We need to stop listening to the "Big East Sucks" Doom and Gloomers

[nelsonmuntz]

It is funny how a mildly positive article on the Big East by a noted Big East hater like Ross Dellenger has enraged so many on this board.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

THIS! There are articles and articles out there in the higher ed world about how many of them are in dire financial trouble because of the enrollment cliff.

Do you think most private schools can afford to pump millions of dollars into athletics? BU (which I consider a "rich" university) literally canned all of their humanities graduate programs after the graduate students unionized. You're not being logical if you don't think that unionized student athletes would prompt universities to do the same.

Do you think the public will be okay that the highest compensated state employees are student athletes? Coaches already get a lot of flack for this. This will magnify this problem tenfold.

I haven't even gotten into how Title IX impacts this...so even programs with revenue generating men's sports may be on the block if they can't carry the losses of women's programs.

People aren't seeing the very likely way these dominoes are going to fall because they're too focused on the immediate. University economics are not built to withstand classifying athletes as employees. So save the very few athletic programs that are solvent, we will quickly see universities drop athletics or truly convert them to amateur levels (like St. Francis just did).

There has to be collective bargaining or an act of Congress (which is virtually impossible) or college sports will not exist in 5 years. For example, there is no enforceable rule on a player switching schools in midseason, or in the middle of a game for that matter. Players and teams are just choosing not to do it.

 

[ZooCougar]

Most Big East schools can’t afford to share $8M and the big schools will just find ways to work around the cap.

This is atupid discussion.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I'm not sure that people are enraged (with the possible exception of the one call g others enraged) but what our school's fan base needs to do is give up on thinking that something is going to come along and save us.

We have to save ourselves. To do this we need to continue as we have been in men's and women's basketball and continue building the football program and it's profile.

The next inflection point is 2030. Similar to the transfer portal, deals will for the large part will be made in advance, primarily behind the scenes. We need to demonstrate over the next few years that we would be in the top half of either of the lower two P-4 conferences in terms of overall value and competitiveness in all revenue sports.

 

[Kolumbo]

UConn Basketball and Football were both better than UNC this year. We were on the verge of beating Florida in Raleigh. We beat UNC football in a packed Fenway. Our AD is clearly better than cuse, pitt, bcu, etc. Yet we all know our demonstrations fall on deaf ears.

 

[Waquoit]

The Big East crew wants to cancel Football and be Seton Hall.

I guess that's what I was missing. Honestly, I'm feeling less "drop football" vibes, maybe I'm not paying close enough attention.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It looks like Kevin Willard is considering leaving Maryland for Villanova. Someone should send him a link to this thread so he can see that every Big East school will lose every game they ever play, forever.

 

[UConnDan97]

It looks like Kevin Willard is considering leaving Maryland for Villanova. Someone should send him a link to this thread so he can see that every Big East school will lose every game they ever play, forever.

It's hard to believe that you are ever serious about what you type.

Willard currently makes 2.5 million more than Neptune (Nova's current coach). For Nova to land him, they'll have to spend about 4 to 5 million more per year on their head coach than they are currently doing.

In terms of highest paid basketball coaches in the country: Hurley is #3. The second highest paid Big East coach is Shaka Smart at #44. #44. Let that sink in. Less than half of what Hurley is paid.

Men's Basketball Head Coach Salaries - USA TODAY

Ever wondered who the highest paid coach in men's basketball is? Find out today with USA TODAY's complete salary data.

sportsdata.usatoday.com

Is it possible that Willard goes to Nova? Yeah... if they quadruple their current investment. Is it more likely he's using it as a power play to get more NIL investment from the Twerps? Also yeah.

Bottom line: the Big East as a conference is not investing anywhere near what the P4 are, and they had better start soon or we're screwed...

 

[ZooCougar]

It's hard to believe that you are ever serious about what you type.

Willard currently makes 2.5 million more than Neptune (Nova's current coach). For Nova to land him, they'll have to spend about 4 to 5 million more per year on their head coach than they are currently doing.

In terms of highest paid basketball coaches in the country: Hurley is #3. The second highest paid Big East coach is Shaka Smart at #44. #44. Let that sink in. Less than half of what Hurley is paid.

Men's Basketball Head Coach Salaries - USA TODAY

Ever wondered who the highest paid coach in men's basketball is? Find out today with USA TODAY's complete salary data.

sportsdata.usatoday.com

Is it possible that Willard goes to Nova? Yeah... if they quadruple their current investment. Is it more likely he's using it as a power play to get more NIL investment from the Twerps? Also yeah.

Bottom line: the Big East as a conference is not investing anywhere near what the P4 are, and they had better start soon or we're screwed...

It’s like he wakes up in the morning, invents the most indefensible position possible and then tries to argue it for the heck of it.

 

[ZooCougar]

I guess that's what I was missing. Honestly, I'm feeling less "drop football" vibes, maybe I'm not paying close enough attention.

The chirping died down when they made a bowl again and sold more tickets for it than we do for any basketball game (I love basketball).

 

[Kolumbo]

It's hard to believe that you are ever serious about what you type.

Willard currently makes 2.5 million more than Neptune (Nova's current coach). For Nova to land him, they'll have to spend about 4 to 5 million more per year on their head coach than they are currently doing.

In terms of highest paid basketball coaches in the country: Hurley is #3. The second highest paid Big East coach is Shaka Smart at #44. #44. Let that sink in. Less than half of what Hurley is paid.

Men's Basketball Head Coach Salaries - USA TODAY

Ever wondered who the highest paid coach in men's basketball is? Find out today with USA TODAY's complete salary data.

sportsdata.usatoday.com

Is it possible that Willard goes to Nova? Yeah... if they quadruple their current investment. Is it more likely he's using it as a power play to get more NIL investment from the Twerps? Also yeah.

Bottom line: the Big East as a conference is not investing anywhere near what the P4 are, and they had better start soon or we're screwed...

You never know. Maybe the status and quality of life at nova would be a much more enjoyable experience than being a coach at a program noone else in the big ten cares about. And maybe nova can come up with the money.

 

[UConnDan97]

You never know. Maybe the status and quality of life at nova would be a much more enjoyable experience than being a coach at a program noone else in the big ten cares about. And maybe nova can come up with the money.

12 people booing vs 3 million extra per year.

12 people...3 million...12 people... it's really a hard call, isn't it?!?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The chirping died down when they made a bowl again and sold more tickets for it than we do for any basketball game (I love basketball).

I am one of the very few in this thread who has a coherent, defensible position on this issue. Everyone else is making a very strident case for shutting down the athletic program.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It's hard to believe that you are ever serious about what you type.

Willard currently makes 2.5 million more than Neptune (Nova's current coach). For Nova to land him, they'll have to spend about 4 to 5 million more per year on their head coach than they are currently doing.

In terms of highest paid basketball coaches in the country: Hurley is #3. The second highest paid Big East coach is Shaka Smart at #44. #44. Let that sink in. Less than half of what Hurley is paid.

Men's Basketball Head Coach Salaries - USA TODAY

Ever wondered who the highest paid coach in men's basketball is? Find out today with USA TODAY's complete salary data.

sportsdata.usatoday.com

Is it possible that Willard goes to Nova? Yeah... if they quadruple their current investment. Is it more likely he's using it as a power play to get more NIL investment from the Twerps? Also yeah.

Bottom line: the Big East as a conference is not investing anywhere near what the P4 are, and they had better start soon or we're screwed...

Are you serious about what you type? All most of the realignment board does is bitch and moan that we are not Ohio State or Alabama. 1) We all understand that they have more money than we do, we don't need UConn fans like you to remind us of that every 3 posts. You have never provided a single insight in one of your whiny posts on this topic that virtually every regular poster on this board doesn't already know. They have more money than us. We heard you the first 1000 times you complained about it. 2) If you like those programs so much, root for them. We have never had trolls on this board as relentlessly negative about UConn's future as most "UConn" fans are now. It is exhausting.

 

[uconnyankee]

Let me know how it goes over in Buckeye land when the school cheaps out on the interior OL so it can outbid Georgetown for some transfer from Fordham.

Nelson is right in that the Big East is much better-positioned for long-term success than some of you let on. Will it be at a major advantage over the football schools like the article speculates? That seems unlikely. But the anxiety it's causing people across the P4 is clearly real. The Big East has legitimate advantages over the P4 that this board doesn't want to acknowledge because of the obvious conflict of interest it presents with regard to UConn football.

Disagree. Big East is geared for short term. Once things settle down the stability of a $80M conf
Check will win out

 

[UConnDan97]

Are you serious about what you type? All most of the realignment board does is bitch and moan that we are not Ohio State or Alabama. 1) We all understand that they have more money than we do, we don't need UConn fans like you to remind us of that every 3 posts. You have never provided a single insight in one of your whiny posts on this topic that virtually every regular poster on this board doesn't already know. They have more money than us. We heard you the first 1000 times you complained about it. 2) If you like those programs so much, root for them. We have never had trolls on this board as relentlessly negative about UConn's future as most "UConn" fans are now. It is exhausting.

Yeah... me...the guy who predicts undefeated seasons every year... I'm the guy who is too whiny and relentlessly negative.

Time for you to buy a large mirror, Nelson...

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Disagree. Big East is geared for short term. Once things settle down the stability of a $80M conf
Check will win out

If it is so obvious that the Big East’s future is hopeless, why aren’t all the Big East schools dropping down to D3?

 

[uconnyankee]

If it is so obvious that the Big East’s future is hopeless, why aren’t all the Big East schools dropping down to D3?

I’m curious, in the world you live in, what happens to Big East in next 5 and 10 years? By year 2030 and 2035 what is your prediction for Big East?

 

[Waquoit]

It's hard to believe that you are ever serious about what you type.

Willard currently makes 2.5 million more than Neptune (Nova's current coach). For Nova to land him, they'll have to spend about 4 to 5 million more per year on their head coach than they are currently doing. The second highest paid Big East coach is Shaka Smart at #44. #44. Let that sink in. Less than half of what Hurley is paid.

Bottom line: the Big East as a conference is not investing anywhere near what the P4 are, and they had better start soon or we're screwed...

This didn't age well. Besides, your data is flawed. It doesn't even include Pitino or Cooley and we know they are each making more than Shaka.

 

[ecasadoSBU]

Could impending rev-share changes help Cinderellas in the future? 'Everybody will be in the game'

As the college sports industry sits on the brink of historic change, an unexpected spending disparity looms — and some mid-majors will be able to take advantage of it in basketball.

sports.yahoo.com

Because they talk out their butt. There are many, many, many posters that are being proven spectacularly wrong on this.

Can the whole system just fall apart already?

What a mess this has become. shameful.

They continue to add complexity on top of a system with a flawed foundation. They should just let the whole thing collapse

 

[John]

It's hard to believe that you are ever serious about what you type.

Willard currently makes 2.5 million more than Neptune (Nova's current coach). For Nova to land him, they'll have to spend about 4 to 5 million more per year on their head coach than they are currently doing.

In terms of highest paid basketball coaches in the country: Hurley is #3. The second highest paid Big East coach is Shaka Smart at #44. #44. Let that sink in. Less than half of what Hurley is paid.

Men's Basketball Head Coach Salaries - USA TODAY

Ever wondered who the highest paid coach in men's basketball is? Find out today with USA TODAY's complete salary data.

sportsdata.usatoday.com

Is it possible that Willard goes to Nova? Yeah... if they quadruple their current investment. Is it more likely he's using it as a power play to get more NIL investment from the Twerps? Also yeah.

Bottom line: the Big East as a conference is not investing anywhere near what the P4 are, and they had better start soon or we're screwed...

Jay Wright was making 6 mil when he retired, so they've previously spent in that neighborhood for a coach. However, Villanova, one of the supposedly cornerstone programs of the Big East, sure is attracting some non-exciting coaches.

 

[UConnDan97]

Jay Wright was making 6 mil when he retired, so they've previously spent in that neighborhood for a coach. However, Villanova, one of the supposedly cornerstone programs of the Big East, sure is attracting some non-exciting coaches.

And that's my whole point, really.

If Nova (and others) are unwilling to invest at a "P4 level", then the Big East is it's own worst enemy...

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I’m curious, in the world you live in, what happens to Big East in next 5 and 10 years? By year 2030 and 2035 what is your prediction for Big East?

Our entire system of higher education may look completely different in 10 years, so no, I can not predict exactly what will happen to the Big East. A few predictions I am willing to make:

1) At least one major public university will have a complete financial collapse in the next 10 years, effectively going bankrupt and needing a bailout or major austerity program just to survive. WVU, Kentucky, Auburn, Arizona and Arizona State are my top choices, but many major universities, including UConn, are possibilities. This has nothing to do with athletics. Many of these universities are in completely unsustainable financial trajectories.

2) There will be less than 200 schools playing D1 basketball in 10-15 years unless the definition of D1 basketball is changed in some form to accommodate major conference programs and minor universities.

3) I think there is about a 50% chance football breaks off completely from other sports either by choice or because of litigation.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

And that's my whole point, really.

If Nova (and others) are unwilling to invest at a "P4 level", then the Big East is it's own worst enemy...

Another post how we are not Ohio State or Alabama. I had not considered that. You must be the smartest sports poster on the internet to have performed this amazingly deep analysis.

 

[UConnDan97]

This didn't age well. Besides, your data is flawed. It doesn't even include Pitino or Cooley and we know they are each making more than Shaka.

I'll give you Cooley because his 6 million is up there for sure. Pitino is making 3.3 million, making him #41. Not the flex you think it is.

If Nova signs Willard, it's a step in the right direction. But my point (and it seems others agree) is that Nova shouldn't have been in this situation to begin with. If your school has won multiple national titles in the last 10 years, you shouldn't be going "on the cheap" to replace your best coach since Massimino (probably better)...