Aug. 30, 2008 at California
Sept. 6, 2008 Eastern Michigan
Sept. 13, 2008 Florida Atlantic
Sept. 20, 2008 Notre Dame
Sept. 27, 2008 at Indiana
Oct. 4, 2008 Iowa
Oct. 11, 2008 at Northwestern
Oct. 18, 2008 Ohio State
Oct. 25, 2008 at Michigan
Nov. 1, 2008 Wisconsin
Nov. 8, 2008 Purdue
Nov. 22, 2008 at Penn State

I wonder what Ledezma will have to say.

Aug. 30, 2008 at California- L
Sept. 6, 2008 Eastern Michigan- W
Sept. 13, 2008 Florida Atlantic- W
Sept. 20, 2008 Notre Dame- W
Sept. 27, 2008 at Indiana- W
Oct. 4, 2008 Iowa- W
Oct. 11, 2008 at Northwestern- W
Oct. 18, 2008 Ohio State- L
Oct. 25, 2008 at Michigan- L
Nov. 1, 2008 Wisconsin- L
Nov. 8, 2008 Purdue- L
Nov. 22, 2008 at Penn State- L


Under 7.5, but at 6-6, they are 'bowl eligible'

I have them at 5-7. I agree with the above, but say they beat Purdue, lose to Notre Dame and a freak one to Iowa.

Aug. 30, 2008 at California L
Sept. 6, 2008 Eastern Michigan W
Sept. 13, 2008 Florida Atlantic W
Sept. 20, 2008 Notre Dame W
Sept. 27, 2008 at Indiana W
Oct. 4, 2008 Iowa W
Oct. 11, 2008 at Northwestern W
Oct. 18, 2008 Ohio State L
Oct. 25, 2008 at Michigan W
Nov. 1, 2008 Wisconsin L
Nov. 8, 2008 Purdue W
Nov. 22, 2008 at Penn State L

8-4 and The Alamo Bowl.

Aug. 30, 2008 at California L
Sept. 6, 2008 Eastern Michigan W
Sept. 13, 2008 Florida Atlantic W
Sept. 20, 2008 Notre Dame W
Sept. 27, 2008 at Indiana W
Oct. 4, 2008 Iowa W
Oct. 11, 2008 at Northwestern W
Oct. 18, 2008 Ohio State L
Oct. 25, 2008 at Michigan W
Nov. 1, 2008 Wisconsin L
Nov. 8, 2008 Purdue W
Nov. 22, 2008 at Penn State L

8-4 and The Alamo Bowl.


:cornbread:

Over 7.5 wins
bukdow, D's Nuts, detroitsportscity

lol

looks like they're taking the over

For MSU, wins mean financial survival

• July 21, 2008 • From Lansing State Journal

Michigan State University Athletic Director Mark Hollis has charted a cautious approach to his program's deficit-plagued budget.
But, overall, MSU has committed itself to a quite risky athletics strategy. High levels of success, particularly in football and men's basketball, are now mandatory.

It's simple economics.

MSU, like most other big-time college programs, has been spending huge sums. The football program, for example, is just finishing up a $100-million capital improvement project.

To fund such work, MSU has had to squeeze fans, either through intensive fundraising or "seat licenses" and such regimes for tickets. And MSU has had considerable success on this front, which has allowed the Athletic Department to turbo-charge its budget by $27 million in recent years.

But even this spending has left MSU in the red. It can't stay there.

Hollis' immediate prescription is prudent: essentially a budget freeze and a continuation of a ticket prize freeze.

Even that leaves Michigan State in a hole without additional revenue.

Hollis points to the potential revenue at Spartan Stadium.

As the LSJ's Joe Rexrode wrote in his multi-part series on MSU athletics: "If MSU could 'max out' and fill every seat, club seat and suite on game days, it would mean more than $2 million in additional, annual revenue ..."

MSU, however, has seen season-ticket sales dip and has not been able to sell all of its high-dollar luxury suites or club seating. General economics play into this, but to max out at the till means to max out on the field. The more money people pay, the better product they want.

Bottom line: Losing seasons won't cut it, nor, frankly, will last year's 7-6 record. Football coach Mark Dantonio will face more than the usual Big Ten pressure this fall.

And not only on the win front. A strange number jumped out from Rexrode's package: Michigan and Penn State made huge sums on football with expenses only in the $14 million range. MSU's football expenses were $22 million. Is this just different forms of accounting, or an opportunity to be more economical?

Hollis, too, is in a difficult position. He has a university mandate to offer an array of 25 intercollegiate teams, most of which are in sports that are called, diplomatically, "non-revenue."

When it comes to finances, football is the game. And Hollis, Dantonio and MSU are on the hook with pressed fans and donors.

MSU has to win more to draw more fans and more donors - and be more careful with its dollars in all sports.

Profits come before the fall.

THIS ISN'T OVER

It'll never be over.

So, I don't get it. They're putting pressure on the team to win games and make money, right?
So if the team wins 6 games this year and doesn't sell more seats, that means Dantonio is gone?
I don't think so. He has a 5 year contract and the LAST thing they want to do is pay for a coach who isn't coaching there anymore.

To me, while the money thing is an issue, any pressure on Dantonio is a non-story. Unless he has a year in which he only wins 2 or 3 games, he's quite safe in his position. And considering the talent he has brought in, the system in place, and the fact that I have repeatedly said he's a very good coach - that's not going to ever happen.
I think when he leaves State it will be on his own terms and with a winning record. When that happens, it will likely be retirement. The only way he leaves otherwise is if a top 20 job or South Carolina offer.