Marshall University Athletics
BOGACZYK: Herd Good Fit Financially in C-USA
1/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
By JACK BOGACZYK
HERDZONE.COM COLUMNIST
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - About a year ago in this space, I threw out the opinion - backed by hard financial facts -- that Marshall athletics would be more competitive in Conference USA after the Texas-based league's most recent realignment.
Some Herd fans didn't want to hear that the Herd was a better competitive fit with Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic, UTSA and Western Kentucky than UCF, East Carolina, Memphis and Tulsa.
Well, how does a 13-1 record and first C-USA football championship sit with the Herd?
There's nothing in the federal figures to change that notion on the Herd's improved potential for success in a C-USA with nine newcomers to go with Marshall, Rice, Southern Miss and UTEP. And UAB will be officially gone at the end of this school year (assuming the league's requirement that all full members sponsor FBS football is upheld), perhaps replaced by ... no one.
It's not a stretch to see the conference moving forward with 13 all-sports members.
University reports for current and future C-USA members are available from the U.S. Department of Education's Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) database (ope.ed.gov/athletics). Athletic departments at the nation's colleges and universities that receive Title IX funding are required by the federal government to file EADA reports annually.
And now that seven recent members of C-USA have left for the American Athletic Conference, the range of budgets aren't so top-heavy compared to Marshall's expenses.
The most recent EADA numbers available are for last school year (2013-14). In two years, due to the changing C-USA membership, Marshall has gone from the smallest of 12 football budgets to the middle of the pack. The total athletic expenditure ranks similarly.
Herd followers do like the league's more-friendly geography these days, with Charlotte, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Old Dominion coming aboard, and Marshall getting at least one football trip to recruiting-rich Florida annually, rather than a home-and-home with UCF.
For all of the talk about the conference becoming better for Marshall via travel, I still think the bottom line is going to make the most difference.
Take a look at the last three EADA filings and Herd rankings among C-USA members:
| Total or sport | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
| Total expenses | 10th of 12 | 6th of 14 | 7th of 14 |
| Football | 12th of 12 | 6th of 14 | 7th of 14 |
| Basketball, Men | 8th of 12 | 7th of 14 | 4th of 14 |
| Basketball, Women | 11th of 12 | 12th of 14 | 13th of 14 |
Marshall's athletics expenses rose from $24.021 million to $25.724 million to $26.819 million in the EADA reports (see accompanying chart).
As for the big jump in men's basketball spending by the Herd ($3.066 million for 2013-14), that number was skewed by a $727,000 expenditure involved in the buyout and benefits package for former Coach Tom Herrion and two assistant coaches.
Some of those dollars would have been spent had the coaches stayed on to finish the fiscal year anyway, but about $453,000 of the total was the contracted buyout of two remaining years on Herrion's contract.
So, minus the buyout, the men's hoops expenses would have been in the $2.6 million range, putting Marshall sixth among 14 members.
# # #
With UAB's decision to drop football - thereby not fulfilling the C-USA requirement as an "all-sports" program - one of the league's top three athletic spenders will be gone, too.
As for the opinions by more than a few Herd fans and pundits that Marshall should seek a jump to the AAC, the available dollars say that wouldn't be a wise move.
Marshall's expenditures were $26.82 million. The average AAC expenditure was $44.3 million. Nine of the 11 AAC members' reported expenses were $10 million - or more - higher than Marshall's. The lowest in the AAC was Tulane, which spent $32.06 million in its final year in C-USA in 2013-14.
UCF's spending approached $47 million. Houston was at $39.4 million, SMU $10 million above that. East Carolina, in its final C-USA season last year, spent $11 million more on athletics than the Herd could afford. Connecticut spent $71 million.
How does that change? How does Marshall close the gap? Well, the Herd fans either need to buy more football and men's basketball tickets - in large numbers - or more revenue must be generated through contributions to the Big Green.
Among the 11 AAC programs, the three that ranked lowest in the 2013-14 EADA chart were ECU, Tulsa and Tulane - and those filings were in their last seasons in Conference USA. If those schools want to compete in their new home, they'll need to bring in more bucks, too.
The issue for Marshall going forward is remaining where it is in the C-USA pecking order, because several of the schools that moved into the league from other leagues immediately hiked their athletic budget.
Using ballpark figures, UTSA raised its budget by $3.5 million, as did FAU. North Texas spent $3 million more than in its final Sun Belt season. Old Dominion added $2 million. WKU already spent $1.5 million more in its last Sun Belt year before moving to C-USA.
Even incumbent Rice grew its spending by about $2.5 million. Charlotte, entering the league for football in 2015, is certain to grow from its $21.37 million spending of last year, too.
Marshall expenses grew by $1.1 million.
And the advantage for Marshall is the AAC is just what? The American is in the same Group of 5 sphere as Conference USA, so it's not like that move will yield the giant bucks the Power 5 league schools receive.
The AAC does have more national exposure through its ties with ESPN and CBS Sports (for a few basketball games), but the revenue difference isn't that great.
As for the Herd's former Mid-American Conference home, well, Marshall's $26.819 expenses would have ranked No. 7 in that league, sandwiched by Western Michigan and Akron, behind a top four of UMass, Buffalo, Central Michigan and Miami of Ohio. Next was neighboring Ohio, at $27.299 million.
The revenue gains on exit fees and entrance fees from schools moving in or out of C-USA are a short-term proposition for the Marshalls and Rices, too.
After a C-USA title and impressive bowl wins in the last two football seasons, the Herd is hoping its fans will show more often at the box office. If Marshall is going to play for championships, it will be about more than how the Herd coaches and plays.
So, the bottom line here isn't a whole lot different than it was a year ago.
What's the real bottom line in major college athletics?
Win ... and the Herd has a much better chance to do that in a C-USA where most of its foes are new to the neighborhood.
--
A look at athletic expenditures in 2013-14 for current Conference USA schools from filings to the U.S. Department of Education's Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act database (numbers in millions, rounded off):
----------------------------Expenses----------------------------
| School | Total | Football | Basketball | |
| | Men | Women | ||
| Old Dominion | $37.505 | $8.939 | $3.106 | $2.170 |
| Rice | $34.823 | $11.542 | $3.623 | $1.816 |
| UAB | $30.382 | $8.956 | $2.959 | $1.714 |
| UTSA | $28.329 | $7.263 | $1.597 | $1.506 |
| Western Kentucky | $27.716 | $7.786 | $2.691 | $1.725 |
| FIU | $27.543 | $7.155 | $1.792 | $1.485 |
| Marshall | $26.819 | $8.252 | $3.066 | $1.352 |
| UTEP | $25.670 | $8.659 | $3.447 | $1.797 |
| Middle Tennessee | $25.477 | $9.040 | $2.254 | $1.785 |
| North Texas | $24.601 | $7.326 | $2.146 | $1.413 |
| Florida Atlantic | $21.991 | $8.436 | $1.717 | $1.445 |
| Charlotte | $21.373 | $4.704 | $2.460 | $1.782 |
| Southern Miss | $20.790 | $7.396 | $2.313 | $1.311 |
| Louisiana Tech | $17.445 | $6.020 | $2.206 | $1.428 |
Notes:
*Western Kentucky played 2013-14 school year as a Sun Belt Conference member before moving to C-USA in 2014-15.
*Old Dominion 2013-14 football budget was as FBS independent, transitioning from FCS.
*Charlotte did not play football until 2013 season, accounting for small football budget. The school played 2014 as FCS member and moves into C-USA football in 2015-16 school year.
--
A look at athletics expenses from federal government filings (Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act) for 2013-14 in the American Athletic Conference and Mid-American Conference:
American Athletic Conference
| School | Expenses |
| Connecticut | $71,114,794 |
| SMU | $49,657,375 |
| USF | $48,383,928 |
| UCF | $46,869,573 |
| Memphis | $45,956,125 |
| Cincinnati | $43,162,181 |
| Houston | $39,475,225 |
| Temple | $38,600,086 |
| East Carolina | $37,598,766 |
| Tulsa | $33,974,933 |
| Tulane | $32,059,604 |
Notes:
*East Carolina, Tulane and Tulsa played 2013-14 as Conference USA members before moving to the AAC.
Mid-American Conference
| School | Expenses |
| Massachusetts | $33,475,242 |
| Buffalo | $28,736,521 |
| Central Michigan | $28,611,762 |
| Miami (Ohio) | $28,393,215 |
| Ohio | $27,298,719 |
| Western Michigan | $26,949,598 |
| Akron | $25,846,963 |
| Ball State | $25,245,448 |
| Kent State | $24,188,900 |
| Toledo | $23,868,437 |
| Eastern Michigan | $23,706,782 |
| Northern Illinois | $22,670,919 |
| Bowling Green | $21,207,684 |
