Ivy League votes to cancel all fall athletics

[MetEdDawg]

The first domino fell today with this vote. The media is trying to say that D1 programs won't necessarily follow the same path, and while I agree with that, I think the pressure will continue.

In addition, the Big 12 decided to cancel band and cheer from travel to away games. How on earth can you say it's ok for football to go but not for band and cheer? Inequality like that is going to derail this system as it becomes even more clear that college football is trying to money grab.

[ShotgunDawg]

Ivy League schools don't depend on athletics for the local economy to be functional.

The SEC simply cannot cancel football. It would be an execution to Starkville, Oxford, Auburn, Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Etc.

Simply can't happen. The economical destruction would come close to ruining the towns.

[Mobile Bay]

It's not a money grab, it's a necessity. Big time P5 athletic departments have so much money contractually obligated to go out that even if they laid off everybody they could they would still owe loan payments (How much do we owe on the new Dude?) contracted salaries, buyout payments and so on and so fourth.

And I don't know about any other states. But here in Alabama the governor has a seat on the board of all state funded universities. The state of Alabama is playing football I assure you.

[msstate7]

Ivy League schools don't depend on athletics for the local economy to be functional.

The SEC simply cannot cancel football. It would be an execution to Starkville, Oxford, Auburn, Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Etc.

Simply can't happen. The economical destruction would come close to ruining the towns.

Oh the sec can, and unfortunately, I expect it.

[Commercecomet24]

Ivy League schools don't depend on athletics for the local economy to be functional.

The SEC simply cannot cancel football. It would be an execution to Starkville, Oxford, Auburn, Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Etc.

Simply can't happen. The economical destruction would come close to ruining the towns.

It would destroy towns all over the US.

[MetEdDawg]

All of these posts show the real issue here, and that is that college football and entities like ESPN control how colleges function as a whole. And that shouldn't be the case.

That's bad folks. I'm a massive college football fan. Massive. But I'm also a public school administrator and see this same thing at the high school level. The fact that not having one football season could prevent a number of the biggest universities in the country from functioning is a problem.

Maybe it's time the system broke down because if we have to have college football for universities to function academically, the system is broken.

[ShotgunDawg]

All of these posts show the real issue here, and that is that college football and entities like ESPN control how colleges function as a whole. And that shouldn't be the case.

That's bad folks. I'm a massive college football fan. Massive. But I'm also a public school administrator and see this same thing at the high school level. The fact that not having one football season could prevent a number of the biggest universities in the country from functioning is a problem.

Maybe it's time the system broke down because if we have to have college football for universities to function academically, the system is broken.

I get your point but how else are universities going to get that much money to build nice facilities?

[Turfdawg67]

Man, if I don't get to see college football this year, and specifically ML & KJC, I will be so bummed. But that would be MSU's luck... highest rated QB ever and never takes a snap.

[Bothrops]

I'm surprised the Ivy league still plays sports anyway.

[Commercecomet24]

Man, if I don't get to see college football this year, and specifically ML & KJC, I will be so bummed. But that would be MSU's luck... highest rated QB ever and never takes a snap.

I was thinking about that this morning. Get a great QB here and we never see him play. You can't make this stuff up.

[Commercecomet24]

I get your point but how else are universities going to get that much money to build nice facilities?

It's not just the universities. Hotels, restaurants, bars, etc will go under. These businesses depend on the schools being open and kids being there and sports taking place to survive.

[Walkerhill]

It's not just the universities. Hotels, restaurants, bars, etc will go under. These businesses depend on the schools being open and kids being there and sports taking place to survive.

How would it help college towns to play football this fall? There is no way there would be crowds. It might help the schools and conferences to play and secure television dollars, but not the towns. And even then the schools are still down millions in tickets, concessions, etc.

My guess would have been that playing all major sports in the spring was the top option for NCAA (and reducing or eliminating non-revenue sports like Stanford just did) as that would possibly enable typical revenue streams. But the NCAA claims to not even be looking into it, or only considering as a last resort. So who knows?

But hotels, restaurants and bars are not going to be gorging on income streams from college football fans this fall. That is wishful thinking.

[Commercecomet24]

How would it help college towns to play football this fall? There is no way there would be crowds. It might help the schools and conferences to play and secure television dollars, but not the towns. And even then the schools are still down millions in tickets, concessions, etc.

My guess would have been that playing all major sports in the spring was the top option for NCAA (and reducing or eliminating non-revenue sports like Stanford just did) as that would possibly enable typical revenue streams. But the NCAA claims to not even be looking into it, or only considering as a last resort. So who knows?

But hotels, restaurants and bars are not going to be gorging on income streams from college football fans this fall. That is wishful thinking.

Maybe not gorging but if the season goes forward there will be a chance for them to survive if it doesn't there's no chance.

[ShotgunDawg]

I'm surprised the Ivy league still plays sports anyway.

Interesting Malcolm Gladwell chapter in David & Goliath on this.

Ivy League schools have athletics mostly so that the worst students in the school have something besides academics to be successful at.

The Ivy League schools found that the suicide & drop out rate among students at the bottom of the class is significantly less when the bottom of the class is athletes rather than just general students. Thus, by having athletics, they boost many of the academic only people up their class rankings, which seems to create a better experience for everyone.

Interesting book

[MetEdDawg]

Then the system is flawed and everyone grew too fast and lends credence to the fact that we need all the universities we have to offer diverse options for kids.

ESPN should not run MSU. Period. But they do because tv dollars fund our growth. Sorry but that's the truth. How did universities survive 30 years ago without these billions of dollars of tv contracts? Just because it's done the way it is now doesn't mean it's right. We've build a model that slips up this easily? That means it's a bad model and needs to be broken down.

The fact that entertainment and television companies determine whether colleges sink or swim should be blatantly obvious as to how bad that is. Maybe folks have never thought about it like that. But now is the time to do that. Mark Keenum should be the President Of Mississippi State University, not James Pitaro, who is the President of ESPN.

[Todd4State]

What the Ivy League does as far as football shouldn't have any bearing on what the SEC does.

The reality of college athletics at least as far as the SEC goes is there is too much emphasis on going pro in sports and not enough emphasis on education and the value of that.

It seems to me too many people tell these SEC prospects "Oh, you're going to be a star in the NFL. You're one of the best I've ever seen. Fletcher Cox 2.0!" or whatever the comparison is. I wish there was a lot more emphasis on go to college and you will get a chance to showcase your talents for the pros AND you will get a great degree that will set you up for life if things don't work out in the pros.

Ironically I think the wanting to show the pros what you can do is going to be a reason why we play in the fall. I could see some lawsuits if they don't play and then a guy doesn't get drafted or drafted as high as they think they should and "well, you ruined it".

[Captain Falcon]

Then the system is flawed and everyone grew too fast and lends credence to the fact that we need all the universities we have to offer diverse options for kids.

ESPN should not run MSU. Period. But they do because tv dollars fund our growth. Sorry but that's the truth. How did universities survive 30 years ago without these billions of dollars of tv contracts? Just because it's done the way it is now doesn't mean it's right. We've build a model that slips up this easily? That means it's a bad model and needs to be broken down.

The fact that entertainment and television companies determine whether colleges sink or swim should be blatantly obvious as to how bad that is. Maybe folks have never thought about it like that. But now is the time to do that. Mark Keenum should be the President Of Mississippi State University, not James Pitaro, who is the President of ESPN.

The system is what it is now and you can?t just make that money appear out of thin air. The fact is MSU has benefited greatly from the TV money and we would be by far the least desirable school in the league athletically and academically without it.

[Offshore Dawg]

Man, if I don't get to see college football this year, and specifically ML & KJC, I will be so bummed. But that would be MSU's luck... highest rated QB ever and never takes a snap.

Would that not be the most MSU thing ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HoopsDawg]

It's amazing to me that some athletic departments actually run at a deficit. Every SEC school should be at a major surplus with a huge emergency/rainy day account. The arms race has finally caught up with everyone it seems.

[Gutter Cobreh]

Then the system is flawed and everyone grew too fast and lends credence to the fact that we need all the universities we have to offer diverse options for kids.

ESPN should not run MSU. Period. But they do because tv dollars fund our growth. Sorry but that's the truth. How did universities survive 30 years ago without these billions of dollars of tv contracts? Just because it's done the way it is now doesn't mean it's right. We've build a model that slips up this easily? That means it's a bad model and needs to be broken down.

The fact that entertainment and television companies determine whether colleges sink or swim should be blatantly obvious as to how bad that is. Maybe folks have never thought about it like that. But now is the time to do that. Mark Keenum should be the President Of Mississippi State University, not James Pitaro, who is the President of ESPN.

Spot on! Great post!