Terry Pegula Buys Buffalo Sabres

I’ve often though about when I actually have money to just buy season tickets and donating the ones I don’t use to some group in the area that would actually use them (is there such a thing?)

They’re actually the other way around from what you heard. For instance, the dentist we had was some Indian guy who went to “Some University” (I think it’s in Indiana or maybe Iowa). Terrible.

we’ve got a couple things going for us. First off, youth hockey in the US is growing rapidly and becoming more of a force than in the past. You used to have all the talent go and play in the Juniors in Canada, but now more and more guys are staying in the US and playing in the NCAA. Even some Canadians are coming to America to play here (Toews from the Blackhawks is an example).

Second, we’re a major university in the Northeast akin to a place like Boston College. We offer things the smaller hockey schools cannot. And our traditional alumnus bases like PA, NJ, NY, and to a lesser extent New England all have strong hockey backgrounds. A top talent from a place like Philly might have previously gone to another school because of a good hockey program, but now maybe they go to PSU instead.

And third, I doubt there are too many other schools with a tie in to the NHL as good as what we now have. I mean, that has to be a major selling point.

I think it all depends on the first coach and what he’s able to do to start things up. If we can get some good talent early on, we could turn into a good program within a few years. If we have trouble getting talent, it could be a lot longer. Personally I think we’ll have a pretty solid program sooner rather than later.

to ask. I did hear it was a small group of donors each kicking in some portion. What they paid vs. what the athletic department paid is also a mystery, although it certainly seems the $1M bonus screams “donation”.

It would have to be a University contract. He can’t work under two arrangements. The donors wrote a check to PSU, with intentions of it being used to fund the money that Sanderson would command. PSU turns around and puts their contrib into the budget to start paying the salary.

Does start to get dicey – what happens if the university wants to fire him, and the donors still want him around? High stakes game, but what can you do.

football brings in 45% of the revenue. Donations bring in 15%. Mens hoops brings in 3%. All other sports combined bring in 2%. Expenses are a different story.

Rest can be found here:
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/psu/sports/c-lionclub/auto_pdf/2009-NLC-Annual-Report.pdf

automatically include hockey as part of their world, assuming an official Big Ten Conference comes to fruition?

Can’t speak for hockey at other schools, but I would agree that places where it’s a huge deal (same for women’s basketball or baseball) those sports could come out in the black. Not to the degree of football profits, but in the black.

with a bunch of different sports events in one w/e – bball, vball, gymnastics, wrestling, etc. It would be great to throw hockey in that mix. I would definitely love to attend a total PSU sports weekend, mixed with a bar tour or 2.

I tend to get to one, maybe two, basketball games per year. The challenge is that I spend 7 weekends in SC in the fall, plus Blue White, plus I’m in town for business, plus PSU meetings – I think I calculated that I was in State College for 23 nights last year.

Hard to cram additional trips into town sometimes.