If UH football went away, so would many other sports

As a young football coach, Bob Wagner initially confessed surprise at the degree of interest some other coaches on campus showed in the team’s fortunes.

Then, he said, it dawned on him that it was their enlightened self-interest showing because, as football finances went, so too did those of the rest of the athletic department.

In a mediocre year, such as 2009, when UH went 6-7, the money that football drove into the department’s bank account essentially underwrote 10 or more non-income teams, according to UH figures.

Even in a very bad year, such as the 1-11 finish of 2013, football’s wake can keep five teams afloat.

That is the bottom line on why, despite the athletic department’s financial struggles, UH football isn’t going dark anytime soon.

As athletic director Ben Jay also told the Board of Regents Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics on Monday right after removing a loafer from his mouth, "… even if football goes away, all the revenues that football drives go away and then it becomes a costlier venture for the university."

Yes, doing away with football means wiping approximately $8 million in expenses off the balance sheet, according to recent UH numbers. But even in a bad year, it also means removing more than $9 million in football-generated income. 

That includes both direct revenue such as tickets, and allocated revenues, such as shares of TV and radio rights, corporate sponsorships, apparel contracts etc.

It does not take into account what it means to the university or state in media visibility or ancillary areas such as donations, parking fees during athletic events and signage.

 In 2009, according to a UH study of revenue streams, football produced approximately $11.6 million in direct and allocated revenue and cost about $7.7 million to operate, leaving a $3.89 million profit. That’s money that you could say essentially paid for indoor track, outdoor track, cross country, men’s golf, tennis, women’s golf, sailing, coed sailing. …

That, of course, did not include the now-onerous travel subsidies that amount to approximately $1.25 million per year since leaving the Western Athletic Conference.

In its better years, football has returned $1.50 — or more — in gross revenue on each dollar spent. In bad years, it is more like $1.10. Most years only one other sport, Rainbow Wahine volleyball, returns as much or more on the dollar and its profit isn’t enough to fund other sports.

As Jay also told the regents, even in down years, "Football makes money, just not enough" to support as many of the non-income sports UH operates.

Take away football and UH loses more than just its place in the Mountain West Conference. The number of sports that sink with football mean that Big West membership is likely no longer possible since the conference has a requirement on how many and which teams must compete. 

At that point, it is probably a matter of whether the Pac West Conference deigns to admit what’s left of UH.

That’s why, when football leaves the UH athletic program, it might as well turn out the lights for everybody.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.