One of my buddies is on the club team. The money they're reportedly getting is no where near one-year operating costs, let alone startup costs.

The biggest issue they face is venue. he only possible place to play is Tad Gormley Stadium, which is so horrible as a football venue that I cannot even begin to describe it. The field has craters, and dirt spray painted green. Reggie Bush paid to resurface it, but someone gave him bad advice and they put in a kind of grass which doesn't really grow there. They play high school games there and pop warner and it's over used and full of bad spots.

The stadium was originally built at the tail end of the Great Depression. There's reports of its "renovation" but last season, there were people putting up plywood shelves and hooks into an empty room hours before kickoff of Tulane-Army so that there was actually a "locker room." The joke was "the only reason Army was willing to play at at Gormley was to get their players ready for life in a foxhole."

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1897-1898 | 1900-06 | 1926-27 | 1929-30 | 1939 | 1942

JPSchmack,thanks for the post.
Announcement out of NO that UNO will "look" at dropping from D-1 to D-3 prior to May 15,2010 filing deadline.Apparently the Wick Cary estate money estimates were exaggerated.Link at http://www.nola.com/uno/index.ssf/2009/ ... cites.html

UNO MB thread discussing possible UNO move to D-3 at http://forums.neworleans.com/showthread.php?t=4120

SBC MB thread discussing possible UNO move to D-3 at http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=398663

Also,SI article regarding possible UNO drop to D-3 at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/b ... orleans.ap

UNO MB thread discussing above linked T-P article regarding possible UNO move to D-3 at http://forums.neworleans.com/showthread.php?t=4130

Another article out of NO regarding UNO athletics situation at http://www.nola.com/uno/index.ssf/2009/ ... t_its.html

UNO MB thread discussing above linked article regarding UNO athletics situation at http://forums.neworleans.com/showthread.php?t=4132

This could work out for SBC 10 fb 12 all sports. If/when Denver leaves Texas St. & UTSA could come in and UALR should join the SLC . SBC now has a conf. championship game. If for some reason Denver stays then they should go to 14 and have 12 fb 14 all sports

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NFL CHAMPS '29 '30 '31 '36 '39 '44 '61 '62 '65 '66 '67 '96 '10

BW/WAC/MWC CHAMPS '77 '82 '85 '88 '89 '91 '92 '93 '99 '12
['08 NCAA BASEBALL CHAMPS]

Tough call with Denver. They would love a WAC invite, but it won't happen. They'd love a WCC invite, but that seems off the WCC plate (especially since Seattle could move to the next spot). The Summit League is the only real option. Denver just needs to just give some thought to a move there. It would help their bottom line costs and at least develop some rivalries in the general region...they have NONE now.

Perhaps after some success in the Summit, the WCC would come calling.

But Denver just needs to bite the bullet and leave the SBC.

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Fresno StateAlum and Quinn,thanks for the posts.

Article from 2008 DU paper which spells out DU and UNO situation with the SBC.Apparently both schools were given until the 2012-13 school year to come into SBC compliance or find another conference.
It looks like UNO is giving serious consideration to a new D-3 home while DU has been "sniffing out" the WCC,MWC,WAC,MVC,and Big Sky.
It is probably just a matter of time before they "pull the trigger"and leave before they end up getting the SBC boot in 2012-2013.Link at http://www.duclarion.com/2.9601denver-i ... ce-1.45899

UNO MB thread discussing UNO athletic department situation at http://forums.neworleans.com/showthread.php?t=4162

UNO MB thread discussing new interim UNO AD at http://forums.neworleans.com/showthread.php?t=4164

BTW,JPSchmack,not to put you on the spot,but,would you have any interest in the permanent UNO AD spot,even at the D-3 level?
If you could turn that program around wouldn't you be considered some type of hero?

Thanks
Freaked

It's a sad situation down at UNO, but the administration seems to be the only party in this debate, that is not living in a fantasy world.

Pure and simple - athletics programs require money. Katrina dealt a blow to the school, in terms of damaging some facilities and knocking enrollment and athletics for a loop. UNO is STILL recovering from Katrina.
The State of La. is in trouble financially, and had to reign in some eductaional funds, some of which had previously been ear-marked for athletics (this was out of the control of the UNO administration). Not counting Centenary (who rationally decided to downgrade to D-III - their enrollment is far less even than UNO's), Louisiana has 6 schools in D-I FBS confenences, and 6 more in D-I FCS conferences. That's a TON, considering the state's population.

UNO is small in comparison to other D-I FBS schools, and being a commuter school, many enrollees don't live on campus, and therefore don't attend sporting events. THESE ARE FACTS. Attendance at many UNO events is abyssmal. The fan base is clearly NOT a source of sufficient funds to maintain the status quo.

So where doees the money come from ? It isn't coming in, in sufficient quantities for D-I / Sun-Belt membership to be sustainable. The administration has determined that it can not cannibalize academic programs to subsidize athletics.
So they have chosen to adjust to living within their means, and think that D-III will involve lower costs. OK, it's debatable right now, if the D-III move will lower costs enough, but the administration has to move in the direction of reducing costs...
And I'm sure the adminstration of UNO does not enjoy this painful process, but in their current position "you gotta do, what you gotta do". Rest assured, they would much rather be presiding over a booming athletic program, but then reality comes along and slaps you in the face.

The UNO posters are probably a small vocal group of rabid fans, and you can understand that they would prefer their experience as students (and later as alumni) to include cheering a robust D-I program, but money to pay for such is an undeniable need, and a lot of these internet posters are IN DENIAL !!! Money does not grow on trees !

Tute79,thanks for the post.

T-P article with update on UNO athletics situation at http://www.nola.com/uno/index.ssf/2009/ ... _vice.html

SBC MB thread discussing UNO athletics situation at http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=404617