ND AD Says D1 Breakup is Inevitable

[WoadBlue]

Not sure that the BIG is going to exist if Michigan and Ohio State bolt to the lucrative “business” league. And Notre Dame will have a tough time walking away from the $$.

I think that the Big Ten will bolt, along with the SEC. I think most of the BT will follow the lead of Ohio St, Michigan, and Penn St. I think the SEC and BT would be very happy if each has 20-24 members, and they are the only two conferences in that new 'semi-pro' division.

 

[kcsu]

I hope they do form some semi pro conference. I want Syracuse to play like minded schools.
Ill be happy playing Wake Duke Vandy Army Navy BC Buffalo Uconn Temple each year. If i want to watch a pro game ill watch the NFL. I have zero interest watching semi pro football or basketball.

 

[sufandu]

And the tax man is going to make a lot of money off of this. Donating to a school is one thing, but paying athletes to play ball is not going to last long with the tax man.

They're not being paid to play to ball. They're being paid outside of playing ball. For most of Michael Jordan's career he made more money in endorsements than his playing salary paid him. He paid taxes on it, but it had notning to do with the Bulls or the NBA. It'll be the same way with these college athletes.

 

[sufandu]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Many of the changes implemented in recent years have been well-intentioned but horribly misguided, and here we are.

And the NCAA has fallen asleep at the wheel.

With regards to NIL, what was the NCAA supposed to do? Once it was established by the courts that athletes had sole ownership of their NIL the only thing the NCAA could do is decide whether guys could make money off it and still be eligible. Since nearly everyone around them said they needed to do it, they really had no choice. And then they have no right to regulate it. Either guys can make the money and be eligible or not.

 

[RF2044]

With regards to NIL, what was the NCAA supposed to do? Once it was established by the courts that athletes had sole ownership of their NIL the only thing the NCAA could do is decide whether guys could make money off it and still be eligible. Since nearly everyone around them said they needed to do it, they really had no choice. And then they have no right to regulate it. Either guys can make the money and be eligible or not.

That's only one mislaid brick upon the path.

And there were PLENTY of common sense alternatives for player compensation that the NCAA could have considered well before NIL. But they didn't, and NIL caused the pendulum to swing too far in the other direction.

 

[sufandu]

That's only one mislaid brick upon the path.

Ultimately, this comes down to too much money being injected into college sports. The ridiculous media deals and crazy donations for facilities and coaches salaries made it all about money. It became an animal the NCAA was never going to keep caged. Yeah, they've done a horrible job of policing their own rules to enforce equality. But they've also always faced an uphill battle. People complain that they have too many intricate stupid rules governing every little thing. Well, that's what happens when programs do whatever they can to find any loophole they can exploit. As you try to close a loophole, your rule book gets bigger and harder to enforce. If I were them, I would throw up my hands and say, "We're done. Do what you want." That would initially make everyone happy. Then the chaos would cause an awful lot of people to beg for regulation and a regulatory body. Look at what people are doing now. They're actually wanting the NCAA to regulate NIL, something they can't even regulate.

 

[Toga]

The B1G would, of course, want ND, but my reading of ND's hard-core board says they won't be interested for as long as they can. Even those on their board most devoted to going semi-pro express doubts that they would do that.

I think it would be for football, both basketball teams, and baseball/softball. These seem to be the sports of greatest interest to the SEC. Bama, for example, only has baseball, basketball, football, golf, swimming, tennis, and track as men's sports. It's hard to see them giving big bucks to participants in "the other 4". Kentucky and South Carolina have men's soccer tesh.ams, but play in other conferences because soccer is not a men's sport in the SEC.

Soccer is not a men's sport in the SEC? Geesh.

 

[TheCusian]

Ultimately, this comes down to too much money being injected into college sports. The ridiculous media deals and crazy donations for facilities and coaches salaries made it all about money. It became an animal the NCAA was never going to keep caged. Yeah, they've done a horrible job of policing their own rules to enforce equality. But they've also always faced an uphill battle. People complain that they have too many intricate stupid rules governing every little thing. Well, that's what happens when programs do whatever they can to find any loophole they can exploit. As you try to close a loophole, your rule book gets bigger and harder to enforce. If I were them, I would throw up my hands and say, "We're done. Do what you want." That would initially make everyone happy. Then the chaos would cause an awful lot of people to beg for regulation and a regulatory body. Look at what people are doing now. They're actually wanting the NCAA to regulate NIL, something they can't even regulate.

Too much money distributed *unevenly* in college sports. The market is there.

The problem is disparate, uneven leadership.

 

[RF2044]

Ultimately, this comes down to too much money being injected into college sports. The ridiculous media deals and crazy donations for facilities and coaches salaries made it all about money. It became an animal the NCAA was never going to keep caged. Yeah, they've done a horrible job of policing their own rules to enforce equality. But they've also always faced an uphill battle. People complain that they have too many intricate stupid rules governing every little thing. Well, that's what happens when programs do whatever they can to find any loophole they can exploit. As you try to close a loophole, your rule book gets bigger and harder to enforce. If I were them, I would throw up my hands and say, "We're done. Do what you want." That would initially make everyone happy. Then the chaos would cause an awful lot of people to beg for regulation and a regulatory body. Look at what people are doing now. They're actually wanting the NCAA to regulate NIL, something they can't even regulate.

And that's a big part of the problem. You can't put the genie back in the bottle, which is why I say that many of these changes despite being well intentioned in actuality ended up being disastrous for college football.

It was a predictable and precipitous series of wrong turns for college athletics -- a lot of which could have been avoided.

 

[All4SU]

I hope they do form some semi pro conference. I want Syracuse to play like minded schools.
Ill be happy playing Wake Duke Vandy Army Navy BC Buffalo Uconn Temple each year. If i want to watch a pro game ill watch the NFL. I have zero interest watching semi pro football or basketball.

You lost me at UCon.

 

[Toga]

I would like there to be the Lambert Trophy and Sagarin rankings.
Thanks.

 

[sufandu]

And that's a big part of the problem. You can't put the genie back in the bottle, which is why I say that many of these changes despite being well intentioned in actuality ended up being disastrous for college football.

It was a predictable and precipitous series of wrong turns for college athletics -- a lot of which could have been avoided.

I agree the genie can't be put back in the bottle. But I don't think it was avoidable once so much money began to be injected. And I don't think the NCAA could've done all that much. What is it that you think should've been done to avoid where we are now?

 

[David332]

Lots of sky is falling posts here. If it changes, it changes. Nothing in life stays the same forever. I’ll continue to watch and follow SU football regardless of what happens with other teams/ conferences.

 

[oldpinepoint]

NCAA is in hospice, perhaps congress can do something……. LOL!!!

 

[Finwad32]

The greatest victories will be when teams like us beat teams like A&M, etc. on the field. It may not happen as frequently, but it will happen.

 

[CousCuse]

PAC12 GOR ending in 2025, the value teams there will go to the B1G.

 

[dollarbill44]

Why would a MAC school want to opt out? They could go 0-120 (an entire decade) and make more money than they would by opting out.

Well, I don't think the MAC even gets a chance to opt in, so it's likely moot.

 

[David332]

Wouldn’t ND naturally fit in the ACC more than the B1G? Small private school, focus on academics. Where’s the synergy with the B1G?

 

[tipphill]

i have never had a doubt that nd will eventually end up in big10. most money and geographically correct.

 

[All4SU]

I agree the genie can't be put back in the bottle. But I don't think it was avoidable once so much money began to be injected. And I don't think the NCAA could've done all that much. What is it that you think should've been done to avoid where we are now?

Except this is not a Genie and a bottle. At least with a Genie, someone’s wishes come true. This is Pandora’s box, and the misery and evil that sweeps the landscape and destroys everything it touches. And you are correct, it’s not going back in the box.

 

[sutomcat]

Wouldn’t ND naturally fit in the ACC more than the B1G? Small private school, focus on academics. Where’s the synergy with the B1G?

If academics are indeed of primary importance to ND, they will stay with the ACC.

If it turns out that are just another football factory, they will join the B1G.

I don't really care what they do. Feel good that whatever happens, Syracuse will have a bunch of schools with a similar prioritization of academics vs athletics and we will be fine.

Might not play for national championships. Might not play B1G or SEC programs any longer.

Don't care. Really don't want to play schools that franchise their athletic programs that way.

Want athletes at Syracuse who want to go to school, want to get an education, care about their alma mater and don't need to get paid big bonus money to pretend to go to class.

 

[TheCusian]

The problem is and was greed. No one wants to be the leader that makes things more fair and equitable because it would kneecap itself against the other powers involved.

It’s where everyone is pointing a gun at each other while a bomb is lit in the middle.

It will become NASCAR and baseball - highly regional or “if you have one in your town” and that will cap the growth and interest. I won’t watch some premiere league $EC crap.

 

[David332]

If academics are indeed of primary importance to ND, they will stay with the ACC.

If it turns out that are just another football factory, they will join the B1G.

I don't really care what they do. Feel good that whatever happens, Syracuse will have a bunch of schools with a similar prioritization of academics vs athletics and we will be fine.

Might not play for national championships. Might not play B1G or SEC programs any longer.

Don't care. Really don't want to play schools that franchise their athletic programs that way.

Want athletes at Syracuse who want to go to school, want to get an education, care about their alma mater and don't need to get paid big bonus money to pretend to go to class.

Well said, totally agree.

 

[TheCusian]

If academics are indeed of primary importance to ND, they will stay with the ACC.

If it turns out that are just another football factory, they will join the B1G.

I don't really care what they do. Feel good that whatever happens, Syracuse will have a bunch of schools with a similar prioritization of academics vs athletics and we will be fine.

Might not play for national championships. Might not play B1G or SEC programs any longer.

Don't care. Really don't want to play schools that franchise their athletic programs that way.

Want athletes at Syracuse who want to go to school, want to get an education, care about their alma mater and don't need to get paid big bonus money to pretend to go to class.

I agree with this - except - If we’re still taking a giant paycheck to televise games and the labor is free, there will be a ruling at some point that will allow the players to unionize and demand a cut if the pie. A super league doesn’t stop that and I don’t see schools saying no to TV money.

 

[sutomcat]

I agree with this - except - If we’re still taking a giant paycheck to televise games and the labor is free, there will be a ruling at some point that will allow the players to unionize and demand a cut if the pie. A super league doesn’t stop that and I don’t see schools saying no to TV money.

Agree unions are coming. At least for the schools that opt for the pro model.

Those schools are going to have collectives run by powerful boosters that will usurp most of the donation money that now goes to athletic departments. They are going to run these programs and the ADs are going to be PR people.

If you had a great writer script how college athletics could get destroyed as quickly as possible, that writer would come up with what is happening now.

But if we are being honest with ourselves, college football has been broken for a long time. There are maybe 8 schools that can win the NC going into a given season. Talent is distributed incredibly badly (unless you are one of the 8 that have a chance).

When what 95% of the teams come into a season knowing they have absolutely no chance to win a NC, things are horribly broken.

Flush the 20 or 30 or 40 schools that are willing to spend unlimited money to try and win an NC out. Let them play amongst themselves.

I am sure they will get good ratings and an enormous amount of money from TV.

Hoping most of the P5 schools will choose to prioritize academics and keep a balance between that and athletics. I think there are enough schools to form some great leagues that offer very competitive sports, where the geography of members makes sense. Maybe some old rivalries can be restored and things will actually be significantly better for many of these schools.

Not even sure the pro schools will even care, as long as they get their money.

This could be good for most everyone.