Originally Posted by
s-squared
As a former member, I get lured to these forums about once a year to read the latest discussions about the BoP. I come close to posting, but in the end never do. I for one am of the opinion that the BoP, budget “problems” aside, does a half-assed job. I, like many here, feel this is mainly a band administration problem. BUT, that is not the topic of this thread.
Now on to the real issue at hand – the band traveling to San Diego. What the BoP members fail to realize is that, despite the effort they put in all year, and despite how much they bitch and moan, Dan Reneau isn’t the FED and can’t just print money to foot the band’s bill. Bowl games (and even athletics) aside, the last 5 years have been a budgetary nightmare for Tech. Tech has managed to carve out a budget that has allowed it to meet its primary purpose – education. And with the support of donors, it has managed to continue to build its athletic programs; however, bowl games and extra travel expenses are not part of that budget.
Yes, Tech will get a payout from the bowl game. The truth, however, is that the payout will probably not even cover Tech’s ticket allotment. I don’t know how many tickets Tech received, but in 2010, Navy received 13,000. They were able to sell their ticket allotment because the Poinsettia Bowl is played in San Diego, the home port of the Pacific Fleet. Tech does not have that luxury. The purpose of any bowl game is to make money, so it’s safe to say that they want to sell out Qualcomm Stadium (70,561 seats). For fun, let’s say Tech received the same 13,000 tickets Navy did. Tech is selling tickets for $35, $45, and $55, depending on location. So, let’s say they received the tickets for $25 apiece. Just in tickets, that is $325,000 Tech has to cover (I doubt 13,000 people will travel from Ruston to the game). They then have to get the team, equipment, and administration there (Yes, the administration could cover their expenses, but they don’t have to. Stop griping about it. When you’re president of a university, you can cover your own way, though I highly doubt you would). They then have to house, and feed them. Hotels are negotiated by the bowl organizers, so they are locked in on price. All these costs must be met before they even consider the cost of bringing the band.
Now, let’s look at the cost of bring the band. *****DISCLAIMER – THESE COSTS ARE ESTIMATED**** First, they have to get the band there. Because no organization (aside from probably the football team) is chartering a plane, they must pay the full ticket price. Any search for tickets from Shreveport or Monroe to San Diego will show that you can’t get a ticket for cheaper than $500. For argument-sake, let’s say a ticket price was negotiated for $450/member. $450 x 150 members = $67,500 for airfare (I assume chartering a plane would be close to the same cost). Second, the band needs a place to stay. As I said before, hotel prices were locked in by the bowl organizers. Reserved rooms for Tech fans are locked in at $129/night. Let’s say the band puts 4 in a room, so we’ll book them 40 rooms (I’m sure the directors and band admin won’t be staying in rooms with the kids). 40 rooms x 4 nights X $129/night = $20,640 for hotel rooms. Once the band is in San Diego, they have to be transported to all the events. They will need at least 2 buses. Let’s say the average cost per day of chartering a bus in $1000. So, 2 buses X $1000 X 5 days = $10,000 for transportation. Finally, once they’re there, they’ll need to eat. Let’s say the band is given $30/day for food. That’s $30 x 5 days x 150 members = $22,500 for food.
Adding all that up, we arrive at a rough estimate of $120,640. I went light on those numbers (I think…), and they don’t include baggage fees (if applicable) and transportation of the band’s equipment (tubas, percussion, euphoniums, and mellophones – everything else can fit in the overhead compartment). Now, they are currently sending 50 band members. That means they are paying $40,213 already, leaving AT LEAST $80,427 for the band to come up with.
Will the university look better if the whole band goes? Yes! Do I want to see the whole band go? Yes! Does Dan Reneau want to see the whole band go? Yes! (despite the band’s opinion…) But, the fact of the matter is that the university doesn’t have the extra money. If the band wants to go, they need to stop griping and get on the phone to some wealthy alumni, set up a fund, wash a s**t-ton of cars, or SOMETHING. Starting a petition to Dr. Reneau and threatening to take the story to the media will not help, just like sitting on your ass with your hand out won’t.
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