"Under the Laval model, the team would be a separate corporate entity, operating independently of the university. 'It's a model that's basically 100 per cent self-financed,' says (athletic director Jennifer) Brenning. "It's the only way we could accommodate a program of this magnitude." For president (Roseann O'Reilly) Runte, the watchword is sustainability. 'If we were to have football,' she says, 'we would have to ensure it would be sustainable, that the cost would not impinge on academics or on other sports.'It wouldn't come cheap:
"The first step toward resuscitation involves obtaining commitments for base funding in the neighbourhood of $500,000. That's where investors like John Ruddy come in. The amount Ruddy is willing to pledge is not, for the time being, public knowledge, although (Old Crow Society alumni association president Kevin) McKerrow lets slip this much: 'It's phenomenal.'
" ... If it's a go, the team is looking at an annual operating budget of about $750,000. That would rank it among the richest university football teams in the country. "Yes, it's a costly program, but, in order to compete, we'd have to support it at the right level," says Brenning. 'Winning isn't everything perhaps, but it's very important at least to be in the game. When you get thumped, it's not fun for anyone.' "
"Figures being tossed around for Carleton upgrades run from $3 million to $10 million. McKerrow says the Old Crows would be part of any fundraising effort. Even then, ex-AD (Drew) Love remains mildly skeptical of football's prospects at Carleton. 'I think it could succeed, provided the infrastructure is in place,' he says, 'but, in the end, it comes down to how many people are really interested in football.' "Related:
Football backers huddle to revive Ravens (Carleton University magazine)
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