*****The Super, Mega, Huge Big 12 Expansion Thread*****

[cyhiphopp]

It's entirely possible that we could be looking at $10 million more in annual revenue since Pollard wrote that email too. You'll also notice in that email that Minnesota is committing big $$ to their baseball program. Last I checked, Minnesota doesn't exactly have the same climate at Texas, Florida, etc.

The costs of starting up a new baseball program would be much higher than maintaining an existing program.

We are in a conference with teams that have HUGE athletic budgets. We have to do pretty much everything we can improve our standing in the football arms race. We are way behind and will never catch up, but if we basically waste 30 million on starting up baseball, which would never be a revenue program, then we would fall even farther behind in football.

There is a reason that a lot of the South schools do not have wresting. They could afford it, but there would be no support and it wouldn't be worth it. Same thing goes for baseball at ISU. Even if we had money to blow on it, which we don't, we would never be competitive with the South schools and would never have even moderate support.

Trust me, I love baseball. I've been playing and umpiring since I was 5 years old. It would be great if ISU had the money and could actually be competitive. They just don't, and can't.

 

[CarolinaCy]

How? It was my understanding that we were not complying with title 9 now, but rather working to comply with it. If we added a men's sport then we would no longer be working to comply. Unless you are suggesting having a non-scholarship baseball team.

Pretty sure I've read on here multiple times that we are far under the Title 9 restrictions currently. I know in one of the many baseball discussions that others have stated we could bring back baseball and still comply.

Perhaps those with actual numbers could chime in on this for me, I don't really know where to look to find them.

 

[jbhtexas]

Baseball is a dying sport in this country.

http://www.ncaapublications.com/DownloadPublication.aspx?download=PR2012.pdf
Note: These data do not include schools that began or dropped membership in each year.

In the last ten reporting years, if I read page 244 correctly...
6 Div I schools have dropped baseball. For comparison, 4 have dropped football, and 16 have dropped wrestling.

At the Div II level (p. 245), 30 added baseball (for comparison, 16 added wrestling).
At the Div III level (p. 246), 24 added baseball (for comparison, 14 dropped wrestling).

It is not obvious that baseball is dying at the college level. In fact, at Div II an III, where the facilities arms race is not wreaking havoc, baseball seems to be gaining popularity. If baseball were a dying sport, the smaller "grass-roots" level schools wouldn't be adding it at the levels they are.

You also must add another women's sport.

Please provide a link showing that ISU would have to add a womens sport.

 

[Mr Janny]

The costs of starting up a new baseball program would be much higher than maintaining an existing program.

We are in a conference with teams that have HUGE athletic budgets. We have to do pretty much everything we can improve our standing in the football arms race. We are way behind and will never catch up, but if we basically waste 30 million on starting up baseball, which would never be a revenue program, then we would fall even farther behind in football.

There is a reason that a lot of the South schools do not have wresting. They could afford it, but there would be no support and it wouldn't be worth it. Same thing goes for baseball at ISU. Even if we had money to blow on it, which we don't, we would never be competitive with the South schools and would never have even moderate support.

Trust me, I love baseball. I've been playing and umpiring since I was 5 years old. It would be great if ISU had the money and could actually be competitive. They just don't, and can't.

great post. No amount of shakeup in the conference footprint is going to change the fact that baseball is a losing prospect in Ames, Iowa. The money would be much better spent in any number of other places.

 

[boone7247]

It's entirely possible that we could be looking at $10 million more in annual revenue since Pollard wrote that email too. You'll also notice in that email that Minnesota is committing big $$ to their baseball program. Last I checked, Minnesota doesn't exactly have the same climate at Texas, Florida, etc.

Yes but like JP said in his email. Minnesota doesn't play in the same sandbox as we would. Minn isn't competing with Texas and possibly FSU. Those schools have a decided advantage in baseball. Not saying that we couldn't compete, but it would take a significant effort on the ADs part to get ISU baseball competitive, and is that the best place for those resources?

Personally I would rather be able to afford to keep CPR and CFH, the money is better spent on the sports that have a shot at competing. No one is going to go watch and ISU baseball team win 5 games a year.

Here is what you need to compete.

TexasSports.com - Official website of University of Texas Athletics - Texas Longhorns - Facilities

SoonerSports.com - Official Athletics Site of the Oklahoma Sooners - Facilities

Texas Christian University Horned Frogs - Official Athletic Site - Facilities

Florida State University Official Athletic Site - Facilities

CLEMSON On Campus - CLEMSON University Official Athletic Site

Now compare that to what Iowa has.

University of Iowa Official Athletic Site Facilities

Don't think ISU wants to spend the money to catch up to the Jones.

EDIT: Just read some of the Clemson link, they only avg a little more than 4,000 fans, and that is one of the top teams in the nation, so ISU would never see baseball be able to pay for half of itself.

 

[HoopsTournament]

 

[vmbplayer]

I say this knowing I would never go to either event. I would rather see Men's Gymnastics return to Iowa State before baseball. Why? They both cost much more than they bring in, but unlike baseball Iowa State was actually competitive on a national stage in Mens Gymnastics. If we're going to add a sport that has already existed at ISU which didn't garner enough fan support to continue I'm for bringing back the one we were winning national titles in right before it got the axe instead of the one that was under .500 and the cellar dwellar of the conference for it's final 5 years.

Baseball had 3 postseason bids in 110 years of existence and next to no fan support. You have got to be the biggest idiot in the world to think that adding a team from the south to the conference somehow alters the equation.

 

[cykadelic2]

It's entirely possible that we could be looking at $10 million more in annual revenue since Pollard wrote that email too. You'll also notice in that email that Minnesota is committing big $$ to their baseball program. Last I checked, Minnesota doesn't exactly have the same climate at Texas, Florida, etc.

The only way I see baseball coming back to ISU is if the following two items occur:

1) The baseball season is pushed back. Northern schools have been advocating this but last I read, ESPN doesn't want to move the CWS back.
2) An agreement is reached to play games at Principal Park in DSM unless a donor or group of them completely fund a new on-campus stadium.

 

[Trainer]

What don't you understand about not financially feasible, when it comes to baseball? Hell I want a Bobsled team, or a Cricket team, cmon Peter Pan, Count Chocula. It doesn't make sense to throw money away on a pipe dream, especially when our biggest money making sports are showing breaths of life. The smart thing to do, is to take this money and invest it into the sports programs we have now.

 

[Boxerdaddy]

Yes but like JP said in his email. Minnesota doesn't play in the same sandbox as we would. Minn isn't competing with Texas and possibly FSU. Those schools have a decided advantage in baseball. Not saying that we couldn't compete, but it would take a significant effort on the ADs part to get ISU baseball competitive, and is that the best place for those resources?

Personally I would rather be able to afford to keep CPR and CFH, the money is better spent on the sports that have a shot at competing. No one is going to go watch and ISU baseball team win 5 games a year.

Here is what you need to compete.

TexasSports.com - Official website of University of Texas Athletics - Texas Longhorns - Facilities

SoonerSports.com - Official Athletics Site of the Oklahoma Sooners - Facilities

Texas Christian University Horned Frogs - Official Athletic Site - Facilities

Florida State University Official Athletic Site - Facilities

CLEMSON On Campus - CLEMSON University Official Athletic Site

Now compare that to what Iowa has.

University of Iowa Official Athletic Site Facilities

Don't think ISU wants to spend the money to catch up to the Jones.

EDIT: Just read some of the Clemson link, they only avg a little more than 4,000 fans, and that is one of the top teams in the nation, so ISU would never see baseball be able to pay for half of itself.

Those teams are playing in stadiums that are just as nice or nicer than Sec Taylor. ISU could possibly play there...but then you don't get any student attendance unless you have cyride give students rides to des moines for this. Would be pretty sweet to see them at Sec Taylor though since I live here in Des Moines

 

[boone7247]

In all honesty, I would rather ISU add soccer than baseball. And there is no way we could compete in that, but at least we would have a better chance.

 

[Trainer]

Agree with this, but this is the mega thread.... Its gonna happen.

 

[isufan]

When the SEZ project and a new press box are completed and paid for, you may bring up baseball.

 

[snowcraig2.0]

Sorry for the derail.

My reason for bringing this up is that I have seen baseball actually mentioned quite a bit in this whole realignment fiasco.

 

[isuno1fan]

You still waiting for Louisville?

If your question is whether I believe they will be in the Big 12 then the answer is yes.

 

[clonefanpaul]

Thank you guys for hijacking this thread for baseball. I can stop clicking on refresh now and go enjoy the outdoors.

 

[ricochet]

If you want baseball here there are two solutions:
1) get 4-5 more northern climate teams in the bigxii
2) move Isu 400 + miles south.

I am not going to figure those odds out.

You missed a couple others.
3) Somebody walks in with a $50 million targeted donation for it.
4) The Big 12 makes it a mandatory sport for conference affiliation.

Number 4 could easily happen but I'm pretty sure we would get an exemption. I think volleyball (and maybe another sport - soccer?) is this way now - you don't have to add it but if you have it you can't cut it and remain a Big 12 member.

 

[HoopsTournament]

Thank you guys for hijacking this thread for baseball. I can stop clicking on refresh now and go enjoy the outdoors.

I got through the posts faster. Instead of reading them, I saw the word baseball and immediately skipped them.

 

[rebecacy]

Agree with this, but this is the mega thread.... Its gonna happen.

it is impossible to hijack this thread

 

[snowcraig2.0]

Back on topic:

The Dude of WV on WVU: So It’s A Done Deal?