Times are good for college football programs when the team is winning, both on and off the field.
Missouri was enjoying the fruits of back-to-back SEC East titles when the Tigers raked in $685,000 worth of donations to the athletic department in December 2014, according to a report from The Columbia Daily Tribune.
December 2015 was not nearly as kind to the Tigers.
Not only did the production on the field drop from 11-3 to 5-7, but the Tigers also saw giving drop to $191,000 in December of 2015.
“December is usually a good month for us, so that gives you a sense of it,” Vice Chancellor Tom Hiles said. “We got hit.”
Part of that is likely caused by the departure of long-time coach Gary Pinkel, while others may have been unwilling to give following the boycott and drama that surrounded the “Concerned Student 1950” protests.
Either way, the Tigers were facing a $494,000 drop in funding from the same month just a year prior.
“There’s a direct correlation between the success of your teams and the amount of money that you have capacity to raise,” MU Athletic Director Mack Rhoades said. “Also, in addition to that, the football team did not have a terrific season, did not go to a bowl game. And you factor that in with what happened on campus, people are upset with the university and the athletics department. The combination of the two is why I feel that donations are down, particularly in the month of December.”
It will be interesting to see if new coach Barry Odom is able to breathe some life into the Missouri program this spring, building anticipation for a strong 2016 season. That would likely help instill confidence in donors to get things going again.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
