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UNH- How Far West Do We Go?

I don't expect immediate results but there is a per sport review coming for UNH. Hopefully there are some tough decisions made and resources move to areas where there is potential.
Details, please. Where did you get this information? Who is conducting the review is it just the yearly dim witted review or is it a true committee based examination of D1 athletics at UNH?
 
Meathead: McMahons answers were a takedown of the entire UNH hockey program. He basically strongly implied the program is moribund. It’s impossible to be more negative. He wrote that Souza is irrelevant. Please explain how McMahon could possibly be more negative.

I don’t ever recall reading anything more negative about any hockey east program in the last 40 years than what McMahon wrote about UNH.

A fish rots from the head down. The combination of Rich and MS7 is a leviathan of epic proportions stinking up the state with the stench of indifference and apathy.
 
Meathead: McMahons answers were a takedown of the entire UNH hockey program. He basically strongly implied the program is moribund. It’s impossible to be more negative. He wrote that Souza is irrelevant. Please explain how McMahon could possibly be more negative.

I don’t ever recall reading anything more negative about any hockey east program in the last 40 years than what McMahon wrote about UNH.
But he places no blame on Souza. While you disagree in your love affair for him, coaching the actual on ice aspect of the program matters. This is a poorly coached team with no game plan or changes to try and be better
 
Details, please. Where did you get this information? Who is conducting the review is it just the yearly dim witted review or is it a true committee based examination of D1 athletics at UNH?
This is laughable. Again you are asking for the "who" but you never answer that question when asked. You ignore and deflect. This is a per sport review financially which is conducted by an outside agency since our athletics department apparently does not know how to do it.
 
Details, please. Where did you get this information? Who is conducting the review is it just the yearly dim witted review or is it a true committee based examination of D1 athletics at UNH?
Oh yes, let us all run to our keyboards and give to YOU - the great unknown - all our sources and information. Maybe everyone could meet up with YOU to share, but where, the Bat cave? We could all compare notes, inside contacts, methods, student backgrounds, hockey backgrounds, business backgrounds, 401k balances, list of employers + compensation, house pictures, property values, list of executive meetings we have attended, with whom we met, their credentials, outcomes of findings, demographics of the towns we choose to live in, actuary tables......

Anything else to add to your list of demands before someone has any credibility or 100% fact + notarized information to comment on UNH hockey? Well besides you, McMahon and whomever it is today that you use to back your narrative?
 
Oh yes, let us all run to our keyboards and give to YOU - the great unknown - all our sources and information.
None of you have sources. We're talking zero knowledge. Nothing. That's my point. It's actually remarkable. Elwood (JD), Buford (Chuck Murray) and Meathead (Norbert) don't seem to comprehend what public education actually is or what UNH does. Generating revenue has close to nothing to do with UNH athletics. Costs have little to do with UNH athletics. Both certainly are line items and are monitored and are helpful for press releases, but 98% of UNH is politics. When you know the reality, there's no mystery.

Meathead mentions that there may be some type of accounting but doesn't actually understand what it suggests. The balance sheet is irrelevant because there's basically an endless source of revenue and UNH is a non-profit. It all comes down to the money UNH is provided by the State. If politicians say so it will be so.

The key issues for a school like UNH is who is doing the accounting, who is looking at the numbers, and for what purpose. LIkely it's nothing. But if the right group of people demand it, everything can change quickly. It has very little to do with money. It's about priorities and influence, which come down to politics at a State school.
 
This is a per sport review financially which is conducted by an outside agency since our athletics department apparently does not know how to do it.

The irony is rich considering that the socials were flooded by UNH touting how the Paul School was the best public business school in New England, but need to hire an outside firm to do a financial review.
 
The irony is rich considering that the socials were flooded by UNH touting how the Paul School was the best public business school in New England, but need to hire an outside firm to do a financial review.
So you think it's wise for UNH to do a financial review or audit of itself? You must have addressed the potential conflicts involved in such a process during one of your thousands of business lectures you've delivered around the world. If not, ask one of your K Street lawyers. Is it possible there's a policy or state statute that prohibits such a thing......?

I can understand how Meathead, Elwood and Buford don't understand auditing. They can't count to 20 without using their fingers. But you're an international business figure, right?
 
So you think it's wise for UNH to do a financial review or audit of itself? You must have addressed the potential conflicts involved in such a process during one of your thousands of business lectures you've delivered around the world. If not, ask one of your K Street lawyers. Is it possible there's a policy or state statute that prohibits such a thing......?

For an initial review, yes? Have the third party to audit and validate to determine the final recommendations.

Happens every day, all over the world.
 
None of you have sources. We're talking zero knowledge. Nothing. That's my point. It's actually remarkable. Elwood (JD), Buford (Chuck Murray) and Meathead (Norbert) don't seem to comprehend what public education actually is or what UNH does. Generating revenue has close to nothing to do with UNH athletics. Costs have little to do with UNH athletics. Both certainly are line items and are monitored and are helpful for press releases, but 98% of UNH is politics. When you know the reality, there's no mystery.

Meathead mentions that there may be some type of accounting but doesn't actually understand what it suggests. The balance sheet is irrelevant because there's basically an endless source of revenue and UNH is a non-profit. It all comes down to the money UNH is provided by the State. If politicians say so it will be so.

The key issues for a school like UNH is who is doing the accounting, who is looking at the numbers, and for what purpose. LIkely it's nothing. But if the right group of people demand it, everything can change quickly. It has very little to do with money. It's about priorities and influence, which come down to politics at a State school.
This is funny. Did you skip your medication this morning? You claim none of us have sources, but you won't come out of WITSEC and offer any information. You deflect and ignore when asked a direct question.

If revenue and expenses don't matter, then why is there a full detailed dive into athletics at the sport level going to be done? I never said anything about the balance sheet. Try learning the different accounting forms before sounding more crazy.

You can continue to struggle that some of us know people involved with UNH or USNH. There are others who know where I get my information but those are people that I know, not someone who comes on here claiming to be the great all knower of UNH but won't give up any details.
 
So you think it's wise for UNH to do a financial review or audit of itself? You must have addressed the potential conflicts involved in such a process during one of your thousands of business lectures you've delivered around the world. If not, ask one of your K Street lawyers. Is it possible there's a policy or state statute that prohibits such a thing......?

I can understand how Meathead, Elwood and Buford don't understand auditing. They can't count to 20 without using their fingers. But you're an international business figure, right?
I will try this again for you. UNH is having an outside firm put together financials at the per sport level to understand the impact. You can't make changes unless you have details. Let's say basketball costs $1M a year to run against the budget. NH is not the hot bed of basketball, maybe this becomes DIII to alleviate some costs which then resources can be shifted to a program like hockey. Maybe a sport can be removed all together.

It would be easier to have intelligent conversations if you would actually respond to direct questions. I will tell you where I got my info the minute you reveal who you are and your supposed connections
 
Saw Minnesota is hiring Brett Larson as their new HC.

I know Barr wasnt on the latest short list, but Maine must be breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Honestly, I’m a bit surprised by this hire. Yes Larson has a decent record at SCS but the last few years have left a lot to be desired, especially for their standards. He hasn’t won 20+ games since 22-23, which was also their last trip to the NCAAs.

Minnesota probably could have gone out and gotten almost anyone they wanted. I heard the Augustana coach turned them down. But still…

I wish him all the best. Unless they play UNH!
 
NH is not the hot bed of basketball, maybe this becomes DIII to alleviate some costs which then resources can be shifted to a program like hockey.
You can't have one sport play down a division if the rest of your athletic department is D1, and schools that are not DI can no longer play up to D1 in one sport (existing schools such as Bentley, Minnesota State, etc are grandfathered in)
 
Generating revenue has close to nothing to do with UNH athletics. Costs have little to do with UNH athletics. Both certainly are line items and are monitored and are helpful for press releases, but 98% of UNH is politics. When you know the reality, there's no mystery.
This is true, in part, but not really the way you to refer to it. The politics at play in the athletic department are internal to the university, not really dependent upon lawmakers or the state executive, as you tend to suggest.

From the University's 2021 Athletics Financial Health Report, which is a good read for a lot of topics discussed on this board:
UNH athletics receives 1% of the direct state funding of its peer institutions* (12k v 1.4M average for peers)
UNH athletics budget was funded 41% by student fees, on par with peers (13M in fees against 32M total budget)
UNH athletics received another $10,281,520 in "direct institutional support," not sure exactly how this differs from student fees but it is some form of tuition money/other university revenue

In short, the budget of the athletic department is not dependent on appropriation of state money and much more reliant on the institution's budgeting process. Of course, the end line of those deliberations intersect with state money but even there UNH is less impacted by state funds than just about any comparison school. The headwinds UNH faces are abundant across the higher education landscape as schools face an enrollment cliff. UNH of course gets far less help from the state than other public schools.

UNH athletics biggest financial challenge is leadership that lacks imagination, energy, and strategic vision to survive and thrive in their circumstance.

*peers used in the study:

• The College of William & Mary
• The University of Maine
• James Madison University
• Stony Brook University
• The State University of New York at Albany
• The University of North Dakota
• The University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and
• Miami University (OH).
 
2013 - you just beat me to it....

If you dig in that report to the end there is 1996 report done as well. Interestingly that proposed the goals of the tier I sports to be:

Head Coach100%
Assistant Coaches100% of NCAA Max
Scholarships100% of NCAA Max
Competition Regional and Limited National Scope
RecruitingRegional Scope
Sport InformationFull Support
MarketingFull Support
ExpectationTop 1/3 in Conference; Regional Success; National Recognition

Hockey was one of the tier I sports and there once was expectations.
 
From the home office in Scottsdale, AZ, David Letterman's Top Ten reasons why Merrimack College hockey is presently better than UNH.


#10 - Dunkin Donuts in the Lawler Lobby

#9 - The Lawrence / North Andover, MA metropolitan area offers FAR better access to NIL support

#8 - Fertile GBL (Greater Boston League) recruiting grounds a stone's throw away

#7 - Dodging traffic on Rt 114 translates to better decision making

#6 - Reflective silver sheeting on Lawler's low ceiling interferes with visiting team in-game adjustments (turtlenecks offer no protection)

#5 - Easy trips to Spanish Bodega's in Lawrence makes bi-lingual recruiting a breeze

#4 - Lawler hosts hockey AND basketball so Merrimack players know where all the 'dead spots' are located

#3 - They used to be the Warriors, and then changed to the Warriors (which one do you prepare for?)

#2 - Divine intervention - Pope Leo is a graduate

And #1 ……….

They just have a better coach!!! Is there a system we could use to locate a coach with the EXACT same skills?
Some pretty awesome nuggets in this list! #8) The last "Straight 'outta the GBL" player I can remember at 'Mack was Frank Hanley ('78) from Malden High. He scored a hat trick in the 1st DII National Championship game. Matt Marden was also on that Malden team and he went on to have a nice career at BU.
#5) Our postgame spot back in the '70's was The Whippet Club (also known as "Gilligan's) in Lawrence. There were always rumors that the owner was in and out of jail, but he was a big Merrimack hockey fan.
#3) I'm VERY familiar with the OG Warriors. Back in '77 and '78, I'd don a huge Blue and Gold headdress, skate around before the games and get the crowd riled up. I'd get pelted with tennis balls from the opposing fans, and I'd flip them up to the Merrimack fans. Remember, the idea of "politically incorrect" was not part of the lexicon. But that was then. Now we have some kind of Trojan Warrior. Not sure how that works.
 
Saw Minnesota is hiring Brett Larson as their new HC.

I know Barr wasnt on the latest short list, but Maine must be breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Honestly, I’m a bit surprised by this hire. Yes Larson has a decent record at SCS but the last few years have left a lot to be desired, especially for their standards. He hasn’t won 20+ games since 22-23, which was also their last trip to the NCAAs.

Minnesota probably could have gone out and gotten almost anyone they wanted. I heard the Augustana coach turned them down. But still…

I wish him all the best. Unless they play UNH!
Some interesting nuggets and quotes from Ben Barr in this BDN article (reader available) from yesterday.....


And stuff from the AD.....

 
UNH athletics budget was funded 41% by student fees, on par with peers (13M in fees against 32M total budget)
UNH athletics received another $10,281,520 in "direct institutional support," not sure exactly how this differs from student fees but it is some form of tuition money/other university revenue

Traditionally UNH uses state funds for education with things like housing & dining set-up a self sustaining break even entities.
It is actually surprising that there is any funding reported as going to athletics from the state
When the Whitt was built and Snively converted there was a big increase in the mandatory athletic fee
The direct institutional support is traditionally code for tuition money as the University accounted for "state funds going to education only"

The issue is with less state funding to education more tuition needs to go to that and that pinches the athletics budget. Since in the end it is a bit of a water balloon.

The headwinds UNH faces are abundant across the higher education landscape as schools face an enrollment cliff.

This is one of the big issues and the struggle UNH is going through is a bit of right sizing of the University. This has been exacerbated by more students wanting 2 years of lower cost community college and then transferring in for the last two years, and the pressure from the State to support this even if the University thinks the classes are not rigorous enough. So you get into questions: Do we need as many professors with fewer students? Do some entire programs get eliminated? What about "middle management" with a down sizing campus? What about older buildings? etc. etc.

College enrollment generally peaked about 2010. In high-level terms there is also a shift out of northern universities to southern universities. Some of that is cost, some is migration and some is kids in the north saying I want to be where it is warmer in the winter.

This sucks and still as in business you need to right size the operation and that can be painful.

UNH athletics biggest financial challenge is leadership that lacks imagination, energy, and strategic vision to survive and thrive in their circumstance.

It was noted in that 2021 document (actually I think the 1996 appendix) the only revenue positive sport was hockey by around $400k at the time (about $830k today) and remember the Whitt opened the fall of 1995. Having full hockey games would be helpful to a funding tight situation.
 
Some interesting nuggets and quotes from Ben Barr in this BDN article (reader available) from yesterday.....
For those not aware UNH has done a fund as well the On To Victory Funds name from a line from the Universities fight song.

"These funds are built through tax-deductible gifts to UNH Athletics, with contributions going directly to support student-athletes."

Now I am sure having a coach out in the community talking to potential donors and maybe some winning will help with getting people to donate.
 
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