Do we have the financial resources to bring back Men’s Soccer?

Appstate88 wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 06, 2022 4:48 pm

Do we have the financial resources to bring back Men’s Soccer?

I am going to go out on a limb and say an optimistic answer would probably be a slim to no chance. Maybe highly unlikely would be better terminology. So you're saying there's a chance? Miracles happen every day.

Going to a very good league with three of the newbies, who all have good programs, plus UK, SC, and WVU. It is a shame we aren't a part of it.

Dang, wish we could get on this freight train. Sounds like Central Florida might consider a move to the Sun Belt, too.

I spoke to Joey Jones in the press box at the ECU game last fall and asked about soccer. He laughed off the question and made it apparent bringing back soccer wasn't in the cards. A lot has changed since then and this league looks really good. It would behoove us to seriously consider bringing the program back.

APPdiesel wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 07, 2022 4:16 pm

I spoke to Joey Jones in the press box at the ECU game last fall and asked about soccer. He laughed off the question and made it apparent bringing back soccer wasn't in the cards. A lot has changed since then and this league looks really good. It would behoove us to seriously consider bringing the program back.

I asked Gillin tonight what it would cost to bring it back and he said $10 mil. I have no idea if he was serious or not.

AppSt94 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:00 pm

APPdiesel wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 07, 2022 4:16 pm

I spoke to Joey Jones in the press box at the ECU game last fall and asked about soccer. He laughed off the question and made it apparent bringing back soccer wasn't in the cards. A lot has changed since then and this league looks really good. It would behoove us to seriously consider bringing the program back.

I asked Gillin tonight what it would cost to bring it back and he said $10 mil. I have no idea if he was serious or not.

Oof. That is a chunk of change!!! Everybody shake out your couch cushions.

AppSt94 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:00 pm

APPdiesel wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 07, 2022 4:16 pm

I spoke to Joey Jones in the press box at the ECU game last fall and asked about soccer. He laughed off the question and made it apparent bringing back soccer wasn't in the cards. A lot has changed since then and this league looks really good. It would behoove us to seriously consider bringing the program back.

I asked Gillin tonight what it would cost to bring it back and he said $10 mil. I have no idea if he was serious or not.

That had to be a flippant answer. No way that # is anywhere close to the cost of resurrecting the program. I'm not sure I could even imagine a mil. would be needed to restart the program, since a lot of the bones are still there. It's not like it's been 20 years and we have no idea as to the upfront/annual need to sustain, and with the Belt getting in the soccer business those #'s would probably actually drop...sustenance wise. I think it's a big miss not to have the program and I hated to let it go in the first place.

I don’t disagree with you. Just stating what he said. Could have been his way of saying that he wasn’t interested in bringing it back. It could also mean that in his mind, the only way to bring it back it with an on campus facility.

You have to add in Title IX stuff as well. In order to bring back men's soccer, we would have to start a new women's program. That is not cheap. The only women's program I can think of we could "cheaply" add is lacrosse as they could share the soccer and/or field hockey fields (assuming they are right dimensions -- I don't know anything about lacrosse). Adding in swimming and diving could be fairly inexpensive as well assuming the pool at SRC is to size.

I do think $10 mil is a high number, but when you add in the other stuff, it's not THAT outrageous.

AppSt94 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 08, 2022 5:55 am

I don’t disagree with you. Just stating what he said. Could have been his way of saying that he wasn’t interested in bringing it back. It could also mean that in his mind, the only way to bring it back it with an on campus facility.

I definitely think an on campus facility would be necessary. The Mack isn't bad but it just doesn't feel like "home". If it was me...I'd place a first-rate artificial pitch right smack in the middle of Sanford Mall. We have room there for some nice matching brick grandstands along one sideline above the dining hall. Renovate the basement of old Belk or one of the other aging buildings, or heck even Varsity, to serve as locker rooms, etc. Spectators for the game could park in Library deck or Rivers deck and it'd be a quick 5-minute walk. Could you imagine the atmosphere right in the center of campus? We can't seem to get grass to grow on Sanford Mall anyway so a multi-purpose field that students could use to lounge on year-round, with no muck, or less muck...how awesome would that be! Lighting could be discreet in the form of small towers mounted on or above surrounding buildings and bricked in and that would give you an awesome spot for campus-wide block parties and the like, concerts, etc. - I think I found the plan and the land is already mostly flat! Ha!

I'm convinced dropping MSOC, MTEN and Men's IT&F were more for Title IX and the pandemic was a convenient cover for the "cost cutting" explanation. Not neccesarily that App wasn't Title IX compliant, rather that it allows App to use more toward the limit of men's scholarships in other Olympics sports, such as wrestling, cross country, outdoor track and field, etc.

I'm guessing the $10 million answer for men's soccer is also to add a women's sport as well.

I believe in the three states on NC, SC, and VA only App, Western, Norfolk State, Hampton, NC Central and NC A&T among D1 programs don't offer men's soccer. Somehow these other D1 schools can manage to provide men's soccer.

hapapp wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 08, 2022 10:57 am

I believe in the three states on NC, SC, and VA only App, Western, Norfolk State, Hampton, NC Central and NC A&T among D1 programs don't offer men's soccer. Somehow these other D1 schools can manage to provide men's soccer.

VA schools are different based on how the state funds the athletic programs.

Looking at a few schools in NC and SC, the main difference I see is they all have two or more women's programs than men's programs. App now has the same because of Title IX. We were in compliance before cutting the men's sports, but this gives more money to fully fund the other programs. For the first time ever, Yosef Club is going to fully fund scholarships this year. It's not a coincidence it happens after cutting sports.

Is it a shame we had to cut men's soccer? Absolutely! But, from a strictly business standpoint (and let's be honest, college athletics is a business), it's what made the most sense to remain Title IX compliant and be able to fully fund everything else.

AppStateNews wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 08, 2022 11:20 am

hapapp wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 08, 2022 10:57 am

I believe in the three states on NC, SC, and VA only App, Western, Norfolk State, Hampton, NC Central and NC A&T among D1 programs don't offer men's soccer. Somehow these other D1 schools can manage to provide men's soccer.

VA schools are different based on how the state funds the athletic programs.

Looking at a few schools in NC and SC, the main difference I see is they all have two or more women's programs than men's programs. App now has the same because of Title IX. We were in compliance before cutting the men's sports, but this gives more money to fully fund the other programs. For the first time ever, Yosef Club is going to fully fund scholarships this year. It's not a coincidence it happens after cutting sports.

Is it a shame we had to cut men's soccer? Absolutely! But, from a strictly business standpoint (and let's be honest, college athletics is a business), it's what made the most sense to remain Title IX compliant and be able to fully fund everything else.

The largest contributing factor to funding all sports is the removal of out of state tuition for those scholarships.

AppSt94 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 08, 2022 11:46 am

AppStateNews wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 08, 2022 11:20 am

hapapp wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 08, 2022 10:57 am

I believe in the three states on NC, SC, and VA only App, Western, Norfolk State, Hampton, NC Central and NC A&T among D1 programs don't offer men's soccer. Somehow these other D1 schools can manage to provide men's soccer.

VA schools are different based on how the state funds the athletic programs.

Looking at a few schools in NC and SC, the main difference I see is they all have two or more women's programs than men's programs. App now has the same because of Title IX. We were in compliance before cutting the men's sports, but this gives more money to fully fund the other programs. For the first time ever, Yosef Club is going to fully fund scholarships this year. It's not a coincidence it happens after cutting sports.

Is it a shame we had to cut men's soccer? Absolutely! But, from a strictly business standpoint (and let's be honest, college athletics is a business), it's what made the most sense to remain Title IX compliant and be able to fully fund everything else.

The largest contributing factor to funding all sports is the removal of out of state tuition for those scholarships.

So having 3 less sports to fund doesn't equate into being able to spread the wealth?

Sure, the out of state tuition is playing a part, but it certainly isn't the largest factor.

$1.5 million is a pretty big help.

We’ll, I guess the decision was made for Title IX or Covid. I’ll go ahead and say it, the decision looks a little sort sighted to me . Probably gunna make some folks mad but wrestling probably was the-sport to cut. To cut the most popular sport in the world just at the time it’s taking hold in the U.S. doesn’t seem quit right to me. Hate to say it but wrestling is the exact opposite.