Big 12 boss calls for NCAA reforms

[Harry]

DALLAS -- Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby joked that he's glad to avoid the topic of conference realignment, but he had plenty to say on another topic Monday: NCAA reform.

During his 45-minute state of the conference remarks to open Big 12 media days in Dallas, Bowlsby stressed the importance of achieving "transformative change" to the NCAA, its leadership system and its future.

"I really do think we need to reconfigure the leadership of the organization," Bowlsby said. "I don't think we can at this point in time move forward, and we certainly haven't been able to configure an agenda that made the changes we need to make."

Bowlsby expressed his concerns about the effectiveness of NCAA enforcement and the difficulty of advancing real changes to the system.

And he certainly has major changes in mind. Bowlsby believes it's time to look at establishing new federations to separate sports and how they're supervised.

"It's probably unrealistic to think that we can manage football and field hockey by the same set of rules," Bowlsby said. "I think some kind of reconfiguration of how we govern is in order."

Read more: http://espn.go.com/dallas/college-football/story/_/id/9499316/big-12-commissioner-bob-bowlsby-says-ncaa-transform

[aztecskin]

Scrap the whole thing

[PlummMeanGreen]

Transformation? Oh shit! Here we go again. That concept alone will I'm sure unify the NCAA. (insert maximum sarcasm)

Someone please tell me eventual monetary self gain for these so called reformers are not part of their zeal to do all this reforming?

Wonder why the NCAA Fat Cats can't live on what their "to the moon" budgets already are? Are they all trying to challenge our country's national budget? Well, look how that is working out and.....do we even have a national budget yet?

Plus......many of their Power 5 HFC's are already doubling, tripling and quadrupling what their campus president's make already. Where does all this insanity stop?

Wish I could sugar coat things more but there are more years behind me than in front for me to worry about doing that sorta' thing anymore.

GMG!

Edited July 23, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[Harry]

Scrap the whole thing

I'm with you bro!

[Harry]

Now the ACC:

GREENSBORO, N.C. Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford said Monday the next six months are "very important" to the future of the NCAA and predicted that significant structural and governance changes could be implemented at the governing body's annual convention in January.

Among the changes up for discussion would be the formation of a so-called "super division" that would allow athletic departments with high-revenue football programs to make some of their own rules and implement things like athlete stipends. Many of those initiatives have been blocked by lower-revenue programs, which make up the majority of the NCAA.

Swofford told USA TODAY Sports the super division concept would be preferable to a breakaway from the NCAA, something Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive implied last week if power conferences didn't get more freedom to govern themselves.

"That's a potential way of making a change that would basically retain the fundamental NCAA oversight and umbrella, if you will," Swofford said. "If the five conferences were to break off, I mean, that's a complicated move. You'd have to, in essence, duplicate the NCAA in some form or fashion, and then what does that mean for intercollegiate athletics? So if you've got another division, if that's the answer within the NCAA, you can maneuver and find an appropriate way, I think, to address those kinds of issues."

Read more: http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/2574369

[Harry]

If you think things are tough now, wait until the top schools start waving stipends to the recruits! You are talking an addition 300 to 500k to make this happen for football but my guess is they won't allow it for some conferences.

[PlummMeanGreen]

If you think things are tough now, wait until the top schools start waving stipends to the recruits! You are talking an addition 300 to 500k to make this happen for football but my guess is they won't allow it for some conferences.

Stipends will mean more Death Penalties for violating recruiters who will use all the stipend ammo they have to get that Parade All American 5 star QB. Of course the Super Conference schools will all have stipend maximums for each player but it will be those other unseen percs that gets the more clever cheaters in trouble.

Here are some responses from the CUSAbbs board: http://csnbbs.com/showthread.php?tid=640889

And from that board one of the more interesting posts:

"Even the Sun Belt schools have already agreed to pay the stipend if it passes. That won't be the criteria used for the split. The reason the stipend was overturned was because of the FCS and non-football playing members of D-1. There is a scenario in which they take all of the G5 with them but don't allow FCS/1AAA schools to vote on our governance rules any more."

Edited July 22, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[untjim1995]

Look, the Big Five Conferences are gonna get their way here. Heck, when its all said and done, you'll probably have about 70 schools that will get their own Super Level within the NCAA. The NCAA cannot afford to lose them, they already know this. Plus, its not just football they lose here. The NCAA Tournament certainly loses a lot of interest, as does the College World Series, too, if the NCAA loses the Big Five in Football and the Big Six (surely the new Big East will be with the other AQs) in hoops. The NCAA knows that the networks are going to salivate all over themselves to broadcast all of their games, whether they are in the NCAA or not. Plus, those AQs know that the lawsuit being brought on by the players is creating a lot of grumbling. Helping to show a way that players can be paid going forward will be used a peace offering. This could be a nice bargaining tool for settlements.

I am at the point of it not even bothering me anymore. I don't want to play NFL-lite factories on their terms only anymore. We don't have a budget that even comes close to the Longhorns or the Aggies. Hell, even Tech, Baylor, and TCU are way ahead of us and I'm not even sure the last two teams are guaranteed to make the cut when the AQs separate from the rest of us.

We decided long ago to not put enough interest or capital toward college athletics, so our bed is made to lie in with most of the other CUSA, SBC, MAC, AAC, and MWC schools. We will still have a great stadium to host games against SMU, UTEP, Rice, UTSA, Texas State, Tulsa, La Tech, Tulane, etc...but it just won't be as a "1-A" team. It truly won't surprise me to see the small private schools quit football, but we will see how it goes. I think the regional conference we have dreamed of has a very good chance of getting even closer in the near future--it just won't be as a FBS or 1-A level. A lot of folks are going to feel crushed at these other schools--here at UNT, we know all to well how this realignment feels. Only this time, it would actually be with teams that people have known about and followed for generations. Its not anywhere close to what I hoped would happen to us when we moved back up in 1995 to 1-A, but I'm afraid we just didn't accomplish enough to make a difference in this race.

[UNTexas]

Bowls need to lose their nonprofit status immediately. There is a change. How about salary caps for coaches and programs. Done. Any additional funds earned by programs goes directly to the university for academics. There is another change. NFL has a cap. Why not college? Additionally, if a player wants a stipend he has to maintain a 3.0 with real oversight to include no online classes.

We already have pro football. It's called the NFL. If they continue this nonsense I am done with college football for good.

Edited July 22, 2013 by UNTexas

[ragpicker]

I'm with you bro!

Count me in guys. As much as I like college sports, there is something inherently wrong and eventually self destructive in an educational system that places extracurricular entertainment ahead of academics regardless of how much money that entertainment generates. Values perverted are values lost.

[cdizzle86]

Bowls need to lose their nonprofit status immediately. There is a change. How about salary caps for coaches and programs. Done. Any additional funds earned by programs goes directly to the university for academics. There is another change. NFL has a cap. Why not college? Additionally, if a player wants a stipend he has to maintain a 3.0 with real oversight to include no online classes.

We already have pro football. It's called the NFL. If they continue this nonsense I am done with college football for good.

Thank you. I'm getting sick and tired of hearing people say there are too many D1 schools and that the power 5 need to separate themselves. Last time I check this was "College" Football, not the NFL. I say if they try to exclude the non-AQ conferences, then we should pull out of the NCAA Basketball & Baseball Tournaments. Heck, the Cinderella's are what make March Madness interesting in the first place. Greed has overcome these schools, so let them go and see how it all plays out for them.

There's plenty of talent out there to have 2 relevant college leagues.

[FroggyStyle]

A split will happen most likely. There's currently 64 schools + Notre Dame. I expect them to round it off at 70 by picking up BYU and some combo out of the pool of Boise, UNLV, Colorado State, Cincy, UCONN, Houston, USF, East Carolina, Temple and UCF. Once 5 of them are selected (imo I see Cincy, UCONN, Houston, Boise and either USF or UCF) though if the P5 goes to 16 each, then I can see all of those schools being chosen.

Time will tell.

Edited July 23, 2013 by FroggyStyle

[houstonmeangreen]

Perhaps the best way to resolve the issue is with multiple lawsuits against the big school programs, big 5 conferences, etc...then the attention of university presidents, legal, states, etc becomes involved..then see what happens...stir the chili. The larger school football programs and conferences (ie, the little pigs) have to see the rest of us will not be pushed around.

Edited July 23, 2013 by houstonmeangreen

[untjim1995]

Perhaps the best way to resolve the issue is with multiple lawsuits against the big school programs, big 5 conferences, etc...then the attention of university presidents, legal, states, etc becomes involved..then see what happens...stir the chili. The larger school football programs and conferences (ie, the little pigs) have to see the rest of us will not be pushed around.

Problem with that is that most state legislatures, congress, and lots of members of the judicial branches are graduates or highly connected to those Big 5 schools. Think about here in Texas--obvioulsy, UT and A&M are the truest power brokers, with all their PUF money. They are both so protected that even the next layer of college powers (i.e Tech, Baylor, and TCU) just try to leach off the big two the most they are allowed to. Tech, UH, UNT, and Texas State all rightfully deserve some of that PUF money. It was setup for higher public education . Just because they were only two school systems around at the time the PUF was started doesn't make it ok that they are the only ones who share all of that wealth. But that PUF money never goes away from those two achools--because they have so much power in Austin and across the state.

This same setup is what ECU faces in North Carolina or what FAU/FIU face in Florida. Heck, Arkansas State is the only other FBS school in that state besides Arky and they never even play each other in anything. La Tech, ULL, and ULM will gladly tell you all day long who has control of their state (LSU). Most non-AQs in these states are just way behind the 8-ball when it comes to power, both in $$$ and in legislatures.

To me, the only chance you have is to somehow get in front of the college football media and convince them to do your bidding for you. The power of media coverage is very persuasive. Make your college football story comparable to the NCAA Tournament's Cinderella story. Maybe that gets enough media sway to take on this issue. But, again, most of the college football media only follow the AQs, so I'm not sure how feasible it is to get them to carry our water for us.

Edited July 23, 2013 by untjim1995

[PlummMeanGreen]

A split will happen most likely. There's currently 64 schools + Notre Dame. I expect them to round it off at 70 by picking up BYU and some combo out of the pool of Boise, UNLV, Colorado State, Cincy, UCONN, Houston, USF, East Carolina, Temple and UCF. Once 5 of them are selected (imo I see Cincy, UCONN, Houston, Boise and either USF or UCF) though if the P5 goes to 16 each, then I can see all of those schools being chosen.

Time will tell.

On what basis do they pick Boise, UNLV, Colorado St., Cincy', UConn, Houston, USF, ECU, Temple (get real) and UCF and not TCU's all time favorite rival............SMU?

Picking those schools alone is where a lawsuit becomes viable. I don't think there is a lawsuit if the Big Boys, ie P5 just separate from the rest of G5 as it is now, though.

If they use stipends as the main divider, then most all in the G5 will do whatever it takes to have stipends. Problem with stipends is you take the amateur status completely away from what should remain intercollegiate amateur athletics.

Edited July 23, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[Wag Tag]

Is this Big conferences or Big Banks ? We can regulate ourselves! What a bunch of BS ! Nobody wants third party oversight or responsibility. What do you think U Miami is pushing for? If ever there was another death penalty case this would be the one.

[untjim1995]

There will never be another death penalty issued again for an AQ program. SMU's death penalty changed the game after seeing the results that SMU endured afterwards. Not saying they didn't deserve it, but there is no way the NCAA is going to let Miami or any other program that is a big name fall that far again.

College football is a great sport. But everything that surrounds it, directs it, supervises it, broadcasts it, and covers it really, really, really sucks...

[untjim1995]

Problem with that is that most state legislatures, congress, and lots of members of the judicial branches are graduates or highly connected to those Big 5 schools. Think about here in Texas--obvioulsy, UT and A&M are the truest power brokers, with all their PUF money. They are both so protected that even the next layer of college powers (i.e Tech, Baylor, and TCU) just try to leach off the big two the most they are allowed to. Tech, UH, UNT, and Texas State all rightfully deserve some of that PUF money. It was setup for higher public education . Just because they were only two school systems around at the time the PUF was started doesn't make it ok that they are the only ones who share all of that wealth. But that PUF money never goes away from those two achools--because they have so much power in Austin and across the state.

This same setup is what ECU faces in North Carolina or what FAU/FIU face in Florida. Heck, Arkansas State is the only other FBS school in that state besides Arky and they never even play each other in anything. La Tech, ULL, and ULM will gladly tell you all day long who has control of their state (LSU). Most non-AQs in these states are just way behind the 8-ball when it comes to power, both in $$$ and in legislatures.

To me, the only chance you have is to somehow get in front of the college football media and convince them to do your bidding for you. The power of media coverage is very persuasive. Make your college football story comparable to the NCAA Tournament's Cinderella story. Maybe that gets enough media sway to take on this issue. But, again, most of the college football media only follow the AQs, so I'm not sure how feasible it is to get them to carry our water for us.

Well, after reading this link, it doesn't appear that my last hope for change is gonna happen at ESPN.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9499740/is-college-football-big-five-conferences-split-ncaa