Iowa vs Colorado Dec 22 money economics

[HoustonHawkeye]

Iowa plays Colorado on Dec 22 in Sioux Falls, SD at the Sanford Pentagon. The money does not add up. Iowa gets $150K plus 15K for travel expenses. Double that to include Colorado and you come up with 330K cost. The arena only holds 3250 seats. The expense just for the teams, not counting employee costs, comes to over $100 per person. I don't know what the cost of the tickets will be, but they are going to have to sell a lot of popcorn to make up for expenses. Who is this game being subsidized by?

 

[DodgerHawki]

Iowa plays Colorado on Dec 22 in Sioux Falls, SD at the Sanford Pentagon. The money does not add up. Iowa gets $150K plus 15K for travel expenses. Double that to include Colorado and you come up with 330K cost. The arena only holds 3250 seats. The expense just for the teams, not counting employee costs, comes to over $100 per person. I don't know what the cost of the tickets will be, but they are going to have to sell a lot of popcorn to make up for expenses. Who is this game being subsidized by?

The game is being played for the following reasons:

A nod to the fans in that part of the state
Potential RPI boost due to a neutral site game. Likely Colorado would not have agreed to coming to Iowa City without a return trip to Colorado. This way it's the chance to boost the non-con RPI, in front of what will be an Iowa-friendly crowd, without a future commitment of traveling to Colorado next year.
Colorado is agreeing to it for many of the same reasons. They don't have to agree to a two-year commitment and can get a potential boost themselves if they beat Iowa on a neutral court.

As who the game is being subsidized by, my guess is both teams are responsible for paying their own way. Whatever is made by tickets, I don't know who that is going to but that's definitely not the driver for the game. I applaud Iowa for coming up with a semi-creative way of improving the non-conference schedule. It's a game that Iowa could win (and could lose), but if Iowa wins it will get the added boost of the neutral court win for RPI purposes.

 

[DanL53]

Just my opinion but as with other schools trying to do this kind of thing, it expands Iowa's influence. I suggest that #1 it is a way to cement control of the Western side of the state. #2 BECAUSE it impresses to the fans and youngsters that Iowa is Hawkeye from river to river. #3 Yes, that makes it a nod to the fans.

I don't think RPI enters as much into it these days since the NCAA is moving away from the RPI as such an important measure.

 

[wneff]

OP asks a legitimate question. I googled "Sioux City arenas" and found the Tyson Events Center, which seats 10K. That would seem more fan friendly to fans in the western part of the state since more can attend and closer to where anyone actually lives in Iowa.
Guessing someone is subsidizing the Sanford Pentagon game. Wisconsin played St John's there in 2013, and Wichita St played Memphis there in 2014. Not sure all of those programs were trying to appeal to their fans in that region.

 

[anon_bb9wlf9kj42py]

ISU just played Colorado there a few years ago in the first game of the season. I think there is some TV money that is collected by the arena, as they are the ones that put on the event, and that goes into the payout for the teams.

 

[anon_bb9wlf9kj42py]

I don't think RPI enters as much into it these days since the NCAA is moving away from the RPI as such an important measure.

It will move away from the RPI, but they'll move toward something else which will still value road/neutral games against good opponents a lot, like all of the metrics do.

 

[StormHawk42]

I assume tv will make up the shortfall. I'm sure they wouldn't host if they didn't make a little $$

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Concessions, beer

 

[DodgerHawki]

It will move away from the RPI, but they'll move toward something else which will still value road/neutral games against good opponents a lot, like all of the metrics do.

Thanks to both of you for the clarification. I am just excited to see Iowa using the non-con schedule in ways like this that better position the team to receive at-large bids.

 

[mtdew_fever]

I think we are underscoring why the organizers are doing this. If Sanford Health isn't breaking even on this, then they are writing it off as a marketing/advertising opportunity.

They are no stranger to trying to utilize the arena, which by all means for a small venue was built at a decent price and is busy a lot.

 

[nu2u]

TV money (ESPN IIRC) and Denny Sanford himself c/o Sanford CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft. This is really Krabbenhoft's baby - the Pentagon was his idea and he was the driving force behind the Challenge after he got his buddy Bo Ryan to bring Wisconsin in for the first game several years ago.

They could have chosen the Denny Sanford Premier Center (capacity 12,000) across town as a venue but Krabbenhoft designed the Pentagon as an old-school 1950's style arena and he wants to show it off.

....BTW, Sanford has given about $600M to the Health System they named after him. He has repeatedly said that he wants to die broke and it is estimated that he is worth at least $600M more so I don't think they will sweat much if they lose a few thousand dollars.

 

[HoustonHawkeye]

TV money (ESPN IIRC) and Denny Sanford himself c/o Sanford CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft. This is really Krabbenhoft's baby - the Pentagon was his idea and he was the driving force behind the Challenge after he got his buddy Bo Ryan to bring Wisconsin in for the first game several years ago.

They could have chosen the Denny Sanford Premier Center (capacity 12,000) across town as a venue but Krabbenhoft designed the Pentagon as an old-school 1950's style arena and he wants to show it off.

....BTW, Sanford has given about $600M to the Health System they named after him. He has repeatedly said that he wants to die broke and it is estimated that he is worth at least $600M more so I don't think they will sweat much if they lose a few thousand dollars.

This makes the most sense. The article I read said that Iowa is getting a guaranteed $150K, not splitting revenue as one suggested. Sorry I forgot to link the article.

 

[birdforpar]

IMO - Iowa should play in Colorado for obvious reasons.

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

IMO - Iowa should play in Colorado for obvious reasons.

No doubt. Now that would be a Hawkeye friendly crowd!

 

[C/Seahawk]

No doubt. Now that would be a Hawkeye friendly crowd!

It's a shame we haven't established games against teams from the rocky mtn area. So many hawk fans in Colorado, would be nice to play CU, CSU and/or Air Force in football, heck add DU to the list if talking basketball. KF doesn't want to schedule away games east of the Mississippi I know, but a missed opportunity for an appealing home and away situation.

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

It's a shame we haven't established games against teams from the rocky mtn area. So many hawk fans in Colorado, would be nice to play CU, CSU and/or Air Force in football, heck add DU to the list if talking basketball. KF doesn't want to schedule away games east of the Mississippi I know, but a missed opportunity for an appealing home and away situation.

Completely agree. N Col & Wyo possibilities also in bball. I believe Ferentz has family in the Loveland area.

I emailed him probably ten years ago asking if Iowa would ever consider a home & home with the Buffaloes or the Rams. To Ferentz's credit he did take the time to email back. Short version of his email was "no".

 

[KuwaitHawk]

Travel expenses shouldn't be that much. How much does a charter bus cost?

 

[leiserom]

Its a cool arena. An official I know called in the first round of the womens Division 2 Elite 8 there last year. Although he wasn't picked for the final 4 it was a cool experience anyway.

 

[hawkeyekid]

Cant wait to go. Hard to get to Iowa City but I can bring my 5 year old son to this game.