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Started By
Message
1
Posted on 7/20/09 at 5:41 pm to TopplingTiger
Here is my response from Herb:
Thank you for writing. The LSU Athletic Department greatly values the band and its contributions to LSU. In fact, the Athletic Department provides more financial support to its band than any other school in the Southeastern Conference, spending over $900,000 annually in travel, salaries and equipment for the Tiger Band. And the Athletic Department has also committed $4.5 million to the construction of a new band hall, making LSU Athletics the single largest contributor to that project.
So there is no doubting our continued commitment to the LSU band. However, these are trying financial times and there are cost-cutting measures being taken all over the LSU campus. The travel for the band just happens to be one of the more high profile cost-saving areas. Difficult decisions have to be made in difficult times, and LSU is indeed going through some very difficult financial times right now. As state budget cuts have slashed higher education budgets all over Louisiana, the athletic department has been called upon to provide more financial assistance to our University this year than ever before. So we have had to take a hard look at every dollar we spend.
The Tiger Band will continue to be a very big part of LSU Football, but during the 2009 season a pep band will not travel to our game at the University of Washington and the full band will not travel to any regular season road game, resulting in a savings of $125,000 to $150,000 this year.
Thank you for your support of the Tigers,
Herb Vincent
Sr. Associate Athletic Director
LSU
Thank you for writing. The LSU Athletic Department greatly values the band and its contributions to LSU. In fact, the Athletic Department provides more financial support to its band than any other school in the Southeastern Conference, spending over $900,000 annually in travel, salaries and equipment for the Tiger Band. And the Athletic Department has also committed $4.5 million to the construction of a new band hall, making LSU Athletics the single largest contributor to that project.
So there is no doubting our continued commitment to the LSU band. However, these are trying financial times and there are cost-cutting measures being taken all over the LSU campus. The travel for the band just happens to be one of the more high profile cost-saving areas. Difficult decisions have to be made in difficult times, and LSU is indeed going through some very difficult financial times right now. As state budget cuts have slashed higher education budgets all over Louisiana, the athletic department has been called upon to provide more financial assistance to our University this year than ever before. So we have had to take a hard look at every dollar we spend.
The Tiger Band will continue to be a very big part of LSU Football, but during the 2009 season a pep band will not travel to our game at the University of Washington and the full band will not travel to any regular season road game, resulting in a savings of $125,000 to $150,000 this year.
Thank you for your support of the Tigers,
Herb Vincent
Sr. Associate Athletic Director
LSU
Posted on 7/20/09 at 5:44 pm to ColdDuck
Ol' Herb, just cutting and pasting e-mails to everyone who writes to him.
Posted on 7/20/09 at 5:58 pm to JPLSU1981
I love the band as much as the next guy, but the money saved might be the difference between a smaller sport being able to operate or not. $125,000 to $150,000 goes a lot further in tennis, swimming, golf etc. than it does in football.
It's difficult to accept as a big football fan, but we have to put things in perspective.
It's difficult to accept as a big football fan, but we have to put things in perspective.
Posted on 7/20/09 at 6:04 pm to DJBurke
Like I said earlier but no on noticed. Didn't some old dude just donate a crap load of money to the athletic department?
Posted on 7/20/09 at 6:06 pm to TigerBandMan
I noticed TBM! I just haven't heard anything about that.
This post was edited on 7/20/09 at 6:07 pm
Posted on 7/20/09 at 6:09 pm to DJBurke
quote:
I love the band as much as the next guy, but the money saved might be the difference between a smaller sport being able to operate or not. $125,000 to $150,000 goes a lot further in tennis, swimming, golf etc. than it does in football.
Point taken, and it's a great point. I think you have to weigh both sides ... would more people prefer the band to Seattle and the full band to an SEC road game or would more people prefer a financial boost to the swim team?? I don't have the answer, but I have a pretty good guess.
That said, if it costs $150,000 to send a 50-person pep band to Seattle and bus the full band over to Tuscaloosa and back immediately after the game, then Alleva needs to be fired on the spot, because he was sold to us a "financial wiz." Me and my computer can get the pep band to Seattle and the full band to Tuscaloosa for under $80k, which is a drop in the bucket for an $85 million budget which is LSU Athletics.
Posted on 7/20/09 at 6:31 pm to JPLSU1981
quote:
would more people prefer a financial boost to the swim team??
I know nobody cares... but the swim team suffers at the expense of most every sport. To put it in perspective, we didn't have showers/locker rooms until around 98 or 99... even now they cram about 20 lockers in a room the size of my kitchen almost... freshman had to share a locker. Probably a gays wet dream.
Also the natatorium still to this day has no heating or air conditioning system. You freeze your arse off in the winter, having to stretch for 20 minutes in your parka and then jump into a pool... in the summer it is sweltering with no ventilation. I'm grateful we still have a team... it took years to get new lights. There is no seating to host big national meets or SEC's. It is an armpit, but the pool itself is fast. Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia all have newly built awesome facilities... we have one that built as a temporary facility in the early 80's for some festival.
Long rant short, swimming hardly gets crap so don't say this money is going to teams like swimming or tennis b/c we are severely lacking compared to the other taj mahal facilities in the sec.
I'm all for the band going... I've only missed one road game since 03 and it is not the same experience without the band... but this money is not going to swimming. If anything, it is going for contract extensions/raises/bonuses to Maineri, Johnson, etc. The rich get richer.
This post was edited on 7/20/09 at 6:35 pm
Posted on 7/20/09 at 6:38 pm to DaBeerz
quote:
Long rant short, swimming hardly gets crap so don't say this money is going to teams like swimming or tennis b/c we are severely lacking compared to the other taj mahal facilities in the sec.
That was what I was thinking as well. I doubt very seriously this money that they're holding back is being spent on the swim team or the gymnastics team or the tennis team.
I really just think this is an issue of Alleva not understanding the importance of the band to LSU football. I really think it is as simple as that.
That said, if the athletic department won't foot the bill, then we as fans will on our own. If the athletic department tells us then that the band still can't go, then it's obviously not an issue of money but more of the athletic department not caring about the band and simply not wanting to deal with it. If money is the only obstacle, then that's a pretty easy obstacle to overcome IMO.
This post was edited on 7/20/09 at 6:39 pm
Posted on 7/20/09 at 6:40 pm to TopplingTiger
quote:
Ol' Herb, just cutting and pasting e-mails to everyone who writes to him.
I would certainly hope that he would spend his days doing actual work as opposed to answering multiple emails about the bands travel schedule.
This post was edited on 7/20/09 at 6:41 pm
Posted on 7/20/09 at 6:42 pm to saintsfan22
quote:
I would certainly hope that he would spend his days doing actual work as opposed to answering multiple emails about the bands travel schedule.
Actually, preparing LSU's road schedule and everything that entails, including the budget, logistics and general media PR and being a liason to the fanbase, is precisely his job as Associate AD.
That said, "canned emails" don't bother me. I'd do the same thing if I was in his position.
This post was edited on 7/20/09 at 6:46 pm
Posted on 7/20/09 at 6:46 pm to JPLSU1981
quote:
Actually, preparing LSU's road schedule and everything that entails, including the budget, logistics and general media PR and being a liason to the fanbase, is precisely his job as Associate AD.
Yea and there are a lot more important schedule and budget issues he needs to deal with than a couple of peoples whiny complaint emails about the band.
Posted on 7/20/09 at 6:51 pm to saintsfan22
quote:
Yea and there are a lot more important schedule and budget issues he needs to deal with than a couple of peoples whiny complaint emails about the band.
Agreed. Maybe they should have thought of that from the beginning, ya think?
And the band being at LSU footall games is a pretty big deal in the realm of LSU athletics, so it's not some puny little issue like you hint at, per Vincent himself ...
quote:
In fact, the Athletic Department provides more financial support to its band than any other school in the Southeastern Conference, spending over $900,000 annually in travel, salaries and equipment for the Tiger Band. The travel for the band just happens to be one of the more high profile cost-saving areas.
If you're giving someone a million bucks a year, it's a pretty big issue that deserves at least 1% of your time seing that it takes up over 1% of your budget.
This post was edited on 7/20/09 at 6:56 pm
Posted on 7/20/09 at 6:59 pm to TulaneTigerFan
quote:I will double that offer. But hay that is just my two cents worth.
i will donate one penny to this noble cause if you can get a site set up
Posted on 7/20/09 at 7:03 pm to JPLSU1981
mylsuhat
Congratulations! your first post wins the jackass of the day award!
Congratulations! your first post wins the jackass of the day award!
Posted on 7/20/09 at 7:04 pm to JPLSU1981
quote:
And the band being at LSU footall games is a pretty big deal in the realm of LSU athletics, so it's not some puny little issue like you hint at, per Vincent himself ...
Providing for any LSU athletic teams>>>>>>>>>>>>Band traveling to road games
Posted on 7/20/09 at 7:07 pm to saintsfan22
quote:
Providing for any LSU athletic teams= Band traveling to road games
It's cool. We'll agree to disagree.
This post was edited on 7/20/09 at 7:07 pm
Posted on 7/20/09 at 8:09 pm to JPLSU1981
quote:
I'm friends with Andre Moreau, and he says WAFB will probably be doing a story on this Tuesday night ... just FYI. According to him, David Spunt or Keitha Nelson will probably be doing the interviews, etc.
Also, they need some good interviews for the story, as far as from the fan's point of view. I gave them one name of one of my friends that would be a good interview, but if anyone else feels strongly about this, please let me know so that I can get them your name and number.
I get the feeling it's going to be more of a "feel-good" story... i.e. "Hey, because of budget cuts, LSU can't send the band to Seattle. A group of fans are coming together to encourage other fans to donate to the cause of getting a pep band to Seattle." More of a story to get people aware of the situation and give those that are interested the information needed to support the cause if they choose to do so. I don't think - nor do I want it to be - a story attacking the LSU athletic department.
This post was edited on 7/20/09 at 8:13 pm
Posted on 7/20/09 at 8:37 pm to saintsfan22
quote:
Providing for any LSU athletic teams>>>>>>>>>>>>Band traveling to road games
false IMO. more people would rather a great band than a great swimming team
This post was edited on 7/20/09 at 8:38 pm
Posted on 7/20/09 at 8:49 pm to Elleshoe
quote:
false IMO. more people would rather a great band than a great swimming team
Certainly but having a great band has nothing to do with the band traveling to Seattle unless somehow they get better by practicing in a hostile environment. They could be the greatest band on the planet but if its not cost effective to send them across country, do send them. Providing for the athletics teams is more important than splurging on the band IMO.
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