Ref Shortage

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by so cal lurker

While football often has the biggest revenues, it also has -- by far-- the biggest expenses of any of the HS sports -- you can outfit a basketball or soccer team for what it costs for the equipment for one football player.

Maybe, but the revenue in football often helps pay the bills for other sports. Baseball, Soccer or even Wrestling does not quite do that. Also many booster clubs help raise money during football games where they do not raise the same money in other sports. Equipment purchases run in cycles. I doubt that there is a vast expense in equipment when you might not buy something but every 3 or 4 years in the first place. Also I see high school football all over the TV and national TV at that. I bet one broadcast on ESPN or some local channel might bring money that none of the other sports even sniff. You are right, there might be more expenses in football or even basketball, but when thousands come to your games over maybe a 100 in other sports, that might be completely absorbed by those sports. Again, I never see a varsity contest in the regular season that might get what a JV football game gets during that same regular season. But I am sure there are exceptions somewhere. Just do not see that the case in this part of the country.

Originally Posted by so cal lurker

While Football coaches (and those who love HS football) love to point at the gate revenue, I'm curious how many schools are actually net positive for their football programs once all the costs are added in. (I've never seen an analysis for HS, but I have read (can't cite, sorry) that outside the five (?) big conferences, college football is a net cost to the schools. (Recent TV contracts for other conferences could have also changed that.)

I am sure there are schools that lose money. But do not tell me that a sport that gets a very modest gate is paying for those buses or transportation that it takes to play a season. Football here for example here has 9 weekends. Maybe 5 of those are road games. If you play soccer, you are playing more games. There is more travel in other sports than anything in most football. You have to pay a bus driver and insurance for the transportation as well. If I get 5 to 7 thousand at 4 or 5 dollars a pop, I can make a lot of money just for other things in one weekend. We have not talked about the concessions or other fund raising done. Let us not make it sound like the potential is the same for revenue.

Originally Posted by so cal lurker

My sense is that while football generates more revenue, hoops generates more profit for most schools because of the relative costs. (And while more attend each football game, there are a lot more BB games.)

You live in California and I am looking at your games on TV, it is clear that there are a lot of people that attend football games. Probably more than attend many games here. Basketball is really this state's passion more than football, but again if you are a middle of the road basketball program, you probably are not getting a lot of money. For one many of your events are away from home. Unless you host a tournament and make a lot of money at those events, the teams coming might not make much of anything to participate. Or if you make money, they are paying for maybe some hotel or travel so that you can play, but are they making money doing that or just breaking even?

Again we have had an influx of conference movement and it usually at the heart of what football is doing. Basketball almost never seems to be a factor when you look at these changes.

Peace