Two Schools Are Reportedly Considering Leaving The Big Ten

[Pompous Elitist]

I've wondered for a long time about if/when the NCAA has run its course as the governing body for college football. It's turned into such an arms race and a cash grab. The B1G could just put up a fence basically and just say these are the rules we want to play by. Our players will be student athletes and we will compete against each other and not be minor league for the NFL. B1G 10 schools could play 10-12 conference games. Culminating in a B1G championship playoff. There would still be more than enough revenue for that product. It amounts to saying I'm taking my ball and going home. There's very little integrity left in this age of college football and if someone doesn't take a stand at some point it will be totally unrecognizable in the very near future. We know the SEC will never be the adults in the room. The B1G is the only other entity that would have the power to do anything.

I wholeheartedly agree with your post but Pettiti (and others in decision-making positions) won’t garner a megabuck payday if the deal doesn’t go through.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

So what are some solutions?

The thought of a short term pay for a percentage of revenue does not seem great on the surface. But the fact is suddenly departments now have a $20 million expense. Everyone screams when there's talk about cutting sports along with price increases with tickets, donation level, and hot dog prices at all venues. Meanwhile, the subject of Williams Arena won't go away. Perhaps a new TV rights deal can be scored in a few years when the current one expires, but that will just result in more of me seeing the guy in the red hat & jacket with his little time clock, which will probably only increase in the time that starts ticking down.

So what are the solutions? I will fully admit that I do not have them.

I’d guess there is a barge load of fat on the department P&L. Coyle and his contemporaries have never had to make any hard decisions beyond how to spend all the excess revenue and hit up donors for even more. Money-losing sports do not need to have coaches (with no other comparable salary options) earning more than tenured professors. The football team does not need a charter bus size staff to function. What does Gerritt Chernoff do here? Honest question. I have no idea. I’d like to know his actual responsibilities and decisions the coaching staff is not making.

It can be done, with a little effort I’d like to think. Call in the Bobs.


This is outdated but informative. Chernoff is up over 400k, I believe..

https://openpayrolls.com/rank/highest-paid-employees/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities

 

[FanSinceTheFifties]

The only real certainty in college athletics right now (at least as it pertains to basketball and football) is that the fans are the farthest thing from the minds of anyone involved in making the decisions. Has become completely about the $$$ which is a damn shame.

I don't get this. The money comes from the fans. How can a business earn more by mistreating the source of its income?

 

[FireDaveLee]

I don't get this. The money comes from the fans. How can a business earn more by mistreating the source of its income?

Sadly, I think the vast majority comes from TV revenue now and it's not really close.

 

[Ope3]

I’d guess there is a barge load of fat on the department P&L. Coyle and his contemporaries have never had to make any hard decisions beyond how to spend all the excess revenue and hit up donors for even more. Money-losing sports do not need to have coaches (with no other comparable salary options) earning more than tenured professors. The football team does not need a charter bus size staff to function. What does Gerritt Chernoff do here? Honest question. I have no idea. I’d like to know his actual responsibilities and decisions the coaching staff is not making.

It can be done, with a little effort I’d like to think. Call in the Bobs.


This is outdated but informative. Chernoff is up over 400k, I believe..

https://openpayrolls.com/rank/highest-paid-employees/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities

Righteous bucks.

 

[Ope3]

Sadly, I think the vast majority comes from TV revenue now and it's not really close.

75% TV/Corporate sponsors?

Just a wild guess.

 

[SeaBee_Gopher]

I've wondered for a long time about if/when the NCAA has run its course as the governing body for college football. It's turned into such an arms race and a cash grab. The B1G could just put up a fence basically and just say these are the rules we want to play by. Our players will be student athletes and we will compete against each other and not be minor league for the NFL. B1G 10 schools could play 10-12 conference games. Culminating in a B1G championship playoff. There would still be more than enough revenue for that product. It amounts to saying I'm taking my ball and going home. There's very little integrity left in this age of college football and if someone doesn't take a stand at some point it will be totally unrecognizable in the very near future. We know the SEC will never be the adults in the room. The B1G is the only other entity that would have the power to do anything.

The Ivy League already did this and they are still considered The Ivy League! It doesn't seem to have hurt them one bit.

 

[PMWinSTP]

“According to reports, Michigan believes that the deal is essentially an unnecessary "payday loan" that would bail certain schools out for poorly managing their finances.”

Various leaks have indicated the PE scheme is intended to prevent OSU, Michigan, USC, PSU from buying out their Big Ten obligations to form a super league with SEC schools. The same leakers indicate Sankey and the SEC want no part of PE equity shares. Who knows what the real story is.

Under either scenario MN probably loses out, if the goal is maximizing revenue and profit. And that seems to be the goal. If the Big Ten signs on to this stupid deal then three or more tiers of revenue sharing with MN slotting in at the lower end.

The Big Ten has suffered under two suspect commissioners in a row. If school donors made their dismay known to certain people maybe it would help prevent this catastrophe from moving forward. Pettiti is a cancer that should be cut out.

Hot takes and wild speculations. Posted this multiple times...Any "super league" will quickly revert back to the mean or become a league of parity. Someone has to lose games. They all can't continue to be helmet schools.

 

[Kitzmann57]

I don't get this. The money comes from the fans. How can a business earn more by mistreating the source of its income?

Gophers get $80 million from TV. You need to sell a ton of tickets in a 50,000 seat stadium for 7 games, to get $80 million.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

Minnesota and uw should leave so they can join the NCHC in hockey and all can be right in the world.

Name checks out.

 

[Kgopher]

Bye-bye.

 

[LeftofThaDial]

I’d guess there is a barge load of fat on the department P&L. Coyle and his contemporaries have never had to make any hard decisions beyond how to spend all the excess revenue and hit up donors for even more. Money-losing sports do not need to have coaches (with no other comparable salary options) earning more than tenured professors. The football team does not need a charter bus size staff to function. What does Gerritt Chernoff do here? Honest question. I have no idea. I’d like to know his actual responsibilities and decisions the coaching staff is not making.

It can be done, with a little effort I’d like to think. Call in the Bobs.


This is outdated but informative. Chernoff is up over 400k, I believe..

https://openpayrolls.com/rank/highest-paid-employees/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities

I believe he is the football teams GM.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Sadly, I think the vast majority comes from TV revenue now and it's not really close.

It allows us to be able to watch every and any game we want, so why do you think that is sad?

 

[FanSinceTheFifties]

Gophers get $80 million from TV. You need to sell a ton of tickets in a 50,000 seat stadium for 7 games, to get $80 million.

If fans don't watch games on TV, TV money will dry up.

 

[FanSinceTheFifties]

Sadly, I think the vast majority comes from TV revenue now and it's not really close.

TV pays for games because fans watch them. If fans don't like the product and don't watch, TV money will dry up.

 

[Ope3]

It allows us to be able to watch every and any game we want, so why do you think that is sad?

How about for starters the Gophers are getting ready to play in Eugene, OR on a Friday night instead of Champaign, IL on a Saturday.

There are now.17 teams Minnesota needs to be better than instead of 9 to win the Big 10.

All driven by TV bucks.

 

[Kitzmann57]

TV pays for games because fans watch them. If fans don't like the product and don't watch, TV money will dry up.

Alabama vs Texas, USC vs Michigan is now a conf game that could happen every other yr. Fans want to see those big games. Before, they'd only meet in a bowl game. I believe ratings are up for thoses types of games.

 

[Ski-U-Ham]

How about for starters the Gophers are getting ready to play in Eugene, OR on a Friday night instead of Champaign, IL on a Saturday.

There are now.17 teams Minnesota needs to be better than instead of 9 to win the Big 10.

All driven by TV bucks.

I'd say 10 at the most, maybe still 9 (the 9 they play in the regular season and then the one they play in the B1G Championship Game)

 

[#2Gopher]

A mess indeed as I read the comments.

 

[Ope3]

I'd say 10 at the most, maybe still 9 (the 9 they play in the regular season and then the one they play in the B1G Championship Game)

It's actually possible to have 3 unbeaten teams as #Some Guy has been quick to point out, so even 9-0 might not cut it for the Gophers to get to Indy.