The recent reports by the GoMiddle staff along with the DNJ article by Sparks (I don't for one minute doubt his professionalism as Tennessean VU beat writer or his loyalty to MT as an alumn -he is a good guy; and I do respect with how the GoMiddle staff has approached these issues) which both point to our lack of athletic dept. funding and ticket sales growth have brought up several questions? (not to mention in a recent thread it was shown that our endowment is not growing - a topic for discussion at a different time).
Among these questions which IMHO need addressing is: What athletic department is MT comparable to and what can we learn moving forward? We all remember talk of following the Louisville plan, being like Va. Tech, or of hoping to become the next Boise St. (Butler, Wichita St.,or Gonzaga in BkB). But I would point out that we are not comparable to any these schools:
Louisville, even though in a state dominated by UK, is located in the largest city in the state and has had a dedicated following since back to it's OVC days. Va. Tech, Boise, and Gonzaga are all located in areas where they have little competition for fans and media attention (their own sphere of influence if you will). Both Wichita St. and Butler are located in huge BkB states with high level BkB schools but have carved out their niche and tradition while being in the largest cities in their respective states. A common thread: Location, Location, Location - important not just for businesses and real estate.
I don't have to point out to MT fans the areas where our location hurts us. Many are obvious and I won't take the space to list those I can think of (and I'm sure I would leave some out). It's clear that the enrollment explosion (until recently), being in one of the fastest growing cities and regions in the nation along with being close to an International Airport are not enough to provide growing athletic support at MT.
Can you name one school with all the negatives we have hindering us (or even just a few of them) which is experiencing athletic growth? If so, what can we learn? If there are no comparables then what do we do?
Among these questions which IMHO need addressing is: What athletic department is MT comparable to and what can we learn moving forward? We all remember talk of following the Louisville plan, being like Va. Tech, or of hoping to become the next Boise St. (Butler, Wichita St.,or Gonzaga in BkB). But I would point out that we are not comparable to any these schools:
Louisville, even though in a state dominated by UK, is located in the largest city in the state and has had a dedicated following since back to it's OVC days. Va. Tech, Boise, and Gonzaga are all located in areas where they have little competition for fans and media attention (their own sphere of influence if you will). Both Wichita St. and Butler are located in huge BkB states with high level BkB schools but have carved out their niche and tradition while being in the largest cities in their respective states. A common thread: Location, Location, Location - important not just for businesses and real estate.
I don't have to point out to MT fans the areas where our location hurts us. Many are obvious and I won't take the space to list those I can think of (and I'm sure I would leave some out). It's clear that the enrollment explosion (until recently), being in one of the fastest growing cities and regions in the nation along with being close to an International Airport are not enough to provide growing athletic support at MT.
Can you name one school with all the negatives we have hindering us (or even just a few of them) which is experiencing athletic growth? If so, what can we learn? If there are no comparables then what do we do?
