Consistent sellouts could be one way to help UTEP Athletics. (Photo: Brian Kanof)
EL PASO, Texas – There are three things that elicit the disdain of any college student: parking fees, the lack of parking and tuition.
Nothing seems to make a student gripe more than those three things during their tenure at a college or university. On cue, UTEP has those same problems in the form of expensive parking permit fees and rising tuition.
Then there was the new Campus Life and Athletics Enhancement fee that was proposed earlier in the spring semester.
Personally I was for the fee only because I’m looking toward the future of the athletic program and, what some people seem to forget, $1 million for student activities. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that $1 million would have made a difference for campus, but it’s certainly a start right?
All I’m going to do is say that the students have disappointed me in the worst possible way by voting against the fee 2339-1267.
You have no pride. There, I said it.
Yes, I’m going to stand on my soapbox and preach that the student population at UTEP has no pride in its sports. With the overwhelming decision to disapprove the fee to improve athletics, you’re saying just that.
As a college student I’d be lying if I said that I’m for adding another fee to my tuition, but when it means that I have a small hand in improving the team I live and die for, I’ll do it in a heartbeat.
That seems to put me in the minority in El Paso for some reason, although; I can use the dreaded F-word to say what I think the citizens of the Sun City and students of UTEP have displayed over the years – fair-weather fans – all of you.
Curse me all you want but it’s the truth. If you assess the current situation and see it from a neutral standpoint you would realize how pathetic it is that the Sun Bowl, Don Haskins Center, Helen of Troy Softball Complex, Memorial Gym and University Soccer Field cannot sellout every night.
If that happened I would have to guess, since I don’t assume, that a fee would not need to be voted on. Until then it’s a mute point to argue so here’s what the students said no to.
Again, I’m just here to throw out some facts and let you make your own decision.
The fee would have given the athletics department and extra $5 million, in the first year, and $7 million in the second to use for a number of things that included recruiting and signing coaches to larger contracts. It would have added about $3 to $5 million since the students already paid about $2 million to athletics through fees. That extra revenue would have been made by charging $240 and $360 dollars in student fees in the first and second years, respectively.
Do I believe the Campus Life and Athletics Fee was needed?
Yes, in a big way, but I also feel the administration could have gone about it a different way.
The main thing would have been to market it a bit better by having coaches and players talk to the student body to inform them of what the fee would have done to help their cause. The price tag could also be debated but I think it was a fair number based on the outrageous prices over the state of Texas and even the country.
It’s obvious, as I mentioned before, that there are a few things that irk college students but there is always one binding factor that would bring them all together to forget their worries: athletic events.
With their decision to not approve the athletic fee the students have not only dropped the ball when they’re the first to complain about their sports teams but they’ve shown how much they truly support their school.
That’s the saddest thing about this whole thing but it’s not shocking.
The coaches and players will do their part to ensure you have winning seasons and something to cheer for year and year out, but if the Miners dive into mediocrity you can look in the mirror because you can truly say you’re a part of the reason for it.
If the student body doesn’t support its teams through thick and thin, which has been proven when the student section isn’t filled despite having free tickets, then alternative methods will need to be researched.
Here’s one that’s outside of the box.
I say make the student section smaller and charge students $10 a ticket. On top of that you could also charge a one-time fee for students to get a season pass that would be able to be tracked on their UTEP ID card.
There you have it.
In two sentences I have proposed a way to make a non-revenue section of the Sun Bowl and Don Haskins Center into money makers. You can thank me later.
The first thing students would say is: “Why should we be charged?”
Well that’s what happens when you put the decision in someone else’s hands. Whether this measure will be taken, or even mentioned, we’ll never know but one thing is for sure: The students have shown that they do not support their universities athletic teams and that’s sad.
True, it’s not your responsibility to take on the onus of a new fee but don’t be the first in line to complain when you’re watching a team struggle because they couldn’t land a star recruit or the head coach moves onto greener pastures.
Better add another gripe for UTEP students to that list because I may have just flipped a switch in someone’s head.
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Nicely said Carlos!!! and I would have to say that I agree with that student fee on their tickets. I mean, I’ve been going to UTEP basketball games and football games for a while now, and the football student section is never full!! make that section smaller and sell the rest as general admission. utep basketball was NEVER full until this season!! I’d say cut part of that student section up and make it a limited number of seats only…the rest…sell as general admission or bronze seats.
Well, if its not layed on the burden of the student body, whos burden should it be?? almost every other big schools in Texas (UT-Austin, Texas Tech, Baylor, Texas A&M, TCU ) they all have an an athletics fee!! and i would have to say that is why their athletics is waaaaay more talented than UTEPs. We need to put UTEP and El Paso back on the map, kids!! This will benefit EVERYONE in the long run!!!
Another way UTEP can get funding is through their alumni association as well. Grads are making way more than the current college kids, and they should offer perks in order to lure in the money.
Whatever the case may be, UTEPs student body should reconsider this fee or maybe alter it a little so that students wont feel the pain in their pockets as much.
It is very unfortunate that the proposal did not pass, but it is also unfortunate that the school has raised tuition almost every semester for the past about 3 years. The worst part about it is that the school thought about doing this way too late. They had already reached their hands too far into the students pockets over the last couple years to expect for the students to willingly raise their tuition. Granted it was for a good cause, but believe it or not the majority of UTEP students don’t follow athletics closely enough to care to raise their tuition. Have you seen the size our student section? Also, even though there probably were enough students in favor of passing the proposal to do so, most of them probably just didn’t care to take the time to go vote. That’s kind of the way any voting happens at UTEP. That’s why only 3500 of about 20 some thousand voted.
Well done, Carlos, and I’m sure we’ll discuss further in tomorrow podcast because you and the commentators have brought up great points.
Great article Carlos!! I totally agree with you!! I am a current student and I did vote for the athletic fee but unfortunately my vote was not enough. I dont understand why students complain that they should not use the money on sports. Usually their argument is that the money should be used for other things like computers, better facilities, etc. Well where do you think we get some of that money from!? Having successful sports teams brings in money for the school and that money is not just spent on the sports programs. The money made from ticket sales, etc. goes to the school not just to the sports programs. I see it as an investment into the school not sports… but thats just my opinion. Well whatever they decide to do in order to get more money into the sports programs is fine by me even if they take my free student tickets away I will still be there to support the miners.
Carlos, great article and believe me if the students cared about UTEP athletics as much as you and most of the posters on this site the voting would have been a lot different. Charging students would be a great start and not that ten bucks is not affordable, but even starting at five bucks and working your way up over time would be a big help. I do admit El Paso and UTEP students are fair weather fans, but I have and never will confuse UTEP with the schools that were mentioned from another poster until the students, alumni and people of El Paso do their part. I was born and raised in El Paso and grew up a sports nut who loved UTEP sports (mainly Football and Basketball, no disrespect to other sports), but I have I have to say it still difficult to see the people of El Paso and UTEP students not supporting their school especially with how much the city has been growing over the last ten years or so. I have to admit though that if Price and the football team could have put together a couple bowl games over the last few years things might be a little different, but even then I don’t think fan support would be enough. I really hope that the Floyd hiring and possible resurgence by the football team will get the fans to the DON and Sun Bowl.
Ditto
What El Paso needs is an understanding of how it all works, those of us who have actually ventured away from El Chuco have seen how things should and can be done. With the internet we have a way to help straighten this out, for those gifted in setting words to pen I suggest an email,facebook,blog campaign, post everywhere ,on every TV station sports blog etc..also if us out a towners knew when to call into the local sports radio shows we could overwhelm the airwaves with the positives that come with supporting your team at all times, I suggest someone (Frat or Sorority-buisness owner,example) in El Paso could start a “Pick’s Up Party” movement, they could collectively work with all the Pro Utep message boards etc ..,Untill the fans locally start to push the positives into the light the average El Pasoan will continue to focus on all the negatives sorrounding MIner Athletics.
PICK’s UP PICK’s UP 1….2….3…. BOOM!!!
GO MINERS!!!
Kidd… love the Pick’s Up party Idea. it only takes a little bit of energy and excitement to get things going. Maybe that would give students a reason to buy into the athletics program and BELIEVE in their classmates and the school. Buy a ticket, support your school… what a spectacular concept!
Nicely said Carlos. I honestly think that UTEP should just charge the students an extra $8 a credit hour a semester on the “student service fees” section to meet the proposed $1 Million for the athletic department. Other schools do not ask their students if they want an athletic fee, and neither should UTEP if they wish to become more than a stepping stone to coaches such as Billy Gillespie and Tony Barbee. UTEP’s attempt to reach Tier 1 status, believe it or not, starts with athletics.
I mean no disrespect to anyone, but I don’t know why people continue to discuss Tier 1 status. I can appreciate UTEP having goals and wanting to improve thier university. But, there are a lot of great schools out their aren’t tier 1 schools, and I believe Rice is the only Tier 1 school in CUSA. I am glad that UTEP is wanting to move up the rankings, but UTEP will have a hard time reaching a Tier 3 status in my lifetime. UTEP should temper there goals just a bit and strive for something a little more attainable. I applaud the university wanting to make UTEP one of the best schools in the country, but let’s face reality and deal with the cards they have been dealt.
Zach,
I agree with everything you said minus the Tier-One status. I thought that was the biggest mistake made by administrators was to lump it in with this fee. True, the better athletics would give us better exposure and maybe more money and fame on field, but I think that’s all it would do.
The fact that the administration decided to give the students a vote was a great idea but they needed to inform them a bit better and not try to pass it under their noses as they attempted to do on the first go around.
UTEP is still about 10 to 15 years away from being a Tier-One institution. They’ve got a long way to go and for all intents and purposes, we should keep athletics and academics seperate unless we’re talking about the athletes.
That’s just my two cents.
KiddMiner,
It doesn’t take that much to get the community behind a sport. Just take a look at what happened with basketball and football a year ago. I think the onus falls upon the marketing staff to be honest. Not to say they dropped the ball but I feel a little more community, more speciafically, student outreach is needed.
Unless there’s a pep rally held you’d never know there was a buzz for sports in general on campus. That’s what saddens me the most.
No offense La Onda, but that’s exactly what is wrong with El Paso. Everyone is just comfortable with what has been dealt and no one strives to go anywhere in this town. Everyone is just fine where they are at. Regardless I’m kind of lost as to why you feel that UTEP could never gain tier 1 status. I understand it’s not a Stanford, Princeton, ND or any other school of that caliber, but what would keep UTEP from earning it??
Also, even if UTEP were to never get Tier 1 status, I think it’s great that the university sets its sights higher than most people think of it.
Great points by both and I am not saying I don’t want El Paso to go for it and I try my best to support the Miners however I can and I didn’t even go to UTEP. I hope people are uncomfortable because I read on an EP forum how bad graduation rates are for not only athlethes but the entire school. I want what is best for my hometown and I if UTEP ever reaches Tier 1 status I will be one of the first to applaud the efforts. Carlos is on board, 10-15 years? I hope you are right, but hey you have to start sometime, right?
LaOnda,
We live in an age of now and wanting things to happen this instant. Tier 1 isn’t one of those things that will happen automatically. If UTEP wants some consideration for this I believe they’ll have to put a stop to their open enrollment and probably some other things need to happen as well.
Again, I don’t want to jump into this because I think it’s a topic for another day but that’s my opinion.
Carlos,
Great points and thanks for insight I wasn’t trying to open can of worms, but what you are saying would be a great start. Last thing, my wife, who was fortunate enough to attend a Tier 1 school mentioned that Tulsa, SMU and Tulsa are Tier 1 schools from CUSA along with Rice so apologies to any students, alumni or fans. Go Miners!
Sorry meant Tulane, I put Tulsa twice.
We actually discussed this a few weeks ago on another Miner blog, therefore I will simply cut, copy & paste what I wrote there, plus Adrian Mac, the main proprietor of that site had a pretty good column on it as well.
MinerMike “In the interest of full disclosure…. I went ‘No’ on this poll. I love Miner sports but that appears to be quite a hefty leap in tuition rates for much of which are local students that attend this University. I definetly understand the potential benefits that could be achieved I just don’t know if it’s necessary at this point to put it on the backs of the students. If the students go “Yes” I’m all for it, as this could be huge for our Alma Mater but I guess I would’ve rather had a larger commitment from the boosters and season ticket holders with a smaller tuition increase first.”
http://www.minerrush.com/2010/4/21/1435700/big-vote-miner-students-vote-on#comments
UTEP has to strive for Tier 1 status, however. It’s awful difficult to do that if the students can’t figure out how that minimal fee increase can begin a tidal wave of advancement (which most of El Pasoans seems to b absolutely terrified of). The more money they spend on the athletic program, the more the athletic program brings in to the university’s general fund. The more money that’s put into the general fund, the more money can be spent on facilities, better professors, better everything. The money spent on athletics can produce huge returns on the investment. Apparently UTEP’s economics dept isn’t up to par with the engineering bunch
Carlos, great column. I completely agree with your proposal to have UTEP sell passes to students for admission to games. They could be tiered:
1) General Miner Sports Pass ($50 for card access to all games)
2) Miner MVP: $75 for a reserved seat with your friends closer to the field.
Paul, I was wondering how much money UTEP’s athletics gives to the “general fund” of the university? Last I checked, UTEP athletics had about $21 million in revenue and about $21 million in expenses with none earmarked as a donation to the school (Per the Indy Star athletic budget database). I don’t think UTEP athletics gives money to UTEP like that. It’s a separate pie, but I could be mistaken.
I don’t think Tier 1 status and the fee are at all related. Paying coaches more money won’t generate research money. If winning athletics will do anything, it will allow Bob Stull to raise ticket prices down the road. That could start a snowball effect increasing revenue for years to come. None of that, however, will go towards research.
Anyway, Carlos, I appreciate the passion in this column. Nice read.