Jayhawks and Cyclones appear to be talking to B1G

[dparks]

I started to write a response to your post, @dparks, but it was growing into a Tolstoy novel, so I'm going to save that for something else. Suffice it to say that from the university presidents' perspectives, the grant funding dwarfs the money that comes and goes through athletics. I don't know the exact number, but it's somewhere around a majority of B1G programs don't turn a profit from their sports programs, so investing more into it is often an attempt to cut the costs in the long term as a return on investment. Wisconsin needs state funding to keep its athletic department afloat. Most schools aren't like Nebraska where the athletic department contributes to the university. Only a handful of programs are like that. The funding that is symbolized in AAU status (and those really are the labels that matter: "symbol" and "status") is much more concrete in their eyes.

I could go on for pages (literally), but that's the gist of it. If you want to read the full story, send me a PM, and I'll get you something longer and less edited.

Great post and though I knew Nebraska was one of a select few for it's athletic program to be self-sufficient., most schools can't claim this. BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT...............

Now you have it where the B1G has come out and said, "Notre Dame would be the sole exception for not being an AAU invite school."

I call that hypocrisy, where no schools can join unless they are AAU except for this school. Again, IMO, the B1G is just painting themselves into a corner.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

I still like Pete Carroll.

I do. too,... but I hated USC when he was there. It's exactly how I have felt about Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera and the Yankees: love the guy but hate the team.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

Great post and though I knew Nebraska was one of a select few for it's athletic program to be self-sufficient., most schools can't claim this. BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT...............

Now you have it where the B1G has come out and said, "Notre Dame would be the sole exception for not being an AAU invite school."

I call that hypocrisy, where no schools can join unless they are AAU except for this school. Again, IMO, the B1G is just painting themselves into a corner.

Notre Dame is a bit of an exception in a lot of ways with these things. I haven't researched exactly why they're not in the AAU, but they more than meet the minimum qualifications, so their being on the outside doesn't appear to be by their fault so much as their choice. It's kind of elitist jujitsu to academic snobs to say, "We could join your little 'exclusive' club, but we don't want to."

 

[RED CRUSADER]

It MAY BE that ND, due many of its donors being "conservative," have threatened to pull their financial support IF ND faculty engage in anti-pro-life research.

 

[Trojan Husker]

They have enough talent within walking distance of the school to fill a more talented roster than we could ever have. Coaching and admin have been their Achilles' heel, much like a certain scarlet & cream team you know. Tell me that they couldn't hire Urban Meyer and be a monster within a few years.

This is exactly right. USC is rebounding from some scandals right now so the Admin has not been focused on football. In a year or two when they get rid of Clay Helton, they will be a monster with the right coach.

 

[RED CRUSADER]

To be very creative, how about we encourage schools like Gonzaga, Creighton, Villanova and Marquette join the BIG for all sports, except obviously football?

 

[RED CRUSADER]

They would bring millions into the BIG. Although basketball is their "calling card," they also have other sports like lacrosse, mens' soccer and some womens' sports that have notable teams.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

It MAY BE that ND, due many of its donors being "conservative," have threatened to pull their financial support IF ND faculty engage in anti-pro-life research.

Since you brought that up ... yes, there's some heat to that smoke. It is complicated due to the B1G rules about how research grants are to be shared, etc. Anything that involves research on aborted fetal tissue is ... problematic for N.D. I don't know how much it's related to the boosters versus their Board of Trustees. The shared research funding structure would intertwine N.D. with a system of research that included things that the Catholic Church would not condone. It seems to have been one of the reasons why they moved towards the ACC for other sports. Money is still the driver for football, regardless.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

To be very creative, how about we encourage schools like Gonzaga, Creighton, Villanova and Marquette join the BIG for all sports, except obviously football?

Nobody wants to share money, and that would be complicated. If a new structure emerges to replace the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament,... maybe. Unlikely, but maybe. Those schools already have good arrangements within their current leagues for basketball, so joining the B1G sans B1G football money wouldn't necessarily be a better deal for them.

 

[Middle-aged_Ball_Coach]

They would bring millions into the BIG. Although basketball is their "calling card," they also have other sports like lacrosse, mens' soccer and some womens' sports that have notable teams.

Quite bluntly, only the folks involved with Title IX and the fans who support the non-major sports are that interested in those sports. Nobody is going to make a decision on B1G sports based on anything beyond football and men's basketball because they are the only sports that pay the bills. The other sports--especially a school like Stanford who dominates in other sports--is a cherry on top, but you have to have some cake and frosting beneath it first.

 

[Cardinal]

maybe, but theres strong opposition from alums

Inside the Growing Fight to Save Olympic College Sports

At Stanford and other schools, athletes of discontinued sports teams are pushing back—and raising money in the process.

www.si.com

and we know the directors cup is a bragging right and guess who has finished first or second in every cup standing?
yup stanford, in fact they won it 25 years in a row.

yup

 

[lincoln84]

Great post and though I knew Nebraska was one of a select few for it's athletic program to be self-sufficient., most schools can't claim this. BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT...............

Now you have it where the B1G has come out and said, "Notre Dame would be the sole exception for not being an AAU invite school."

I call that hypocrisy, where no schools can join unless they are AAU except for this school. Again, IMO, the B1G is just painting themselves into a corner.

They did that for us, right?

 

[SierraRed]

They did that for us, right?

No. We were in the AAU when we joined .

 

[Hville]

Where does Washington fit in? Why is Colorado being discussed before them? 1620 had a National guy on this morning discussing all of this. He believes as we both do that either the PAC or ACC have to make a move with their top programs. He sees the leftovers becoming a group of five level conference. For what it’s worth he said Kansas and North Carolina would both make sense in the BIG. Very interesting stuff going on.

I don’t think the pac or the acc will do anything with their top programs. They will do everything to keep them. You don’t open the gate to let your stallions out.

 

[Frosty1980]

I don’t think the pac or the acc will do anything with their top programs. They will do everything to keep them. You don’t open the gate to let your stallions out.

I guess I should have said the programs not the conference. All top programs including Ohio St, Michigan, and Penn St. should be thinking about their future. I don’t believe the BIG is in a good situation either.