OT: LSU To Cancel Football (Yeah Right)?

[Tad Footeball]

Obviously empty political rhetoric but it would be interesting if these $EC programs in poor states were ever really used a real target by an opportunistic politician. Not sure it'd go over well even with the poverty stricken but the finances around these programs would be easy to skew as excessive.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards threatens future of LSU Tigers football if tax proposals aren't passed

Louisiana governor: Budget crisis threatens future of college sports

Facing a budget crisis, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says higher education in the state could be compromised. And that includes the possibility of college athletics in Louisiana being canceled.

In a statewide televised address Thursday, Edwards said campuses could run out of money and be forced to shut down in April, highlighting the LSU football team as one of the potential losses from massive cuts to higher education funding.

"If you are a student attending one of these universities, it means that you will receive a grade of incomplete, many students will not be able to graduate, and student-athletes across the state at those schools will be ineligible to play next semester," Edwards said, according to The Times-Picayune. "That means you can say farewell to college football next fall."

The Democratic governor is pushing for tax increases to help make up a $940 million budget deficit by the end of June. He said Louisiana could be forced to cut vital health services as well.

"These are not scare tactics. This is reality," Edwards said. "An unstable state budget will not only hurt children and working families in our state, it will devastate communities, businesses and local government as well."

Some Republicans are unhappy with the size of the governor's proposals, the newspaper reports.

"Gov. Edwards is proposing to implement the largest tax increase in the history of Louisiana," treasurer John Kennedy said in a rebuttal. "It will wreck our economy, already fragile."

If lawmakers find a solution to keep colleges open and save the Tigers' 2016 season, a similar problem looms for the following fiscal year, when Louisiana faces a $2 billion budget shortfall, according to The Times-Picayune.

 

[orange&green84]

I think LSU boosters as well as the SEC would find a way to keep LSU's football season alive. In the SEC, football is all that matters, even over education (with the exception of Vandy). LSU is probably the SEC's second biggest draw second to that of Bama, no way does the richest conference allow their 2nd moneymaker to not even have a season.

 

[SoCalPete73]

The real comical part of the governor's proposal is that the football team is actually a net positive revenue generator...dumb politicians.

 

[TriStarCane]

Okay, so. Most important question here is: who are we going after in free agency? We got ships!

 

[Martycane]

Dream on...

 

[SouthpawX]

Les Miles............. highest paid public employee in the state of Louisiana. Maybe B P Oil can underwrite the states football budget. Jambalaya. Short term solution , Leonard Fournette and the prime time players can take a paycut.

 

[Tad Footeball]

The real comical part of the governor's proposal is that the football team is actually a net positive revenue generator...dumb politicians.

Yep but perception is reality if you have a willing audience. The main reason Ol Lester Miles wasn't canned was because the school president feared the backlash of even having boosters pony up the cash for his massive buyout.

 

[umhurricano]

Didn't realize Edwards was that dumb. It reminds me of Bernie sanders questioned why student loans didn't carry the same interest rate as mortgages. Terrifying that major politicians have no concept of how money works.

The only thing threatening lsu football is the low price of oil. Can't wait to see thus used against him in 3 years.

 

[brcane1]

I think LSU boosters as well as the SEC would find a way to keep LSU's football season alive. In the SEC, football is all that matters, even over education (with the exception of Vandy). LSU is probably the SEC's second biggest draw second to that of Bama, no way does the richest conference allow their 2nd moneymaker to not even have a season.

They would have to fund the whole education system then (which they will probably do by raising taxes). If the entire university spring semester is shut down, then all Louisiana students would be awarded Is for the semester until funding returns. This means all student athletes, not including incoming freshman, would be ineligible athletically.

 

[TheMatador]

They'll cancel classes first so football can survive. Maybe after a few years, they'll start adding academics back in once they can find room for it in the budget.

 

[TheMatador]

Didn't realize Edwards was that dumb. It reminds me of Bernie sanders questioned why student loans didn't carry the same interest rate as mortgages. Terrifying that major politicians have no concept of how money works.

The only thing threatening lsu football is the low price of oil. Can't wait to see thus used against him in 3 years.

Sanders is about clueless as they come. How's he going to pay for free college for all?

 

[TheMatador]

Les Miles............. highest paid public employee in the state of Louisiana. Maybe B P Oil can underwrite the states football budget. Jambalaya. Short term solution , Leonard Fournette and the prime time players can take a paycut.

No more jobs for uncles or fathers and no more houses for grandma?

 

[the storm]

Well if you follow the stock market you know what's happened to oil & gas production. That's what Louisiana has lost & it's a huge problem. BP ain't funding anything; they're on the verge of eliminating their dividends to shareholders. There is going to be plenty of pain down the road in the U.S. & it isn't just Louisiana. Oh wait, just keep printing money & all will be fine!

 

[Macca]

Am I on ZeroHedge?

 

[itsacanething]

But a few short years ago they told me Bobby Jindal was going to lead this country out of the darkness.

 

[CaneFan79]

Talk about short attention spans in Louisiana...It wasn't but a couple of months ago that the talk was about dissatisfaction amongst Tiger Athletic Fund (TAF) boosters regarding Les Miles. Because they pay the MAJORITY of Miles' salary, they were the ones who needed to be mollified for Les to stay. TAF may be able to fund additional items, but if something like physical plant maintenance funds are cut, it could definitely affect LSU and truly devastate ULL, LA Tech, ULM, Grambling, etc. (This is why I pay my state taxes in Ohio with gritted teeth; I know the $ucknut booster org pays SubUrban (and the booster bagman pay the players!), but I know some of it goes to O$Uck real property maintenance, physical plant maintenance, etc).

Speaking of Ohio, this "we will cut athletics first" mantra is used ad nausem when local school districts put local property tax and income tax (yes, school income tax!!) measures on the ballot...total scare tactic, but repeated over and over. As an aside in an election year, that's why RINO Gov. Kasich (an O$Uck grad by the way) is able to brag about cutting state income taxes: He shifted the burden to local taxing authorities. Too bad UF-loving Mario and Jebbie are to0 ignorent to hit him on it tonight.

 

[CaneFan79]

But a few short years ago they told me Bobby Jindal was going to lead this country out of the darkness.

Take a look at Alaska and North Dakota's budget shortfalls...The revenue projections were all based on a higher crude oil prices...When Saudi Arabia (whom I gave up a nice portion of my youth protecting) decided to pump like mad and drive higher cost producers (i.e. shale frackers) to near bankruptcy. If you are going to blame Jindal, then you better blame Putin for Russia's severe budget woes...Just don't do it too loud or you may find yourself poisoned and very much dead.

 

[gfer1988]

i seriously believe some of these state schools are bleeding the state dry

 

[itsacanething]

But a few short years ago they told me Bobby Jindal was going to lead this country out of the darkness.

Take a look at Alaska and North Dakota's budget shortfalls...The revenue projections were all based on a higher crude oil prices...When Saudi Arabia (whom I gave up a nice portion of my youth protecting) decided to pump like mad and drive higher cost producers (i.e. shale frackers) to near bankruptcy. If you are going to blame Jindal, then you better blame Putin for Russia's severe budget woes...Just don't do it too loud or you may find yourself poisoned and very much dead.

clearly high energy prices fueled their spending but if you do a little research there was also a pretty large tax cut that is widely credited with being the cause of the budget deficits they have now.

 

[NVA CANE]

The real comical part of the governor's proposal is that the football team is actually a net positive revenue generator...dumb politicians.

Yep but perception is reality if you have a willing audience. The main reason Ol Lester Miles wasn't canned was because the school president feared the backlash of even having boosters pony up the cash for his massive buyout.

I believe that was part of the reason why they didn't fire him. $35 million between his buyout Jimbo's buyout and Jimbo's new contract. Football may be king in LA, but $35 million for replacing one football coach for another would not have looked good or sat well considering their financial situation.

Football may be a net positive, but the salaries and overall cost by some of these schools will eventually get scrutinized, especially if the states economic woes continue.