Football’s critics often point to multimillion-dollar coaching salaries. They should be more worried about debt, which costs more and lasts longer
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The business model of college football, long a financial boon to universities, is breaking down. A weeklong look at the pressures of rising costs, falling revenue and what, if anything, universities can do about it. Read the rest of the series here.
By many standards, University of California, Berkeley has an incredible sports program. Its 30 sports are second only to Stanford in the Pac-12 Conference, and the school has won 22 national titles in the past decade. At the Rio Olympics, current or former Cal athletes collected 21 medals, including eight golds.
By another measure, Cal sports are in big trouble. After completing the most expensive college football stadium overhaul ever, the Golden Bears now owe more money than any other college sports program. Hobbled by debt service payments, the athletic department ran a $22 million deficit last year and expects to end this fiscal year deep in the red.
A university task force is looking for possible solutions, including reducing the total number of Cal’s sports programs. Any cuts could endanger some of the school’s most successful teams, which cost a lot more than they bring in, and Chancellor Nicholas Dirks recently gave the group more time. “Everything is on the table,” said Robert O’Donnell, a lecturer at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business who co-chairs the task force.
Football critics nationwide often point to multimillion-dollar coaches as emblems of excess. They should be more worried about debt, which costs more and lasts longer. A high-priced coach might earn $4 million to $5 million a year. Meanwhile, according to public records, athletic departments at least 13 schools in the country have long-term debt obligations of more than $150 million as of 2014—money usually borrowed to build ever-nicer facilities for the football team.
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Saturday, January 7, 2017
The Unravelling of College Football Starts With All These Empty Stadiums
Low attendance threatens today’s ticket revenue and tomorrow’s alumni donations.WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The business model of college football, long a financial boon to universities, is breaking down. A weeklong look at the pressures of rising costs, falling revenue and what, if anything, universities can do about it. Read the rest of the series here.
On a warm November Saturday in Boca Raton, 5,843 people turned out to see Florida Atlantic University play its final home football game of the year. With 80 percent of the seats empty, it was the Owls’ smallest audience since the team jumped to college football’s top division in 2005.
A week later and a world away, the Florida State Seminoles played their last home game in front of a crowd of more than 78,000. The student section alone had three times as many fans as FAU had in its whole stadium.
With the fanfare building for the College Football Championship on Monday, it’s hard to remember that packed stadiums like Florida State’s are the exception. FAU’s empty stands are the rule, and lackluster ticket sales are starting to take a financial toll on programs across the country.
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Hodge earns Nuggets' 1st GCAC weekly honor of 2016-17
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Jalyn Hodge has been named Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's basketball for Dec. 26-Jan. 1.
Hodge, a 5-foot-8 freshman guard from Plano, Texas, and a graduate of Plano West High School, scored 11 points Saturday in the Gold Nuggets' 78-42 victory at Dallas Christian. The winning margin was XULA's largest of the season.
Hodge is averaging 5.1 points in 15 games. She is the first Gold Nuggets freshman to win a GCAC weekly award since another Plano West alum, Carmen Holcombe, did it in December 2010. During Bo Browder's 18 seasons as head coach, 21 Gold Nuggets have won a combined 32 GCAC weekly awards.
The Gold Nuggets (9-6) will play their GCAC opener at 3 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo (4-3) at XULA's Convocation Center.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Confirmed: Mike London expected to be named head football coach at Howard University
London won the 2008 FCS National Championship in 2008 at Richmond
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Mike London, Maryland football’s associate head coach, is expected to be named head coach at Howard, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
London, 56, who resigned as Virginia’s head coach in 2015 after five seasons, spent just one year on DJ Durkin’s staff in College Park, where he also served as a defensive line coach and helped bolster the program’s recruiting presence in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region. Neither Maryland nor Howard officials would confirm London’s hiring on Friday evening. London did not respond to a request for comment.
He was one of Durkin’s first hires at Maryland, signing a two-year, $800,000 deal last December and becoming a key figure on a diverse staff that briefly included three former head coaches. London also played a pivotal role in Maryland’s 2017 recruiting class, which comprises 29 prospects and is projected to be the highest-rated class in program history.
It was widely assumed that London would be a head coaching candidate at another area school this offseason. He will return to the second-tier Football Championship Subdivision eight years after he left his post as Richmond’s head coach to take the same position at Virginia. At Howard, London will take over for Gary Harrell, who was fired in November after serving six seasons as head coach.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Mike London, Maryland football’s associate head coach, is expected to be named head coach at Howard, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
London, 56, who resigned as Virginia’s head coach in 2015 after five seasons, spent just one year on DJ Durkin’s staff in College Park, where he also served as a defensive line coach and helped bolster the program’s recruiting presence in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region. Neither Maryland nor Howard officials would confirm London’s hiring on Friday evening. London did not respond to a request for comment.
He was one of Durkin’s first hires at Maryland, signing a two-year, $800,000 deal last December and becoming a key figure on a diverse staff that briefly included three former head coaches. London also played a pivotal role in Maryland’s 2017 recruiting class, which comprises 29 prospects and is projected to be the highest-rated class in program history.
It was widely assumed that London would be a head coaching candidate at another area school this offseason. He will return to the second-tier Football Championship Subdivision eight years after he left his post as Richmond’s head coach to take the same position at Virginia. At Howard, London will take over for Gary Harrell, who was fired in November after serving six seasons as head coach.
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Howard University Bison picks up commitment from Cam Newton's brother, Freshman 3-Star QB Caylin Newton
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On Thursday, Howard picked up a commitment from Georgia prospect Caylin Newton, the younger brother of Carolina Panthers star quarterback Cam Newton. Caylin Newton will be taking his talents to Howard University in Washington, D.C.
The younger brother of former Auburn and current NFL star Cam Newton announced his decision Thursday on Twitter.
I am extremely blessed to be attending Howard University for this upcoming Spring semester! On to the next chapter in my life! #TherealHU
As a senior at Grady High School in Atlanta, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 33 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2016. He also led his team rushing, carrying 92 times for 1,036 yards and 13 more touchdowns.
Newton camped at Auburn once and made multiple visits, but the Tigers didn't offer. According to 247Sports, His only other offers were from Hampton, Kentucky Christian and Savannah State.
"To be honest I think (his recruitment) should have gone much better than it did," Grady head coach Earthward Moreland told AL.com. "But moving forward I think he's happy with his decision he's made. He's just going to go from there.
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Nuggets move from 32nd to 35th in NAIA coaches poll
The Gold Nuggets are in the "others receiving votes" category for the eighth time in the last nine polls. They're 35th overall with four points. In the previous poll (Dec. 6), they were 32nd with 11 points. Two teams behind XULA in the Dec. 6 voting passed the Nuggets despite a combined three losses between polls.
"Can't worry about that," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "We're just trying to get our young team better."
XULA, 9-6 and winner of three straight and six of its last seven games, will play its Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at 3 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo at XULA's Convocation Center. The Gold Nuggets tied for second in the GCAC regular season a year ago, then won the GCAC Tournament for a league-record 15th time.
Freed-Hardeman is No. 1 for the second consecutive poll. The next poll will be announced Jan. 17.
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Jan. 1)
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Last |
| 1 | Freed-Hardeman (9) | 13-0 | 250 | 1 |
| 2 | Lewis-Clark State (1) | 15-0 | 242 | 2 |
| 3 | Westmont | 12-1 | 231 | 4 |
| 4 | Lindsey Wilson | 13-0 | 228 | 5 |
| 5 | MidAmerica Nazarene | 9-2 | 216 | 3 |
| 6 | Vanguard | 12-1 | 207 | tie-6 |
| 7 | Campbellsville | 14-2 | 206 | tie-6 |
| 8 | Oklahoma City | 11-1 | 192 | 9 |
| 9 | Lyon | 10-2 | 182 | 8 |
| 10 | Shawnee State | 17-1 | 180 | 10 |
| 11 | Montana State-Northern | 11-2 | 172 | 11 |
| 12 | Columbia (Mo.) | 12-2 | 156 | 13 |
| 13 | Great Falls | 11-2 | 153 | tie-14 |
| 14 | Baker | 9-3 | 150 | 12 |
| 15 | Cumberland | 11-2 | 135 | 19 |
| 16 | Central Methodist | 10-2 | 130 | 17 |
| 17 | The Master's | 9-3 | 123 | 16 |
| 18 | John Brown | 9-4 | 108 | 20 |
| 19 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 7-5 | 101 | tie-14 |
| 20 | Loyola (N.O.) | 11-2 | 91 | 22 |
| 21 | Bethel (Tenn.) | 8-6 | 90 | 18 |
| 22 | Our Lady of the Lake | 8-6 | 85 | 21 |
| 23 | Pikeville | 11-4 | 72 | 24 |
| 24 | Lindenwood-Belleville | 9-4 | 63 | 23 |
| 25 | Carroll (Mont.) | 11-3 | 47 | 25 |
Dropped from previous rankings: none Others receiving votes: Montana Western 40, Wayland Baptist 39, Talladega 33, Biola 19, Harris-Stowe 8, Wiley 8, William Penn 8, Martin Methodist 6, William Woods 6; XULA 4. Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold | ||||
Rush, Nuggets to open outdoor season in town March 3
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will open its 2017 outdoor track and field schedule March 3 at a city rival's meet, the Tulane Early Bird Twilight.
Coach Joseph Moses announced Wednesday the eight-meet schedule, which also includes competitions in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas.
XULA, an NAIA member, will compete at four meets hosted by NCAA Division I members: Tulane, the McNeese Cowboy Relays at Lake Charles, La., on March 11, the Rice Victor Lopez Classic at Houston on March 24-25 and the Southern Miss Invitational at Hattiesburg on March 31-April 1. XULA will compete at a fifth Division I venue — South Alabama's Jaguar Track — in the University of Mobile Invitational on April 7.
The Tulane meet and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships (April 21-22) will be run at the same venue, Tad Gormley Stadium.
Xavier also will compete in the Emory Invitational March 17-18 in Atlanta.
Student-athletes who meet qualifying standards will be eligible to compete at the season-ending NAIA National Championships May 25-27 at Gulf Shores, Ala.
XULA will attempt to win the GCAC women's team championship for the sixth time in eight attempts. The Gold Nuggets won three straight GCAC team titles from 2013-15.
2017 Xavier University of Louisiana
Outdoor Track and Field Schedule
March 3 (Fri.): Tulane Early Bird Twilight at Tad Gormley Stadium, New Orleans, La.
March 11 (Sat.): McNeese Cowboy Relays at McNeese Cameron Communications Track and Field Complex, Lake Charles, La.
March 17-18 (Fri.-Sat.): Emory Invitational at Woodruff P.E. Center Track, Atlanta, Ga.
March 24-25 (Fri.-Sat.): Rice Victor Lopez Classic at Wendel D. Ley Track, Houston, Texas
March 31-April 1 (Fri.-Sat.): Southern Miss Invitational at Southern Miss Track and Field and Soccer Complex, Hattiesburg, Miss.
April 7 (Fri.): University of Mobile Invitational at Jaguar Track, Mobile, Ala.
April 21-22 (Fri.-Sat.): Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium, New Orleans, La.
May 25-27 (Thu.-Sat.): NAIA Outdoor Championships at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium, Gulf Shores, Ala.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold
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