The financial realities of playing in the Rock.

LINK


House Bill 1098, from the 2012 Legislative Session that shows the War Memorial Stadium Commission's budget. LINK

Subracting $25,000 for a custodian salary, the remaining 6 employees of the commission make at least $319K for an average of $53K + per year.

This is a state ran entity, the stadium will host less than 20 event/games this year. The U. of Arkansas is charged more than double than the other in-state D1 schools who played in WMS and no other university has plans to play in WMS again due to the "financial disaster" that moving games off campus to Little Rock have become for them.

Additionally the U. of Arkansas pays the commission $400,000 per year to offset the loss of a game, this means our contract for the SW Classic only pays us $600K when accounting for the WMS commission shakedown.

I think UA-Fayetteville should play one game a year in LR, but they should not be raked over the coals to do so. WMS is state ran, UofA is state ran. WMS doesn't seem to really be interested in making the stadium an attraction or doing anything to generate income past football games or things that might require them to actually bust their arse to be profitable or even viable. WMS is just bureaucratic waste. I would like to see us schedule a mix of the 3 service academies as our LR game mixed in with a SEC game every other of every couple of years.








For non-subscribers here are excerpts from the article.

quote:

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What Crass accepts, though, is that the state-run commission will need to boost revenue now that the Razorbacks play only one game at the stadium instead of two each season, and that it will need to get creative to schedule additional games at a time when schools from all levels are finding more reasons to keep their teams on their own campuses.


Little Rock Catholic High School plays its home games at War Memorial Stadium at a cost of about $4,500 per game, and North Little Rock is doing the same this year at the same charge. Benton and Bryant play their Salt Bowl game there each season, and the Arkansas Activities Association hosts its six state championship games there every December.
Arkansas Baptist Junior College plays there as well, and Crass said there are about two events held each week in the club suites.


"We're very open to entertaining any offer, but for us to just go pay rent some place, that's not going to happen," ASU Athletic Director Terry Mohajir said. "It has to be financially beneficial to help strengthen our program."
ASU and UAPB had a oral agreement to play its 2013 game there, but it was moved to Jonesboro so ASU could play its first game under then-Coach Bryan Harsin on campus. Mohajir and Crass haven't talked about playing a future game in central Arkansas since.


"We have great supporters in central Arkansas, but we're going to make our decisions on how it benefits Arkansas State and our athletic department," Mohajir said.
UCA Athletic Director Brad Teague said the last time his school played at War Memorial in 2008 resulted in a "big financial loss."


The stadium was considered by the Sun Belt Conference and the Mid-American Conference in the summer of 2013 to host a bowl game, but a group in Montgomery, Ala., was quicker to get sponsorship and a television contract. There are chances a bowl game could be reborn, but it's not a guarantee.



"We need to figure out a way to make it more attractive, because the economics are real simple," Crass said. "We can't just say, 'Pay us rent and give us the parking and concessions and have a good time.' We have to figure out a partnership.
"I think the city of Little Rock has a role in that. The city is going to have to give folks an incentive to come play in the stadium."

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eta: Salaries I could dig up. Not sure the year the data is for however. LINK


WAR MEMORIAL STADIUM COMM STADIUM COMMISSION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHARLES STAGGS $91,986.96

WAR MEMORIAL STADIUM COMM STADIUM COMMISSION MARKETING/EVENT MGR DANNY JOE CROFFORD $42,444.06

WAR MEMORIAL STADIUM COMM MAINTENANCE ASSISTANT ANNA LOWERY $6,236.44

WAR MEMORIAL STADIUM COMM STOCK CLERK CARLEY STAGGS $15,512.02

WAR MEMORIAL STADIUM COMM STOCK CLERK EVAN ADAMS $4,653.60

WAR MEMORIAL STADIUM COMM MAINTENANCE ASSISTANT J.C. HUNTER WALLACE $10,394.07

WAR MEMORIAL STADIUM COMM AGENCY FISCAL MANAGER DINAH HALLUM SODERLING $54,680.50

WAR MEMORIAL STADIUM COMM FOOD PREPARATION COORDINATOR ALYXANDRA M. SODERLING $6,236.44

WAR MEMORIAL STADIUM COMM ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SPECIALIST ALLISON RENEA LOWERY $18,720.00