Calipari Has A Plan
by Wild Weasel on Jun 22, 2011 1:02 PM EDT
Email
PrintJohn Calipari tells KSR that he has a plan to address some of the current inequities in major college sports. Basics are: 4 "Super Conferences" of 16-18 teams each, all having D1 FB and BB, four conference FB winners earn spot in championship playoffs with other teams qualifying for bowls, all teams would qualify for post-season, seeded BB tournament, players would receive money for "living" expenses, additional funds provided to schools to facilitate Title IX and other academic endeavors. Other details listed but not mentioned is the underlying message: Screw you, NCAA.
12 comments
|
2 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Weasel, Great Topic!
This came out yesterday from Cal and Dan Reefer(?) on twitter.
I think he is entirely correct when Cal says there is no way for meaningful money to be distributed to players as long as the bottom 80% of the NCAA “Barely Div.1” who can’t afford it would vote against it. Separating from the NCAA is the only viable alternative, imo, and, in a world that allows Nebraska to leave the Big Twelve for the Pac-10, this thing could for sure happen. Maybe not for a couple years but that is not so far in the future.
The only reasonable, though not viable imo, option for the NCAA is to create the super Div. itself. The problem with that option is that a large fraction of the money earned by that super div. would be siphoned off to the other divisions and its own bureaucracy making it much less attractive.
The other subtopic is who gets picked for membership. The Big East has only nine football schools, the other basketball only schools: Villanova, St. Johns, Seton Hall, Providence, Georgetown, Marquette, DePaul – will be angry beyond belief. The non-BCS football schools will be coming at this topic HARD.
The Debate Begins!
CBS’s Dennis Dodd has an alternative solution to that proposed by Calipari, “You want enough money to pay the players? You want enough cash to paper a locker room? Start a playoff.”
There’s no question the money would be there. There have been countless playoff proposals. Recently, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban started a limited liability company to explore the issue. The BCS bowls alone produced $193 million last season. A modest playoff might be worth four times that amount. Let’s round it off to $800 million.
“This is why an FBS championship solves so many problems …,” said John Infante, assistant compliance director at Colorado State and author of Bylaw Blog on the NCAA website. “I have a hard time seeing less than a billion dollars.” – Article
Matt Norlander of CBS, on the otherhand, just says,“No!”
An NCAA tournament that consists of only the teams from the super-conferences? And everyone automatically qualifies? No. A million, billion times: no. - article
Of course, Norlander forgets this wouldn’t be an NCAA tournament.
Check out the follow-on comments to these two articles and you’ll see the buzzing of small non-BCS school fans beginning to swarm. Not unanticipated, hardly germane.
I don't have a problem
with the ‘super conference’ idea. I read several yrs. ago about the top 30-50 programs opting out of the NCAA and hiring a commissioner. Either way would be better than what we have now. The simple fact is that what’s good for Woolfolk is not necessarily good for the UK, OSU, USC and Alabamas of the college world. Quite the opposite, imo.
Now, pay-for-play is a whole other deal.
Of course the small schools are gonna have a fit. But, then, does the country really want to see Marist play Austin Peay? Exactly.
God Bless Our Troops............Especially Our Snipers!
If anything remotely similar to Cal's plan ever comes to fruition
I’ll start writing for CoachPitino.com, LOL!! I think Cal is poking fun and giving the metaphorical finger to the NCAA with this “idea.”
But hey, it gives us something to talk and write about over the summer.
Don't say those things even in jest!
Actually, I think there is a lot of pent-up anger regarding the NCAA from those schools being disciplined and those just watching the charade perpetrated by the COI. This issue of “full cost of attendance” might just be the mule the BCS schools ride to divorce and distance themselves from the NCAA’s baggage.
You know,
Cal’s ideas are much more relevant when it comes to football, I think (and as you say). I could see something like this happening in that sport, but I’m not sure it would be viable or even possible to drastically change the football landscape (as it pertains to super conferences and dropping the NCAA), and not greatly affect basketball.
But my line has always been the same: these players are supposed to be amateurs, so I’m not for paying a monthly or weekly stipend to the student-athletes (I realize this isn’t a popular stance right now), but I wouldn’t be against some type of discretionary fund to help those athletes who come from destitute backgrounds (of which there are many). But, a great argument can be made for paying the players something. They do generate billions of dollars of revenue, but they also get a free education, something that shouldn’t be given short shrift.
Amateurism Is An Anachronism
these players are supposed to be amateurs
And has been for some time.
"Statistics are no substitute for judgment" — Henry Clay (my namesake)
Many of these players can qualify for pell grants
I’ve heard these grants can approach 3000 – 5000 dollars per academic year, nowadays. If that’s wrong, please correct. The source is a coach interviewed on one of the sports radio channels. I don’t remember his name.
And don’t these players get per diems when on the road. And that many, if they live off campus, are given fairly generous housing allotments as part of their scholarship agreement to have “room and board”. The aforementioned source/coach said players usually live together and pool their money for rent, leaving a few hundred dollars left over every month for each guy. That seems like a pretty good chunk of change.
None of these athletes are starving. And they’re in College for cryin out loud. Of course, they all need to get out once and a while. That goes without saying. But what does that mean? A steak dinner or 50 cent Sliders using a coupon? A first run movie or a rented dvd shown in the dorm’s common room? Driving a ten year old Kia or a new Nissan Z?
I’ve said this before… The lesson to live within your own means is a valuable lesson to learn.
No matter where you're at, there you are
I agree Ken. Cal was poking the NCAA
The underlying message was the bigger teams/conferences don’t necessarily even need the NCAA. The proposal itself, I don’t agree with, though. For reasons mentioned elsewhere.
No matter where you're at, there you are
I Think College Athletes Deserve A $tipend
Some of them get a $$$tipend already. (NOT at UK but elsewhere)
by FortyYearCatFan on Jun 24, 2011 7:52 AM EDT reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Community Guidelines
[UPDATED 01/18/2012]
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
