masthead.jpg

switchconcepts.com, U3dpdGNo-a25, DIRECT rubiconproject.com, 14766, RESELLER pubmatic.com, 30666, RESELLER, 5d62403b186f2ace appnexus.com, 1117, RESELLER thetradedesk.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER taboola.com, switchconceptopenrtb, RESELLER bidswitch.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER contextweb.com, 560031, RESELLER amazon-adsystem.com, 3160, RESELLER crimtan.com, switch, RESELLER quantcast.com, switchconcepts , RESELLER rhythmone.com, 1934627955, RESELLER ssphwy.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER emxdgt.com, 59, RESELLER appnexus.com, 1356, RESELLER sovrn.com, 96786, RESELLER, fafdf38b16bf6b2b indexexchange.com, 180008, RESELLER nativeads.com, 52853, RESELLER theagency.com, 1058, RESELLER google.com, pub-3515913239267445, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
March 15, 2010

Money Matters

Filed under: Basketball,Big East,Conference,Money — Chas @ 1:01 pm

There was an interesting piece in the New York Times this past week on the money Big East teams spend on their basketball programs. Here’s how the whole thing looks.

  1. Marquette —— $10,306,548
  2. Louisville ——— $8,625,245
  3. Syracuse ———- $7,784,244
  4. Georgetown —— $7,405,214
  5. Connecticut —— $6,796,942
  6. West Virginia —- $5,963,760
  7. Villanova ——— $5,959,931
  8. Pittsburgh —— $5,337,512
  9. Seton Hall ——— $5,200,805
  10. St. John’s ———- $4,729,555
  11. Providence ——- $4,637,423
  12. Notre Dame —— $4,380,691
  13. Cincinnati ——– $4,011,357
  14. Rutgers ———– $3,793,356
  15. DePaul ———— $3,257,409
  16. South Florida —- $2,927,362

Now when you separate out the football schools:

  1. Louisville $8,625,245
  2. Syracuse 7,784,244
  3. Connecticut 6,796,942
  4. West Virginia 5,963,760
  5. Pittsburgh 5,337,512
  6. Notre Dame 4,380,691
  7. Cincinnati 4,011,357
  8. Rutgers 3,793,356
  9. South Florida 2,927,362

Pitt is dead center in both. But what strikes me is that Pitt is at the point where there is  a significant drop-off.

Obviously there is also a significant difference in success when you spend money and don’t. Not just for this year or last, but over the past decade. When Pitt made the commitment to invest in the basketball programs results came.

Obviously hiring the right coach in terms of recruiting and player development makes more of a difference than shiny new buildings.  The new facilities are vital for selling recruits on the seriousness of the program, but you need the coaches that can develop and sell things.

It sucks, to some degree to simplify winning to money, but everyone has learned over the years. The only way you win consistently is by consistently spending the money (or if you prefer, reinvesting) on the programs.

That money of course, is what drives the acceptance by every fan of Big East football programs that if another conference comes calling, of course they will jump. Whether it fits right or not.





That tells me it is about time for Pitt to pay up and give Dixon and staff some much earned raises.

Comment by nosloc 03.15.10 @ 2:02 pm

Lose in the first or second round this year and just how earned would a raise be? I know Dixon is an absolutely amazing regular season coach, but at some point he needs to get to a Final Four or further to really cement himself as one of the best and highest paid coaches in the country.

Just look at the highest paid coaches in the nation: Self, Calipari, Donovan, Matta, Pitino, Izzo, etc. They have all been to a Final Four.

Don’t get me wrong, I never want to see Dixon leave Pitt, but in order to see his salary increase to the level of these guys, this is something he has to accomplish.

Comment by CB 03.15.10 @ 2:15 pm

completely unrelated but I couldn’t resist…
“@Tj 3 seed, LMAO…ok we will see” – Jeremy

Just in case you are still reading this blog Jeremy…I told you so.

Comment by TJ 03.15.10 @ 2:55 pm

So a couple of things I noticed when looking at this:

Marquette, Nova, Gtown all rent out pricey arenas (bradley center, Wachovia center, and the Gilbert Arenas Gun Club respectively)

Syracuse plays in a football dome, which can’t be cheap to run considering it’s been around for a while… not sure but they might even have a terrible lease. Also Boeheim probably makes some good loot.

Then there’s Uconn who plays at the excel center in Hartford, again probably costs them a bit of cash, plus they have to pay Calhoun.

Louisville, not sure why they spend so much other than Pitino probably is expensive and they are likely paying for their new arena and they probably have issues with utilities and possibly a lease on freedom hall.

St. Johns, MSG lease and NYC is rediculously expensive

Seton Hall, plays in an NBA arena…

and that leaves:

Pitt still relatively new arena, low costs and most of that money goes to Dixon, his staff and the rest for operating expenses.

Providence, minor league arena

Notre Dame, plays on campus

Cincinati, plays in a minor league arena or on campus

Rutgers, plays on campus

Depaul, plays at a minor league arena, AND they don’t spend really on anything else

So… I think there is definitely something to having your OWN arena.

That being said, the author doesn’t list where he got his numbers other than from the department of education(I looked for about an hour and couldn’t find anything breaking it down like that) and he definitely doesn’t explain what that encompasses

So don’t take that as anything other than statistics that aren’t really explained… I would love it if someone could get the actual numbers and detail…

Comment by David Goldstein 03.16.10 @ 2:00 am

As you know, CB, Jamie Dixon was a Scotty Reynolds last second jumper away from the Final Four last year. 9 straight years to da Big Dance.Not to mention the Naismith award. If we don’t pay him, someone else will.

Comment by Bossdaws 03.17.10 @ 9:29 am

Powered by WordPress © PittBlather.com

Site Meter