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If I’m honest, this is maybe a transition from one to the other
You spoke first of pro sports and how it can be interesting for fans because of its parity, but then spoke of college sports and how the results are already decided because of the wide discrepancy of resources amongst its participants.
I kind of understand your points, but…pro sports leagues have basically 32 teams, generate massive revenues and split it equally. The TV $$ that goes into a pro league props up its best markets with more coverage just the same as college sports, but it doesn’t matter as much because its properties are most all located in major metropolitan areas and viewership and fan support is built in league wide. There are no Dukes or Wake Forests or Vanderbilts or Rutgerses or Northwesterns in pro sports.
College sports don’t follow that model. They generate massive revenues, sure, but the participants are so large in number and because there is no firm central management of the system, there has been infighting for the resources for so long that the schools with the most power have seized control of the resources. (Partially at the behest of the media companies that pay them, I understand) Now, there are a large number of fans that support the overall number of schools in college sports, but many are - insignificant - when it comes to generating revenue. We all know and can list the college fan bases that don’t support particular sports. So…why should they get equal revenue to an Alabama or an Ohio State? From a purely capitalistic sense, they shouldn’t.
However, we also understand what makes college sports attractive, and making the Top 10 programs earn way more than programs 11-20 who then earn way more than programs 21-30, and so on, isn’t a good way to run the operation. So where we are at right now is determining the programs who are all in to play football. And I think it’s more about figuring out that number right now, before we can even try and get to implementing any type of parity. Is it the 70 schools in the P4? Is it 60 schools in an P3? Is it 48 teams in an P2? Who knows… But everybody willing to pay their players $20-$30M probably getting on the boat. The ones that don’t……. The key will be to implementing parity in some way once the number has been set.
Thread Replies (41)
Besides the money aspect, I’m revolted by the lack of common interest
-- HokieAl
Jun 24, 2024 at 02:55 PM ET
HokieAl
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06/24/24 02:55 PM ET
Pro leagues have more of an "old money" mindset, long term goals
-- HokieNoVA
Jun 25, 2024 at 09:12 AM ET
HokieNoVA
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06/25/24 09:12 AM ET
What a great analogy. It's also why I think PE is coming. The cats
-- Big12 guy
Jun 25, 2024 at 10:09 AM ET
Big12 guy
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06/25/24 10:09 AM ET
Private Equity. Business people. Do you really think that AD's
-- Big12 guy
Jun 25, 2024 at 11:02 AM ET
Big12 guy
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06/25/24 11:02 AM ET
I don't know enough about PE so maybe you can help me.
-- VTCALS72
Jun 25, 2024 at 04:44 PM ET
VTCALS72
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06/25/24 04:44 PM ET
So, Private equity has a reputation, that is for sure - but
-- Big12 guy
Jun 26, 2024 at 11:00 AM ET
Big12 guy
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06/26/24 11:00 AM ET
So that boils down to 2 things
-- VTCALS72
Jun 26, 2024 at 12:07 PM ET
VTCALS72
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06/26/24 12:07 PM ET
Not how i see it. What University is set up with licensing their own
-- Big12 guy
Jun 26, 2024 at 12:24 PM ET
Big12 guy
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06/26/24 12:24 PM ET
And that is no different now than it was 50 years ago
-- Vienna_Hokie
Jun 24, 2024 at 06:54 PM ET
Vienna_Hokie
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06/24/24 06:54 PM ET
I think these "leaders" are going to have to find out the hard way that
-- Maroon Baboon
Jun 24, 2024 at 05:06 PM ET
Maroon Baboon
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06/24/24 05:06 PM ET
IDK, ever talked to a UGA, Bama. Ohio State, Michigan, etc fan?
-- VaTechHokiesACC
Jun 24, 2024 at 09:36 PM ET
VaTechHokiesACC
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06/24/24 09:36 PM ET
I can't speak for others. But no one wants that.
-- Oscar the American
Jun 25, 2024 at 11:15 AM ET
Oscar the American
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06/25/24 11:15 AM ET
Lamar Hunt wanted to move a team he didn’t own?**
-- mancunian
Jun 25, 2024 at 04:39 PM ET
mancunian
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06/25/24 04:39 PM ET
Even the NFL wouldn’t let a man own two clubs at once.
-- mancunian
Jun 26, 2024 at 02:23 PM ET
mancunian
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06/26/24 02:23 PM ET
Good post. Real SEC fans and real Big Ten fans want to play the conference
-- Maroon Baboon
Jun 25, 2024 at 03:02 PM ET
Maroon Baboon
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06/25/24 03:02 PM ET
No idea how my last post repeated itself inside the same post. But it did.**
-- Oscar the American
Jun 25, 2024 at 11:16 AM ET
Oscar the American
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06/25/24 11:16 AM ET
Click on you post and use the edit button underneath you text to clean
-- Maroon Baboon
Jun 25, 2024 at 02:57 PM ET
Maroon Baboon
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06/25/24 02:57 PM ET
Being a Toledo Rocket guy, I just figured it was an OSU thing. **
-- Big12 guy
Jun 25, 2024 at 11:53 AM ET
Big12 guy
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06/25/24 11:53 AM ET
And fans buy tickets for a winning teams...
-- mjfhokie
Jun 24, 2024 at 09:17 PM ET
mjfhokie
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06/24/24 09:17 PM ET
Good competitive football where the outcome is not
-- Big12 guy
Jun 25, 2024 at 11:09 AM ET
Big12 guy
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06/25/24 11:09 AM ET
If I’m honest, this is maybe a transition from one to the other
◄
-- hokieZ71
Jun 24, 2024 at 03:42 PM ET
hokieZ71
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06/24/24 03:42 PM ET
I think the question revolves around.........
-- 2hhoop3
Jun 24, 2024 at 04:23 PM ET
2hhoop3
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06/24/24 04:23 PM ET
I've gone from being a fan to being a casual observer**
-- CrystalCoveHokie
Jun 24, 2024 at 03:24 PM ET
CrystalCoveHokie
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06/24/24 03:24 PM ET
My story exactly - except never was much into baseball...
-- RTFC
Jun 25, 2024 at 10:59 AM ET
RTFC
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06/25/24 10:59 AM ET
Yep, all of this applies to me as well
-- 83Hokie
Jun 25, 2024 at 05:28 PM ET
83Hokie
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06/25/24 05:28 PM ET
There is literally nothing preventing that
-- Beerman
Jun 25, 2024 at 01:58 PM ET
Beerman
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06/25/24 01:58 PM ET
Just a quick question: Were you born in 1924 or graduate that year?**
-- ancient alien 2018
Jun 24, 2024 at 07:44 PM ET
ancient alien 2018
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06/24/24 07:44 PM ET
Think I met you in Roswell back in’47**
-- VPI 1924
Jun 24, 2024 at 08:05 PM ET
VPI 1924
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06/24/24 08:05 PM ET
Graduated in 1924. Born in 1902**
-- VPI 1924
Jun 24, 2024 at 07:51 PM ET
VPI 1924
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06/24/24 07:51 PM ET
So, you are 122 years old or thereabouts.
-- RJHokie
Jun 24, 2024 at 08:05 PM ET
RJHokie
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06/24/24 08:05 PM ET
The first or the second description?**
-- RJHokie
Jun 24, 2024 at 09:36 PM ET
RJHokie
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06/24/24 09:36 PM ET
At this point, I think you just scrap athletic scholarships altogether **
-- CrystalCoveHokie
Jun 24, 2024 at 06:53 PM ET
CrystalCoveHokie
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06/24/24 06:53 PM ET
That will force the corrupt NFL into the minor league business **
-- VPI 1924
Jun 24, 2024 at 06:42 PM ET
VPI 1924
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06/24/24 06:42 PM ET
Me too, but part of that has been because VT football has been awful.
-- hokieZ71
Jun 24, 2024 at 03:42 PM ET
hokieZ71
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06/24/24 03:42 PM ET