College Athletics Insanity

[khomeinist]

This is probably only of interest to a few members.... but does anyone else find the recent developments in USA college sports bizzare?

To recap:

1) USC gets slammed and will lose scholarships, wins, and possibly a national championship. Just desserts for Lane Kiffin? Is Pete Carrol a dishonest creep?

2) Colorado to Pac 10. Wow. Excellent move in isolation. Kinda like.....

3) Nebraska to Big 10. Again. Wow. I work at a Big 10 school. Am excited about this. Forget Notre Dame. But....

4) Texas, Oklahoma, etc to Pac 10? Seriously? Anybody else find this ridiculous? Texas Tech/Oregon St. battles sound quite exciting (that was sarcasm)

I realize money is driving all of this. On an emotional level, I went to Cal and I don't want any part of the Texas schools! Anybody else have thoughts on any of this? Non-Americans must find the corruption of university athletics fairly pathetic. I suppose those critics have a point.

I love college football. I wish it wasn't so flawed.

[Guest rob]

Watchu talking about Willis?

I've not heard of any of thsi happening... I'm going to go and select a smoke and spend the rest of the afternoon reading up on it.

[bunburyist]

I follow US college sports casually, Alabama being my team of choice.

The shuffling around of teams does seem to be purely for money, agree that a Texas team playing in the Pac10 is a bit of a stretch. Seems like the whole scenario is good for the big teams, bad for the litte ones.

In general the entire system of bowls, and seemingly arbitrary way in which teams can find them elves playing for a title based in part on votes is just plain weird to an outsider. Why you guys don't have a playoff system is beyond me. Fairer and way, way more exciting. Guess the bowls have a lot of history though. My 2p

[reg]

I know there is plenty of shadyness in professional sports, but I don't see how people can even follow college sports

[sloth]

I live in SE Nebraska and listen to local sports talk radio, so yeah... Its been nonstop for about a month.

I think Nebraska's move is a very good one... it probably isn't perfect, but will work out well in the end. It is all about the money and I don't think it is a bad thing. Nebraska will benefit from the Big 10 network, also Nebraska plans to build new research facilities and the Big 10 will help in that area as well. The only ugly thing about the whole things is that some small time media types in Texas wanted to paint Nebraska as some kind of bad guy for starting the Big 12 breakup. First off the Big 12 was ran like crap. Second, Nebraska didn't start this... the Big 10 did... they went after Texas first. Missouri flaunted themselves to the Big 10 and without saying it, made it clear that they were looking to get out of the Big 12. So it kinda became an every-man-for-himself situation.

The people who cry tradition forget it was ruined since the Big 8 became the Big 12. Colorado tried to be Nebraska's rival, but it was kinda one-side. So, Colorado already moving to the Pac-10 makes staying in the Big 12 for tradition's sake pointless.

The wait-and-see parts about this on the college football front is how this will effect Nebraska's recruiting... how well Nebraska stands up to the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, & Michigan. Iowa could be an instant rivalry.

I'm trying to lock up a ticket to the Nebraska-Texas game next season in Lincoln... That is going to be crazy!

Other rumors: Texas A&M will be going to the SEC. I haven't heard any definate details if any more schools is joining the Big 10 yet.

(Just to let you know how crazy the week was someone out of Kansas City reported that Texas was going to the Big 10 with Texas A&M... the media was all over the place!)

[khomeinist]

I know there is plenty of shadyness in professional sports, but I don't see how people can even follow college sports

Fair point. I think it helps to live in a big Midwestern college town. Football on Saturday is a big event (to say the least) and it is hard to avoid the energy.

Is it corrupt? Sure. Are a lot of college athletes, coaches, and administrators making a mockery of education? Sure.

That being said? I love a lot of the rivalries and tactical match-ups in college sports. Just one of those dilemmas that folks gotta resolve for themselves.

[khomeinist]

Watchu talking about Willis?

I've not heard of any of thsi happening... I'm going to go and select a smoke and spend the rest of the afternoon reading up on it.

Nice Gary Coleman reference. Poor guy can't even catch a break in death (if you are following that story).

Hopefully you didn't waste too much time trying to figure out the politics of USA college athletics!

It is a convoluted nightmare involving university administrators, politicians, wealthy alumni, television executives, and other shady characters.

The changes affect game scheduling, rights fees, cable/satellite rights, and a million other things that I am leaving out.

Of course the fans have no say in the matter.

[thechenman]

I follow US college sports casually, Alabama being my team of choice.

The shuffling around of teams does seem to be purely for money, agree that a Texas team playing in the Pac10 is a bit of a stretch. Seems like the whole scenario is good for the big teams, bad for the litte ones.

In general the entire system of bowls, and seemingly arbitrary way in which teams can find them elves playing for a title based in part on votes is just plain weird to an outsider. Why you guys don't have a playoff system is beyond me. Fairer and way, way more exciting. Guess the bowls have a lot of history though. My 2p

There are some bowl games that have a lot of history, like the Rose Bowl...but don't let them kid you. The reason why there are so many darn bowl games is the money they generate. Bottom line...that's it.

[Ken Gargett]

during my time in the states, had a ball following the professional sports but never got at all interested in the college stuff and it all seemed a touch confusing.

rob could tell you a lot more about money/school sports than i am able but i remember in my day at school, a bloke arrived at rugby training and wanted to help coach the firsts. told to bugger off as was not a teacher (he just happened to be the most successful coach of the qld reds and an assistant to the wallabies!!!). now, it is extraordinary. coaches paid serious money, scholarships, programs etc etc. guys like cooper and pocock came out of the system.

talking to an old mate of mine who is at the school and assists in the sports programs, we lost the first four games of the season so they flew in one of the world's top sports shrinks to work with them. they immediately won their next game. different world.

[cvm4]

Other rumors: Texas A&M will be going to the SEC. I haven't heard any definate details if any more schools is joining the Big 10 yet.

(Just to let you know how crazy the week was someone out of Kansas City reported that Texas was going to the Big 10 with Texas A&M... the media was all over the place!)

The SEC won't take Texas A&M unless they can get a school to join for the East.

[khomeinist]

The SEC won't take Texas A&M unless they can get a school to join for the East.

Yeah. I don't see A&M breaking away from the Longhorns. Too strong a rivalry. I am curious if a new Big 12 could pluck an Arkansas and/or Memphis. I would also enjoy a reformulated SWC.

I basically don't want Texas in the Pac 10.