Interview on Mike+Mike with Bob Bowlsby

[Stan R]

*edit - Bob is the commissioner of the Big12*

Anyone hear this interview this morning?? I'll recap as best as I can recall:

• There is systemic cheating in Major College sports and everyone knows it is going on.
• Individuals (read - boosters) are routinely playing players and getting away with it.
• The Big5 want to do things that the little guys (non-P5) don't wan't us or won't allow us to do
• We will propose to break away from the non-Big5 at the NCAA meetings on Aug. 7th of 2014
• I'm fine if the little guys want to play their ball in the spring, whatever. We really don't care what you do, just go away. (paraphrased)
• If they don't allow us to do what we want and make our own rules, we will break away from the NCAA and get our own "autonomy" from the non-Big5.
• He calls them(selves) "high visibility" conferences. What a crock.

Very curious to see how this plays out. We may have 2 D1 conferences sooner than we think!

Edited July 22, 2014 by Stan R

[JRock]

Good grief. This will be interesting to watch for sure.

[TIgreen01]

This unreal. From your summary, it sounds like he is asserting that the rampant cheating is being allowed to happen by the actions of the g5?! Ha! Yes, we g5 schools, who are actively trying to improve and compete with the big boys, want to continue to allow the big boys to cheat more. It is all OUR fault that the big boys have a rampant problem with cheating. Makes perfect sense.

The power 5 commissioners, collectively and individually, have turned very aggressive--almost to the level of bullying--in their public comments on the g5. What the heck? These guys are obviously in trouble. I hope the g5 hold steady and call their bluff.

[Stan R]

Bowlsby contends that the NCAA is toothless to enforce anything. He says they have no power of subpoena, power to compel testimony etc. from people outside the NCAA, e.g. boosters.

How breaking away from the NCAA rectifies that, I have no idea. I don't think he does either. He (they) just want to make new rules and pay players and do whatever they feel distances themselves from us.

He claims that when a rules doc is created in the meetings by the P5, by the time we (weak 5?) are done amending and revising it - it isn't the same bill and we just pooped on it to a ridiculous level.

Again, paraphrasing. My whole point was that - they HAVE a proposal and they are GOING To submit it. SOON.

[Stan R]

I don't think he said that cheating was being allowed to happen because of the g5. Well, I guess you could have interpreted it that way since he probably wants to play the players anyway and we won't allow it (can't afford it?). It isn't cheating if you change the rules anyway. Then it just becomes minor league NFL.

[cdizzle86]

This unreal. From your summary, it sounds like he is asserting that the rampant cheating is being allowed to happen by the actions of the g5?! Ha! Yes, we g5 schools, who are actively trying to improve and compete with the big boys, want to continue to allow the big boys to cheat more. It is all OUR fault that the big boys have a rampant problem with cheating. Makes perfect sense.

The power 5 commissioners, collectively and individually, have turned very aggressive--almost to the level of bullying--in their public comments on the g5. What the heck? These guys are obviously in trouble. I hope the g5 hold steady and call their bluff.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Call their bluff. If they really want fairness, how about all additional revenue (outside of what is needed to run an athletic dept.) generated by college sports be reallocated to improve the universities and decrease tuition costs. Put a cap on athletic spending and coaches salaries. I bet they will complain that it's too fair then.

Edited July 22, 2014 by cdizzle86

[Stan R]

I get the feeling that this has been aggravated by the unionizing litigation brought about by the Northwestern players. Maybe they see this is their opportunity to claim they had no other choice.

[HoustonEagle]

The P5 are slowly destroying what so many of us love about college sports.

[pastorgrant]

The P5 are slowly destroying what so many of us love about college sports.

This, except that it isn't happening so slowly now.

This whole thing is so sad. It's going to ruin college sports if the P5 gets their way. I have no interest in watching any P5 vs P5 games anymore.

Edit: It is imperative that we kick UT's teeth in.

Edited July 22, 2014 by pastorgrant

[Harry]

My read was his cheating ire was directed to the SEC schools not g5.

[UNTexas]

Sounds like an anti trust lawsuit followed by the end of me caring about college football. We already have the NFL and I and many others would be fine ignoring college football.

[GMG24]

This will never work. To much $ for these schools to lose.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Sounds like an anti trust lawsuit followed by the end of me caring about college football. We already have the NFL and I and many others would be fine ignoring college football.

Fine? No, I would not be fine ignoring college football. I much prefer it to the NFL. But at whatever levels they begin to pay college players above a small stipend, I will ignore college football. And I assume that North Texas and C-USA will not be part of that, so I will continue to follow them. However, with a complete separation from the big boys, it will not be nearly as interesting.

[adman]

I don't see how breaking away, paying players etc. stops the cheating. If boosters are willing to pay recruits now, they'll be just as willing later and the cheating continues.

[JRock]

It will definitely ruin college football.

[greenminer]

"We're cheating. Let us cheat on our own!"

[TIgreen01]

My read was his cheating ire was directed to the SEC schools not g5.

Having only read what was printed here, that's an interesting read. How does breaking away help the Big12 then? The SEC would have MORE power in that case (fewer conferences means each vote carries more weight)....

[Stan R]

This will never work. To much $ for these schools to lose.

Not sure I see the logic here. How exactly would this decision cause the P5 to lose money? They are actually paying us to play them, not the other way around. Is your argument that they would have more losing records and therefore lose out on some attendance?

[Stan R]

Having only read what was printed here, that's an interesting read. How does breaking away help the Big12 then? The SEC would have MORE power in that case (fewer conferences means each vote carries more weight)....

It's a great question and he doesn't make that clear except to say that they have some legislation that keeps getting vetoed by the other conferences after it comes off of the P5 school's desks. There are a million unanswered questions here as to true motives but I think it mostly revolves around paying players and the ability to do so at virtually uncapped levels.

[UNTexas]

Fine? No, I would not be fine ignoring college football. I much prefer it to the NFL. But at whatever levels they begin to pay college players above a small stipend, I will ignore college football. And I assume that North Texas and C-USA will not be part of that, so I will continue to follow them. However, with a complete separation from the big boys, it will not be nearly as interesting.

I'd be fine not watching any college ball except UNT. Then again, that's all I really watch now. These arrogant SOBs have and continue to destroy what use to be a great sport.

His threat is the equivalent of relegating us and half of D1 schools to D1aa again. Been there done that. So have you in 93 & 94 I'm assuming? Its an inferior product. I am sick of the bs out of college football. I love our team but I won't waste money traveling to away games or watching us get our asses handed to us by the P5 schools who would pay bigger money for talent than us. (Rest assured the rules would limit us, just like scholarships in D1aa.) Or because they believe we should be honored to play them and be thankful for the beat down. No thanks. If we get the boot downward again I'm done with college football forever. I'll still take my girls to UNT home games, UNT soccer games and hopefully baseball soon.

As far as football, we have a professional league. It's the NFL. I could give a crap to watch some semi pro NCAA football league if UNT is downgraded again. It sucks but it's honestly how I feel. We'd have no one to blame but ourselves and the institutional stupidity of UNT not investing in athletics decades ago. The whole thing is a bummer if it occurs. Then again, this POS could be laying out this nonsense as a scare tactic to push another agenda, such as pay, to get his way.

Edited July 22, 2014 by UNTexas

[Stan R]

It's the equivalent of relegating us and half of D1 schools to D1aa again. Been there done that. So have you i. 93 & 94 I'm assuming? I am sick of the bs out of college football. I love our team but I won't waste money traveling to away games or watching us get our asses handed to us by the P5 schools who pay bigger money for talent than us and believe we should be honored to play them or be thankful for the beat down. No thanks. If we get the boot downward again I'm done with college football forever. I'll still take my girls to UNT soccer games and hopefully baseball soon.

As far as football, we have a professional league. It's the NFL. I could give a crap to watch some semi pro NCAA football league if UNT is downgraded again. It sucks but it's honestly how I feel. We'd have no one to blame but ourselves and the institutional stupidity of UNT not investing in athletics decades ago.

Great points and I totally agree with them. Going to 1AA is no bueno and could be disastrous (again). I do see some problems with this though as far as how they set barriers to entry to these leagues. Is it based on any of these?

• Size of school in state funding?
• Average BIS attendance?
• Because you are buddies with someone in the P5 conference?
• Budget involved in overall athletics?
• Per player average payout?
• Political affiliation or association?

Some of these might make sense and some are ludicrous. They will have to establish some sort of entrance criteria won't they?

Here's the problem. Entrance to conferences has always been political and seemingly arbitrary - TV contracts?? Do they even have to set criteria?

[untjim1995]

This isn't surprising in any way, shape, or form. What is going to be interesting is to see who gets invited to move up to this next Division and who stays behind. Some of the non-AQs are stronger than a few AQs right now.

Would you all, as UNT fans, still come to Apogee in 2016 and 2018 to watch us play SMU, even if we were both in a lower level of college football than Texas, OU, A&M, TCU, Tech, and Baylor?

[Mean Green 93-98]

His threat is the equivalent of relegating us and half of D1 schools to D1aa again. Been there done that. So have you in 93 & 94 I'm assuming? Its an inferior product.

Yes, it is an inferior product. I couldn't say that I've been any bigger of a UNT fan since the move up from 1AA--I was pretty rabid already--but the level of competition and better opponent name recognition certainly makes things far more interesting.

I am sick of the bs out of college football. I love our team but I won't waste money traveling to away games or watching us get our [derrières] handed to us by the P5 schools who would pay bigger money for talent than us. (Rest assured the rules would limit us, just like scholarships in D1aa.) Or because they believe we should be honored to play them and be thankful for the beat down. No thanks.

I guess there are some things that need to be clarified, but if the P5 is making a complete break like they're talking, then I assume UNT and the rest of the "Gang of Five" conferences won't be playing P5 schools anymore--as in, at all.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Not sure I see the logic here. How exactly would this decision cause the P5 to lose money? They are actually paying us to play them, not the other way around. Is your argument that they would have more losing records and therefore lose out on some attendance?

Sure the P5 pays us money--but they're making a lot more money on those home attendance receipt than they're paying in guarantee money. When you have these schools charging better than $60 a seat for 90k seats, that adds up. And that's not counting MGC-type donations that they rake in by the millions for the rights to the better seats. If the P5 breaks from the rest of 1A/FBS, how are they all going to be able to continue to play 7 and 8 home game schedules that bring in so much dough? The math just doesn't add up for everyone to do that anymore.

[TIgreen01]

I think it is pretty clear that what the P5 schools want is to change the rules only enough to provide them legal cover. They don't want to change the game, they just don't want to be facing lawsuits, providing full employment benefits (health care) to players, etc. There is not some conspiracy to screw the lower level schools.

They are watching all these trials that they are in the middle of losing and throwing ideas out there to help mitigate their loses. They are only freaking out because they haven't been able to turn any of the new ideas into hard legislation within the NCAA and time is running out before some of these trials return verdicts against them.

The P5 schools are out of control and have billions at stake. That's why they have changed course and temperament so severely.