fuzzis
02-22-2008, 09:55 AM
Byrne new AD at State (http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/SPORTS030102/802220352/1287/SPORTS&referrer=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL)
Fund-raising biggest challenge after promotion to replace Larry Templeton
...Speaking on the MSU campus after his hire was approved by the state College Board Thursday in Jackson, Byrne said a main focus is to steadily grow the money that funds MSU athletics. He said that can be done, even though MSU has a $28 million budget and mostly smaller facilities than the rest of its SEC brethren.
"It's not about the size of your stadium," he said. "That's important, but it's about maximizing revenue off the seats that you have and continuing to enhance your stadium to allow you to generate potential revenues that are there."
Byrne, 36, inherits the top job in MSU's athletic department after more than a decade in college athletics fund-raising.
In his current role as MSU's associate AD for development and external affairs, he oversees fund-raising as director of the Bulldog Club, one of two private fund-raising arms that help support athletics.
He previously spearheaded fund-raising at Kentucky and Oregon State, where he was named an associate AD at age 26.
Byrne will make a base salary of $175,000 per year over a four-year contract, and MSU President Doc Foglesong said he'll recommend that the private Bulldog Foundation give him the same $127,500 supplement it gave to current athletic director Larry Templeton....
Fund-raising biggest challenge after promotion to replace Larry Templeton
...Speaking on the MSU campus after his hire was approved by the state College Board Thursday in Jackson, Byrne said a main focus is to steadily grow the money that funds MSU athletics. He said that can be done, even though MSU has a $28 million budget and mostly smaller facilities than the rest of its SEC brethren.
"It's not about the size of your stadium," he said. "That's important, but it's about maximizing revenue off the seats that you have and continuing to enhance your stadium to allow you to generate potential revenues that are there."
Byrne, 36, inherits the top job in MSU's athletic department after more than a decade in college athletics fund-raising.
In his current role as MSU's associate AD for development and external affairs, he oversees fund-raising as director of the Bulldog Club, one of two private fund-raising arms that help support athletics.
He previously spearheaded fund-raising at Kentucky and Oregon State, where he was named an associate AD at age 26.
Byrne will make a base salary of $175,000 per year over a four-year contract, and MSU President Doc Foglesong said he'll recommend that the private Bulldog Foundation give him the same $127,500 supplement it gave to current athletic director Larry Templeton....