Traylor: UTSA Needs 'Checks and Big Checks' To Compete in AAC

rcade · December 8, 2023

The comments by Jeff Traylor in this article about long-term athletic funding concerns at UTSA sounds a lot like what UNT officials and fans have said over the years.

UTSA had $37 million in athletic expenses in 2021-22, fifth lowest among AAC schools and $7 million below UNT.

He says at the end, "Do we just want to be a stepping stone? Do we just want to be a minor league? Is that just OK? I just don’t see this city that way. I don’t see this university that way. I don’t see myself that way. I know we can do it. It’s just, we need a miracle."

https://www.expressnews.com/sports/colleges/utsa/article/utsa-aac-finances-18331333.php

https://archive.is/GlbpR

rcade · December 8, 2023

Has anyone seen articles about what the NIL collectives in the AAC are spending? I'd like to know what kind of money has to be spent to bring in the top skill players at our level of the FBS.

NT80 · December 8, 2023

13 minutes ago, rcade said:

The comments by Jeff Traylor... He says at the end, "Do we just want to be a stepping stone? Do we just want to be a minor league? Is that just OK? I just don’t see this city that way. I don’t see this university that way. I don’t see myself that way. I know we can do it. It’s just, we need a miracle."

https://www.expressnews.com/sports/colleges/utsa/article/utsa-aac-finances-18331333.php

https://archive.is/GlbpR

Traylor would absolutely use it as a stepping stone to another job.

Mean Green 93-98 · December 8, 2023

12 minutes ago, NT80 said:

Traylor would absolutely use it as a stepping stone to another job.

He might . . . but didn't he reject Tech's overtures?

rcade · December 8, 2023

19 minutes ago, NT80 said:

Traylor would absolutely use it as a stepping stone to another job.

His comments in the article are the bargaining step in the College Coach Stages of Grief.

If the financial miracle does not happen at UTSA, his next stage is acceptance (of a job at a bigger school) or depression (if he waited too long because they wouldn't also hire his coaches and now he's stuck a Roadrunner for life or until he goes .500 for too many years).

NT80 · December 8, 2023

8 minutes ago, rcade said:

His comments in the article are the bargaining step in the College Coach Stages of Grief.

If the financial miracle does not happen at UTSA, his next stage is acceptance (of a job at a bigger school) or depression (if he waited too long because they wouldn't also hire his coaches and now he's stuck a Roadrunner for life or until he goes .500 for too many years).

The Seth Syndrome. Seth should have taken the K-State job. Then he lost his great QB (Fine) and he never could replace him, it was downhill. Traylor is on the same track with Harris now gone.

Wag Tag · December 8, 2023

Just get Harris another year! The importance of High school recruiting and connections has been greatly reduced. The need for upgraded facilities has been reduced. NIL is king and SMU is the proof!

Edited December 8, 2023 by Wag Tag

MeanGreenTexan · December 8, 2023

1 hour ago, rcade said:

The comments by Jeff Traylor in this article about long-term athletic funding concerns at UTSA sounds a lot like what UNT officials and fans have said over the years.

UTSA had $37 million in athletic expenses in 2021-22, fifth lowest among AAC schools and $7 million below UNT.

He says at the end, "Do we just want to be a stepping stone? Do we just want to be a minor league? Is that just OK? I just don’t see this city that way. I don’t see this university that way. I don’t see myself that way. I know we can do it. It’s just, we need a miracle."

https://www.expressnews.com/sports/colleges/utsa/article/utsa-aac-finances-18331333.php

https://archive.is/GlbpR

I'm sure he was singing a different tune while chatting with U of H a couple weeks ago.

NT80 · December 8, 2023

1 hour ago, Wag Tag said:

Just get Harris another year! The importance of High school recruiting and connections has been greatly reduced. The need for upgraded facilities has been reduced. NIL is king and SMU is the proof!

Smut had a good season, but NIL can't earn them respect. They were rewarded with Reality and a lousy Bowl. Nobody admires them. All hat ($$) and no cattle!

ADLER · December 8, 2023

College athletics are evolving.

Some sports will be purely pro, some entirely amateur, and most somewhere in between.

My opinion, and please take this for what it's worth (nothing), is take advantage of our assets (large student enrollment and low enrollment costs) and let the free market determine player payroll.

A simple fact is that we never will be able to outspend the 30 or so giants of college football. They have 100K seat stadiums with fans paying thousands just to be on the waiting lists, they have enormous media contracts, and they have booster networks which can donate $billions in a heartbeat. Their ability to spend easily exceeds that of the NFL. We can't compete against that, nor should we try. Nor should we want to be one of those little lapdog schools that strive to live parasitically off those giants (no offense Smoodles).

Here's what I was suggesting as far as "utilizing the free market."

Student fees, donations, and media revenue are still in the athletics budget for each sport. Non-spectator sports would offer scholarships, and nothing else. The revenue sports should equally divide every penny from ticket sales, parking revenue, away game payouts, and postseason events to each scholarship athlete in their individual sports once the costs of their scholarships have been covered. Essentially, 100% of the spoils from each sport are equally distributed to it's participants.

It's a fair way to allocate money to the athletes that earn it and it promotes their teams to excel and sell tickets.

And if any player feels he or she has a higher market value than what's being given, then please pursue that elsewhere with our blessings.

Opinions?

El Paso Eagle · December 8, 2023

2 hours ago, Wag Tag said:

Just get Harris another year! The importance of High school recruiting and connections has been greatly reduced. The need for upgraded facilities has been reduced. NIL is king and SMU is the proof!

Jeff's #1 wish .......

BREAKING NEWS

UTSA requests and is given a lifetime eligibility waiver for Frank Harris

GrandGreen · December 9, 2023

6 hours ago, NT80 said:

The Seth Syndrome. Seth should have taken the K-State job. Then he lost his great QB (Fine) and he never could replace him, it was downhill. Traylor is on the same track with Harris now gone.

Per his agent, I have never believed Littrell was really offered that position.

NM Green · December 9, 2023

The Harris comparison is not far off. The Musers were talking this week that what you will have is a college pro league where Dillon Gabriel could realistically stay at OU making millions of dollars playing for the Sooners as a career. Harris would do that in a heartbeat.

It’s a new world and we have delicious assets attributes. Need to maximize our population, location and connections to rise above the Utah States, Fresnos Boises and Iowa States of the world. All fine institutions but we have many benefits to offer. Conference affiliation is very soon not going to matter much. Hire the visionaries and activators and watch us soar.

GMG

TreeFiddy · December 9, 2023

11 hours ago, NM Green said:

The Harris comparison is not far off. The Musers were talking this week that what you will have is a college pro league where Dillon Gabriel could realistically stay at OU making millions of dollars playing for the Sooners as a career. Harris would do that in a heartbeat.

It’s a new world and we have delicious assets attributes. Need to maximize our population, location and connections to rise above the Utah States, Fresnos Boises and Iowa States of the world. All fine institutions but we have many benefits to offer. Conference affiliation is very soon not going to matter much. Hire the visionaries and activators and watch us soar.

GMG

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DeepGreen · December 9, 2023

Honestly, I do not care for the direction college football is taking.

GrandGreen · December 9, 2023

15 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Per his agent, I have never believed Littrell was really offered that position.

Whether there was any real interest by KSU of signing LIttrell is unknown. To be fair, Littrell was seen as an up and coming coach at the time.

NT didn't want to lose Littrell and signed him to I am sure the biggest contract every offered by the Mean Green.

My belief is primarily based on the idea that if Littrell was actually offered by KSU, he would have immediately taken the job. I can't believe that many hc's would turn down a Big Twelve job (at the time a top tier league) to remain in CUSA.

southsideguy · December 9, 2023

I thought the hold up was the SL had to keep all the assistants that were there including Synder's don

?

Edited December 13, 2023 by southsideguy

NT80 · December 9, 2023

54 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

Whether there was any real interest by KSU of signing LIttrell is unknown. To be fair, Littrell was seen as an up and coming coach at the time.

NT didn't want to lose Littrell and signed him to I am sure the biggest contract every offered by the Mean Green.

My belief is primarily based on the idea that if Littrell was actually offered by KSU, he would have immediately taken the job. I can't believe that many hc's would turn down a Big Twelve job (at the time a top tier league) to remain in CUSA.

Littrell was offered the job. Here is a FTW article about the reasons he turned it down. May be behind a pay wall…

“Littrell was in demand, and UNT did everything it could to keep him while knowing he was likely gone. After the '18 season, he was offered the Kansas State head coaching job to replace the retiring Bill Snyder.”

“Littrell wanted it, but he reportedly balked at some of K-State’s details, which reportedly included language regarding assistant coaches and the buyout number.”

https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article247751335.html

Edited December 9, 2023 by NT80

GrandGreen · December 9, 2023

48 minutes ago, NT80 said:

Littrell was offered the job. Here is a FTW article about the reasons he turned it down. May be behind a pay wall…

“Littrell was in demand, and UNT did everything it could to keep him while knowing he was likely gone. After the '18 season, he was offered the Kansas State head coaching job to replace the retiring Bill Snyder.”

“Littrell wanted it, but he reportedly balked at some of K-State’s details, which reportedly included language regarding assistant coaches and the buyout number.”

https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article247751335.html

Thanks, I had forgotten this part of the story.