Coyle says changes could be coming to Gopher sports department

Well right now that's the rule. It wouldn't surprise me if the P4 got together and decided to just ignore it. And who cares if the NCAA even could do something about it - the people picking the teams for the CFP are FAR, FAR more important right now than anyone in the NCAA. Heck, even if the NCAA still had rules to enforce and deemed a team ineligible, as long as the team was chosen to play in the CFP and won it, people would still recognize them as champs, even if the NCAA won't.
The NCAA division 1 football champions are South Dakota State.
There is no NCAA recognized champion at any higher level than that.
 


I have no idea if this makes sense for every sport (or not any sport) but maybe ditching the current conferences for non-revenue sports and creating new regional conferences could save on some travel costs. Most conferences are no longer regional so the travel costs have continued to increase I'm guessing.
How about a collection of ten Midwest schools for the new regional conference? I'm envisioning mostly large institutions, so we could call it the big ten.
 

How about a collection of ten Midwest schools for the new regional conference? I'm envisioning mostly large institutions, so we could call it the big ten.
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I hope zero sports get cut but that's a good list of the essentials you have. I would probably get rid of golf and add wrestling though.
Wrestling is worthy of keeping, good catch. I have a passion for collegiate golf and would hate to lose a program that brought us a national championship in 2002.
 


I have no idea if this makes sense for every sport (or not any sport) but maybe ditching the current conferences for non-revenue sports and creating new regional conferences could save on some travel costs. Most conferences are no longer regional so the travel costs have continued to increase I'm guessing.
I think it makes sense for all non-revenue sports, especially the outdoor ones. No way in hell with our climate can we compete with the Southern and Western schools for titles in baseball, softball, golf, etc.
 

Stop being a stickler for facts when someone is on a personal mission!
Not really sure what kind of personal mission you think I'm on...? Your sarcasm aside, I think you guys both know what I meant - that if the NCAA tried to vacate wins, post-season accomplishments, etc. that no one would care and people would still give that team credit for winning the CFP.
 

weird how we were 10 out of 14 last year and this year we have dropped to the 14th spot even with a 15 million increase. Other school have increased their budget tremendously why are we falling so far behind.
It seems like the more money that pours in, the tighter the finances that emerge for some reason. Soooo Minnesota. How can we compete with all this money coming in?
 




weird how we were 10 out of 14 last year and this year we have dropped to the 14th spot even with a 15 million increase. Other school have increased their budget tremendously why are we falling so far behind.
The school and the broader Minnesotan populace don't care about having a successful CFB program. That's just the way it is. It's a tough pill to swallow but I've reached the acceptance stage long ago. I grew up and spent 98% of my life in my beloved Minnesota and it still felt a niche sport/hobby when I'd bring it up around people. It was rare to run into actual Gopher football fans, and I grew up playing the sport and knew plenty of Vikings and general football fans.
 

It seems like the more money that pours in, the tighter the finances that emerge for some reason. Soooo Minnesota. How can we compete with all this money coming in?
Mo Money Mo Problems.
 

It seems like the more money that pours in, the tighter the finances that emerge for some reason. Soooo Minnesota. How can we compete with all this money coming in?

the big change - or I should say the big upcoming change - is that if/when the settlement of the House anti-trust case is finalized, schools will then have the option to begin making direct revenue-sharing payments to athletes. for a P4 school like MN, that could mean roughly $21-million a year in revenue sharing. that is a new line item in the budget that wasn't there before.

so, if you're Coyle, you look at your budget, and you have to figure out where the $21-million is going to come from. Yes, they will get some additional revenue from TV contracts and a conference share of the expanded CFP playoffs. but the additional revenue will most likely not cover the additional expense.

there is room to generate more local revenue - by (for instance) selling out home Football games, and selling more tickets for men's and women's hockey and basketball.

but, unless Coyle finds a lot of additional revenue somewhere, the bottom line is that the non-revenue sports are the most likely place to cut expenses, by eliminating sports or changing sports to club (i.e. non-scholarship) status, while somehow walking the Title IX tightrope.
 






Always seemed like the point of college sports was to give kids a chance to compete and earn a college education. Doesn't really look like that is the point anymore. Yeah there are diehards on Gopherhole who want just money making sports to continue.

Let's hope it is enough people that can fill Huntington and Williams to keep this going.
 

Always seemed like the point of college sports was to give kids a chance to compete and earn a college education. Doesn't really look like that is the point anymore. Yeah there are diehards on Gopherhole who want just money making sports to continue.

Let's hope it is enough people that can fill Huntington and Williams to keep this going.
Have TV/ streaming to blame
 

The school and the broader Minnesotan populace don't care about having a successful CFB program. That's just the way it is. It's a tough pill to swallow but I've reached the acceptance stage long ago. I grew up and spent 98% of my life in my beloved Minnesota and it still felt a niche sport/hobby when I'd bring it up around people. It was rare to run into actual Gopher football fans, and I grew up playing the sport and knew plenty of Vikings and general football fans.
Just not true. Grew up in greater Minnesota and have been a lifelong fan. I run into fans all the time, and believe me, they want a successful CFB program.
 

Just not true. Grew up in greater Minnesota and have been a lifelong fan. I run into fans all the time, and believe me, they want a successful CFB program.
Fair enough, I don't doubt that. I also think it's a generational thing (I'm 32) My father's generation and friends (guys in their 60's and 70's) are certainly more dialed in and have fonder memories (and seemingly higher expectations) I really only know a handful of people around my age or younger that are real Gopher CFB fans (follow the program closely, follow recruiting, know the roster, etc etc)
 

Fair enough, I don't doubt that. I also think it's a generational thing (I'm 32) My father's generation and friends (guys in their 60's and 70's) are certainly more dialed in and have fonder memories (and seemingly higher expectations) I really only know a handful of people around my age or younger that are real Gopher CFB fans (follow the program closely, follow recruiting, know the roster, etc etc)
I think younger people in general don't follow sports as closely as older people do. The median age of tv sports viewers is really high.
 

I think younger people in general don't follow sports as closely as older people do. The median age of tv sports viewers is really high.

with younger people, the attention spans have been trained to react to highlights. they don't watch whole games on TV, but they'll watch the highlights of the big plays that show up on social media/You Tube/etc. I attend a lot of High School sporting events, and the school-age kids stare at their phones the entire time - at least most of them do. if something happens and people are cheering, they'll look up from their phones to see what happened.

sure, there is a cohort in each age group that still cares about Gopher sports, but they're in the minority.
 



So basically you're saying it sucks for the people who were getting room and board and tuition from money that other people were generating.

Yeah, in a twisted way it probably does suck for them. But they shouldn't have been getting those benefits to begin with. If you can't generate a profit then become a club sport and play against other students at the U of M. I had to play flag football and no one felt sorry for me not getting a scholly.
Universities have traditionally been a place to give well rounded experiences and not just promote what creates the most money. The USA Olympic feeder system depends a great deal upon college athletes from sports that do not generate a great deal of revenue.

Pushing your philosophy a little further..... why do we even have art? classical music? degrees in sports management (or what ever is the choice of most revenue generating athletes)?

Oh, and you did not have to play flag football. You had the opportunity to play flag football even though it couldn't generate enough revenue to exist. Just like many of the classes you took, they did not generate enough revenue to exist. And do not try to say that the token fee you might have paid to play flag football covered all of the costs that is took to offer it.
 


Always seemed like the point of college sports was to give kids a chance to compete and earn a college education. Doesn't really look like that is the point anymore. Yeah there are diehards on Gopherhole who want just money making sports to continue.

Let's hope it is enough people that can fill Huntington and Williams to keep this going.
It’s not anymore. Full business model
 

Yeah not that my opinion matters, but if everything besides Mens and Women's hockey, football, basketball, and baseball were cut I wouldn't bat an eye. I would certainly feel for those students and fans, but if some trimming is what has to happen then so be it.
You have to consider the balance of men and women sports in relation to the percentage of gender makeup at the U. This was partly the reason for the previous cuts. I doubt they would cut volleyball, softball or gymnastics. All three of those programs have been successful.
 

Universities have traditionally been a place to give well rounded experiences and not just promote what creates the most money. The USA Olympic feeder system depends a great deal upon college athletes from sports that do not generate a great deal of revenue.

Let them continue. If they are competing for the love of gymnastics or swimming, fine, but you don't need a scholarship to do it.

Pushing your philosophy a little further..... why do we even have art? classical music? degrees in sports management (or what ever is the choice of most revenue generating athletes)?

We have art because someone wanted to make it. If they managed to sell it and live off of the money, great for them. As for the art degree, it wouldn't bother me at all if it went away. I don't think society benefits at all from hundreds of art majors graduating every year and then entering food service careers. I am fine though with having a generic major for athletes that don't really want the education though.

Just like many of the classes you took, they did not generate enough revenue to exist.

I believe what you're getting at here is that the state subsidized part of it, right? I'll agree with that, but I think there's a difference between funding an education so someone can then earn significantly more money and thus pay more back in taxes versus subsidizing sports that very few people watch or are even aware of.

I don't think either of us are wrong or right. This is more about personal preference. You seem to prefer a scenario where everyone gets something where I prefer the scenario where the sports exist if they can support themselves.

Cheers.
 

It’s not anymore. Full business model
I'd be interested to know the history of college sports and scholarships. Did sports exist first without scholarships, and then as money came in they started sharing it? And then as more money came in than could be spent, did they start increasing the number of non-revenue sports?

But yeah, now that they can soon pay players directly, your quote sums it up perfectly.
 

I hope zero sports get cut but that's a good list of the essentials you have. I would probably get rid of golf and add wrestling though.
Baseball is going to be a very hard one to keep, very expensive with no revenue. You've got what 25 people flying around the country constantly all winter not to mention the in season travel expenses.
 




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