G5 Playoff

[RaiderDoug]

I'd assume there's quite a bit of fat that can be trimmed. Conference offices, administrative positions, time to fly economy class vs charters.

This might be a good time for all heads to put egos aside and review whether or not you really should be flying your football team to New Mexico instead of bussing them to, say Jonesboro (and vice versa)?

 

[Brew_Raider]

This might be a good time for all heads to put egos aside and review whether or not you really should be flying your football team to New Mexico instead of bussing them to, say Jonesboro (and vice versa)?

This is an opportunity for G5 schools to make smart financial decisions and move back to a conference that makes geographic, competitive and financial sense. So I am sure it won’t happen.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

I'm still not sure what the big deal is that generates all this vitriol.

It's not your money. Some HS QB getting 8-million doesn't take one penny out of my bank account.

This is entertainment. It's supposed to be positive fun. If it's not, that's fine - the great thing about this country is that you can totally find something else to do. We have more entertainment opportunities any any human who ever lived in all of history.

All the complaining in the world isn't going to change anything.

My advice is to find some way to look at the bright side - personally, I do think a "G5" division could work and be a lot of fun - playoffs, regional rivalries, our own top 25, etc.

It’s generational. I played in a time when we played for love of the game, a full scholarship, great room and board in an athletic dorm with our own cafeteria and training table. All books, fees, medical and dental care.

And a $15 check each month from the AD for “laundry money.”
Had this same discussion over lunch last week with Coach Donnelly. His take?
“I told my guys that every one of you should be able to talk a girlfriend into washing your clothes.” 😂😂

Had I not been convinced by a relative who, at that time, was a current player for the Tigers, I would have loved to play for Coach Donnelly. I met him several years ago at the visitation and funeral of a former college teammate and friend who played for Coach Donnelly at Father Ryan. His stories and memories are absolutely priceless. A mutual friend and I have lunch with him regularly to talk football, recruiting, and country music.

 

[RaiderDoug]

It’s generational. I played in a time when we played for love of the game, a full scholarship, great room and board in an athletic dorm with our own cafeteria and training table. All books, fees, medical and dental care.

And a $15 check each month from the AD for “laundry money.”
Had this same discussion over lunch last week with Coach Donnelly. His take?
“I told my guys that every one of you should be able to talk a girlfriend into washing your clothes.” 😂😂

Had I not been convinced by a relative who, at that time, was a current player for the Tigers, I would have loved to play for Coach Donnelly. I met him several years ago at the visitation and funeral of a former college teammate and friend who played for Coach Donnelly at Father Ryan. His stories and memories are absolutely priceless. A mutual friend and I have lunch with him regularly to talk football, recruiting, and country music.

I totally get it, I'm 45, so I'm exactly 50/50 "Get off my lawn" and i'm still cool, so I see both sides.

You don't have to like this and the way it's going. I don't. I want to go back to 2000's peak college football.

But all the anger in the world isn't going to change any of this. It's never going back to the way it was.

You have two choices - quit following the sport altogether, or accept it and make the best of it. I suspect most of the hardliners are in the latter - you just quite haven't come to terms with it yet. That's fine, the pull of a fall saturday with your alma mater in a meaningful football game will be hard to resist. But we'll see.

Although, I do think there's a path for a collegey college football division like we all described above. There's no way the current format is sustainable for 85+ programs in the sport. What comes next is anyone's guess, but I do suspect that it will be something maybe more palatable for people who want to mega-money out of the sport (because it just isn't there at our level). We'll just have to see and hope for the best.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

Read the snippets and you'll see the "rationale" behind this. The article lays it out in more detail. In quick terms, the NCAA is at the mercy of what the Autonomy conferences want for fear of losing them completely. And we are getting screwed for it.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

This sounds awful for the G5’s if the NCAA tries to force this plan on them. I’m gonna make a call to the Evansville AD who is a friend who has Memphis St/MTSU allegiances as well. He GA’d in the MTSU Athletics Dept for Coach Donnelly while getting his Masters in Sports Administration.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

And here we go with this kind of crap. It’s only gonna get worse.
ME………ME………ME instead of TEAM and SCHOOL.

LINK: “Greedy Portal Professionals”

 

[MidTennMtneer]

And here we go with this kind of crap. It’s only gonna get worse.
ME………ME………ME instead of TEAM and SCHOOL.

LINK: “Greedy Portal Professionals”

Like I said above. The NCAA should've adapted years ago when all this began. Instead they are at the mercy of the Power schools, we are along for the ride, NIL is the Wild West, and this entire generation is nothing but......

 

[sWiley]

And here we go with this kind of crap. It’s only gonna get worse.
ME………ME………ME instead of TEAM and SCHOOL.

LINK: “Greedy Portal Professionals”

He will win the lawsuit. They 100% violated a signed contract without cause. He's going to get paid.

I'm all in favor of players getting paid, but there has to be some rules and laws that govern the whole process. What's happening now is quickly ruining the sport.

The biggest issue is all these colleges are spread out across 50 states who each have their own laws (or lack of) and motivations. It's a total disaster and the NCAA should be ashamed they let it come to this.

There is simply no leadership in this country anywhere anymore. The ultra wealthy are running the show like puppet masters and everyone is at their mercy. Doesn't matter if its college football, healthcare, finance, whatever.

So tiresome.

 

[sWiley]

I'm still not sure what the big deal is that generates all this vitriol.

It's not your money. Some HS QB getting 8-million doesn't take one penny out of my bank account.

It's not about the money. I'm glad the kids are getting paid. I just don't like the ridiculous tampering and transfer portal dynamics that have turned schools like MT and other G5's into glorified JUCO's.

I can't be the only person unhappy about our best players leaving every year now to the highest bidder. How is that any fun ? How can any G5 school build a great team and momentum with that type of turmoil every off season ?

And you're right about complaining not changing anything. That goes for everything in the world, not just college athletics. Starting to see the trend here...(Sports mirror life?)...That doesn't mean I have to like it or accept it though. As I've stated multiple times now, I have cut back immensely on the amount of college athletics I watch. I'm down to a small fraction of what I used to consume and every year it is less and less.

Sure, I'm probably an outlier. Your average Power 5 fan probably loves the new changes. Good for them. I've never liked the trendy things anyway. Their product will eventually become stale once their playoff can't be reinvented anymore. And their growth-at-all costs model will come crashing down once and for all.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

It's not about the money. I'm glad the kids are getting paid. I just don't like the ridiculous tampering and transfer portal dynamics that have turned schools like MT and other G5's into glorified JUCO's.

I can't be the only person unhappy about our best players leaving every year now to the highest bidder. How is that any fun ? How can any G5 school build a great team and momentum with that type of turmoil every off season ?

And you're right about complaining not changing anything. That goes for everything in the world, not just college athletics. Starting to see the trend here...(Sports mirror life?)...That doesn't mean I have to like it or accept it though. As I've stated multiple times now, I have cut back immensely on the amount of college athletics I watch. I'm down to a small fraction of what I used to consume and every year it is less and less.

Sure, I'm probably an outlier. Your average Power 5 fan probably loves the new changes. Good for them. I've never liked the trendy things anyway. Their product will eventually become stale once their playoff can't be reinvented anymore. And their growth-at-all costs model will come crashing down once and for all.

Right there with you.
I’ve cut the “college” football season tickets / parking pass line item from my budget this year for the first time in decades. I may take in one game this year to see both of my alma maters play each other in Memphis but that’s it. Gonna spend most of my time with my grandchildren.

 

[RaiderDoug]

It's not about the money. I'm glad the kids are getting paid. I just don't like the ridiculous tampering and transfer portal dynamics that have turned schools like MT and other G5's into glorified JUCO's.

I can't be the only person unhappy about our best players leaving every year now to the highest bidder. How is that any fun ? How can any G5 school build a great team and momentum with that type of turmoil every off season ?

And you're right about complaining not changing anything. That goes for everything in the world, not just college athletics. Starting to see the trend here...(Sports mirror life?)...That doesn't mean I have to like it or accept it though. As I've stated multiple times now, I have cut back immensely on the amount of college athletics I watch. I'm down to a small fraction of what I used to consume and every year it is less and less.

Sure, I'm probably an outlier. Your average Power 5 fan probably loves the new changes. Good for them. I've never liked the trendy things anyway. Their product will eventually become stale once their playoff can't be reinvented anymore. And their growth-at-all costs model will come crashing down once and for all.

I do get where you're coming from. When the NFL got all political in 2020, I basically quit. I probably hadn't missed more than 5 Titans games in 15 years until that point - just flat out quit. Probably didn't watch NFL for 2 years, until getting roped back in by re-kindled family connection to be a Jets fan. Same with the NHL, had season tix to Preds when I lived in Smyrna, dropped them, and while playoff hockey is fun, still haven't sparked that passion I had before 2020.

Life's too short to waste time on stuff that aggravates you.

For me, I don't care about the players, never did. That sounds harsh, and I wish them the best of luck in all their endeavors, but outside of what they do in the MT helmet, I really don't care. If hot-shot MT QB leads us to conference title and then wants to go to Alabama, knock yourself out and thanks for your service! Same with the coaches - come here, win big and peace out - then good luck, we'll replace you!

A lot will depend on what new college football will look like (and how and when do we get there). I really do think we are the cusp of a change that, frankly, could be a very positive one all things considered.

 

[MT01]

My issue with this boils down to being formally relegated again. There was a window when it was really hard to move up. It was after schools like La Tech did it and before western did it. That's the window we did it in and there were stringent factors in place. Schools like MT, Buffalo, Troy, Marshall, UConn, and USF made the move during this window, and it wasn't easy. We spent a lot of money. A lot of effort went into the transition. I know because I was there when it happened. And just understanding what the alumni, fans, and students also had to step up to do to make it and it doesn't last a quarter century before it all starts to be undone.

That's what's frustrating about it in my eyes.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

My issue with this boils down to being formally relegated again. There was a window when it was really hard to move up. It was after schools like La Tech did it and before western did it. That's the window we did it in and there were stringent factors in place. Schools like MT, Buffalo, Troy, Marshall, UConn, and USF made the move during this window, and it wasn't easy. We spent a lot of money. A lot of effort went into the transition. I know because I was there when it happened. And just understanding what the alumni, fans, and students also had to step up to do to make it and it doesn't last a quarter century before it all starts to be undone.

That's what's frustrating about it in my eyes.

Now this sentiment I 100% get.

I've said before I was on campus 98-02. Right at the transition as '98 was the last Boots year and last in 1AA (now FCS). In '99 Andy Mac came and we were 1A (now FBS) indy. Joined SBC in '01 and finished 8-3. Beat Vandy. Boy it made the future seem bright.

When I got there the stadium upgrades were almost done (paid for by the new campus wide exclusive Coke contract). Required upgrades mind you. Plus we had to avg 15k attendance (actual or paid) over a rolling two year period. We had schools like UConn and Troy come to us. Stuff like that was new. Exciting. I mean the Idaho game was incredible. We spent $ on the requirement of more scholarships. The new MT pegasus logo came out in '98 with Lightning. It was a huge deal when we had games on TV. I tell ya, Walker was a visionary.

Now there are no stadium requirements (see SHSU, although they are tearing up the track now), no attendance requirements. It's pay the $5m, add some scholarships, and go. We joined IA as the 114th team. Kennesaw makes it 134 now. It just doesn't mean what it used to, and that is sad. You wonder what if that 8-3 Andy Mac year hadn't become 4-8 the next? What if that 10-3 Stock year wasn't 2-10 2yrs later. So many missed opportunities. Would we be higher in the pecking order now? Who knows.

Is it worth the G5 splitting to be a big dog in a smaller yard? Can we be that big dog? Again, who knows. We are capable of soooo much with the right people in the right places, we've just never had all the right people at once.

 

[RaiderDoug]

My issue with this boils down to being formally relegated again. There was a window when it was really hard to move up. It was after schools like La Tech did it and before western did it. That's the window we did it in and there were stringent factors in place. Schools like MT, Buffalo, Troy, Marshall, UConn, and USF made the move during this window, and it wasn't easy. We spent a lot of money. A lot of effort went into the transition. I know because I was there when it happened. And just understanding what the alumni, fans, and students also had to step up to do to make it and it doesn't last a quarter century before it all starts to be undone.

That's what's frustrating about it in my eyes.

I've said that if MT decided to pull and Idaho and move to FCS, I wouldn't be interested. And to be honest, if we're in the SoCon tomorrow, i'm probably checking out.

But it's not personal, it's a #'s game. The top budgeted program in the G5 is San Diego State at 67 million. Ohio State makes 251 million dollars. Almost 200 million more. And that's over 7x what our budget is (35 mil).

I think "relegation" is kind of harsh. I look at it more like the cost of doing business has increased, and we just can't afford it. And that's nothing to do with M&M, or our fans, or Stock. There's probably no amount of real success that could have netted MT the hundreds of millions it would need to sit at the table with where this is going.

I'm not even sure 100 million would get you a seat at the table. Look at someone like UCF - they pretty much did everything right, and they're still getting left behind when this shakes out.

 

[BRaiderDave]

Now this sentiment I 100% get.

I've said before I was on campus 98-02. Right at the transition as '98 was the last Boots year and last in 1AA (now FCS). In '99 Andy Mac came and we were 1A (now FBS) indy. Joined SBC in '01 and finished 8-3. Beat Vandy. Boy it made the future seem bright.

When I got there the stadium upgrades were almost done (paid for by the new campus wide exclusive Coke contract). Required upgrades mind you. Plus we had to avg 15k attendance (actual or paid) over a rolling two year period. We had schools like UConn and Troy come to us. Stuff like that was new. Exciting. I mean the Idaho game was incredible. We spent $ on the requirement of more scholarships. The new MT pegasus logo came out in '98 with Lightning. It was a huge deal when we had games on TV. I tell ya, Walker was a visionary.

Now there are no stadium requirements (see SHSU, although they are tearing up the track now), no attendance requirements. It's pay the $5m, add some scholarships, and go. We joined IA as the 114th team. Kennesaw makes it 134 now. It just doesn't mean what it used to, and that is sad. You wonder what if that 8-3 Andy Mac year hadn't become 4-8 the next? What if that 10-3 Stock year wasn't 2-10 2yrs later. So many missed opportunities. Would we be higher in the pecking order now? Who knows.

Is it worth the G5 splitting to be a big dog in a smaller yard? Can we be that big dog? Again, who knows. We are capable of soooo much with the right people in the right places, we've just never had all the right people at once.

"We are capable of soooo much with the right people in the right places, we've just never had all the right people at once."

Not since Dr. Walker left.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

I've said that if MT decided to pull and Idaho and move to FCS, I wouldn't be interested. And to be honest, if we're in the SoCon tomorrow, i'm probably checking out.

But it's not personal, it's a #'s game. The top budgeted program in the G5 is San Diego State at 67 million. Ohio State makes 251 million dollars. Almost 200 million more. And that's over 7x what our budget is (35 mil).

I think "relegation" is kind of harsh. I look at it more like the cost of doing business has increased, and we just can't afford it. And that's nothing to do with M&M, or our fans, or Stock. There's probably no amount of real success that could have netted MT the hundreds of millions it would need to sit at the table with where this is going.

I'm not even sure 100 million would get you a seat at the table. Look at someone like UCF - they pretty much did everything right, and they're still getting left behind when this shakes out.

That is how I see it.

Our 2005 revenue(earliest the Knight has) was $15m. OSU was $90m. A gap of what once was only $75m is now almost $240m. Even adjusted for inflation we would be at $24m vs $144m.

OSU is $279m, UM $229m. Rest of B1G avg $159m. They aren't even peers in their own conference.

Take away JMU at $68m, the avg in SBC is $36m. ULM is at $19m and bottom of the standings for a reason.

CUSA avg is $34m including the newbies. Us and WKU are at $40m.

Point is our peers are not the B1G or any Autonomy conference. It just is the reality. And once they start spending that $22m on revenue sharing that we won't be spending, that gap will just grow. Especially if private equity gets involved. I'd love to say we all are FBS, because we are. And I get fighting for that. But the numbers just keep pushing us away.

 

[ewglenn]

That is how I see it.

Our 2005 revenue(earliest the Knight has) was $15m. OSU was $90m. A gap of what once was only $75m is now almost $240m. Even adjusted for inflation we would be at $24m vs $144m.

OSU is $279m, UM $229m. Rest of B1G avg $159m. They aren't even peers in their own conference.

Take away JMU at $68m, the avg in SBC is $36m. ULM is at $19m and bottom of the standings for a reason.

CUSA avg is $34m including the newbies. Us and WKU are at $40m.

Point is our peers are not the B1G or any Autonomy conference. It just is the reality. And once they start spending that $22m on revenue sharing that we won't be spending, that gap will just grow. Especially if private equity gets involved. I'd love to say we all are FBS, because we are. And I get fighting for that. But the numbers just keep pushing us away.

I honestly think it would be better for the G5 to stop playing the P4’s game. There is enough interest for us to have our own division. Our own commissioner, regional conferences, find ways to reduce cost. We’re playing this game of saying we’re the one of the big boys and it just isn’t reality in my opinion.

 

[MT01]

I honestly think it would be better for the G5 to stop playing the P4’s game. There is enough interest for us to have our own division. Our own commissioner, regional conferences, find ways to reduce cost. We’re playing this game of saying we’re the one of the big boys and it just isn’t reality in my opinion.

That's called I-AA/FCS. Why did we move up?

 

[Brew_Raider]

That's called I-AA/FCS. Why did we move up?

A delusion of grandeur?

In all seriousness, I agree with you. We had a window of time to position ourselves to at least be in the AAC. We failed. It sucks.

We needed dynamic driven leadership to make the FBS move work well long term. Instead, we have an AD that makes me think of the beaky buzzard on the old bugs bunny cartoons singing I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee every time he talks. And we have Seven Wood.


I think the window has closed and we need to reassess for survival. Sadly I think we are closer to FCS than P4. I agree with EWGlenn.

 

[RaiderDoug]

That's called I-AA/FCS. Why did we move up?

The game wasn't the same in 2000 as it was today.

Like Mtneer said, back in 2005, the gap of was only $75m. That's not ideal, but at least it's in the same realm. That gap is now almost $240m.

There's nothing anyone could have done to change that. Even if we had gotten into the AAC - those guys are going to end up right where we are when it's all said and done.

There's only 2 schools in the NCAA top 50 in revenue that weren't traditional power conference programs 25 years ago - Utah (a large state school) and UConn (large state school which is pretty much here only because of it's basketball program).

No one has been able to break that top 50 revenue ceiling - not UCF with their new stadium and undefeated season and prime location, not Cincy with their playoff success, not Memphis with all their Fed Ex money.

You need 100 years of history and multi-generational attachment and brand growth to get there. We have been around 25 years. We don't have enough people with enough money to get there in this short of time, and we don't have enough people with enough money to keep up once the Ohio State's and Texas's put their foot on the gas.

 

[ewglenn]

That's called I-AA/FCS. Why did we move up?

That’s about to be the third tier.

 

[ewglenn]

A delusion of grandeur?

In all seriousness, I agree with you. We had a window of time to position ourselves to at least be in the AAC. We failed. It sucks.

We needed dynamic driven leadership to make the FBS move work well long term. Instead, we have an AD that makes me think of the beaky buzzard on the old bugs bunny cartoons singing I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee every time he talks. And we have Seven Wood.


I think the window has closed and we need to reassess for survival. Sadly I think we are closer to FCS than P4. I agree with EWGlenn.

I mean best case scenario, looking at this completely objective, if MTSU did everything right we’d be in the AAC right now and we would be essentially getting regulated to D2 football even if we did everything right. No one in the G5 is closer to the P4 than FCS right now. Memphis might be the closest but they are way off from being one of the big boys. Again, this is all my opinion but I’m trying to take the blue googles off and see it for what it is.

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

I can’t disagree with your last post at all Glenn.

 

[MT01]

A break away hasn’t happened. In fact, the settlement if it’s agreed appears to be nullifying the potential for a P2 or P4 break away. The only way we get that is if too many schools (especially current ver angry 22 conferences that don’t play FBS football) who would be forced to shoulder a disproportionate burden of the payouts. They could derail the settlement (and I don’t blame them) which would basically end the NCAA and then we would have this huge break off and whole new thing established.

But right now there’s a settlement on the table that’s going to somewhat keep status quo. The caveat is the new requirements to be at this level are basically going to force you to pay about $20 to $30M in pay. So while I agree in most parts about the UCF and Memphis perspectives posted previously they are absolutely going to be part of that new order if the settlement happens. MT took the lazy approach. Well we’ll never be at that level so we’re not even really going to try. And now it looks like it’s going to play out differently than everyone predicted.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

Here are two great articles. One references just what you said MT01, that we are good for at least 10yrs (minus the $22m "salary cap").
The other details how this could get derailed and how we are still a LONG way from this being over.

 

[mtfblue]

Here are two great articles. One references just what you said MT01, that we are good for at least 10yrs (minus the $22m "salary cap").
The other details how this could get derailed and how we are still a LONG way from this being over.

View embedded media

View embedded media

Isn't 10 years the magic number for the ACC schools anyway? So this is just a band-aid on a gunshot wound. 10 years will go fast and they will break, especially once they can sew up the final TV markets they want to be in, with the ACC schools.

 

[MT01]

Well, it's a done deal. No split - officially. But comes has a massive price tag. And will basically result in a defacto split since most schools won't be able to pay.

It's insane to me that P4 is getting away with only paying 40% while the rest of college athletics has to pick up the other 60% of the tab. Especially when most of those schools wouldn't have been paying players or NIL (because no one watches them).

It's financial rape what the P4 has pulled off and what Congress has allowed.

 

[MTTim]

If they had the gonads now is the time for the G5 to breakaway. Otherwise we will continue to be the P2 beatch.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

Well, it's a done deal. No split - officially. But comes has a massive price tag. And will basically result in a defacto split since most schools won't be able to pay.

It's insane to me that P4 is getting away with only paying 40% while the rest of college athletics has to pick up the other 60% of the tab. Especially when most of those schools wouldn't have been paying players or NIL (because no one watches them).

It's financial rape what the P4 has pulled off and what Congress has allowed.

100%. Their "logic" is that they will be paying the $22m salary cap towards players but the G5/FCS won't.

Bull snot.

It's just their way of wringing more power. As said, OSU's budget is $240m more than ours, but they are only paying $500k more/yr than us. Makes zero sense. And that $22m won't hurt them a bit. Probably already have donors lined up.

There may not be a split for right now, but recruting and the portal just got much harder for us, so there might as well be one.

 

[RaiderDoug]

Well, it's a done deal. No split - officially. But comes has a massive price tag. And will basically result in a defacto split since most schools won't be able to pay.

It's coming.

The current model is unsustainable for 80 schools. May take 10 years - i've always said the TV contracts dictate movement - but its coming.

 

[MTTim]

Eventually the portal will be a tiered system.
Tier 1- only the top half of the P2 can afford these players.
Tier 2- the lower half of P2, plus the B12 and ACC will have the money to pay these players.
Tier 3- these athletes will play for a new pair of shoes and $200 a month for date nights.

 

[SpaceRaider]

All this different levelsof money flowing somewhat freely, and the players having their hands out, I can see job actions, unions, walkouts. strikes, more lawsuits,

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

Just not what college sports was supposed to be 100+ years ago. Big time college sports was broke long before paying players came along.

Even little league / children's sports has become a revenue albatross.

I will never care like I once did. I may attend a game here and there but my goal is my wealth. Not others.

 

[RaiderDoug]

All this different levelsof money flowing somewhat freely, and the players having their hands out, I can see job actions, unions, walkouts. strikes, more lawsuits,

What’s going to be really fun to watch is when 18 yr old entitled punk QB goes “on strike” at the behest of the union and starts bashing his school.

I can’t wait to see how that would shake out.

 

[sWiley]

Just not what college sports was supposed to be 100+ years ago. Big time college sports was broke long before paying players came along.

Even little league / children's sports has become a revenue albatross.

I will never care like I once did. I may attend a game here and there but my goal is my wealth. Not others.

Bingo. College athletics has quickly turned into a bunch of overpaid, mostly shitty 19 year olds thinking they are gods gift and demanding money, some before ever playing a single down. Vast majority won’t even go on to be professionals but these dumbass schools and boosters will give them millions based on star ratings and “potential”

Every G5 with a superstar player can absolutely kiss those dudes goodbye after 1 good season. I could see even our decent players taking 50k to go be a back up safety somewhere. After all, they will have at minimum $20 million per year to shell out PLUS NIL money. The 20 million is just the schools contribution! I don’t think people understand just how much money these P4 players are about to make.

And it’s going to continue to crush schools like us. Now they will have any player at any time they want from a school like us. And we are going to be so poor going forward after this new settlement we will have nothing to offer. Truly insane. We are actually a junior college now but with 85 scholarships.

Just no thanks man. Professional sports superior in every possible way, without the baggage, and without the massive prohibitive competitive advantages. Have you ever seen a 20, 30, 40+ point spread in an NFL game? No and not even close. Those are routine in non conference college games though because of the incredible lack of parity in the sport. And that lack of parity is about to get even worse

No Fing thank you.

 

[RaiderDoug]

Those are routine in non conference college games though because of the incredible lack of parity in the sport. And that lack of parity is about to get even worse

No Fing thank you.

Depends on the perspective (and also what college football shakes out like in the future).

What does success look like for a program at our level (in a vacuum) - a conference title, bowl trip, beating your rivals - I think we'd all have looked at that as a success since we came up, right?

None of that has changed.

In fact, there's a chance we might be able to have our own top 25, our own playoff, and the like. That's a lot to play for, and it's a lot of fun.

Yes, we all had the dream that somehow, we could be another Boise and win our way to a seat at the table. But that didn't even happen for Boise. (you want to have a laugh - SMU literally soaked their boosters for 100's of millions of dollars and as soon as FSU and Clemson can figure out how to get out of the grant of rights, they're going to be right back into a new "AAC").

Can you honestly tell me that- hypothetically - in 2028, we're playing a top 10 matchup in the playoffs in Floyd against a team like Appy State - and you're not going to pay any attention?

 

[MT01]

Depends on the perspective (and also what college football shakes out like in the future).

What does success look like for a program at our level (in a vacuum) - a conference title, bowl trip, beating your rivals - I think we'd all have looked at that as a success since we came up, right?

None of that has changed.

In fact, there's a chance we might be able to have our own top 25, our own playoff, and the like. That's a lot to play for, and it's a lot of fun.

Yes, we all had the dream that somehow, we could be another Boise and win our way to a seat at the table. But that didn't even happen for Boise. (you want to have a laugh - SMU literally soaked their boosters for 100's of millions of dollars and as soon as FSU and Clemson can figure out how to get out of the grant of rights, they're going to be right back into a new "AAC").

Can you honestly tell me that- hypothetically - in 2028, we're playing a top 10 matchup in the playoffs in Floyd against a team like Appy State - and you're not going to pay any attention?

I don’t think any of this is the point. Will we even be televised anymore? Or 100% ESPN 3? We are basically going back to what FCS was. Not many FCS games get televised except the playoff. They’re not on the ticker scrolling with the rest of college football games on Saturday. Sans their occasional bone you can’t earn a game day appearance like JMU, App, or Coastal has done. All of this goes away with being relegated again. Maybe you say why does any of that matter. Well, my opinion it does matter.

But I think it does. You said yourself if we’re formally relegated you won’t be as involved. Bottom line from my perspective it’s all just very disappointing. Power and greed have officially ruined college football. Next they will set their sites on the basketball tournament.

 

[RaiderDoug]

I don’t think any of this is the point. Will we even be televised anymore? Or 100% ESPN 3? We are basically going back to what FCS was. Not many FCS games get televised except the playoff. They’re not on the ticker scrolling with the rest of college football games on Saturday. Sans their occasional bone you can’t earn a game day appearance like JMU, App, or Coastal has done. All of this goes away with being relegated again. Maybe you say why does any of that matter. Well, my opinion it does matter.

But I think it does. You said yourself if we’re formally relegated you won’t be as involved. Bottom line from my perspective it’s all just very disappointing. Power and greed have officially ruined college football. Next they will set their sites on the basketball tournament.

I don't mind ESPN+. I watched MT on CBS SN streaming, I found them on facebook once. I've been here for 18 years of Stock, you have no idea how much punishment MT can inflict and still have me tune in on a Saturday.

I really don't see it as relegated. I am no longer under the illusion that we're playing the same game as Ohio State, Bama, Tennessee, etc. Let 'em go off and do their thing.

We didn't get relegated when teams left for the AAC. They just left. Hell, look at us going from the Belt to CUSA - teams like Arkansas State may have felt like they were being relegated, but you know what - they ended up in a better place. We end up in the SoCon, and you might have a point. But if we end up in a new regional reorganized G5 with some Belt schools, and some old AAC foes - I'm ok with it.

There's going to be some TV/streaming inventory to fill somewhere. It's not like they're only going to show the SEC and then fill everything else with poker and competitive eating.

Here's the most important thing about all of this - nobody can do anything about it away. Screaming at the sky about the unfairness of it all is not going to all of a sudden get us an invite to the SEC.

I applaud the ambition of the guys when we moved to FBS, but the sport changed in ways that I don't think anyone could have anticipated. I don't think there was any sort of different choices we could have made that would have made one bit of difference to where we are now. Like I said in another post, even teams with way bigger fan bases, bigger budgets, bigger boosters, longer histories, far better branding are going to get left behind. I've said before that if you just swapped our last 10 years with WKU's - we'd definitely be in the AAC right now. But you know what, that's still not going to make the cut.

Both the optimist and the pessimist end up in the same place. But the optimist has a better time on the way there.

 

[ewglenn]

I don't mind ESPN+. I watched MT on CBS SN streaming, I found them on facebook once. I've been here for 18 years of Stock, you have no idea how much punishment MT can inflict and still have me tune in on a Saturday.

I really don't see it as relegated. I am no longer under the illusion that we're playing the same game as Ohio State, Bama, Tennessee, etc. Let 'em go off and do their thing.

We didn't get relegated when teams left for the AAC. They just left. Hell, look at us going from the Belt to CUSA - teams like Arkansas State may have felt like they were being relegated, but you know what - they ended up in a better place. We end up in the SoCon, and you might have a point. But if we end up in a new regional reorganized G5 with some Belt schools, and some old AAC foes - I'm ok with it.

There's going to be some TV/streaming inventory to fill somewhere. It's not like they're only going to show the SEC and then fill everything else with poker and competitive eating.

Here's the most important thing about all of this - nobody can do anything about it away. Screaming at the sky about the unfairness of it all is not going to all of a sudden get us an invite to the SEC.

I applaud the ambition of the guys when we moved to FBS, but the sport changed in ways that I don't think anyone could have anticipated. I don't think there was any sort of different choices we could have made that would have made one bit of difference to where we are now. Like I said in another post, even teams with way bigger fan bases, bigger budgets, bigger boosters, longer histories, far better branding are going to get left behind. I've said before that if you just swapped our last 10 years with WKU's - we'd definitely be in the AAC right now. But you know what, that's still not going to make the cut.

Both the optimist and the pessimist end up in the same place. But the optimist has a better time on the way there.

Spot on