Pamela Scott wrote:

> Ok, folks, we've digressed into discussing moot points.  Findlay Stadium
> exists (yes, it does - I see it from the Interstate every morning) and it is
> doubtful that we can push this fiscal allamagoosa off onto anyone else.

It's true, the construction of the stadium is a done deal and we are
stuck with our share of the payments on it.  But this cost is not the
dominant factor in the overall cost of a Division I-AA (or higher)
football program.  We spend much more money on scholarships for
players and salaries for coaches.  Other sports such as baseball and
volleyball (or lower divisions in football) have far fewer
scholarships, fewer coaches, and the coaches tend not to make the huge
salaries typically paid to Division I head football coaches.  While
the stadium is a "sunk cost", these other expenditures could be
discontinued, resulting in a huge cost savings to UTC.  The stadium
could still be used for other events such as non-scholarship or "club"
football, rugby, soccer, special football events such as the I-AA
title game, track meets, outdoor concerts, and yes, those
oh-so-popular monster truck rallies.

Baseball is much less expensive than football and could use the
existing Engel Stadium (probably for free again) and/or the new
stadium being built for the Lookouts (the minor league and college
baseball seasons overlap only partially and the Lookouts are on the
road half of the time).  There are or have been a number of other
schools which are division I in basketball and baseball but which do
not have division I football teams.  (I grew up in Mobile, AL where
the University of South Alabama had successful baseball and basketball
programs but no football team.)

> We just need to determine exactly why folks don't want to come
> to Mocs games.  We seem to be frightfully short on brand-loyalty in this town.

I don't think there is a shortage of that at all.  The fans are just
not loyal to the *UTC* brand ... they would rather drive to Knoxville
or Athens or Birmingham/Tuscaloosa to support a successful I-A team
playing another I-A team in the top conference in the land than stay
here and watch an unsuccessful I-AA team play Wofford or Citadel.  We
can continue to (probably unsuccessfully) fight this trend, or we can
let discretion be the better part of valor and switch to a sport that
local fans might support and which at least will not cost us as much
if they fail to support it.  (Or we can just cut football and replace
it with nothing ... but I think baseball would at least be worth a
try.)

Bring on baseball ... and bring on a lottery.  It's past time to stop
those gambling dollars from crossing the state line and supporting
Georgia schools (and their football teams ;)

Joe Dumas