Debunking 3 false narratives floated by AD Sykes

As we all anxiously await the start of the 2023 Rattler football season, which incidentally kicks off in Miami at the Orange Blossom Classic, there has been much talk about FAMU’s future participation in the event and AD Tiffiani-Dawn Sykes is sticking to her guns floating several false narratives about her recent decision with respect to the game and her decision to increase the price of the Investment in Champions Package.

Sykes again floated these narratives in a wide-ranging interview with HBCU Gameday and on several legs of the athletic department's "Strike Tour '23".
 
False Narrative No 1: “Our local government invested $10 million dollars for us to renovate our stadium. As good stewards of that investment and any possible future investments from them, we must be diligent in showing that we are good partners.”   
 
Honestly, City and County leaders were less concerned about FAMU adding additional home football games between late August and early December, because the city typically sells out its inventory of available hotel rooms during this period anyway between FSU and FAMU football games.
 
Continually having FSU and FAMU football games on the same day DOES NOT benefit the local economy.  Why? Because the city doesn’t not have the hotel rooms to sell nor restaurant seats to accommodate the crazy crowds. 

It does not benefit Tallahassee or Leon County's financial coffers to have football fans staying in Thomasville, Valdosta, GA, Quincy or as far away as Madison to attend a FAMU/FSU football game. That’s why Blueprint’s MOU with FAMU (which begins on page 240) is intentionally SILENT, with respect to the number of home football games they expect the Rattlers to play for their $10 million investment.  This wasn’t an oversight on Blueprint’s part, simply put it was not their focus.  

Price sensitive FAMU fans are among the first to complain about "sky high" Tallahassee hotel prices during football season and graduations.

  
Tallahassee City and County leaders, realize that Tallahassee isn’t a budding metropolis with a bunch of vacant hotel/motel sitting around between late August and early December. 
 
Sure, commissioners wanted to help FAMU out and do good, however they were more focused on a much bigger prize adding an additional first-rate venue to the community’s portfolio to better position Visit Tallahassee to promote the county as a destination for additional sporting events, outside of college football season, to bring in NEW dollars into the local economy.   With a renovated Bragg Stadium, the city now has a quality mid-sized venue they could use to possibly lure a soccer team or events, make a run at hosting high school football championship games.

False Narrative No 2: “If FAMU were to play in the Orange Blossom Classic in 2024, it would be 6 weeks into the season before FAMU played at home and that is not something Sykes can support.”
 
FAMU’s potential participation in a 2024 Orange Blossom Classic isn’t the only football game on the Rattlers proposed 2024 football schedule that would prevent them from playing at home until week six.  There’s the MEAC/SWAC game (which only pays a couple a hundred thousand --under $300k), U-Miami, SC State, Troy, and a bye week.
 
If FAMU wanted to make this work, it could easily switch its participation in the MEAC/SWAC with another conference school, move its bye week, or postpone its contracted games with Troy or U- Miami.  Miami --by-the-way-- currently has 13 games on its 2024 football schedule, the NCAA max is 12 games.  Miami has one other non-conference game against Notre Dame in 2024 (on a date to be determined), unless the Hurricanes are holding the "Big Joker" with the NCAA one game will have to be dropped from their schedule.

We're also willing to bet that Troy isn't offering FAMU anywhere near a $450,000 payout and covering the travel expenses.  Additionally, while the game is under contract there is no firm date for this game.

 
To make this simply an OBC issue because AD Sykes is not adept at the ins and outs of college football scheduling is quite naive or disingenuous at best.  Schedules tend to change all the time. FAMU can take some proactive steps now to make the OBC work and to have a home game in Tallahassee in September 2024 if it wanted to.  
 
We currently have 13 months lead time to make this work, when the OBC approached FAMU back in February ---one month before Sykes signed a home-home deal with SC State-- about renewing the contract we had 17 months of lead time.   
 
Last but certainly not least, False Narrative No 3.1: “You can’t buy a gallon of gas for the same price as previously,” Sykes said about raising the prices on the Investing in Champions packages.  “As much as we would love to offer the same pricing offered in previous years for packages, it is fiscally irresponsible to do so.”
 
False Narrative 3.2: “Sykes contends that a forensic audit of the offerings associated with the previous price breaks on the Investing in Champions packages resulted in the two most popular packages losing money.” 
 
Gas prices are actually much cheaper this year than last year, according to AAA.  The national average for regular gasoline dipped to $3.56 a gallon on July 15.  A year ago, a gallon of regular sold for an average of $4.87 a gallon.

That kind of price drop is almost unprecedented.

In her interview with HBCU Game Day, Sykes purports that she a conducted a “forensic audit” of the Investment in Champions packages. 

With respect to 3.2: According to the Journal of Accountancy, forensic accounting is a specialized field of accounting that involves investigating financial records and transactions to identify potential fraud, misconduct, or other irregularities. Generally speaking, it involves the application of specialized knowledge and investigative skills possessed by CPAs to collect, analyze, and evaluate evidential matter and to interpret and communicate findings in the courtroom, boardroom, or other legal or administrative venue.  AD Sykes hold degrees in Physical Education & Recreation and Sports Administration and has no background in accounting.   

This new narrative on the Investment in Champions package price increase runs counter to Sykes’ remarks at the 220 Quarterback Club in April where she said she (alone) made the decision to raise the price after concluding that some packages were losing money.
 
While it is perfectly within the AD’s right to reject a $1.475 million, three-year offer from the OBC.   To quote Ms. Sykes, “it’s fiscally irresponsible to do so”; especially if those monies cannot be replaced or raised elsewhere. 

Given the university’s involvement in bringing back the OBC and the financial investments of both the City of Miami Gardens and Miami-Dade County, to withdraw from participation without meeting about your exit is callous.   It lacks a level of professional maturity. To do so without sitting down at the table to meet with Classic organizers, given their past investments and the university’s involvement in restarting the game to begin with, shows a lack of professional maturity.
 
The AD also has the right to raise ticket and premium package prices as she sees fit but doing so without first engaging current Investment in Champions members lacks due diligence and meaningful stakeholder engagement.  
 
Given AD Sykes' newness on the job and to the community, she needs to build up a level of trust and that starts with being honest and sincere.