re: Serious questions about spending priorities at LSU.

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quote:You must have missed the thread about the highest paid state employees, the entire LSU coaching staff are employees of LSU and the state of LA, they will receive in 2014 over $8,000,000.00 in salary from LSU/state. As I have stated before the Athletic department will contribute $7.2 million to the university annually, their donation is not offsetting their cost to the university.


you are so fricking stupid.

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Really, that's all you've got? Here are the links provide something to show I am wrong.

Of the 31 highest paid employees of the state of LA, each with a salary over $300K, 10 are LSU coaches.

https://www.thepelicanpost.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Above-200K-Classified-And-Unclassified-Employee-List-Data-as-of-5-18-2012-1.pdf


LINK

Athletic department has 75 employees on the LSU payroll with salary ranging form $25K/yr to $525K/yr total salary over $8 million in 2014, paid from LSU budget, this is exclusive of any money Miles or other staff receives from TAF.

LINK

We’re in the red right now,” Alleva said. “We need the money to make the budget for next year or we will be in the red and we will not be able to give the university $7 million.” The athletics department contributes $7.2 million annually to the university.

LINK

Of LSU's 25 highest paid employees, 15 are coaches. Once more for those that are having trouble with the subject being discussed, this is LSY employee payroll and has nothing to do with Les Miles $4 million dollars form TAF and other outside income by coaches.

LINK


"The Athletic Department's one-time contribution of $4 million is in addition to the department's annual transfers of approximately $6 million in funds for administrative services provided by the University, a Chancellor's Excellence Fund, a campus beautification fund, and a campus building fund. Also in recent years the Athletic Department has provided $3.8 million in funds to help build a new band hall for the School of Music and $1.9 toward the construction of a new building for the E. J. Ourso College of Business."

That's what I thought, but I couldn't find a link for it

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Do you, as an LSU fan and TD poster, really care about anything that happens on the academic side of LSU?

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Yes. I graduated from LSU. I want the piece of paper on my wall to mean something.

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Does it bother you that state funding has put LSU into a giant hole financially that it is having to dig its way out of? Do things like faculty salaries even make a blip on your radar screen?

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Yes it bothers me. The state Constitution is dumb and Jindal should have made a movement to change it via legislature.

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Do you care that there are academic buildings on campus with the ceilings caving in, that can be fully renovated for $15 million, but we just spent $90 million on a new south endzone? (Please spare me the speeches about return on investment, I know all of that.)

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What does the new south endzone have to do with that? Why would I spare the speeches about ROI?

LSU and the state of Louisiana are lucky to have an AD that operates as efficiently as LSU. We're actually giving money to the university...

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I'm just asking if you care, or if you think academics and athletics are completely separate universes. If athletics is all you care about, it's okay to admit.

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They are separate at LSU. LSU athletics actually contribute back to the university and aren't a drain like at most schools.

Silly debate.Don't be so mad. The campus is pretty damn nice and you can never underestimate the value of a good athletic supporter.

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. When I get to my laptop, I will catch up with this thread

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I furnished links to support what I have said, so far all I have seen are their opinions with nothing to back them up.

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Your links are weak and your last one I will use to help prove my point.

https://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205528892

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Joe Alleva, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics. "Only a handful of athletic departments in the nation operate using no state tax dollars and no student fees, but to be able to make a contribution of this magnitude is unique and a real credit to LSU's fans and alumni who support the Tigers and to the coaches and student-athletes whose commitment to excellence translates into continued success."

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The Athletic Department's one-time contribution of $4 million is in addition to the department's annual transfers of approximately $6 million in funds for administrative services provided by the University, a Chancellor's Excellence Fund, a campus beautification fund, and a campus building fund.

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LINK
Here is a link to the LSU Facebook page that released this letter from Chancellor Martin who wrote to the editor of the Advocate after they tried to make a similar argument as you.

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In the comment streams on the LSU budget cuts, athletics funding and coaches' salaries have been recurring topics. In a letter sent to The Advocate and The Daily Reveille, Chancellor Martin explains LSU's position on the salaries and the fiscal relationship between the athletics department and the University.

Dear Editor,

LSU is certainly sensitive to the current budget situation affecting higher education and the apparent dichotomy created by the salaries awarded to coaches of its athletic teams. Yet it is important to note that no monies used for LSU Athletics come from state tax dollars. In fact, the LSU Athletic Department annually assists financially with the mission of the University by contributing to academic programs and campus maintenance. The Athletic Department provides more than $2 million in recurring annual transfers to the University as well as assistance with special projects such as $4.5 million for a new band hall and $1 million to assist with the construction of a new Business School.

According to a study by USA Today, LSU is one of only two universities in the nation that uses no state financial support to fund its athletics program. LSU Athletics would not have this kind of success, and be able to contribute to the academic mission of the University, without paying competitive salaries to hire and retain the best coaches in the country. It is not a coincidence that the last five national champions in football have one thing in common: coaches that are among the highest compensated in the nation. And the investment in facility improvements over the last decade is another common denominator among ultra-successful programs.

Hiring and retaining the best coaches enables LSU to sustain success throughout its athletics program. That sustained athletic success has garnered passionate fan support, enabling LSU to maintain a self-funded athletics program. To reduce our investment in top-tier coaches would result in less success, fewer fans, reduced revenue and fewer financial transfers to the University. The University invests zero tax dollars into Athletics and gets millions in return, a positive and productive outcome for LSU.

It is truly regrettable that we are having discussions about eliminating jobs on the LSU campus as we continue to grapple with budgets cuts to higher education. But LSU Athletics has shown us the recipe for excellence – invest in human and physical resources. If only the University was afforded the necessary funds to invest in more premier researchers, adequately fund our instructor workforce and improve campus facilities at the rate that athletic programs across the South have done, LSU could achieve the sustained academic success it enjoys in the athletic arena.

Michael Martin
Chancellor, LSU

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USA Today Study

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Nebraska and Louisiana State were the only schools whose athletics programs reported receiving no subsidies in each of the four years studied.

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Slippy. Couple of things.

-LSU just bid around $150 million worth of academic building expansions and improvements.
-LSU didn't pay for the stadium expansion
-LSUs athletic dept is one of a very small number that writes a check back to the university.

What more do you want?

I can't speak to LSU, never been there, but I do know that UK is doing over 1 billion dollars in building renovations and updates. Some buildings hadn't been renovated since I was there in the 80's as a student.
They have also been able to spend a ton of money on athletics facilities updates.

There is a way to do all of that, but the President has to lead. UK used to have President's who used academics to highlight athletics, the new President is the opposite, and both seem to be thriving.