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Late 80s Hokie

Joined: 10/29/2001 Posts: 23139
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All the $$ in College Sports is making me lean “Communist”. Long Post


Also on the Sub Board

First, let me start this by saying that I know that this will never happen, and I also know that it goes against “the American Way”. Yes, this is a fantasy world post that is mostly venting. I may even repeat that mantra a few times in this post, just to make sure you understand that I don’t expect this fantasy to come true.

But yeah, I’m more than wishing it could.

Think of the explosion in college football revenues compared to 20 years ago, or even 10 for that matter. WAY WAY beyond the effect of inflation. Virginia Tech’s athletic (mostly football) revenues have tripled since 2000. While VT benefitted in that time frame by moving to the ACC, I presume that even SEC and B1G schools have seen similar growth due to conference networks and the overall huge media rights payments.

But, in that same time period? “Profits” at VT (one of the few schools to actually show a profit) have gone from 14% of revenue down to 1.6% of revenue. We’re making more, but we’re spending it all. Everyone else is as well.

I’ve posted the phrase “Keeping up with the Sabans” before. Think of it like the old “Keeping up with the Jones’” phrase. If your neighbor got a shiny new TV, then you need one too.

Now apply it to college football. “Oh, Nick Saban has a staff of 10 people who do film breakdown of upcoming opponents. Some of them are even former highly regarded coaches. He’s got a staff of 15 who evaluate High School prospects and make the initial contacts with their current coaches. We just CAN NOT COMPETE if we don’t have the same thing!!”

Or applied to a VT competitor (a few years ago)…”Oh, VT now has the largest lockers in the country….we need a new players facility to match or exceed that or we won’t be able to recruit”

Both examples are pretty true, and we could probably find a hundred more (Clemson is going to have mini golf!!!! We MUST MATCH THAT!!!), but how does it affect the actual product on the field?

IMO, it doesn’t. Is college football, overall, played with more skill and passion today than it was 15 to 20 years ago? Nope. Offensive and defensive strategies have evolved, but the extra revenue and expense hasn't changed the game itself. Are the fans more engaged today due to the higher expenditures? Nope. If anything, the fans are tuning out more. All the games on TV means you don’t have to attend live, and the money is turning off a lot as well.

Has it allowed schools to finally ‘break through’ to compete with the top teams? Nope, because the spending by the top teams has increased as well. It’s just been “Keeping up with the Sabans.’” All the storied programs of College Football are still the same storied programs of College Football. The pecking order (essentially) remains the same, it just costs more money to keep your spot in it. Running to stand still.

So who’s benefitted from all this extra expenditure? The fans? Nope. Same product, more expensive to consume. The fact that every game is now televised is a benefit…but not a benefit of the spending. How about the the local community? Not really, as the local community benefit is driven by people attending games. The University? Not really either. Yeah, they have some new buildings certainly, but those new buildings aren’t benefiting the student body or the competitive position of the University. The new locker rooms, the new player’s lounges, the new practice facility are all just running to stand still.

Coaches have benefited. They make a lot more money now, and while they still put in major hours, they actually have less responsibilities. Someone on staff used to be the recruiting coordinator. All the staff used to have to do ALL the film evaluation. Higher pay, less responsibility. Local construction companies have benefited. The players have benefited (but a lot of us would call it “pampering” and not “benefited”).

So, now for the “Leaning Communist” part. Again…fantasy world, I know it won’t happen.

What if all the P5 presidents had the same thoughts I posted above in a dream one night? Or heck, just by actually thinking through it.

At the next P5 meeting, one of them suggests “how about a football (and basketball) expenditure cap? Football staff salaries (including all bonuses, etc.) will be capped. Facilities will be built to meet NEEDS, not to dazzle recruits or pamper players. And every P5 President say’s “I had the exact same idea” and overwhelmingly buys in.

And they write the rules and form an enforcement board that sets the salary cap and reviews any/all new facility (any sport) proposals, renovations and upgrades. Some similar restrictions on basketball spending as well, of course. Facilities wouldn’t have to become similar to a 50 year old YMCA…but they also wouldn’t be allowed to be recruiting tools. They’d meet the need.

What if Football Salary expenditures were capped at $3 million? Total, including any auxiliary staff who manages recruiting, quality control, scouting, etc.? Yes, some coaches (use Saban as an example) may decide that the NFL sounds good just about now, but overall, a HC making $1 million, and a DC or OC making $340K is still a pretty decent living, and was considered to be high pay for that positon not too long ago. I don’t think we’d have 100’s of coaches getting out of coaching. Where else could most of them continue to make 6 or (head coaches) 7 figures?

And 20 years ago? One of the assistants was your recruiting director. There was no extra coach who scouted and did film report on the next opponent. There wasn’t a support staff of more than 4 people….much less 20+. The product on the field was just fine. ESPN would still be willing to pay for it. Revenue wouldn’t go down. Just expenses. Majorly.

Every school would still be in their same approximate pecking order in the College Football hierarchy. A school like VT might be able to move up with a smart coaching hire, knowing that no one can or will really come in to pay more. That coach would leave maybe for the NFL, or for blue blood program, which happens now anyway. Meanwhile, Notre Dame, ‘Bama, Texas. Ohio St. and the like will still have a built in recruiting advantage due to their history and fan base. The power hierarchy will still shuffle like to does now, but it will still shuffle around that same pecking order. Instead of running to stand still, schools will be….not running, and mostly still standing still.

And the profits? Wow!! Profits could actually go TO THE SCHOOL. Maybe even more for the players if we wanted to think that way. Perhaps ticket prices could come down, encouraging fans to re-engage.

Can you imagine how much money the blue blood football programs could turn over to their University every year without this arms race? I’d say $10 million, at least. Use VT (not a blue blood) as an example. Revenues were $26 million in 2000. Revenues are $75 million in 2015 (approx). Heck, VT Athletics, not in the top 20 in revenues, could probably put $10 million back to the university readily every year if this spending control ever happened.

Yes, complete fantasy world. Might even be sued for collusion. I know it won’t happen. But I think that college football would remain the same, and the Universities that play it would benefit significantly.

Posted: 01/12/2016 at 3:46PM



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Current Thread:
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  Compared to all else, it's nothing. ** -- reestuart 01/13/2016 2:01PM
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