It's Not You, It's Me. The Cost of Breaking-up in a Time of College Football Conference Expansion

Another example of the excesses of college football comes in the form of the $7.5 million buyout which Syracuse paid to enable themselves to leave the Big East on July 1, 2013.

http://advancedmascotology.com/completed-team-pages/syracuse-orange/

Syracuse does not have a successful football program. The Big East as a whole has consistently been the least successful of the BCS conferences. The same cannot be said when it comes to basketball in the Big East. With Jim Boeheim at the helm for the past 30+ years, Syracuse has fielded one of the premier basketball programs in the country. The fact that they have played in what was widely considered the toughest basketball conference in the land made their consistent success even more impressive.

Nevertheless, if you need any proof of the pecking order that exists in college sports, look no further than the disintegration of the Big East. The changing landscape of college football was enough to motivate two of the founders of the Big East to bolt for a more secure football home in the ACC. Chatter about removing the Big East’s automatic BCS bowl bid has permeated throughout college football circles. The risk of being left out of the big-time college football money weighed more heavily on the collective mind of Pitt and Syracuse than anything they had built in the Big East basketball-wise.



(Granted, with North Carolina and Duke as their ACC welcoming party, there won’t be much if any drop-off in basketball competition for Syracuse in the new-look ACC.)



http://collegesportsinfo.com/2011/10/12/big-east-when-is-
enough-enough-and-how-cusa-can-help/



So, $7.5 million dollars. These buyouts have become so commonplace that they are reported on as a sort of rite of passage with no regard for what that money could have been used for instead of paying off a scorned conference. There is little if no outrage. Sure, it is a contractual requirement that the departing university must pay up. At least there is some sort of law when it comes to expansion. That being said, the departing university could just fulfill the terms of their contract and then depart for free and use that $7.5 million for something worthwhile. Or is $7.5 million just not that much money anymore? I understand that big-time universities like Syracuse receive millions of dollars from various sources and $7.5 million is not going to build a new business school building on campus. Nevertheless, it is still $7.5 million dollars wasted to pay off the Big East so that Syracuse could leave the Big East sinking ship a little early.



Excess = Success: College Football in 2012

In the wake of the Penn State scandal and tragedy is the all-too-obvious-truth-we-choose-to-avoid: college football is out of control. While we can only hope and pray that the specifics of the Penn State scandal are isolated, the root causes—win-at-all-costs coaches and administrators, excessive program buildup, and exorbitant spending—are evident from sea to shining sea. As consumers of college football, we have been all too willing to look the other way.

http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/mensclubvolleyball/psulogo.JPG

While there has always been a separation between the have and have-nots in college football, this distinction was given a name as the BCS-era came to the forefront: BCS conference schools and non-BCS conference schools. This label increased in importance as the profile of college football grew to billion-dollar proportions. As television allegiances grew more lucrative, once obscure conference commissioners became power-brokers sent by university presidents to secure the most lucrative deal for their conference. The marriage of the SEC and CBS, the birth of the BigTen Network, and the ownership of almost all of the bowl games by ESPN are all just samples of these dealings. As non-BCS schools like Utah, TCU, and Boise State burst through their limitations and played in BCS games, these distinctions became even more important. The revenue discrepancy between BCS and non-BCS is laughable. While top programs like Utah and TCU (during the Mountain West Conference years) were pulling in a spartan $1 million per year from their TV contract, doormats in the SEC and Big Ten could anticipate upwards of $10 million flowing into their coffers. That being said, the lack of equity between non-BCS and BCS schools is not the problem with college football, it is the fact that programs see excessive spending as a necessity.

(It is worth mentioning that Utah and TCU abandoned the MWC for the Pac-12 and Big XII, respectively. Why? Because it was the best move for the program, i.e. money.)

State-of-the-art practice, study, film, and medical facilities are the standard now. Add to that bigger stadiums complete with high-tech locker rooms and press box facilities. College football suffers from a “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality. Take the University of Utah for example, the Pac-12’s newest member. The conference exodus and rebirth brought a lot of changes, one of which was the need for a $30 million practice/football facility. The Deseret News headline regarding the new building branded it as a "missing piece." To quote the article:

The new football facility, which will be attached to the Alex Smith Strength and Conditioning Room, is going to house state-of-the-art sports medicine and athletic training space, a multipurpose dining hall, a team locker room, offices for the coaches and support staff, equipment storage, a player lounge, a Hall of Fame, a team auditorium with space for 150 athletes and coaches, plus meeting rooms for each position group with enhanced video capabilities.

"Going into the Pac-12, it's an all-out arms race," Whittingham said. "Everybody is building the bigger and better buildings, and we've got to keep up with everybody."

The new facility, he added, was the selling point in recruiting this year. Football recruits are shown a building model and drawings of what is expected to be in place well before the 2012 season.

Clearly, there was no discussion within the athletic department whether the new facility was truly needed or not. If Utah wants to play with the big boys, they have to spend like them. It is worthy of note that Utah has not technically become a full-member of the Pac-12 from a TV revenue standpoint. In fact, just for the opportunity to play in the Pac-12, Utah was willing to forego receiving any Pac-12 television revenue in 2011 (50% will be allocated in 2012, 75% in 2013, and 100% in 2014). 

An astute Utah fan that points out that Utah made more revenue off of the Pac-12 championship game than what they ever made during a year as a member of the MWC is missing the point. Utah does not have the money, yet they are spending like they do. Why? Because the feeling is that if you want to have a successful football program, you must spend.
  
(In a statistics class I took, I ran a regression looking for the relationship between college football spending and number of wins based on teams' 2009 records. My analysis did not include coaches salaries or other expenses. I found that for every additional million dollars that a team spent on its football program in 2009, they achieved .243 extra wins. Essentially, that extra million a school poured into their football program helped them win one quarter of a football game. To say the least, while the relationship between spending and winning is positive, it is a fairly small positive. I don't think any rational human being would think that spending an extra million is worth that great 3rd quarter against UCLA.) 
 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765582277/Utah-footballs-fancy-trailer-park.html?pg=all

Construction on that aforementioned practice facility will take a year. As we all know, college football does not take any days off--it's become a year-round affair. To accommodate the offseason day-to-day operations of the program, the University has set up a 26-trailer complex. Good old college football. I wonder what a temporary trailer park costs and what are the opportunity costs of a temporary trailer park? Was that even factored into the decision-making process when they discussed the idea of a building a small city?



During the 1999 NBA Lockout, Patrick Ewing infamously stated: "Sure, NBA players make a lot of money, but we spend a lot too." This pithy saying has, unintentionally, become the axiom by which athletic departments direct their college football programs. In order for college football programs to survive at their current spending trajectory, they have to make that much money. If college football programs were allowed to fail, the headlines would be riddled with stories of broke athletic departments and all of the foolish investments they made. Stories not unlike the headline grabbing tales of professional athletes excesses and their empty bank accounts.


Are we fine with this? 

http://bcsknowhow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ncaa-football-logo.jpg

Noted national columnists Dan Wetzel and Jason Whitlock have used the Penn St tragedy as a time to point out the foundational problems that exist in college football. Wetzel wrote of the hypocrisy of the NCAA that was embodied by the do-nothing regime of Graham Spanier, ex-President of Penn St. Spanier was quick to disgrace an athlete and agent for a $400 suit and willing sit on his hands as Jerry Sandusky preyed on defenseless children. Jason Whitlock explained how society has made college football into something that is "too big to fail." Bigger isn't necessarily better. We, as a society, have accepted that college football is all about the money. Meanwhile, the NCAA, college presidents, conference commissioners and athletic departments hide behind the guise of amateurism and the "student-athlete" even as they too have accepted that it is all about the money. As long as there are tax breaks to be had, this charade will be forced upon our national intelligence.




I love college football. I look forward to it each and every autumn. However, college football has a lot of problems and I cannot stand back, idly by, and watch while college football becomes "too big to fail." Change will not come unless it is, as Whitlock put it, "brought down to a manageable size". Even Whitlock admits, though, that he is "spitting into the wind...[and] There is no chance of college football dialing back." Even something as horrific as what took place at Penn St. will likely do little to alter the culture of college football. Coaches will still make too much money. Conference commissioners will still wield too much power. Football programs will still excessively spend millions of dollars. Bowl executives will still pull in six-figure incomes for doing relatively nothing. Programs will still operate in the red. Players and agents will still break arcane NCAA regulations. Fans will still show up in droves.

As presently constituted and constructed by society, I do not think there is any institution or group of people that can hold college football accountable. The paper tiger that is the NCAA has proven futile in enforcing any sort of order in the sport. I do not think I am the only one who thinks that big-time college coaches, athletic directors, and conference commissioners scoff whenever the NCAA  flexes its measly muscles. The only way fans could enforce their will is to stop showing up (that will never happen, unless there is a way for every team to start losing). As long as fans show up and revenue keeps rolling in, there is no incentive for anyone in a leadership position to impose order. The only way to fix college football is change its structure dramatically, i.e. number of games played, compensation, etc.


That all being said, if those in power truly used the interests of the student-athlete rather than money as their guiding principle, the change would come naturally. As for now and heretofore, Money wins.

Three Point Guards and a Center - Week One of the NBA Free Agency Period

This iteration of the NBA free agency period has already become a check-twitter-often-so-you-don't-miss-anything type of event. Steve Nash to the Lakers, Deron Williams staying put, and the ongoing (and annoying) Dwight Howard saga are just a few of the headlines. More big signings and deals are bound to appear on the timeline.

Steve Nash to the Lakers

http://www.sidelinestoriez.com

Steve Nash will be donning the purple and gold.

Though I am sure some in Phoenix and the areas surrounding would tend to disagree, this move does not seem to be dripping in betrayal. After all, it was Phoenix who pulled the trigger by trading the rights to Nash's services to the Lakers. Also, there is no indication of Nash pulling a Carmelo Anthony/Dwight Howard act in trying to force the franchise's hand while still under contract. Nash was a free agent, and Phoenix chose to sign-and-trade him away. Finally, Nash has given his blood and guts to the Phoenix Suns since he signed there in 2004. Multiple trips to the Western Conference Finals, 2 MVPs, and a whole lot of exciting games. Take away a terrible decision by the NBA, and there's a good chance you could have added an NBA Finals appearance to that list of accomplishments.

(Let's be realistic, the '07 Utah Jazz probably would have been able to dispatch the Cleveland Cavaliers in Lebron's first foray in the Finals. Assuming the Suns would have advanced past the Spurs had Stoudemire and Diaw not been suspended, and that they could have taken care of the Utah Jazz (a high probability they would have), they would have won the 2007 title. Man, those suspensions were unfortunate.)

With the Lakers, it is presumed that Nash will get one or two more realistic shots at a title. Even if the Lakers are unable to secure a trade to get Dwight Howard, they will still contend. Nash's presence should be a boon overall even if he won't have the freedom he had in the "7 seconds or less" offense that the Suns employed in their heyday. As a distributor, Nash will be able to create good looks and high percentage shots for the triumvirate of Kobe/Gasol/Bynum. As an excellent pick and roll point guard, the stature of Pau Gasol should be restored to some of its circa 2009-2010 luster. As an knock-down shooter, Nash will provide a deadly weapon on the perimeter. On paper, there are a lot of reasons why this will work.

In practice, there are some reasons why it won't. I'll avoid the whole "can Kobe cede some of the ball-control to Nash" discussion. I'd rather focus on the fact that both Kobe and Nash are old. Though almost 5 years his junior, Bryant is about 6000 minutes older than Nash in basketball years (6000 minutes translates to a little over 2 seasons of normal minute output for Kobe). There is a lot of wear and tear on both of their bodies. Give both of them credit for keeping themselves in such good shape and avoiding/playing through injury for the balance of their careers. That being said, age is the undisputed champion. It will catch up with them. Even though both of them could probably kick around the league for five or so more years, I venture to guess neither of them have more than two years left of high-level production. To wrestle the Western Conference crown from Oklahoma City, they will need high level production.

It is clear to me that the Lakers are making one last gasp at a championship before Kobe calls it a career. They can ill afford to keep their team together as presently constituted for too long (luxury tax penalties are stiffer under the new CBA). The two years of high-level Nash and Kobe are worth the pursuit of another ring. Even as a Jazz fan, I am interested to see how things will work out in La-La land.

Goran Dragic to the Suns

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

You already know how I feel about Goran Dragic. To put it in perspective, I think Phoenix is better off at the point-guard position having brought Dragic back into the fold. While replacing a surefire Hall-of-Famer like Nash will be no easy task, Dragic brings a bright future to the franchise accustomed to elite point-guard play. If he stays engaged, works hard and plays like he owns the starting job as much as he says he does, Dragic will make an all-star team. Mark it down.

The draft picks that the Suns procured from the Lakers are curious. The stats do not lie, second round and even first round draft picks do not guarantee value (@Lockedonsports is always talking about this. I do not have time to do the research so I will refer you to his twitter feed). I think the Suns will look to trade away these picks and start setting themselves up for the future. While Suns management has not proved that they have an overall plan or direction (getting younger, clearing cap space, etc.), picking up Dragic is a step in the right direction to filling a need and setting a foundation.



Deron Williams stays in Brooklyn

One of the New Jersey Nets gambles (and probably their biggest one) paid off. From the jaws of irrelevance, they snatched a franchise player to open the Barclays Center in Brooklyn with next season. They were so close to losing Deron Williams, it is crazy that they were willing to take that risk. They sent Derrick Favors (who looks like he's on his way to becoming a defensive force of Dwight Howard proportions), a lottery pick (which turned into Enes Kanter, who showed promise in year 1), and Devin Harris (struggled a little bit at first in Utah, but seemed to catch fire at the end of 2012) for the mere chance to re-sign Deron Williams. All they wanted was an opportunity to sign him. Granted, they could offer him more money than anyone else when that time came, but as the 2012 season wore on, it seemed highly unlikely that Deron would follow the Nets to Brooklyn.

http://www.texassportnews.com

But wait. Hope. A well-timed birthday and the opportunity for the Nets to show Deron just how much they cared. While the larger-than-life birthday card may not have swayed Deron's decision. it is clear that by the time the Nets parked his birthday present in front of his house, Williams had extinguished the taste of a dismal 2012 season out of his mouth. The Nets were brutal last year. There is no other way to look at it. Forty-four losses and last in the league in attendance.

The Nets have made a lot of questionable decisions since Mikhail Prokhorov took over. They turned a cheap lottery-pick from what was felt to be a pretty deep draft into Gerald Wallace and his $40 million contract. They traded away a bunch of expiring contracts for the right to absorb Joe Johnson's $90 million. If they have their way, they will not have a draft pick until 2040 in order to get Dwight Howard. Through all of this, I suppose you have to give them credit. Deron Williams himself said that the acquisition Joe "the $90 million man" Johnson was a big factor in him sticking around. I wonder if Deron has considered that that $90 million, as well as the eight-figures he will make will hinder the Nets ability to make any significant moves, unless you can pay luxury tax in ruples.

With Deron Wiliams and Joe Johnson as their main pieces, I just do not see the Nets becoming anything more than mediocre. Maybe the Williams/Johnson dynamic will work better than I think, but in a conference with Miami, Boston, New York and an overrated Chicago team, the Nets will likely be a yearly eastern conference afterthought.

Roy Hibbert to the Blazers (pending Indiana's decision to match or not)

I know, Hibbert is not exactly a guy that moves the meter, but Portland is in Utah's division so it is worth mentioning.

Portland is doing what they do best. Offering a young, developing player that also happens to be a restricted free agent a bunch of money with Paul Allen's millions and hope that the player's current team does not match. They pull this move annually on the Utah Jazz (see Paul Millsap and Wesley Matthews. I wish they would have done this to CJ Miles and Kyrylo Fesenko, but I digress.).

Hibbert is a solid center and proof of the NBA theory that if you are a center and show any small shred of promise, you will get offered an enormous amount of money. He would make the Blazers better, but they have other issues to sort out before becoming any sort of force in the Western Conference (like getting a GM and a coach).

If I were Hibbert, I would hope to stay far away from Portland and their notoriously inept training staff.


For now, I will leave the Utah Jazz alone. I do not think they are done yet and it would seem apropos to evaluate the new roster additions once the 2012-2013 lineup has become more solidified.

Ray Allen just signed with the Heat. Got to keep my eye on that twitter feed...