Agree about over-emphasis on football, and RU athletics having a great year.
But who said RU has to "compete" with Texas A&M and Alabama? Few teams (maybe Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame) have such delusions. What is wrong with simply competing within the B1G, going 7-5, 8-4, 6-6 most years with a couple/few great (9-3 or 10-2) and bad (sub 6-6) years thrown in? RU has established itself as competitor in the other major money sport- men's basketball.
A problem, however, is there will be a contingent of fans who want and demand more every year. In theory, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be a perennial top team, but in practice that is very difficult except for the few schools that focus as much (or more) on football and/or basketball success over academics. More below.
Agree, and see above. I think if we have a football track record like Minnesota (or even Northwestern) over the last 20 years, most fans will be happy, and the stadium will be sold out on most home games and the revenue from football as basketball will provide the money to support the non-revenue sports, which should continue to be successful.
If the divisions are abandoned, this should make things in football a bit easier. But teams that have been historically not great at football (Northwestern for example) and teams that are doing better than past history (Indiana, for example) and newcomers like Rutgers and Maryland will succeed at the expense of other teams (Nebraska, for example). Nebraska is a good example--in the last 18 years, their W-L record is 128-97 , and in the last 7 years, it has been 34-48. That's a far cry from the Tom Osborne glory years through 1997 of 255-49. But Nebraska's move into the Big 10 eleven years ago is a cautionary tale for those expecting big things for Rutgers football in the Big 10.
Fans can't realistically expect there to be 10 or 12 Ohio State/Michigan/Penn State/Wisconsin level teams in a 14 team conference. Competing most years with a W-L record as detailed above would be fine for many fans.
Hopefully, the new media rights deal will provide a big enough windfall and fundraising continues on pace so that the Lax teams, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, gymnastics, swimming, track, rowing and other teams have their needs met financially, and these non-revenue sports will continue to thrive with enhanced revenue.
Check out the Northwestern Wildcats College Football History, Stats, Records, Polls, Bowls and More College Football Stats at Sports-Reference.com
www.sports-reference.com
Check out the Minnesota Golden Gophers College Football History, Stats, Records, Polls, Bowls and More College Football Stats at Sports-Reference.com
www.sports-reference.com
Check out the Nebraska Cornhuskers College Football History, Stats, Records, Polls, Bowls and More College Football Stats at Sports-Reference.com
www.sports-reference.com