UMass to the MAC

[Caribbean Hen]

High school sports will only get more popular, at least until all of this seeps down and ruins that too

I heard a rumor spring practice has started, can anyone confirm?

[hensfan40yrs]

HOW THE HECK did we go from a conversation that the student-athletes deserved a share of the massive media money being paid for the broadcast rights of the games they play in, to a NIL system that asks donors to support paying student-athletes. Asking for a friend.

Pretty funny, isn’t it?

Those who demanded that the kids get a LARGE share of the TV money were only fooling themselves. Workers (and that is what the players are) are replaceable. Heck, the rules of college sports limit kids playing a max of 4-5 years (4 years, really, since they can only play in a limited number of games in a redshirt year). Plug in a new name and repeat. In sailing terms, most of them are simply rail meat. If the bags of TV money get divided up and the universities want to distribute moolah to the kids, then by all means, have at it. Similar to other employers, they will have to pay the kids what the market will sustain.

The NIL money, on the other hand, is a different beast. If a fan wants a sippy cup with a particular player’s image…pay up. That’s fair. If the players want to make money selling their image to a local pizza joint: cool, too. Let the kids earn money on their images.

But, what I find strange is the universities suddenly wanting fans to contribute money to a pool of NIL money for the players (above and beyond the scholarship stuff). Hey, good luck. If the college players are going to be tramping themselves around from team to team every year with zero loyalty, then why should a fan give a hoot about the individual players? Fans are usually loyal to the TEAM…the school…not a player.

Many, including the players, seem to have forgotten that the student athletes were already getting compensated with a free education (for whatever that is worth these days). It wasn’t a perfect system, but…I am not interested in participating in paying 18-22 year olds gobs of money to put on a uniform, show their face for a year or two, just to *checks notes* play a game.

Again, I agree entirely that the kids should be able to earn whatever the market will pay them. Free enterprise. If they get creative and find a great market fit for their image and can get paid…yes-ha! The American dream.

But, if UD or the kids want me to pay separately for a fund that will be used specifically to recruit kids…just to play a sport for the university…no thanks.

The market will settle in after a few years. Should be a fun ride.

Hit the nail on the head right there

[BlueHenBill]

HOW THE HECK did we go from a conversation that the student-athletes deserved a share of the massive media money being paid for the broadcast rights of the games they play in, to a NIL system that asks donors to support paying student-athletes. Asking for a friend.

Pretty funny, isn’t it?

Those who demanded that the kids get a LARGE share of the TV money were only fooling themselves. Workers (and that is what the players are) are replaceable. Heck, the rules of college sports limit kids playing a max of 4-5 years (4 years, really, since they can only play in a limited number of games in a redshirt year). Plug in a new name and repeat. In sailing terms, most of them are simply rail meat. If the bags of TV money get divided up and the universities want to distribute moolah to the kids, then by all means, have at it. Similar to other employers, they will have to pay the kids what the market will sustain.

The NIL money, on the other hand, is a different beast. If a fan wants a sippy cup with a particular player’s image…pay up. That’s fair. If the players want to make money selling their image to a local pizza joint: cool, too. Let the kids earn money on their images.

But, what I find strange is the universities suddenly wanting fans to contribute money to a pool of NIL money for the players (above and beyond the scholarship stuff). Hey, good luck. If the college players are going to be tramping themselves around from team to team every year with zero loyalty, then why should a fan give a hoot about the individual players? Fans are usually loyal to the TEAM…the school…not a player.

Many, including the players, seem to have forgotten that the student athletes were already getting compensated with a free education (for whatever that is worth these days). It wasn’t a perfect system, but…I am not interested in participating in paying 18-22 year olds gobs of money to put on a uniform, show their face for a year or two, just to *checks notes* play a game.

Again, I agree entirely that the kids should be able to earn whatever the market will pay them. Free enterprise. If they get creative and find a great market fit for their image and can get paid…yes-ha! The American dream.

But, if UD or the kids want me to pay separately for a fund that will be used specifically to recruit kids…just to play a sport for the university…no thanks.

The market will settle in after a few years. Should be a fun ride.

+1

[topstraight]

Cutting One men's sport would be something to consider. Whichever one that would SAVE the most money. Travel cost, # of scholarships-facilities upkeep. It would be painful--but better than cutting two or three smaller sports.

Unless you have unlimited funds...it's almost inevitable.

[mainejeff]

The only 2 men's sports that I can see UD realistically cutting that would save money are:

1. Men's Soccer
2. Baseball

And those would probably be the 2 on the chopping block if any cuts are made.

[Bluewyn Gold]

The only 2 men's sports that I can see UD realistically cutting that would save money are:

1. Men's Soccer
2. Baseball

And those would probably be the 2 on the chopping block if any cuts are made.

IMO, keen observation. Realistically, I don't know how competitive UD will/can be in CUSA baseball. I think it will be a rough, rough ride. Men's soccer will be an affiliate somewhere else.

Cutting either sport would be controversial. Baseball has a deeply rooted history at UD with the Carpenter connection. Soccer is an (always!) emerging sport in the country and state, and our men's program's had only modest success over the last decade.

We'll find out how serious UD is about competing on a national level in the two/three highest profile sports, hoops and football or if the school values offering as many sports as possible at the expense of hoops & football competitiveness.

[tenn hen]

soccer with our excellent new coach is on the rise after a successful season under his leadership. It appears he was an excellent hire by CR.

[hensfan40yrs]

soccer with our excellent new coach is on the rise after a successful season under his leadership. It appears he was an excellent hire by CR.

Not saying it should be added but why has UD never entertained wrestling as a sport? As good / big as it is in Delaware, Pennsylvania & New Jersey high schools it had always puzzled me.

[BlueHenBill]

soccer with our excellent new coach is on the rise after a successful season under his leadership. It appears he was an excellent hire by CR.

+1

[BlueHenBill]

soccer with our excellent new coach is on the rise after a successful season under his leadership. It appears he was an excellent hire by CR.

Not saying it should be added but why has UD never entertained wrestling as a sport? As good / big as it is in Delaware, Pennsylvania & New Jersey high schools it had always puzzled me.

If you subscribe to The News Journal here is a link to an article about the last time (2017) there was public consideration of restoring Men's Wrestling (Women's is now becoming a big thing!) which UD dropped in June 1991.

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/sp ... /96987764/

Not stated in the article but there were reports since June 1991 that some alum(s) had given a relatively large donation to the UD Endowment on the condition that it be used to restore and help pay for Men's Wrestling going forward. I believe that those reports were true and that the wrestling money may still be sitting in UD's Endowment. This illustrates why those who question why doesn't UD use a fraction of the UD Endowment to pay for athletic needs. Probably most of the UD Endowment is restricted to specific UD programs and probably a small portion of that Endowment is restricted to athletics. I believe that UD is free to use most/all income generated by the Endowment as UD sees fit and that UD continues to use a good chunk of that Endowment income to support athletics.

Discussion of adding any more sports at UD is dead on arrival unless it is later determined that UD would need to add more Women's Sports to be Title IX compliant which UD roughly is and will continue to be with the FBS upgrade via the addition of Women's Ice Hockey. Speaking for myself, i would hate to see any UD sport cut. Cutting any Women's Sport even with cutting Men's Sport(s) is risky because you then bring one of the three Title IX prongs into play - demonstrated history of continuing to expand Women's Sports. Not counting Cheer (coed & all women's (would Men be allowed if interested?) squads) and Dance (all Women's but Men are probably allowed if so inclined), UD only has only 8 Men's Sports compared to 12 (soon 13 with the add of Women's Ice Hockey). NCAA Div I requires minimum of 7 Men's and 7 Women's Sports or 6 Men's and 8 Women's Sports. Of course the overall athletic program of any college must be Title IX compliant which requires more Women's Sports to offset FB. In addition to Wrestling, UD has since cut Men's Cross Country and Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field while maintaining the latter 2/3 as Women's Sports. In addition to UD Men's Soccer, many of the less followed UD Sports such as, but not limited to, M/W Tennis, M/W Swimming/Diving, W Volleyball, etc. are recently doing very well. Baseball not only has a long successful tradition at UD but has a good base of Baseball alums and fans who as far as I know continue to donate to the program to the point that Baseball probably brings in more money annually than probably all but the highest profile sports at UD. There would be a lot of pushback to any attempts at UD to eliminate Baseball. The current HC is in only his second year at UD and needs to be given at least 3 more years to show what he can do. The only other UD Men's Sports are Men's Lax (UD is perennially in the Top 20, has a strong base of alums & fans who donate) and Men's Golf which is highly competitive and probably doesn't cost that much (and I believe receives significant financial support from alums).

[BlueHenBobby]

soccer with our excellent new coach is on the rise after a successful season under his leadership. It appears he was an excellent hire by CR.

Not saying it should be added but why has UD never entertained wrestling as a sport? As good / big as it is in Delaware, Pennsylvania & New Jersey high schools it had always puzzled me.

Wrestling was a sport at Delaware in the 1970's. One of our D Lineman- Pat Mulhern was also a wrestler and I believe may have won a NCAA title in wrestling.