[Paint Touches] What does the potential NCAA settlement mean for MU?

[PaintTouches]

Nothing good, either in a literal financial sense or in an overarching narrative sense.

https://painttouches.com/2024/05/22/what-does-the-potential-ncaa-settlement-mean-for-marquette-and-the-big-east/?utm_source=muscoop

Here's an example of what it will look like in practice.

[The Sultan]

So...

Marquette, along with every other non-FBS school, will be subsidizing back NIL payments to FBS football players.

[PaintTouches]

So...

Marquette, along with every other non-FBS school, will be subsidizing back NIL payments to FBS football players.

Dammit, that would have saved a lot of typing. Exactly this and with apologies, I'm going to quote you going forward because it's perfect.

[The Sultan]

Thank you. Occasionally I can get something right!

[MDMU04]

Don't worry, private equity is here to save the day.

https://www.on3.com/news/private-equity-firms-drew-weatherford-infuse-millions-into-cash-strapped-athletic-departments-revenue-sharing-college-football/

Nothing has ever gone wrong when PE firms get involved and pitch themselves as the benevolent white knight solution to a problem.

[WhiteTrash]

Don't worry, private equity is here to save the day.

https://www.on3.com/news/private-equity-firms-drew-weatherford-infuse-millions-into-cash-strapped-athletic-departments-revenue-sharing-college-football/

Nothing has ever gone wrong when PE firms get involved and pitch themselves as the benevolent white knight solution to a problem.

I don't get it. We've been told by the media that colleges have been making billions off the slave labor. Multi-million dollar buy-outs are merely rounding errors to schools. $500k to MU is like you and I being charged twice for fries at McDonalds.  Whoop-de-doo.

Or maybe, just maybe, not all parties to this discussion have been 100% honest?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I don't get it. We've been told by the media that colleges have been making billions off the slave labor. Multi-million dollar buy-outs are merely rounding errors to schools. $500k to MU is like you and I being charged twice for fries at McDonalds.  Whoop-de-doo.

Or maybe, just maybe, not all parties to this discussion have been 100% honest?

I don't think you're being 100% honest with this take either.

I think generally when people talk about schools making billions, they are talking about college football in general making billions, not every individual school within the FBS making billions. And those billions are nowhere close to being evenly distributed. College football making billions and the existence of cash-strapped athletic departments can both be true.

For the elite schools, multi-million dollar buyouts are merely rounding errors. I don't know about MU but to a school like Bama, $500K is not a significant amount of money.

Slave labor is inflammatory and insensitive to the horrors of actual slavery, but the general point that many athletes were grossly underpaid compared to the value that they brought is accurate.

[The Sultan]

I will also say that a lot of athletic departments, even though they have raked in the revenue, have also gotten themselves in budget issues because they have tied up a lot of costs in long term capital projects. Oftentimes these projects were initiated years ago, by people who are no longer in charge, yet their successors have had to deal with those costs plus now dealing with the costs of the liabilities in this case as well as paying additional for labor.

Oh and I have never seen an athletic department with a significant operating reserve. They generally spend every nickel they make.

Professional sports has a much longer history of consistent revenues, which are directly tied to player expenses, which makes financial planning much easier. College administrators have had to deal with a potential rapid increase in player costs, without a corresponding increase in revenue. (Except for the B10 and the SEC)

[WhiteTrash]

I don't think you're being 100% honest with this take either.

I think generally when people talk about schools making billions, they are talking about college football in general making billions, not every individual school within the FBS making billions. And those billions are nowhere close to being evenly distributed. College football making billions and the existence of cash-strapped athletic departments can both be true.

For the elite schools, multi-million dollar buyouts are merely rounding errors. I don't know about MU but to a school like Bama, $500K is not a significant amount of money.

Slave labor is inflammatory and insensitive to the horrors of actual slavery, but the general point that many athletes were grossly underpaid compared to the value that they brought is accurate.

I am being 100% honest. There were many TV and radio shows making serious comments about the billions of dollars the schools are making. There was no effort to separate Alabama from Mount Saint Mary's. There were articles and op.ed.s calling the NCAA schools modern slavers.

I agree 100% with everything else you wrote. The slavery comments were gross and completely inaccurate. A total slap in the face to those who have and still experience slavery.

I agree that many players were grossly underpaid, but many are arguably over compensated for sitting at the end of the benches, especially for schools that don't generate meaningful revenues (i.e. Mt. St. Mary's). But in the end, the schools make the decision to participate in and fund DI sports, not the athletes.

[SaveOD238]

I'm not sure I want to jump into bed with a football conference again, but if the non-football conferences continue to get the short end of the stick, does that increase the motivation to ditch the Big East if a football conference (probably the Big 12) comes calling?

[Skatastrophy]

I'm not sure I want to jump into bed with a football conference again, but if the non-football conferences continue to get the short end of the stick, does that increase the motivation to ditch the Big East if a football conference (probably the Big 12) comes calling?

I'd have to imagine that the Big East is an all or nothing type of acquisition for a conference. Most conferences wouldn't be happy to have these tiny catholic schools come in and beat up their biggest brands every year.

[Shooter McGavin]

The settlement is ridiculous but schools like MU are stuck. 

Really hope to hear some good news regarding the Big East and a new Fox broadcasting deal soon. 

[MarquetteDano]

When the non sports media get ahold of the proportion the "rich" schools are paying, this will not be a PR disaster?

[The Sultan]

When the non sports media get ahold of the proportion the "rich" schools are paying, this will not be a PR disaster?

For who? The biggest schools with the biggest fanbases?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm not sure I want to jump into bed with a football conference again, but if the non-football conferences continue to get the short end of the stick, does that increase the motivation to ditch the Big East if a football conference (probably the Big 12) comes calling?

Increase motivation? Even before this,  Marquette (and any other Big East school) would crawl through broken glass, give up their left nut, and sacrifice their firstborn for an invite to the B12, SEC, or B1G

[MarquetteDano]

For who? The biggest schools with the biggest fanbases?

Cant.tell if this is snark or a question. I am saying if the 60% is paid by the "smaller" schools wre dont think that could be problematic from a PR standpoint?  I presume your answer is there will be zero bad press or no one will care?

[The Sultan]

Cant.tell if this is snark or a question. I am saying if the 60% is paid by the "smaller" schools wre dont think that could be problematic from a PR standpoint?  I presume your answer is there will be zero bad press or no one will care?

Correct. This is all but a done deal and there has been very little push back on the inequities of the arrangement. 

In fact we have people like DeCourcy claiming that mid-majors should "celebrate" this arrangement.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/mid-majors-house-ncaa-settlement-10-more-years-march-madness/b993d171097dd7401a20c652

[muwarrior69]

How many low major D1 basketball schools will drop basketball because of this? How many kids will lose out on a college education because the athletic scholarship is no longer there? I am talking about non-revenue sports here as well.

[The Sultan]

How many low major D1 basketball schools will drop basketball because of this? How many kids will lose out on a college education because the athletic scholarship is no longer there?

1. None
2. No more than would have otherwise. As I have said before, athletic teams are mostly recruiting tools for many of those schools.

[brewcity77]

Correct. This is all but a done deal and there has been very little push back on the inequities of the arrangement. 

In fact we have people like DeCourcy claiming that mid-majors should "celebrate" this arrangement.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/mid-majors-house-ncaa-settlement-10-more-years-march-madness/b993d171097dd7401a20c652

Terrible take. Andrei and I are having fun roasting him for this ridiculous A5 defense. And DeCourcy always takes the bait.

[DFW HOYA]

Increase motivation? Even before this,  Marquette (and any other Big East school) would crawl through broken glass, give up their left nut, and sacrifice their firstborn for an invite to the B12, SEC, or B1G

At least half wouldn't.

[Billy Hoyle]

How many low major D1 basketball schools will drop basketball because of this? How many kids will lose out on a college education because the athletic scholarship is no longer there? I am talking about non-revenue sports here as well.

This is when a new basketball version of FCS forms.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

At least half wouldn't.

It's adorable you think that

[MarquetteDano]

Correct. This is all but a done deal and there has been very little push back on the inequities of the arrangement. 

In fact we have people like DeCourcy claiming that mid-majors should "celebrate" this arrangement.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/mid-majors-house-ncaa-settlement-10-more-years-march-madness/b993d171097dd7401a20c652

Sorry.  Got it.  The only thing I will say is that the sports media might kowtow a bit.  Will be interesting when the non-sports press weighs in.  Not saying you are wrong but that will be interesting.

[The Sultan]

Sorry.  Got it.  The only thing I will say is that the sports media might kow tow a bit.  Will be interesting when the non-sports press weighs in.  Not saying you are wrong but that will be interesting.

It's summer...it's an election year.

I doubt we hear a peep from the non-sports media outside of the "they are finally paying the players" line.