The Football Thread

[GreatDaneAttorney]

I know, I know, this is a basketball forum. And I know, I know, the Big East is not currently looking at expansion candidates.

But....

I can't help but notice that if Richmond and Dayton were to be extended invites, that 5 Big East members would sponsor FCS football, and that Creighton has a stadium right next to their campus where they could play. And now with this extra TV money, I'm sure the Pioneer schools could start offering a few schollies....

I know this is a stretch, but is there any chance I'll see the Bluejays play football at TD Ameritrade within the next decade?

[BillEsq]

I know, I know, this is a basketball forum. And I know, I know, the Big East is not currently looking at expansion candidates.

But....

I can't help but notice that if Richmond and Dayton were to be extended invites, that 5 Big East members would sponsor FCS football, and that Creighton has a stadium right next to their campus where they could play. And now with this extra TV money, I'm sure the Pioneer schools could start offering a few schollies....

I know this is a stretch, but is there any chance I'll see the Bluejays play football at TD Ameritrade within the next decade?

No chance .... title IX basically has eliminated any chance for any of the non football schools from adding football and from the non scholarship schools from adding scholarships. Even if cheerleding is eventually added as a title IX qualifying sport it will be unlikely as the schools would probably shore up their other programs rather then spend for the football. just my humble.

[MUSeashells&Balloons]

Considering nearly the FCS schools lose money on their football programs and only about 30 FBS schools make a profit(though the ones that do make a ton) I doubt anyone is looking to pick Football up anytime soon.

[NJRedman]

There is a reason why so many FCS schools are trying to move up to FBS. Being an FCS is becoming unattainable.

[Omahanian]

I know this is a stretch, but is there any chance I'll see the Bluejays play football at TD Ameritrade within the next decade?

I am not a bettin' man but I would bet on this one being a zero chance of football being added at Creighton. What I would like to see, (don't know the chances of it happening), is for Creighton to move beyond club status and actually field a Lacrosse team in the Big East. That would be such a cool addition to the midwest. East Coast teams coming here to play. It would ramp up the sport here big time at all the youth levels.

[Bluejay]

I know this is a stretch, but is there any chance I'll see the Bluejays play football at TD Ameritrade within the next decade?

I know they say, "never say never", but I feel pretty confident that UConn, Cincy and Temple will all drop football before Creighton adds it.

Several reasons for this, but cost is far and away the biggest. Secondly, there really aren't facilities for football. Yes, TD Ameritrade did host a couple of the minor league football games, but the sight lines were horrible and the one corner of the end zone abutted the stadium walls, which was pretty dangerous and would never be tolerated for college games. There are no plans to build any FB facilities and the only actual football stadium in Omaha (University of Nebraska-Omaha) is being converted into a soccer complex.

I also suspect that Creighton might be concerned with competing with Nebraska for a football crowd. Another Omaha school (University of Nebraska, Omaha) used to have a pretty successful D2 program with a long history, but they recently dropped the program for financial reasons. If their large alumni base and history couldn't keep a program financially viable, I find it unlikely that Creighton could.

Most significantly, I don't think Creighton would have any desire to take money away from other successful programs to support football. Besides men's basketball, Creighton has had baseball, volleyball, women's basketball and soccer do well in the NCAA tourneys lately. I think they want to see these programs continue to grow (soccer has a big fanbase, baseball has a solid block of fans and volleyball is popular sport in this state) rather than add football. I have my concerns about baseball viability in this new conference as many schools are not committed at all and have horrible facilities. If this starts to impact recruiting, the program may not be sustainable.

[Jet915]

Football is way to expensive. It might be far fetched but I think football will eventually decline. Not soon but maybe in a couple decades. With all the concussions and post traumatic syndromes developing in retired football players, football will get less popular, parents will be less likely to have their children playing football and the lawsuits will climb. Every sport goes through ebbs and flows of popularity and football will do the same...

[DeltaV]

Football is also murder for Title IX numbers. Nearly what, 60, 70 male athletes with now corresponding female team to compensate (women's crew helps, but from what I remember even if they counted everyone who came to the informational meeting, they would only get ~40 women).

As a swimmer, I have a serious dislike for the combination of Football and the application of Title IX. I've seen too many swimming teams eliminated or losing scholarships (along with wrestling, mens gymnastics, and even baseball or soccer at some schools) because of Title IX numbers to keep a football team around, even though they couldn't get the numbers of female athletes in open sign ups.

[GreatDaneAttorney]

Considering nearly the FCS schools lose money on their football programs and only about 30 FBS schools make a profit(though the ones that do make a ton) I doubt anyone is looking to pick Football up anytime soon.

That's not stopping other schools:
http://www.footballfoundation.org/News/ ... -2013.aspx

Between 2008-2016, 56 universities will have started football programs, including 14 at the FBS and FCS levels.

If the Big East had gone with its own network instead of Fox Sports 1, I think there may have been a better chance of the league eventually sponsoring football. As it stands, it would be difficult to get FS1 to pick up Big East football. Maybe a few years into the TV contract, these sorts of discussions will take place, and it will be determined if the Big East brand could carry a separate football contract.

[butlerguy03]

Highly doubt Butler would go to scholarship football. The money is going to be spent where it should be: basketball & overall facilities management.