WSU's Future Dependant on Major Community Changes

[Cougsocal]

I sat down to read the Local Voice (Oxford) this morning and came across this article about the economic impact of Ole Miss football has on the local economy. I sprayed coffee around the room. Ole Miss has many similarities to WSU, from its small town nature, its extreme isolation and surrounding poverty. Yet, they are on a different plant in terms of economics. Ole Miss football brought in $325 million dollars to the local economy in 2024. Imagine the Cougs doing that? A third of a BILLION. We'd be in Big 12 right now. The Cougs can't even dream of doing this. First and foremost, there's nowhere to spend that type of money. And we all know the best place to spend game weekend money is across the border. There is a lack of everything. Hence, the beat the traffic post game dash. However...

WSU, Schulz and the fans, bear our share of responsibility, but that responsibility also largely is on the the shoulders of the biggest freeloader out there, the city of Pullman. Downtown Pullman is in a sad state, Far worse than when I was in school in the 80s, and it wasn't good then. You don't have a (now defunct) plasma center as an anchor tenant. It screams poverty and desperation. I suspect my youngest chose CPP to study engineering this year over WSU (despite being initially very gung ho) because there was/is no "college town" in the traditional sense, and you are 80 miles from Spokane.

The city needs to get its act together, starting with the "better" than Moscow action plan (which it should always have been). It is time for a fundamental mindset shift. If the status quo is continued, imagine the what downtown Pullman will be like with WSU as a decade long member of the G5!

If, finally, there is the now or never action plan by the community, we know our duty is to support the shit out of it, just like Rebel fans do. But the city need to know something has to change to prevent the impending athletics/city of Pullman death spiral.

Historic Ole Miss Football Crowds Generate $325M Economic Impact – The Local Voice

www.thelocalvoice.net

 

[UberCougars]

A call to arms to fire up the Wayback Machine and make different decisions 25 years ago?

 

[KRUSTYtheCOUG]

I sat down to read the Local Voice (Oxford) this morning and came across this article about the economic impact of Ole Miss football has on the local economy. I sprayed coffee around the room. Ole Miss has many similarities to WSU, from its small town nature, its extreme isolation and surrounding poverty. Yet, they are on a different plant in terms of economics. Ole Miss football brought in $325 million dollars to the local economy in 2024. Imagine the Cougs doing that? A third of a BILLION. We'd be in Big 12 right now. The Cougs can't even dream of doing this. First and foremost, there's nowhere to spend that type of money. And we all know the best place to spend game weekend money is across the border. There is a lack of everything. Hence, the beat the traffic post game dash. However...

WSU, Schulz and the fans, bear our share of responsibility, but that responsibility also largely is on the the shoulders of the biggest freeloader out there, the city of Pullman. Downtown Pullman is in a sad state, Far worse than when I was in school in the 80s, and it wasn't good then. You don't have a (now defunct) plasma center as an anchor tenant. It screams poverty and desperation. I suspect my youngest chose CPP to study engineering this year over WSU (despite being initially very gung ho) because there was/is no "college town" in the traditional sense, and you are 80 miles from Spokane.

The city needs to get its act together, starting with the "better" than Moscow action plan (which it should always have been). It is time for a fundamental mindset shift. If the status quo is continued, imagine the what downtown Pullman will be like with WSU as a decade long member of the G5!

If, finally, there is the now or never action plan by the community, we know our duty is to support the shit out of it, just like Rebel fans do. But the city need to know something has to change to prevent the impending athletics/city of Pullman death spiral.

Historic Ole Miss Football Crowds Generate $325M Economic Impact – The Local Voice

www.thelocalvoice.net

I'd bet Ole Miss is on a different planet than Miss St. too. Having been to starkville that place was D.E.D. - dead!

Totally agree about "downtown" Pullman. It is FAR behind Moscow as far as life, things-to-do, shopping, aesthetical and so on and so forth. That's all I have to say about that

 

[Cougsocal]

A call to arms to fire up the Wayback Machine and make different decisions 25 years ago?

Should have been done 50 years ago. Pullman has been in decline despite Rose Bowls, Price and Leach creating the 30 most successful years in Cougar football. Now we are in G5 territory and deeply in debt. How much further can Pullman decline? The city either do a Italy or France and throw up the hands of surrender or take a "if we are going down. we are going down swinging" attitude.

 

[Coug90]

Should have been done 50 years ago. Pullman has been in decline despite Rose Bowls, Price and Leach creating the 30 most successful years in Cougar football. Now we are in G5 territory and deeply in debt. How much further can Pullman decline? The city either do a Italy or France and throw up the hands of surrender or take a "if we are going down. we are going down swinging" attitude.

So should Pullman head north and invade Colfax or sail down Paradise creek and storm Moscow by water?

 

[Cougsocal]

I'd bet Ole Miss is on a different planet than Miss St. too. Having been to starkville that place was D.E.D. - dead!

Totally agree about "downtown" Pullman. It is FAR behind Moscow as far as life, things-to-do, shopping, aesthetical and so on and so forth. That's all I have to say about that

Starkville certainly isn't Oxford, but compared to Pullman it is the Taj Mahal. Is/was there a worse major college town than Pullman? I envied Moscow when I was student in the early 80s. They had a Mall and a nightlife. we had Rosauers, Dissmores and the Downunder. But little did I know I apparently went to school when Pullman was in its "heyday." What reason is there for Pullman being Moscow's red headed stepchild, other than gross mismanagement?

 

[Cougsocal]

So should Pullman head north and invade Colfax or sail down Paradise creek and storm Moscow by water?

Funny, if it weren't so sad. How many years can we milk our "former" P5 status advantage before we become just another G5 also ran? Tell me that you aren't worried by our debt, the loss of our fan base already and the fact that Pullman is a big negative draw. Granted Houston, TCU and SMU all eventually returned to power football after being demoted, but they are located in major urban centers and have wealthy fan bases, which we don't.

 

[chipdouglas]

I don't have numbers on this but it always seemed to me Moscow could survive without U of I, albeit in a scaled-down form. If WSU disappeared, there is no Pullman.

I don't know how you fix today's perfect storm of comparatively-disengaged PNW CFB fans + non-blueblood (even regionally) school + upside-down population pyramid + recent demotion to non-power conference. Seems to me the time to "fix" this was 50 years ago.

 

[95coug]

I don't have numbers on this but it always seemed to me Moscow could survive without U of I, albeit in a scaled-down form. If WSU disappeared, there is no Pullman.

I don't know how you fix today's perfect storm of comparatively-disengaged PNW CFB fans + non-blueblood (even regionally) school + upside-down population pyramid + recent demotion to non-power conference. Seems to me the time to "fix" this was 50 years ago.

Without WSU, Pullman turns into Colton. Just a wide spot in the road with a cafe where farmers can drink coffee and talk about their crops. It doesn’t have the railroad anymore, it’s not at a highway crossroads…there’s basically no reason for it to be there.

 

[COUGinNCW]

Over 2000 people work at SEL in the Pullman area, which didn’t exist in the 80s. Where do they all live and hasn’t that made a big impact on the area , especially when you consider their families and support jobs.

 

[dgibbons]

So should Pullman head north and invade Colfax or sail down Paradise creek and storm Moscow by water?

I would go amphibious and conquer Moscow. I’m actually surprised that SEL didn’t locate in Idaho.

 

[dgibbons]

I sat down to read the Local Voice (Oxford) this morning and came across this article about the economic impact of Ole Miss football has on the local economy. I sprayed coffee around the room. Ole Miss has many similarities to WSU, from its small town nature, its extreme isolation and surrounding poverty. Yet, they are on a different plant in terms of economics. Ole Miss football brought in $325 million dollars to the local economy in 2024. Imagine the Cougs doing that? A third of a BILLION. We'd be in Big 12 right now. The Cougs can't even dream of doing this. First and foremost, there's nowhere to spend that type of money. And we all know the best place to spend game weekend money is across the border. There is a lack of everything. Hence, the beat the traffic post game dash. However...

WSU, Schulz and the fans, bear our share of responsibility, but that responsibility also largely is on the the shoulders of the biggest freeloader out there, the city of Pullman. Downtown Pullman is in a sad state, Far worse than when I was in school in the 80s, and it wasn't good then. You don't have a (now defunct) plasma center as an anchor tenant. It screams poverty and desperation. I suspect my youngest chose CPP to study engineering this year over WSU (despite being initially very gung ho) because there was/is no "college town" in the traditional sense, and you are 80 miles from Spokane.

The city needs to get its act together, starting with the "better" than Moscow action plan (which it should always have been). It is time for a fundamental mindset shift. If the status quo is continued, imagine the what downtown Pullman will be like with WSU as a decade long member of the G5!

If, finally, there is the now or never action plan by the community, we know our duty is to support the shit out of it, just like Rebel fans do. But the city need to know something has to change to prevent the impending athletics/city of Pullman death spiral.

Historic Ole Miss Football Crowds Generate $325M Economic Impact – The Local Voice

www.thelocalvoice.net

“Economic impact” numbers can be interesting. The per game breakdown is kinda curious. Georgia is more than double MTSU?

Ole Miss had a deficit of about $8 million.

Ole Miss lost $8 million after upping football investment. AD Keith Carter has a plan

The Ole Miss athletic department reported an operating deficit for the second straight year. AD Keith Carter says the losses were planned for.

www.clarionledger.com

Also, the AI is telling me the Ole Miss football had $75 million in revenue and $57 million in operating expenses.

 

[Sea-Coug]

I would go amphibious and conquer Moscow. I’m actually surprised that SEL didn’t locate in Idaho.

Printed Circuit Board Factory in Moscow, ID | SEL

Working towards a vertically integrated supply chain, SEL builds an award winning and sustainable printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing facility.

selinc.com

 

[Coug90]

Over 2000 people work at SEL in the Pullman area, which didn’t exist in the 80s. Where do they all live and hasn’t that made a big impact on the area , especially when you consider their families and support jobs.

Good point. Couple of counterpoints since we are playing a hypothetical game here. I don’t know the Schweitzer family full history although I’ve met them and they are lovely people. If Wazzu wasn’t in Pullman that business would have started elsewhere, namely somewhere near where Ed went to college. Secondly, I would have to assume they recruit heavily from WSU for not only engineering but all aspects of their operation. If WSU ceased to exist in Pullman, they would probably have to move a decent chunk of their operation elsewhere for the purposes of attracting talent if nothing else.

 

[Stretch 74]

So should Pullman head north and invade Colfax or sail down Paradise creek and storm Moscow by water?

Go for Moscow, there is no strategic need to grab Colfax. But having control of Moscow will be a good asset when eastern Washington secedes from Olympia control and becomes the State of Columbia!

 

[Stretch 74]

Without WSU, Pullman turns into Colton. Just a wide spot in the road with a cafe where farmers can drink coffee and talk about their crops. It doesn’t have the railroad anymore, it’s not at a highway crossroads…there’s basically no reason for it to be there.

Don't you know the old story about why WSU is in Pullman and the penitentiary is in Walla Walla?

Walla Walla won the coin flip and got first choice!

 

[Coug90]

Go for Moscow, there is no strategic need to grab Colfax. But having control of Moscow will be a good asset when eastern Washington secedes from Olympia control and becomes the State of Columbia!

The mountainous regions of northern Idaho provide challenges for a counter attack by the much stronger in numbers Boise land brigade.

 

[Stretch 74]

The mountainous regions of northern Idaho provide challenges for a counter attack by the much stronger in numbers Boise land brigade.

Grab Moscow before Idaho resources are bolstered by the defection of eastern Oregon to Idaho.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

Over 2000 people work at SEL in the Pullman area, which didn’t exist in the 80s. Where do they all live and hasn’t that made a big impact on the area , especially when you consider their families and support jobs.

Good point. Couple of counterpoints since we are playing a hypothetical game here. I don’t know the Schweitzer family full history although I’ve met them and they are lovely people. If Wazzu wasn’t in Pullman that business would have started elsewhere, namely somewhere near where Ed went to college. Secondly, I would have to assume they recruit heavily from WSU for not only engineering but all aspects of their operation. If WSU ceased to exist in Pullman, they would probably have to move a decent chunk of their operation elsewhere for the purposes of attracting talent if nothing else.

Edmund O. Schweitzer III is certainly an interesting guy. I knew him quite a while back. Word to the wise, he holds grudges. Forever. Major community philanthropist, although unfortunately not much if any to WSU Athletics. Built his company out of his basement. His Dad and Grandfather were patent-holding engineers.

To Coug90 - have you ever met his (supposedly 3) kids? Can't find anything on them, which is quite odd IMHO. I assume they, if they exist, are from his frumpy first wife, who he dumped after meeting wife #2, hot Mexican Beatrix, I believe after he expanded to Mexico. Quite the expansion. But hey, the All-Forgiving Loyal One doesn't judge. And yeah they hire heavily from WSU. Pullman would basically be a company town if WSU wasn't there. But then if it weren't there, SEL would not be either.

Edmund O. Schweitzer III - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Coug90]

Edmund O. Schweitzer III is certainly an interesting guy. I knew him quite a while back. Word to the wise, he holds grudges. Forever. Major community philanthropist, although unfortunately not much if any to WSU Athletics. Built his company out of his basement. His Dad and Grandfather were patent-holding engineers.

To Coug90 - have you ever met his (supposedly 3) kids? Can't find anything on them, which is quite odd IMHO. I assume they, if they exist, are from his frumpy first wife, who he dumped after meeting wife #2, hot Mexican Beatrix, I believe after he expanded to Mexico. Quite the expansion. But hey, the All-Forgiving Loyal One doesn't judge. And yeah they hire heavily from WSU. Pullman would basically be a company town if WSU wasn't there. But then if it weren't there, SEL would not be either.

Edmund O. Schweitzer III - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I met Ed and Mary? I heard they got divorced though. They both seemed really nice people when I met them. Didn’t meet the kids.