Baseball Dropped (Updated)

[Paul C]

We are reducing 45 scholarships from a SoCon leading 200 to 155.Baseball and Lacrosse are 21 of those.

The other 24 I would speculate would come mostly from the women’s side, as we now probably have a lot of flexibility there and stay in title IX compliance.

I read this, as well as Jason’s remarks, to imply we are making these moves now to ensure our ability to field highly competitive football and basketball programs over the long term. Again, the salary and operating budget cuts are temporary, and a recognition of the hardships businesses across the country are facing.

Face it, having the most sports, the most scholarships and the biggest athletic budget in the SoCon was NOT sustainable.

I will be surprised if we don’t see more moves like this over the summer as reality sets in.

[Paul C]

Latest Forbes Study of the financial condition of all 900+ colleges.

Furman with A- in better shape than most.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/schifrin/2 ... 47734d770d

[apaladin]

Anybody understand the Furman baseball revenue and expense sheet reported on the WYFF site? It sure doesn't look right!

Well the report is from the federal department of education so you have to believe them although I am sure some here won’t. It says that FU baseball did not lose money in any year from 2009 to 2018 and posted a total profit of $547,000 for that time period. I firmly believe there is more than meets the eye and this just the tip of the iceberg. This decision is about more than just the baseball and lacrosse teams. It’s just a shame that FU was enjoying success in sports maybe like never before and now they want to end it all. With this action it just confirms there are people in charge that do not want FU sports to be too successful.

[MNORM]

The press release includes major bad news for basketball and football.

Richey's salary being cut . . . he is underpaid as is, so next year will most likely be his last at Furman. The whole covid-19 situation cut down on coaching changes this year and prevented him from leaving immediately. While it's possible his replacement could keep things going, the larger point is that there is no indication basketball is going to benefit at all from the cuts, and in fact will be most likely be severely degraded.

Because Furman is the only university facing financial hardships....

The 45 scholarship reduction looks impossible to me without reducing football scholarships, especially when you consider that certain endowments/donors support some of the scholarships in other sports (i.e., cutting those wouldn't save any money). Presumably, the 21 baseball and men's lacrosse scholarships will be first matched on the women's side, leaving 24 scholarships, which would be cut 50/50.

So 12 scholarships on the men's side, give or take . . . seems to me like at least half would have to come from football. Given how down the SoCon is and far behind the national powers, that's a clear death sentence as it relates to competing at the highest level.


I guarantee this isn't happening....


...breathe

[MNORM]

Anybody understand the Furman baseball revenue and expense sheet reported on the WYFF site? It sure doesn't look right!

Well the report is from the federal department of education so you have to believe them although I am sure some here won’t. It says that FU baseball did not lose money in any year from 2009 to 2018 and posted a total profit of $547,000 for that time period. I firmly believe there is more than meets the eye and this just the tip of the iceberg. This decision is about more than just the baseball and lacrosse teams. It’s just a shame that FU was enjoying success in sports maybe like never before and now they want to end it all. With this action it just confirms there are people in charge that do not want FU sports to be too successful.

Starting to remember why I take extended breaks from this forum...

[apaladin]

On channel 4 tonight JD was interviewed and said what he was supposed to say but not sure he believed it. I suspect this time next year the 3 most important leaders of the Furman Athletic program will all be gone. If you don’t think FU is taking a big hit from this just go on the WYFF page and read the comments from FU and non FU peeps.

[FUpaladin08]

From any and all who so vehemently oppose these athletics and other cuts, I would like to read your suggestions of what should have been done instead.
So far, it appears to me that the cuts that are being made are not only very difficult but also fully and definitely necessary.
Prayers for all persons impacted by these decisions, including athletes, coaches and other athletics staff, faculty, all Furman staff, families, alumni, trustees, and all administration including certainly President Davis. Prayers for Furman University.
It is time for us all to support Furman.
If you have criticisms of decisions being made, again, please tell what you would have done instead and why it would have been better.

I don't have access to sufficient financial data to say. But it's interesting that Furman took this step before the hundreds of D-I programs with even fewer financial resources. What are those schools doing to avoid gutting their athletic dept.?

I would be surprised if Furman is the only SoCon school to make cuts. Maybe other schools won’t cut a major sport, but hard to think only Furman is affected. Hoping we were just the first to announce.

[tim]

The press release includes major bad news for basketball and football.

Richey's salary being cut . . . he is underpaid as is, so next year will most likely be his last at Furman. The whole covid-19 situation cut down on coaching changes this year and prevented him from leaving immediately. While it's possible his replacement could keep things going, the larger point is that there is no indication basketball is going to benefit at all from the cuts, and in fact will be most likely be severely degraded.

Because Furman is the only university facing financial hardships....

The 45 scholarship reduction looks impossible to me without reducing football scholarships, especially when you consider that certain endowments/donors support some of the scholarships in other sports (i.e., cutting those wouldn't save any money). Presumably, the 21 baseball and men's lacrosse scholarships will be first matched on the women's side, leaving 24 scholarships, which would be cut 50/50.

So 12 scholarships on the men's side, give or take . . . seems to me like at least half would have to come from football. Given how down the SoCon is and far behind the national powers, that's a clear death sentence as it relates to competing at the highest level.


I guarantee this isn't happening....


...breathe

??? Huh?

[youwouldno]

The press release was very clear that none of the savings were going to other purposes within the athletic dept. It was basically a straight-up statement that no effort will be made to retain Richey (which explains the otherwise-bizarre fact that he talked to JMU), especially considering that Richey has been very vocal regarding the need to invest in basketball. He came as close as I've heard any college coach to saying that if the investment isn't there, he's gone.

Well, the investment isn't going to be there. A temporary salary cut is admittedly beside the point, in the big picture. I would wager very heavily that 2020-21 is Richey's last year at Furman. In a few years, Furman will be back to mediocrity in basketball.

I would be OK with making cuts to less important sports if at least a portion would be used to support the remaining athletic programs. This is just bad stuff. And at the same time the University is drastically cutting its commitment to athletics, it is leaving donors high and dry on the investments they made - which is a huge, huge disincentive for donors to support the remaining sports.

If folks want to tell themselves this is no big deal for the remaining programs, more power to ya. The reality is that it's a big deal.

[CharlieFU]

I have never read so much horse hockey in my life. Changes were coming, regardless of COVID19. It does not mean the admin are trying to sink the athletic Dept. In fact, it means the opposite. We are cutting back so we can succeed elsewhere. We simply could not sustain that many sports long term.

[tim]

Hope we aren't soon watching Horse Hockey in Paladin Stadium. Non-scholly? Bad joke nevermind.

[apaladin]

I have never read so much horse hockey in my life. Changes were coming, regardless of COVID19. It does not mean the admin are trying to sink the athletic Dept. In fact, it means the opposite. We are cutting back so we can succeed elsewhere. We simply could not sustain that many sports long term.

Charlie, why cut a major sport that does provide revenue, benefits and notoriety? How much will this cost the university in donations, publicity etc? Whether they do it or not I have already seen people say online they are removing their diamond F’s and Paladin Club stickers from their cars.

[gofurman]

We are reducing 45 scholarships from a SoCon leading 200 to 155.Baseball and Lacrosse are 21 of those.

The other 24 I would speculate would come mostly from the women’s side, as we now probably have a lot of flexibility there and stay in title IX compliance.

I read this, as well as Jason’s remarks, to imply we are making these moves now to ensure our ability to field highly competitive football and basketball programs over the long term. Again, the salary and operating budget cuts are temporary, and a recognition of the hardships businesses across the country are facing.

Face it, having the most sports, the most scholarships and the biggest athletic budget in the SoCon was NOT sustainable.

I will be surprised if we don’t see more moves like this over the summer as reality sets in.

I certainly hope PaulC is correct. The issue is we all know 'perception is reality' and, unless other schools announce similar changes soon, our perception is not good right now

[apaladin]

I know I am taking this too hard and overreacting but it just feels like the Furman Paladins are no longer complete. A big void for sure. It will really hit home next spring after basketball and we have no baseball to watch either in person or on TV. It will be hatrd to get used to not having Furman sports for 6 months out of the year.

[Fessor]

Anybody understand the Furman baseball revenue and expense sheet reported on the WYFF site? It sure doesn't look right!

Well the report is from the federal department of education so you have to believe them although I am sure some here won’t. It says that FU baseball did not lose money in any year from 2009 to 2018 and posted a total profit of $547,000 for that time period. I firmly believe there is more than meets the eye and this just the tip of the iceberg. This decision is about more than just the baseball and lacrosse teams. It’s just a shame that FU was enjoying success in sports maybe like never before and now they want to end it all. With this action it just confirms there are people in charge that do not want FU sports to be too successful.

Furman baseball averaged $60K "profit" per year over a nine-year period. From where?