The end of the TVC Hocking?

[caldwellbasketball]

I personally don't see any of the school mentioned actually losing their football program. Numbers in the program always have their ups and downs. Even if schools can field 15-20 on the roster, they will play the games. Football games bring in revenue. Even if your numbers are down, chances are, the visiting team will travel with enough fans to make it worth the districts time.

This topic caught my interest with us being a neighboring league who is losing teams currently. This post and one line in particular, the one about football generating revenue, really caught my attention. As a former athletic director and current basketball coach I can tell you that GOOD football generates revenue. If you, especially small schools, aren't winning at a reasonably high level chances are the best you are doing would be breaking even. We were a state ranked, regional finalist football team a few years ago and our gates ranged from 3-6 grand for 5 home games. When you factor in all costs, equipment, coaching contracts, busing, etc, football is not making or breaking your athletic budget (unless you're playing nine home games a year like Steubenville).

[enigmaax]

I personally don't see any of the school mentioned actually losing their football program. Numbers in the program always have their ups and downs. Even if schools can field 15-20 on the roster, they will play the games. Football games bring in revenue. Even if your numbers are down, chances are, the visiting team will travel with enough fans to make it worth the districts time.

This topic caught my interest with us being a neighboring league who is losing teams currently. This post and one line in particular, the one about football generating revenue, really caught my attention. As a former athletic director and current basketball coach I can tell you that GOOD football generates revenue. If you, especially small schools, aren't winning at a reasonably high level chances are the best you are doing would be breaking even. We were a state ranked, regional finalist football team a few years ago and our gates ranged from 3-6 grand for 5 home games. When you factor in all costs, equipment, coaching contracts, busing, etc, football is not making or breaking your athletic budget (unless you're playing nine home games a year like Steubenville).

I wondered about this. I think people sometimes think high schools operate like colleges, where a football budget might pay for many other sports. Football might bring in the most money, but I'd guess it's also the most expensive program to operate (more equipment, more upkeep, just running the lights, more officials per game, etc. - some things are small, but those little costs add up).

[Orange and Brown]

I personally don't see any of the school mentioned actually losing their football program. Numbers in the program always have their ups and downs. Even if schools can field 15-20 on the roster, they will play the games. Football games bring in revenue. Even if your numbers are down, chances are, the visiting team will travel with enough fans to make it worth the districts time.

This topic caught my interest with us being a neighboring league who is losing teams currently. This post and one line in particular, the one about football generating revenue, really caught my attention. As a former athletic director and current basketball coach I can tell you that GOOD football generates revenue. If you, especially small schools, aren't winning at a reasonably high level chances are the best you are doing would be breaking even. We were a state ranked, regional finalist football team a few years ago and our gates ranged from 3-6 grand for 5 home games. When you factor in all costs, equipment, coaching contracts, busing, etc, football is not making or breaking your athletic budget (unless you're playing nine home games a year like Steubenville).

I wondered about this. I think people sometimes think high schools operate like colleges, where a football budget might pay for many other sports. Football might bring in the most money, but I'd guess it's also the most expensive program to operate (more equipment, more upkeep, just running the lights, more officials per game, etc. - some things are small, but those little costs add up).

Football doesn't make much money when you factor in the costs involved.

[Mister Bee]

I personally don't see any of the school mentioned actually losing their football program. Numbers in the program always have their ups and downs. Even if schools can field 15-20 on the roster, they will play the games. Football games bring in revenue. Even if your numbers are down, chances are, the visiting team will travel with enough fans to make it worth the districts time.

This topic caught my interest with us being a neighboring league who is losing teams currently. This post and one line in particular, the one about football generating revenue, really caught my attention. As a former athletic director and current basketball coach I can tell you that GOOD football generates revenue. If you, especially small schools, aren't winning at a reasonably high level chances are the best you are doing would be breaking even. We were a state ranked, regional finalist football team a few years ago and our gates ranged from 3-6 grand for 5 home games. When you factor in all costs, equipment, coaching contracts, busing, etc, football is not making or breaking your athletic budget (unless you're playing nine home games a year like Steubenville).

Spot on. I have been saying this for years but the masses just don't believe this to be true but it is.

[MTSWNGRVSG]

For the small schools football can be a "catch 22". You can not afford it but you can not afford to get rid of it so you hope you can break even most years and make some money during the winning years. The cost for football just keeps going up and up like everything else. Football does bring in the most but it cost the most by far.

[formerfcfan]

Walnut Township Local Schools (Millersport, Fairfield County) just cancelled varsity football and a handful of their students from last year are now playing, and thus attending, neighboring districts.

It’s not the athletic department bottom line that matters more with small schools and football/extracurricular offering: it’s the per-pupil funding to be lost when kids are defecting your district to play for the neighboring school or a private for the opportunity to participate in more after-school activities.

[MTSWNGRVSG]

That is a very good post and does have to be taken into consideration, therefore "Catch 22."

[Dundas]

The hocking could afford to lose up to 3 teams. It was a viable division for years with 6 members. They will be fine if there are teams that have to drop football. If the hocking did end up losing a few, I could see river valley moving down for competitive reasons.

[Fonzie]

I personally don't see any of the school mentioned actually losing their football program. Numbers in the program always have their ups and downs. Even if schools can field 15-20 on the roster, they will play the games. Football games bring in revenue. Even if your numbers are down, chances are, the visiting team will travel with enough fans to make it worth the districts time.

This topic caught my interest with us being a neighboring league who is losing teams currently. This post and one line in particular, the one about football generating revenue, really caught my attention. As a former athletic director and current basketball coach I can tell you that GOOD football generates revenue. If you, especially small schools, aren't winning at a reasonably high level chances are the best you are doing would be breaking even. We were a state ranked, regional finalist football team a few years ago and our gates ranged from 3-6 grand for 5 home games. When you factor in all costs, equipment, coaching contracts, busing, etc, football is not making or breaking your athletic budget (unless you're playing nine home games a year like Steubenville).

I do not argue with any point in your post at all. I do however believe that small schools sometimes benefit from the community typically showing up even if its a 3-7 season. Does football bring in the big bucks for the athletic department, no. But compare football to a sport like baseball or softball, and any chance of profit is worth the risk. When several schools in the area do not even charge a gate to watch baseball or softball, there is next to no room of generating revenue. Sad truth when it comes to athletic budgets, if schools in the SE area didn't receive donations from businesses and individuals, there would not be programs at all. Kids already fund-raise for most of their equipment as is.

[caldwellbasketball]

I'm not saying football should go anywhere, actually the opposite, they should fight to keep it. There is nothing small towns identify with more than their football team and there is nothing better than small town football. I was simply pointing out the common misperception that football generates major revenue.

[Moose2175]

The hocking could afford to lose up to 3 teams. It was a viable division for years with 6 members. They will be fine if there are teams that have to drop football. If the hocking did end up losing a few, I could see river valley moving down for competitive reasons.

River Valley was plagued with injury due to they’re former coaching having a soft environment for the past 7 years...and I don’t think dropping teams solves anything other than certain schools chances of playoffs increase...

[Dundas]

The hocking could afford to lose up to 3 teams. It was a viable division for years with 6 members. They will be fine if there are teams that have to drop football. If the hocking did end up losing a few, I could see river valley moving down for competitive reasons.

River Valley was plagued with injury due to they’re former coaching having a soft environment for the past 7 years...and I don’t think dropping teams solves anything other than certain schools chances of playoffs increase...

That may be the case but historically, River Valley would be a good fit in the Hocking. I would only consider it if the Hocking were to lose teams though. RV has the numbers to compete in the Ohio Division. They’ve already proven that.