January 11, 1971 should never be forgotten UB and New York State drop UB football with a $95 million dollar budget over less than $200,000 dollars that cost UB and WNY dearly.

[UB Horns Up]

The money was mostly money owed to UB ridiculous decision that wasn’t discussed within the university or Buffalo community itself a few men in a room where did I hear that before? Right that is how New York State does business while the rest of the country pass our state bye shameful. Dr Ketter was incompetent as UB President and had no business running a major state flagship university. We wonder why today UB for a state flagship is so far behind even some private christen schools. UB Bulls had deals signed with the Syracuse Orange in 1975 and 1976. Ironically New York State said yes to a dome stadium in Syracuse no to one in Buffalo for even the Buffalo Bills today let that sink in and we have two football teams to use such a facility. Yes New York City UB alums Western New York gets everything they should be down with New York Bulls and no money for UB football anything? Right read the articles and you can see why NYBI was waste of money, time and not going anywhere because New York State deserted UB and Buffalo football long ago over under $200,000 mostly owed to UB the university itself. Dr. Ketter had no interest in saving UB football just like the present UB President has no interest in saving UB football sad really in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo 

Edited January 11, 2023 by UB Horns Up

[BrooklynBull]

On 1/11/2023 at 1:44 PM, UB Horns Up said:

The money was mostly money owed to UB ridiculous decision that wasn’t discussed within the university or Buffalo community itself a few men in a room where did I hear that before? Right that is how New York State does business while the rest of the country pass our state bye shameful. Dr Ketter was incompetent as UB President and had no business running a major state flagship university. We wonder why today UB for a state flagship is so far behind even some private christen schools. UB Bulls had deals signed with the Syracuse Orange in 1975 and 1976. Ironically New York State said yes to a dome stadium in Syracuse no to one in Buffalo for even the Buffalo Bills today let that sink in and we have two football teams to use such a facility. Yes New York City UB alums Western New York gets everything they should be down with New York Bulls and no money for UB football anything? Right read the articles and you can see why NYBI was waste of money, time and not going anywhere because New York State deserted UB and Buffalo football long ago over under $200,000 mostly owed to UB the university itself. Dr. Ketter had no interest in saving UB football just like the present UB President has no interest in saving UB football sad really in my opinion. UB Horns Up! Go Bulls! Let’s Go Buffalo 

The President of UB when football was dropped was not Robert Ketter.  It was Martin Myerson, who went on to become President of the University of Pennsylvania.     Acting President Peter F. Regan in charge on the day football was dropped.

The decision to drop football was made by the people who funded football.  The, students.  Football was too warlike and the vote to drop football was in part an anti-war action.  UB would not have dropped football as they had three games set to be on ABC that fall and lost all of the TV money.

It was Robert Ketter who behind the decision to bring football back.  when it was brought back it was still funded by the students.  For the first few years the budget to run the entire program was $25,000.00 ($121412.08 in 2022 dollars according to the Minneapolis Federal Reserve's CPI calculator).

When football was brought back all sports that had been at the Division I level were dropped to Division III except baseball which remained at Division I and ice hockey that remained at Division II.

Within weeks to months there was already talk of trying to bring all UB teams back up to Division I.  It took a while, but eventually it was completed.

History lesson over for today.

Edited January 13, 2023 by BrooklynBull
See stuck out language and addition about TV games in 1971.

[dj_paige]

The fees charged to students went into a pool of money, from which all athletics were funded. In those days, the students watched the expenditures carefully, and I believe there was a concern that since football was the largest expenditure, the money might be better used elsewhere. Anti-war sentiment was also a part of the discussion to stop funding football.

I remember one UB men's basketball game in which one of the referees had to travel from Minneapolis to Buffalo to work the game. The ref charged the university for his travel expenditures, which he was allowed to do, including airfare from Minneapolis to Buffalo. This was much more than most ref's travel expenses, as most refs came from within driving distance. The Student Association was angered by these charges, and wanted to prevent referees from traveling from so far away to work UB games. I don't know what happened.

Ketter announced the dropping of football in 1971, according to Wikipedia (which could be wrong). I doubt he had much say in the actual decision, even though he made the announcement. Meyerson was only UB president until 1969 (again according to Wikipedia).

Trivia I didn't know: Ketter designed the Buffalo and Erie County Library in downtown Buffalo.

[clodney]

On 1/11/2023 at 1:44 PM, UB Horns Up said:

Yes New York City UB alums Western New York gets everything they should be down with New York Bulls and no money for UB football anything? Right read the articles and you can see why NYBI was waste of money, time and not going

What makes you think the only people supporting NYBI are from NYC?

[BrooklynBull]

10 hours ago, dj_paige said:

The fees charged to students went into a pool of money, from which all athletics were funded. In those days, the students watched the expenditures carefully, and I believe there was a concern that since football was the largest expenditure, the money might be better used elsewhere. Anti-war sentiment was also a part of the discussion to stop funding football.

I remember one UB men's basketball game in which one of the referees had to travel from Minneapolis to Buffalo to work the game. The ref charged the university for his travel expenditures, which he was allowed to do, including airfare from Minneapolis to Buffalo. This was much more than most ref's travel expenses, as most refs came from within driving distance. The Student Association was angered by these charges, and wanted to prevent referees from traveling from so far away to work UB games. I don't know what happened.

Ketter announced the dropping of football in 1971, according to Wikipedia (which could be wrong). I doubt he had much say in the actual decision, even though he made the announcement. Meyerson was only UB president until 1969 (again according to Wikipedia).

Trivia I didn't know: Ketter designed the Buffalo and Erie County Library in downtown Buffalo.

Wikipedia's time line for UB presidents is correct. https://www.buffalo.edu/president/biography/past_presidents.html