Ben Jay: There's a real possibility of football going away.

[HawaiianHogster]

For one the 50 dollar student fee was a joke. It should have been 150 to 200 to start with. Secondly get up with the MWC to let them know you can't afford to pay for teams to come play in Hawaii. Maybe they can cut that in half or better.

[HawaiianHogster]

Where is everybody? Sleeping? No opinions? No care? Waiting to let it soak in before you write something? Maybe it is all a joke and when we wake tomorrow it will be as if nothing was said.

[HawaiianHogster]

Right now the situation is dire but not fatal for the football program. Jay knows what it takes to make a successful program. He knows by cutting the program more is not the way.

This is not the fans fault. This belongs to the state. The ones that decided that all monies made due to UH athletics will go elsewhere. That June Jones would not get the raise. That Mack would get paid what JJ had earned. All the mistakes made by UH upper campus is blamed on athletics. That they waited too long to start a student fee for athletics and started it too low. That everyone they hire messes up yet they get bought out and offered another position at UH. Since the state was not going to help support the program the AD and others were desperate to get funding so they tried to get a concert.

Should I keep going? Businesses are to blame for taking advantage of them too. They all sucked UH athletics dry. Too many blood suckers. Too many crooked and lying politicians. No support from within. I am surprised the team lasted this long.

[poidog]

Where is everybody? Sleeping? No opinions? No care? Waiting to let it soak in before you write something? Maybe it is all a joke and when we wake tomorrow it will be as if nothing was said.

ehhh... I think this is a lazy and uninspired attempt by the AD to try and get people's attention. I don't think it is going to work. I think Ben Jay is in over his head and he's not the innovator he thought he was. He thought he was gonna show up here with his Ohio State AD Manual and make a few tweaks here and there and everything would just get better. But because that is not working, he's trying to scare people into giving the department more cash because he can't inspire them to do so. I think before it ever got to the point where they would have to drop football, they would first drop men's golf, swimming & diving, tennis, and maybe volleyball first. Heck, we'd go independent and play 7 bodybag road games a season before we ever get rid of football. We'd probably even drop down to FCS before killing the football team. I just don't see any way they could abolish football without abolishing the entire athletic program (except for maybe women's volleyball).

What it comes down to for me is that this is some big talk from an AD who talks big about cancelling football but can't even make hard decisions about his men's basketball program. He's gonna cancel football, but re-sign Gib Arnold? Really?

Wake me up when Ben Jay does something other than just talk.

[reignjah11]

^poidog, +1 agreed! The others sports would go way before they ever got rid of football. In fact maybe it would be better if they did start cutting some of the other sports and be like boise where everything just goes into football and basketball.

[TheDuke]

Outside of the BCS schools the only programs that will survive are the programs that are subsidized by the STATE not the University.

There is a lack of direct support by the STATE. There has been all talk. That is why JJ left. Others make up rumors and innuendos but JJ has stated clearly and it has been printed in black and white that he left because of broken promises and a lack of commitment.

Losing the football team is a reality without the STATE commitment.

Having the University divided because the administration has to choose between funding academics or athletics is asinine. UH is an academic institution they have to fund academics first.

It has nothing to do with winning and losing. Every BCS Conference and every conference has losers.

You either you want to be in the game or you don't. And to be in the game takes money. The cost to run a football team is not static. Tickets won't be static. Fresno State tickets cost $50.

You are either in or you are out.

[Irse]

Outside of the BCS schools the only programs that will survive are the programs that are subsidized by the STATE not the University.

There is a lack of direct support by the STATE. There has been all talk. That is why JJ left. Others make up rumors and innuendos but JJ has stated clearly and it has been printed in black and white that he left because of broken promises and a lack of commitment.

Losing the football team is a reality without the STATE commitment.

Having the University divided because the administration has to choose between funding academics or athletics is asinine. UH is an academic institution they have to fund academics first.

It has nothing to do with winning and losing. Every BCS Conference and every conference has losers.

You either you want to be in the game or you don't. And to be in the game takes money. The cost to run a football team is not static. Tickets won't be static. Fresno State tickets cost $50.

You are either in or you are out.

Problem is that UH asked for and got autonomy. The state gives the money to UH and they decide how to spend it. The state can't give it to athletics directly. The whole system is broken and must be fixed if UH is to go forward athletically. I mean, UH can't even hire a decent president or chancellor, and they are supposed to keep the university afloat both academically and athletically?

[Haynr8dr]

Don't Blame Chow or Jay
Don't Blame Donovan or Mack
Heck don't even Blame Herman...

Blame the fricken BCS & now Big 5 Power Conferences.

Exactly. It'll get worse.

There have been many exposés recently on the changing dynamics of college football.

When you have the most powerful conference in the NCAA, the SEC threatening to break away and form their own league, to include paying players, places like Hawaii are out of the mix.

And there has to be something said about the UH "fan". You have to support the team win or lose - not just win. Even through Notre Dame's recent struggles, a ticket to one of their games was still a hard get.

[poidog]

There have been many exposés recently on the changing dynamics of college football.

When you have the most powerful conference in the NCAA, the SEC threatening to break away and form their own league, to include paying players, places like Hawaii are out of the mix.

And there has to be something said about the UH "fan". You have to support the team win or lose - not just win. Even through Notre Dame's recent struggles, a ticket to one of their games was still a hard get.

Which is why June Jones's idea of playing football in the spring (or something else drastic like that) may end up being what needs to be done for mid-major college football to survive if everything else gets splintered.

[reignjah11]

I'm watching the LLWS on tv and I see ben jays comments has made the bottom ticker of espn! Way to bring more bad publicity on hawaii. I'm sure recruits will be eager to commit to a school where the AD says football may no longer exist. Smh

[RedZone]

Outside of the BCS schools the only programs that will survive are the programs that are subsidized by the STATE not the University.

There is a lack of direct support by the STATE. There has been all talk. That is why JJ left. Others make up rumors and innuendos but JJ has stated clearly and it has been printed in black and white that he left because of broken promises and a lack of commitment.

Losing the football team is a reality without the STATE commitment.

Having the University divided because the administration has to choose between funding academics or athletics is asinine. UH is an academic institution they have to fund academics first.

It has nothing to do with winning and losing. Every BCS Conference and every conference has losers.

You either you want to be in the game or you don't. And to be in the game takes money. The cost to run a football team is not static. Tickets won't be static. Fresno State tickets cost $50.

You are either in or you are out.

Problem is that UH asked for and got autonomy. The state gives the money to UH and they decide how to spend it. The state can't give it to athletics directly. The whole system is broken and must be fixed if UH is to go forward athletically. I mean, UH can't even hire a decent president or chancellor, and they are supposed to keep the university afloat both academically and athletically?

That's the problem. UH can't seem to find the right people to fill those positions. Maybe the problem is with those are doing the hiring? I think they have failed. Fire them.

[RedZone]

You have to know that our new president said that sports is not the primary mission of the university. It is secondary.

[Irse]

You have to know that our new president said that sports is not the primary mission of the university. It is secondary.

He should have never been our president. How is it that initially they said he wasn't eligible and now he's the president? We need someone who thinks that sports is a vital part of the community. Yes, academic first but athletics is also important.

[EITSwarrior]

I'm watching the LLWS on tv and I see ben jays comments has made the bottom ticker of espn! Way to bring more bad publicity on hawaii. I'm sure recruits will be eager to commit to a school where the AD says football may no longer exist. Smh

I don't think it's bad publicity. I think it's brings attention to the plight of mid-major schools and how the Power-5 conferences will be negatively affecting them. Up until now hardly anyone brought up how the Power-5 conferences autonomy affected the mid-majors.

[daddy]

Jay has already basically redacted this statement. I don't know how to post a link, but if you Google SB Nation Mountain West Report, it has his clarifying statement. So while real financial problems do exist, UH football is not at the gallows yet.