West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Columbuseer]

Johnson for wheeling is a matchup nightmare. 6-6 Barkley body type who can drill threes and drive to the rim. He was in a walking boot Wed. Against ndc. Anyone know if he will play tomorrow?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Johnson for wheeling is a matchup nightmare. 6-6 Barkley body type who can drill threes and drive to the rim. He was in a walking boot Wed. Against ndc. Anyone know if he will play tomorrow?

Don't worry. He'll play for WLU next year.

[TheBigCat2192]

Another link, ncaa pres baker in October says 95% of d2 and d3 schools lose $ on athletics. Says making athletes employees will cause d2 and d3 to drop sports entirely

This is something athletics departments at this level are going to have to start thinking about a lot. There’s a serious chance that either the courts or NLRB will hold that student-athletes are employees and have to be paid. There’s no legal requirement that someone has to actually make their employer money to be considered an employee so even if lower-level football programs were bleeding money that’s not going to be an excuse.

I haven’t seen this issue brought up here much because we tend to think of big FBS teams when we talk paying players but we as fans may need to start preparing for the day when our alma maters no longer have a football/basketball team; and not just those from small or struggling schools. Alternatively we may have to prepare to see schools move to more of a club-style program w/o scholarships and with substantially less control over the players times/lives in order to keep some sort of intercollegiate athletic program where the players don’t meet the definition of employees.

[Columbuseer]

This is something athletics departments at this level are going to have to start thinking about a lot. There’s a serious chance that either the courts or NLRB will hold that student-athletes are employees and have to be paid. There’s no legal requirement that someone has to actually make their employer money to be considered an employee so even if lower-level football programs were bleeding money that’s not going to be an excuse.

I haven’t seen this issue brought up here much because we tend to think of big FBS teams when we talk paying players but we as fans may need to start preparing for the day when our alma maters no longer have a football/basketball team; and not just those from small or struggling schools. Alternatively we may have to prepare to see schools move to more of a club-style program w/o scholarships and with substantially less control over the players times/lives in order to keep some sort of intercollegiate athletic program where the players don’t meet the definition of employees.

Your view of the future could very well become reality, if D1 schools continue the charade that all d1 fb and bb players are serious about academics. If they acknowledge that d1 is a minor league that is different from d2 and d3, and decouple d1 players from being students, the d2 and d3 concept of true student-athletes just might survive.

[Columbuseer]

Wv state defeated Charleston, which elevates wlu to 1st in mec (for now).

[Scrub]

Wv state defeated Charleston, which elevates wlu to 1st in mec (for now).

But of course, it never really matters what kind of season Wheeling is having; they're gonna give WLU everything they have today. This game is always tight (even when it seems Wheeling is having a lousy season).

Now, if Johnson is truly out (which I'll believe it when I see it) that's a game-changer. He's a matchup nightmare and always gives WLU fits.

[IUP24]

What is the betting line for this one? Making a friendly wager with a buddy of mine. Want a fair line from those closer to the source.

[boatcapt]

there are union agreements protecting tenure.

Just using akron as example. They are far from alone.

Akron laid off 178 staff in 2021, which included tenured professors, using a catastrophic disaster clause in union agreement to do it. Football costs akron $8m a year. Hired some back as adjuncts.

Imho alumni donors are going have to decide how important fb is to them versus the academic reputation of the school. If they realize cutting fb is tragic but increases a school's chances of survival, they may grudgingly accept it. In 20 years no one will care that there is no fb. But big donors have to concur in order for fb to be cut.

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/...it/7785699002/

Why limit it to just football? Eliminate all sports and Akron could save a lot more than $8M. Heck, eliminate all the spending that is not directly related to in class academic instruction and they could save even more. Of course, all that cutting would probably have a negative effect on student enrollment and probably alumni donations as well so it kind of defeats the purpose.

[boatcapt]

Don't worry. He'll play for WLU next year.

He's not our type of player. Doesn't shoot the three well enough or often enough.

[boatcapt]

What is the betting line for this one? Making a friendly wager with a buddy of mine. Want a fair line from those closer to the source.

Rivalry game so through the line out the window. Realistically on a player for player basis, WLU should win by 20+. But it could be a single digit game.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Rivalry game so through the line out the window. Realistically on a player for player basis, WLU should win by 20+. But it could be a single digit game.

If that guy is indeed out and I had to bet Wheeling, I'd want +25.5

[IUP24]

If that guy is indeed out and I had to bet Wheeling, I'd want +25.5

Is +25.5 a fair betting line in a rivalry game when almost every game Wheeling has played has been single digits, a number of them under 5 points?

I get WL is good, and Wheeling doesn’t have the W/L record, but in a rivalry game that’s historically close, I feel like Vegas would have this somewhere around 9-15 points.

What say you?

[boatcapt]

This is something athletics departments at this level are going to have to start thinking about a lot. There’s a serious chance that either the courts or NLRB will hold that student-athletes are employees and have to be paid. There’s no legal requirement that someone has to actually make their employer money to be considered an employee so even if lower-level football programs were bleeding money that’s not going to be an excuse.

I haven’t seen this issue brought up here much because we tend to think of big FBS teams when we talk paying players but we as fans may need to start preparing for the day when our alma maters no longer have a football/basketball team; and not just those from small or struggling schools. Alternatively we may have to prepare to see schools move to more of a club-style program w/o scholarships and with substantially less control over the players times/lives in order to keep some sort of intercollegiate athletic program where the players don’t meet the definition of employees.

Ahhh...progress. A very limited number of players will benefit from NIL and other ways to "pay" college players, but for most kids, this will cut off their access to college. Some may play a few years of AAU ball after HS, but they will find it difficult to juggle practice and AAU "showcases" with the demands of a full time job at Walmart or the local Quicky-Lube and will quit basketball.

Ahhh...but at least the self-richeous "college players must be paid" voices in the media will be able to point to the few players at blue blood P5's that make some dollars for the year or two they are there will smuggly be able to say that THEY made things better for real basketball players. Meanwhile, the guy who would have been a DII All American and gotten most of his college paid for will go to their car window and ask if they want Full Synthetic oil in their SUV

[IUPHawks24]

Ahhh...progress. A very limited number of players will benefit from NIL and other ways to "pay" college players, but for most kids, this will cut off their access to college. Some may play a few years of AAU ball after HS, but they will find it difficult to juggle practice and AAU "showcases" with the demands of a full time job at Walmart or the local Quicky-Lube and will quit basketball.

Ahhh...but at least the self-richeous "college players must be paid" voices in the media will be able to point to the few players at blue blood P5's that make some dollars for the year or two they are there will smuggly be able to say that THEY made things better for real basketball players. Meanwhile, the guy who would have been a DII All American and gotten most of his college paid for will go to their car window and ask if they want Full Synthetic oil in their SUV

What on earth are you talking about?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Is +25.5 a fair betting line in a rivalry game when almost every game Wheeling has played has been single digits, a number of them under 5 points?

I get WL is good, and Wheeling doesn’t have the W/L record, but in a rivalry game that’s historically close, I feel like Vegas would have this somewhere around 9-15 points.

What say you?

What I say is buyer beware. Very hard to place a bet not knowing if a teams best player is actually playing.