The House of Blue

I don't think anyone has the right to tell anyone what to do with their money. I think Best Buy sucks, so I never darken their doors anymore. If someone thinks UK football is not worth the price of admission, then so be it. Its up to UK to show them something different.

I still to this day find it amazing people blame the fans for the ills of UK football. How many years have 68000 shown up to see a not so good team? Since 2006 UK is 16-32 in SEC play. Explain to me how that is the fault of the fans?

Maybe those of us who are over 40 are getting tired of,
"This is the year."
"Be patient with us"
"We need to recruit better"
"Sure look better in fall camp"
"Man, they look good getting off the bus"

How many years have the lost to UF? A 26 year streak to UT FINALLY ended. How is that the fault of the fans?

I think our fans are too easy to let UK football off the hook due to the fact they have been bad for so long. Maybe instead of kissing their ass fans should hold them accountable?!?!?!

AND YES, I did keep my tickets and even upgraded which cost more $$$.

The point is, if you're not renewing because you don't like or believe in UK football any more, that's one thing. That seems to be the example you've given, so it doesn't really apply to what I said at all.

However, my post addresses other people:

If you (obviously not you, so in the rhetorical sense) aren't renewing until, for example, the administration puts more money into football, you are mistaken as to the effect your actions are having.

UK Athletics has demonstrated the capability to service its own debt. It does so with funds that include season ticket revenues. Even with the high revenue of the last few years, UK Athletics, and football in particular, has been denied the ability to use its revenue stream to service new debt. As revenue decreases due to season ticket holders who want something more done, it becomes even less likely that UK Athletics will be able to take advantage of its debt service capacity.

This is why MARKETING is so important. In toughest times you market hard, but you should market hardest in best of times. Uk should've been selling PSLs and future (to be built) lux boxes in 2007.

No vision was shared or implemented. We hitched our football wagon to the IMG basketball fiasco...

We need a wartime consigliere to make dreams happen

Not that Neuhisel(sp?) carries alot of weight but I heard him on XM the otehr day and he used Oregon as the poster child of this.

He said once they build the facilities then players came. "Build it and they will come."

I'm speaking of the ability to act going forward.

Saying things should have been done in the past, until a time machine is invented, is completely irrelevant. That doesn't mean I don't believe more should have been done, reserved, or earmarked. It should have. But it wasn't. And absolutely no-one can change that now.

My post is about how what is happening right now will effect things going forward.

Saying "yeah, well, they should have thought of that" may be true, but doesn't make the deleterious effect of "sending a message" any less significant.

nm

I don't think it's the economy.
I don't think it's a statement to Mitch.
I don't think it's fan agenda.
I don't think it's a political move against the UKAA.
People generally like Joker and staff.

I do think that the drop off of ticket sales is all due to the fact that our offense has been unwatchable the last 2 years and the overall bad football.
The fans' all-day committment of driving/setting up/tailgating/watching rootcanal football/traffic/2 hour car ride is only appealing when you win or play inspired ball.

Why should you buy season tix at face value when you can find set of free tix on windshield in the parking lot.

Winning fixes everything.

However, I'd be pretty surprised if we didn't have a losing season, but if I would be shocked if Mitch will be.

Maybe MB is saving it up for a rainy day.

Capiluto put out an email to all alumni, asking for feedback on the budgeting process.

If there are non-alumni here, I'd be glad to post the text of the email, along with the feedback addresses, if people wanted to make their thoughts known.

I potentially will give feedback, but after months of emailing the BOT, President, and AD, I'm not sure how effective it will be.

It all boils down to spending money on a guaranteed revenue stream that will pay benefits, not just in the form of an increased revenue stream, but in the form of increased exposure to the University as a whole.

If I had it handy, I would post the study that demonstrates enrollment spikes after successful sports seasons. Although I'm sure UK is currently experiencing that from the other championship, I don't see any reason why the university shouldn't capitalize on success in two sports rather than one.

UK is currently in the spotlight for March and April. Perennial football powers and exciting programs remain in the spotlight from September to January.

The above attributes all the drop due to how "bad" the offense has been the past two seasons and COMPLETELY discounts the economy.

It is unsupported opinion. Opinion that not only has no support in reality but a mountain of evidence otherwise.

Point being that although it is not uncommon for sales to drop during or post down years, there is nothing to attribute that as the only factor or even the greatest factor.

A lot of interesting data in the linked report. As JDH mentions, the study analyzed debt service capabilities. With the marketplace basing ratings (and therefore interest rates) on the ability to service the debt, it also provides a rough estimate of debt capacity (the consultant estimates that UK athletics, on a stand-alone basis, would currently have the capacity to service $50-75 million in debt). UK athletics cannot issue bonds on a "stand-alone" basis at this time.

Looking at the information presented in the report and the manner in which it is presented, it appears that with the consultant undertaking the analyses contained in the report, UK may be, among other things, getting their ducks in a row to go to Frankfort to press them to allow the University and UK athletics each issue bonds on a stand-alone basis without all of the legislative red tape.

^ this....

And economy be damned, I bet USCe have no problem filling stands. It's about winning..

New coach equals renewed optimism and ticket sales. Same goes for winning.