Athletic department spending per student was $97.59 at Stony Brook and $108.64 at Albany, but only $58.48 at UB, according to a survey conducted by Townsend. Only Binghamton spends less, at $43.71 per student, because they have no football program, he added. Of his department's $4.4 million budget, only 57 percent comes from state tax dollars, explained Townsend. The balance of the budget is comprised of student fees, currently $100 per year for full time undergraduates, and revenues generated by other means such as gate receipts.

SUNY's historically low tuition has helped keep the largest portion of most schools' athletic budget-scholarship grants-in-aid to athletes-in check at UB, according to Townsend. "Our grants-in-aid are only about one-third of our budget, while it runs 50 to 60 percent of the budget at many schools," he said. No state tax dollars are used to pay for athlete grants-in-aid, Townsend added.

The Middle States Association rated the UB recreational facilities as "well above expectations," Townsend pointed out. The basketball team now practices early in the morning, so facilities are available to faculty, staff and students for a greater portion of the day, he explained. The director of athletics also cited the new UB Stadium and football facilities, acquired via the World University Games, as another big asset.

Townsend and NCAA Faculty Representative Charles Fourtner shared insights with FSEC members into the future plans of the NCAA, and the how those plans impacted UB's decision to step up to Division I-A sports.

It was Fourtner who, over the summer, recommended jumping to the Division I-A Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) to a then-skeptical Townsend and President Greiner. "Defections left the old Mid-Continent Conference with only four teams," Fourtner explained, "and, although their commissioner was recruiting hard, the prognosis for that conference was not good." The Mid-Continent Conference had lacked a Division I-AA football program, meaning that UB's football team had played several seasons as an "independent."

In its new conference, UB will join Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent, Miami of Ohio, Ohio University, Toledo and Western Michigan. Marshall and Northern Illinois join the conference next year and Eastern Illinois and another school are likely to join the MAC as well when UB does in 1997-98, making two seven-team divisions.

UB need play only seven of its 11 games against other conference squads. Contests with other Division I powers, such as Syracuse, Notre Dame, Army or Navy, are now possible. Schools negotiate with each other for non-conference games. While the early years will surely present many challenges, the conference change improves Buffalo's chances to earn football bowl berths or spots in NCAA or NIT post-season basketball tournaments. "Last year, four teams from the MAC went to the NCAA Tournament," Fourtner said. Also, UB stands to earn about five times its current financial package for playoffs.

When you play a nationally known team, you earn a share of the NCAA national television revenues, Fourtner explained. "Being Division I-A gives us access to play nationally known teams," said Fourtner. Likening UB's squads during the first couple of seasons at this new level to Mike Tyson sparring opponents, Fourtner said "It means that, in the early years at least, we might get an opportunity to play a Syracuse or a Navy and get our heads handed to us, but make quite a bit of money for it."

The new level of play should also further fuel the department's successful development operations. "Over 12 years, between 1975 and 1986, this department raised a total of $63,000 in endowments," Townsend said. "The next year, when I arrived, we raised $80,000 in one year and, in our best year so far, we raised $160,000 in 1992-93. With another $2.5 million from three large gifts directed towards athletic scholarships, we have made great progress towards completely endowing our football program."

What's ahead for UB athletics? Townsend explained that current facilities should support the athletic department's needs for some years to come. "Someday, it may make financial sense to expand the stadium," Townsend told FSEC members, "but that is now required by virtue of the change in conferences." For games that could potentially outsell the 18,000 seat UB Stadium, Rich Stadium has been officially designated as an alternate playing site, according to Townsend.

Also, the coming years will see NCAA level competition begun in lacrosse, crew and softball, Townsend said. These sports were selected in part because they, too, would involve use of facilities UB already has and not require new construction, he explained.