Baseball Dropped (Updated)

[FUKA61]

There are 33 on the BOT. There were five that came on the board in late November but two of them had previously served. Therefore, there are three of 33 who are really new.

[Fessor]

If we had highly successful football and basketball it might help with contributions and maybe community relations like you say. But I don’t think it really attracts many students. The ones who are really into sports are going to UGA or Clemson or somewhere. Most of the FU type don’t care at all. Some just care that they have some kind of football game to go to on Saturdays. Having a really good basketball team (way better than we’ve been) might bring in a few. A sport like tennis with a very good camp aimed right at our target demographic may bring in just as many or more. I think our sports are mostly just fun for us to watch.

You may be right.
Also, I doubt you will agree, but it seems that your comments would be good to use in any argument in favor of becoming a Division 3 school.

I’d love to play every sport at DI and be really good. I live for those rare, rare times when we beat USC or UNC or somebody in football. But c’mon man, have you ever, ever heard of a kid basing his college choice on fcs playoff success? It certainly sounds like the decision has been made. The trustees and president (not me) are killjoys who aren’t gonna let us continue to spend so much on sports. So something has to give.

I’m gonna get abused for this, but after visiting the schools and seeing how it works, I have no huge problem with DIII. In many cases it helps attract students because they want to play, not watch. And since the practice demands are in perspective, they can still have a normal academic experience. The people who tell you not to disparage athletes usually jump in at this point and disparage DIII athletes. But they are not that bad. Just a fraction too small for DI and don’t want to go to the not so awesome schools in DII. Most Furman-like schools are DIII. If we did it we would probably join the conference with Sewannee, Centre, Rhodes, Hendrix, Milsaps, Trinity and Berry. Really good schools. We might play ooc against WL or U of Chicago. Our goal would be to knock off Mt. Union instead of NDSU. I wouldn’t be ashamed of that. But it would cause hate and discontent because it is beneath us. And I would like to see if maybe we can be really good again in DI basketball which might be possible.

I don’t know the answer. But if any classification change is off the table, the choice seems to be either eliminate more men’s minor sports or deplete them of scholarships to a degree that cripples them. And that’s just to get this FIRST round of cuts done. The best option is for the trustees to just get over it, and go back to spending. Covid may kill off so many competing private schools that our problems go away.

I like it.

I'll endow the orange wedges.

[Furmanoid]

I’ve got the juice boxes covered.

[apaladin]

There are 33 on the BOT. There were five that came on the board in late November but two of them had previously served. Therefore, there are three of 33 who are really new.

I stand corrected. Thanks.

[MetroMizzy]

Not here to argue today but it was GLANCED over that our weekend rotation is transferring to Notre Dame, Clemson and Miss. State. Notre Dame has been down although they were off to an 11-2 in 2019 start before the Wuhan struck. Probably not another sport on campus (outside MAYBE men's soccer) that could say that their top three players at one position or on one team in another sport could transfer to programs like that. Just sayin...Harker was bringing in talent.

Think we lost two incoming Freshman to Wofford as well, who is now pretty darn good at baseball. I've heard there are other upper classmen going to Oregon and Texas Tech, or maybe it was Texas A&M...either way, you get the point.

Also, it looks like Bowling Green is getting close to nailing down parameters to work within to bring back their baseball program. That would be good for us unless you're against it. Their endowment is about $140M.

[FUKA61]

Bowling Green is state funded---Furman is not.

Apparently a lots of people think that Furman can afford to do everything they wished they could do. Yes FU has a large endowment of around 700million but the majority of that number is the gift from Duke endowment and John D. Hollingworth endowment. Those funds are not even in Furman's control. Furman is allowed to count the value of these two funds because they are permanently set up. Furman can request the use of whatever is granted by the two funds each year but the two endowments tell FU what they will be used for. I am pretty sure that neither of the two will allow any of the funds to be used for athletics.

[Roundball]

Another transfer.

[apaladin]

Since BGSU has reached an agreement to continue playing baseball Furman is the only D1 school that had to drop baseball this year. Really mind boggling when you think about it.

[Affirm]

Since BGSU has reached an agreement to continue playing baseball Furman is the only D1 school that had to drop baseball this year. Really mind boggling when you think about it.

Unboggle.
When you think about it, the BGSU supporters raised /pledged /committed LOTS of $$$$$$$$$ already. Even if not $100,000,000 (the figure I suggested for Furman, BGSU supporters $$$$$$$$$ amount to several million, not 100), the money that Furman baseball supporters have raised already amounts to how much? Planned to have raised amounts to how much?
BGSU supporters did something financially already to get to this point.

[MetroMizzy]

Affirm:

The administration has not given us a target. Additionally, the money BGSU has raised is in the form of pledges. We know from the administration, they will not accept pledges. It has to be hard money. We haven't even approached donors, players, alumni, community about donating because we don't have a target.

[apaladin]

Since BGSU has reached an agreement to continue playing baseball Furman is the only D1 school that had to drop baseball this year. Really mind boggling when you think about it.

Unboggle.
When you think about it, the BGSU supporters raised /pledged /committed LOTS of $$$$$$$$$ already. Even if not $100,000,000 (the figure I suggested for Furman, BGSU supporters $$$$$$$$$ amount to several million, not 100), the money that Furman baseball supporters have raised already amounts to how much? Planned to have raised amounts to how much?
BGSU supporters did something financially already to get to this point.

They committed to ONLY $500k per year. That was enough to keep baseball.

[apaladin]

Since BGSU has reached an agreement to continue playing baseball Furman is the only D1 school that had to drop baseball this year. Really mind boggling when you think about it.

Unboggle.
When you think about it, the BGSU supporters raised /pledged /committed LOTS of $$$$$$$$$ already. Even if not $100,000,000 (the figure I suggested for Furman, BGSU supporters $$$$$$$$$ amount to several million, not 100), the money that Furman baseball supporters have raised already amounts to how much? Planned to have raised amounts to how much?
BGSU supporters did something financially already to get to this point.

They committed to ONLY $500k per year. That was enough to keep baseball. Not millions that you suggest unless you start adding up years.

[Furmanoid]

I bet that’s close to the real number for Furman. But it seems like it would take a mountain of upfront money to generate $500k per year forever.

[apaladin]

I bet that’s close to the real number for Furman. But it seems like it would take a mountain of upfront money to generate $500k per year forever.

Maybe FU will not be in such dire financial straits forever.

[Affirm]

Affirm:

The administration has not given us a target. Additionally, the money BGSU has raised is in the form of pledges. We know from the administration, they will not accept pledges. It has to be hard money. We haven't even approached donors, players, alumni, community about donating because we don't have a target.

You did not say whether or not you proposed an amount to admin as a point to start negotiation. Apparently, admin did not give you a target, but I would still say you could to to them with a proposal, see what they say. If it's no, then go back to YOUR drawing board with a higher target, until you get to where they wear down and accept your target. Target needs to include a time by which the money is given to the university as well as the amount.