NCAA: And the Muted Bell Tolls (Dennis Dodd, CBS)

[the green rokemi]

I know this is hypothetical and completely crazy, but what's to prevent some of the non p5 schools from saying screw you, dropping out of ncaa completely and just creating what amounts to a minor league. Have contracts, pay players, etc.? The key is a tv deal, otherwise you would probably lack funds. It's different than what the p5 is proposing because you could actually offer a top recruit more. Cost of living vs. actual salary. Thoughts?

[Mean Green 93-98]

I know this is hypothetical and completely crazy, but what's to prevent some of the non p5 schools from saying screw you, dropping out of ncaa completely and just creating what amounts to a minor league. Have contracts, pay players, etc.? The key is a tv deal, otherwise you would probably lack funds. It's different than what the p5 is proposing because you could actually offer a top recruit more. Cost of living vs. actual salary. Thoughts?

What would make a school, especially a non P5, want to do that? The perception of whatever "division" they would create would at best be around NAIA. And if you are suggesting that these players would still receive full-ride scholarships, no non-P5 schools (or very few) could afford that. And I don't see what would be the draw to get a good TV deal for whatever schools would do this.

[the green rokemi]

What would make a school, especially a non P5, want to do that? The perception of whatever "division" they would create would at best be around NAIA. And if you are suggesting that these players would still receive full-ride scholarships, no non-P5 schools (or very few) could afford that. And I don't see what would be the draw to get a good TV deal for whatever schools would do this.

What's the alternative? Get left behind anyway? Seems if you do nothing you become the new 1aa. Let's say 14 of the top non p5 schools created a new league. Salary cap, playoffs, etc. I think you would have a market for that. You would even have the option of luring top players from other schools because you could pay them more, offer them their jersey sales, etc and you wouldn't have the transfer restrictions the ncaa mandates. Imagine a school offering Manziel more cash to transfer after he won the heisman, that's what I'm talking about. Something big needs to be done or we're going to get left behind

[greenit]

Personally, I don't think people will support something like that if it is truly the minor leagues. With the way it is now, people get to thump their chest about their alma mater or state flagship and have a sense of pride. Hell, they even subsidize the programs with money out of their own pockets. I doubt those donations that are the lifeblood of most programs would continue to flow into a 'for profit' enterprise.

[GrayEagle]

This is all about power and greed,,,period. They could give a damn about the actual benefits but it gives them a way to stay ahead of the competition. Trips for parents included? Now, if that's not grounds for a lawsuit there is no justice.

What burns my ass even more is that a few (mostly two commissioners) decide who stays and who goes. What are the criteria for being a P5 conference? There are only a few for entrance into the FBS and they're not enforced. Even conference selections are based almost entirely on money/attendance. Look at the gerrymandering in conference alignment and you can easily see how out-of-hand the situation has gotten.

Originally the request was only for a $2,000 annual expense stipend and there was enough support from the G5 conferences that it would likely have passed. That wasn't good enough they had to keep adding until they got rid of the riffraff. So now they'll be sued by the G5 AND their own non-football athletes. Question. If there are multiple lawsuits would that not hold up the implementation of the new benefits? Another question. What if some agreed to the new package? Would they be elevated to a G5 conference? Or is this simply a move to keep the little guy down?

[the green rokemi]

Personally, I don't think people will support something like that if it is truly the minor leagues. With the way it is now, people get to thump their chest about their alma mater or state flagship and have a sense of pride. Hell, they even subsidize the programs with money out of their own pockets. I doubt those donations that are the lifeblood of most programs would continue to flow into a 'for profit' enterprise.

And that's a good point I agree. Wonder if we'll follow suit once this voted in. Our will the admin deem it too expensive and we'll become the sloppy seconds of the ncaa?

[TIgreen01]

I'm just not surprised by anything that happens anymore. Penn state happened. A university system so corrupt that they systematically closed ranks to protect their football program because it was the catalyst of their billion dollar endowment. What did the NCAA do? Slapped them on the wrist(albeit hard), but that program should have been kicked out of membership if there was any honor left in this system.

There is not.

The last 2 major sports championships (BCS championship and NCAA bball) were played between teams that started a player currently under investigation for murder (UK), a Heisman winner still under investigation for rape (FSU), and a team that graduated less than 25% of its players for 4 years up until last year(UCONN). It is getting damned hard to continue to support this garbage if the universities are not going to hold themselves to a higher ethical standard than they currently are. This crap happening now is just more of the same. Protect the cash cow and endowment money printing machine (big time sports) at all costs.

Edited April 26, 2014 by TIgreen01