FBS to be split- Now we know why schools paid heavy prices to move up

[BambooRdApp]

That wasn't the point of comparison as I stated. The point was that I see many of our peers spending and quite a bit more than us

And we sure in the hell were comparing ourselves to Boise in 2019.

Are our peers spending on players or facilities? Seems our focus is clearly on facilities. My rhetorical question is if it’s all about the benjamins and we routinely lose players and are a revolving door - will there be any fannies in the seats to enjoy those first class facilities?

Cannot speak directly to player spending to players as do not know investments made as not public information. Just what I hear when talking to opposing fans. While at JMU and Boise last year, in talking to tailgaters seemed to be spending on players more than us. But, I do not know for a fact.
My spending comments were on facilities. Over the past 5 years probably traveled to more away games than I have in previous 20. Each school we visit, I see quite a bit of construction going on as it relates to athletics related facilities.

[appdaze]

That wasn't the point of comparison as I stated. The point was that I see many of our peers spending and quite a bit more than us

And we sure in the hell were comparing ourselves to Boise in 2019.

Some were trying to compare us to Boise state. That still doesn't mean it was a good comparison then or ever.

So we need to follow our "peers" off a financial cliff to go 5-6 or 9-3 each year? How much more do we need to go in debt to be where you think we should be? 100mil? 300mil? Ill be curious when this years numbers come out if we have broken 100mil debt yet.

[BambooRdApp]

That wasn't the point of comparison as I stated. The point was that I see many of our peers spending and quite a bit more than us

And we sure in the hell were comparing ourselves to Boise in 2019.

Some were trying to compare us to Boise state. That still doesn't mean it was a good comparison then or ever.

So we need to follow our "peers" off a financial cliff to go 5-6 or 9-3 each year? How much more do we need to go in debt to be where you think we should be? 100mil? 300mil? Ill be curious when this years numbers come out if we have broken 100mil debt yet.

I do not think the goal is 5-6, etc. recency bias

[AppinVA]

I understand caution. I do not understand the doom and gloom.

[AppfaninCAALand]

I didnt really think apathy had set on for me but then I had a huge wakeup call last Thursday night when I came home and found my wife watching the VCU-UNC game (she is a VCU alum). It was at that moment that I realized I didn't even know the basketball tournament had started.

[KentHogan]

I didnt really think apathy had set on for me but then I had a huge wakeup call last Thursday night when I came home and found my wife watching the VCU-UNC game (she is a VCU alum). It was at that moment that I realized I didn't even know the basketball tournament had started.

Yeah, it’s getting harder and harder for me to care about any of this stuff.

Still haven’t decided if I will renew my season tickets for this year.

I don’t want to walk away but I also hate the idea of contributing to all this craziness.

Hard to believe that anyone could find a way to ruin something as awesome as college sports, but in my opinion that’s exactly what they have done.

[appdaze]

I understand caution. I do not understand the doom and gloom.

What's the plan to pay off our 78mil + debt when we basically break even each year revenue vs expenditures? I'm sure this will be higher when the next yearly report comes out. Keep in mind this is athletic department debt, not overall school debt. Different pots of money. The school is a few hundred mil in debt if I remember correctly, but thats between them and the state.

At some point the bill comes due.

[Bigdaddyg1]

There is a reason why mom and pop hardware stores, lumber yards, etc don’t exist anymore. It is truly baffling how some think spending huge money (not huge for power schools) will make a difference. There is also a reason why zero mid majors will play next weekend. The two who managed a win in the first round don’t play football. It really should not take a financial genius to figure this out.

[AppinVA]

I understand caution. I do not understand the doom and gloom.

What's the plan to pay off our 78mil + debt when we basically break even each year revenue vs expenditures? I'm sure this will be higher when the next yearly report comes out. Keep in mind this is athletic department debt, not overall school debt. Different pots of money. The school is a few hundred mil in debt if I remember correctly, but thats between them and the state.

At some point the bill comes due.

So, what’s your solution?

[appdaze]

I understand caution. I do not understand the doom and gloom.

What's the plan to pay off our 78mil + debt when we basically break even each year revenue vs expenditures? I'm sure this will be higher when the next yearly report comes out. Keep in mind this is athletic department debt, not overall school debt. Different pots of money. The school is a few hundred mil in debt if I remember correctly, but thats between them and the state.

At some point the bill comes due.

So, what’s your solution?

In other words, you don't have an answer to my question of what the plan is to pay off a 78 million dollar debt. I don't have a solution because I am not in the meeting rooms where these items are discussed with non-public information, nor am I privy to the decisions that put us 78mil+ in debt. All I can do is watch from the outside and hope there is a plan for fiscal responsibility over the next 10 or so years.

[APPdiesel]

It’s not fans’ jobs to know how the debt gets paid off. We’re not involved in planning, funding, approvals or construction. Asking that of fans and then saying “I knew you didn’t have an answer” is a red herring. Ask those questions of those with the power to do something about it.

[AppinVA]

I understand caution. I do not understand the doom and gloom.

What's the plan to pay off our 78mil + debt when we basically break even each year revenue vs expenditures? I'm sure this will be higher when the next yearly report comes out. Keep in mind this is athletic department debt, not overall school debt. Different pots of money. The school is a few hundred mil in debt if I remember correctly, but thats between them and the state.

At some point the bill comes due.

So, what’s your solution?

In other words, you don't have an answer to my question of what the plan is to pay off a 78 million dollar debt. I don't have a solution because I am not in the meeting rooms where these items are discussed with non-public information, nor am I privy to the decisions that put us 78mil+ in debt. All I can do is watch from the outside and hope there is a plan for fiscal responsibility over the next 10 or so years.

I have no plan, but I’m not going the one demanding answers. And we apparently occupy the same seat at the table, which is an easy chair and a smartphone somewhere closer to sea level than at 3,333 feet.

Again, I understand the caution. 78 million is a good amount of money, but if debt service is part of the breaking even part, I won’t be running around yelling “DOOOOMMMM DOOOOMMMMM!”

[appdaze]

I understand caution. I do not understand the doom and gloom.

What's the plan to pay off our 78mil + debt when we basically break even each year revenue vs expenditures? I'm sure this will be higher when the next yearly report comes out. Keep in mind this is athletic department debt, not overall school debt. Different pots of money. The school is a few hundred mil in debt if I remember correctly, but thats between them and the state.

At some point the bill comes due.

So, what’s your solution?

In other words, you don't have an answer to my question of what the plan is to pay off a 78 million dollar debt. I don't have a solution because I am not in the meeting rooms where these items are discussed with non-public information, nor am I privy to the decisions that put us 78mil+ in debt. All I can do is watch from the outside and hope there is a plan for fiscal responsibility over the next 10 or so years.

I have no plan, but I’m not going the one demanding answers. And we apparently occupy the same seat at the table, which is an easy chair and a smartphone somewhere closer to sea level than at 3,333 feet.

Again, I understand the caution. 78 million is a good amount of money, but if debt service is part of the breaking even part, I won’t be running around yelling “DOOOOMMMM DOOOOMMMMM!”

Where are yall getting all the doom comments? I didnt realize we had so many sensationalist news media journalist in here. I just pointed out facts from a document submitted by App about the finances and pointed out that we are in a lot of debt for an organization that barely breaks even each year and we are still looking to more expansions. The long term viability of this mounting debt is absolutely questionable. But if you want to keep yelling doom into a keyboard to make you feel like youre making a point then have at it. Ill send you a application to cnn or fox whichever you desire.

[mike87]

I think App's doing OK. They are taking on debt but are servicing it and paying players on par with their regional competition. They aren't 'Bama and probably don't want to be, but they do compete in the conference. I hate the disparity and that we likely won't ever compete for a National Championship but I'd hate it worse if we were the flagship university of the state and had that shitshow of a football program and crapped out of the first round of the tournament in the sport we are known for.

All in all, it's not that bad where we are. I'll keep buying tickets. There's not much better than a gameday in Boone.

[AppStFan1]

It’s not fans’ jobs to know how the debt gets paid off. We’re not involved in planning, funding, approvals or construction. Asking that of fans and then saying “I knew you didn’t have an answer” is a red herring. Ask those questions of those with the power to do something about it.

It is a good question for the media to ask our leadership. The only reason I would even think about it is the fact they are asking us to give to NIL and I know that the debt is part of a strategy to expand so we could get an invite to a bigger league. I just don't think Gillin's plan is going to happen the way he is gambling on it happening. Sadly, instead of paying it down he is letting Loggains burn through cash at amounts we have never seen before.

[AppStFan1]

I think App's doing OK. They are taking on debt but are servicing it and paying players on par with their regional competition. They aren't 'Bama and probably don't want to be, but they do compete in the conference. I hate the disparity and that we likely won't ever compete for a National Championship but I'd hate it worse if we were the flagship university of the state and had that shitshow of a football program and crapped out of the first round of the tournament in the sport we are known for.

All in all, it's not that bad where we are. I'll keep buying tickets. There's not much better than a gameday in Boone.

I would like to hear from Gillin how we are paying it down. I fear that the debt is getting closer to 100M than 50M and that should be a real concern. The money being used to pay players could be used to pay down our debt.

[AppSt94]

Most FBS schools operate with debt. What makes DG in particular irresponsible?

[appdaze]

Most FBS schools operate with debt. What makes DG in particular irresponsible?

I'm not one to jump at following lemmings.


Many of them are hundreds of millions in debt with no clear plan to pay it off. Paying down a monthly payment while continuing to rack up more debt is unsustainable. Just Google "is college athletics debt sustainable." Hint, its not. The bill will come due at some point. Otherwise these universities will gradually hit the billions in debt.

[BambooRdApp]

I see visions of pearl clutching in my mind

[AppSt94]

Most FBS schools operate with debt. What makes DG in particular irresponsible?

I'm not one to jump at following lemmings.


Many of them are hundreds of millions in debt with no clear plan to pay it off. Paying down a monthly payment while continuing to rack up more debt is unsustainable. Just Google "is college athletics debt sustainable." Hint, its not. The bill will come due at some point. Otherwise these universities will gradually hit the billions in debt.

I agree with you. The current system will eat itself eventually. My point is that the poster singled out Gillin. While he isn’t wrong, it’s a systemic issue across college athletics and not one unique to our administration.