Kansas City Star

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"My question is: Did we count the cost?" Drinkwitz asked. "I'm not talking about the financial cost. I'm talking about: Did we count the cost for the student-athletes involved in this decision? What cost is it to those student-athletes? We're talking about a football decision, based on football, but what about softball and baseball, who have to travel across (the) country? Did we ask about the cost to them?

"Do we know what the number one indicator or symptom of or cause of mental health (problems) is? It's lack of rest and sleep. Traveling in those baseball (and) softball games, those people, they travel commercial. They get done playing ... they gotta go to the airport. They come back, it's 3 or 4 in the morning, they gotta go to class. I mean, did we ask any of them?"

Drinkwitz said he's not worried about how conference realignment will affect the college football product, noting that "the game will be strong." But he's very concerned about the student-athletes involved and their lack of sway in the process.

Players are asked to support themselves with name, image and likeness (NIL) earnings but don't get any of the television revenue the conferences and schools get from their respective sports. They also don't have a seat at the table when realignment is discussed and decided.

"That's the thing that's bothering me right now in this whole situation, is we keep trying to limit what the student-athlete can do, but then we act on our own," Drinkwitz said. "And everybody's got their own reasons, and I'm not questioning those. I'm saying, as a collective group, have we asked ourselves what's it going to cost the student-athletes?"

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This woke pinko should be fire for cause.

Even though football revenues are what enable non-revenue sports to operate, it seems absurd that FOOTBALL (which plays at most 13 games per year) should define the operational demands (travel, game times, etc.) of the non-revenue sports.

The NCAA should relax requirements for sports that are not football so that they are free to belong to conferences/associations/etc that make the most sense so as not to put undue burdens on athletes and the budgets of athletic departments.

Women's field hockey shouldn't be forced to abide by decisions made by monied-media interests whose only concern is what ad dollars they can attract for a football game.

Why not the obvious? Realignment for football only, rest of sports stay where they are

Two football leagues, 32? 48? 64?, with playoffs. Use the soccer system to move teams in and out. Remove it from the NCAA. Pay the boys, share the spoils

Anarchistbear said:

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Why not the obvious? Realignment for football only, rest of sports stay where they are

Two football leagues, 32? 48? 64?, with playoffs. Use the soccer system to move teams in and out. Remove it from the NCAA. Pay the boys, share the spoils

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The value of the best brands benefits other sports, and not just football. Big Ten and SEC schools are not going to give up that brand value for their other sports.

If you are the volleyball coach at Ohio State, you use the Big Ten brand to help you recruit the best volleyball players that you can get. You don't want to lose that recruiting edge you have over every other college in Ohio and almost every other college in the US.

Anarchistbear said:

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Why not the obvious? Realignment for football only, rest of sports stay where they are

Two football leagues, 32? 48? 64?, with playoffs. Use the soccer system to move teams in and out. Remove it from the NCAA. Pay the boys, share the spoilmeh,

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I'm not interested in making U$C, fUCLA, uDub or the Quack's women's softball team (or any team) travel schedule easier by allowing them to play historical PAC12 teams in '24 (unless we have a seat at the table, where ever that may be). Let those teams travel to Rutgers and Maryland.

That said, I agree w/ this coach and have been saying the same for over a year.

bluehenbear said:

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Even though football revenues are what enable non-revenue sports to operate, it seems absurd that FOOTBALL (which plays at most 13 games per year) should define the operational demands (travel, game times, etc.) of the non-revenue sports.

The NCAA should relax requirements for sports that are not football so that they are free to belong to conferences/associations/etc that make the most sense so as not to put undue burdens on athletes and the budgets of athletic departments.

Women's field hockey shouldn't be forced to abide by decisions made by monied-media interests whose only concern is what ad dollars they can attract for a football game.

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The NCAA already does. For example, Hawaii competes in the far flung MWC for football, but all other sports compete in the otherwise all-California Big West. Notre Dame is an Independent in football, but the other sports compete in the ACC.

It is the conferences themselves that enforce stricter requirements.

Cal (and Stanford) should also put its other sports in the Big West for now. It is UC dominated so there shouldn't be exit fees if we need to pull them out later.

BearSD said:

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Anarchistbear said:

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Why not the obvious? Realignment for football only, rest of sports stay where they are

Two football leagues, 32? 48? 64?, with playoffs. Use the soccer system to move teams in and out. Remove it from the NCAA. Pay the boys, share the spoils

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The value of the best brands benefits other sports, and not just football. Big Ten and SEC schools are not going to give up that brand value for their other sports.

If you are the volleyball coach at Ohio State, you use the Big Ten brand to help you recruit the best volleyball players that you can get. You don't want to lose that recruiting edge you have over every other college in Ohio and almost every other college in the US.

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I don't see this as a big deal. OSU's football is still played in Columbus and all the glory and money revert to Columbus. The only difference is that they are a Big 10 representative in the East - West College Football League. Nothing changes for the volleyball players.

Here's a good thread from a U Michigan regent about the disregard for student athletes.

So I've been holding my tongue for a couple days on the conference realignment, Round 2023. But now its nap time on the shores of beautiful Lake Walloon in Northern Michigan so here goes...

— Jordan Acker (@JordanAckerMI) August 6, 2023

GoCal80 said:

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Here's a good thread from a U Michigan regent about the disregard for student athletes.

So I've been holding my tongue for a couple days on the conference realignment, Round 2023. But now its nap time on the shores of beautiful Lake Walloon in Northern Michigan so here goes...

— Jordan Acker (@JordanAckerMI) August 6, 2023

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The day for national football only conference affiliations and localized non-rev sports needs to come ASAP.

A path for how that comes to happen, I do not know.

But flying non-rev sports in charter planes across the country is a complete waste of time and energy.

Even basketball should be regional, but should have some allowances for mid-season cross region games to create interesting content.

...and all at a time when everyone should be cutting back on travel, especially air travel, to minimize our carbon footprints. These realignments are bad for "student" athletes and for the environment and are not something in which any institution of higher learning should be engaged.

ColoradoBear said:

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GoCal80 said:

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Here's a good thread from a U Michigan regent about the disregard for student athletes.

So I've been holding my tongue for a couple days on the conference realignment, Round 2023. But now its nap time on the shores of beautiful Lake Walloon in Northern Michigan so here goes...

— Jordan Acker (@JordanAckerMI) August 6, 2023

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The day for national football only conference affiliations and localized non-rev sports needs to come ASAP.

A path for how that comes to happen, I do not know.

But flying non-rev sports in charter planes across the country is a complete waste of time and energy.

Even basketball should be regional, but should have some allowances for mid-season cross region games to create interesting content.

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Once we join the B1G, I am sure we can convince everyone, especially USC and UCLA, that the non-revenue sports should stay local

This is kind of interesting coming from U of Missouri, one of the first schools to engage in conference realignment, jumping from the ACC to the SEC.

Maybe he is speaking for himself and joined after the realignment. Still, it's kind of strange, although I agree with the concerns.

My suggestion is that student athletes unionize and file several class action lawsuits against several conferences. The conferences can then sue FOX etc. for damages.

Even if that doesn't happen, imo the litigation inside college sports will provide far more entertainment for me since the sport of football on the college level has become nothing more than watching a parade of *****s, pimps and Johns down on Main Street. The clothing can be very interesting but it does not hide the truth.

heartofthebear said:

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This is kind of interesting coming from U of Missouri, one of the first schools to engage in conference realignment, jumping from the ACC to the SEC.

Maybe he is speaking for himself and joined after the realignment. Still, it's kind of strange, although I agree with the concerns.

My suggestion is that student athletes unionize and file several class action lawsuits against several conferences. The conferences can then sue FOX etc. for damages.

Even if that doesn't happen, imo the litigation inside college sports will provide far more entertainment for me since the sport of football on the college level has become nothing more than watching a parade of *****s, pimps and Johns down on Main Street. The clothing can be very interesting but it does not hide the truth.

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They actually jumped ship from the Big12 with Texas A&M when UT was holding the gun to their head…

That aside, litigation on the part of the non-revenue sports athletes is likely the only way to slow the descent.

That was also about when Nebraska left the Big 12. Texas's media deal was sucking all of the oxygen out of the room.

I always thought Mizzou would have been a better fit in the B1G.

91Cal said:

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heartofthebear said:

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This is kind of interesting coming from U of Missouri, one of the first schools to engage in conference realignment, jumping from the ACC to the SEC.

Maybe he is speaking for himself and joined after the realignment. Still, it's kind of strange, although I agree with the concerns.

My suggestion is that student athletes unionize and file several class action lawsuits against several conferences. The conferences can then sue FOX etc. for damages.

Even if that doesn't happen, imo the litigation inside college sports will provide far more entertainment for me since the sport of football on the college level has become nothing more than watching a parade of *****s, pimps and Johns down on Main Street. The clothing can be very interesting but it does not hide the truth.

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They actually jumped ship from the Big12 with Texas A&M when UT was holding the gun to their head…

That aside, litigation on the part of the non-revenue sports athletes is likely the only way to slow the descent.

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Thanks for the clarification

I'll say this - I think if a B1G bid were forthcoming we'd have seen it already, but maybe an ACC bid gives them a sharp prod.

Anarchistbear said:

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Why not the obvious? Realignment for football only, rest of sports stay where they are

Two football leagues, 32? 48? 64?, with playoffs. Use the soccer system to move teams in and out. Remove it from the NCAA. Pay the boys, share the spoils

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Way too much sense

SoFlaBear said:

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Kansas City Star

Quote:

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"My question is: Did we count the cost?" Drinkwitz asked. "I'm not talking about the financial cost. I'm talking about: Did we count the cost for the student-athletes involved in this decision? What cost is it to those student-athletes? We're talking about a football decision, based on football, but what about softball and baseball, who have to travel across (the) country? Did we ask about the cost to them?

"Do we know what the number one indicator or symptom of or cause of mental health (problems) is? It's lack of rest and sleep. Traveling in those baseball (and) softball games, those people, they travel commercial. They get done playing ... they gotta go to the airport. They come back, it's 3 or 4 in the morning, they gotta go to class. I mean, did we ask any of them?"

Drinkwitz said he's not worried about how conference realignment will affect the college football product, noting that "the game will be strong." But he's very concerned about the student-athletes involved and their lack of sway in the process.

Players are asked to support themselves with name, image and likeness (NIL) earnings but don't get any of the television revenue the conferences and schools get from their respective sports. They also don't have a seat at the table when realignment is discussed and decided.

"That's the thing that's bothering me right now in this whole situation, is we keep trying to limit what the student-athlete can do, but then we act on our own," Drinkwitz said. "And everybody's got their own reasons, and I'm not questioning those. I'm saying, as a collective group, have we asked ourselves what's it going to cost the student-athletes?"

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It's going to take the school presidents at UCLA and USC a few years to comprehend, and even then they won't notice until their teams have wracked up losses and their students are haggard week in and week out. The academics are going to suffer, and there will be some fighting between professors being asked to accommodate students and athletics doing nothing but waving money around. I doubt athletics wants to set aside money to give non-tenured faculty a pay bump for all the hassle.

UCLA students will be hurt far more because they are on a quarter system, not a semester system like USC.