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Post by The Cats on Sept 4, 2020 8:52:14 GMT -5
Collegiate Consulting Completes Sports Sponsorship Study for Western Carolina
CULLOWHEE, NC (SEPT. 4, 2020) – Western Carolina University brought on Collegiate Consulting to conduct a sports sponsorship study. The institution, a Southern Conference member since 1976, is exploring the possibility of adding sports programs.
The study includes an analysis of the athletic department’s current budget, financial aid allocation, and competitiveness, as well as program specific figures for men’s wrestling and the two women’s sports explored - women’s lacrosse, and women’s wrestling.
Within the region, there are 19 men’s wrestling teams, 26 women’s lacrosse teams, and nine women’s wrestling teams. The NCAA has recently announced the addition of women’s wrestling as an emerging sport. Within the state of North Carolina, high school men’s wrestling participation is high, while women’s lacrosse continues to grow.
Collegiate Consulting developed a five-year timeline for men’s wrestling and each women’s sport. For men’s wrestling, the starting operating budget is $112,500 with a two-person coaching staff by 2022. The Division I financial aid maximum for men’s wrestling, 9.90 scholarships, would be reached under Collegiate Consulting’s recommendation via a staggered model by 2024. Women’s lacrosse would have a coaching staff size of two and an operating budget of $136,900. Women’s wrestling would have a scholarship cap of 4.0; with a head coach and year one operating budget of $85,000.
An 18-month ramp up schedule was developed starting in 2021-22 with a partial schedule. Western Carolina currently has 16 sports, with men’s wrestling potentially being its eighth men’s program.
About Collegiate Consulting: Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Collegiate Consulting is a comprehensive solutions-based intercollegiate consulting firm focused on offering athletic departments, conferences and associations a single-entity resource across an extensive platform of services. Since their inception in 2005, Collegiate Consulting has worked with over 550 institutions on projects such as searches like Saint Leo’s, feasibility studies, operational studies and strategic planning.
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Post by catamountfanatic07 on Sept 4, 2020 20:04:36 GMT -5
I would guess this stems from one of the board of trustees wanting to know about adding wrestling a while back. Wonder how much we are spending doing this feasibility study?
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Post by wcu72 on Sept 4, 2020 20:18:03 GMT -5
I would guess this stems from one of the board of trustees wanting to know about adding wrestling a while back. Wonder how much we are spending doing this feasibility study? Reading the article, I'd say the study is complete. They gave a time line and costs for the three programs. It's hard to understand how WCU could be considering adding sports while all these other schools are dropping sports. But, WCU does carry the minimum number to remain DI, so there is certainly room to grow. None of the sports would require additional facilities. |
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Post by catamountfanatic07 on Sept 4, 2020 20:29:19 GMT -5
I would guess this stems from one of the board of trustees wanting to know about adding wrestling a while back. Wonder how much we are spending doing this feasibility study? Reading the article, I'd say the study is complete. They gave a time line and costs for the three programs. It's hard to understand how WCU could be considering adding sports while all these other schools are dropping sports. But, WCU does carry the minimum number to remain DI, so there is certainly room to grow. None of the sports would require additional facilities. Yes should have said how much was spent. Casey Cooper is the one who wants to add wrestling. I agree plenty of room to grow but we need to fully fund what we have first in my opinion. |
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Post by bonsaiburke on Sept 4, 2020 20:47:02 GMT -5
Maybe by adding a few sports you can eliminate some of the ones that require facilities and the extra costs there. Men's baseball, women's softball or tennis are the ones where you could gain some space back.
Not saying it will happen baseball fans...
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Post by CharlotteCat on Sept 5, 2020 7:51:57 GMT -5
Maybe by adding a few sports you can eliminate some of the ones that require facilities and the extra costs there. Men's baseball, women's softball or tennis are the ones where you could gain some space back. Not saying it will happen baseball fans... Why eliminate sports that we already have facilities for? We've got great softball and tennis facilities. While baseball needs upgrades, I don't think this would be wise to eliminate any of those sports. Seems to me I remember an article that indicates many non-revenue sports actually brings students to campus, students that pay most or all of their tuition, for the opportunity to play that sport. |
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Post by bonsaiburke on Sept 5, 2020 13:52:53 GMT -5
Maybe by adding a few sports you can eliminate some of the ones that require facilities and the extra costs there. Men's baseball, women's softball or tennis are the ones where you could gain some space back. Not saying it will happen baseball fans... Why eliminate sports that we already have facilities for? We've got great softball and tennis facilities. While baseball needs upgrades, I don't think this would be wise to eliminate any of those sports. Seems to me I remember an article that indicates many non-revenue sports actually brings students to campus, students that pay most or all of their tuition, for the opportunity to play that sport. You would eliminate the facilities that cost upkeep and take up valuable land. Women's lacrosse would just be played on the soccer field and wrestling would be in the Ramsey center. I'm not saying that they should or will be eliminated, just trying to figure out a possible reason for adding more sports. |
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Post by catamountfanatic07 on Sept 6, 2020 9:42:16 GMT -5
There are no plans to actually add anything to athletics now. Appears this study was to appease BofT member Casey Cooper who was very vocal about adding wrestling a couple years ago.
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Post by FLCATAMOUNT on Sept 6, 2020 18:34:24 GMT -5
There are no plans to actually add anything to athletics now. Appears this study was to appease BofT member Casey Cooper who was very vocal about adding wrestling a couple years ago. That’s just dumb to think about adding sports at Western. We can’t fully fund the sports we have. Not surprised our BOT would waste money on a go nowhere study. We need to work on funding the sports we have and improving our facilities before adding any sports. That is idiotic. We are run by morons. |
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Post by scottbeach on Sept 10, 2020 22:52:16 GMT -5
It would be really nice to get better at what we do, now.
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