 9,000 season ticket holders in 2018. I'm sure some have come back but each of these schools is looking to reduce stadium capacity (take out bleacher seats) and add fewer club seats which we did four years ago.

What is important to note is that the loss of members is highest in each of our lowest level categories. Of the members lost, the vast majority are at the lowest levels ($70-135). Meanwhile our membership is growing at our four highest levels which is why we are still raising more money but from fewer people. We want both.

Some of the "loss" in the lower level is not failure. It is success because many donors start at the lowest level to test the water, like it, and move up to one of the highest levels. So you "lost" a lower level member and "gained" a higher level member. That's a good thing.
The ones we worry over are the ones who fall out completely. Those are the ones we need to know why.




https://floridastate.forums.rivals.com/threads/who-is-a-booster-but-does-not-go-to-games-updated-with-jerry-kutz-responses.250239/page-3#post-4265600



To your point about Major Gift fundraising - the one $100,000 gift -- versus 35,000 100 members, let me make several points:
1. A fundraising organization has to have both focuses. You can't be one or the other. I was a major gift fundraiser at one time AND in charge of the annual fund. Now we have an annual fund manager (the 13,000 being discussed) which must generate $17 million each year to balance the athletics budget. It is a major cash flow issue. But, don't forget, we also have to generate another $10 million each year to pay the bond issue on existing facilities. And we must also raise money for the favorite facility (IPF, Football opps, etc) to the tune of another $25 to 30 million a year. You simply can't process and please 35,000 new $100 donors while raising $100 million for a football opps building, golf course, basketball, softball,scholarships, etc.

2. People are talking about these numbers but no one has called to interview me or ask me to clarify them. So I'll do it here. Like most numbers there's usually a back story and I haven't seen it mentioned yet.
A.) Our numbers have always vacillated between 11,000 and 19,000. Up, down, up, back down and up again. We've been trending down lately. Football has been trending down for several years. The national trend most everywhere is in a downward trend because live events are trending down and stadiums are reducing capacity in favor of premium seats. That trend has changed rapidly many times before. We get a great quarterback, a Sunshine type kid, and our numbers will jump quickly.
B.) No one has asked this: Compared to who? How do we compare to other Power 5 schools. I don't know of anyone who has 35,000 members. I think your IPTAY boys at Clemson are about the biggest and they are usually have around 20-25 every year. Most major programs have 10,000 to 15,000 and some 20,000. It is all relative. Why doesn't Florida have more? Why doesn't Alabama or Auburn?
Same reasons... even though they have a larger alumni and fan base closer to their campus.
3. You have to understand the numbers. The brochure Corey and Aslan were talking about - and this thread is arguing over - is an ANNUAL fund brochure. We reported 1000 fewer Boosters in the ANNUAL fund each of the last few years to where we now have 13,331. That's the transparency we posters accuse us of not reporting. But that number is NOT total Boosters.
We have a couple of thousand Boosters who give to Coaches Clubs and hundreds of Boosters who make endowment gifts, estate gifts and major facility gifts ranging from $25,000 to $20 million just this year.
Those Boosters don't count in that 13,331 number. And our Student Seminole Boosters aren't counted in those numbers.

I think it's relevant to talk about the fall in ANNUAL fund numbers - I learn what we do good and bad and what our fans don't understand - which is all important to us.




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