The B1G: The rich get richer

[Herb Street]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...18/3686089002/

[laker]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

Big reason why Maryland and Rutgers joined the BIG. Maryland was darn near broke- they and Rutgers provided a big TV market. Imagine if they had also pulled in some of the other ACC teams like North Carolina and Georgia Tech like had been rumored.

[Herb Street]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

I suspect that the B1G's ultimate goal is to bolt from the NCAA and have their own league and rules, and leave everyone else to fight over the crumbs. That would include a blockbuster media deal that would pay each school $100 million per year or even more. The total athletic budgets of these schools could swell to upwards of $200 million per year. I don't see it happening until the Big 12's Grant of Rights expires in a few years, but in 2025, I look for the BIG to add a few premium schools that deliver states and panache, and then foreclose on the NCAA. The B1G has expressed they would like a southern footprint. I don't see them taking any state SEC schools because of the perceived redneck factor. Deep south state schools are out of the picture. Most folks don't know that the B1G is an academic conference as well, with each school sharing approximately half a $ billion per year in research dollars. I can see them bringing in Texas, Oklahoma (both AAU members), Notre Dame. The flagship school of Texas along with their forever rival, plus the flagship Catholic school. I could also see Vanderbilt in the picture as a dark horse, due to the academic panache they would bring, as well as the burgeoning Nashville market.

2023 and 24 will be most interesting for college sports.

[DaleDude]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

revenue in 2018.
The gap between the B1G and all the rest continues to widen: The SEC is in 2nd place at $43 million per school - a 20 percent spread between the conferences.

So Herb, do you think this might in some way affect D2 in any way, shape, or form? Always appreciate your opinions. Just wonder what others think of this blockbuster info.

[laker]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

So Herb, do you think this might in some way affect D2 in any way, shape, or form? Always appreciate your opinions. Just wonder what others think of this blockbuster info.

I think that with all of these Power 5 sports on TV it really cuts into the live D2 gate. When I compare crowds back in the 70s to today it seems like a lot less people seem to go to the average game. They seem to prefer to watch at home that to go see a game in person. Less and less people like me who love to go to games.

[Brandon]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

I think that with all of these Power 5 sports on TV it really cuts into the live D2 gate. When I compare crowds back in the 70s to today it seems like a lot less people seem to go to the average game. They seem to prefer to watch at home that to go see a game in person. Less and less people like me who love to go to games.

Why not do both, right? Go to the D2 game then watch the recorded game on you DVR?

[laker]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

Why not do both, right? Go to the D2 game then watch the recorded game on you DVR?

Good question. When I looked around the Taylor Center and am surrounded by empty seats despite year after year of twenty win seasons and regional trips I wonder what people are doing. I doubt if many of the students are spending that time in the library because it is closed Saturday nights...............

[Herb Street]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

So Herb, do you think this might in some way affect D2 in any way, shape, or form? Always appreciate your opinions. Just wonder what others think of this blockbuster info.

I do not think it affects D2. If you take a global look at college football, 95 percent of the schools in the U.S. are effectively playing small college ball. I fully realize that South Alabama is FBS, but they are still playing small college ball and always will be. Same for Appalachian State, Sam Houston, and Nickels State. These aren't the flagship schools in their respective states and never will be. They are offering more scholarships than NW Missouri which means they win the match-up most of the time, but that's the primary difference. Stadiums, attendance, and overall fan interest is probably no more at Sam Houston than say Missouri Southern.

The Big 10 has ascended to a level where they are now dictating the rules of the major college football landscape. That doesn't mean the conference is the best competitively - they obviously are not, or they would be winning the NC every year, which they don't. But they are the power broker of big time college ball exclusively due to media $ value. They are using their leverage to obtain more power, and with more power comes more leverage.

As for the small college programs, it is much like minor league baseball, in that the fan interest is almost purely local. Even the most ardent baseball fans would be hard-pressed to name off more than half of the teams in AAA ball. But when your rival comes in town to play ball from 100 miles down the road, the stadium is full.

In small college ball, when the playoffs roll around, you see attendance often take a dramatic dip. That's because there is very little interest in watching the home team take on Southwest Allegheny State from 2500 miles away.

I wouldn't have national championships in small college ball because other than the coaches and athletes, few care. Keep it local where the support and interest are.

[boatcapt]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

So you seem to be advocating an even higher degree of regionalization in the DII playoffs.

[Brandon]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

So you seem to be advocating an even higher degree of regionalization in the DII playoffs.

He's advocating for no playoffs.

[Herb Street]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

He's advocating for no playoffs.

Correct. Having all these levels of "national championships" has never made a lot of sense to me. No one outside of hard core homers of these schools care. The true college national champions are of the Division I variety. In pro golf, should we have the Web.com U.S. Open, limited only to those golfers who didn't make the PGA Tour? In pro baseball, should we have the Rookie League World Series? Should we have a Division 2 and 3 Olympics for all those athletes who couldn't make the real Olympics?

I think the whole "national championship" thing for small school athletics only serves to tarnish and trivialize the programs, many of which are of very high quality. The fan interest is local. That's a good thing - keep it there!

[boatcapt]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

He's advocating for no playoffs.

I wouldn't have national championships in small college ball because other than the coaches and athletes, few care. Keep it local where the support and interest are.

Seems like both...No playoffs and keep it local were the support and interest are.

I don't expect the NCAA will change any time soon from having NC for DII so it would seem that the next best thing would be to advocate for a higher degree of regionalization were there is a chance for local support and interest, at least until you get beyond the Regional Championship.

Some folks here about continue to argue for less regionalization in the playoffs.

[Redwing]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

Correct. Having all these levels of "national championships" has never made a lot of sense to me. No one outside of hard core homers of these schools care. The true college national champions are of the Division I variety. In pro golf, should we have the Web.com U.S. Open, limited only to those golfers who didn't make the PGA Tour? In pro baseball, should we have the Rookie League World Series? Should we have a Division 2 and 3 Olympics for all those athletes who couldn't make the real Olympics?

I think the whole "national championship" thing for small school athletics only serves to tarnish and trivialize the programs, many of which are of very high quality. The fan interest is local. That's a good thing - keep it there!

You're not making sense here. There are championships in the lower hockey and baseball divisions for example.

[KleShreen]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

You're not making sense here. There are championships in the lower hockey and baseball divisions for example.

Right. There's a Triple A championship, Double A championship, etc. There's an AHL championship, etc.

The reason there's national championships at each division is because they all play by different rules. There's a D-I championship in each sport because those schools are willing to spend the most on scholarships and other expenses to get the best of the best talent. D-II championships are for the schools which choose to balance academics and athletics by offering the number of scholarships they can. D-III championships are to find out which schools, usually academically-focused, can field the best teams without the focus strictly being on scholarships available. "Love of the game"-types. There's a place for every division, and there's segments of people for every division.

[laker]

Re: The B1G: The rich get richer

He's advocating for no playoffs.

That is insanity.