University of Minnesota on 60 Minutes

[Gopher_In_NYC]

It sounds like the 1.6 million is what they save by cutting the 3 programs. My question is: If this is also a Title IX issue, does this mean they would have needed to add additional women's programs or scholarships in order to keep these sports? If so, is that included in the 1.6 million? Is that additional money that would be needed on top of the 1.6 million?

Still seems like a small amount and sucks royally for these 3 sports that are being cut. Feel for them.

Good questions.

I don't like/follow all sports, but don't like to see less opportunities for participation for those that pay them.

 

[#2Gopher]

Two speakers stood out that night of the most recent 60 minute show. One was the crook who is a good speaker justifying running the business he's in with the masks and the gloves prior to the U portion. He was quick on his feet like Teflon and his answers didn't bother him that it made him look more like a crook. The other obviously was Coyles. He perhaps isn't quick on his feet. Wants to absorb the information, process it, and make the right decision. There is nothing wrong with that. His answers would have been too slow for television and the public would have been all over that.

 

[Dano564]

I didn't watch 60 minutes.

But I'll say this...

Anyone who is suggesting the U would have looked better if Coyle had sat down with them, are LIARS.

Anyone who has seen Mark Coyle speak publicly should know by now, backwards, forwards, upwards, downwards, and inside-out that Mark is not good at public speaking, doing press conferences, and I shudder to think what a 60 minutes interview would have been like.

To suggest the U would have looked better had he sat down with them is simply disingenuous.

 

[MplsGopher]

I didn't watch 60 minutes.

But I'll say this...

Anyone who is suggesting the U would have looked better if Coyle had sat down with them, are LIARS.

Anyone who has seen Mark Coyle speak publicly should know by now, backwards, forwards, upwards, downwards, and inside-out that Mark is not good at public speaking, doing press conferences, and I shudder to think what a 60 minutes interview would have been like.

To suggest the U would have looked better had he sat down with them is simply disingenuous.

Maybe he would've just told the truth?

"We didn't cut men's gymnastics because we needed the money. We cut it, because there shouldn't be such a thing as NCAA varsity DI men's gymnastics. There is no interest in the sport in this country, outside the Olympics. If you're a male gymnast who is good enough to make the Olympic team, then you'll be training for that with your club team from an early age. You don't need the NCAA for that."

 

[RememberMurray]

Disclaimer: I didn't see the 60 Minutes episode in full, but I saw a couple of minutes of it.

My impression, based admittedly on incomplete viewing:

Cutting non-revenue men's athletic programs may have more to do with meeting Title IX requirements (varsity athlete numbers, broken down by gender, must approximately match student body numbers, broken down by gender) than it does with money issues.

If women are 54%, say, of the overall student body, then 54% of athletes must be female. To achieve those equal numbers, it is far simpler to reduce the number of male athletes than is to increase female participation. Therefore, cuts are made to non-revenue men's sports.

If I'm wrong about this, please put me straight. I'm serious.

 

[Word]

Disclaimer: I didn't see the 60 Minutes episode in full, but I saw a couple of minutes of it.

My impression, based admittedly on incomplete viewing:

Cutting non-revenue men's athletic programs may have more to do with meeting Title IX requirements (varsity athlete numbers, broken down by gender, must approximately match student body numbers, broken down by gender) than it does with money issues.

If women are 54%, say, of the overall student body, then 54% of athletes must be female. To achieve those equal numbers, it is far simpler to reduce the number of male athletes than is to increase female participation. Therefore, cuts are made to non-revenue men's sports.

If I'm wrong about this, please put me straight. I'm serious.

That's exactly it, plus perhaps a little bit of wanting to make it look like they are doing something to help the budget woes.

 

[RememberMurray]

That's exactly it, plus perhaps a little bit of wanting to make it look like they are doing something to help the budget woes.

If that's the real issue, then I can see why Coyle did not want to stand in front on a national TV audience and blame the cutting of men's gymnastics on Title IX.

That would be the absolute epitome of a no-win scenario.

By the way, I'm in favor of Title IX.

 

[RememberMurray]

Boomers are all seniors at this point.
For every stereotype there is an ounce of truth and the rest is generalization.
Its all a bullshit warped social/MS media perversion to create an us vs. them narrative. Old people have criticized the young generation as lazy bums since the beginning of time.

Pretty much spot on, if a bit on the nose, a la 'Captain Obvious'.

— Boomers are seniors. Ummmm, yeah...

— Yes, stereotypes are sometimes and in some ways based on truth.

— 'Us vs. them' is a narrative pushed by certain people for their own ends; now, that is all too true. And has been especially obvious during the most recent four years in the U.S.

— Oldsters criticize young people; yes, I believe I alluded to that fact.

So, in short, I agree.

None of which negates my point that ageism is as dubious, counter-productive and nasty as any other "ism".

 

[Word]

Disclaimer: I didn't see the 60 Minutes episode in full, but I saw a couple of minutes of it.

My impression, based admittedly on incomplete viewing:

Cutting non-revenue men's athletic programs may have more to do with meeting Title IX requirements (varsity athlete numbers, broken down by gender, must approximately match student body numbers, broken down by gender) than it does with money issues.

If women are 54%, say, of the overall student body, then 54% of athletes must be female. To achieve those equal numbers, it is far simpler to reduce the number of male athletes than is to increase female participation. Therefore, cuts are made to non-revenue men's sports.

If I'm wrong about this, please put me straight. I'm serious.

Another question is why do we not have 50/50 mens/women's student enrollment. Seems like it shouldn't be difficult to get that balanced.

 

[bamor5229]

Another question is why do we not have 50/50 mens/women's student enrollment. Seems like it shouldn't be difficult to get that balanced.

Balanced historically or for 2020? There is no such thing as balanced anymore depending on whom you ask. Someone or some group will always have greater representation based on who has the power.

 

[RememberMurray]

Balanced historically or for 2020? There is no such thing as balanced anymore depending on whom you ask. Someone or some group will always have greater representation based on who has the power.

I don't think the overall gender breakdown of the student population at the U is necessarily based on who "has the power." At least, I've never seen any evidence that that's the case.

 

[GoldenRodents]

If that's the real issue, then I can see why Coyle did not want to stand in front on a national TV audience and blame the cutting of men's gymnastics on Title IX.

That would be the absolute epitome of a no-win scenario.

By the way, I'm in favor of Title IX.

Title IX is part of our contemporary mythology. I remember when they ran around campus dangling scholarships for the new rowing team.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Title IX is part of our contemporary mythology. I remember when they ran around campus dangling scholarships for the new rowing team.

It’s not a bad thing. The university is supposed to provide an opportunity to people. The fact that all universities are balancing budgets on the backs Olympic or non revenue sports while spending money like drunkin sailers on football and basketball facilities is not right.
covid-19 provided a convenient excuse for coyle to cut these sports and thats it.

 

[Some guy]

It’s not a bad thing. The university is supposed to provide an opportunity to people. The fact that all universities are balancing budgets on the backs Olympic or non revenue sports while spending money like drunkin sailers on football and basketball facilities is not right.
covid-19 provided a convenient excuse for coyle to cut these sports and thats it.

You should go post on the rowing message board.



here is the deal...I would like to be successful in the two sports I care about...football and basketball....unless everyone stops “spending like drunken sailors” you have to to keep up.

If you want Minnesota to cut football and basketball spending while nobody else is...we will fall behind. I don’t need to be some virtuous losing program for the sake of men’s gymnastics. Not worth it.

I’d rather money be reallocated away from men’s gymnastics towards something else anyways. Since the Berlin Wall fell im not sure anyone in America has cared about men’s gymnastics.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

You should go post on the rowing message board.



here is the deal...I would like to be successful in the two sports I care about...football and basketball....unless everyone stops “spending like drunken sailors” you have to to keep up.

If you want Minnesota to cut football and basketball spending while nobody else is...we will fall behind. I don’t need to be some virtuous losing program for the sake of men’s gymnastics. Not worth it.

I’d rather money be reallocated away from men’s gymnastics towards something else anyways. Since the Berlin Wall fell im not sure anyone in America has cared about men’s gymnastics.

It’s a college not a business their goal should not be to make money. Yes it an unholy arms race between universities to out for each other. That’s why they should pay college football players otherwise all the money they generate just goes to bloated college coaches salaries and to unneeded buildings for the athletes to use. The fact that you have to have a cable subscription to watch basically all football and basketball games is a joke. They should be available on local tv so everyone has access to watch them not a select few with cable or a various subscription services. If the university doesn’t like that the state should stop giving them money each year towards their budget. Let them operate as a for profit university and tax the hell out of them. Imagine what the real estate taxes would be on the university of Minnesota’s twin cities campus and what that would mean towards the cities and counties budgets.

 

[Some guy]

It’s a college not a business their goal should not be to make money. Yes it an unholy arms race between universities to out for each other. That’s why they should pay college football players otherwise all the money they generate just goes to bloated college coaches salaries and to unneeded buildings for the athletes to use. The fact that you have to have a cable subscription to watch basically all football and basketball games is a joke. They should be available on local tv so everyone has access to watch them not a select few with cable or a various subscription services. If the university doesn’t like that the state should stop giving them money each year towards their budget. Let them operate as a for profit university and tax the hell out of them. Imagine what the real estate taxes would be on the university of Minnesota’s twin cities campus and what that would mean towards the cities and counties budgets.

What color is the sky in your world?

 

[GopherVotary]

It’s a college not a business their goal should not be to make money. Yes it an unholy arms race between universities to out for each other. That’s why they should pay college football players otherwise all the money they generate just goes to bloated college coaches salaries and to unneeded buildings for the athletes to use. The fact that you have to have a cable subscription to watch basically all football and basketball games is a joke. They should be available on local tv so everyone has access to watch them not a select few with cable or a various subscription services. If the university doesn’t like that the state should stop giving them money each year towards their budget. Let them operate as a for profit university and tax the hell out of them. Imagine what the real estate taxes would be on the university of Minnesota’s twin cities campus and what that would mean towards the cities and counties budgets.

There shouldn’t be any wars, either!

 

[From the Parkinglot]

What color is the sky in your world?

Colleges and universities can’t have it both ways. You can’t tell me all the time about offering opportunities for people to expand their world and better themselves, then offer less opportunities to student athletes in sports because they are not on tv.

sky is grey but supposed to be sunny this afternoon.

 

[Some guy]

Colleges and universities can’t have it both ways. You can’t tell me all the time about offering opportunities for people to expand their world and better themselves, then offer less opportunities to student athletes in sports because they are not on tv.

sky is grey but supposed to be sunny this afternoon.

You can’t?
Yes you can. They literally do it.


if you really find it that offensive it is really odd you spend your time on a college football message board

 

[Tommyboy]

The University has become soft and lazy on tax payers money. They have had so much money thrown at them for so many decades that they have become fat and lazy. Look at the amount of misconduct they have had with research money in the past. Despite all the resources in the world they had to sell out to Fairview to run their hospital. The diversity that they have removed from the campus is the same diversity that gave them strength. If you look at the quality of students in the respected programs they are the top. You cannot say that for the football and basketball programs. Have a cap across the board on coaches salaries and use the remaining money for the programs in need. I am sure PJ who would most likely be a grade school teacher if he was not coaching, could live off 1.5 million per year.

 

[Some guy]

The University has become soft and lazy on tax payers money. They have had so much money thrown at them for so many decades that they have become fat and lazy. Look at the amount of misconduct they have had with research money in the past. Despite all the resources in the world they had to sell out to Fairview to run their hospital. The diversity that they have removed from the campus is the same diversity that gave them strength. If you look at the quality of students in the respected programs they are the top. You cannot say that for the football and basketball programs. Have a cap across the board on coaches salaries and use the remaining money for the programs in need. I am sure PJ who would most likely be a grade school teacher if he was not coaching, could live off 1.5 million per year.

Less than 20% of the university’s budget...so less than 20% of your complaint is relevant

 

[From the Parkinglot]

You can’t?
Yes you can. They literally do it.


if you really find it that offensive it is really odd you spend your time on a college football message board

It’s incredibly hypocritical of them then. Just cause I don’t think they should eliminate sports doesn’t mean I don’t like gopher football. I owe them 34 great years of misery, heartbreak, and ineptitude.

 

[Some guy]

It’s incredibly hypocritical of them then. Just cause I don’t think they should eliminate sports doesn’t mean I don’t like gopher football. I owe them 34 great years of misery, heartbreak, and ineptitude.

It’s hypocritical for an athletics department that has been tasked with being self-sufficient (by having general fund dollars essentially eliminated) making moves to become self—sufficient?

I think you’d have a better argument if the athletics department was majority funded by general Ed dollars from state funding.

less than 20% of university money is from tax money. The athletics department has essentially been told not to ask for money.

 

[tikited]

So let me get this straight. Some in the media have a problem with some smaller sports being cut while football keeps chugging away. I wonder how many times Pat, or the others, covered gymnastics, track, etc.? I bet never. They only care now.

 

[Some guy]

So let me get this straight. Some in the media have a problem with some smaller sports being cut while football keeps chugging away. I wonder how many times Pat, or the others, covered gymnastics, track, etc.? I bet never. They only care now.

Pat will on occasion.

The better question:

How many times have they publicly written about the need to fund athletics with public dollars rather than athletics department dollars so that it isn’t a:
Be competitive in revenue sports and cut non revenue vs fund non revenue sports at the expense of being competitive in revenue sports

decision:

I would guess that 2019 football made the university money that isn’t directly measurable.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

So let me get this straight. Some in the media have a problem with some smaller sports being cut while football keeps chugging away. I wonder how many times Pat, or the others, covered gymnastics, track, etc.? I bet never. They only care now.

That’s a blatantly false comment. Megan Ryan, Joe Christensen, Rachel Blount all write stories on the non revenue sports. Not many people with the startribune have been a bigger writer is women’s volleyball than Pat. It should not matter that they don’t care it should matter to you. You should take pride in the university in what they display. They have provided nothing but bad headlines for decades now and this is just another one.

 

[tikited]

That’s a blatantly false comment. Megan Ryan, Joe Christensen, Rachel Blount all write stories on the non revenue sports. Not many people with the startribune have been a bigger writer is women’s volleyball than Pat. It should not matter that they don’t care it should matter to you. You should take pride in the university in what they display. They have provided nothing but bad headlines for decades now and this is just another one.

I will take your word on the coverage part. I honestly don't remember Pat covering any U of M sport positively in years.

I care, but I also understand the reality of big time sports being cut throat.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

That’s a blatantly false comment. Megan Ryan, Joe Christensen, Rachel Blount all write stories on the non revenue sports. Not many people with the startribune have been a bigger writer is women’s volleyball than Pat. It should not matter that they don’t care it should matter to you. You should take pride in the university in what they display. They have provided nothing but bad headlines for decades now and this is just another one.

Before they started winning?

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Before they started winning?

Well they have been winning since they Mike Hebert from Illinois in 1996. They don’t always win but they also play in the best conference in the country. I’m not naive, yes winning helps you to write a story.

 

[Iceland12]

I will take your word on the coverage part. I honestly don't remember Pat covering any U of M sport positively in years.

I care, but I also understand the reality of big time sports being cut throat.

Pat has shown a little interest in Baseball at the U. He also has shown interest in Women's Volleyball and to a lesser extent Basketball and Softball. Nothing wrong with that. Volleyball and Softball have been consistent winners.

That's not why Pat started covering them.

His coverage of the Girl's H.S. Basketball Tourney started it. Where he referred to the Girls as "tippy-toe jump shooters". No leaving the ground. After that, on the radio at least, he said he had been instructed to cover more Women's events. Oh and to hold the "snark".

Aside from feature pieces, much like some posters on here, he only brings up the success of the Non-Revenue programs to take a shot at the Football Program.

Go figure.