Tony Bennett retiring

[Scooch]

It's hard to argue with that. I signed up for Orange United for a one year subscription after Fran was hired because I got caught up in the excitement. I'm hardly a big donor - $250 - but I wanted to do my part to help. But it definitely has crossed my mind more than a few times over the past year if this really makes any sense at all that fans are responsible for this and to be honest, I'm not sure I'll renew.

People should spend their money how they want, obviously. I don't mean to come across as the NIL police! If it makes people feel good, go for it.

And I know for sure that the maniacs who support SEC and B1G schools will donate their life savings to land a 3rd string linebacker. So if that's the game, that's the game.

I just think we should all be eyes wide open as to the utter absurdity of it.

 

[djcon57]

I hate NIL.

Can’t wait to watch our hired gun QB and our 5-1 football team though.

*shrug*

 

[Scooch]

Exactly. He has every right to do what he feels is right for him and his family. He came to the conclusion that he was no longer the best person for the job and stepped down. It’s quite unselfish in many ways.

I don't know if it's unselfish, but it definitely is self aware. Which is a trait very few college coaches have.

 

[orangecuse]

I hate NIL.

Can’t wait to watch our hired gun QB and our 5-1 football team though.

*shrug*

*Guess you just can't help yourself.*

 

[HyattsCuse]

I agree. The landscape on April 18 wasn't different than October 18. Quit in the spring and give everyone a runway to this season.

Not true. He admitted he wanted someone on his staff to take over. This guarantees that at least for this season. Not necessarily the case on April 18.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Not true. He admitted he wanted someone on his staff to take over. This guarantees that at least for this season. Not necessarily the case on April 18.

Which is so lame from the fan's perspective. UVA has been bounced from the first round how many times? So he strategically quit so that one of his guys could guarantee the job. That's loyalty to his guy, and also super weak.

Program has been on the decline since the National Title and as a fan I would not be excited about this move

 

[Hoo's That]

You do realize the “oodles of tv money” from football is used to fund the entire athletic program that supports over 600 student athletes at Syracuse, a school with a very small portfolio of competitive sports. Have you seen the SUAD balance sheet or been privy to the department finances? Those who have understand the fallacy of your perspective.

What seems to be happening more and more is that the TV money from football is used to fund just football, which enables most, if not all, of the contributions to the athletic department to fund the other sports.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I think my issue is what value do these players actually add. If the players change every year and the school still makes money then the play is not creating value. The money is driven by alumni loyalty and the coaches and the tradition they have created. I think the NBA and NFL need to have a minor league system that every kid who can be picked in the first 2 rounds goes to. Then all the other kids that want a free education and play college basketball can do it. Just my opinion.

Agree in theory but the nba would lose money on it or they would have already
exploited having a great minor league system. They don’t spend big $ on the G League - they let colleges do their work and spend their money on players to develop, mature. The NBA can sit back, let colleges spend their bucks to develop them, provide them a huge platform, give their future NBA recruits publicity and a loyal following to make them valuable assets before they ever get to the NBA. Their college fans will follow them, buy their NBA merchandise even after their college careers are over. Why would they subsidize a minor league that wouldn’t spend, attract the fans, nor make the money that colleges do for the NBA’s ultimate benefit in addition to competing with their own NBA team products before they are ready? I don’t think the NBA is worrying about big money they think they’ve left on the table not having a strong minor league system. It would be interesting if each NBA team had the option to draft 1 or 2 players out of high school then left the remaining players play for 3 years before drafting the remaining college players they covet out of college. They’d have to beat the NIL $ probably. Just a personal crazy thought.

 

[HyattsCuse]

Which is so lame from the fan's perspective. UVA has been bounced from the first round how many times? So he strategically quit so that one of his guys could guarantee the job. That's loyalty to his guy, and also super weak.

Program has been on the decline since the National Title and as a fan I would not be excited about this move

Actually, if you go over to their board, Virginia Men's Basketball Board | TheSabre.com, it's quite the opposite.

Majority are grateful for Bennett's tenure and understanding why he quit. Their AD named Sanchez interim coach and announced they'll do a national search. From a fan's perspective, I don't think this is bad at all. You got a guy in Sanchez that a lot of people want to see get a shot anyway. Most likely it's too late for kid's on the team to jump ship so a team that was supposed to be decent this year stays in tact. Next year is unclear, but this day in age, every team is resetting their roster on a year to year basis anyway.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Actually, if you go over to their board, Virginia Men's Basketball Board | TheSabre.com, it's quite the opposite.

Majority are grateful for Bennett's tenure and understanding why he quit. Their AD named Sanchez interim coach and announced they'll do a national search. From a fan's perspective, I don't think this is bad at all. You got a guy in Sanchez that a lot of people want to see get a shot anyway. Most likely it's too late for kid's on the team to jump ship so a team that was supposed to be decent this year stays in tact.

I'm saying how I would feel.

He quit on his team. People can slice it anyway they'd like. He manipulated the system to ensure one of his guys got the job. The NIL landscape has not changed since April. They could have at least conducted a national search in the offseason (and still gone with Sanchez).

Certainly understand the point you make on the team staying intact, but idk. To me, if I'm a player, who committed to TB, I would feel like I just got left at the altar. No other choice but to play ball though

 

[hoopsupstate]

If Sanchez struggles, I wonder if Hop would be interested in the job.

Hop could be interested all he wants, but he has ZERO chance to get hired.

 

[Cusefan95]

We are on the same page I suspect. The lack of control, the unfettered multiple transfers, the ability of players to sell themselves to the highest bidder year after year are all ripping apart the fabric of college sports. Players have no responsibility to the institution and the recent examples of some quitting on their teams to preserve a year of eligibility so they can get an even bigger payday based on blatant tampering is Armageddon.

Where we disagree is the assumption that the schools have the resources to pay the players. Especially with the proposed settlement of House v NCAA that will add $22MM in cost for direct payments to players and as many as 240 additional scholarships just in the small portfolio of sports that SU has. I can guarantee you John Wildhack is sleeping well trying to solve that. ACC media deal pays roughly $40MM. And the department barely breaks even. Additional costs need to be covered by either additional revenue or cost cutting. And cost cutting means elimination or deemphasizing non revenue sports. Debate probably belongs in a separate thread but I see no light at the end of the tunnel. Additional revenue falls on the fan in one way or the other. Using the NBA example, what’s the price of a Celtics season ticket today?

The entire system was built on the idea revenue producing sports would fund non-revenue sports, which was feasible since the athletes weren’t being paid. Now with athletes getting money, the challenge is how to fund non-revenue sports and pay athletes (and stay in line with Title IX).

The best option may be separate the athletics department into a separate entity which only handles revenue sports, with athletes capable of choosing to spend some of their earnings on college. Or not. We’ll have some “student/athletes”, and some just athletes with a school name on their uniform (much like Kurt Vonnegut predicted would happen). Non-revenue sports cease to have scholarships and remain part of Title IX.

While it’s probably not great, whatever schools figure out nonrevenue sports are an anchor in the current environment and figure out a way to effectively jettison them will be the winners in the revenue sports.

 

[kingtidge]

I'm saying how I would feel.

He quit on his team. People can slice it anyway they'd like. He manipulated the system to ensure one of his guys got the job. The NIL landscape has not changed since April. They could have at least conducted a national search in the offseason (and still gone with Sanchez).

Certainly understand the point you make on the team staying intact, but idk. To me, if I'm a player, who committed to TB, I would feel like I just got left at the altar. No other choice but to play ball though

Yeah, the timing is what is weird...

That said, may be a sign of the times...

TBF, these players can and are leaving on there own terms in droves now, so it could be argued that Bennett is OK with leaving now so his assistant gets a shot and is less concerned about players that are more committed to their next, best NIL bag than the LOI that they signed for him/UVA.

 

[Cusefan95]

He quit on his team

He manipulated the system to ensure one of his guys got the job.

Those two things cannot both be true at the same time.

 

[OttoMets]

Yup. Can you imagine if the Knicks were soliciting their fans to contribute money so that they can pay KAT? Well that’s literally how college sports operates now. It’s flipping batspit insane.

And you know what? If the style of play were c.1990 UNLV, I'd probably shell out a few and shield my eyes from the hypocrisy.

But to watch this quality of crap on the floor, after having gotten the pleasure of watching good college basketball for my first few decades on the planet? NFW.

 

[Fat tire 13]

As people said, NIL is the ultimate disrupter. Bad for fans, player development, and certain types of coaches

Value is now fundraising, recruiting obsessively (high school and transfers), finding unique ways to pay players

I do think it will get better over time when there is “price discovery” and people learn from mistakes. It’s the Wild West right now.

Fran is the ultimate “new normal” hire. He never coached a game before but excelled at the other skills

Part of me is with the posters that say don’t get dragged into the silliness. But we all know there would be a meltdown if we didn’t try to compete in the NIL era. And I’m enjoying football quite a bit this year.

Interestingly there will be schools that are better suited for NIL and others that aren’t. UVA is probably second category especially with Tony gone. Cuse could go either way, which is why we have to try to complete. Miss the bus completely and may never recover

 

[FrancoPizza]

I respect anyone who walks away when they're on the young(ish) side. Just as I lose respect for people who hang on, and on, and on, and on.

I salute Tony. Yes, he could've retired over the summer, but we're talking about 2 months difference. JB was closing in on 10 years past his expiration date. Huge difference. The brand has taken such a huge hit and made Red's job so much harder to try and dig out of this hole.

 

[Newhouser]

I hear what he is saying and understand his decision. However I hate the implication by all these guys who step down saying "I want the players to be paid" yet basically say the game is being ruined by it. Everything was fine as long as the "adults" were making $, and now that the game is getting tough everyone who benefitted is jumping ship.

 

[Dcuse]

I hate NIL.

Can’t wait to watch our hired gun QB and our 5-1 football team though.

*shrug*

I am a part of the same hypocrisy. But if there was a vote today I am 100% against the current transfer portal and NIL. Even with the success it has given us.

 

[Dcuse]

I hear what he is saying and understand his decision. However I hate the implication by all these guys who step down saying "I want the players to be paid" yet basically say the game is being ruined by it. Everything was fine as long as the "adults" were making $, and now that the game is getting tough everyone who benefitted is jumping ship.

What happened to the word "Stipend?" They WERE getting paid on top of all that came with a college education which appears to be something 95% of these kids could give a damn about. If a kid is good enough to make a million out of high school, let him go pro immediately.. Case closed.

 

[djcon57]

What happened to the word "Stipend?" They WERE getting paid on top of all that came with a college education which appears to be something 95% of these kids could give a damn about. If a kid is good enough to make a million out of high school, let him go pro immediately.. Case closed.

Sounds like you got it all figured out…so who’s gonna talk to the NBA players association?

 

[Dcuse]

Sounds like you got it all figured out…so who’s gonna talk to the NBA players association?

Me and you. Whaddaya say?

 

[UnknownOrange]

Those two things cannot both be true at the same time

How? He quit 20 days before the season starts. That is quitting on your team.

It's also conveniently timed so that the university has no choice but to name an interim coach from his staff.

 

[ar inj]

We are on the same page I suspect. The lack of control, the unfettered multiple transfers, the ability of players to sell themselves to the highest bidder year after year are all ripping apart the fabric of college sports. Players have no responsibility to the institution and the recent examples of some quitting on their teams to preserve a year of eligibility so they can get an even bigger payday based on blatant tampering is Armageddon.

Where we disagree is the assumption that the schools have the resources to pay the players. Especially with the proposed settlement of House v NCAA that will add $22MM in cost for direct payments to players and as many as 240 additional scholarships just in the small portfolio of sports that SU has. I can guarantee you John Wildhack is sleeping well trying to solve that. ACC media deal pays roughly $40MM. And the department barely breaks even. Additional costs need to be covered by either additional revenue or cost cutting. And cost cutting means elimination or deemphasizing non revenue sports. Debate probably belongs in a separate thread but I see no light at the end of the tunnel. Additional revenue falls on the fan in one way or the other. Using the NBA example, what’s the price of a Celtics season ticket today?

Should the settlement ever be entered as is, it would allow but not require the giving of that many additional scholarships. For example a bball coach (or school) could decide it will only give 12 bball scholarships and save costs and NIL by focusing on less players.

 

[Cuse181]

I disagree

Yeah, why would a team need a coach 3 weeks before the season starts.