As part of his “vision” for Wichita, Mayor Carlos Mayans has been telling media that he wants to bring back Wichita State University football.
So who made him athletic director? Last anyone checked, Jim Schaus was doing a pretty good job, and he and WSU president Don Beggs have made it clear that reviving football isn’t part of WSU’s vision — and for good reasons, starting with cost.
It would take $11 million just to start up the program, according to a 1997 study — more now, of course. That would include the cost of adding three new women’s sports programs just to meet federal Title IX rules. Add another $1.5 million for football’s annual budget.
Can you say, “money pit”?
Would WSU football be fun? Sure. But this is WSU’s decision, not the mayor’s. And university officials have decided against it. Mayans should quit playing armchair quarterback and find a more realistic goal to get behind.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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17 Comments
Just another example of Mayor Mayan’s myopic “vision”. For another, how about his teaming up with the fundamentalist “Southwind” group to regulate our citizens:
http://theflyoverzone.blogspot.com/2006/02/carlos-mayans-porn-crusade-wichitas
We need better than Mayans.
Ohhps..
http://theflyoverzone.blogspot.com/2006/02/carlos-mayans-porn-crusade-wichitas.html
Hey Randy,How aboout a thread about the United Arab Emerates taking over security of American ports?
Mayans needs to punt on being mayor. He will be up for reelection or resignation next year.
XXX. Good question. Also! Lets not forget the story of Americans owning (free and clear ownership) land in UAE.
Mayans is an idiot. Who put him in charge of morals AND football? This city has serious problems with gangs, homeless, underfunding for parks, street repair, etc., etc., and he is off tilting at windmills.
Remember that obscene self congratulatory grandstanding orgy when Dennis Rader was caught? This mayor is incompetent, misdirected, and not fit to be a street sweeper.
Cast him out when we also vote out those idiots on the Board of Evangelism.
Who is this clown that calls himself mayor? He supposedly escaped one repressive government, and is now trying to make a new one. Banning adult choice? College football?
Does he have a job description or does he just wander around, looking for causes?
I agree with Raptor..Mayans is an idiot and needs to be replaced.
I have a suggestion for those who want to bring football to WSU. Hold a big rally at Cessna Stadium. Then have everyone there write a check for $10,000 to go into an endowment escrow fund.
Lets see now … 50,000 * $10,000 = $500 million. That should be sufficient to throw off enough income to fund the program.
I dont feel that WSU football would do very well. There are way too many KSU and KU alumni in this town who Im sure would rather keep up with their schools than watch a low tier program in a weak football conference.
Alright, I must have committed a grave error. I submitted a post, and gave a link to an article on Mayans adult bookstore crusade. Yet no blogger from WE has attacked, cursed, defamed, or flamed.
It’s worrisome. I must have written something so kooky that everyone agreed. Say it ain’t so..
That or Mayans must be the most unpopular Mayor in Wichita history, which none will rise to defend.
I’m not sure which is the more likely option.
What Mayans completely fails to recognize is that WSU attracts a lot of non-traditional students (it’s certainly not a residential campus). There is nothing wrong with being an “urban university”. However, roughly speaking, WSU is like taking the Univ. of Texas at Arlington and dividing it by two. Such universities will have football teams with poor records combined with large financial deficits. The Univ. of Texas at Arlington quit football a long time ago. The Univ. of Houston (divide it be three and you have WSU) has lost money for a long time. By my examples, you can tell I’m a native Texan, however, in Texas, “fun college football” is either the Univ. of Texas or Texas A&M, both of which have a very large and loyal alumni alumni base, and are much larger universities to begin with. Here in Kansas, my analogy can be extended to KU and KSU, but certainly not to WSU.
WSU Prof – VERY TRUE! I have received two degrees and additional continuing education at WSU over the years and will probably continue to do so. WSU is a great resource to the community. However, at 40+ when I first stepped foot on campus I am not likely to be the sort of base on which to build a football program. Like you I have my football loyalties from my old undergrad and grad days.
I do sometimes wonder whether football at the level of Friends etc might work. I know faculty at all three of our local Universities; games might be a good excuse to get together and “fight” with each other.
By the way; I very much loved seeing your school defeat the University of Spoiled Children this past season.
I thought I heard that Newman was going to go to D2 in football. I am tied to Pittsburg State in football since I got my undergraduate degree from them. It is one of the best school to go to see a football game.
What, no “Des Moines has college football, why doesn’t Wichita deserve college football?”
Heck, when I was at CalTech we had football. Now THAT was really something!
Brandon…you didn’t goof at all. There is nothing to defend. Mayans is indefensibly stupid. Hopefully people further out from this blog will realize that in the next election.
Keith,Newman doesn’t have football now, nor will it in the future. The Div 2 aspirations are for the sports programs that are in-place.
BTW, when Pitt State came up to play a game at Cessna stadium a few years back, they put on a great show. It was great to see quality college football.