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Post by bva on Jul 23, 2015 23:49:19 GMT -5
While I'm not vigorously opposed to this new idea, I would hope that the math (i.e. money ) is signifcant:
Given that $500 goes to BAF, the actual tickets average only $15 to $17.50 per game (assuming 14/12 game home schedules). Why are we not charging $35 per game and might as well make it a $1,000 BAF contribution, if the real goal is revenue enhancement!!! These will be prestige seats, analogous to sitting in the front row at any professional sports venue, since Bona Hoops is the only game in town! Those with the wherewithal to spend $710 have plenty of money to spend $1,500. C'mon, they can make that amount in an interest-bearing savings account, let-alone through the vast investment wealth created in recent years. Meanwhile, 10-20% of the increased revenue generation is (likely) going back to Kenney in the form of a bonus, so his $50,000 may only be a net $40,000 to Bona's.
Furthermore, how is this not cannibalization of the existing revenue base? Even if cannibalization is only 30%, that's another $15,000 dilution to what I'm assuming is a $50,000 gross estimate. If it's a 60% cannibalization rate, the net gain to Bona's could be as little as $15,000 (including Kenney's bonus). Moreover, that $50,000 increase in revenue generation may already be inflated (as some have suggested). If Kenney wants to sell this, he needs to produce some real transparency and show us the money!!!
Meanwhile, the argument that more money needs to be raised because Bona has a large share of its budget devoted to athletics is misleading -- that's because athletics are a relatively fixed cost and Bona has the smallest overall budget! Much of the athletics budget comes from funding not related to the rest of the budget, so using the comparison to the overall budget is a "straw man" argument. The better solution is to expand the academic budget (through higher enrollment) and you get the same/better result as raising athletics revenue.
When I was a young alum, I primarily cared about giving to Bonnies basketball -- although I also gave the customary amount to the general fund. After participating in much of the "non-basketball" discussion this summer regarding student enrollment and recalling that class70 gives as much or more to scholarships, I realize the future of Bona's is not based on how much is given to basketball/athletics, but how much is devoted to scholarships/other needs that would enhance student enrollment. Bona has proven it has enough revenue to compete successfully in the A-10 (of course, more is always better). I am steadfast in my support for the role that D-I athletics plays in the Bona experience, but the future of Bonaventure is dependent on increasing "non-athletics" based enrollment much moreso than increasing the athletics budget. Thus, the cry should not be "Give to the BAF," but give to SBU to cultivate the next wave of Bona alums. If we take care of that problem, we take care of athletics funding!!!
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Post by bva on Jul 24, 2015 20:08:44 GMT -5
Sneakers' purchase of two tickets and mention that they could go to prospective students and Senator's desire that prospective students be influenced by this opportunity provides an obvious melding of ideas. Restrict these donated seats to prospective students and have Admissions raffle these seats to prospective visiting students. If Sneakers agrees to this and GoFundMe does the same, I will purchase two tickets as well under this restriction (except for if I come to 1 or 2 games during the year -- I live 500 miles away from campus). This would provide an opportunity for 6 seats x 12 games = 72 prospective students to experience a key part of Bona culture and perhaps help produce the extra 25 students per year that firstdev aspires to achieve. I'm sure class70 might also participate and if any others participate, we could easily influence over 100 to 200 prospective students. It is important that the seats be randomly given away, so that we are not just giving the seats to the most passionate basketball fans that are just as likely to choose Bona anyway. I see less need to accomodate current students, since only a handful of them ever got to sit on the floor in the current environment and these fans will show up anyway (if they're really fans). Am I being too restrictive? Maybe the GoFundMe seats can go to current students that are tour guides!!!
P.S. Admissions could have a ball (no pun intended) with this wondeful marketing tool.
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blue
Sophomore Member
Posts: 154
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Post by blue on Jul 24, 2015 20:44:05 GMT -5
Will this free up a minimum of 40 seats that were taken from students previously making the student section quite overcrowded and yes unsafe? If the student section were a bar it would be closed down by the fire department. We were crazy in the 80's but at least had room to breathe. I will ask again what the dollar amount is that students pay through tuition to get in "free" to games?
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Post by sneakers on Jul 24, 2015 23:54:09 GMT -5
bva - interesting idea. I also live 500 miles from campus and can only make about one game a year. I was thinking that as I watch the games on TV or on the Internet I would be happy to have someone sitting in my seats making loud noise and creating mayhem for the Bonnies! I was thinking to offer them first to prospective students, and secondarily to current students. It would probably be best to have a mixture in those seats as prospective students need to see learn the Bonas environment. If you are in for two we are up to six student seats. Who else?
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Post by thebonafan08 on Jul 25, 2015 6:19:36 GMT -5
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Post by thesenator on Jul 25, 2015 6:22:39 GMT -5
Sneakers' purchase of two tickets and mention that they could go to prospective students and Senator's desire that prospective students be influenced by this opportunity provides an obvious melding of ideas. Restrict these donated seats to prospective students and have Admissions raffle these seats to prospective visiting students. If Sneakers agrees to this and GoFundMe does the same, I will purchase two tickets as well under this restriction (except for if I come to 1 or 2 games during the year -- I live 500 miles away from campus). This would provide an opportunity for 6 seats x 12 games = 72 prospective students to experience a key part of Bona culture and perhaps help produce the extra 25 students per year that firstdev aspires to achieve. I'm sure class70 might also participate and if any others participate, we could easily influence over 100 to 200 prospective students. It is important that the seats be randomly given away, so that we are not just giving the seats to the most passionate basketball fans that are just as likely to choose Bona anyway. I see less need to accomodate current students, since only a handful of them ever got to sit on the floor in the current environment and these fans will show up anyway (if they're really fans). Am I being too restrictive? Maybe the GoFundMe seats can go to current students that are tour guides!!! P.S. Admissions could have a ball (no pun intended) with this wondeful marketing tool. congrats, bva, for taking a couple of ideas, melding them and creating something that (hopefully) will reap much benefit for bonas...this is how i see this board functioning at its best...taking the best of each of the ideas offered and constructing the most efficient/successful plan of action...and thanks again to you, sneakers, for the part you are playing in this project... |
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Post by firstdev on Jul 25, 2015 11:17:50 GMT -5
There are only two viable options here to resolve this mess, a mess that has clearly split the Bona support community and called into question the leadership of the new AD Tim Kenney.
One - is to revoke the ill advised plant it toto and learn from the mistake of failing to involve the groups that have a deep stake in Bonas basketball, namely the alums, fans, students and season ticket holders in the decision making process. The plan was an insiders only idea proposed and foisted by an AD with no connections whatsover to the SBU community (from UMASS no less, unlike the last AD who clearly bled brown and white, and whose exile is still a mystery to fandom). Top down policy making is generally a negative, and in this case that is certainly true. In the history of this board I have never seen an issue which has infuriated members to the degree expressed here. It is truly alarming to see loyal alums now speaking of boycotting the BAF in response to the genuinely wrongheaded seating plan.
Two is to have all the floor seats purchased and guaranteed for Bona student use only in perpetuity. Make those who made the decision to hire Kenney as AD fully financially responsible for guaranteeing that only Bona student faithful occupy all those seats as long as they exist. Actions have consequences, so now is the time for the influential to either step forward to make the student seats happen or fire Kenney on the spot and start over.
The choice is theirs, ball in your court boys.
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Post by bva on Jul 25, 2015 11:51:14 GMT -5
I remove my restriction -- just donate tickets not using to the campus groups important to you!
Amissions/Giving should provide an extra line on gift giving forms allowing for the provision of $15/$30/$50 to sponsoring prospective students at basketball games. Maybe they can sit in the Blues not being occupied or in the bleachers with a host!
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Post by thesenator on Jul 25, 2015 12:40:01 GMT -5
I remove my restriction -- just donate tickets not using to the campus groups important to you! Amissions/Giving should provide an extra line on gift giving forms allowing for the provision of $15/$30/$50 to sponsoring prospective students at basketball games. Maybe they can sit in the Blues not being occupied or in the bleachers with a host! as i see it, bonas has one overriding issue at this point in time...it's not taking away 1 row of seats from the student cheering section and/or whom/what/why went into the decision...the issue is that bonas is in serious financial straits due to a steady decline in student enrollment and insufficient donations (in light of our financial difficulties) to our annual fund/baf...and putting prospective bona students in those seats is what i see primarily as another recruiting tool...it also would eliminate the possible problem of having someone sitting in the front row who is offended by what they would consider to be the offensive language/behavior of the wolfpack...i don't foresee any hs seniors sitting there as being offended...as a matter of fact, if that option had been available 45 years ago when i was a hs senior, i would've leaped at the chance... |
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Post by jpschmack on Jul 26, 2015 14:43:23 GMT -5
More importantly, why hasn't one of us become insanely rich and gone T. Boone Pickens on Bona Athletics?
I curse my parents for not being members of the UAE Royal Family. If I had the money that Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has, Bona would have the most spectacular basketball arena in history, and we'd fly marquee opponents in via Schmack Airport, and they'd stay at the Five-Star Schmack Luxury hotel, they'd lose to us in games aired on Schmack Sports Global. And the SEC would be jealous of our conference and its success.
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Post by class70 on Jul 26, 2015 14:51:56 GMT -5
More importantly, why hasn't one of us become insanely rich and gone T. Boone Pickens on Bona Athletics? I curse my parents for not being members of the UAE Royal Family. If I had the money that Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has, Bona would have the most spectacular basketball arena in history, and we'd fly marquee opponents in via Schmack Airport, and they'd stay at the Five-Star Schmack Luxury hotel, they'd lose to us in games aired on Schmack Sports Global. And the SEC would be jealous of our conference and its success. Drill, baby, drill! |
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