What is this program missing?

wardly · November 25

18 hours ago, Green with Envy said:

A reality check as to what type of program we are, have been and will be.

We are missing money from our alumni base and participation from our students. Yet we continue to pore money into our football program hoping something will change but it hasn't.

untjim1995 · November 25

On 11/24/2024 at 11:16 AM, SUMG said:

Or you think that the NIL is horse crap....and that schools like us, are wasting our time "keeping up with the Joneses." It's past time for the dumbass ADs of the G5s to get together and break off from the big boys. That's what Moseley should be doing, IMHO.

Wanna know the difference? SMU put out word that they needed big $$. They had in about a week....four $10 million donors, thirty eight $1 million donors....and 80+ more that gave six figure donations.

We've been raising money for the AC for several years now....and finally have around $5 million raised so they can start on Phase 1 (now a $10 million project).

We'll never be in the CFP playoff. Ain't happening.

So either trying to get with the G5s and doing something sensible....or going down to FCS, makes much more sense than what we're doing right now.

THIS!!

The portal is the killer. If we only had to compete against other schools having bigger NIL, we'd still be ok because our players would have to honor their commitment here or lose a year when they would transfer away. Instead, the portal allows those NIL deals at P$s to buy off anyone looking for a payday and to play at their dream school. When we see our teams almost turn over by 75% or more, the few fans that do care look at their donations and think that they can be able to use their few thousand dollars they donate in better fashion. For me, I stopped going to games back after 2022. It just became very clear that this sport is one that I cannot support with my butt in a seat anymore. Its intrinsically unfair and completely tilted to hurt places like ours, which was already at a GIGANTIC disadvantage because of our self-inflicted stupidity of the past. Going down to FCS in 1983 and staying there for 12 freaking years while the SWC and Big 8 were at their heights was about as dumb a decision as a school could've made in this region. We nuked the program's fans and alumni support from decades before and decades ahead.

But today, with the portal and NIL being what they are, the strong majority of G5 schools shouldn't be in FBS and acting like they're equals to anyone in a Power conference. Yes, you can name a few exceptions, from performance, to tradition, to budget...but this is where we need a level of play that is more like traditional college amateur football. Don't go down to FCS and lose a ton of scholarships, rather create a level of play that allows for you to have 85 or more scholarships, but they aren't playing for anything more than their scholarship and a stipend. Make college coaching staffs have a salary cap. Hell, play your games in the spring semester--do something to get coverage for the sport that America loves more than anything else. Play 10 games in a regional conference setup, then play an 8-team playoff. I would be a season ticket holder again in a heartbeat with a setup like this. Otherwise, Ill watch from afar, like I've done for two years now and haven't regretted one time.

SUMG · November 25

11 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

THIS!!

The portal is the killer. If we only had to compete against other schools having bigger NIL, we'd still be ok because our players would have to honor their commitment here or lose a year when they would transfer away. Instead, the portal allows those NIL deals at P$s to buy off anyone looking for a payday and to play at their dream school. When we see our teams almost turn over by 75% or more, the few fans that do care look at their donations and think that they can be able to use their few thousand dollars they donate in better fashion. For me, I stopped going to games back after 2022. It just became very clear that this sport is one that I cannot support with my butt in a seat anymore. Its intrinsically unfair and completely tilted to hurt places like ours, which was already at a GIGANTIC disadvantage because of our self-inflicted stupidity of the past. Going down to FCS in 1983 and staying there for 12 freaking years while the SWC and Big 8 were at their heights was about as dumb a decision as a school could've made in this region. We nuked the program's fans and alumni support from decades before and decades ahead.

But today, with the portal and NIL being what they are, the strong majority of G5 schools shouldn't be in FBS and acting like they're equals to anyone in a Power conference. Yes, you can name a few exceptions, from performance, to tradition, to budget...but this is where we need a level of play that is more like traditional college amateur football. Don't go down to FCS and lose a ton of scholarships, rather create a level of play that allows for you to have 85 or more scholarships, but they aren't playing for anything more than their scholarship and a stipend. Make college coaching staffs have a salary cap. Hell, play your games in the spring semester--do something to get coverage for the sport that America loves more than anything else. Play 10 games in a regional conference setup, then play an 8-team playoff. I would be a season ticket holder again in a heartbeat with a setup like this. Otherwise, Ill watch from afar, like I've done for two years now and haven't regretted one time.

I think if you did the G5 national championship thing....and the players only got the schollie and a stipend.......I think it would draw fans like crazy. I think there are loads of folks who want amateur athletics to stay amateur. With what we draw and get in donations.....there is no way we should be paying a football coach over $1m. No way. So yeah amateur athletics, tighten the budget. These coaching staffs are huge now. Do folks not know that we now have a bigger recruiting staff.....than Hayden Fry had for an entire staff. He had six assistants. And it was better, more imaginative football. But this will likely never happen. As all these schools think they're just a break away from the "big time."

Aquila_Viridis · November 25

Every other team we should be able to compete with faces the same challenges of player retention.

DentonStang · November 25

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

THIS!!

The portal is the killer. If we only had to compete against other schools having bigger NIL, we'd still be ok because our players would have to honor their commitment here or lose a year when they would transfer away. Instead, the portal allows those NIL deals at P$s to buy off anyone looking for a payday and to play at their dream school. When we see our teams almost turn over by 75% or more, the few fans that do care look at their donations and think that they can be able to use their few thousand dollars they donate in better fashion. For me, I stopped going to games back after 2022. It just became very clear that this sport is one that I cannot support with my butt in a seat anymore. Its intrinsically unfair and completely tilted to hurt places like ours, which was already at a GIGANTIC disadvantage because of our self-inflicted stupidity of the past. Going down to FCS in 1983 and staying there for 12 freaking years while the SWC and Big 8 were at their heights was about as dumb a decision as a school could've made in this region. We nuked the program's fans and alumni support from decades before and decades ahead.

But today, with the portal and NIL being what they are, the strong majority of G5 schools shouldn't be in FBS and acting like they're equals to anyone in a Power conference. Yes, you can name a few exceptions, from performance, to tradition, to budget...but this is where we need a level of play that is more like traditional college amateur football. Don't go down to FCS and lose a ton of scholarships, rather create a level of play that allows for you to have 85 or more scholarships, but they aren't playing for anything more than their scholarship and a stipend. Make college coaching staffs have a salary cap. Hell, play your games in the spring semester--do something to get coverage for the sport that America loves more than anything else. Play 10 games in a regional conference setup, then play an 8-team playoff. I would be a season ticket holder again in a heartbeat with a setup like this. Otherwise, Ill watch from afar, like I've done for two years now and haven't regretted one time.

They already have that level - FCS. Why create another?

Edited November 25 by DentonStang

untjim1995 · November 25

47 minutes ago, SUMG said:

I think if you did the G5 national championship thing....and the players only got the schollie and a stipend.......I think it would draw fans like crazy. I think there are loads of folks who want amateur athletics to stay amateur. With what we draw and get in donations.....there is no way we should be paying a football coach over $1m. No way. So yeah amateur athletics, tighten the budget. These coaching staffs are huge now. Do folks not know that we now have a bigger recruiting staff.....than Hayden Fry had for an entire staff. He had six assistants. And it was better, more imaginative football. But this will likely never happen. As all these schools think they're just a break away from the "big time."

You know what millions of people would love to say? That my team is a national champion…hell, just a belief that they could be a national champion. And not the crumbs of getting one spot in the CFB playoff to be a sacrificial lamb to some SEC or B1G school.

There are currently 66 programs that are G5, including Oregon State and Washington State. Add in the top FCS schools to get to 72. Have 8 conferences of 9. You have 8 conference games, then schedule a round robin where you play two schools from two other conferences that is based on your previous year’s standing in the conference. IOW, finish 3rd and you play the 3rd place team in one conference and the 7th place team from another conference for your 10 games.

We gotta do something different or eventually, the support will completely dry up. And it’s not exactly a full bucket right now…

untjim1995 · November 25

1 minute ago, DentonStang said:

They already have that level - FCS. Why create another?

Because that level has a scholarship limit of 63.

Green Otaku · November 25

Voluntarily stepping down to a lower level will have the same disastrous results as when we stepped down to 2A. Everyone talks about that being a huge disaster that killed everything and set us back decades, now people are wanting to repeat the same thing? We are in the AAC. Tulane, Army, Memphis, USF, Navy get national credit when they win, we just have to be a championship level team in this conference to get that same recognition. We need to put an athletic administration that can make the right hires, and raise funds to support the program. Stopping now will undo 30 years of work.