PUMP UP THE ROOS!

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kcjak
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Re: PUMP UP THE ROOS!

Post by kcjak »

Also an MVC fan in KC. I think part of the issue with UMKC sports is visibility with local media. Really nothing except during the Michael Watson years. It's a shame that local high school football gets more coverage (at least on local network tv sports segments) than UMKC and all of the lower-tier colleges.
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AlkaliAxel
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Re: PUMP UP THE ROOS!

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kcjak wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:18 am Also an MVC fan in KC. I think part of the issue with UMKC sports is visibility with local media. Really nothing except during the Michael Watson years. It's a shame that local high school football gets more coverage (at least on local network tv sports segments) than UMKC and all of the lower-tier colleges.
You answered the question right there- football

I think UMKC's biggest visibility problem is because it doesn't have a football team. You hear frequently about Pitt St, MO NW St, etc. all because they have football teams. They could maybe make up for this if they made a March Madness tournament, but they're not.

When I was a student there, my brothers didn't even believe me when I told them we were a D1 school. I had to google it to show them, and they still were in disbelief. THAT is how far back we are. Even local KC residents think UMKC is like a bottom barrel D3 school. Until UMKC makes a March Madness tournament, gets a football team, or for f***'s sake maybe just gets its own basketball arena/facility, then maybe we can move the needle with people *in our town* first.

Get a football team and it'll bring alot more respect and visibility for the athletic community at UMKC.
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Re: PUMP UP THE ROOS!

Post by Highlander »

AlkaliAxel wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 2:04 pm
kcjak wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:18 am Also an MVC fan in KC. I think part of the issue with UMKC sports is visibility with local media. Really nothing except during the Michael Watson years. It's a shame that local high school football gets more coverage (at least on local network tv sports segments) than UMKC and all of the lower-tier colleges.
You answered the question right there- football

I think UMKC's biggest visibility problem is because it doesn't have a football team. You hear frequently about Pitt St, MO NW St, etc. all because they have football teams. They could maybe make up for this if they made a March Madness tournament, but they're not.

When I was a student there, my brothers didn't even believe me when I told them we were a D1 school. I had to google it to show them, and they still were in disbelief. THAT is how far back we are. Even local KC residents think UMKC is like a bottom barrel D3 school. Until UMKC makes a March Madness tournament, gets a football team, or for f***'s sake maybe just gets its own basketball arena/facility, then maybe we can move the needle with people *in our town* first.

Get a football team and it'll bring alot more respect and visibility for the athletic community at UMKC.
Wichita State maintains an excellent basketball program that has a large fan base in Wichita without fielding a football team. UMKC only needs the commitment to make basketball work which would include the property facilities and a good coach. That would be much less expensive than football. Football at UMKC would be a financial drain on the university. It would have to compete with U of Missouri and the Chiefs in terms of generating interest and not sure that would happen and I doubt if it would ever come close to breaking even. I'd rather see the university invest in some critical academic programs than pursue football. To be honest, not sure how and why so many smaller schools even choose to maintain their football programs.

Maybe if UMKC could truly become something other than a commuter university, football might work (it works at U of Houston) but I think the university has more pressing needs for now.
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AlkaliAxel
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Re: PUMP UP THE ROOS!

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Highlander wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 1:16 pm Wichita State maintains an excellent basketball program that has a large fan base in Wichita without fielding a football team. UMKC only needs the commitment to make basketball work which would include the property facilities and a good coach. That would be much less expensive than football. Football at UMKC would be a financial drain on the university. It would have to compete with U of Missouri and the Chiefs in terms of generating interest and not sure that would happen and I doubt if it would ever come close to breaking even. I'd rather see the university invest in some critical academic programs than pursue football. To be honest, not sure how and why so many smaller schools even choose to maintain their football programs.

Maybe if UMKC could truly become something other than a commuter university, football might work (it works at U of Houston) but I think the university has more pressing needs for now.
No, you wouldn't be competing with the Chiefs or Mizzou. The NFL plays Sunday for the exact reason so it doesn't interfere with college. You don't compete with other colleges for fans. Generally your own alumni & students go to your schools game...not KU or MU fans. And tbh, college football is so weak in this part of the country it wouldn't even matter what KU or MU does anyway.

The reason Wichita St sports are on the map is because their basketball team went to the Final Four recently and makes March Madness almost every year.

I think UMKC has made alot of strides trying to be less of a commuter school. Before they tore down those mold-infested dorms it was only like 35% of the school commuting. My guess is when new dorms & streetcar are built we can get that down to less than a quarter. The streetcar is gonna be a gamechanger for the commuting aspect. It'll cause alot of the students to live nearby instead of commuting. But even getting better academics isn't gonna help keep people on campus. The way people will remain on UMKC campus is if there's more things like football, higher quality sports to attend, more dorms, and much more Greek life options. If UMKC offers more of a college experience more will live on the school.
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AlkaliAxel
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Re: PUMP UP THE ROOS!

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Goonies wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 3:20 pm Yeah not buying that UMKC needs a football team if anything I would argue they are closer to needing to drop the basketball program. They certainly need a facilities upgrade but I'm not sure where on campus you could put a practice facility. I thought Richardson was going to be the home run hire that put that program on the map. To be fair he did get them their first post season win.
No? The basketball team has been solid for the last 5 years now. They're doing fine and about to get to an even better conference. They just need to actually invest in the team and get new facilities. Add on more to Swinney near the track, they have room for it.
kcjak
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Re: PUMP UP THE ROOS!

Post by kcjak »

Looks like UMKC joining the MVC may be on hold as Illinois Chicago is announced as the twelfth member, and third expansion school.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-baske ... -12-teams/
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Re: PUMP UP THE ROOS!

Post by beautyfromashes »

kcjak wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 9:52 am Looks like UMKC joining the MVC may be on hold as Illinois Chicago is announced as the twelfth member, and third expansion school.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-baske ... -12-teams/
That's really disappointing. Hopefully, this focuses the school a bit on where they need to be for future expansion. Enrollment needs to grow, especially with significant growth in on-campus housing. They also need a better on-campus community life and activity. The basketball team has to improve. One strong year with an NCAA big in any way, I think, seals the deal for joining a better conference.
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