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Topic:  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!

Topic:  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
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SBH
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/2/2026 12:27:35 PM 
FJC31 wrote:
TWT wrote:
FJC31 wrote:
TWT wrote:
FJC31 wrote:
TWT wrote:
Bobcat1996 wrote:
TWT wrote:
Bobcat1996 wrote:
TWT wrote:
The administration hasn't been supporting the basketball program. They haven't upgraded the convo with practice courts (was in the 2016 master plan). Naming rights sponsor for the Convo never came to fruition. Revenue sharing has been super minimal. They've failed this program and Boals is nothing more than a symptom of their disinterest in basketball.


I beg to differ. The former AD who just left for Baton Rouge rewarded Boals well. He was the top paid coach in the league a year or so ago. His annual fifth seed performances do not warrant his top salary. The former AD had no problem paying Boals. The Convo is still one of the better conference facilities.


I thought you were a serious Ohio Basketball supporter. It was Schaus who elevated the salaries of incoming Ohio coaches with JC and Saul under the pretense the Ohio was the best job in the conference. The salary is set for that expectation and that expectation carried forward with Julie and Boals did get the program to the NCAAs. That said he isn't paid anything compared to a Big East coach and decent pay for an established mid major head coach doesn't say much of anything to the overall committment to the program by the administration from the president down. Julie said herself she was more bullish on football's ability to compete against the G5 than basketball which is the first I've heard an AD with a tilted opinion against basketball leading athletics.

At Ohio its just another Olympic sport by the way its treated at this moment. 5th in the MAC is probably good enough for the administration. They'd rather spend a million a new logo than 900k on buying out Boals contract to only find an even more expensive coach (which is what I'm sure they'll do).


If the former AD wasn’t serious about basketball, then why did she reward the mens head coach salary wise as one of the top head coaches in the conference? She rewarded him as the highest paid coach in the MAC a few years ago. As for being paid similar to a Big East coach, that will never happen.


Because its normal when you're historically one of the top programs in the MAC which don't forget is a G6 conference so the peers are SBC and MWC not the Ohio Valley and Summit League. Boals makes a decent (not exceptional salary) for a G6 coach. Historically Ohio has been that MAC program that wins non-conference games. All the great early season wins and then of course strong NCAA tournament performances.

Historically if you look at basketball compared to say Akron where its been more about regular season dominance. Thats my perception that it makes up for the 5th place conference finishes with overachievement in the non-con, NCAAs and even MAC tournament. In that context I think Boals pay is fair plus its going to an alum of the school. I don't agree wih trying to pay at the minimum of the MAC payscale like Miami is doing. That has resulted in only 3 winning seasons out of the last 17. As an overall strategy its a bad idea. Ohio should continue to pay as if its a Top 4 program in the MAC rather than allow the program to rot.


The Mountain West is superior to MAC and it isn’t even close. The MWC has had 7 straight seasons of multiple bids including 4 last season and 6 teams in 2024.

We are not peers with it. Just because we can pay Boals a premium amount, doesn’t mean should. Recent results don’t really warrant it and wouldn’t for anyone else.

I honestly think the job would be more appealing if you budgeted $500K for salary and the remaining $300K towards the roster.


I was talking about the new MWC with San Diego St and Utah St no longer in the conference. Its still better than the MAC though. I'm not sure what 300k is going to do for a 15 man roster, its only 20 grand per player. Money spent out the door on players never seen again.

Part of the problem I believe is all of the new rules around NIL and so far since its year 1 of the current rules we don't have a mid major yet we can point to that figured out the formula so Ohio can copy. Another reason not to toss Boals out if its not understood how to properly moneyball for players in the new environment. The tournament this year will show who the top mid majors are then it could be determined what they are doing. At the moment I feel like we are trying to fly blind trying to pay the players. I'd rather the administration annouce a strategy/partnership to kick in more money than pull it out of Boals salary.

Long term does paying the players change the coaching compensation structure for mid majors its hard to say.


The new MWC is still headlined by New Mexico, Nevada, and Grand Canyon. Each of these schools has had multiple tourney appearances the in the last 4 years. It's still a multi-bid conference.

$300K isn't for the full roster, but giving a new coach a leg up on the funding process upon hire. Mid-major reserves aren't making $20K. The average mid-major player is making $5k-$15k (quick research). Top players are making $75K-$150K at our level.

What you're suggesting sounds like you think Boals needs a coaching seminar on how to operate at the mid-major level in the NIL landscape that's now in year 5. The formula remains the same -- recruiting and player development. Two things Boals hasn't mastered because we aren't having this conversation otherwise.

If money was everything, Umass' $1.3 million roster this season wouldn't be worse than us.

Read the article below about Belmont's success under Casey Alexander. It's operating on a $291K budget this season while losing players like Malik Dia and Cade Tyson over the years. 25-4 this season. Why? recruiting, player development, and coaching (a la system). Our lack of success has nothing to do with anything other than being poor in those three categories.

You are correct, we are flying blind. Who does that fall on?

https://www.si.com/college-basketball/meet-the-mid-major-...


Generally overall there is an understanding of what mid majors are spending but specifically what works best for example paying more for stars or more for contributors isn't understood.

Attempting to identify a mid-major model for Ohio to follow, a proven approach to follow under the 2026 rule set is too early at this point. This is my point here is if we give Boals another year instead of spending 900k right now to fire him is will there be successful program examples at the mid major level to model after and then be able to go out and hire the right guy for this new environment? Who is the next mid major to make the Sweet 16 or will we go years without it now? There used to be a couple mid majors in the Sweet 16 practically every year.


This is where recruiting and coaching play a huge role. Knowing your type of players and having a system in place mitigates most swings and misses here.

Why do we need to identify a mid-major model for Ohio to follow going into the 8th year of the current head coach? Do you think Boals is going to let anyone tell him how to run his program and to follow someone else'?

Wouldn't it just make more sense to pluck someone from that fellow mid-major staff to run a model we want to emulate instead over a lame duck Boals year?

I'm less concerned about making a Sweet 16 right now. I'd just like to get back to the MAC Tournament Championship game.


His status as an alumnus and minor "legend" lengthens his leash a bit.

Last Edited: 3/2/2026 12:29:20 PM by SBH
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GraffZ06
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/2/2026 1:35:22 PM 
FJC31 wrote:

I honestly think the job would be more appealing if you budgeted $500K for salary and the remaining $300K towards the roster.


We're too busy trying to figure out how many 10s of millions we need to spend to be "competitive" in D1 football - and by competitive I mean play in the MAC Championship game every handful of years and get rewarded by playing SW Kansas Technical College in Bodunk, Wyoming at 2pm on a Wednesday in December. But it WILL be on ESPN8 The Ocho.

FWIW I completely agree with you. Pay the new HC $50k for all I care. You want to win? Pay the players. You offer the biggest paycheck, who the HC is (or isn't), how good (or not) the facilities are, how good (or not) the conference is....magically doesn't matter as much.

Alas we're poor. And we have zero room for growth minus a magical donor windfall. So good luck with that.
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Bobcat1996
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/2/2026 3:11:43 PM 
FJC31 wrote:
TWT wrote:
Bobcat1996 wrote:
TWT wrote:
Bobcat1996 wrote:
TWT wrote:
The administration hasn't been supporting the basketball program. They haven't upgraded the convo with practice courts (was in the 2016 master plan). Naming rights sponsor for the Convo never came to fruition. Revenue sharing has been super minimal. They've failed this program and Boals is nothing more than a symptom of their disinterest in basketball.


I beg to differ. The former AD who just left for Baton Rouge rewarded Boals well. He was the top paid coach in the league a year or so ago. His annual fifth seed performances do not warrant his top salary. The former AD had no problem paying Boals. The Convo is still one of the better conference facilities.


I thought you were a serious Ohio Basketball supporter. It was Schaus who elevated the salaries of incoming Ohio coaches with JC and Saul under the pretense the Ohio was the best job in the conference. The salary is set for that expectation and that expectation carried forward with Julie and Boals did get the program to the NCAAs. That said he isn't paid anything compared to a Big East coach and decent pay for an established mid major head coach doesn't say much of anything to the overall committment to the program by the administration from the president down. Julie said herself she was more bullish on football's ability to compete against the G5 than basketball which is the first I've heard an AD with a tilted opinion against basketball leading athletics.

At Ohio its just another Olympic sport by the way its treated at this moment. 5th in the MAC is probably good enough for the administration. They'd rather spend a million a new logo than 900k on buying out Boals contract to only find an even more expensive coach (which is what I'm sure they'll do).


If the former AD wasn’t serious about basketball, then why did she reward the mens head coach salary wise as one of the top head coaches in the conference? She rewarded him as the highest paid coach in the MAC a few years ago. As for being paid similar to a Big East coach, that will never happen.


Because its normal when you're historically one of the top programs in the MAC which don't forget is a G6 conference so the peers are SBC and MWC not the Ohio Valley and Summit League. Boals makes a decent (not exceptional salary) for a G6 coach. Historically Ohio has been that MAC program that wins non-conference games. All the great early season wins and then of course strong NCAA tournament performances.

Historically if you look at basketball compared to say Akron where its been more about regular season dominance. Thats my perception that it makes up for the 5th place conference finishes with overachievement in the non-con, NCAAs and even MAC tournament. In that context I think Boals pay is fair plus its going to an alum of the school. I don't agree wih trying to pay at the minimum of the MAC payscale like Miami is doing. That has resulted in only 3 winning seasons out of the last 17. As an overall strategy its a bad idea. Ohio should continue to pay as if its a Top 4 program in the MAC rather than allow the program to rot.


The Mountain West is superior to MAC and it isn’t even close. The MWC has had 7 straight seasons of multiple bids including 4 last season and 6 teams in 2024.

We are not peers with it. Just because we can pay Boals a premium amount, doesn’t mean should. Recent results don’t really warrant it and wouldn’t for anyone else.

I honestly think the job would be more appealing if you budgeted $500K for salary and the remaining $300K towards the roster.

Agree FJC. Just because this university can pay Boals top salary, the results have not merited top pay. Akron, Toledo and Kent have all out performed Ohio since Boals arrived. I’m not suggesting Coach Boals be rewarded pay wise like EMU or NI head coaches. However, his record does not indicate that he should have been rewarded top pay by the previous AD.



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M.D.W.S.T
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/2/2026 4:37:28 PM 
GraffZ06 wrote:
FJC31 wrote:

I honestly think the job would be more appealing if you budgeted $500K for salary and the remaining $300K towards the roster.


We're too busy trying to figure out how many 10s of millions we need to spend to be "competitive" in D1 football - and by competitive I mean play in the MAC Championship game every handful of years and get rewarded by playing SW Kansas Technical College in Bodunk, Wyoming at 2pm on a Wednesday in December. But it WILL be on ESPN8 The Ocho.

FWIW I completely agree with you. Pay the new HC $50k for all I care. You want to win? Pay the players. You offer the biggest paycheck, who the HC is (or isn't), how good (or not) the facilities are, how good (or not) the conference is....magically doesn't matter as much.

Alas we're poor. And we have zero room for growth minus a magical donor windfall. So good luck with that.



I mean... MAYBE.

But what evidence is there to back this up? I don't see many/any players just taking massive checks and not playing for a reputable coach. Maybe in the MAC this would be possible, but it's not happening very much in practice. Coaching salaries are getting bigger and bigger, not the other way around. Are there currently any teams of 365 in D1 having success driven by one or two big named players and me as their head coach?

Is that something you really want to briefly attempt? Because it will be quite brief. Paying Darrell from Seamens to come here and coach three $100K players - and hypothetically we DO have success, he will be gone within the hour. And then we just rotate coaches every 9 months because we don't pay them?
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Athens
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 12:10:14 AM 
GraffZ06 wrote:
FJC31 wrote:

I honestly think the job would be more appealing if you budgeted $500K for salary and the remaining $300K towards the roster.


We're too busy trying to figure out how many 10s of millions we need to spend to be "competitive" in D1 football - and by competitive I mean play in the MAC Championship game every handful of years and get rewarded by playing SW Kansas Technical College in Bodunk, Wyoming at 2pm on a Wednesday in December. But it WILL be on ESPN8 The Ocho.

FWIW I completely agree with you. Pay the new HC $50k for all I care. You want to win? Pay the players. You offer the biggest paycheck, who the HC is (or isn't), how good (or not) the facilities are, how good (or not) the conference is....magically doesn't matter as much.

Alas we're poor. And we have zero room for growth minus a magical donor windfall. So good luck with that.


What would Ohio need from that magical donor to be competitive with the top mid majors? An article I found said the mid to high majors spend 2.3 million between revenue sharing (1.3 million) and third party NIL (1.0 million). If Ohio could secure naming rights to the Convo of 2 million a year for 5 years and then take that money and spend it on NIL for basketball that sounds doable to be competitive.

https://nil-ncaa.com /

This site says the power conferences are spending 8 million on their rosters which is a little more than 500k per player. Ohio could have the money to bring in one or two Big East level front court players then mix in the right role players for a roster that is built to be more nationally competitive. The top progams in the A10 (Saint Louis?) are spending 3 million while the top of the MVC is spending 2 million in the article referenced earlier in the thread. Naming rights or a big marketing deal could give the push to prop up the NIL spending.

Cutting Boals from 850k to 50k is thinking about this as if 850k is the only money the university has so any more revenue sharing must be Boals salary. When the real sources are in areas like marketing and licensing income. A mega donor that could commit to a consistent million dollars a year is better than a one time 3 milliion dollar gift.

Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740

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SBH
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 8:08:50 AM 
We spend as much money on NIL as Miami. Repeat: We spend as much money as Miami on NIL. This is not the problem.
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Andrew Ruck
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 8:15:34 AM 
TWT wrote:
If Ohio could secure naming rights to the Convo of 2 million a year for 5 years and then take that money and spend it on NIL for basketball that sounds doable to be competitive.


2 million dollars per year for the naming rights of the Convo? Have you lost your mind? Drop a couple zeroes off that estimate, I do not think the Convo could net 6 figures for naming rights.

Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 8:15:54 AM 
SBH wrote:
We spend as much money on NIL as Miami. Repeat: We spend as much money as Miami on NIL. This is not the problem.


Yes, it seems like the big issue is that they have better players and a better coach. But that's just, you know, the eye test.

But maybe that would change if people occasionally remembered to refer to the Convo as Fancy Feast Arena or whatever.
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FJC31
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 10:26:10 AM 
SBH wrote:
We spend as much money on NIL as Miami. Repeat: We spend as much money as Miami on NIL. This is not the problem.


No one wants to hear that because it would give one less excuse for program performance under Boals.
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Athens
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 10:36:33 AM 
Andrew Ruck wrote:
TWT wrote:
If Ohio could secure naming rights to the Convo of 2 million a year for 5 years and then take that money and spend it on NIL for basketball that sounds doable to be competitive.


2 million dollars per year for the naming rights of the Convo? Have you lost your mind? Drop a couple zeroes off that estimate, I do not think the Convo could net 6 figures for naming rights.


New Mexico recently signed a 10 year, 17.4 million dollar naming rights deal I just threw 2 million out there as an example.

https://www.abqjournal.com/sports/unm-nusenda-announce-10...

A scenario maybe where an alum connected to a business with a 5 year, 10 million dollar naming rights deal. I'm necessarily saying its super realistic but that money could be turned around and positioned for basketball revenue sharing since its income from the basketball arena.

Revenue sharing can be from any source to the basketball team including if the university just feels like kicking in a few million. What is needed to be spent is in reation to the going rate for a G6 basketball program. The P4 are paying more to keep up with the Big East and the Big East is already spending above its media income in men's basketball. The A10 and MVC don't have much in the way of media income so 2-3 million per year is the most they feel they can do.

Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740

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Athens
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 10:39:06 AM 
FJC31 wrote:
SBH wrote:
We spend as much money on NIL as Miami. Repeat: We spend as much money as Miami on NIL. This is not the problem.


No one wants to hear that because it would give one less excuse for program performance under Boals.


They'd rather have Boals kick in part or all of his salary rather than have the university kick in money from another source.

Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740

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QuantCat
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 10:48:52 AM 
Andrew Ruck wrote:
TWT wrote:
If Ohio could secure naming rights to the Convo of 2 million a year for 5 years and then take that money and spend it on NIL for basketball that sounds doable to be competitive.


2 million dollars per year for the naming rights of the Convo? Have you lost your mind? Drop a couple zeroes off that estimate, I do not think the Convo could net 6 figures for naming rights.


A naming rights agreement for the Convo certainly wouldn't net anything in the millions, but 6 figures is very feasible. Sports Business Journal released a database of naming rights agreements last year that included multiple peer conferences and schools.

MAC (All Sports)
Akron - FirstEnergy Stadium (soccer) - $25K/yr for 20 years
Akron - InfoCision Stadium (football) - $750K/yr for 20 years

Sun Belt (Basketball in Non Major Markets)
* Georgia State and Texas State have naming rights north of $1.4M annually but are in major markets *
Arkansas State - First National Bank Arena - $455K/yr for 11 years
James Madison - Atlantic Union Bank Center - $255K/yr for 10 years
Old Dominion - Chartway Arena - $425K/yr for 10 years

CUSA
FIU - Ocean Bank Convocation Center - $250K/yr for 5 years

MVC
Illinois State - CEFCU Arena - $1M/yr for 10 years
Southern Illinois - Banterra Center - $400K/yr for 10 years
Evansville - Ford Center - $430K/yr for 15 years


Low 6 figures feels feasibly strictly by comparison but also easier said than done to find someone to pony up $200-$400K per year for 10 years in southeast Ohio. Naming rights deals tend to be local large companies, hospital systems, banks, and insurance companies. The job for OU becomes tougher when the local base is limited to hospital systems and banks that would have that level of money to spend.

Last Edited: 3/3/2026 10:49:35 AM by QuantCat
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GoCats105
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 10:59:22 AM 
TWT wrote:
Andrew Ruck wrote:
TWT wrote:
If Ohio could secure naming rights to the Convo of 2 million a year for 5 years and then take that money and spend it on NIL for basketball that sounds doable to be competitive.


2 million dollars per year for the naming rights of the Convo? Have you lost your mind? Drop a couple zeroes off that estimate, I do not think the Convo could net 6 figures for naming rights.


New Mexico recently signed a 10 year, 17.4 million dollar naming rights deal I just threw 2 million out there as an example.

https://www.abqjournal.com/sports/unm-nusenda-announce-10...

A scenario maybe where an alum connected to a business with a 5 year, 10 million dollar naming rights deal. I'm necessarily saying its super realistic but that money could be turned around and positioned for basketball revenue sharing since its income from the basketball arena.



I mean this is nice, but The Pit is one of the most famous college basketball arenas in the country. The Convo is not. I feel like if they could take money for Convo naming rights they would have done it already.
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QuantCat
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 11:01:18 AM 
Related to the naming rights discussion, the other key thing from a "how do we get more resources" perspective is the new approval for college athletic departments to sell jersey patch assets. On the professional level, these jersey patch deals almost match naming rights in annual value. ULM has already signed for a football patch that will get net them 6 figures next season.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/college-football-progra...

Would imagine Ohio like every other school is looking into jersey patch sponsorships for all sports.

Last Edited: 3/3/2026 11:05:11 AM by QuantCat
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Athens
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 11:22:44 AM 
QuantCat wrote:
Andrew Ruck wrote:
TWT wrote:
If Ohio could secure naming rights to the Convo of 2 million a year for 5 years and then take that money and spend it on NIL for basketball that sounds doable to be competitive.


2 million dollars per year for the naming rights of the Convo? Have you lost your mind? Drop a couple zeroes off that estimate, I do not think the Convo could net 6 figures for naming rights.


A naming rights agreement for the Convo certainly wouldn't net anything in the millions, but 6 figures is very feasible. Sports Business Journal released a database of naming rights agreements last year that included multiple peer conferences and schools.

MAC (All Sports)
Akron - FirstEnergy Stadium (soccer) - $25K/yr for 20 years
Akron - InfoCision Stadium (football) - $750K/yr for 20 years

Sun Belt (Basketball in Non Major Markets)
* Georgia State and Texas State have naming rights north of $1.4M annually but are in major markets *
Arkansas State - First National Bank Arena - $455K/yr for 11 years
James Madison - Atlantic Union Bank Center - $255K/yr for 10 years
Old Dominion - Chartway Arena - $425K/yr for 10 years

CUSA
FIU - Ocean Bank Convocation Center - $250K/yr for 5 years

MVC
Illinois State - CEFCU Arena - $1M/yr for 10 years
Southern Illinois - Banterra Center - $400K/yr for 10 years
Evansville - Ford Center - $430K/yr for 15 years


Low 6 figures feels feasibly strictly by comparison but also easier said than done to find someone to pony up $200-$400K per year for 10 years in southeast Ohio. Naming rights deals tend to be local large companies, hospital systems, banks, and insurance companies. The job for OU becomes tougher when the local base is limited to hospital systems and banks that would have that level of money to spend.


The upper end of the colleg arena naming rights market is 2 million but some non-power schools are able to hit that level. It depends on the relationship and southeast Ohio doesn't have to be the source. My point is 2 million annually from a source would go a long way in the current NIL market and would be a justification to increase revenue sharing for basketball independent of anything else.

Last Edited: 3/3/2026 11:23:32 AM by Athens

Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740

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Andrew Ruck
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 12:43:21 PM 
QuantCat wrote:
Andrew Ruck wrote:
TWT wrote:
If Ohio could secure naming rights to the Convo of 2 million a year for 5 years and then take that money and spend it on NIL for basketball that sounds doable to be competitive.


2 million dollars per year for the naming rights of the Convo? Have you lost your mind? Drop a couple zeroes off that estimate, I do not think the Convo could net 6 figures for naming rights.


A naming rights agreement for the Convo certainly wouldn't net anything in the millions, but 6 figures is very feasible. Sports Business Journal released a database of naming rights agreements last year that included multiple peer conferences and schools.


We are positioned terribly for a naming rights deal in that we are both in a small town AND a mid-major. I think you can survive one or the other but not both. Show me a small town mid-major school with a remotely impressive naming rights deal anywhere in the country. No major national brand will see the value in Athens, and there aren't any local businesses big enough to see that type of value in a naming rights investment. The town is the university itself. I would be shocked if we could get a 6 figure annual deal, the only scenario being a fan/alum doing it with a charitable slant to it beyond any business value. And we talk about loaded proud alum donors just as much as America talks about Bigfoot and the Lochness Monster.

Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 12:56:37 PM 
Quote:
They'd rather have Boals kick in part or all of his salary rather than have the university kick in money from another source.


This is disingenuous. Nobody is saying that they don't want to generate more revenue. Revenue is good.

But based on our last audited basketball revenue figures, we're paying 25% of topline revenue to a single employee -- Jeff Boals.

And that figure was determined before revenue sharing came into the picture. Is it insane to think that schools may choose to spend money differently now that attracting players requires money?

Last Edited: 3/3/2026 12:57:05 PM by Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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QuantCat
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 1:09:09 PM 
Andrew Ruck wrote:
QuantCat wrote:
Andrew Ruck wrote:
TWT wrote:
If Ohio could secure naming rights to the Convo of 2 million a year for 5 years and then take that money and spend it on NIL for basketball that sounds doable to be competitive.


2 million dollars per year for the naming rights of the Convo? Have you lost your mind? Drop a couple zeroes off that estimate, I do not think the Convo could net 6 figures for naming rights.


A naming rights agreement for the Convo certainly wouldn't net anything in the millions, but 6 figures is very feasible. Sports Business Journal released a database of naming rights agreements last year that included multiple peer conferences and schools.


We are positioned terribly for a naming rights deal in that we are both in a small town AND a mid-major. I think you can survive one or the other but not both. Show me a small town mid-major school with a remotely impressive naming rights deal anywhere in the country. No major national brand will see the value in Athens, and there aren't any local businesses big enough to see that type of value in a naming rights investment. The town is the university itself. I would be shocked if we could get a 6 figure annual deal, the only scenario being a fan/alum doing it with a charitable slant to it beyond any business value. And we talk about loaded proud alum donors just as much as America talks about Bigfoot and the Lochness Monster.


There are 2 in my original post:
Southern Illinois - Banterra Center - $400K/yr for 10 years
James Madison - Atlantic Union Bank Center - $255K/yr for 10 years

SIU is in Carbondale Illinois, a town no bigger than Athens and much further away from a major city than Athens is to Columbus. JMU is in a town a little bigger than both but far from being a true metropolitan giant.

I also have a full section at the bottom acknowledging the difficulty of finding someone to spend that type of money in southeast Ohio. I think it's more likely they land a jersey patch deal for Basketball and Football than it is to get naming rights.
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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 2:19:09 PM 
QuantCat wrote:
Andrew Ruck wrote:
QuantCat wrote:
Andrew Ruck wrote:
TWT wrote:
If Ohio could secure naming rights to the Convo of 2 million a year for 5 years and then take that money and spend it on NIL for basketball that sounds doable to be competitive.


2 million dollars per year for the naming rights of the Convo? Have you lost your mind? Drop a couple zeroes off that estimate, I do not think the Convo could net 6 figures for naming rights.


A naming rights agreement for the Convo certainly wouldn't net anything in the millions, but 6 figures is very feasible. Sports Business Journal released a database of naming rights agreements last year that included multiple peer conferences and schools.


We are positioned terribly for a naming rights deal in that we are both in a small town AND a mid-major. I think you can survive one or the other but not both. Show me a small town mid-major school with a remotely impressive naming rights deal anywhere in the country. No major national brand will see the value in Athens, and there aren't any local businesses big enough to see that type of value in a naming rights investment. The town is the university itself. I would be shocked if we could get a 6 figure annual deal, the only scenario being a fan/alum doing it with a charitable slant to it beyond any business value. And we talk about loaded proud alum donors just as much as America talks about Bigfoot and the Lochness Monster.


There are 2 in my original post:
Southern Illinois - Banterra Center - $400K/yr for 10 years
James Madison - Atlantic Union Bank Center - $255K/yr for 10 years

SIU is in Carbondale Illinois, a town no bigger than Athens and much further away from a major city than Athens is to Columbus. JMU is in a town a little bigger than both but far from being a true metropolitan giant.

I also have a full section at the bottom acknowledging the difficulty of finding someone to spend that type of money in southeast Ohio. I think it's more likely they land a jersey patch deal for Basketball and Football than it is to get naming rights.


One small note is that while the size of Athens matters, I suspect that the money you can fetch for naming rights correlates most directly to 1) your TV deal and how often "Atlantic Union Bank Center" gets heard/seen on TV, and to a lesser degree, 2) your attendance.

That's my guess, at least. I'd imagine that's a big part of what the sponsor is eye balls on your logo during games and your name mentioned after every other commercial break.
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QuantCat
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Member Since: 7/15/2025
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 3:18:13 PM 
Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:
QuantCat wrote:
Andrew Ruck wrote:
QuantCat wrote:
Andrew Ruck wrote:
TWT wrote:
If Ohio could secure naming rights to the Convo of 2 million a year for 5 years and then take that money and spend it on NIL for basketball that sounds doable to be competitive.


2 million dollars per year for the naming rights of the Convo? Have you lost your mind? Drop a couple zeroes off that estimate, I do not think the Convo could net 6 figures for naming rights.


A naming rights agreement for the Convo certainly wouldn't net anything in the millions, but 6 figures is very feasible. Sports Business Journal released a database of naming rights agreements last year that included multiple peer conferences and schools.


We are positioned terribly for a naming rights deal in that we are both in a small town AND a mid-major. I think you can survive one or the other but not both. Show me a small town mid-major school with a remotely impressive naming rights deal anywhere in the country. No major national brand will see the value in Athens, and there aren't any local businesses big enough to see that type of value in a naming rights investment. The town is the university itself. I would be shocked if we could get a 6 figure annual deal, the only scenario being a fan/alum doing it with a charitable slant to it beyond any business value. And we talk about loaded proud alum donors just as much as America talks about Bigfoot and the Lochness Monster.


There are 2 in my original post:
Southern Illinois - Banterra Center - $400K/yr for 10 years
James Madison - Atlantic Union Bank Center - $255K/yr for 10 years

SIU is in Carbondale Illinois, a town no bigger than Athens and much further away from a major city than Athens is to Columbus. JMU is in a town a little bigger than both but far from being a true metropolitan giant.

I also have a full section at the bottom acknowledging the difficulty of finding someone to spend that type of money in southeast Ohio. I think it's more likely they land a jersey patch deal for Basketball and Football than it is to get naming rights.


One small note is that while the size of Athens matters, I suspect that the money you can fetch for naming rights correlates most directly to 1) your TV deal and how often "Atlantic Union Bank Center" gets heard/seen on TV, and to a lesser degree, 2) your attendance.

That's my guess, at least. I'd imagine that's a big part of what the sponsor is eye balls on your logo during games and your name mentioned after every other commercial break.


It is and it gets even more nuanced with college athletics. Traditionally, it's:
1. Market Size (What is the ceiling for how many people theoretically might visit or see the logo outside the building).
2. TV Deals (How many people might see it via a game broadcast)
3. Traditional Attendance for games
4. Attendance for complimentary events like concerts, tournaments, etc.

These things are valued out by looking at how many people may see that brand on or around the venue in person, on TV, or on social media. The argument then becomes "if x million people see this each year, that is the equivalent in paying x amount of dollars through other advertising outlets". Actual impact of that spend is separate, but from my experience that's how brands justify paying for these things and how teams sell them.

For colleges, there's an added element of:
5. Size of Alumni Base
6. Wealth of Alumni Base

Small schools could theoretically get a bigger than expected number if they have an extremely wealthy alumni base and you pair it with a financial type company interested in managing that wealth. The Convo does have a large cultural reach within the region with the basketball tournaments and OU being the main local sports attraction. Downsides are the smaller market, old aging arena, no concerts, and the tradition that whatever brand might be replacing. I don't see a lot of fans being thrilled about the Convo being renamed.

If they find a buyer I would imagine it would be low six figures, but it's a pretty tough sell.
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Andrew Ruck
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Member Since: 12/22/2004
Location: Columbus, OH
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 4:02:45 PM 
QuantCat wrote:


There are 2 in my original post:
Southern Illinois - Banterra Center - $400K/yr for 10 years
James Madison - Atlantic Union Bank Center - $255K/yr for 10 years

SIU is in Carbondale Illinois, a town no bigger than Athens and much further away from a major city than Athens is to Columbus. JMU is in a town a little bigger than both but far from being a true metropolitan giant.


Fair enough, I guess in my head I think of JMU as greater DC area and just view SIU as bigger than us but you're right, those are technically 2 small town mid-majors. I am just a bit jaded after seeing the types of sponsors OU has attracted over the years, as much as I love Larry Conrath & Susan Bargi I just have a really hard time envisioning someone committing that kind of money to the Convo naming rights.

Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

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Athens
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Alexandria, VA
Post Count: 5,454

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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 4:24:27 PM 
Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:
TWT wrote:
[QUOTE=FJC31]
They'd rather have Boals kick in part or all of his salary rather than have the university kick in money from another source.


This is disingenuous. Nobody is saying that they don't want to generate more revenue. Revenue is good.

But based on our last audited basketball revenue figures, we're paying 25% of topline revenue to a single employee -- Jeff Boals.

And that figure was determined before revenue sharing came into the picture. Is it insane to think that schools may choose to spend money differently now that attracting players requires money?


The whole discussion of cutting Boals pay is driven by pettiness. There isn't a movement afoot to reduce coaching pay either at mid majors with many paying more than ever. Saint Louis is the top mid major and they are paying their coach 2 million and probably spending at least 3 million on NIL.

The Big East IMO has driven up BB spending by the power conferences but that appears to be leveling off since their revenue streams have leveled off and more limited compared to the P4. A10 is setting the bar for non-power schools but they have more restricted revenue so I doubt the NIL market for mid majors is going to zoom up from here. Dayton has said no student fees NIL has to come out of revenue and they probably have the most in the A10.

https://www.wdtn.com/as-seen-on-2-news/ud-treading-nil-wa... /

Ohio will probably keep spending on the players to the minimum it needs to until a basketball specific deal injects money. Conference membership is also a justifier of spending and if a minimum NIL spending target is established by the MAC that would have to be followed. Revenues in the non-power world have mostly topped out and paid attendance is trending downward. NIL costs to an extent are turning out to be a one time hit rather than an arms race.

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FJC31
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 4:27:10 PM 
Andrew Ruck wrote:
QuantCat wrote:


There are 2 in my original post:
Southern Illinois - Banterra Center - $400K/yr for 10 years
James Madison - Atlantic Union Bank Center - $255K/yr for 10 years

SIU is in Carbondale Illinois, a town no bigger than Athens and much further away from a major city than Athens is to Columbus. JMU is in a town a little bigger than both but far from being a true metropolitan giant.


Fair enough, I guess in my head I think of JMU as greater DC area and just view SIU as bigger than us but you're right, those are technically 2 small town mid-majors. I am just a bit jaded after seeing the types of sponsors OU has attracted over the years, as much as I love Larry Conrath & Susan Bargi I just have a really hard time envisioning someone committing that kind of money to the Convo naming rights.


As someone who has been to Carbondale for an SIU game, this is a fair comp. Banterra is a regional bank with locations in Illinois and Indiana.

If we were to sell the naming rights to the Convo, it would have to be a similar business and not one specifically tied to Athens. One that has reach to all the major Ohio cities (Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati) from service standpoint. I would think for a company like that, there's value in where most of the student body comes from and likely ends up upon graduation.

Quick Google search shows Encova Insurance and Westfield Bank that have ties to the three C's.

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FJC31
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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 4:29:59 PM 
TWT wrote:
Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote:
TWT wrote:
[QUOTE=FJC31]
They'd rather have Boals kick in part or all of his salary rather than have the university kick in money from another source.


This is disingenuous. Nobody is saying that they don't want to generate more revenue. Revenue is good.

But based on our last audited basketball revenue figures, we're paying 25% of topline revenue to a single employee -- Jeff Boals.

And that figure was determined before revenue sharing came into the picture. Is it insane to think that schools may choose to spend money differently now that attracting players requires money?


The whole discussion of cutting Boals pay is driven by pettiness. There isn't a movement afoot to reduce coaching pay either at mid majors with many paying more than ever. Saint Louis is the top mid major and they are paying their coach 2 million and probably spending at least 3 million on NIL.



No one is trying to cut Boals pay specifically. Quite a few of us are ready to move on at this point. The idea is around splitting the next coach's salary (if we get to that point) between him personally and a lump sum towards roster construction as part of the whole NIL fundraising.
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Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
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Member Since: 7/30/2010
Post Count: 4,658

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  Message Not Read  RE: Fire Jeff Boals!
   Posted: 3/3/2026 7:17:55 PM 
TWT wrote:



The whole discussion of cutting Boals pay is driven by pettiness. There isn't a movement afoot to reduce coaching pay either at mid majors with many paying more than ever. Saint Louis is the top mid major and they are paying their coach 2 million and probably spending at least 3 million on NIL.


Pettiness? What's petty about what I said, exactly? We have a limited budget. Some of it now goes to players. There's less money for coaching salaries than there was before. Seems logical, not petty.

We also basically have nothing in common with St. Louis. City school, no football, bigger conference, better tv deal.

On the other hand, we've got a lot in common with MAC schools. How does Boals' pay compare to MAC schools?
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