Hey man, want to buy some grass?

[Mazeppa]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9804238/texas-aggies-sell-playing-surface-football-season

[badger]

Texas A&M needs money badly. As much as they trumpet "$740 million in donations," they were likely just pledges that haven't been collected yet, and also likely to include people buying seats in a stadium upgrade that hasn't been built yet.

How badly does Texas A&M need money? Remember that Gauntlet game where the game chastised you repeatedly that your character needed food badly? THAT badly. Their football success and SEC move couldn't come at a more convenient time... to jack up ticket prices to among the highest in the nation. :rcmad:

[Mjcpr]

I can't imagine that A&M needs money badly. I would think they have plenty, just like UT.

Didn't OU do something similar with the benches or astro turf at Owen Field when it was renovated? It's just a way to generate additional revenue which anybody would do.

[badger]

I can't imagine that A&M needs money badly.

I know, and I'm sure things are looking up since they can money grub more than Johnny Football can right about now, but here's some links:

From 2009: (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/college_sports/big_12/article/Audit-says-A-M-has-problems-627092.php)


A&M athletics is no stranger to fiscal troubles this year. In June, then-university president Elsa Murano revealed as part of her annual review that the university had loaned the athletic department $16 million four years ago, and that the department must follow a strict business plan to now begin repaying the 10-year loan. A month later, Byrne slashed 17 jobs from the athletic department.

From 2011: (http://espn.go.com/dallas/ncf/story/_/id/6862025/texas-put-ego-envy-aside-moving-on)

UT's football department reportedly made nearly $70 million in profits; A&M's entire athletic budget last year was reportedly $66.8 million.

Remember that A&M until recently was not a large school, but an all-male nut squeezing corps that saluted a five-star collie dog. So, UT had a lot more donors (and casual fans that would rather support the one that won more often) to milk for funds than Aggie's Old Army.

[Mjcpr]

In 2011, A&M did not enjoy the newly negotiated Big XII TV contract or the SEC one they have now so I suspect they have a larger budget than that now.

[Mjcpr]

$120mm in total revenue in FY12 according to this....still before the big TV money I think.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/schools/finances/

[Bourbon St Sooner]

Is there a special cleansing you have to go through before you can buy a piece of the "sacred" turf?

[tycat947]

Remember that A&M until recently was not a large school, but an all-male nut squeezing corps that saluted a five-star collie dog. So, UT had a lot more donors (and casual fans that would rather support the one that won more often) to milk for funds than Aggie's Old Army.

Wow! You got that right!!! ROFL! Still PSYCHO after all these years!!!

[MyT Oklahoma]

Wow, this stuff would look great in front of my toilet bowl if I could only figure out a way to keep it fresh.

[badger]

$120mm in total revenue in FY12 according to this....still before the big TV money I think.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/schools/finances/

Once again, I have no doubt that their revenues lately have risen, but they have a lot of past debt to make up.

If they continue being competitive in the SEC and nationally ranked, they should make up their lost ground quickly. However, just being SEC'd with a big arse football stadium is no guarantee of future winning or no money problems. Look at Tennessee. (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8308243/tennessee-volunteers-athletic-department-posts-398-million-deficit) Seriously, I don't know how they could have screwed things up so badly (http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2013-01-28/tennessee-athletics-department-debt-200-million-sec-derek-dooley-dave-hart).

[Mjcpr]

Once again, I have no doubt that their revenues lately have risen, but they have a lot of past debt to make up.

If they continue being competitive in the SEC and nationally ranked, they should make up their lost ground quickly. However, just being SEC'd with a big arse football stadium is no guarantee of future winning or no money problems. Look at Tennessee. (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8308243/tennessee-volunteers-athletic-department-posts-398-million-deficit) Seriously, I don't know how they could have screwed things up so badly (http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2013-01-28/tennessee-athletics-department-debt-200-million-sec-derek-dooley-dave-hart).

A 10 year $16 million loan isn't very much debt if you're raking in $120mm in revenues. I don't know why they couldn't pay that off any time they wanted to but I'm not versed in A&M athletic department budgeting.

[sooner46]

Did the A&M athletic department get the money from Johnny footballs signatures? Somebody got it, you don't sign your name 4000 plus times and money not cross some ones hands.