Play ball: the case for a Boise State baseball team

I figured if this post was going to be written, it'd have to be by me. The last time I saw Kevan even watch a baseball game was when his dad forced him to keep the book for the Babe Ruth team his brother and I were on. In fact, I can't really blame him after that.Kevan did a great job last week of summing up Boise State fans' reaction to Fresno's College World Series championship. It was a great story and good to see a team from the WAC break through and win a national championship, but it won't resonate nearly as much as the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and most likely be forgotten with the first snap in the fall.

But, I was left wondering -- if Fresno can accomplish this, what could a Boise State baseball team do? Better yet, why does Boise State not have a baseball team?

A little web sleuthing brought me to this page for the Boise State Baseball Club. The page definitely is not affiliated with the athletic department and has this disclaimer at the bottom "Being just a club sport we have no ability to become affiliated with any NCAA division, however, we can belong to the National Club Baseball Association along with over 75 other club team across the nation." Well, that's disappointing. Most additional searches just return Boise State hats.

So, could a lack of a Boise State baseball team be due to Title IX? Currently, Boise State has 7 men's sports (Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Tennis, Track & Field, Wrestling) and 10 women's sports (Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball).I'm not too familiar with Title IX, but it seems as though there is room to add another men's sport. I think it's time for Gene Bleymaier to take time away from scheduling Portland State and Idaho State and get this accomplished.

A $29.4 million ticket out of the WAC

The Boise State athletic department budget has ballooned to over 29 million dollars. No wonder they had to charge admission to the spring game.

The school will present a budget with $29.4 million in projected revenue to the State Board of Education at its meeting in Idaho Falls on Thursday and Friday.

According to the Statesman story, the athletic department budget has grown by more than 20 million dollars the past 10 years. Where is the money going? Perhaps we should ask Gene Bleymaier's tailored suit.

The most disturbing part of the whole story is not the excess of the Boise State athletic budget (in fact, we could not be happier that the school is willing to spend whatever it takes to remain competitve to the point of dominant). The most disturbing part is where the bottom of the WAC stands.

The University of Idaho is presenting its budget to the state board at the same time as the Broncos do. Let's hope the Vandals get to go first. Their 16 million dollar proposal is peanuts compared to BSU's.

And therein lies the problem with the WAC--there is a distinct, tangible line between the haves and the have nots. The schism is not simply on the field of play; it goes back to a fundamental difference in the approach of athletic departments. The big players (BSU, Fresno State) are willing to put themselves out there and risk a deficit because they understand that the reward of success in college sports can be incredibly lucrative. The Fiesta Bowl is Exhibit A for this strategy. Meanwhile, the also-rans in the conference are simply doing enough to get by and maybe, possibly, not be in the red come season's end.

At any rate, seeing Boise State's largesse is simply another encouraging sign that maybe one day the Broncos can rid themselves of the WAC and move on to a conference like the Pac-10 where their commitment to winning will not be so drastically anomalous. One can hope.

Boise State's budget climb [Idaho Statesman]

Tuesday: Links with toughness

Story of the day:

Gene Bleymaier = best AD ever! [BroncoSports.com]

Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier is somewhat of a lightning rod for discussion among Bronco Nation. Some feel he could be doing a better job scheduling teams not named Idaho State, and others feel that he deserves credit for bringing the program to where it is today.

His peers fall into the latter group. Bleymaier will receive an award for being the best AD in the country...or region...or county. We're not sure exactly.

Gene Bleymaier will be honored at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) 43rd annual convention when he is named the 2007-08 AstroTurf Athletics Director of the Year “Football Bowl Subdivision West” Region winner.

Congratulations are in order, assuming AstroTurf Athletics Director of the Year "Football Bowl Subdivision West" Region is a big deal.

Other links:

Hawaii, LaTech, Nevada ranked by Rivals [Rivals.com] & [Rivals.com]
The countdown is at 60, and still no sign of BSU.

PAC-10 commissioner leaving [NY Times]
He's had enough of the East Coast bias.

PAC-10 expansion series [Fanblogs]
Idaho even being in the discussion might hurt credibility.

"Spicebizzle" does not like Boise State's jerseys [College OTR]
His name does make him seem more like an Idaho guy.

Zabransky vs. Dixon for clipboard duties [Steelers Locker]
One man's suggestion to get rid of signing day [SI.com]

Ticket prices climb the slippery slope of progress

The cost of being a college football powerhouse is at least 9-10 percent higher than it was last year.

Boise State jacked ticket prices by as much as 14 percent for next season, continuing the steady rise of past ticket precedent. The average hike of 9-10 percent for 2008 tickets compounds the increases from years prior, meaning that some sections have had to swallow some enormous raises. Family packages have been hit hardest, going up over 40 percent the past two years.

We have no problems with increasing the cost of admission, but we do have problems with the university's excuses for doing so. Here are some of them:

Bleymaier is projecting increases of more than $400,000 in scholarship costs for next school year, $130,000 for employee health insurance, $500,000 for employee raises and $300,000 for the first year of softball. (ed's note: We can think of a quick way to save $300,000.)

...and...

Plus, travel costs are escalating because of fuel, airfare and food prices.

...and...

And success - the Broncos are coming off terrific seasons in football, men's basketball, women's basketball, wrestling and gymnastics - isn't cheap.

...and our personal favorite...

"It takes money to do that," Bleymaier said.

Wow, what a roller coaster of fallacies!

The fact of the matter is that Boise State is raising ticket prices because Boise State can. The university should have come right out and said it instead of trying to sugarcoat things. Ticket prices are going up because Bronco fans will keep paying for them, and it makes business sense to take advantage of a profitable market.

Right, Blue Turf Towel guy?

BSU football season ticket prices jump [Idaho Statesman]

Did Bleymaier want Paul J. out?

A few days ago, Idaho Radio News uncovered details from the contract negotiations for Boise State's radio rights, and all signs point to a conspiracy theory to have Paul J. Schneider removed.

If Citadel were to win the contract, it would have only kept legendary host Paul J. Schneider for one year of the two year agreement, and has hired Dan Karcher, who is scheduled to start work for KBOI in September. If Citadel had won the agreement, Karcher would have been involved with pre- and post-game shows “to become acclimated.”

According to notes of a March 7th meeting, BSU athletic director Gene Bleymaier asked Citadel executives “If we want to make a change immediately, is that an option?” Citadel bosses said they “would do it,” and said that they would have to have someone hired in two to three months.

Also, Bleymaier put a hit out on David Augusto.

Conspicuously absent from the radio story posted on the Bronco website was any mention of Paul J., who had been a part of Boise State radio for 35 years. Was Bleymaier out to get Paul J.? What did the Boise State AD have against the voice of the Broncos? Was there pressure from an outside source? Blackmail? Nepotism? And most importantly, where is Brian Murphy during all of this? His silence is deafening.

Draw your own conclusions about Bleymaier v. Schneider. Personally, we're taking Todd Miles' side.

Peak...demonstrated a true enthusiasm [Idaho Radio News]
Peak broadcasting awarded radio rights [Broncosports.com]