Is the party over for college athletic budgets?

[admin]

It sounds like the college football season is in major peril. The financial impact on the FBS conferences would be massive.

My guess is they move football to spring.

If we see the FBS conferences agree to universally move college football to the spring, there's a chance it might work. However, the number of players "opting out" will be exponentially higher than what we've seen so far this fall. I would wager that virtually all players who are considered high to intermediate draft prospects would sit out rather than risk injury during a spring season immediately followed by NFL draft with rookie camps beginning in the summer. The result would be a college season without the best college players.

[DeltaV]

It sounds like the college football season is in major peril. The financial impact on the FBS conferences would be massive.

My guess is they move football to spring.

If we see the FBS conferences agree to universally move college football to the spring, there's a chance it might work. However, the number of players "opting out" will be exponentially higher than what we've seen so far this fall. I would wager that virtually all players who are considered high to intermediate draft prospects would sit out rather than risk injury during a spring season immediately followed by NFL draft with rookie camps beginning in the summer. The result would be a college season without the best college players.

Do most college football fans really care? Tens of thousands turn out to see mediocre FBS teams. College football at a lot of places is about the experience, tailgaiting, and there happens to be a football game going on. It's an excuse for day drinking and a party.

And for the top level teams, they're sure to have next man up be just about as good as the guy taking off to prep for the draft. Spring football would be fine, and probably a better deal if they can have fans and tailgating back.

[ArmyVet]

All the reports say that the Big Ten and PAC12 will make an announcement soon canceling falls sports. However it also sounds like the other conferences might consider playing on their own.

Things are about to get extra spicy.

[ArmyVet]

We have all seen some of the big football schools in the Big Ten make pronouncements that their athletic departments will be $100M in the red if there is no football this year. That made me wonder - are athletic departments required to spend every penny of revenue they bring in? These schools have made so much money in media deals, apparel sales, ticket sales, and so on. Is it all gone? Shouldn't there be some money left in reserve for an emergency?

[gtmoBlue]

Many of the football five have used the influx of big bucks as an excuse to splurge.
Newer, bigger, better facilities, stadium improvements or new stadiums, & training facs.
State of the art equipment. Football/hoops dorms and perks.
Higher salaries for coaching staffs-incl HC, etc. More staffing hires.
Many have made bad coaching hires and have to pay buyouts as well.

They have found myriad reasons/excuses to go on extended spending sprees. Why save when
you have a growing and seemingly unending money pipeline in TV revenues? No foresight or prudence
on the part of Administrations, Athletic Depts., and AD's.

[Xudash]

Many of the football five have used the influx of big bucks as an excuse to splurge.
Newer, bigger, better facilities, stadium improvements or new stadiums, & training facs.
State of the art equipment. Football/hoops dorms and perks.
Higher salaries for coaching staffs-incl HC, etc. More staffing hires.
Many have made bad coaching hires and have to pay buyouts as well.

They have found myriad reasons/excuses to go on extended spending sprees. Why save when
you have a growing and seemingly unending money pipeline in TV revenues? No foresight or prudence
on the part of Administrations, Athletic Depts., and AD's.

So, DRUNKEN SAILORS.

[ArmyVet]

They have found myriad reasons/excuses to go on extended spending sprees. Why save when
you have a growing and seemingly unending money pipeline in TV revenues? No foresight or prudence
on the part of Administrations, Athletic Depts., and AD's.

I want college athletes to be able to play their sports and I do not want athletic departments to have to fire all of their employees. However, these schools got so bloated and so reckless with their spending that I have a hard time feeling sorry for the predicament they find themselves in.

[DeltaV]

Many of the football five have used the influx of big bucks as an excuse to splurge.
Newer, bigger, better facilities, stadium improvements or new stadiums, & training facs.
State of the art equipment. Football/hoops dorms and perks.
Higher salaries for coaching staffs-incl HC, etc. More staffing hires.
Many have made bad coaching hires and have to pay buyouts as well.

They have found myriad reasons/excuses to go on extended spending sprees. Why save when
you have a growing and seemingly unending money pipeline in TV revenues? No foresight or prudence
on the part of Administrations, Athletic Depts., and AD's.

So, DRUNKEN SAILORS.

Once TV (football) money really came pouring in (that started what, early 2000's?), it became a spending arms race. Had to have the best everything (locker rooms with leather seating and personal flat screen TVs, private dining areas with special training food, theater seating for tape sessions) to attract the top recruits. Hell, I remember seeing Jay and the team in Dougherty dining hall while I was there. Plus, luxury box seating for the top donors, fancy big screen jumbotrons and event lighting.

The same thing happened to the universities as a whole; I had dorms with cinder block walls. Now, they're all luxury apartments, to attract the best students (which are all now sitting empty as students "learn" online). Colleges as a whole are in for a reckoning; can kids really continue to afford to spend over $50k per year to attend a private school?

[LMS]

Yeah, when I was in college “room and board” was a couple thousands bucks. We are looking at colleges with my son and the dorms are high end and the food options are fancy and endless. I think room and board now costs $10-15k at most schools.

So I guess that I’m agreeing that these athletic departments have overspent just the same as the schools did themselves.

[ArmyVet]

Iowa just announced that they are cutting gymnastics, men's and women's swimming, and men's tennis.