NCAA proposing new college athletics subdivision rooted in direct athlete compensation

[JMick]

The numbers simply don't add up for anybody except the top 30 football programs in the country

Unfortunately, I think that's the point

 

[Skiblets]

Unfortunately, I think that's the point

This state will figure it out.

 

[WrenchFan69]

I don't know enough about Title IX. Can an exception be made that favors benefits over "equality?" If the option is women's athletes at 30 schools get paid but another 100 schools cut women's sports, that doesn't benefit women as a whole. And for the schools opting out, the women who would have competed at the D1 level are now competing at a lower level of competition inherently. That's a raw deal for every women's athlete except for those at schools with big football money

 

[WrenchFan69]

If we opt in, we are not cutting football. Men's and women's track and field will be cut first I assume. They already started cutting back on it this year. 120+ athletes, equal guys and girls. Not something that gets the University a ton of national attentional widely.

Can we cut women's track without cutting football? We are essentially at the minimum of women's scholarships to match football as it is. Men's track probably gets what 10-15 total scholarships to split up? Maybe that's enough to cut women's tennis in matching scholarships.

I think we're more likely to opt out if we're keeping football.

 

[ZooCougar]

If UConn opts into this, I assume we're dropping football, a commensurate amount of women's sports, and possibly other men's sports to get to the minimum? And would the NCAA lower the minimum to support this? The numbers simply don't add up for anybody except the top 30 football programs in the country

You came to the right conclusion in here.

This proposal is designed to eliminate all but about 30 of FBS programs from the highest level.

If too many schools opt in they will just raise the spending requirements.

 

[JMick]

If we opt in, we are not cutting football.

Where are we going to play? Who are we going to play against?

 

[MilliniumPrince]

The next step in the March to the Blessed 68 or 70. The breakaway will happen sooner than I thought.

 

[Kolumbo]

This is a good point. There is likely a chance the Northeast will not be part of this Superleague. Unless Syracuse and BC can figure out how to play with the rich boys. NYC will be gone because without the BE, no one cares about college hoops.

Since it's no longer college ball, a sort of merger to compete nationally. UConn, UMass, maybe Syracuse. With all of the pro teams around, the northeast has to have more than 1 minor league team in Penn State. They can rotate home games between Gillette, Yankee Stadium and The Rent!

 

[jdb50]

How the heck do MAC schools keep up with this change? It also makes our independent status a real drawback. Need TV money to keep up.

 

[shizzle787]

The next step in the March to the Blessed 68 or 70. The breakaway will happen sooner than I thought.

There is not going to be a breakaway. If these schools leave the NCAA, the won't have the 1,100-school legal liability shield. That means if they get sued, they can't spread the settlement around 1,100 ways.

 

[Stinger92860]

UConn will opt in.

With what money?

 

[Dizzy21]

Can we cut women's track without cutting football? We are essentially at the minimum of women's scholarships to match football as it is. Men's track probably gets what 10-15 total scholarships to split up? Maybe that's enough to cut women's tennis in matching scholarships.

I think we're more likely to opt out if we're keeping football.

If we opt in, there is no way we are dumping millions into track and golf salaries and ditching football when football and basketball are the only reasons we would opt in.

 

[Dizzy21]

Right now, sure. If it's not eventually football, then we never get in. Basketball people better be supporting that football team and hoping that changes. Instead they keep thinking that some day miraculously the Big 10 and SEC will see the err of their ways and suddenly by some convoluted circumstances start dumping money on UConn because they cannot live without them.

 

[NE Football]

This is just a proposal that will get debated in committee for at least another year. Schools might just choose which sports to pay the athletes and which sports not to pay. We could focus all of our money on the hoop teams.

tOSU has an athletic budget of 250 million, yet other than football we have better hoop, hockey and baseball teams. It’s not all about money.

 

[huskymedic]

If we opt in, we are not cutting football. Men's and women's track and field will be cut first I assume. They already started cutting back on it this year. 120+ athletes, equal guys and girls. Not something that gets the University a ton of national attentional widely.

Have a hard time believing that cutting track & field w/ a combined 30.6 equivalency scholarships (18 women’s/12.6 men’s) across diverse student demographics will be on any table. (I count under 95 total athletes across both teams)

UConn Receives Historic Gift to Support New Student-athlete Success Center - UConn Today

Former Student-Athlete Trisha Bailey ’99 (CLAS) Commits Lead Gift for Major Renovation and Expansion Project

today.uconn.edu

 

[shizzle787]

This is just a proposal that will get debated in committee for at least another year. Schools might just choose which sports to pay the athletes and which sports not to pay. We could focus all of our money on the hoop teams.

tOSU has an athletic budget of 250 million, yet other than football we have better hoop, hockey and baseball teams. It’s not all about money.

This is a good point. I feel like this is the negotiating position of the biggest schools. It probably won't be this severe.

 

[Patman]

I don't know enough about Title IX. Can an exception be made that favors benefits over "equality?" If the option is women's athletes at 30 schools get paid but another 100 schools cut women's sports, that doesn't benefit women as a whole. And for the schools opting out, the women who would have competed at the D1 level are now competing at a lower level of competition inherently. That's a raw deal for every women's athlete except for those at schools with big football money

No. There's three tests. One of this is absolutely about money and resources spent on womens sports in proportion to campus enrollment. The other two are proportionality in participation to campus enrollment and a hypothetical polling of campus interest in sports. The last one has never been tested by either side of the ledgermain.

 

[giddyup]

Unreal how farcical and disconnected these guys are from promoting and maintaining a healthy sport that thrives on growth of competition in a level competitive environment. I despise these idiots for ruining another national pastime.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

There is not going to be a breakaway. If these schools leave the NCAA, the won't have the 1,100-school legal liability shield. That means if they get sued, they can't spread the settlement around 1,100 ways.

They won't need it.

 

[Dizzy21]

Have a hard time believing that cutting track & field w/ a combined 30.6 equivalency scholarships (18 women’s/12.6 men’s) across diverse student demographics will be on any table. (I count under 95 total athletes across both teams)

UConn Receives Historic Gift to Support New Student-athlete Success Center - UConn Today

Former Student-Athlete Trisha Bailey ’99 (CLAS) Commits Lead Gift for Major Renovation and Expansion Project

today.uconn.edu

Maybe they do not cut track and field, but they certainly are not going to opt in to pay the athletes in track and field and women's rowing 30k a year and drop football, the only way into the big leagues. Maybe they opt out and cut football and give up on the power conference dream, but my point is more that they are not going to opt into paying the athletes 30k a year to not be in a power conference. We all know that without football, B10 and SEC are out of the question.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

This is the best news UConn could get short of a B1G invitation. It can opt in to what will be the new P5 and not have to worry about getting invited to a conference. It can play in the Big East forever, sign a GOR and just play independent football at this new upper level. A stable Big East with a long term commitment from UConn will be even more valuable than it is now. UConn football’s media value will also increase just by UConn opting into this. UConn will be able to recruit and directly compensate the players needed to be successful.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

This is the best news UConn could get short of a B1G invitation. It can opt in to what will be the new P5 and not have to worry about getting invited to a conference. It can play in the Big East forever, sign a GOR and just play independent football at this new upper level. A stable Big East with a long term commitment from UConn will be even more valuable than it is now. UConn football’s media value will also increase just by UConn opting into this. UConn will be able to recruit and directly compensate the players needed to be successful.

And play against who exactly? If it gets whittled down to just a few power conferences and an independent UConn in football, we would not be able to fill a 5 game schedule—never mind a full 12 game schedule.

 

[Patman]

And play against who exactly? If it gets whittled down to just a few power conferences and an independent UConn in football, we would not be able to fill a 5 game schedule—never mind a full 12 game schedule.

I think it's not going to be an entirely separate division per se. Remains to be seen. It might just be a check box

 

[YoungFree]

So will those in new tier be competing only with the other schools in all sports?

Hard to see UConn playing TN or Clemson if their players are professional and UConn’s aren’t.

Conversely, is this the point where bb fans realize without football, UConn is not getting seat at big boy table.

More importantly, this makes COLLEGE sports dead