News Article: Byrne: We Can Only Add 40 Scholarships

[BamaMoon]

How will this impact "walk-on" players?

 

[Slowpoke Catracho]

The begging is just incredible. Maybe, I'll switch to fishing on Saturdays.

 

[bamamc1]

The begging is just incredible. Maybe, I'll switch to fishing on Saturdays.

You're exactly right. Byrne isn't doing UA any favors by sending out messages to the base begging for more $ and then lobbing this out there. Don't think for one second that people won't be using the "Bama is flat broke" message" on the recruiting trail.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

College athletics has changed (portal and NIL) on a fundamental level, so the states and colleges are going to have to change how they deal with athletics on a fundamental level or schools like Alabama will get left waaaaay behind in all sports. CFB specifically needs guidelines and guardrails, but until that happens the AD has to operate within the current landscape, not the one that doesn't yet exist.

The state needs to pass a lottery to help fund more scholarship money. My god, if Louisiana can do it then Alabama certainly can.

 

[lowend]

I wonder if the SEC is standing pat because the new revenue share models reference scholarships educational athletes as participants in revenue sharing. If so adding scholarships would actually dilute the amount revenue sharing that athletes could receive?

I suspect this is a parity measure to allow institutions and conferences with less lucrative TV revenues to increase their rosters, at their own expense, in attempt close the gap between have and have not programs.

I have a feeling things are about to get very tight for a few schools, possibly including our own. The University is projecting a maximum debt service of $92.5 Million in FY25, with pledged revenues of $1.3 Billion. What happens if those pledges don't materialize?

 

[BamaNation]

Maybe Byrne needs to put UA in the portal to get a better deal. Can also read this differently if you mix up the words.

Also: Maybe need to reevaluate how folks are paid, where the money is spent, etc etc etc.

As far as I know, we have no billionaires in our alum base. We are not going to have the luxury to be paying players and coaches ridiculous amounts and updating facilities. Now what? That's what he needs to solve for.

The system is broken. Are we going to try to compete in a broken/corrupt system or are we going to be fiscally responsible?

I don't have the answer. I'm also not getting paid $1MM+ to come up with an answer that doesn't involve crying about what we don't have.

 

[BamaNation]

Until Alabama implements a state lottery, this is going to be a problem. Louisiana uses the lottery money to give out very good state scholarships. My daughter is currently on one that is paying for a bulk of her schooling.

Gamble for the kids!

Also, it won't matter much if DeBoer (along with the other sports) doesn't recruit in-state ( only 2 players in his first class were Bama boys) b/c I'm assuming those lottery dollars would (should) go only to in-state students. Money is fungible so I guess it would just be shifting funding but still...

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Gamble for the kids!

Also, it won't matter much if DeBoer (along with the other sports) doesn't recruit in-state ( only 2 players in his first class were Bama boys) b/c I'm assuming those lottery dollars would (should) go only to in-state students. Money is fungible so I guess it would just be shifting funding but still...

If people are going to invest in their guilty pleasures, why not put some good into it? They're gambling, they're just driving to a bordering state and buying the tickets. Just like with "dry counties". It's not like having a dry county keeps the people from drinking, they just drive over to the neighboring county, buy it from them, and drive back and drink like a fish in the dry county.

Either way, until more guardrails and regulations are put in, schools that aren't drowning in money are going to have to be creative to compete with schools that are or get left behind.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Until Alabama implements a state lottery, this is going to be a problem. Louisiana uses the lottery money to give out very good state scholarships. My daughter is currently on one that is paying for a bulk of her schooling.

Gamble for the kids!

Also, it won't matter much if DeBoer (along with the other sports) doesn't recruit in-state ( only 2 players in his first class were Bama boys) b/c I'm assuming those lottery dollars would (should) go only to in-state students. Money is fungible so I guess it would just be shifting funding but still...

BamaNation is right about the lack of billionaire alums. As it stands now, neither Auburn nor the University of Alabama can compete head to head with a number of schools on pay-for-play -- aTm, UTw, UTe, Oregon, and recently Duke basketball.

But if the state lottery is couched as the only way for that to happen, there's a good chance it'll pass. It's close as it is, and I think this issue could put it over the top.

At an admittedly much lower level, there's plenty of precedent in the state of Alabama for property and/or sales tax proposals being rejected by local voters, only to be approved when high school extra-curricular activities (read: football, basketball and band) were threatened.

If it's put to the voters, "We can have the lottery and UA and AU can compete for championships. Or we can forego the lottery and watch both schools challenge Mississippi schools for mediocrity with only occasional moderately competitive seasons." I think you'd see a lottery passed quicker than you can imagine.

Side note: According to a recent WSJ article, Duke appears to have cracked the code. They have a cabal of high-dollar donors who, contrary to a lot of them, don't want publicity or control. They want wins. They collect money, funnel it to the right players, and are smart enough stay out of the coaches' way.

I'm not naive enough to think they don't have influence or that they couldn't force the coach out if they wanted. But they're too smart to overuse that silver bullet on trivial day-to-day decisions. Looking at you, aTm and UTw.

 

[BamaNation]

BamaNation is right about the lack of billionaire alums. As it stands now, neither Auburn nor the University of Alabama can compete head to head with a number of schools on pay-for-play -- aTm, UTw, UTe, Oregon, and recently Duke basketball.

But if the state lottery is couched as the only way for that to happen, there's a good chance it'll pass. It's close as it is, and I think this issue could put it over the top.

At an admittedly much lower level, there's plenty of precedent in the state of Alabama for property and/or sales tax proposals being rejected by local voters, only to be approved when high school extra-curricular activities (read: football, basketball and band) were threatened.

If it's put to the voters, "We can have the lottery and UA and AU can compete for championships. Or we can forego the lottery and watch both schools challenge Mississippi schools for mediocrity with only occasional moderately competitive seasons." I think you'd see a lottery passed quicker than you can imagine.

Side note: According to a recent WSJ article, Duke appears to have cracked the code. They have a cabal of high-dollar donors who, contrary to a lot of them, don't want publicity or control. They want wins. They collect money, funnel it to the right players, and are smart enouth stay out of the coaches' way.

I'm not naive enough to think they don't have influence or that they couldn't force the coach out if they wanted. But they're too smart to overuse that silver bullet on trivial day-to-day decisions. Looking at you, aTm and UTw.

Yep. Time to start the 4Q VC fund.

 

[Slowpoke Catracho]

With the government becoming so stringent on loans and grants for regular students, maybe everyone should just concentrate on athletics starting in Elementary school and they could get some NIL and go to the college of their choice by 11th grade!

Right now it's easier for an athlete to go to school than someone that wants to enroll for academics.

 

[The Ols]

I have a feeling things are about to get very tight for a few schools, possibly including our own. The University is projecting a maximum debt service of $92.5 Million in FY25, with pledged revenues of $1.3 Billion. What happens if those pledges don't materialize?

Venture Capatalism..

 

[Tidewater]

Maybe Byrne needs to put UA in the portal to get a better deal. Can also read this differently if you mix up the words.

Also: Maybe need to reevaluate how folks are paid, where the money is spent, etc etc etc.

As far as I know, we have no billionaires in our alum base. We are not going to have the luxury to be paying players and coaches ridiculous amounts and updating facilities. Now what? That's what he needs to solve for.

The system is broken. Are we going to try to compete in a broken/corrupt system or are we going to be fiscally responsible?

I don't have the answer. I'm also not getting paid $1MM+ to come up with an answer that doesn't involve crying about what we don't have.

It seems to me that one thing Bama had going for it since Coach Bryant's return was the amateur nature of college sports. Alabama did not have a huge media market or billionaire alums, but did not need that to be competitive.
Those days are over. The powers that be have arranged things in such a way that money will be the most important factor in on-the-field success.
The Alabamas of college football will field good teams, but not championship teams.

 

[mrusso]

It seems to me that one thing Bama had going for it since Coach Bryant's return was the amateur nature of college sports. Alabama did not have a huge media market or billionaire alums, but did not need that to be competitive.
Those days are over. The powers that be have arranged things in such a way that money will be the most important factor in on-the-field success.
The Alabamas of college football will field good teams, but not championship teams.

That can't be right. This was supposed to make things more even and fair...right?

 

[Tidewater]

That can't be right. This was supposed to make things more even and fair...right?

I know every other program is crying crocodile tears for Alabama after the last two decades, but the world of college football needs to get ready for a heavy dose of cash-laden programs winning lots of championships in the coming years. And I'm not saying that's cheating. That's just what's gonna happen.