UAB Drops Football

[northwest iowa panther]

First time since the University of Pacific dropped football UAB has discontinued their football program.

In lead up articles to today half of the FBS programs operate at a deficit.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoot...ic-departments

Schools that we have seen move from FCS to the FBS are listed as those having deficits of $7 or more:

Georgia State $23.1 million
Texas State $19.0 million
Appy State $12 million
Georgia Southern $8.3 million
Old Dominion $25.7 million
Western Kentucky $16.4 million

We talk all the time we should move, but there will be no sharing of the playoff money below the power five. The rest of the world will suffer and eventually wither and die. It will be sad that 10,000 student athletes will not receive financial aid and probably not attend college because of this.
UAB is just the start people.

[vbfan19]

Re: UAB Drops Football

plenty of FCS programs have deficits too, I'm sure

[Trapped in California]

Re: UAB Drops Football

First time since the University of Pacific dropped football UAB has discontinued their football program.

In lead up articles to today half of the FBS programs operate at a deficit.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoot...ic-departments

Schools that we have seen move from FCS to the FBS are listed as those having deficits of $7 or more:

Georgia State $23.1 million
Texas State $19.0 million
Appy State $12 million
Georgia Southern $8.3 million
Old Dominion $25.7 million
Western Kentucky $16.4 million

We talk all the time we should move, but there will be no sharing of the playoff money below the power five. The rest of the world will suffer and eventually wither and die. It will be sad that 10,000 student athletes will not receive financial aid and probably not attend college because of this.
UAB is just the start people.

As a student, or anyone else involved with Georgia State, I would be fairly upset for the pile of poo they field blowing that much coin. Their deficit is larger than our entire athletic department budget. That just seems like a crack pipe dream.

[SteinPizza]

Re: UAB Drops Football

Playing devil's advocate, why should the Power 5 share playoff money? None of the schools you list above have a prayer of legitimately competing for a NC, making the top four, etc. Those revenues are generated by the Power 5, and Notre Dame. Remember, we're talking playoff money. Appy St. has about as much right to that as Iowa State has to money generated by the Longhorn Network - zero.

[Codytwo]

Re: UAB Drops Football

Doesn't UNI football already operate at a deficit?

[Trapped in California]

Re: UAB Drops Football

Doesn't UNI football already operate at a deficit?

The UNI AD program operates at about 2-2.5M deficit, last time I saw a number. This is made up with general fund contributions.

Assigning costs to individual sports can get sorta squishy once you get beyond easily determined costs such as scholarships, travel and coach salaries. Who gets credit for funds that AD raises when holding a concert in the UNIDOME? How is Troys compensation divided up? Who covers the cost of women's basketball - it's not WBB season ticket sales, that's for certain.

There is more than one "right way" to handle each of those, and many other issues.

[Codytwo]

Re: UAB Drops Football

The UNI AD program operates at about 2-2.5M deficit, last time I saw a number. This is made up with general fund contributions.

Assigning costs to individual sports can get sorta squishy once you get beyond easily determined costs such as scholarships, travel and coach salaries. Who gets credit for funds that AD raises when holding a concert in the UNIDOME? How is Troys compensation divided up? Who covers the cost of women's basketball - it's not WBB season ticket sales, that's for certain.

There is more than one "right way" to handle each of those, and many other issues.

Wait, women's basketball doesn't break-even?!?!? I'm shocked!

[pantherfansince92]

Re: UAB Drops Football

We lose 3 starters on the offensive line after this year, I'm hoping Farley tries to snatch up one of the o-lineman.

[sivert]

Re: UAB Drops Football

Playing devil's advocate, why should the Power 5 share playoff money? None of the schools you list above have a prayer of legitimately competing for a NC, making the top four, etc. Those revenues are generated by the Power 5, and Notre Dame. Remember, we're talking playoff money. Appy St. has about as much right to that as Iowa State has to money generated by the Longhorn Network - zero.

You have three categories, there:
1. "why should the Power 5"
2. "revenues are generated by the Power 5"
3. "has...a right to that...money"

3 is about legal position. And people end up with rights according to deals they have made.
2 is about whose work makes the money available. It can be unrelated to rights. A long time ago, when the wife and I were smelling candy bars when we wanted to buy them instead of making PSC donations, she worked for minimum wage for a computer company. They had a bunch of software rebates they had been unable to recover. Her boss said, "Just throw that stuff away. We haven't been able to get anywhere with that." She said, why don't I give it a try. The process was very complicated, but before long she had collected more than $250,000. Her boss got a bonus; she got $7.50/hr. She generated that money. But she didn't have a right to it.
1 is about perspective. We thought her company should give her a bunch of didn't think they should.

Anyway...

Long term, what happens to the Power 5 schools if half the BCS schools hang up their cleats? Or there ends up such a division between BCS-P5 and BCS-nonP5 schools that all the nonP BCS schools leave to merge with the FCS.

I wonder if part of the appeal of P5 schools programs is that there is a perception of an equal playing field? All are universities. All give players equal benefits (appear to). All have equal number of scholarships. Etc.
if that perception is lost, fans might not be as interested.

How long does Texas keep saying that IaState should be "P"? How long do the schools with tons of money sit and not take advantage of it to get the best players? If they do take advantage, then how long will fans across the country accept the illusion of college football as an even playing field?

Does a salary cap benefit an NFL team that has HUGE money?

I do think that usually self interest helps people work hard and produce. But sometimes a rising tide lifts all boats. And by trying to lift themselves higher, the Power 5 schools might destroy the tide that got them where they are now. If so, they they should seek an even playing field and try to excel within it, even though this means not grasping at their rights to what they've generated.

[jegbomb52]

Re: UAB Drops Football

those kids from UAB will be transferring to other FBS schools because they can and will want to. If they are seasoned starters FBS programs will take a shot with them, if they aren't starters at UAB, we don't want them here either.

[catsize]

Re: UAB Drops Football

If they've got a QB who was recruited for athleticism but can't throw worth spit and resisted a change to another position, we'll be all over him.