Regents and New Athletic Facilities

[2002jack]

It sounds like the Regents are meeting in Brookings on April 1st. One of the subjects will be athletic facilities at both USD and SDSU.

Here's a couple articles from the Argus....

USD's new arena and upgrades to the dome

http://www.argusleader.com/article/2...44/1002/sports

And SDSU's football stadium

http://www.argusleader.com/article/2...38/1002/sports

[2002jack]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

I should have put this under "Around South Dakota", so mods feel free to move it.

[bigticket1]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

After the whole budget thing gets settled,the regents should give the go-ahead for starting raising funds for athletic facilities. Although most of us didn't appreciate the delay,it was probably a good move to wait with all of the ruckus now going on over the budget shortfalls,even if all the funds used for stadiums and arenas will be private donations.

[Prairiehaas]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

There really is a great deal of ignorance out there regarding funding at the state universities. Most people don't understand students pay more than half the cost of their education in tuition and fees. Mosty also do not understand how efficiantly the system is being run.

To illustrate, the current cost to a student at State is about $12,500/yr. Assuming conservatively that is half the cost, then we may estimate that the cost of providing the education is about $25,000/yr. Easy research finds the average cost at Augie is $31,364/yr. So SDSU is providing a similar product at a cost more than $6,000 less than Augie.

This is the type of message that needs to be spread to improve support for our universities.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

There really is a great deal of ignorance out there regarding funding at the state universities. Most people don't understand students pay more than half the cost of their education in tuition and fees. Mosty also do not understand how efficiantly the system is being run.

To illustrate, the current cost to a student at State is about $12,500/yr. Assuming conservatively that is half the cost, then we may estimate that the cost of providing the education is about $25,000/yr. Easy research finds the average cost at Augie is $31,364/yr. So SDSU is providing a similar product at a cost more than $6,000 less than Augie.

This is the type of message that needs to be spread to improve support for our universities.

Yup. The proposed budget will put the percentages thus: Students pay 55 percent, the state contributes 45 percent. Three years ago it was the reverse.

[SoDakJack]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

Yup. The proposed budget will put the percentages thus: Students pay 55 percent, the state contributes 45 percent. Three years ago it was the reverse.

This is why the state needs to implement an income tax or raise the sales tax by 1%. We cannot keep cutting education and health care for the state. Otherwise we will end up in a very bad place...and I don't mean the Dome.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

Playing the role of average South Dakotan:

At a time when the state budgets are being cut, and university officials are complaining about funding cuts, how can we afford to build new athletic facilities? Why can't SDSU and USD just raise private funds to cover shortfalls in their budgets, they don't seem to have a hard time raising millions to replace adequate structures on campus?

Back to Jackrabbit fan:

My dad, who took me to scores of SDSU basketball and football games when I was younger, has asked these same questions around the Sunday dinner table. In short, he thinks priorities are out of whack, regardless of where the money comes from. Imagine how the non SDSU fan will feel.

We can dismiss him as a cranky old codger, but perception is reality, and right or wrong, this is how many people will see the issue. At this stage in the game, we think the money for the stadium (and arena at USD) will come from private donations. We need to engage our friends and neighbors to talk about this topic, and I believe SDSU officials really need to emphasize where the money will be coming from.

[jackmd]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

Playing the role of average South Dakotan:

At a time when the state budgets are being cut, and university officials are complaining about funding cuts, how can we afford to build new athletic facilities? Why can't SDSU and USD just raise private funds to cover shortfalls in their budgets, they don't seem to have a hard time raising millions to replace adequate structures on campus?

Back to Jackrabbit fan:

My dad, who took me to scores of SDSU basketball and football games when I was younger, has asked these same questions around the Sunday dinner table. In short, he thinks priorities are out of whack, regardless of where the money comes from. Imagine how the non SDSU fan will feel.

We can dismiss him as a cranky old codger, but perception is reality, and right or wrong, this is how many people will see the issue. At this stage in the game, we think the money for the stadium (and arena at USD) will come from private donations. We need to engage our friends and neighbors to talk about this topic, and I believe SDSU officials really need to emphasize where the money will be coming from.

I agree, this perception is a reality and I'm not sure its right or wrong, just simply reality.

So, tell him the facts, donations to both academics and athletics have increased significantly with the move to DI. Priorities are much more "out of wack" in others areas of the country and the perception is if you aren't in line and looking ahead, making progress, you are falling behind. We don't need anymore of that in SD.

I don't think SDSU can emphasize any more clearly that they intend to obtain the money from private sources. The reply I get from skeptics is that donors will redirect gifts normally or potentially for academics towards athletics. That just isn't proven to be true.

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

This is why the state needs to implement an income tax or raise the sales tax by 1%. We cannot keep cutting education and health care for the state. Otherwise we will end up in a very bad place...and I don't mean the Dome.

An income tax is not the solution (see Minnesota).

[SoDakJack]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

An income tax is not the solution (see Minnesota).

Well neither is cutting the funding to our most important resource, the education of children across the state. I don't have any children, but I know that losing almost $500 per student is not a positive step. If an income tax is not the answer, then an increased sales tax should be.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

An income tax is not the solution (see Minnesota).

Agreed. Too much variability. Revenues become very difficult to project and when they're down, they're way, way, way down (see, for example, nearly every other state this past few years).

While I would prefer a more progressive tax system (recent analysis said we have the most regressive tax system in the country) my experience living in modest-income, income tax states like Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, and Indiana, tells me the income tax doesn't work with a small population of people with average to below-average income.

I have heard there is interest in Pierre in spreading the cuts out over two years and using a little of the reserve fund to make up the difference. That might work, giving the economy a chance to grow a little bit for another year while accomplishing the goal of eliminating the structural deficit in two years.

[jacksfan29]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

Well neither is cutting the funding to our most important resource, the education of children across the state. I don't have any children, but I know that losing almost $500 per student is not a positive step. If an income tax is not the answer, then an increased sales tax should be.

I would love to see a study done (and maybe it has been) on how much all the small schools across the state cost and what savings could be found in consolidation. Personally, if you need to coop in sports your school isn't viable and consolidation needs to occur. My guess is that a savings of $500 per student could easily be found by closing half the high schools across the center of the state from the Nebraska to the North Dakota border. South Dakota needs to make the difficult consolidation choices, many of which should have been made 20 + years ago when I was in school. The idea that the loss of the HS will kill the town doesn't fly any longer. Most of those towns are already dead.

As for income tax, I haven't lived in South Dakota since the mid-90s but there is no way the state should implement one. An increase in sales tax minus groceries or a modest increase in fees (vehicle, etc) would be a much better move.

As for the idea that the priorities are out of whack because SDSU And USD are looking at private money to build athletic facilities... I believe it is my choice to give money to my former school and to have that money go towards the project of my choice. I do not live in South Dakota, I pay taxes in the state I live to educate my kids and one day I will pay out of state tuition to have my kids attend SDSU. I'm pretty sure that is where my responsibility ends.

[89rabbit]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

Playing the role of average South Dakotan:

At a time when the state budgets are being cut, and university officials are complaining about funding cuts, how can we afford to build new athletic facilities? Why can't SDSU and USD just raise private funds to cover shortfalls in their budgets, they don't seem to have a hard time raising millions to replace adequate structures on campus?

Back to Jackrabbit fan:

My dad, who took me to scores of SDSU basketball and football games when I was younger, has asked these same questions around the Sunday dinner table. In short, he thinks priorities are out of whack, regardless of where the money comes from. Imagine how the non SDSU fan will feel.

We can dismiss him as a cranky old codger, but perception is reality, and right or wrong, this is how many people will see the issue. At this stage in the game, we think the money for the stadium (and arena at USD) will come from private donations. We need to engage our friends and neighbors to talk about this topic, and I believe SDSU officials really need to emphasize where the money will be coming from.

Tell your dad that donors provide the margin of excellence. They don’t have a desire to supplement the base.


Another way to look at it is that you can't make donors give their money to what you or anyone else thinks is important, they give their money for what they think is important. After all it is their money.



Go State!

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

I would love to see a study done (and maybe it has been) on how much all the small schools across the state cost and what savings could be found in consolidation. Personally, if you need to coop in sports your school isn't viable and consolidation needs to occur. My guess is that a savings of $500 per student could easily be found by closing half the high schools across the center of the state from the Nebraska to the North Dakota border. South Dakota needs to make the difficult consolidation choices, many of which should have been made 20 + years ago when I was in school. The idea that the loss of the HS will kill the town doesn't fly any longer. Most of those towns are already dead.

Actually the area that you focus on has consolidated about as much as can be expected. At some point the geographic distance between the students and the school makes it unrealistic to consolidate further. Some one posted in this or another thread do you want to put you kid on a bus for 30 minutes in the morning and afternoon, and I thought to myself they don't know what it is like in the central part of the state. Many kids have a 45-60 minute ride now, and transportation is provided by parents. Where consolidation needs to take place is in the eastern 1/3 of the state. If the larger school districts can manage multiple elementaries, middle schools and high schools with one administrative structure, why can't more of the small schools in the east side of the state also consolidate (this is not to say there is no waste in larger districts). To save money by consolidation, you have to look where the districts are and that is in the east 1/3 of the state.

[Nidaros]

Re: Regents and New Athletic Facilities

Actually the area that you focus on has consolidated about as much as can be expected. At some point the geographic distance between the students and the school makes it unrealistic to consolidate further. Some one posted in this or another thread do you want to put you kid on a bus for 30 minutes in the morning and afternoon, and I thought to myself they don't know what it is like in the central part of the state. Many kids have a 45-60 minute ride now, and transportation is provided by parents. Where consolidation needs to take place is in the eastern 1/3 of the state. If the larger school districts can manage multiple elementaries, middle schools and high schools with one administrative structure, why can't more of the small schools in the east side of the state also consolidate (this is not to say there is no waste in larger districts). To save money by consolidation, you have to look where the districts are and that is in the east 1/3 of the state.

I know this is a favorite topic with Mike Henriksen, he has often asked why Arlington and Lake Preston have not consolidated into one? One reason is that the cardinal logos would have come off the water towers in Arlington, and they don't have any one to climb up there. Just joking but I think both entities are doing good enough to survive for the time being, but you are right about the eastern entities need to look for more cost saving and consolidation might make sense in some cases.

Not sure how this all relates to Regents and athletic facilities, but these things are needed too. As far as our economy being in the slump, it seems to be harder on small towns. I read a little history on Esmond, west and south of Desmet. It was a thriving community until the Great Depression and several businesses failed and never opened their doors again. Now there is one household left and a church, but some historically minded person made markers to denote the former locations of businesses, An interesting place to visit if you have the time.