Shinn Pledges Sports at UNO Next Year

((HT: WWL-AM 870/Dave Cohen))

One of the biggest fans of sports in New Orleans is making a bold pledge today about the future of athletics at the University of New Orleans.

It comes less than a week after UNO students voted against paying higher fees to save sports and make up for budget cuts.

The owner of the New Orleans Hornets today pledged that he will ensure there will be sports at the University of New Orleans next year.

"That's a promise!" George Shinn announced. Student athletes filling the room gave him a standing ovation after he detailed plans to launch a fundraising drive. "I'll make the first pledge and use that as a vehicle to get other people to match it."

Shinn also said he is going to buy season tickets and urges everyone to follow his lead.

UNO Chancellor Tim Ryan was optimistic, but not ready to promise there will be sports next year at UNO. He says he will help Shinn raise the cash, but adds "there are no guarantees" they can find all the funds needed to keep athletics alive at UNO.

"I'm comfortable telling them we are going to bust our butts to make it happen," Ryan told WWL First News.

Ryan says the real issue is getting the legislature to stop the "obscene amount" of cuts to higher education in the Jindal budget.

Rob Masson has the details from our friends at WVUE-TV/Fox 8

Private Donors To Save Privateers...?

((HT: Fox 8 New Orleans))

University of New Orleans leaders have scheduled a news conference for Wednesday to discuss the future of UNO athletics. Featured speakers include Athletic Director Jim Miller, former baseball coach Ron Maestri and Hornets majority owner George Shinn. ((Baseball file photo, thanks WVUE))

School officials say they have conducted several positive meeting with area business leaders this week. They say they are optimistic about the athletic department's future. Among the names of business leaders that have already reached out to UNO are John Georges and Shinn.

UNO coaches told FOX 8 Sports there is a plan in place from private funding.
Fox 8's Shelley Brown caught up with two Privateers who hope all the talk isn't just people blowing smoke...

UNO Students Vote Against Increase

((HT: New Orleans Times-Picayune/Pierce W. Huff))

UNO sports information director Rob Broussard said students have voted approximately 1,418-1,251 (53.1 percent to 46.9 percent) against an athletic fee increase, which would have provided much-needed funding for the Privateers' athletic department. The results of the vote occured during a three-day Internet vote, which ended at midnight Friday morning.

The results of the vote leave the athletic department with an uncertain future.

Student athletic fees contributed $1.9 million to the athletic department's $4 millon budent. But that budget is expected to increase to about $4.6 million next year and will be without $1.4 million that athletic department received in funding from the university last year. The university will not allocate money to the athletic department next year because of looming budget cuts. As a result, the athletic program hoped that the increased student athletic fees would make up for the difference.

The student athletic fee increase would have been almost double what students are paying now with a cap not to exceed $195.96 for undergraduate and $146.97 for graduate students.

UNO AD Jim Miller appeared on ABC 26 to express his obvious disappointment