PASSHE Institutions Merging

[Ship69]

I always thought it was funny how the Harrisburg Patriot-News/PennLive tried for years to have Paterno's salary made public and eventually sued over it. Then when it was revealed, it was a fraction of what other major college coaches were making.

Well, that's fine, but it's not entirely the point. If you're going to take state money, people paying the freight need to see what the money is being used for. Simple as that. It's true whether he's making $50,000 or $5 million.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Their football team gets year-round coverage from our area Harrisburg TV stations. My alma mater, located much closer to Harrisburg than Penn State, can't even get on the air or in the declining newspapers in our area. I acknowledge they're the big football story in the state, but it would be nice if our media realize they aren't the only football (and other sports) story.

I used to love reading the game stories from a different viewpoint (i.e. whomever IUP was playing). It's literally amazing how few of our leagues' schools actually get their games covered. And, by covered, I mean an actual game story with quotes (not cut/paste a paragraph recap from the SID).

I totally get the business side of it. Penn State lives in the castle and we follow the peasants. The Pittsburgh papers have absolutely zero interest in cover PSAC sports. But, some of our small towns (that actually still have newspapers) don't even cover the games. I don't think any of the schools hold coaches' press conferences after the games any longer. Hell, the Erie (city) paper has three teams (Edinboro, Mercyhurst and Gannon) and rarely covers anything.

It's a shame. We miss out on some real good quotes occasionally. I'm very appreciative we still have the Indiana Gazette and the coverage Matt and Tony provide for football and basketball.

Former SRU hoops coach Kevin Reynolds had one of the best tirades I've ever read after losing at IUP back in 2014. Former SRU DE Chad Kuhn mouthed off in the The Rocket two years ago and ignited a firestorm within the IUP program (and SRU soon after got walloped at home). Those are the things we miss out on these days.

[iupgroundhog]

And because of that "state-related" status, Penn State, Pitt, Temple and Lincoln don't have to comply with open records laws like the PASSHE schools have to. The more I think about it, either the Commonwealth needs to buy out the "state-related" schools or find a way to get those schools to comply with the same transparency as other state agencies.

I always thought it was funny how the Harrisburg Patriot-News/PennLive tried for years to have Paterno's salary made public and eventually sued over it. Then when it was revealed, it was a fraction of what other major college coaches were making.

[ctrabs74]

Before I was aware of Penn State's weird "state-related" status, I always wondered why they were the only B1G school along with Northwestern (a private school) not to report their coaches' salaries.

And because of that "state-related" status, Penn State, Pitt, Temple and Lincoln don't have to comply with open records laws like the PASSHE schools have to. The more I think about it, either the Commonwealth needs to buy out the "state-related" schools or find a way to get those schools to comply with the same transparency as other state agencies.

[Ship69]

Yeah. I hear you. It's a problem all over. I think it's the worst in states where the D1 teams are the biggest thing going. (AR, OK, AL)

You guys have had a good program out there. Probably helps that Kansas has a spotty football history, although K-State has been tough for a while now.

[iupgroundhog]

Like him or not, but much better oversight & advocacy for PASSHE correlates with the current chancellor.

That's true. We can sit here and criticize his approach to individual schools, etc. but in dealing externally (i.e. government) he is a force. It's always an uphill battle, though.

[Predatory Primates]

Their football team gets year-round coverage from our area Harrisburg TV stations. My alma mater, located much closer to Harrisburg than Penn State, can't even get on the air or in the declining newspapers in our area. I acknowledge they're the big football story in the state, but it would be nice if our media realize they aren't the only football (and other sports) story.

Yeah. I hear you. It's a problem all over. I think it's the worst in states where the D1 teams are the biggest thing going. (AR, OK, AL)

[iupgroundhog]

I can't speak to that.

I think there's a lesson to be learned here. If you can't speak to that, you probably shouldn't. Not on the PSAC D2 board, anyway.

[Ship69]

But, who would pay for their lake house?

Their football team gets year-round coverage from our area Harrisburg TV stations. My alma mater, located much closer to Harrisburg than Penn State, can't even get on the air or in the declining newspapers in our area. I acknowledge they're the big football story in the state, but it would be nice if our media realize they aren't the only football (and other sports) story.

[Ship69]

Oh they do. They just don't understand it. Or only give a fig about the ones that can give them comp football tickets.

I do think this latest budget fight has knocked Pitt & Penn State down a bit in the eyes of the average PA legislators. They're finally realizing Pitt & Penn State get hundreds of millions annually with almost no accountability. Very little financial reporting to the public beyond what the average private school must report to the IRS. Then they go and raise tuition after getting a 7% increase. Penn State not making friends saying they have a $140 million budget shortfall but are building that $700 million stadium reno.

Like him or not, but much better oversight & advocacy for PASSHE correlates with the current chancellor.

My local state rep, a decent guy, is an ultra conservative whom I don't agree with much, but he's become very aware of this issue and told me he's inclined to support schools the state actually owns. I think more people are swinging over to this point of view.

As a former journalist, it pissed me off to see that Penn State planned to completely cut off financial support next year for The Daily Collegian, the student newspaper that has been around since 1887. An average of 160 students work for the newspaper and it costs the $160,000, probably about the price of a single full professor, if that.

Before I was aware of Penn State's weird "state-related" status, I always wondered why they were the only B1G school along with Northwestern (a private school) not to report their coaches' salaries.

[Predatory Primates]

Or the state can stop supporting schools they don’t own who have billion dollar plus endowments and big payouts from athletic conference revenue sharing…

But, who would pay for their lake house?

[IUPNation]

I can't speak to that. I don't know if the info I received included the private schools. Do ANY of those 3 schools receive state funding? The PSAC is not the PASSHE...

We are talking about Penn State and Pitt who get millions from the state and they are not owned by the state. They also get millions from their athletic conferences. Why does Penn State need 400 million a year from Harrisburg when they are about to spend 700 million on Beaver Stadium renovations?

Wouldn't you love at least a 7 million upgrade to The Denny courtesy of Harrisburg? You'd be lucky to get 7 dollars.

It's absurd that these two schools eat up so much public funding when they are NOT STATE OWNED PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES.

IUP and East Dennyburg should both be getting far more funding so they can lower tuition because that is what should be done at STATE OWNED PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES. They should be chaep and affordable so they are accessible to all of the people of Pennsylvania. Students at our schools should not have to take out outrageous loans that take years to pay back to attend a STATE OWNED PUBLIC UNIVERISTY.

You really should be mad at how Penn State and Pitt get money they doesn't deserve. Our schools are being short changed because of them.

Enough is enough...they have revenue sources that state system schools will never have.....

As for Seton Hill, LIT AF and The Lake Show...they are private Catholic Schools. They are own their own...like Penn State and Pitt should be...

[WarriorVoice]

Or the state can stop supporting schools they don’t own who have billion dollar plus endowments and big payouts from athletic conference revenue sharing…

I can't speak to that. I don't know if the info I received included the private schools. Do ANY of those 3 schools receive state funding? The PSAC is not the PASSHE...

[Fightingscot82]

It might help if the state gave a fig about public higher education.

Oh they do. They just don't understand it. Or only give a fig about the ones that can give them comp football tickets.

I do think this latest budget fight has knocked Pitt & Penn State down a bit in the eyes of the average PA legislators. They're finally realizing Pitt & Penn State get hundreds of millions annually with almost no accountability. Very little financial reporting to the public beyond what the average private school must report to the IRS. Then they go and raise tuition after getting a 7% increase. Penn State not making friends saying they have a $140 million budget shortfall but are building that $700 million stadium reno.

Like him or not, but much better oversight & advocacy for PASSHE correlates with the current chancellor.

[Ship69]

Right now, West Chester, Slippery Rock and ESU are the only schools who are financially meeting their obligations to the collective pot that runs the system. All of these others are lagging. Not a rosy picture of the future...

It might help if the state gave a fig about public higher education.