College Basketball Mid-Majors Have Officially Been Purged Out Of Relevancy (?)

[jessej]

IMO - what is missing in this argument is the role of NIL

College Basketball Mid-Majors Have Officially Been Purged Out Of Relevancy - Stadium Rant

Unless you hate fun, one of the best parts of college basketball is when some small school from a small conference is able to compete with the big boys. The

www.stadiumrant.com

 

[gmubrian]

IMO - what is missing in this argument is the role of NIL

Try this thinking exercise:
How much of this would (could) happen if there was NIL but without the portal?
How much of this would happen with the portal and no NIL?

My guess would be the answers to those two questions are somewhere around 10% and 90%, respectively, give or take. So I don't think NIL contributes to the situation he is discussing. I think most of it boils down to the realignment and the effective locking out mid majors based on scheduling. You really need to

In the end, doesn't it mostly boil down to the fans themselves though? They always say they love "when some small school from a small conference is able to compete with the big boys" but where are all these people during the season? Are they at the small school games? Are they donating to a small school? Are they watching the small schools on TV? For 99% of fans, the the data would presumably be, no, they are only going or watching games when the little guy plays against big name teams or the big guys play each other.

It is all about the money (always has been, always will be) and a large portion of the money comes from TV revenue and ticket sales. You can't tell me that most people watching Duke or UNC are alumni. It is mostly people that want to watch a top team. So, you can't blame the TV (or the conferences) for giving the fans what they are asking for with their wallets and TV viewing time. If fans really want the non-P5 conferences to succeed, they need to support them, more so, than they do the P5 with their money and viewing time.

Note: this is not intended towards you jessej since I know how you support the little guys with your attendance at games.

 

[Junkees9]

The portal is ruining college sports, particularly for mid-major teams. The NIL simply piled on and spoiled things more rapidly. I have been a season ticket holder since the early 80's. But I am very tired of having to start over every year with essentially a new team with no hope that there will be roster continuity. To be honest, it really isn't fun for me anymore. College athletics is now professional sports with less talent and annual free agency for everyone. That is not a model I care to support.

 

[phoenix-arizona]

Time for football and basketball to just become semi-pro officially. Maybe there should be a dedicated set of lower tier regional conferences full of schools that want to opt out of NIL and de-emphasize high stakes college athletics.

 

[Old Man]

Time for football and basketball to just become semi-pro officially. Maybe there should be a dedicated set of lower tier regional conferences full of schools that want to opt out of NIL and de-emphasize high stakes college athletics.

While I agree that is a logical next step, but when your program, GMU, becomes part of that lower tier, will you continue to support with your money and your presence? This is not aimed at you, per se, I'm really just asking the question to anyone who promotes this option. If your school cannot vie for the national championship, will you still support them?

 

[phoenix-arizona]

If there was a second tier national championship tournament for this level of play, absolutely. D-II and D-III have tournaments and people watch and enjoy them.

 

[GMU79]

The portal is ruining college sports, particularly for mid-major teams. The NIL simply piled on and spoiled things more rapidly. I have been a season ticket holder since the early 80's. But I am very tired of having to start over every year with essentially a new team with no hope that there will be roster continuity. To be honest, it really isn't fun for me anymore. College athletics is now professional sports with less talent and annual free agency for everyone. That is not a model I care to support.

Okay, here goes, but it's true...Back in my day, we had GREAT college teams. Players stayed through their senior year. They developed as players and the team was actually a team. Those teams would destroy today's "teams."

 

[jessej]

If there was a second tier national championship tournament for this level of play, absolutely. D-II and D-III have tournaments and people watch and enjoy them.

i decided to do something different this season
Last month I went to Day 2 of the Annual Catholic U Christmas Tournament
Catholic U is Div 3
Classes were not in session, so the attendance was sparse
Tournament won by St. Johns of Minnesota
i hope to go see another game when the students are in session

This week i plan on seeing Division 3 Gallaudet on Thursday night

 

[phoenix-arizona]

I guess you enjoyed your experience despite the sparse attendance! I think regardless of conference or division/tier people would come out to support GMU.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

I guess you enjoyed your experience despite the sparse attendance! I think regardless of conference or division/tier people would come out to support GMU.

All due respect but what in Mason’s history would lead you to truly believe this?

 

[phoenix-arizona]

Haha--that is fair! I just don't think dropping down would move the needle much either way.

 

[Walter]

It is not sustainable. The arms race is just beginning. Revenue sharing and 105 rosters will end all G6 football programs competing at the top level within three years. Then basketball programs within five years.

We, along with every college in Virginia except MAYBE UVa and Tech, will be relegated to a lower tier. And UVa and Tech are not assured of being included in the top tier.

 

[GSII]

Those very same "fans" that watch the little guy try and beat the blue blood, will not be getting that. They won't be seeing Mason's run to a FF. Or , welp, vcu, Davidson etc. Those viewers will walk away, imo. You can't make money without some Davids.

 

[gmubrian]

It is not sustainable. The arms race is just beginning. Revenue sharing and 105 rosters will end all G6 football programs competing at the top level within three years. Then basketball programs within five years.

We, along with every college in Virginia except MAYBE UVa and Tech, will be relegated to a lower tier. And UVa and Tech are not assured of being included in the top tier.

I see it differently. Assuming the House settlement goes through, collectives are likely to dwindle or go away. The P5 will be spend the bulk of their money on football. Schools without football will have a huge opportunity here.

There is path where the A10 and schools like Mason without football could rise to the level of the P5 In basketball. A10 could become a version of the Big East. Will Mason navigate this path? History would suggest no, but there is a chance…

 

[FlPatriot]

Way back when the university of Chicago was a founding member of the big 10. Think they turned out ok.

 

[GMU79]

Those very same "fans" that watch the little guy try and beat the blue blood, will not be getting that. They won't be seeing Mason's run to a FF. Or , welp, vcu, Davidson etc. Those viewers will walk away, imo. You can't make money without some Davids.

Yes! That is the great draw of the tourney for loads of fans.

 

[Walter]

I see it differently. Assuming the House settlement goes through, collectives are likely to dwindle or go away. The P5 will be spend the bulk of their money on football. Schools without football will have a huge opportunity here.

There is path where the A10 and schools like Mason without football could rise to the level of the P5 In basketball. A10 could become a version of the Big East. Will Mason navigate this path? History would suggest no, but there is a chance…

My first draft hinted at that possibility. But my negativity got the best of me in the end and I deleted it. I hope you are right.

 

[jessej]

My first draft hinted at that possibility. But my negativity got the best of me in the end and I deleted it. I hope you are right.

i believe that NIL collectives will continue to exist for
1) Universities with an ultra-rich donor base for whom the tax deduction doesn't matter; and
2) Universities whose revenue would put them above the $20+m threshold

granted there may only be a handful of these
Fedex / Fred Smith and Memphis
Nike / Phil Knight and Oregon
others?

 

[gmubrian]

i believe that NIL collectives will continue to exist for
1) Universities with an ultra-rich donor base for whom the tax deduction doesn't matter; and
2) Universities whose revenue would put them above the $20+m threshold

granted there may only be a handful of these
Fedex / Fred Smith and Memphis
Nike / Phil Knight and Oregon
others?

Collectives are, potentially, more difficult with the increased regulation by NCAA on NIL under House settlement. You will have to show legit NIL instead of just being able to pay the players like now.

There will still be NIL, but, it will likely become more of what it was supposed to be . There will still be direct company to player NIL contracts.

We were never competed against Duke, UNC, Memphis, Oregon or other top schools or schools with huge donors and we still won’t.

Where the opportunity come is this. A lot of the schools in the non Big East P5 dont have the deep pockets of those top programs. Total spending on revenue share is limited to $22.5M. If they follow the expected %15 share for Men”s basketball, that comes to $3.8M if they max out.

We could theoretically do 80% ish on men’s basketball based on percentage of revenue generated by sport and market demand. If Mason could come up with $4.2M or anywhere near that, we are immediately in the same stratosphere as most of the P5 teams. There is a path. Will we be able to achieve it, probably not, but there is a path…

The schools that come out on top in my guess is the Big East schools that don’t have football programs holding back their basketball programs.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

Collectives are, potentially, more difficult with the increased regulation by NCAA on NIL under House settlement. You will have to show legit NIL instead of just being able to pay the players like now.

There will still be NIL, but, it will likely become more of what it was supposed to be . There will still be direct company to player NIL contracts.

We were never competed against Duke, UNC, Memphis, Oregon or other top schools or schools with huge donors and we still won’t.

Where the opportunity come is this. A lot of the schools in the non Big East P5 dont have the deep pockets of those top programs. Total spending on revenue share is limited to $22.5M. If they follow the expected %15 share for Men”s basketball, that comes to $3.8M if they max out.

We could theoretically do 80% ish on men’s basketball based on percentage of revenue generated by sport and market demand. If Mason could come up with $4.2M or anywhere near that, we are immediately in the same stratosphere as most of the P5 teams. There is a path. Will we be able to achieve it, probably not, but there is a path…

The schools that come out on top in my guess is the Big East schools that don’t have football programs holding back their basketball programs.

In the era when scholarships mattered, teams were limited to how many scholarships players they could have on one team.

Are there any limitations as to how many paid players you have on a team or will the big schools simply over recruit on purpose in order to keep them from going to the competition?