The fee is too high and I know part of the hope was football would generate more income and eventually lead to lowering fees from where they are now and you can make the argument that more winning would yield more donations and lower fees - but our fanbase has never really shown up like that so not sure that was a smart hope. In theory winning should help sponsorships either way though.
I have much bigger issue with the fees in the climate of NIL and portal and our students funding it. It was one thing to say yes you have a fee but its covering coaches and buildings, and giving hundreds of kids a shot at an education etc. It is an entirely separate thing to say yes you are paying $900 so the QB that is making 100K can get a free education and food and room and board and books and a stipend - and oh by the way the kid doesnt really care about being here or getting an education and they may leave at the end of the semester.
I am just waiting for that first law suit. The students had an argument on not paying the fees as it is not a core mission of the university before hand, but as it is now, the students are being forced to basically subsidize a professional sports model. Winning or not - that is not right.
But they pay for a lot of other stuff they donโt likely use also? Like light rail access in exchange for free rides. Remove athletic fees and they pay for tickets like everyone else? That would be more fair?? I donโt disagree with you points but you canโt remove the fee and still get it for freeโฆ
Absolutely - the trade off for the fee is students get in for free. At schools with little to no fee the student access to basketball and football than it is here.
Please tell me you are just being incredibly dry with your humor delivery and that you do in fact understand the difference in an adult voluntarily buying tickets and a teenager or young person being compelled to spend almost $1k a year, many of whom will end up financing that $1k and paying quite a lot in interest on it.
Itโd be one thing if we were good and sports added to the reputation of the university and therefore the perceived value of the degrees, but we just arenโt. Weโre a money and opportunity wasting machine.
$844 a year is a lot for something that most donโt take advantage of for a myriad of reasons. Thatโs why I always roll my eyes about students โget in freeโ to athletic events.
Sarcasm for sure.
I get your point about student fees unfortunately in order for non power 5 schools to keep up they wonโt have a choice but to raise everything, including student fees.
I do think that sports, especially sports success, builds the brand of the university.
Look at universities that had some success and look at their enrollment and applications after said event (App, FAU, etc)