Question for the brain trust?

[DinwiddieProud]

How do schools like IMG in Florida pay the bills? And others like Bishop Sullivan?

I know that a lot, if not the majority of the kids that go there for football, don't have the resources to attend.

 

[Salem177]

It is all private boosters with deep pockets...and the fact that its 12,000 dollars for tuition to go there. (Bishop Gorman)

 

[DinwiddieProud]

It is all private boosters with deep pockets...and the fact that its 12,000 dollars for tuition to go there. (Bishop Gorman)

I looked up IMG and can see how that works. It's truly just a business. Plain and simple.

But the schools like BG and BS, I just don't get it. We are talking a million or more budget just for football. How is that an investment for a donor? I'm loyal and faithful to Dinwiddie, but you can't hardly buy a set of gear with what I give out of pocket.

I wonder how much, if at all, the Catholic Dioceses supports these catholic "mega" football programs.

I can't see a legal way for a college to provide any direct financial support, can you?

Like you say, $12k a year? And I doubt if half the players pay a dime. Maybe none of them do.

I'm just a little befuddled by the financial aspect of these private "football" schools.

I'm sure you are right, donors with very deep pockets.

BTW, welcome aboard the forum Salem177. Glad to have you.

 

[mbonape1]

DP, They make money on this stuff too. Now days with the exposure and televised games on ESPN or bleecher report and what not. Tickets sales help too. High school football is becoming very profitable. The high school state finals in Texas were played in Jerry World!

Also, IMG having x amount of players going to the league means they will donate to the program later.

I don't know if you remember my post on the IMG vs BS game last year but the tickets were $25 for general admission and there were several thousand people at the sportsplex.

Now I agree, I don't know how most of those schools are making up that type of budget but make no mistake about it you will see this sort of trend continuing. We are certainly at the point that if you are very good, it is extremely profitable even in the high school ranks.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

I agree. It's always been that football income supports the other sports at most schools. Of course you have your schools with significant basketball, baseball, etc. followings, but the vast majority of schools depend significantly on football revenue for their athletic budgets.

It's awful hard to grow the attendance at any sport other than football. At most schools if they double their attendance at a soccer game, maybe they have 100 fannies in the seats.

Other than moms and dads ponying up a few bucks, few businesses see much value in putting their name in front of a few dozen people. Football, on the other hand, offers a business a chance to get in front of thousands.

Of course, many donors and supporters don't give support for any reason other than they want to help. But when merchants/businesses get behind a program, big things can happen. And this usually improves the financial situation across all sports.

I pray that our high schools don't evolve into the money machines that these private schools are becoming. But we also can't deny that we need football revenue to drive our athletic programs.

 

[Salem177]

I looked into the rules of all that mess of these huge programs and Bishop Gorman does not give out academic scholarships nor athletic scholarships, but just like in college, they can provide financial aid for those ¨special¨ players that want to transfer for the exposure or facilities. So I would assume they would find some loophole through all that to get the kids to come there at the same price of their previous public schools...free!

 

[bulldog1150]

A lot of these schools look at athletics as a way of raising the profile of their school, whether it be locally, regionally, or nationally. I doubt any of us would even know about Bishop Gorman if it weren't for football. I doubt anybody outside if Virginia would know about Oak Hill if it weren't for basketball.

It's a lot cheaper to raise your profile through basketball than football though. A lot less scholarships to give to be competitive.