Great interview of Burman on the Zone...

[Cowboy Junky]

They asked some great questions regarding the future of Cowboy athletics. I feel much better after listening to this. Fixing the financial situation is a priority and they do have a plan they will implement. At least now I know they are trying to fix it and want to fix it.

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[McPeachy]

Wanna know what the plan is? I will tell you anyway...

It is called a seat premium. And it is starting this spring in the AA. Coming to the War within the next few years.

Not sure that the $2,000,000.00 - $3,000,000.00 is really going to do much though. Maybe he needs to set his sights just a tad bit higher.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

I would support increased ticket prices. Ticket prices to Wyoming games are dirt cheap in comparison to our pier institutions. In addition, Wyoming should increase student fees 100 bucks a semester. 100 times 13,000 students = 1.3 million a semester or 2.6 million a year.

So generate a couple million off student fees, generate a couple million off ticket sales and you've got the 4 million he said he needs to be competitive.

 

[Wyovanian]

Wanna know what the plan is? I will tell you anyway...

It is called a seat premium. And it is starting this spring in the AA. Coming to the War within the next few years.

Not sure that the $2,000,000.00 - $3,000,000.00 is really going to do much though. Maybe he needs to set his sights just a tad bit higher.

Which I personally think is fine. We are below market rate anyway.

Thing of it is, is he going to be lazy and try to find "the one simple solution", or be realistic and get after as many different funding sources as is possible (and then some)?

I'm good with a seat premium (or whatever they want to call it) so long as the longer term commitment to funding solutions is there. Just hitting season ticket holders and then completely missing the long mark would be a failure in the worst way.

 

[Wyovanian]

I would support increased ticket prices. Ticket prices to Wyoming games are dirt cheap in comparison to our pier institutions. In addition, Wyoming should increase student fees 100 bucks a semester. 100 times 13,000 students = 1.3 million a semester or 2.6 million a year.

So generate a couple million off student fees, generate a couple million off ticket sales and you've got the 4 million he said he needs to be competitive.

Sill not enough- the objective should be in the $15-20M range.

 

[McPeachy]

I am predicting, given my current football & basketball ticket situation...that in a few short years, it will cost me roughly $6000 - $8000 to purchase my season tickets for those 2 sports (seat premiums, CJC donation, CJC raffle & banquet, and ticket cost).

Can anyone tell me what in-state books & tuition costs these days (and student fees)?

It may be cheaper for me to just say fuck it, and go back to school.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

I would support increased ticket prices. Ticket prices to Wyoming games are dirt cheap in comparison to our pier institutions. In addition, Wyoming should increase student fees 100 bucks a semester. 100 times 13,000 students = 1.3 million a semester or 2.6 million a year.

So generate a couple million off student fees, generate a couple million off ticket sales and you've got the 4 million he said he needs to be competitive.

Sill not enough- the objective should be in the $15-20M range.

I totally agree with that, I just can't convince my brain that it's even remotely feasible for this conservative state and fan base to raise that kind of change with Burman in charge.

4 million is easier for my brain to accept.

We do need to capitalize on every resource available: donors, student fees, naming opportunities, ticket prices, state support, University support....

This interview gave me hope. They are starting a strategic plan for athletics and will be doing analysis over the next few months to figure out the best way to go about it. I can deal with this. We need to be thorough in the research phase to figure out the best way to accomplish it.

The thing I can't deal with: a lack of results. When this plan hits, it better be successful and it better meet deadlines.

 

[McPeachy]

Which I personally think is fine. We are below market rate anyway.

Thing of it is, is he going to be lazy and try to find "the one simple solution", or be realistic and get after as many different funding sources as is possible (and then some)?

I'm good with a seat premium (or whatever they want to call it) so long as the longer term commitment to funding solutions is there. Just hitting season ticket holders and then completely missing the long mark would be a failure in the worst way.

Yes and no - on the below market thing. Like ass wipe and whiskey, you get what you pay for. I have been overpaying for so many years that I refuse to go there right now.

On your second point, about being lazy, that is all he knows - and all his department knows. They act like a bunch of self-entitled 17 year olds most of the time. And other than that - he has dummied the UW Bitch down to a very comfortable and manageable level.

And that is exactly what will happen if there isn't an audible - the long term will be vested in the seat premiums, wildcatter, and wildshatter (basketball boxes).

 

[Wyovanian]

Which I personally think is fine. We are below market rate anyway.

Thing of it is, is he going to be lazy and try to find "the one simple solution", or be realistic and get after as many different funding sources as is possible (and then some)?

I'm good with a seat premium (or whatever they want to call it) so long as the longer term commitment to funding solutions is there. Just hitting season ticket holders and then completely missing the long mark would be a failure in the worst way.

Yes and no - on the below market thing. Like ass wipe and whiskey, you get what you pay for. I have been overpaying for so many years that I refuse to go there right now.

On your second point, about being lazy, that is all he knows - and all his department knows. They act like a bunch of self-entitled 17 year olds most of the time. And other than that - he has dummied the UW Bitch down to a very comfortable and manageable level.

And that is exactly what will happen if there isn't an audible - the long term will be vested in the seat premiums, wildcatter, and wildshatter (basketball boxes).

Then, when the notion of seat premiums rolls out, some donors had best rally and demand to know how the concept fits in with a much broader plan with a higher degree of possibility of success. If the answer isn't acceptable, then it would be time to make them believe it possible they'd just be trading revenue levels, losing donors, and selling fewer tickets.

Look I'm as diehard a Cowboy fan as anyone, but I'm also the very last person on Earth who will handcuff himself to someone or something hellbent on their own destruction. True ambition requires a certain ruthlessness driven by love, but that ruthlessness cuts both ways. If it comes to it, I love Cowboy Athletics too much to be a part of it's self-destruction.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

I think there's a point where the worm starts to turn and the investment starts to pay off. That point is when Wyoming starts competing for conference championships at basketball and football every year. When that happens, attendance sky-rockets, donor support takes off, and people come out of the woodwork to support Cowboy athletics. The casual fan jumps onboard and presto--->you've got more money then you know what to do with. It has happened with Boise State, the truck driving school.

I don't know what it would cost to get us there but I imagine it's in the 6-8 million range, not the 4 million a year Burman says he needs.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

Cup is correct. There is no more investment but hopes of investing more. I'm glad he cleared that up.

We have a loooong ways to go from a budgetary standpoint. He needs to do a better job of selling it. A case study could be Utah State with their recent success. It would be interesting to see if their football revenues have increased substantially with the increasing success. If so, Burman should be all over those stats and creating a sales pitch for the University, State, Governor, Legislatures, anyone who will listen.

 

[Wyo2dal]

Best comment from the show " I don't believe we're 30 points worst than CSU " haha I love it!