House Divided RV
06-18-2007, 03:05 PM
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18460402&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=583964&rfi=6
12th Man going to neutral site?
By PERRYN KEYS (pkeys@beaumontenterprise.com), The Enterprise
06/12/2007
Updated 06/12/2007 12:08:02 AM CDT
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/images/email_this_article.gif (javascript: openEmailWindow();)Email to a friend (javascript: openEmailWindow();)http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/images/printversion.gif (http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2287&dept_id=583964&newsid=18460402)Printer-friendly (http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2287&dept_id=583964&newsid=18460402)
http://images.zwire.com/local/Z/Zwire2287/zwire/images/2007/06/story/Byrne,Bill_story.jpghttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifhttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifhttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifhttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifhttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifhttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifBill Byrne http://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gif
BEAUMONT - Texas A&M is still looking into the possibility of moving its annual game with Texas Tech to Dallas, A&M athletics director Bill Byrne said Monday.
"Well, I've made no secret of the fact that I'd like to have our (Texas) Tech game in the new Cowboys stadium in 2009," Byrne said. "We're still working on that."
Byrne added the idea has always made financial sense for A&M. Done properly, he said, the neutral-site game could bring the athletics department some $5 million per year.
"A home game for us, when we play Tech in College Station, is about $3½ million," he said. "When we go on the road, we get zero."
Byrne estimated if the Aggies and Red Raiders moved their game to Arlington, site of the new stadium, A&M would get about 45,000 tickets. If the school sold those tickets at the same prices Texas and Oklahoma sold theirs at their annual game in the Cotton Bowl, A&M would take in about $4.5 million.
Advertisement
DuPont Federal Credit Union http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&PAG=461&BRD=2287&LOCALPCT=100&AREA=582&VERT=13190&NAREA=&barnd=7474 A corporate sponsor, he said, "would mean another half-million, at least. Then you'd have 5,000 standing-room (seats) for your students at half-price."
All told, he said, the Aggies would pull in about $5 million per year from the Texas Tech game.
"And that would happen every year. So over a two-year period, instead of having $3½ million, you'd have well over $10 million," Byrne said.
"Financially, it helps us pay our bills. If I had my way, I'd play every game at Kyle Field. But we have to pay at least half our games on the road in conference. The big issue is we've got to pay our bills."
The Dallas game has been a hot topic for a few years now, though it has involved less action than discussion. Some fans, particularly those in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, are all for the move; they point to the advantages it could bring both schools in exposure, money and recruiting.
Die-hards are flat-out against it, saying the two Big 12 schools should keep their home-and-home format and avoid become a so-called "JV game." In moving to Dallas, the Tech-A&M game would surely draw comparisons to the Texas-Oklahoma series, which will be at the Cotton Bowl through 2015.
What must happen, then, for the Tech-A&M series to move?
"We'd have to have approval from the university administration," Byrne said. "From both institutions."
Byrne was in town for the Beaumont A&M Club's annual coaches night and golf tournament, and his presence ensured a large turnout.
Monday night, he put his people skills on full display, fluidly moving and mixing with small pockets of fans and alumni. He readily admits he isn't as good with names and faces as he used to be, but was still unfailingly polite with the many people who offered handshakes and back-slaps at the Harvest Club, where he spoke.
For the most part, springtime was bright in Aggieland. The baseball team just reached Super Regionals in coach Rob Chidress' second year, losing to Rice last weekend. The softball team reached the Women's College World Series. The women's track team finished No. 4 in the country at the outdoor championships in Sacramento, Calif.
And both basketball teams made the NCAA Tournament - although Billy Gillispie left for Kentucky, forcing Byrne to find a new coach (he landed Wichita State's Mark Turgeon).
But as Byrne has learned in more than two decades as an AD - he spent eight years at Oregon (1984-92) and 11 more at Nebraska (1992-2003) before moving to College Station - you can't please everyone.
Of the 119 schools who played Division I-A football last year, perhaps one athletic director could argue his fan base is 100 percent satisfied with the direction of the athletics department. That would be Jeremy Foley of Florida, whose football and men's basketball coaches both won national championships.
As for A&M ... well, Byrne said he's pleased with the progress A&M is making, in all areas. With a win at Texas last fall, Dennis Franchione has given the football program a shot at turning the corner. The Aggies also did not lose any scholarships because of their APR (academic progress report) rating from the NCAA.
In trying to keep up amid the Division I arms race - which, as always, includes better facilities, better support, better coaches - Byrne said A&M's budget has increased from about $40 million when he arrived in 2003 to almost $70 million last year (according to the NCAA financial database, the school's revenue statement totaled $64.1 million in 2005-06).
That extra money, of course, has to come from somewhere, and much of it has come from increased parking fees, ticket prices and, in many cases, required donations to the 12th Man Foundation.
And though many fans understand the necessary evil of rising costs, it doesn't mean they have to like it.
"I sympathize with people like that, because when I was their age and I was putting kids through college, I couldn't afford to do it. So I didn't go," Byrne said.
"You can afford what you can afford. Later, I was able to contribute. But for a while, it was more important to get the kids through school, make the house payment and pay for the car, than it was to buy tickets to my alma mater. So I had to give it up for a bit. I couldn't afford it." pkeys@beaumontenterprise.com (pkeys@beaumontenterprise.com)
(409) 880-0742
12th Man going to neutral site?
By PERRYN KEYS (pkeys@beaumontenterprise.com), The Enterprise
06/12/2007
Updated 06/12/2007 12:08:02 AM CDT
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/images/email_this_article.gif (javascript: openEmailWindow();)Email to a friend (javascript: openEmailWindow();)http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/images/printversion.gif (http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2287&dept_id=583964&newsid=18460402)Printer-friendly (http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2287&dept_id=583964&newsid=18460402)
http://images.zwire.com/local/Z/Zwire2287/zwire/images/2007/06/story/Byrne,Bill_story.jpghttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifhttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifhttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifhttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifhttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifhttp://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gifBill Byrne http://images.zwire.com/images/spacer.gif
BEAUMONT - Texas A&M is still looking into the possibility of moving its annual game with Texas Tech to Dallas, A&M athletics director Bill Byrne said Monday.
"Well, I've made no secret of the fact that I'd like to have our (Texas) Tech game in the new Cowboys stadium in 2009," Byrne said. "We're still working on that."
Byrne added the idea has always made financial sense for A&M. Done properly, he said, the neutral-site game could bring the athletics department some $5 million per year.
"A home game for us, when we play Tech in College Station, is about $3½ million," he said. "When we go on the road, we get zero."
Byrne estimated if the Aggies and Red Raiders moved their game to Arlington, site of the new stadium, A&M would get about 45,000 tickets. If the school sold those tickets at the same prices Texas and Oklahoma sold theirs at their annual game in the Cotton Bowl, A&M would take in about $4.5 million.
Advertisement
DuPont Federal Credit Union http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&PAG=461&BRD=2287&LOCALPCT=100&AREA=582&VERT=13190&NAREA=&barnd=7474 A corporate sponsor, he said, "would mean another half-million, at least. Then you'd have 5,000 standing-room (seats) for your students at half-price."
All told, he said, the Aggies would pull in about $5 million per year from the Texas Tech game.
"And that would happen every year. So over a two-year period, instead of having $3½ million, you'd have well over $10 million," Byrne said.
"Financially, it helps us pay our bills. If I had my way, I'd play every game at Kyle Field. But we have to pay at least half our games on the road in conference. The big issue is we've got to pay our bills."
The Dallas game has been a hot topic for a few years now, though it has involved less action than discussion. Some fans, particularly those in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, are all for the move; they point to the advantages it could bring both schools in exposure, money and recruiting.
Die-hards are flat-out against it, saying the two Big 12 schools should keep their home-and-home format and avoid become a so-called "JV game." In moving to Dallas, the Tech-A&M game would surely draw comparisons to the Texas-Oklahoma series, which will be at the Cotton Bowl through 2015.
What must happen, then, for the Tech-A&M series to move?
"We'd have to have approval from the university administration," Byrne said. "From both institutions."
Byrne was in town for the Beaumont A&M Club's annual coaches night and golf tournament, and his presence ensured a large turnout.
Monday night, he put his people skills on full display, fluidly moving and mixing with small pockets of fans and alumni. He readily admits he isn't as good with names and faces as he used to be, but was still unfailingly polite with the many people who offered handshakes and back-slaps at the Harvest Club, where he spoke.
For the most part, springtime was bright in Aggieland. The baseball team just reached Super Regionals in coach Rob Chidress' second year, losing to Rice last weekend. The softball team reached the Women's College World Series. The women's track team finished No. 4 in the country at the outdoor championships in Sacramento, Calif.
And both basketball teams made the NCAA Tournament - although Billy Gillispie left for Kentucky, forcing Byrne to find a new coach (he landed Wichita State's Mark Turgeon).
But as Byrne has learned in more than two decades as an AD - he spent eight years at Oregon (1984-92) and 11 more at Nebraska (1992-2003) before moving to College Station - you can't please everyone.
Of the 119 schools who played Division I-A football last year, perhaps one athletic director could argue his fan base is 100 percent satisfied with the direction of the athletics department. That would be Jeremy Foley of Florida, whose football and men's basketball coaches both won national championships.
As for A&M ... well, Byrne said he's pleased with the progress A&M is making, in all areas. With a win at Texas last fall, Dennis Franchione has given the football program a shot at turning the corner. The Aggies also did not lose any scholarships because of their APR (academic progress report) rating from the NCAA.
In trying to keep up amid the Division I arms race - which, as always, includes better facilities, better support, better coaches - Byrne said A&M's budget has increased from about $40 million when he arrived in 2003 to almost $70 million last year (according to the NCAA financial database, the school's revenue statement totaled $64.1 million in 2005-06).
That extra money, of course, has to come from somewhere, and much of it has come from increased parking fees, ticket prices and, in many cases, required donations to the 12th Man Foundation.
And though many fans understand the necessary evil of rising costs, it doesn't mean they have to like it.
"I sympathize with people like that, because when I was their age and I was putting kids through college, I couldn't afford to do it. So I didn't go," Byrne said.
"You can afford what you can afford. Later, I was able to contribute. But for a while, it was more important to get the kids through school, make the house payment and pay for the car, than it was to buy tickets to my alma mater. So I had to give it up for a bit. I couldn't afford it." pkeys@beaumontenterprise.com (pkeys@beaumontenterprise.com)
(409) 880-0742