The only thing that matters in conference realignment is football.

[eddiepishammerd]

Basketball and academics play NO part in this. Look at Nebraska and Kansas last year. Ku was headed to the Big East with ISU while Nebraska went to the big 10. The number of tv sets you can bring to the table during the football season is what determines your fate. The SEC doesn't want ATM because they are the next bcs champion, they want Texas in the conference footprint. We have no leverage in this and will hopefully be able to hang together with the others in the big 12 that are similar.

 

[jsmith86]

Actually, the only thing that matters is money. Football is simply a way of making it.

 

[eddiepishammerd]

So very true.

 

[herbicide]

Actually, the only thing that matters is money. Football is simply a way of making it.

QFT

 

[cloneswereall]

Is the world round too?

 

[CycloneErik]

It's pretty sad. What we're seeing here is that football money controls colleges.

If we see last year's nightmare scenario where schools don't make the 64-team cut, and it has the ramifications on schools that we've heard about in terms of research funding and income in general, then we're talking about a scenario where somebody's (and possibly our own) academic institution will be crushed because of football.

We've got this whole thing backwards right now. Football should be a good extension of the school. It should not be the driving force. If we see the budget problems that some foresaw last year, we'll see profs and staff at schools lose their jobs due to football money. That's just not right.

Personal pet peeve that I started pondering last night.

 

[Sloup]

Actually, the only thing that matters is money. Football is simply a way of making it.

This is exactly why I'm almost more interested to see what happens to the Big East than the Big XII in these realignment fiascos. Wasn't the Big East formed specifically to be the best Basketball conference?

 

[ShopTalk]

Engineering, Agriculture, Mathematics, Medicine....just not entertaining.

Watching guys like Hiawatha Rutland permanently lose the use of one foot and then not paying for his ongoing medical care.....priceless.

Hey ma! Guess what I learned in college today!

 

[eddiepishammerd]

Is the world round too?

Yea, it's hard hitting stuff. Posts like yours that add absolutely nothing are the reason people don't sift through long threads. Please add me to your blocked list.

 

[cayin]

the thing is, football as a way of making money and marketing a school has been coming on the last 35 plus years. Problem is, while everyone else was recognizing this and pumping resources into football, the ISU admin was purging football. ISU just did not have the awareness or foresight to be proactive. They purged our program while watching Iowa have all kind of success on the field and the benefits that go with that. By the time ISU (When Gene Smith came in) recognized the importance of football to the success of the university, we were behind the 8 ball and have been playing catchup ever since. Look at facilities for example, so many schools are doing major or have done major stadium expansions and renovations the last few years. We have done a few, but they are minor compared to everyone else. Our south endzone project? That would get done pretty fast at most schools, even non BCS schools, but for us it is a major challenge.

 

[CyDude16]

Yea, it's hard hitting stuff. Posts like yours that add absolutely nothing are the reason people don't sift through long threads. Please add me to your blocked list.

Or you can add him to yours? That might work better since you have more of a problem with his posts.

 

[drednot57]

I think the thread title was made obvious last year. These TV deals are all about football dollars and nothing else, and CycloneErik is correct, the cart (an f-ing gargantuan one) is before the horse, but the horse wouldn't be able to pull it anyway. Plus the cart has a big-*** jet engine to boot.

 

[BenEClone]

There are hundreds of good colleges that aren't even in contention. My daughter graduated from a NAIA school and got into a Big10 school PhD program. Football is the most visible driving force in some schools, not most. Colleges will still do what they're intended to do.

Also, ISU was on the cusp of football greatness in the 70's while Majors and Bruce were coaching, but seemed reluctant to make the investment it would take to be a contender. None of what has happened on the gridiron has impacted the academic mission of the university.

 

[eddiepishammerd]

Or you can add him to yours? That might work better since you have more of a problem with his posts.

Thanks for the advice. I did it before I made that post.

 

[edr247]

Not surprising. Conferences are going in for the money, so in the SEC, and others, football pulls in the most money. However, schools in the Big East are likely to allow basketball to help make their athletic decisions, no?

Conferences should consider all sports, but they'll only look at the biggest of their revenue sports.