Posted on Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 7:21 a.m.
Michigan athletic department booster donations up 22 percent since Brady Hoke was hired
By AnnArbor.com Staff
The suites at Michigan Stadium are sold out and donations to the Michigan athletic department are up 22 percent in the past year, according to an article today in The Detroit Free Press.
The additional $5.3 million is a combination of suite sales at the stadium (20 percent went unsold last season), donations to other programs and other marketing, Michigan officials said, but the boost in giving coincides strongly with the hiring of football coach Brady Hoke and the dismissal of Rich Rodriguez, the Free Press reports.
Donations to the Michigan athletic department from July 1, 2010 to May 31 totaled $28.8 million, the Free Press reported.
Comments
Dude
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 9:37 p.m.
Dave Brandon attributes much of the rise to selling out more of the luxury seats. Some question WHY last year's seats didn't sell and this years are. My guess is it has much to do with the home schedule this year as compared to last.
Blu n Tpa
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 2:09 p.m.
It might have something to do with coaching.
Blu n Tpa
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 12:41 p.m.
Good call. The home schedule is greatly improved over last year. It has nothing to do with coaching.
BornInA2
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 7:56 p.m.
So many possible snarky comments that it's impossible to choose one. The former coach, Scowly McBlame-a-lot is gone. Good. Donations are up. Good. NO MORE RED on our players. Good. Go Blue. I've got the Hoke Stoke!
Wally the Wolverine
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 3:56 p.m.
Now we can build up our "athletic stipend" war chest.
mun
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 3:46 p.m.
Another reminder that we should have hired Brady Hoke to replace Lloyd Carr instead of Rich Rod.
missionbrazil
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2:37 p.m.
Donations won't be the only thing going up. For sure our football program is on the way up. Go Blue.
Forever27
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2:22 p.m.
The conclusions drawn from this are spurious, at best, and likely intentionally misleading. The uptick in donations actually began before RR was fired. Far be it for the freep to frame a story about Michigan Football that doesn't have some arbitrary dig at our former coach. Quit kicking the horse guys, it's long-sinse dead.
Forever27
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 5:29 p.m.
@satch, that's not at all what I was saying. What I am saying is that the conclusions drawn in the freep article are spurious because they don't represent all of the factors in the increase; such as an uptick in the economy and an already upward progression in donations that predate the firing of RR and hiring of BH. Of course there were big money donors who threatened DB. The team was losing, it doesn't take a statistical analysis of donations to know that. However, to make inferences such as this article did is spurious.
Satch
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 4:47 p.m.
If you don't think big-time donors were telling DB "get rid of this guy or I'm not giving" you're tremendously naive.
Satch
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2:10 p.m.
This bolsters just what I said before RR was canned--it would be the donors that would decide his fate.
heartbreakM
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2 p.m.
I for one made a meager donation to athletics when the former coach lost his job. It was a symbolic gift to show my appreciation. I don't generally like to donate to athletics, choosing to donate to the general University funds (be it LSA, library, certain departments, etc) where the reach is much better and affect may be felt by many. Funny thing about that gift, though, is that it put me into the victors' club and got me off the ticket waitlist (after 10 years). Had I only known....
heartbreakM
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2:01 p.m.
Oops--typo The impact may be felt by many.
Cash
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 1:07 p.m.
Thanks to David Jesse for another great report....our loss was definitely the Freep's gain. He did a good story about the chief of police fiasco the other day too. Thank goodness the Free Press continues to support in depth reporting of higher education.
Bogie
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 12:57 p.m.
I was post something sarcastic on here, but a dogone it. wolverine beat me to it! Go one Blu n Tpa.
Blu n Tpa
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 1:15 p.m.
Translation anyone?
Blu n Tpa
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 12:24 p.m.
The timing was just a coincidence. I heard that every check sent had a note in the memo section "Use to obtain a great defensive coordinator and if there's any left over, get a special teams coach too." (It was written real small) TiM Go Blue!