Old Dominion getting football?

Just as FYI, unrelated to Charlotte, but for those who would like 49er football: Old Dominion is considering new football team for 2009 season. They have to raise $8 million within the next year for the atlethic endowment and have a financial feasibility study to show how they can operate a football team and the three additional women's teams that would be required. It has been 70 years since ODU played football.

 

Perhaps VA49er can provide some more insight into the possibility of an ODU team. A challenge... raising $8 million by June 1, 2006. Better be some super deep pockets in Norfolk within 350 days.

Tickets would be priced at $20 each, with projected paid attendance of 6,000. Students wouldn’t have to pay for tickets, but would support football and the other new programs by paying higher activity fees. Those fees would increase gradually over three years and in the end total $7 per credit hour. For a student taking 15 hours of coursework a semester, the additional fee would amount to $210. Students taking 15 hours a semester will pay $1,890 for all student activities in the coming school year.

President Roseann Runte distributed to board members a one-page chart outlining the estimated costs of starting football, plus women’s crew in 2007, softball in 2009 and volleyball in 2015. The annual total expense for all four sports would grow from $1.3 million in 2007-08 to $9.9 million in 2014-15.

The capital costs to start up the four sports – including outfitting Foreman Field with nine luxury suites, building locker rooms and other amenities – would be $27 million.

My math says... 20,800 students are paying $35-42 per game (based on 5-6 home games) for the same $20 tickets in which only 2,300 students will be given free tickets. I'm sorry but IMO, that's not a good deal.

Board wants ODU playing football by 2009, The Virginian-Pilot

Board votes 14-0 in favor of reviving ODU football, The Virginian Pilot

 

Bastard. I knew you had another.

I know the 20,000 to 2300 numbers don't look fair, but I'll bet the same kind of strategy is used in existing programs. And that money is paying for the Title IX stuff, too.

 

HP,

I heard a blip about this on the radio. My computer crashed last week and I'm in the damn library now. I'll check into this but it may take a while as I am leaving for Peru on Friday for two weeks.

 

Two other N.C. colleges getting football

UNC-Pembroke and Brevard College are both in the process of adding football. Don't know a lot of details, but there is a construction project at Pembroke to add seats to an existing stadium.