Fire Burman

[OrediggerPoke]

In the era of NIL, Naming rights to the Stadium should be up for grabs. If we want big oil Money, stadium naming rights has to be on the table. This is very Short sighted by the AD, I am all in on needing a new AD and FB coach at Wyoming.

It's crazy to take the University's most valuable marketing asset off the table.

I have to wonder what a company looking to build potentially the State's largest ever energy project, a project facing potential community headwinds, may be willing to pay for such rights.

Crusoe and Tallgrass announce AI data center in Wyoming

www.crusoe.ai

 

[307bball]

It's crazy to take the University's most valuable marketing asset off the table.

I have to wonder what a company looking to build potentially the State's largest ever energy project, a project facing potential community headwinds, may be willing to pay for such rights.

Crusoe and Tallgrass announce AI data center in Wyoming

www.crusoe.ai

I took a load of crap for having the opinion that selling naming rights wasn't in the top 50 problems with Wyoming athletics.

That being said (and I still believe it to be true), it is most likely the case that if a lot of the other systemic issues were fixed the naming rights would be sold.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

I took a load of crap for having the opinion that selling naming rights wasn't in the top 50 problems with Wyoming athletics.

That being said (and I still believe it to be true), it is most likely the case that if a lot of the other systemic issues were fixed the naming rights would be sold.

I’m not fully tracking.

Burman apparently just definitively stated that he won’t sell the naming rights under any scenario. Now if you’re saying that Burman himself is a systemic issue, then maybe I’m following.

 

[307bball]

I’m not fully tracking.

Burman apparently just definitively stated that he won’t sell the naming rights under any scenario. Now if you’re saying that Burman himself is a systemic issue, then maybe I’m following.

Sorry you’re right, that wasn’t very clear.

What I’m saying is that I view the naming-rights issue as peripheral compared to the structural problems facing UW athletics. If the department were consistently competitive, financially nimble, and aligned with the current reality of college sports, I’d probably care a lot more about whether the stadium name stayed untouched. Right now, arguing and complainign about things like stadium naming, AD compensation or AA re-seating feels like focusing on symptoms instead of the operating model itself.

The deeper issue, in my view, is that early in Burman’s tenure UW chose a strategy that only really made sense in a world where conference alignment was stable and the amateur model of college athletics remained firmly intact. In fairness to that choice, it wasn't completely crazy at the time. Once NIL, realignment, and the professionalization of the sport accelerated, that strategy became increasingly misaligned with reality. Some of that disruption couldn’t have been predicted. But over time it became clear the landscape was shifting and UW didn’t adjust course. That’s what I mean by systemic.

Whether Burman personally is the issue is almost secondary at this point. Firing him would amount to acknowledging that the broader strategic direction has been flawed for some time. Institutions aren’t quick to make that kind of admission even when it's painfully obvious to everybody else.

So to bring it back to naming rights, I don’t think selling them fixes much. And refusing to sell them doesn’t meaningfully preserve much either. It’s not nothing. It’s just not central.

 

[Wyolie Coyote]

Sorry you’re right, that wasn’t very clear.

What I’m saying is that I view the naming-rights issue as peripheral compared to the structural problems facing UW athletics. If the department were consistently competitive, financially nimble, and aligned with the current reality of college sports, I’d probably care a lot more about whether the stadium name stayed untouched. Right now, arguing and complainign about things like stadium naming, AD compensation or AA re-seating feels like focusing on symptoms instead of the operating model itself.

The deeper issue, in my view, is that early in Burman’s tenure UW chose a strategy that only really made sense in a world where conference alignment was stable and the amateur model of college athletics remained firmly intact. In fairness to that choice, it wasn't completely crazy at the time. Once NIL, realignment, and the professionalization of the sport accelerated, that strategy became increasingly misaligned with reality. Some of that disruption couldn’t have been predicted. But over time it became clear the landscape was shifting and UW didn’t adjust course. That’s what I mean by systemic.

Whether Burman personally is the issue is almost secondary at this point. Firing him would amount to acknowledging that the broader strategic direction has been flawed for some time. Institutions aren’t quick to make that kind of admission even when it's painfully obvious to everybody else.

So to bring it back to naming rights, I don’t think selling them fixes much. And refusing to sell them doesn’t meaningfully preserve much either. It’s not nothing. It’s just not central.

NM just entered a deal of $17M for naming rights to the Pit. You don't think the naming rights to the War would be meaningful? I disagree and its a huge mistake to not pursue it.

 

[307bball]

NM just entered a deal of $17M for naming rights to the Pit. You don't think the naming rights to the War would be meaningful? I disagree and its a huge mistake to not pursue it.

I don't .... not with this leaderships goals and direction.

Like, what is the difference between UW athletics and an athletic department that is successfull? That list is long, and selling naming rights may be on it but it's not near the top. It is always interesting to me to see what arouses the passions of people. I don't actually think very many people feel like any of these single issues are "the reason" we suck...and yet we talk like that is the case. The hard truth is that there is no "the reason". I actually think the administration prefers that the conversation be as it is .... meaning a symptom based conversation. Anything to look away from the pile of excrement that is only building up.

 

[rocket city poke]

Sorry you’re right, that wasn’t very clear.

What I’m saying is that I view the naming-rights issue as peripheral compared to the structural problems facing UW athletics. If the department were consistently competitive, financially nimble, and aligned with the current reality of college sports, I’d probably care a lot more about whether the stadium name stayed untouched. Right now, arguing and complainign about things like stadium naming, AD compensation or AA re-seating feels like focusing on symptoms instead of the operating model itself.

The deeper issue, in my view, is that early in Burman’s tenure UW chose a strategy that only really made sense in a world where conference alignment was stable and the amateur model of college athletics remained firmly intact. In fairness to that choice, it wasn't completely crazy at the time. Once NIL, realignment, and the professionalization of the sport accelerated, that strategy became increasingly misaligned with reality. Some of that disruption couldn’t have been predicted. But over time it became clear the landscape was shifting and UW didn’t adjust course. That’s what I mean by systemic.

Whether Burman personally is the issue is almost secondary at this point. Firing him would amount to acknowledging that the broader strategic direction has been flawed for some time. Institutions aren’t quick to make that kind of admission even when it's painfully obvious to everybody else.

So to bring it back to naming rights, I don’t think selling them fixes much. And refusing to sell them doesn’t meaningfully preserve much either. It’s not nothing. It’s just not central.

You just nailed it. Plus some really bad hiring and contract decisions at times. Amazing how fans and engaged people can have this good of an understanding of things, but the administration (including BOT) can have so little clue.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

I don't .... not with this leaderships goals and direction.

Like, what is the difference between UW athletics and an athletic department that is successfull? That list is long, and selling naming rights may be on it but it's not near the top. It is always interesting to me to see what arouses the passions of people. I don't actually think very many people feel like any of these single issues are "the reason" we suck...and yet we talk like that is the case. The hard truth is that there is no "the reason". I actually think the administration prefers that the conversation be as it is .... meaning a symptom based conversation. Anything to look away from the pile of excrement that is only building up.

If solid forward-thinking leadership is brought in (leadership that is innovative and embraces data analytics), and if you give that leadership $17 million dollars to start, then I for damn sure think Wyoming athletics can be successful at its level with its current peers.

Wyoming has the built in advantage of being the only show in town. Hawaii is the only other team probably in the country with that advantage. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see LCCC take a more national approach and start to eat away at that advantage.

 

[307bball]

If solid forward-thinking leadership is brought in (leadership that is innovative and embraces data analytics), and if you give that leadership $17 million dollars to start, then I for damn sure think Wyoming athletics can be successful at its level with its current peers.

Wyoming has the built in advantage of being the only show in town. Hawaii is the only other team probably in the country with that advantage. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see LCCC take a more national approach and start to eat away at that advantage.

"if" is doing some heavy lifting there. Reminds me of fruit loops being part of a heart doctors approved daily breakfast ... if coupled with a prescribed diet and if coupled with a daily exercise regimen.

It may not have been the intent of some of the above messages....but I wanted to address what I considered to be a "miss". We do not suck because of Burman's phobia of selling naming rights. You can have the pro/con argument all you want (i'm not terribly interested I guess)...but as the proximal cause of the dysfunction in the athletic department...it's not compelling.