Great article on the bright future and great success UNO athletics has had over the past few years. I have only taken a few of the highlights from the article. Biggest athletic budget of any D2 school and top 40 of D1AA!!!! Are you kidding me!!! This is coming from a former AD from your state. The state of your athletic financial well being comes from a few posters on this board. Big difference coming from an unbiased source.
Don't look over your shoulder now rabbitts... that noise you hear is a herd of Mavericks on the move.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=...;u_sid=1414823
School's commitment helps make UNO force in Division II athletics
When Bob Danenhauer stepped down as athletic director last August, he was credited with helping bring about a golden age for the UNO program - after all, the Mavericks had won 15 North Central Conference championships in eight years.
It turns out they were just warming up.
Seven of the 15 University of Nebraska at Omaha programs have won NCC titles this school year. Four others finished second.
But UNO would be a power in any Division II conference. After the winter sports season, the school ranked eighth nationally in the Sports Academy's Directors' Cup standings measuring overall athletic performance.
Strong showings this spring in baseball, and women's softball, golf, tennis and track should help the Mavericks finish near the top.
The UNO wrestling team is excused for finishing second in the conference. It won its second straight national title.
Women's teams won NCC titles in soccer, softball, swimming and tennis.
"I can't remember any year quite like this," said UNO sports information director Gary Anderson, whose connections to the school date back several decades.
But in the mid-1990s, the school committed to funding each athletic program at or near the limit allowed on either the national or conference level.
"And we wanted to be competitive in all our sports - not just put our eggs in a few baskets and tell the rest of the sports, 'Best of luck.'"
UNO's success is no surprise to Kelly Higgins of Omaha. Among other pursuits, the former South Dakota athletic director serves as a consultant, compiling and analyzing things such as athletic department budgets.
He said UNO has the highest Division II budget in the country, just ahead of North Dakota, and would rank among the top 40 in Division I-AA. UNO's budget is $6.7 million. Danenhauer said the athletic department budget tripled during his stay and that contributions and donations from boosters rose from about $150,000 to close to $1 million annually.
"You've got good coaches, a lot of money and a great location," Higgins said. "You combine all those factors and it makes success a whole lot easier."
The hockey program was an instant revenue producer that boosted the athletic department budget and helped support four new women's programs - soccer, golf, swimming and tennis.
And because of the dorms, it has helped us recruit the in-state and area athlete. If you look at our rosters compared to 10 years ago, you see that."
"The kids might want to know about the athletic success," he said. "But the parents are more concerned about the overall quality of the school and the education. That's what shows that this is really a great place to be."
Don't look over your shoulder now rabbitts... that noise you hear is a herd of Mavericks on the move.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=...;u_sid=1414823
School's commitment helps make UNO force in Division II athletics
When Bob Danenhauer stepped down as athletic director last August, he was credited with helping bring about a golden age for the UNO program - after all, the Mavericks had won 15 North Central Conference championships in eight years.
It turns out they were just warming up.
Seven of the 15 University of Nebraska at Omaha programs have won NCC titles this school year. Four others finished second.
But UNO would be a power in any Division II conference. After the winter sports season, the school ranked eighth nationally in the Sports Academy's Directors' Cup standings measuring overall athletic performance.
Strong showings this spring in baseball, and women's softball, golf, tennis and track should help the Mavericks finish near the top.
The UNO wrestling team is excused for finishing second in the conference. It won its second straight national title.
Women's teams won NCC titles in soccer, softball, swimming and tennis.
"I can't remember any year quite like this," said UNO sports information director Gary Anderson, whose connections to the school date back several decades.
But in the mid-1990s, the school committed to funding each athletic program at or near the limit allowed on either the national or conference level.
"And we wanted to be competitive in all our sports - not just put our eggs in a few baskets and tell the rest of the sports, 'Best of luck.'"
UNO's success is no surprise to Kelly Higgins of Omaha. Among other pursuits, the former South Dakota athletic director serves as a consultant, compiling and analyzing things such as athletic department budgets.
He said UNO has the highest Division II budget in the country, just ahead of North Dakota, and would rank among the top 40 in Division I-AA. UNO's budget is $6.7 million. Danenhauer said the athletic department budget tripled during his stay and that contributions and donations from boosters rose from about $150,000 to close to $1 million annually.
"You've got good coaches, a lot of money and a great location," Higgins said. "You combine all those factors and it makes success a whole lot easier."
The hockey program was an instant revenue producer that boosted the athletic department budget and helped support four new women's programs - soccer, golf, swimming and tennis.
And because of the dorms, it has helped us recruit the in-state and area athlete. If you look at our rosters compared to 10 years ago, you see that."
"The kids might want to know about the athletic success," he said. "But the parents are more concerned about the overall quality of the school and the education. That's what shows that this is really a great place to be."
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