They were paying Wilcox ~$5M a year.
They hired Ron Rivera as general manager.
They’re going to open the pocket book to try to win at football.
Their next coach will almost certainly make more than Campbell.
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They hired Ron Rivera as general manager.
They’re going to open the pocket book to try to win at football.
Their next coach will almost certainly make more than Campbell.
Yea, it might have taken some schools a little longer than others to understand the new and future realities of college athletics but it's either get on the train or shutter the doors. Shutter the doors is to take University Chicago's approach for strong academic schools like Cal and Stanford.
Shuttered? Surely you jest?
The Maroons had a strong showing in the mighty UAA conference this year!
Edit: Jokes aside, I think you’re right. Cal and Stanford both seem to understand the football middle class is going away fast. My suspicion is they’re colluding on how to get invited into the Big 10.
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The Big10 only having 4 west coast schools isn't a sustainable model. So in the next decade the Big10 has to poach a couple former Pac12 teams from the Big12 and/or ACC. So it now do or die for Cal & Stanford to revive their football programs.
I'm just not sure from an athletics standpoint it would make sense for the Big10 to take both Stanford & Cal. IMO if the Big10 doesn't take both, then the other would eventually leave the ACC to join former Pac12 schools in Big12.
Totally agree it is do or die for both schools right now.
As rough as it is for the Big 20 west coast contingent it is worse for the ACC schools doing it without a mountain of money (or line-of-sight to a mountain of money).
I disagree on taking both schools though. To me that makes more sense than 1 for scheduling purposes. Now, if they’re landing ND then that changes.
Of course right now taking neither still probably makes the most sense.
Maybe?
I know the athletic department transferred a large chunk of the stadium debt to the campus, so that helps.
They’re in the process of funding the Olympic sports through endowments (swimming and diving are already there, I believe), so that helps.
The new chancellor seems to be backing football in word and deed, so my guess is they’ll go all out the next few years and deep into the red.
IMO if the Big10 only adds 1 school among Cal or Stanford, they would then add a Big12 school like Arizona State, Utah or Colorado. All are located in large metro areas which seems to be something the Big10 has focused on in realignment over the last 15 years.
Realignment adds are about making the TV people happy, so gaining access to large TV markets fits the bill more than adding a couple middle-of-the-road athletic program in the same TV market.
Is that still the primary driver of expansion?
My hazy memory is that it was a function of the Big 10’s specific contract that made adding a school within a given footprint lucrative regardless of whether or not they delivered eyeballs (Rutgers, Maryland, etc).
Obviously UCLA and USC are a different animals and you’d take both regardless.
As for poaching, if television market is the driver I guess Phoenix and Denver make sense, but I’m not convinced the travel improves enough that they wouldn’t go after Dallas, Houston, etc instead.
If it is one Bay Area school I think it is most likely Stanford paired with ND.
Agree it would seem like ND/Stanford would join together based on their historical "rivalry". I underlined "seem" because in the recent letter from USC's Athletic Director to alumni/fans on USC not supporting the Big10 Private Equity deal, she also brought up USC needing to be in the CFP conversation. And although she didn't mention Notre Dame by name, she mentioned it wasn't in USC best interest to play non-conference games late in the year. Especially, really difficult opponents. I doubt she's pushing to end the ND vs. USC series, but my guess is that game will end up being in early September in the future.
Large metro's might be less important go forward in regard to carriage fees related to BTN. But having a connection to large TV markets could still be important regarding subscribers to platforms. Not only from a live sport viewership, but to also sell product during games.
The USC/UCLA combo made sense because of LA and their rivalry (not so much UCLA FB). But I read an article at the time, adding both schools allowed for a multiplier on the standard BTN carriage fees.
The "rumor" I read last week was Lane to Alabama after DeBoer goes to Penn State.
Thats what they said. Im sure its all a rumor but still found that interesting.
I mean, maybe this is why PSUs search has appeared quiet?
