I spent 6 years as a campus pastor a WSU. I saw the impact college sports had on the community far beyond the students. Those schools serve a broad base of Allumni, communities and businesses far beyond the city limits. It is Good American Fun…. It needs to preserved. Those teams are like a national park for generations.
With state budget pressures, a push toward FBS, and rapidly increasing NIL payments, the current path does not feel sustainable.
Departments are already stretched thin. It is hard to keep talented people when compensation and resources do not align with the performance expectations placed on them.
There's absolutely no rules today that's what's incredible. The only professional sports league in the world without rules, without a commissioner, without compensation when players leave, without salary caps. The coaches could have put a stop to this. Same with basketball when they're letting professional players play collegiate now. They could have walked off the court, they could have boycotted, but they don't want to lose her big fat salaries. All these coaches like Calipari complain about all this but they never do anything about it. They're just wimps at the end of the day.
The “committee” that is going to “fix” college sports will do more harm than good. Not because it is being lead by the most corrupt and immoral president ever, but more so because of who is on the committee. This notion that Saban will be able to make college sports better is spooky. Hall of fame coach? Yes. However, Nick couldn’t adapt to NIL and the portal, and thus he hung it up. He, and the rest of the SEC football teams could not stack teams anymore with stars on the second strings (see Tua and Hurts). Also, Urban Meyer left football in disgrace after molesting a girl at an Ohio St pub. And Don The Con had everything handed to him in life and has never held himself accountable. This “committee” reeks of liquid diarrhea. This committee will not fix the problem; they will make it worse.
Yes, this! I came to say pretty much the same thing. And why would Tiger Woods be invited, or Adam Silver? Rich guys in other sports. This sounds more like a list of guys that the president wants to have lunch with, not a panel that could actually have viable answers for fixing or improving college football. I hope they at least get served a better lunch than the men's Olympic hockey team did.
Strong work, thank you. But I'm having difficulty seeing the connection described by the Boise State president between the ridiculous state of college football today and attendance at games in Boise.
Is the argument that if a team can't compete regularly for CFP spot, attendance will fall and community benefits from the team will fall off?
Boise State and myriad other teams had enormous support for decades despite having near zero chance at winning a national title. Has that changed?
Fresno State games always were the center of enormous community parties as their teams drew near sellouts through the 1980s--despite the team's inability to compete beyond the Mid-American conference.
Yes, college football is a mess and must be cleaned up. But how does its messy state necessarily cut into Boise fan support, which is enormous?
The one big lesson from FBS history seems forgotten in this analysis. An FBS school that claws its way into a better conference should beware. If they aren't competitive in the new league, attendance will fall. Better to be an equal-sized fish in a smaller conference than at the bottom of a bigger one.
When there’s no pathway for them to earn a higher status, gain resources, and increase viability... do Boise State fans show up with the same enthusiasm and buy tickets and fill hotels if the stakes are capped? Everyone wants to point to the CFP title game ratings as evidence that the sport is healthy... the real health measurements and data points should be interesting at the turnstiles in the regular season.
Great answer and thank you for replying. Wow. I agree that the metrics can't be TV ratings. But I just don't see Boise State or Oregon State or Wazzou or Fresno State fans failing to turn out because they don't have a shot at being in the Big 10 are are longshots for the CFP. Maybe fan attitudes are changing because of the CFP buzz. But Boise State fans are diehards. And I bet Oregon State has huge turnouts this year.
You are so right. College football is now firmly established with the "haves" and "have nots". It's all about money and as you point out, the Big 10 and SEC schools will control who even has access to the bank.
Why would I donate to a NIL arms race that smaller schools like mine are destined to lose. Why would I invest my hard earned dollars to fund a one year deal on the latest "rent-an-athlete" when it's clear any on field success for the player is rewarded with a bigger NIL deal including a ticket straight out of town?
It's all talk. The smaller conferences and smaller market teams without big donors will continue to slowly circle the drain until television contracts are negotiated above the conference level and safeguards are put in place to achieve more competition. The professional leagues all do it and it is sadly needed at the college level.
And no....the SEC and Big 10 should not be driving this as just they see fit. It baffles me that the other conferences are just sitting back and letting this happen to them without a real fight. Power in numbers....use them.
It is clearly now like the wild, wild, west…but facing a cliff as the sheep follow each other head-long into the future. Is there anyone, including congress or the president that can stop this madness? This race to the top of playing money ball is going to leave amateur sports in the ash heap of yesterday. It seems to me that we are quickly reaching the tipping point of no return.
Well so much for Trump's meeting if the only invitees are the power players. The system is stacked and needs a total overhaul. But Congress and the NCAA are not the ones to figure it out as they are already biased and part of the problem. Tiger Woods - REALLY?
Louisville is in the ACC
Definitely.
I spent 6 years as a campus pastor a WSU. I saw the impact college sports had on the community far beyond the students. Those schools serve a broad base of Allumni, communities and businesses far beyond the city limits. It is Good American Fun…. It needs to preserved. Those teams are like a national park for generations.
Thank you for this perspective.
Why won't anyone else take the fight to the state govt like Hawaii? There are answers to be found:
https://x.com/michaellasquero/status/2028934754293432485?s=46
This hits home.
With state budget pressures, a push toward FBS, and rapidly increasing NIL payments, the current path does not feel sustainable.
Departments are already stretched thin. It is hard to keep talented people when compensation and resources do not align with the performance expectations placed on them.
Hawaii is one of the most resource-constrained programs, and they are fighting back. The solution for those who want to fight is the state govt:
https://x.com/michaellasquero/status/2028934754293432485?s=46
There's absolutely no rules today that's what's incredible. The only professional sports league in the world without rules, without a commissioner, without compensation when players leave, without salary caps. The coaches could have put a stop to this. Same with basketball when they're letting professional players play collegiate now. They could have walked off the court, they could have boycotted, but they don't want to lose her big fat salaries. All these coaches like Calipari complain about all this but they never do anything about it. They're just wimps at the end of the day.
The “committee” that is going to “fix” college sports will do more harm than good. Not because it is being lead by the most corrupt and immoral president ever, but more so because of who is on the committee. This notion that Saban will be able to make college sports better is spooky. Hall of fame coach? Yes. However, Nick couldn’t adapt to NIL and the portal, and thus he hung it up. He, and the rest of the SEC football teams could not stack teams anymore with stars on the second strings (see Tua and Hurts). Also, Urban Meyer left football in disgrace after molesting a girl at an Ohio St pub. And Don The Con had everything handed to him in life and has never held himself accountable. This “committee” reeks of liquid diarrhea. This committee will not fix the problem; they will make it worse.
So says the imbecile that has a clown face for an avatar. The idiot winds blow forcefully from your painted pie hole. What us your deal dude?
Yes, this! I came to say pretty much the same thing. And why would Tiger Woods be invited, or Adam Silver? Rich guys in other sports. This sounds more like a list of guys that the president wants to have lunch with, not a panel that could actually have viable answers for fixing or improving college football. I hope they at least get served a better lunch than the men's Olympic hockey team did.
Strong work, thank you. But I'm having difficulty seeing the connection described by the Boise State president between the ridiculous state of college football today and attendance at games in Boise.
Is the argument that if a team can't compete regularly for CFP spot, attendance will fall and community benefits from the team will fall off?
Boise State and myriad other teams had enormous support for decades despite having near zero chance at winning a national title. Has that changed?
Fresno State games always were the center of enormous community parties as their teams drew near sellouts through the 1980s--despite the team's inability to compete beyond the Mid-American conference.
Yes, college football is a mess and must be cleaned up. But how does its messy state necessarily cut into Boise fan support, which is enormous?
The one big lesson from FBS history seems forgotten in this analysis. An FBS school that claws its way into a better conference should beware. If they aren't competitive in the new league, attendance will fall. Better to be an equal-sized fish in a smaller conference than at the bottom of a bigger one.
What am I missing?
When there’s no pathway for them to earn a higher status, gain resources, and increase viability... do Boise State fans show up with the same enthusiasm and buy tickets and fill hotels if the stakes are capped? Everyone wants to point to the CFP title game ratings as evidence that the sport is healthy... the real health measurements and data points should be interesting at the turnstiles in the regular season.
Great answer and thank you for replying. Wow. I agree that the metrics can't be TV ratings. But I just don't see Boise State or Oregon State or Wazzou or Fresno State fans failing to turn out because they don't have a shot at being in the Big 10 are are longshots for the CFP. Maybe fan attitudes are changing because of the CFP buzz. But Boise State fans are diehards. And I bet Oregon State has huge turnouts this year.
You are so right. College football is now firmly established with the "haves" and "have nots". It's all about money and as you point out, the Big 10 and SEC schools will control who even has access to the bank.
Why would I donate to a NIL arms race that smaller schools like mine are destined to lose. Why would I invest my hard earned dollars to fund a one year deal on the latest "rent-an-athlete" when it's clear any on field success for the player is rewarded with a bigger NIL deal including a ticket straight out of town?
I'm done.
Great column, John. Please stay on this topic. Encourage Wilner too. You guys are influential. Thanks for your efforts here.
thank you
It's all talk. The smaller conferences and smaller market teams without big donors will continue to slowly circle the drain until television contracts are negotiated above the conference level and safeguards are put in place to achieve more competition. The professional leagues all do it and it is sadly needed at the college level.
And no....the SEC and Big 10 should not be driving this as just they see fit. It baffles me that the other conferences are just sitting back and letting this happen to them without a real fight. Power in numbers....use them.
After he figures out his Middle East problems, I’m sure Donald Trump will save college football. Just like he saved the USFL. 😂😂😂
Sure, let’s get the Feds involved. What could go wrong with that? They handle everything else so well.
You are not wrong to be skeptical.
“College football is an economic driver and a community anchor. Game days create a rallying point and boost a city.”
well spoken and mostly forgotten by the CFP obsession - where will it lead and when will it end?
It is clearly now like the wild, wild, west…but facing a cliff as the sheep follow each other head-long into the future. Is there anyone, including congress or the president that can stop this madness? This race to the top of playing money ball is going to leave amateur sports in the ash heap of yesterday. It seems to me that we are quickly reaching the tipping point of no return.
President can’t even fix the county. How is he going to fix college athletics?
Well so much for Trump's meeting if the only invitees are the power players. The system is stacked and needs a total overhaul. But Congress and the NCAA are not the ones to figure it out as they are already biased and part of the problem. Tiger Woods - REALLY?
Hawaii's NIL endowment trust bill cleared another hurdle. Solutions are out there.
https://x.com/michaellasquero/status/2028934754293432485?s=46
Mutuality is dead. No one else is going to pay the bill for have-nots much longer. Fight or die.
The effects of the demise of the PAC 12 has already hit Pullman (and probably Corvallis).