Indy at OBU

[Divisiontwo]

Re: Indy at OBU

Most D2's don't have many on a full ride, if any. They split the schollies up.

[OBUGrad]

Re: Indy at OBU

The enrollments at a few of the schools in the GAC are so tiny. That alone puts them at a huge disadvantage. The fact that some of the smallest are private makes it worse. Public schools often get state and federal funding, and have deep pocketed donors.

Without knowing much about AR financing, Arkie Tech looks like the sleeping giant of the GAC.(Sort of like UCO and UCM in the MIAA) Harding looks like the Lindenwood of the GAC. Lindenwood is a moneyed Private with an enrollment of around 10 grand, and they couldn't keep up with the top of the MIAA spending. Almost, but not quite.

Ouachita enrollment is 1,600. AR Tech is around 8,000. No reason they are not one of the best in the conference.

[Mulerider]

Re: Indy at OBU

FYI I know certain schools spend more on certain sports than others or are historically know for certain sports. SAU is definitely a Rodeo school as well as a Baseball/Softball school. Our Men's Basketball team isn't too bad, but has terrible facilities compared to everyone else. Football is getting more and more spotlight. SAU's Cross Country has also come up, but their isn't too much for facilities that. Just good small school CC runners.

[Mulerider]

Re: Indy at OBU

Title IX has hurt schools as well with all of this. Women's athletics haven't brought in the money compared to Men's sports. Why should the men have to suffer?

[Tech Boys]

Re: Indy at OBU

Tech set a new enrollment record this semester with 12,071 students. The breakdown is 9,967 in Russellville and 2,104 at the Ozark campus. These numbers amaze me every year. During my time at Tech, early-mid 80s, we ranged from 3,000 to 3,500.

[walnut100]

Re: Indy at OBU

Don't say it's a money issue. They have an indoor practice field and are a private college. They have donors.

We have some donors with deep pockets but they definitely pick and choose their battles at OBU. The school is currently in a lot of debt as they're restructuring a lot and putting most of the focus on upgrades towards academics right now rather than sports. We got the new stadium at least even if it didn't come with turf, which has helped a lot as attendance at football games have been going up the past ten years or so. We got a wrestling team and the indoor practice facility off the backs of anonymous private donors, but it doesn't seem real likely we'll get another big splurge like that for a little while towards sports. The swim team has been updating the indoor pool, but that's been off of the coach running fundraisers and paying for it on his own.

On the subject of schollies, I've heard that Ouachita is running even more lean than Harding even for most sports. (football probably not) Our coaches have to do more with less, so it's pretty amazing we do as well as we do in athletics. I think it's a testament to the athletic programs being run by driven, organized people who just want to win.

[Divisiontwo]

Re: Indy at OBU

We have some donors with deep pockets but they definitely pick and choose their battles at OBU. The school is currently in a lot of debt as they're restructuring a lot and putting most of the focus on upgrades towards academics right now rather than sports. We got the new stadium at least even if it didn't come with turf, which has helped a lot as attendance at football games have been going up the past ten years or so. We got a wrestling team and the indoor practice facility off the backs of anonymous private donors, but it doesn't seem real likely we'll get another big splurge like that for a little while towards sports. The swim team has been updating the indoor pool, but that's been off of the coach running fundraisers and paying for it on his own.

On the subject of schollies, I've heard that Ouachita is running even more lean than Harding even for most sports. (football probably not) Our coaches have to do more with less, so it's pretty amazing we do as well as we do in athletics. I think it's a testament to the athletic programs being run by driven, organized people who just want to win.

[Predatory Primates]

Re: Indy at OBU

If they are, then they are also fully funded in the female sports.

[walnut100]

Re: Indy at OBU

I know our women's volleyball isn't fully funded because I know the coach, but we do have women's cross country with no men's team to help balance things so it wouldn't surprise me if the rest of it is in more basketball schollies for the women's team or something like that

[OBUGrad]

Re: Indy at OBU

Tech set a new enrollment record this semester with 12,071 students. The breakdown is 9,967 in Russellville and 2,104 at the Ozark campus. These numbers amaze me every year. During my time at Tech, early-mid 80s, we ranged from 3,000 to 3,500.

[FSUBulldog27]

Re: Indy at OBU

We have some donors with deep pockets but they definitely pick and choose their battles at OBU. The school is currently in a lot of debt as they're restructuring a lot and putting most of the focus on upgrades towards academics right now rather than sports. We got the new stadium at least even if it didn't come with turf, which has helped a lot as attendance at football games have been going up the past ten years or so. We got a wrestling team and the indoor practice facility off the backs of anonymous private donors, but it doesn't seem real likely we'll get another big splurge like that for a little while towards sports. The swim team has been updating the indoor pool, but that's been off of the coach running fundraisers and paying for it on his own.

On the subject of schollies, I've heard that Ouachita is running even more lean than Harding even for most sports. (football probably not) Our coaches have to do more with less, so it's pretty amazing we do as well as we do in athletics. I think it's a testament to the athletic programs being run by driven, organized people who just want to win.

This is what I don't understand from universities - Yes, the cost to put a pro turf is costly upfront but in the long run it is a huge cost savings. You can play on it without destroying it. Other sports play on it...I like natural grass but the up keep costs a lot and if it rains and you play on grass you tear it up. So you also have an indoor practice center and no pro turf...???

[Tech Boys]

Re: Indy at OBU

Arkansas D2 enrollment from the Arkansas Department of Higher Ed for Fall 2018:

Arkansas Tech - 12,071
Henderson State - 3,958
Southern Arkansas - 4,468
Arkansas-Fort Smith - 6,569
Arkansas-Monticello - 3,212
Harding - 5,122
Ouachita Baptist - 1,660

Tech is the 3rd largest in the state and only 1,987 less than Arkansas State.

https://media.arkansasonline.com/img...20d3883a443e7f

[Mulerider]

Re: Indy at OBU

Arkansas D2 enrollment from the Arkansas Department of Higher Ed for Fall 2018:

Arkansas Tech - 12,071
Henderson State - 3,958
Southern Arkansas - 4,468
Arkansas-Fort Smith - 6,569
Arkansas-Monticello - 3,212
Harding - 5,122
Ouachita Baptist - 1,660

Tech is the 3rd largest in the state and only 1,987 less than Arkansas State.

https://media.arkansasonline.com/img...20d3883a443e7f

Arkansas-Fort Smith will be a D2 Basketball powerhouse in years to come. They have the facilities, and the school backing them. Especially when you don't have football, makes the students love basketball that much more. How in the heck does Harding have 5,122 now? That must be all the Church of Christ in Arkansas.

[Divisiontwo]

Re: Indy at OBU

Arkansas-Fort Smith will be a D2 Basketball powerhouse in years to come. They have the facilities, and the school backing them. Especially when you don't have football, makes the students love basketball that much more. How in the heck does Harding have 5,122 now? That must be all the Church of Christ in Arkansas.

[Mulerider]

Re: Indy at OBU

I was thinking that sounds about right. If you look at their sports rosters, many of them come from states not bordering Arkansas. Guess if you want to be a Church of Christ preacher, you only have so many schools to choose from (Yes I know they offer a thousand other programs, my sister graduated with Child Life Specialist degree).