Snyder says football is 'in a bad place'

[Harry]

Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder's opinion probably has never carried more weight. Last season, he took Kansas State to the brink of the national championship game, the second time in his career he has gotten what was once considered the worst program in all of college football to that position.

Snyder also has never been much for saying interesting things to the media, so when he offers a broad, vaguely ambiguous opinion about the state of College Football, people notice.

The long and short of it is, Snyder is concerned. The game, he told the Kansas City Star, is in a "bad place."

"We've allowed it to be TV-driven, and allowed it to become more important to a university than it should be," Snyder said. "We're educational institutions, and what's really important is trying to enhance the lives of young people and give them guidance and direction to help themselves."

Read more: http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/collegebasketball/big-12-conference/story/Bill-Snyder-College-football-is-in-a-bad?blockID=893283&feedID=3742

[Eagle1855]

AMEN.

[SilverEagle]

Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder's opinion probably has never carried more weight. Last season, he took Kansas State to the brink of the national championship game, the second time in his career he has gotten what was once considered the worst program in all of college football to that position.

Snyder also has never been much for saying interesting things to the media, so when he offers a broad, vaguely ambiguous opinion about the state of College Football, people notice.

The long and short of it is, Snyder is concerned. The game, he told the Kansas City Star, is in a "bad place."

"We've allowed it to be TV-driven, and allowed it to become more important to a university than it should be," Snyder said. "We're educational institutions, and what's really important is trying to enhance the lives of young people and give them guidance and direction to help themselves."

Read more: http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/collegebasketball/big-12-conference/story/Bill-Snyder-College-football-is-in-a-bad?blockID=893283&feedID=3742

I have all the respect in the world for Coach Snyder. Which is why I hesitate to respond to his statement that "college football is in a bad place because it is TV driven", by saying.......where have you been the last three decades?

I wonder if he thinks that part of the "bad place" that college football is in includes exorbitant head coach salaries. You know, like someone making almost 3 mil a year at K-State.

Back in the early 70's I worked for a man who was a Harvard graduate. He told me back then that Harvard (and the Ivy league) came to the same conclusion back in the 50's. Which is why they don't give athletic "ships". And for them, football is just a fall sport.

But then, what is that old statement "the rich are different from you and me".

Edited April 22, 2013 by SilverEagle

[Arkstfan]

The Ivy League has never awarded athletic scholarships. But it didn't formally become a conference until 1954. Nine years earlier they had all signed the Ivy Group Agreement affirming their committment to awarding only need based aid and only admitting students who met the academic admission standards of the schools.

It's not that they de-emphasized football but rather have always had the same emphasis, it's just that everyone else changed how they approached the game.

The Ivy and Patriot are only allowed to be Division I because they were grandfathered in. Without that they would have been reclassified Division III.

[untjim1995]

I think college football is on bad footing if you aren't AQ. Something has to give here. K-State has resources to compete at this level known as FBS. We don't. That part is what is broken. The NCAA should never allow 130 schools to be classified as FBS when Texas and Ohio State can have budgets that are 10-15 times what some SBC, MAC, and CUSA teams have. That's not even counting the inequality of TV coverage, which is tantamount to free advertising. And you cannot blame the NCAA or ESPN for wanting to showcase the universities that have widespread following because it makes them money, as well. The ratings for Alabama games are always going to dwarf what South Alabama can bring, even if Alabama went 0-12 and USA went 12-0. Same goes for Texas and North Texas. Everyone can pick out our 1988 game against Texas that got stolen from us or the Appy State win over Michigan as proof that it doesn't matter about the size of the budgets, but the reality is that is does matter greatly.

Personally, I'd have no problem at all if the NCAA would finally come out and tell everyone that AQ is basically their top tier, just so the rest of us can get on with how to properly align and budget for our athletic programs. Right now, the hierarchy of conferences doesn't come close to stopping the major problem the hurts all non-AQ conference not named the MWC or MAC. The SBCUSAAC are just ridiculous in how they treat the other conferences. Instead of doing what the MAC and MWC have done, which is to do everything to promote regional travel and rivalries, while producing some terrific programs, the AAC schools try everything possible to get away from CUSA, which does all it can to look down on the SBC leftovers. The saddest part is that not a one of those schools in those three leagues can see that they are just cutting off their noses to spite their faces. The MAC has 5 schools on Ohio and 3 schools in Michigan. Their other schools are in states that travel is not insane to get to at all. If the MAC schools followed the ridiculous SBCUSAAC mindset, Ohio would have nothing to do with Miami of Ohio or Bowling Green, while Central Michigan would distance from its two in-state brethren (Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan). But La Tech cannot stand any other Louisana school, except for Tulane, who wants nothing to do with them, just like SMU feels about UNT. UTEP cannot stand NMSU even though they are about an hour apart. Watch and see if UTSA doesn't do the exact same thing to Texas State.

College football worked better when there was regional conferences tied into rivalries. SWC, Big Eight, ACC, SEC, Big Ten, and Pac-10 were all built on this premise. Then TV took over--now the SWC and Big Eight don't exist because their TV footprint was too small. Most likely, either the Big XII or ACC won't survive because one of them won't be able to generate enough TV revenue, but their teams cannot join the other leagues closest to them because the states are already covered by TV. So now, Missouri doesn't play their blood rival, Kansas, anymore. West Virginia and Pitt may never have a Backyard Brawl again. Texas and Texas A&M, the ultimate brother against brother fight, don't even play each other in anything anymore. Neither do Colorado and Nebraska. Who thinks Maryland and Duke will ever play each other in basketball after the Terps go to the B1G? Those are the ways that college football (and basketball) are dying to me. Those teams should at least play each other in OOC, but that leads to the other big problem specifically for college football. Instead, those schools literally play as many "bought" games as possible. So we go back to the original part about being considered "FBS" by buying 2 or 3 games against the SBCUSAACand MWC and MAC teams, as well as any FCS game they can buy. It continues the insanity of the haves playing have nots just to get berths in the Shreveport WeedEater Bowl as a 6-6 team from their big league against another 6-6 team from one of those AQ leagues. And then they wonder whey ratings and attendance are down? The bowls usually have about 5 games that are worth watching, some of which include the BCS games, but often don't because of the matchups that this system creates. Coach Snyder is reight about college football being broken--but if he saw from the angle that we see it from in Denton, it would look downright destroyed.

Edited April 22, 2013 by untjim1995

[Green P1]

I guess if he doesn't like it he could always retire again?

[ragpicker]

Professional sports (an oxymoron) has contaminated college athletics to the point of ruination. Student athletes - real student athletes -should be the only ones playing college sports regardless of talent and ability. No more "athletic friendly" courses or any other special considerations.

Let professional programs set up their own farm teams and require those on athletic scholarships (or any scholarships) to graduate or pay back those scholarships. The games might be a little slower, the players not as big or talented, but the contests would be just as exciting for those who honestly want to support amateur athletics played by real college students. And yes, the coaches salaries are obscene.

[Arkstfan]

There probably aren't 20 schools in FBS that have admission standards as low as the NCAA auto qualifier standard.

[KRAM1]

Coach Snyder is a class act. The statement he made should be taken seriously by everyone involved with college athletics today.

[DallasGreen]

Coach Snyder is a class act. The statement he made should be taken seriously by everyone involved with college athletics today.

The real ruination of college sports are the pro sports media markets. It is purely obscene the way the NBA raids college BB after the freshman year. Look at the great college players who come out early for the NFL then stumble and never make it w/o a degree that was within their grasp. Vince Young is a great example. I spoke with Patrick Cobbs at the spring game. He is selling life insurance. These falsehoods told by agents for the NBA & NFL are 99 percent deceptions to true student athletes. Yet as long as the media and" fans" blindly follow shisters like Jerry Jones and continue to line his coffers by worshipping players who have no loyalty to a city or teammates the farce that is pro sports will continue to deceive prospective players and the sheep mentality of those who flock to give their$$$$$ to greedy owners.

[SilverEagle]

Coach Snyder is a class act. The statement he made should be taken seriously by everyone involved with college athletics today.

I'm sure he is a class act, and I admire him a great deal. If I were an administrator at one of these schools, (even Kansas State for instance), I would have to respond by saying "well, we can start with your salary and the salary of your assistants. Are ya'll willing to work for the same salary as a professor or assistant professor?

[ragpicker]

The real ruination of college sports are the pro sports media markets. It is purely obscene the way the NBA raids college BB after the freshman year. Look at the great college players who come out early for the NFL then stumble and never make it w/o a degree that was within their grasp. Vince Young is a great example. I spoke with Patrick Cobbs at the spring game. He is selling life insurance. These falsehoods told by agents for the NBA & NFL are 99 percent deceptions to true student athletes. Yet as long as the media and" fans" blindly follow shisters like Jerry Jones and continue to line his coffers by worshipping players who have no loyalty to a city or teammates the farce that is pro sports will continue to deceive prospective players and the sheep mentality of those who flock to give their$$$$$ to greedy owners.

Very good points and I would also put a stop to playing college football and basketball in professional stadiums such as Jerry Jones' grotesque monstrosity in Arlington. There is nothing wrong with the real Cotton Bowl. It was built for college football, has a rich tradition, is an OUTDOOR stadium where football was meant to be played and is in a real city and not a quintessential suburb. There are also four very fine college basketball coliseums in DFW quite suitable for playoffs and March Madness.

KEEP PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AWAY FROM COLLEGE SPORTS IF WE WANT COLLEGE SPORTS TO SURVIVE AS ANYTHING MORE THAN MINOR LEAGUES FOR THE PROS. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL MEAN THAT AMATEUR SPORTS WILL EVENTUALLY CEASE TO EXIST.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I'm sure he is a class act, and I admire him a great deal. If I were an administrator at one of these schools, (even Kansas State for instance), I would have to respond by saying "well, we can start with your salary and the salary of your assistants. Are ya'll willing to work for the same salary as a professor or assistant professor?

This right here. It's real easy to say that, but if you truly believe it, put your salary where the teachers of that education are.

Edited April 25, 2013 by GoMeanGreen1999

[KRAM1]

I'm sure he is a class act, and I admire him a great deal. If I were an administrator at one of these schools, (even Kansas State for instance), I would have to respond by saying "well, we can start with your salary and the salary of your assistants. Are ya'll willing to work for the same salary as a professor or assistant professor?

I know you realize it, but very little of Coach Snyder's salary comes from the state budget for the university.

And, he would probably say fine to a reduction as soon as those Assistant Profs start brining in as much money and pr to the university as he and his program does. I think we all realize how donations, overall, to a university rise with successful athletic programs. Even Harvard and Yale acknowledge that fact of life.

It would be tough to find a more respected head football coach in America these days than Bill Snyder. When he speaks, the football powers that be really should be listening. Guy is 100% sincere about his profession and realizes what the priorities are for his team....education first! K-State (along with several others...and UNT can be added to the list). Walk the walk when it comes to academics and athletes.

[SilverEagle]

I know you realize it, but very little of Coach Snyder's salary comes from the state budget for the university.

And, he would probably say fine to a reduction as soon as those Assistant Profs start brining in as much money and pr to the university as he and his program does. I think we all realize how donations, overall, to a university rise with successful athletic programs. Even Harvard and Yale acknowledge that fact of life.

It would be tough to find a more respected head football coach in America these days than Bill Snyder. When he speaks, the football powers that be really should be listening. Guy is 100% sincere about his profession and realizes what the priorities are for his team....education first! K-State (along with several others...and UNT can be added to the list). Walk the walk when it comes to academics and athletes.

I do know that about Texas, but I don't know it about Kansas. MY POINT was that if he is complaining/concerned about how television is driving most of the decisions regarding college athletics,, then he ought to know that the reason for that is the ever increasing costs of doing business.....which include exorbitant salaries for coaches and assistants.

[KRAM1]

I do know that about Texas, but I don't know it about Kansas. MY POINT was that if he is complaining/concerned about how television is driving most of the decisions regarding college athletics,, then he ought to know that the reason for that is the ever increasing costs of doing business.....which include exorbitant salaries for coaches and assistants.

And the ever increasing demand for college sports on TV by the sports crazed public. Not even to mention the fact that 80-90-100,000 folks show up week end and week out to watch college football in person. Think that demand has anything to do with rising costs? I do.