TCU AD Chris Del Conte last night vowed to "raise the resources necessary to make the Horned Frogs’ athletic department a player in the Big 12," according to John Henry of the FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM. Del Conte during a town hall meeting at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum said, "We did not join the Big 12 to merely be a participant. ... We’re not going to get in a situation where we’re just happy to be here.” Improving revenue ultimately will "mean making the most out of the school’s chief revenue sports, basketball and football, including raising ticket prices at the renovated Amon G. Carter Stadium and the soon-to-be rebuilt Daniel-Meyer Coliseum." Del Conte said that TCU "continues to play catch-up financially ... noting that the school’s best year in terms of merchandising sales" was $10M during the team's Rose Bowl-winning '10 season. Meanwhile, the Univ. of Texas did $100M in merch sales "the same season in which the Longhorns won five games." Increasing revenue through beer sales "is not an option at this point, but there is much hope" in what $45M in renovations to outdated Daniel-Meyer Coliseum "will mean to a basketball program that has lagged behind for years" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 2/4).
