Ringo: Baseball doesn't make sense at CU

[Nor Cal Buff]

Nik,

I'm aware of the way they count. Under my scenario they would not be playing football and only would play football at a later date if they developed physically to the point that they warranted a football schollie. Until that point they would only be rugby players. Think of it as a quasi-grayshirt on scholarship.

Mtn,

Point 2 wouldn't be since you'd just be recruiting good athletes for rugby whose athletic skillset works for both. Didn't know 1 would be a violation. Would be pretty hard to prove I'd think.

 

[Buffnik]

Nik,

I'm aware of the way they count. Under my scenario they would not be playing football and only would play football at a later date if they developed physically to the point that they warranted a football schollie. Until that point they would only be rugby players. Think of it as a quasi-grayshirt on scholarship.

You're reaching, then. I doubt we'd ever see someone come in on a rugby scholarship and develop into a scholarship football player while being precluded from practicing football.

 

[Nor Cal Buff]

Thretton Palamo barely played any high school football then played zero football for 3 years and managed to earn a schollie at Utah after showing up for spring ball last year. It's not an unrealistic scenario at all.

 

[Quattro]

Thretton Palamo barely played any high school football then played zero football for 3 years and managed to earn a schollie at Utah after showing up for spring ball last year. It's not an unrealistic scenario at all.

You have anymore examples? Sorry but one example doesn't mean it's something that happens often.

 

[tante]

You have anymore examples? Sorry but one example doesn't mean it's something that happens often.

Does anyone know if NFL teams were drafting basketball players to be TE's before Antonio Gates or was he the first and now all teams are try to make that one example the standard. Hell I think the broncos have done it at least twice.

 

[Buffnik]

it hasn't stopped NFL from drafting basketball players trying to find the next Antonio Gates.

Sure. An exceptional athlete is an exceptional athlete. Track guys have been drafted by NFL teams, too.

The opposite example is the Canadian rugby player with football experience that HaLkins gave a scholarship to and Embree couldn't get rid of fast enough.

You don't start a varsity Rugby program on the off chance you might someday find a guy who can contribute to the football team after spending a few years at Rugby. There are other (good) reasons we might want Rugby at CU. Let's leave this one alone.

 

[tante]

track guys have been drafted by the raiders, too.

fify

 

[Tea Rex]

Does anyone know if NFL teams were drafting basketball players to be TE's before Antonio Gates or was he the first and now all teams are try to make that one example the standard. Hell I think the broncos have done it at least twice.

We drafted 2 and they were both ****.

 

[JimmyBuff]

Utah can play baseball yet we can't? Yeah that makes sense.


Bohn sucks

 

[bigbang2]

I disagree, Baseball and Hockey can generate a lot of money for the program. We will get more 2 sport athletes. We need Baseball, Softball, and Hockey.

 

[Quattro]

I disagree, Baseball and Hockey can generate a lot of money for the program. We will get more 2 sport athletes. We need Baseball, Softball, and Hockey.

Baseball will not be a revenue generating sport and the two sport athlete statement is just plain dumb.

 

[NashBuff]

I disagree, Baseball and Hockey can generate a lot of money for the program. We will get more 2 sport athletes. We need Baseball, Softball, and Hockey.

Are you sure that baseball could really make money at CU? It has been a mild spring so far but it hasn't been that way every year and it's difficult to predict snowy weather in the spring time. Baseball is just not going to work at CU.

I want rugby because of its similairity to football but men's lacrosse would be good as well. Those are the sports CU is better off focusing on.

 

[Buffnik]

Are you sure that baseball could really make money at CU? It has been a mild spring so far but it hasn't been that way every year and it's difficult to predict snowy weather in the spring time. Baseball is just not going to work at CU.

I want rugby because of its similairity to football but men's lacrosse would be good as well. Those are the sports CU is better off focusing on.

The only way I see any possibility of it working is if we could build a dome on the South Campus where we could play baseball, softball, lacrosse and host indoor T&F. In 2012 dollars, the Carrier Dome would cost $75.7 million. Considering we wouldn't use it for football or basketball, I'm sure we could scale it back. But we'd be looking at a $50 million investment (minimum). Could a facility like that be profitable if it became an event center that could host money-making events like concerts, rodeo, county fair, etc.? Maybe if the university tied it to a hotel project for a regional conference center. I don't know. But a stand-alone baseball/softball stadium is certainly a money pit for CU.

 

[slider]

A dome in Colorado. No thanks

 

[bigbang2]

I will make it to all the Home Baseball games. Baseball is numero uno. I am a proud Red Sox fan. I also have a sentimental connection to the Athletics. I don't like the Rockies, bunch of cheap owners and the whole Ulbado Jiminez saga and Dan O dowd.

 

[bigbang2]

Are you sure that baseball could really make money at CU? It has been a mild spring so far but it hasn't been that way every year and it's difficult to predict snowy weather in the spring time. Baseball is just not going to work at CU.

I want rugby because of its similairity to football but men's lacrosse would be good as well. Those are the sports CU is better off focusing on.

Wait a minute, how are are the Colorado rockies playing baseball in the spring time in Colorado? What about all the other schools that play baseball like Utah, Nebraska able to play baseball and Colorado can't play baseball. Weak very Weak statement.

 

[Tea Rex]

Wait a minute, how are are the Colorado rockies playing baseball in the spring time in Colorado? What about all the other schools that play baseball like Utah, Nebraska able to play baseball and Colorado can't play baseball. Weak very Weak statement.

Utah sucks, UNC sucks and AF sucks at baseball what makes you think CU adding baseball would be any better?

 

[Buffnik]

Wait a minute, how are are the Colorado rockies playing baseball in the spring time in Colorado? What about all the other schools that play baseball like Utah, Nebraska able to play baseball and Colorado can't play baseball. Weak very Weak statement.

1. CU wouldn't be able to have spring training in Arizona. Therefore, we'd need indoor practice facilities. Very expensive. Competitive disadvantage versus warm weather schools.

2. Rox opened this week. For a college example, Oregon's season opened on February 17th. They played 4 games in Hawaii followed by 4 in Tennessee. Then, they tried to return home and play a local team (Portland) on February 28th... only to have it postponed. That kind of travel is expensive and can be a competitive advantage (especially when you don't have a JUCO-laden veteran team to take on the road - see #4).

3. CU doesn't have many baseball programs within bus trip distance. Pac-12 conference opponents aren't close either. Travel is expensive and a lot of travel is a competitive disadvantage.

4. A lot of the best baseball talent is found in the JUCO ranks. That's because of the MLB draft rules that the NCAA & MLB have agreed upon. Players are draftable out of high school. If they go to a JUCO, they are draftable after 2 years. If they sign with a 4-year college, they have to wait 3 years until they are draftable. Therefore, a lot of talented guys choose the JUCO route if they don't like their draft position out of high school. They then go to a D1 school if they don't like their draft position after their JUCO years. Programs like LSU and Oregon are built on bringing in those JUCOs. CU is rarely able to admit a JUCO transfer. Major competitive disadvantage.

Could we do baseball? Sure. Could we build a Top 25 program? Sure. But it would take a huge financial commitment to make it happen like what Oregon got from Phil Knight.

P.S. We'd also need a larger than average recruiting budget since there isn't enough in-state talent to field a good team. This wouldn't be such a problem in softball, especially since that sport wouldn't have the JUCO recruiting issues, but softball would have all the other cost/travel/competitiveness issues that baseball would.

 

[bigbang2]

Nik, what about Nebraska and the other programs that have same problem of snow in the spring. Then it is time to relax the transfer rules for JUCO athletes.

 

[Duff Man]

Did you read the post or not? Nowhere did Nik say it was impossible to field a baseball team at CU. He simply pointed out why it would very expensive.

 

[MtnBuff]

Nik, what about Nebraska and the other programs that have same problem of snow in the spring. Then it is time to relax the transfer rules for JUCO athletes.

Nebraska has the same deal in baseball as football, no competition to deal with for $$. They have a bunch of other teams within bus distance of them .

They started in Feb. with a weekend series against Gonzaga, not much revenue potential there for the Buffs. The next weekend they were in Texas for 4 games. The following weekend they played in the dome in Minn. They started in March at with a long homestand drawing 4-5 thousand fans a game.

I have serious questions about the intelligence of playing in Boulder in March. I would easily bet against getting 4,000 fans a game. I have no question that baseball would be a huge moneyhole for CU even if facilities weren't an issue.

kNU also has a lot more recruitable talent within proximity to them making recruiting easier.

 

[Buffnik]

Nik, what about Nebraska and the other programs that have same problem of snow in the spring. Then it is time to relax the transfer rules for JUCO athletes.

Nebraska is flush with cash. They paid for a SubAir system that heats and cools the field year round. And there's some emphasis since the College World Series is in Omaha. They play at a stadium they share with a minor league team (Lincoln Saltdogs). Are we prepared to build a facility like THIS.

[video=youtube;Ci_DwFP7xxw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci_DwFP7xxw[/video]

That's what it would take. Plus, Nebraska has a nice 2,500 seat stadium for softball.

Regarding JUCO admission, it's not a matter of changing standards. We don't have a PhysEd major or a General Studies major at CU. A lot of typical JUCO credits simply don't transfer so JUCO targets generally need to pick up 3 or 4 courses (if we're lucky) before they'd even have enough credits to be eligible on the degree track at CU. It's much harder.

 

[GoBuffs!!]

Nebraska weather is much crappier than Colorado weather, so i dont want to hear that arguement anymore.