Right - that is why losing McElwain was such a big deal, and whit Graham tried to put that huge buyout in place... to give them the time to rattle off multiple top 25 seasons.
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Good day re:CSU
- Thread starter absinthe
- Start date
Right - that is why losing McElwain was such a big deal, and whit Graham tried to put that huge buyout in place... to give them the time to rattle off multiple top 25 seasons.
The only conference that would take CSU is the Big 12. There isn't a Pac 12 or B1G offer that will ever materialize. A bunch of stuff has to happen for the B12 to extend an offer. The first, and probably most important, is that the B12 decides it even wants more than 10 teams. Both UT and OU have made it clear that they prefer a 10-team league. Those two schools run the B12. So they have to change their mind on that before anything that CSU does even comes into consideration. Once they make that determination, CSU has to be in a position where they offer something the other potential candidates don't. For now, those other candidates include schools like Cincinatti, USF, UCF, Tulsa, SMU, Houston, UNM and BYU. Cincinatti probably holds the biggest edge, in that they're located in a populous state, near another member school (WVA), and would probably move some TV sets. BYU would be next - they have a national following. CSU's best hope is that the B12 not only decides to expand to 12 teams, but that it decides to expand to 14 or 16 teams. That's a very, very steep hill to climb. So yes, it's probably not realistic at all for them to expect the invite, but they have two options - either work at doing what it takes to get one, or give up. Their pride won't allow them to give up.
DrunkRalphie
Well-Known Member
If that were true I guarantee they would be building something a lot bigger. This seems mountain west. Maybe that is what Frank and Graham really disagreed upon.
With the B12 on the cusp of possibly getting 2 of the 4 spots in the playoff this year, I'm thinking that they aren't in any big hurry.
That doesn't change the long term viability of the league. It is one move away from crumbling at any point. UT would leave without blinking if the SEC offered them a spot. They will always have to worry about teams getting poached. Chris Landry the Pro/College sports insider says everything he hears leads to believe there will be 4 conferences at some point in the future.
It is true that the final value of the buyout is not close to the $7.5 million stated in the contract but in the context of normal coaching moves it is still one of if not the largest so far.
It is also not immediate but for a program struggling to stay financially relavent it is a huge amount. Even if it comes out to say $500,000 a year for a number of years in their situation that is a huge infusion of money.
Now the interesting follow up to this is how these are handled in the future. Do steppingstone schools start looking at developing coaches as a potential revenue stream and look for bigger buyout when they give young guys their opportunities? Do coaches and their agents act more cautiously in signing these with an eye on how the contract may keep them from moving up?
Meanwhile I am surprised that CSU didn't hold out and try to get a visit from UF in BB which would give them a "big name" visitor to use in selling tickets to their BB program which looks to much more economically viable in the long term even if they don't get a step up in conference.
It is also not immediate but for a program struggling to stay financially relavent it is a huge amount. Even if it comes out to say $500,000 a year for a number of years in their situation that is a huge infusion of money.
Now the interesting follow up to this is how these are handled in the future. Do steppingstone schools start looking at developing coaches as a potential revenue stream and look for bigger buyout when they give young guys their opportunities? Do coaches and their agents act more cautiously in signing these with an eye on how the contract may keep them from moving up?
Meanwhile I am surprised that CSU didn't hold out and try to get a visit from UF in BB which would give them a "big name" visitor to use in selling tickets to their BB program which looks to much more economically viable in the long term even if they don't get a step up in conference.
No. No they would not. They have it pretty good in the B12. No need to put themselves in a spot where they have to play the likes of LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, etc. on a weekly basis. They have boatloads of cash, their own network, and they basically sit as lord and protector of all things Big 12. They want to stay right where they are.
The biggest challenge to the B12 is OU deciding it wants to leave, and for the forseeable future, I don't see that happening.
I think we are seeing this as a result of the big media contracts. I wonder what the buyout looks in terms of previous buyout being less but the schools making a lot less too.
I do like your idea of the smaller schools using this a their chance to get a piece of the pie though.
A bigger question for me is how viable these feeder schools will be in another 10 years. For now, CSU is a notch below P5 status. In another 10 years, they, along with the rest of the MWC, MAC, AAC, & others will be little more than D-II schools. Most P5 schools aren't interested in hiring a coach from a D-II program.
I don't know. Everything I read says they have been somewhat left in the dust by A&M's move to the SEC and how they wouldn't mind doing the same. I do agree with you about Oklahoma though. They could execute a power play here perfectly.
I'm actually pretty nervous for them. SIAP, but it sounds like (especially with what was posted earlier about Graham's radio interview) that Frank will be making the new HC hire for them since they are in between ADs. That in itself is problematic, but the tea leaves suggest that Frank is nowhere near as visionary as Graham was so he's more likely to make a popular or cheap hire than a strategically sound one (Matt Lubick, anyone?). also further compounded by the fact that, as Sacky mentioned, the window is fast closing for non-P5 programs to get "in" before the door shuts for good so this is about as important a hire as they could possibly have.
I wouldn't say D2 but I think we will see a re-organization that includes the non-P5 schools and the top FCS schools. Those schools will opperate in manner that allows them to function without competing with the big money schools. Lower facilities expenses, reduced travel cost including scheduling that allows for bus games, regional instead of national recruiting, etc.
The fans of these schools already know that they aren't going to the major bowls or getting a NC at the highest level but they still sell 14-25K seats a game, I don't think this will change. There will also still be a market for TV content at a low price that they can fill. Revenue sufficient to keep them viable will still be there as long as they aren't trying to spend like they are in the P5 is there and they can still provide the value to their schools in terms of publicity, common interest, campus climate, link to donors, etc.
Once Sonny had success, he lobbied for other jobs...hard (USC IIRC), problem for Sonny, he was just too old at that point and he was stuck.
**** UF fans! They are really full of themselves, aren't they. "CSU should have let Sparkles go for free because, well we're Florida." Screw them. I'll be rooting for CSU in that game.
I would think that the Big 12 (and any other conference) would be pretty put off by the lackluster crowds at CSU, new stadium or not. The sold out a couple of games this year, but someone over at RN said they heard Sparkles was pissed about the small crowd at their final home game. Plummeted from 32K for USU to 22K for New Mexico - on Senior Day, no less. That kind of pisspoor showing can't help their prospects.
They will see a boost in attendance in year 1 due to the novelty of a new stadium. It won't be a trend though.
Its easier for students. I think they were planning a series of events there.
CSU has attendance problems that an on-campus stadium won't cure. They couldn't fill Moby last year for the CU hoops game. Moby is a dump, by the way. Moby isn't going to help them with the B12 in any manner, shape or form. So while we can all agree that football is the engine that drives conference expansion, the rest of the sports can act as a tie-breaker. In this regard, CSU is way, WAY behind the other potential expansion targets. Compare Moby, for instance, to The Pit.
Moby looks like the big white whale it was named after. Ridiculous stadium. Granted Coors isn't much prettier outside. The PF has helped but it still looks like a nuke bunker on the outside.
But, the risk is less at CSU. The level of competition makes it much easier for coaches to find success with less emphasis on recruiting.
MrFrumpylane
Well-Known Member
Why would you need a parachute if you're on a boat?
Boom goes the dynamite.
