BREAKING House Versus NCAA Settlement Reached

[mrusso]

Correct me if I'm wrong but this salary for the players thing has nothing to do with NIL agreements does it? They can still negotiate whatever they want with whoever they want correct? It just means they could do nothing beyond be on the team and get a paycheck.

since the cap is for the athletic department a school that has no football team could definitely be the high bidder for another sport like basketball, so I can see some nobody team running an NBA franchise in college.

On the other hand could a school cut the basketball and baseball teams and just spend it all on football?

How long before a female tennis player sues the school because she doesn't get paid the same salary as the starting QB

Do starters get paid more than backups?

Since they are paid a salary can they now be hit with breach of contract?

I remember in the off-season when all we talked about was a live mascot and white helmets. Now get off my lawn!

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I think we might see some non-revenue sports cut. Due to Title IX, it would probably be men's non-revenue sports -- candidates would be swimming, tennis, golf, and track & field.

Thing is, I wonder how much money that would save. As in, if you eliminated out all of them, would the savings be enough to move the budgetary needle? I don't know. But I bet Greg Byrne knows the number to the penny.

 

[denver]

Which goes to a deeper philosophical question of “How does having what boils down to basically a professional team sporting the University brand “fit” into the academic mission of the university itself?”. Are there going to be academics standards involved or does that go out the window? Are they going to be “students of the university” or “students of the game they play”?

Very true...the proposed financial arrangement pretty much makes the academic standard/brand moot especially among the elite college programs/ major college sports. It may still apply to the other sports but I'm sure that would be litigated too ( sarcasm)

 

[BamaNation]

Here are the current varsity sports at Alabama.

Men's Varsity Sports

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Cross Country
• Football
• Golf
• Swimming & Diving
• Tennis
• Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field

Women’s Varsity Sports

• Basketball
• Cross Country
• Golf
• Gymnastics
• Rowing
• Soccer
• Softball
• Swimming & Diving
• Tennis
• Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field
• Volleyball
  
  In addition, the school supports spirit squads (cheerleading & dance), which compete nationally.

 

[dWarriors88]

I think we might see some non-revenue sports cut. Due to Title IX, it would probably be men's non-revenue sports -- candidates would be swimming, tennis, golf, and track & field.

Thing is, I wonder how much money that would save. As in, if you eliminated out all of them, would the savings be enough to move the budgetary needle? I don't know. But I bet Greg Byrne knows the number to the penny.

I can't see track and field going away. It doesn't cost that much in the grand scheme to set up those meets.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I can't see track and field going away. It doesn't cost that much in the grand scheme to set up those meets.

I don’t disagree that men’s tennis, golf, track & field, swimming, cross country, etc. don’t consume a ton of money in the great scheme. That doesn’t mean they’re not vulnerable.

Whether you agree or disagree with the idea, Title IX is the reason.

The whole purpose of a women’s crew team is it’s near-unique combination of relatively small capital investment (buildings, coaching staff, equipment & facilities) and it’s relatively large number of scholarships — 100% of which go to women.

So women’s crew is the perfect Title IX sport — not much capital investment and a bunch of scholarship recipients.

So do you lose a few 4-5 star football recruits because you can’t pay them market? Or do you cut women’s swimming because it generates $0 revenue, but gets the DOJ all up in your business, making a colonscopy look like a passing nod between working colleagues? Or do you cut men’s swimming because it also generates $0 revenue, but keeps you out of the Feds’ crosshairs?

If you don’t cut either, where do you get the money to pay them football recruits?

Welcome to Greg Byrne’s chair. He earns every penny of his $1M+ salary.

 

[CrimsonTitles]

I don’t disagree that men’s tennis, golf, track & field, swimming, cross country, etc. don’t consume a ton of money in the great scheme. That doesn’t mean they’re not vulnerable.

Whether you agree or disagree with the idea, Title IX is the reason.

The whole purpose of a women’s crew team is it’s near-unique combination of relatively small capital investment (buildings, coaching staff, equipment & facilities) and it’s relatively large number of scholarships — 100% of which go to women.

So women’s crew is the perfect Title IX sport — not much capital investment and a bunch of scholarship recipients.

So do you lose a few 4-5 star football recruits because you can’t pay them market? Or do you cut women’s swimming because it generates $0 revenue, but gets the DOJ all up in your business, making a colonscopy look like a passing nod between working colleagues? Or do you cut men’s swimming because it also generates $0 revenue, but keeps you out of the Feds’ crosshairs?

If you don’t cut either, where do you get the money to pay them football recruits?

Welcome to Greg Byrne’s chair. He earns every penny of his $1M+ salary.

Why would we need to pay the recruits? I could be wrong, because a lot ot this is so ambiguous, but it's my understanding that the only payments you can legally do now is through the $20 million revenue sharing. So we just need to find a way to generate $20 million extra annually That's quite a bit of money, and as you said, I don't think cutting non revenue sports alone would even come close to covering that.

I asked Grok how much his estimated savings would be if UA cut both tennis and golf for example, and he estimated that would only save about $2.8 - $3M total annually, so we'd have to cut a ton to even come close to that. For context, Grok also estimates that if we hypothetically cut every sport except for football and basketball, we would save roughly $27M per year. That's obviously not realistic for reasons you've already stated, so if we did cut sports, we'd still have to find another way to generate extra revenue. I don't think it's worth it if it's not going to cover the whole thing. I also really hope it doesn't come to that. It really will be a sad day when they start cutting opportunities for the 98% so the 2% can get paid.

 

[CaliforniaTide]

One potential change in all of this is if other professional leagues get involved to pay for the running of the sport in the U.S. Track and field is a massive sport across the world, and U.S. college track and field is essentially a high level minor league for professional track and field. IAAF or someone (Grand Slam Track?) may try to pony up the money to keep it somewhat viable at the college level.

 

[CB4]

The upside to this is universities can lock players into multi year agreements that may stem some of this transfer portal roulette. However student athletes still being able to negotiate NIL outside their agreement with the university remains problematic, even with Deloitte serving as a clearinghouse and Seeley as the grand Poobah with the big stick. I see “no show NIL” being the same as “no show jobs” in the previous amateurism of the NCAA. Just a bagman by another name.

 

[BamaNation]

The money to pay players will not be given to Alabama; it must make room in a department that posted a $27.9 million loss for the 2023-24 fiscal year and $12 million loss for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
...
Alabama sponsors 21 sports, but only two of them -- football and men's basketball -- turn a profit. The other 19 sports lose collectively about $40 million annually, with Byrne noting Tuesday that the men's and women's tennis programs have the smallest losses but still post an annual seven-figure deficit.

https://247sports.com/college/alabama/article/would-alabama-athletics-accept-private-equity-investment-greg-byrne-answers-250797822/

 

[CrimsonNagus]

" To ensure this new system is under control, the Power Five conferences announced the creation of the College Sports Commission, a new organization responsible for making sure schools follow the rules. The commission will investigate violations, manage penalties, and handle disputes. Bryan Seeley, has been named the commission's first CEO. Seeley was previously a Major League Baseball executive and federal prosecutor. "

So, basically another NCAA?

Why do we even need the NCAA at this point? Seems like this new CSC is going to do what the NCAA used to do. How long until lawyers strip the CSC of its enforcement power?

Feels like history is just repeating itself for a new generation.

 

[BamaNation]

The upside to this is universities can lock players into multi year agreements that may stem some of this transfer portal roulette. However student athletes still being able to negotiate NIL outside their agreement with the university remains problematic, even with Deloitte serving as a clearinghouse and Seeley as the grand Poobah with the big stick. I see “no show NIL” being the same as “no show jobs” in the previous amateurism of the NCAA. Just a bagman by another name.

Shouldn't NIL itself actually be considered as a no-show payment? It's for NAME, IMAGE, & LIKENESS. There's no "W" in there for "WORK".

So, the whole thing is corrupt(able).

Unfortunately, I don't see universities actually doing any contractual things until there is legal clarity. BUT you're right in that there should be lockups for all players and significant punitive penalties against those who transfer.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

https://247sports.com/college/alabama/article/would-alabama-athletics-accept-private-equity-investment-greg-byrne-answers-250797822/

I was wondering how schools were going to afford this. Get ready for small schools to lose their athletic departments or drop to a lower division. (Question: Does this settlement affect all NCAA schools or just FBS?). Worse thought, get ready for private firms or corporations. to own percentages of athletic departments, or maybe athletic departments will become companies of the university and go public.

 

[BamaNation]

So, basically another NCAA?

Why do we even need the NCAA at this point? Seems like this new CSC is going to do what the NCAA used to do. How long until lawyers strip the CSC of its enforcement power?

Feels like history is just repeating itself for a new generation.

This is what happens when you have no standards and try to be all things to all people and don't want to make hard decisions based on facts.

Lots of correlation to the federal budget issues.

 

[BamaNation]

I was wondering how schools were going to afford this. Get ready for small schools to lose their athletic departments or drop to a lower division. (Question: Does this settlement affect all NCAA schools or just FBS?). Worse thought, get ready for private firms or corporations. to own percentages of athletic departments, or maybe athletic departments will become companies of the university and go public.

Good.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

View attachment 51105

The little light on my collage football interest gage just came on.

My dad is a Bama alumni, was in the Million Dollar Band, and a huge football fan. He is the reason I am a Bama fan. When I was growing up, if Bama lost, we all knew to tread lightly around him the rest of the day; he would get that upset at times.

This is why it shocked me a few weeks ago when I started talking about the upcoming season, and he said he hardly even cares anymore because of all the greed and money involved in the sport.

 

[CB4]

Shouldn't NIL itself actually be considered as a no-show payment? It's for NAME, IMAGE, & LIKENESS. There's no "W" in there for "WORK".

So, the whole thing is corrupt(able).

Unfortunately, I don't see universities actually doing any contractual things until there is legal clarity. BUT you're right in that there should be lockups for all players and significant punitive penalties against those who transfer.

Well “technically” many of these NIL agreements are supposed include public appearances and autograph sessions (cough, cough) so in some cases they are actually supposed to “show up”. It is arguable whether it is an actual job or not.

Kind of like the old days when players got paid to “water the grass” at the stadium when university had an automatic sprinkler system.