The Rest of College Football

[hack]

College football may or may not be more popular than ever - I don't know the answer. But I do know that going to a game provides many opportunities to hear people express exactly Jeff's thoughts. So I don't know that it is appropriate to equate popularity with the assumption of appropriate management of the sport.

[iam416]

Barring significant external pressures (depression, global disaster, etc.), CFB is going to keep on keeping on. The days of M drawing 25,000 fans to a home game (1960s) are forever gone. Now they sell out for UMass with a shit team. Whatever happens with the BCS/playoffs, the game will continue to be hugely popular.

IMO, the best thing for CFB is to eliminate the canard of the "student-athlete" -- and that goes down the entire line. We all know that most of the Yale football team would not have been admitted if they weren't football players. We all know that the vast majority, if not all, significant football programs funnel at least the significant minority of their players through simpleton majors. We all know that at big-time programs these kids are far more celebrity than student and, more to the point, a highly valuable commodity, both to the University and, in the future, the NFL. Yet, we have this notion that they're students first -- that the athlete part is some noble endeavor in their free time. It's horseshit. And F the NCAA for foisting this paradigm on CFB for the sake of its own power grab.

IMO, we ought to treat CFB honestly and that starts with taking an honest approach to what CFB players are.

[Hannibal]

Any decline in the sport, if there is one, won't happen immediately. But I do think that there is a threat of the sport not feeling the same to the next generation of kids as it does to us. In fact, I would say not only is it a threat, but I think that it is absolutely going to happen. Our loyalty to the sport is pretty much infinite because we are so deeply attached to it that we couldn't quit it if we tried. The people who run college football do not understand that this bond was formed largely by the traditions of the game. OSU playing Michigan in November, Big Ten playing in the Rose Bowl, the Big 10 is a Midwestern conference, the SEC is a southeastern conference, every weekend has big games. You knew growing up that your university wasn't like any other, and that the sport also wasn't like any other. My kids aren't going to form an attachment to a sport that has half the tradition and a bunch of systems designed around what makes the most money in the short term. Nor will they appreciate the traditions of Michigan if we are wearing dumbass Nike uniforms and playing the same piped in music as everyone else. If I want my kids to see a mascot, I can take them to a Mudhens game for a lot less money.

The days of Michigan drawing less than 50,000 for a home game might be gone, but by the same token, the days of Michigan drawing more than 100,000 for any game might be numbered.

IMO, the best thing for CFB is to eliminate the canard of the "student-athlete" -- and that goes down the entire line. We all know that most of the Yale football team would not have been admitted if they weren't football players. We all know that the vast majority, if not all, significant football programs funnel at least the significant minority of their players through simpleton majors. We all know that at big-time programs these kids are far more celebrity than student and, more to the point, a highly valuable commodity, both to the University and, in the future, the NFL. Yet, we have this notion that they're students first -- that the athlete part is some noble endeavor in their free time. It's horseshit. And F the NCAA for foisting this paradigm on CFB for the sake of its own power grab.

IMO, we ought to treat CFB honestly and that starts with taking an honest approach to what CFB players are.

What is the ultimate outcome of this? Do we say that college football teams are essentially semipro operations funded by the alumni and fans of the team? Do we still make the kids go to class and get a degree?

[entropy]

hanny.. agree 100%. I worry my kids will not understand m passion for UNL sports and for them, it will be just the flavor of the month. All kids are like that, to an extent, but will they ever understand why or catch the addiction, I'd wager more likely no than yes.

And I bet if you look at donations, for any of our programs, the less than 30 crowd are the ones jumping in and out of season tickets. The over 40, I would bet, are more loyal.

[Hannibal]

Yup.

Dave Brandon is now talking about loyalty rewards for students showing up at games. When I was a student, that would have absolutely never been necessary.

[drok]

I agree with almost everything you guys are saying, but I also do think the loyalty program is a good idea. Why not reward the kids who show up on time to the games and are really into the program? Make it a badge of honour (Canadian spelling!) to be the one with the most loyalty points. Have a loyalty point leaderboard and showcase who the best student fans are.

[entropy]

Does Michigan have open seating for the students, in other words, first come first serve, or do the students have assigned seating?

[whodean]

the same token, the days of Michigan drawing more than 100,000 for any game might be numbered.

I just don't see how an unbiased observer could come to that conclusion.

[Mackenzie]

I may be in the minority but I favor the +1 model. Football is a brutal sport and I think the extra games which would likely be needed, extra practices, extra individual off field, non required work or training which will be put in my the athletes is just not in the best interest of "kids." I think I am most like Jeff in that I miss the old day and perhaps would like things to just go back the way they were but I realize that is never going to happen.

I hate when "the athletes" want it as a reason for doing something i.e. larger playoff system, many different uniforms, etc. Hell, I bet the athletes would like to be paid 20 grand a year and not have to go to classes too. So, why not just do that.

Regards minor sports. If university athletic departments are becoming more and more a business and if minor sports are money losers then why not drop them. I know that would not be popular or even practical but at least that would give the athletic department one less reason to, in my opinion, to turn sports such as basketball and football into nothing less than minor league professional sports.

I believe that somewhere down the line there will be a "player union" of some sorts in college football. I'm sure that will create additional changes in the college sports.

I agree with the "student-athlete" concept, particularly in basketball and football, as being pretty much of a joke.

[entropy]

I don't see Michigan suddenly having less than 100K fans, but I'd bet you already see different fans in the stadium. I'd imagine there % of corporate or buisness tickets has gone up over the last 10 yrs

[UMStan White]

Student seats at the Big House are assigned, but when I was a student people sat pretty much where they wanted to as long as they were in the right section.

[The Oracle]

I just don't see how an unbiased observer could come to that conclusion.

Yup.

[Hannibal]

I just don't see how an unbiased observer could come to that conclusion.

The lack of enthusiasm on the part of the students has been noted a few times. These are the alumni and big money supporters of tomorrow. I wouldn't take it for granted that games against UMass will always draw 100,000 people, that we can fill the stadium in a 3-9 year, like we did in 2008, or that folks will always be willing to shell out $2,000 in ticket costs, parking, and seat licenses for a seven game package. The people who run the Indianapolis 500 once took the massive popularity of that event for granted, and now it is a shell of its former self, getting but a tiny portion of the attention that it used to.

[entropy]

hanny... only 2K??? that's it? I would have expected the average to be much higher? or is that only for one ticket??

[hack]

Hannibal overdoes it but he absolutely nailed the sentiment. CFB is fucking around and failing to deliver a proper sporting experience because it knows, collectively, that millions of alumni will take it as it comes even if they want it to be better. And even though at Michigan the effort to foster that same sense of tradition in the current students is a very prominent effort, I think the risk is there. Not any time soon, but eventually.