Williams & Blum: Recapping a crazy 10 days

[MJ271]

Sure seems like a lot of hand wringing over how the $20M should have been handled better. It's early days.

The House Agreement hasn't been finalized, so probably not necessary to take preemptive steps until it has been finalized. Plus the 2025/26 fiscal doesn't start for a couple months. At the same time, I would bet Jamie and staff have been working internally to revise future budgets based on House Agreement specifics. New sources of revenue and cutting costs.

If we know one thing about Jamie after 20 years, he's elite at balancing a budget AND more importantly fielding winning teams as evidenced by the big 3 sports having the highest combined winning % among the 16 conference schools over the last sport year.

Yeah, I feel like some of these posts are jumping the gun a bit. As you said, the House settlement isn't even finalized yet--the details there could definitely still change. Second, someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Pollard has ever definitively said whether Iowa State would allocate the full amount for revenue sharing. Obviously CW and Blum have more knowledge than anyone, but Pollard is certainly seeing this transfer cycle and reacting just like all of us are.

For anyone talking about what the athletic department is or isn't doing, it also seems worth going back to Pollard's announcement about ticket price increases from January.

A Message From Jamie Pollard - Iowa State University Athletics

January 1, 2025

cyclones.com

Besides for the info about ticket prices, it mentions needing to increases expenses in 2025 by $20 million due to revenue sharing and Campbell/Otz raises, while also asking coaches and departments to decrease operating budgets by 10%. Perhaps that'll still fall short of what is necessary, but let's wait a bit to make any judgments on what Pollard and the athletic department should have done but didn't, especially considering how rapidly this environment has changed and continues to change.

 

[CapnCy]

IMO This would be a horrible selling point on its own. "Give half of what you would spend on a vacation to us and in return you get to not go on vacation!" The AD would need to pair that message with being open about making big cuts and showing that they are doing everything to max out that revenue sharing.

oh, for sure...and i guess...big picture, it still is asking the fans for more, etc.

Yuck...can't wait till there are at least some gaurdrails to somewhat make it more managable (less out of control variables).

 

[PickSix]

What's his incitive to not spend everything that comes in? This is a non-profit of course if you make 122 mil you spend 122 mil. You think if we made 150 mil they wouldn't find a way to spend that extra 30 mil. Of course they would!

You can run an athletic department on less than 101 mil if we assume we HAVE to spend the 20.5 mil. You want to know how I know that... because K State, Colorado, Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston all did.

Cincinnati is going to max out? I didn't see that. Well dang. If they can do it after only 2 years of partial Big 12 revenue shares and underwhelming overall performance, than I don't see how we have any excuse as a legacy Big 12 member...

 

[isucy86]

Everything you mentioned from support staff to coaching salaries are only possible off the backs of these athletes. If we want to back to the day where there is no 50 mil dollar TV contracts I am all for it. But until then let's not pretend that these individuals have not benefited massively from these TV deals and the athletes getting a relatively small pie of that.

Treating people right should include the players who without them this money is non existent. Every other sports league CBA argues around 50% should go to the athletes, why shouldn't the NCAA be the same?

Where did I say the athletes shouldn't get paid?

What I am saying is cutting $20M in cost doesn't come without a lot of pain and impacting people's lives. What I am saying is there is zero chance Jamie doesn't have a plan to pay athletes and balance the budget. And I would be very surprised if Matt, TJ, Bill, Kevin, etc. haven't been consulted.

Could it be a situation we don't get to the full $20M year 1. Sure. But I would expect the coaches are in agreement based on alternatives.

I am saying I trust Jamie is taking care of it!

 

[NENick]

I've always believed that the athletes should share in the revenue and that the scholarship wasn't enough. However, is the cost of the scholarship included in the calculation of total athlete benefits? How about the healthcare?

 

[Cyclone06]

I don’t buy this at all (except for the fans being maxed out). Businesses have to cut costs all of the time based on changing environments. It’s not fair to blame fans for not maxing out when the AD takes in $115 million per year and claims it’s poor.

There is a path towards maxing out - there has to be with the amount of revenue we take in, even if it’s very painful to get there.

All I am saying is this has been the ISU and frankly all schools response to NIL money need. We should not expect that to change.

 

[mwwbbfan]

I would love to see what would happen if coaches were able to contribute to their collectives. After all, they probably are the single largest beneficiaries and have huge incentive for their collectives to be well-funded.

Starting in 2025-26 technically they can - if they wanted to rework their contracts they could move some of their money back to the athletic department to put in the pool to pay the players since the athletic dept will be responsible for this. I doubt that will happen since TJ and Matt just got large increases in the last 6 months.

 

[cycloneworld]

All I am saying is this has been the ISU and frankly all schools response to NIL money need. We should not expect that to change.

Kind of. Schools weren’t allowed to pay the players by funneling AD money to collectives, so the fans had to 100% pay the players. But that will not be the case after the House settlement.

Collectives can fundraise for the AD but seems “easier” to hit the max revenue share by cutting AD expenses rather than tell fans they are on the hook for the increases. Either way, fans will pay for it through ticket increases, etc. Nothing is that black and white and it will take both together for it to happen. But…it HAS to happen.

 

[FinalFourCy]

I've always believed that the athletes should share in the revenue and that the scholarship wasn't enough. However, is the cost of the scholarship included in the calculation of total athlete benefits? How about the healthcare?

Not in the cap, but the argument the defendants were making in House vs NCAA is the cap plus other expenses spent on students represented the schools spending roughly half the revenue on athletes…on average

 

[FinalFourCy]

An example of the type of leadership we need at ISU and from the State:

 

[ClubCy]

An example of the type of leadership we need at ISU and from the State:

North Carolina: we will distribute you our revenue money from sports gambling to help you fund your revenue sharing.

Iowa: We will go after your athletes and their $15 bets to ensure they never play another second of collegiate ball again.

 

[FinalFourCy]

North Carolina: we will distribute you our revenue money from sports gambling to help you fund your revenue sharing.

Iowa: We will go after your athletes and their $15 bets to ensure they never play another second of collegiate ball again.

The State of Iowa and state have long been okay being indifferent to Iowa State.

We’ve needed to change that for over 50 years, but our leadership the last 20 hasn’t been the type to succeed in working the aisles.

I expect the State/state to look the other way when facing the loss of economic activity that would come from Iowa State athletics being marginalized

 

[syclonefan]

An example of the type of leadership we need at ISU and from the State:

I could stomach playing a home-home against UNI in basketball for $30M a year from the state.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

I could stomach playing a home-home against UNI in basketball for $30M a year from the state.

$5M a year to UNI also fixes all of UNI Athletics funding issues and get us back on par with our peers without having to take an extra dime of taxpayer money and that's before an extra big money MBB gate annually. UNI currently gets a fraction of what Illinois State, Indiana State, SIU and Murray State get in state help for athletics.

I don't care if the home and homes come back but the increased revenue would be massive. The only value in the H-Hs for me is Drake tears at this point, the money gulf has gotten so wide that the series with the two P5s wouldn't be as competitive as they were 15 years ago.

 

[brentblum]

The State of Iowa and state have long been okay being indifferent to Iowa State.

We’ve needed to change that for over 50 years, but our leadership the last 20 hasn’t been the type to succeed in working the aisles.

I expect the State/state to look the other way when facing the loss of economic activity that would come from Iowa State athletics being marginalized

I’m going to do all I can to see if this is feasible. Hopefully with enough cache from people of influence we can figure out something similar.

 

[jsb]

The State of Iowa and state have long been okay being indifferent to Iowa State.

We’ve needed to change that for over 50 years, but our leadership the last 20 hasn’t been the type to succeed in working the aisles.

I expect the State/state to look the other way when facing the loss of economic activity that would come from Iowa State athletics being marginalized

How easily we forget that the state of Iowa (basically all of our elected officials even the ones who 'graduated' from Iowa State), didn't give a **** about Iowa State when we were going to be without a conference. They certainly aren't going to be excited to support us now.

 

[mkadl]

I think I understand now. When I read you say...

...I assumed you meant separate even further from them and, essentially, form our own level of CFB (presumably with the ACC and G5 schools) with our own separate playoff. Which would be devastating, IMO.

But if what you mean is we don't play them in OOC football games, it's suspected the P2 already wants that and is moving towards that on their own. We don't have an ounce of leverage, unfortunately. We either play their game by their rules, or we become completely irrelevant.

You know, that's an interesting thought. As we know, years ago it was about "who travels to bowls?" as a deciding factor for some good bowls, etc. And of course our fans are known to "show up" to places like that, Maui, etc. But it would be interesting if there was a "hey fans, this year, instead of going to the pre-season tourney in vegas (unless you already live near).....give half of what you would have spent to the department for our budget.

But 100% on point that CyTown will at least directly bring back revenue to ISU vs generate soley for others.

And that will cover the last 5 years of inflation. Better than a "kick in the butt" as my Dad used to say.

 

[Clonedogg]

An example of the type of leadership we need at ISU and from the State:

Dang, that's a nice chunk of cheese. Get us some of that action.

 

[flycy]

Why is Campbell driving the bus or negatively impacted by cutting costs of non-revenue sports?


Staying competitive in non-revenue sports should NOT be on the table. And shouldn’t have for at least 15 years. That’s both operating costs and infrastructure.

Gut the non-revenue, cutting two sports or male scholarships in non-revenue sports if needed.

Delay any infrastructure costs that aren’t for facilitating revenue generation, which for the most part they have.

Be political and get the views on how the state, and State, support college athletics. But being charismatic and swaying others isn’t exactly a strength of JP. He’s not that kind of leader.

Borrow against the future. I mean, does anyone really think the Iowa AD is going to pay off all of their liabilities?

Hard disagree, no state or University money should pay for any of this madness. I certainly wouldn't stand for that.

 

[flycy]

If there was a cap, there would be the return of under the table payments

So??? Some will always be dishonest, and some will get away with it. Far better than today's environment.