Mayor Carlos Mayans took issue with Monday’s Eagle editorial criticizing his push to bring back Wichita State University football.
“The issue is enrollment,” he said. WSU’s enrollment decline since the end of football in 1986 has meant a loss of “millions of dollars,” argued the mayor.
A football program, he said, could attract students and help keep them on campus — and would be good for Wichita’s economic development and community spirit.
True, football is popular — no one’s against it in theory. But WSU has studied football pros and cons and decided against it, for a variety of reasons. It’s doubtful football would have a major impact on enrollment. And it is WSU’s decision to make, not the mayor’s.
The bottom line is cost. Unless Mayans and football backers can “show us the money,” this idea is a nonstarter. The mayor said to stay tuned; he’s working on funding. “I love a challenge,” he said.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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23 Comments
That’s great! But I don’t think KU or KSU will want WSU to have football and that is a hard wall to break first before WSU even thinks about attempting to revive the program.
Joe, what does KU or KSU have to do with this?
Some schools make it based on academic excellence. Look at MIT and U Illinois Chicago.
Ben, are you saying that UIC does not have sports?
Maybe he was thinking of the University of Chicago. A college I wish I had gone to, actually.
He must have been refering to The University of Chicago, which I agree has very good academic programs. UIC has sports programs.
UIC has ‘minor-league’ sports but doesn’t try to play ‘big-time’ football like they keep bringing up for WSU. Heck, calTech had ‘football’ when I was there – so to speak.
I think WSU might be able to have football in the same sense – just not the kind the boosters keep talking about.
We could add IIT to the list – don’t know if they have ANY sports but if they do it’s only for fun; not semi-pro.
It’s very reasonable football would have a impact on enrollment if the right kind of program began at WSU.
Key is keeping this idea in the community regardless of the current WSU administration. Actually its not for only WSU to consider. This city needs a gathering function such as football could bring. We are subsidizing the airport, anything to increase folks to this town more often. Anything to try increase younger student population at WSU in future years.
What Wichita lacks is a facilty for WSU to play football in. A new stadium won’t be on WSU campus either. None of the football program actually will be on the campus except students going to class.
Know a plan is afoot, its not actually “show us the money” but Kansas has the bond financing tool to develop a “destination facility” and the ground is important.
Investors will be key to building a new stadium and it involves doing “dirt” shows as well. Retractable roof, multiple flooring choices. It will be unlike any stadiums in this four state area.
Some us are brighter than others on this topic and its a fresh idea, not something WSU had ever considered in the past. Involving investors, the city and county governments. County will own the land where the stadium exists and a park will surround the facility.
(I know where, you don’t yet:)
City can own the parking lot. Both have to be involved to use the Star bond financing tools. Already HOK can’t build it, so that question is answered, two years ago they told me due to regional sports facility considerations. Other stadium designers think its highly possible and can eventually prove its worthwhile.
For the benefit of Wichita as a functioning and growing city competing for events, we have to bring back WSU football. I bothered the Mayor with this idea, he learned it for the first time and then spoke publicly about it in general terms.
We need sports and venue facility in this city larger and more capable than the downtown arena. This topic will leap in the city wide concious after the downtown arena is finished.
Mrage – and how much of MY money do you want to spend on this idea that you don’t seem to want me to know the details of?
Ben, WSU needs your money for the scholarships and related expenses. Any dollar amount.
The general public money beyond use of Star bonds to clear land and make ready for a stadium, won’t be charged in a tax increase.
The county and city costs aren’t “much” being partner in this project. Millions of dollars but nothing the governments need increase taxes to use. How about $50 Million for them both in my idea. $25 Million each.
Investors would have to come up the rest. Hundreds of Millions to build the right facility. Costs could go down engineering wise becuase similar stadiums have been built and in use around the country. Stadium designers keep using better techniques.
I imagine the facility could cost $250 Million dollars. So it has to be kept busy year round, beyond WSU football use. 40,000 seats and capable of more.
With all due respect to our great mayor, there’s no need for WSU football until K-State or KU tumbles to the point that they need someone to beat every year.
Mrage – have fun finding investors.
If any government spends anything on this, taxes will be higher than they would be otherwise. If the government didn’t spend money on this, it could reduce taxes, couldn’t it?
If anyone really believes a new stadium for anything is a good idea, let them do it without taxpayer involvement, and without STAR bonds.
Proponants of STAR bonds and other government-backed bonds say they don’t cost the taxpayer anything. That’s simply not true. If it was true, why don’t we use STAR bonds and TIF districts for more things? We could get everything for free!
Ease up people, the mayor is just having a WILD CHERRY MUDSLIDE DAY.
Oh boy,…the mayor loves a challenge. Too bad being mayor of a city that has gangs and drugs and poor streets and homeless is not enough of a challenge. Now he wants to meddle in internal operations of a local university.
Seems he has his priorities a little mixed up. He seems to spend a lot of time on things like morality policing and football instead of true city issues.
What is the old phrase? Something about Nero fiddling while Rome burned????
Raptor,Wichita has always had gangs and drugs. We are a big city. I don’t think that you are going to get rid of all the gangs and drugs. In regards to the homeless it is not the city government’s responsibility. That should fall onto the churches, the Salvation Army, and the United Way. Mayans should fix the streets. I agree he should get the heck out of WSU football arguement. I would much rather have my tax dollars go to a new library, restoration of the Orpheum Theatre, and interior work and building a hanger for Doc at the Kansas Aviation Museum.
Ben- Won’t be many investors, city and county govs reps, three others.
The stadium process wouldn’t begin if inability of financing the structure wasn’t real. Stadium designers demand city and county participation.
The key is consumers! The facility will need luck of good shows and events to put on so the seats are filled more often. Got to count on Wichitans that way more than worrying about investors.
Liberal- Cost of construction is too high with bank loans. Bonds are better and I’m only using them for land. Wichita can only support a certain valuable structure. Keep the costs down, reasonable ticket prices.
Bond use also is equaled with new jobs created, more tax and transactions for the city, county and state. More business is possible in many sectors. If more people come to town and use the facility then its a plus. Bonds are just a tool and nothing evil unless their not paid off.
Cost of government going down, I don’t know that discussion. Cost of doing any business keeps going up. My projects won’t create too many new city or county employees.But isn’t it great new jobs are created?
“demand city and county participation.”
In other words – TAXES. So, how much of MY money do you want?
It’s wonderful! What a happy world!
Instead of being opaque, why don’t you lay out your proposal?
I am sure that when analyzed we will recognize this: this project places all the risk on the local governments that back your project.
Governments don’t exist merely for the purpose of building projects that let them generate more tax.
Here’s a proposal: why don’t you wait a few years until we see the lack of business at the downtown arena. Wait until the taxpayers of our county realize what a colossal waste of their money that project will prove to be. Wait until they see the few well-connected people who did make money from the project.
On the other hand, maybe you’d better try to get your hand in our pockets now.
Ben- Those are the rules. Governments involved for stadiums to be built. Certain sizes and costs.
I have another idea for a smaller stadium without partnering with the governments except getting their okay to build it. TIF use.
Your money in taxes, I don’t know. No general tax increase. Because more things in this city, property taxes go up? That’s life. Sell the property if the value rises make a profit.
It’s better than depressed land values and less jobs. Less reasons to live in Wichita. I don’t like all the tax on things we do either.
Liberal- The downtown arena is a not for profit structure at its beginning and I’m glad we’re getting new instead of trying to fix the old Colesium.
I do have to wait a few years on the idea after the downtown arena is built. Its going to take years building the stadium for WSU to play in. First WSU football game in 2016! I hope its faster than that.
I can’t fight your hatred for government and taxes. Increasingly we see politicians elected that stagnate progress. No tax politicians underfunding schools. No increasing revenue using casino’s. They hate the lottery but most people find it worth a dollar to play.
The county had an election and people voted for the downtown arena. It took a lot of years for that happen.
We should vote in Sedgewick County to get a casino. You can run for election yourself and try to block government being involved in progress. Free to support and publicly bash bond financing tactics. Keep the city and community less than other cities around us.
What makes this town less than it could be is people who have a lot of ideas for how they can spend someone’s money other than their own.
By the way, it’s more than a little tragic that someone promoting increased spending for schools doesn’t even know when to use or omit an apostrophe. If you can’t master something so simple, how could we trust any financial calculations you might make?
Just more bread and circuses for “da sheeple” and heavy on the circuses!
Viva La Raza Blanco!!
If I’m not standing in the middle of the stadium financial partners, one of the three principal investors, then its not getting built. This idea isn’t for sale.
It’s no shame I was educated in Wichita and I’m proud of it. Damn those Harvard degree folks they create ENRON fraud. Corrupt the stock market. Cause the oil shortages and won’t quit making cash anytime soon. The smartest do make money on us all, doesn’t mean their ethical.
Have Million dollar contracts held spelling errors and financial gimmicks, you bet. That’s state funding for schools.