SI letter to B1G Commish: either help RU financially or kick them out

[RU848789]

SIAP, as it's hard to keep up, but this is an Interesting article, even if I don't think the B1G is entertaining the idea of kicking us out. The more interesting angle is the suggestion for the B1G to accelerate payments to RU so we can better support athletics now, i.e., by hiring Greg, via helping financially.

https://www.si.com/college/illinois...o-big-ten-commissioner-rutgers/?utm=newsbreak

And then that’s when we get to football. The highest revenue-producing athletics endeavor of any of the 14 institutions currently in the conference. Local reporting from NJ.com have documented how the negotiations between Greg Schiano (universally seen as possibly the only man to save an embarrassing program that has lost 20 straight conference games) and Rutgers broke down due to the school’s unwillingness to raise and spend the funds needed for the 10th highest-paid head coach in the league, new facilities, recruiting travel and an assistant coaches salary pool. Rutgers hired an outside firm in 2014 to assess the athletic department and its 327-page report said the football stadium was “in a state of disrepair” and that other football facilities were “significantly subpar” compared to other Big Ten programs. And yet, none of those facility upgrades were promised in writing to Schiano by 2023 - when Rutgers is finally expected to get a full revenue share of the conference’s income. NJ.com is reporting many of the significant athletics boosters at Rutgers consider their “checkbooks were closed now that (athletics director Patrick) Hobbs has failed to land Schiano.”

Your choice is simple really: Either help Rutgers with more internal conference revenue loans to bring its athletics competitively into the 21st century or remove it completely. To sit back and hope Rutgers athletics improves by pure happenstance seems penny wise and pound foolish in the modern-day world of big-time college athletics.

 

[soundcrib]

Damn.

 

[rucoe89]

SIAP, as it's hard to keep up, but this is an Interesting article, even if I don't think the B1G is entertaining the idea of kicking us out. The more interesting angle is the suggestion for the B1G to accelerate payments to RU so we can better support athletics now, i.e., by hiring Greg, via helping financially.

https://www.si.com/college/illinois...o-big-ten-commissioner-rutgers/?utm=newsbreak

And then that’s when we get to football. The highest revenue-producing athletics endeavor of any of the 14 institutions currently in the conference. Local reporting from NJ.com have documented how the negotiations between Greg Schiano (universally seen as possibly the only man to save an embarrassing program that has lost 20 straight conference games) and Rutgers broke down due to the school’s unwillingness to raise and spend the funds needed for the 10th highest-paid head coach in the league, new facilities, recruiting travel and an assistant coaches salary pool. Rutgers hired an outside firm in 2014 to assess the athletic department and its 327-page report said the football stadium was “in a state of disrepair” and that other football facilities were “significantly subpar” compared to other Big Ten programs. And yet, none of those facility upgrades were promised in writing to Schiano by 2023 - when Rutgers is finally expected to get a full revenue share of the conference’s income. NJ.com is reporting many of the significant athletics boosters at Rutgers consider their “checkbooks were closed now that (athletics director Patrick) Hobbs has failed to land Schiano.”

Your choice is simple really: Either help Rutgers with more internal conference revenue loans to bring its athletics competitively into the 21st century or remove it completely. To sit back and hope Rutgers athletics improves by pure happenstance seems penny wise and pound foolish in the modern-day world of big-time college athletics.

Meh. Idiotic opinion, but that is what most opinions are.

 

[RutgersRaRa]

It’s a good piece. It wasn’t derisive, it was factual and represented the state of affairs at RU and in the conference. We are such a dysfunctional state and administration that another perspective—one from the outside—coupled with the outcry of the fans and alumnae, might help a newby to bigtime athletics (Hobbs) understand the gravity of the situation. Many of lived prior to and right on through the success of 2006, and the vacillations of the program. Hobbs didn’t experience any of that, and though it’s not his fault, he is to become a quick learner. This isn’t SHU basketball, this is B1G football, and articles like the one OP posted might expedite the learning curve just a bit more quickly.

 

[chrisru99]

Truth hurts and that article hurt because it was all factual. We are in the Big Ten let’s start acting like it.

 

[RU MAN]

As painful of a read as that was, the opinion of the writer wasn't being unrealistic. Since we joined the B1G we haven't really excelled in any of the major revenue sports and have yet won any conference title in any of the sports although wrestling, women's soccer and BB are very good and men's BB is on an upward trajectory.

With that said the football program still drives the ship. For our misinformed BOG and AD to still not get it is such an embarrassment and shows amateur time and provincial thinking on its lowest level.

But the author's reasoning collapses when he downplays our academics and tells the reader to get rid of us in place of Missouri or Cincinnati because they're not far from Nebraska's academic level and are better at sports. That's laughable as an argument.

What's even more laughable: this writer thinks the large cable deals will suddenly end because streaming is the new thing. Sorry but that won't fly because of royalty and copyright deals that will make that cost prohibitive.

 

[RURM85]

It’s an opinion from an Illinois writer. He lost me when he brought up not having a top 50 School in the USNWR college ranking as not adding value. Not sure that has anything to do with it and they’re Big Ten schools with worse rankings. Maybe he should stick with Univ. of Illinois sports. Everybody has an opinion.

 

[czxqa]

Why does nobody ever mention the screwjob the conference gave us to join? We're still $15mm a year under what the full share was six years ago when the deal was negotiated, meanwhile UMD started at double our payout, Nebbie got a full share from day one, and those guys are all getting north of $50mm a year each.

 

[RU MAN]

Why does nobody ever mention the screwjob the conference gave us to join? We're still $15mm a year under what the full share was six years ago when the deal was negotiated, meanwhile UMD started at double our payout, Nebbie got a full share from day one, and those guys are all getting north of $50mm a year each.

Actually Nebraska did not but their programs were already ready for the B1G.

 

[RutgHoops]

It’s a fine article as long as you allow your premise to be the colleges and universities that comprise the B1G are an athletics affiliation with no academic component at all.

 

[RU848789]

As painful of a read as that was, the opinion of the writer wasn't being unrealistic. Since we joined the B1G we haven't really excelled in any of the major revenue sports and have yet won any conference title in any of the sports although wrestling, women's soccer and BB are very good and men's BB is on an upward trajectory.

With that said the football program still drives the ship. For our misinformed BOG and AD to still not get it is such an embarrassment and shows amateur time and provincial thinking on its lowest level.

But the author's reasoning collapses when he downplays our academics and tells the reader to get rid of us in place of Missouri or Cincinnati because they're not far from Nebraska's academic level and are better at sports. That's laughable as an argument.

What's even more laughable: this writer thinks the large cable deals will suddenly end because streaming is the new thing. Sorry but that won't fly because of royalty and copyright deals that will make that cost prohibitive.

The academic part was weak, as those two schools and Nebraska are all tied at #139, well behind RU at #56. Also, Cincinnati is not an AAU member, while Missouri is, but then again, the B1G ignored that old "rule" when they invited Nebraska. None of that negates the points made about RU's horrible mismanagement of sports, however.

 

[RU Cheese]

It's tough to argue the points...

 

[RU#1fan]

Truth hurts and that article hurt because it was all factual. We are in the Big Ten let’s start acting like it.

‘Hopefully some day the RU Administration wakes up and says hey we are in the B1G aren’t we ?

 

[huskersalways]

Why does nobody ever mention the screwjob the conference gave us to join? We're still $15mm a year under what the full share was six years ago when the deal was negotiated, meanwhile UMD started at double our payout, Nebbie got a full share from day one, and those guys are all getting north of $50mm a year each.

Nebraska got what they were scheduled to get from the Big 12 and escalated annually to where this is the first year of a full share. Same thing RU got which was their Big East/AAC payout with an escalation annually. Yes NU got more because of what the Big 12 was paying vs what RU was receiving from old conference.

 

[17Q66]

Rutgers isn't getting kicked out of the Big Ten.

Full stop.

 

[huskersalways]

The academic part was weak, as those two schools and Nebraska are all tied at #139, well behind RU at #56. Also, Cincinnati is not an AAU member, while Missouri is, but then again, the B1G ignored that old "rule" when they invited Nebraska. None of that negates the points made about RU's horrible mismanagement of sports, however.

NU was an AAU member when they joined the Big 10. It got suspended due to NU not combining its med school research with the main campus research. The Big 10 schools all voted to keep NU in the AAU until they were in the Big 10 then a couple switched to have them removed. If NU would have caved and combined the Med school stuff with the main campus stuff it isn’t even an issue they would still be in the AAU. They get to resubmit for admittance in about another 5 years.

 

[wheezer]

The article is ridiculous

Let’s step back for a second and look at the big picture. We had a contract negotiation
Break down with a prospective coach, only to be restarted again. Programs all over the country have failed negotiations, get played by the coach prospect for a pay raise at his other job, etc

Why is our coach search and/or success or failure, national news or concern for someone in Illinois, about our being in the big 10?

This is our business, not his. If we get the deal with Greg, the improvements in the contract, does he then retract?

Right now the bet is, we get it done.

If it all falls apart, we hire a second rate coach on the cheap, we lose numbers to transfer, we make no investments,then you write this article

Seems way premature, jumped the gun

 

[czxqa]

Nebraska got what they were scheduled to get from the Big 12 and escalated annually to where this is the first year of a full share. Same thing RU got which was their Big East/AAC payout with an escalation annually. Yes NU got more because of what the Big 12 was paying vs what RU was receiving from old conference.

We're still not at the level the Huskers started at, and we're 30 years behind in facilities.

 

[Caliknight]

The article assumes the B1G cares if we are good. They already got what they want. Carriage fees.

 

[huskersalways]

We're still not at the level the Huskers started at, and we're 30 years behind in facilities.

NU got $14mil with $5mil going to the Big 12 the first year because of conference buyout. The most they got before getting a full share this year was $26mil I think but not positive.

 

[pmvon]

Meh. Idiotic opinion, but that is what most opinions are.

Agreed, maybe say football but not athletics. Basketball is doing okay, wrestling, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, what about those?

 

[WhiteBus]

It's tough to argue the points...

No it's very easy to argue the points. Before Rutgers and Maryland the Big Ten was paying their members around $24 million. In 3 years they will paying $50 million. Incredibly stupid article

 

[50 yd line RR]

Hey president Barchi! Do you care about football now?

 

[scarletbergen]

SIAP, as it's hard to keep up, but this is an Interesting article, even if I don't think the B1G is entertaining the idea of kicking us out. The more interesting angle is the suggestion for the B1G to accelerate payments to RU so we can better support athletics now, i.e., by hiring Greg, via helping financially.

https://www.si.com/college/illinois...o-big-ten-commissioner-rutgers/?utm=newsbreak

And then that’s when we get to football. The highest revenue-producing athletics endeavor of any of the 14 institutions currently in the conference. Local reporting from NJ.com have documented how the negotiations between Greg Schiano (universally seen as possibly the only man to save an embarrassing program that has lost 20 straight conference games) and Rutgers broke down due to the school’s unwillingness to raise and spend the funds needed for the 10th highest-paid head coach in the league, new facilities, recruiting travel and an assistant coaches salary pool. Rutgers hired an outside firm in 2014 to assess the athletic department and its 327-page report said the football stadium was “in a state of disrepair” and that other football facilities were “significantly subpar” compared to other Big Ten programs. And yet, none of those facility upgrades were promised in writing to Schiano by 2023 - when Rutgers is finally expected to get a full revenue share of the conference’s income. NJ.com is reporting many of the significant athletics boosters at Rutgers consider their “checkbooks were closed now that (athletics director Patrick) Hobbs has failed to land Schiano.”

Your choice is simple really: Either help Rutgers with more internal conference revenue loans to bring its athletics competitively into the 21st century or remove it completely. To sit back and hope Rutgers athletics improves by pure happenstance seems penny wise and pound foolish in the modern-day world of big-time college athletics.

Fire Hobbs First

 

[rurichdog]

"Why Can't Rutgers Ever Win?" part 2

 

[graystork]

Why does nobody ever mention the screwjob the conference gave us to join? We're still $15mm a year under what the full share was six years ago when the deal was negotiated, meanwhile UMD started at double our payout, Nebbie got a full share from day one, and those guys are all getting north of $50mm a year each.

Screwed us our first year too and we still went to a bowl. Not bad enough we're in with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Michigan State. Know what our first two crossover games were? Nebraska and Wisconsin.

 

[brookdale-soda]

If it's true that Barchi doesn't care if football makes money, I really dont care if we get kicked out of the Big Ten. As they say, If you're gonna do something, do it right.

 

[hiwater]

Why does nobody ever mention the screwjob the conference gave us to join? We're still $15mm a year under what the full share was six years ago when the deal was negotiated, meanwhile UMD started at double our payout, Nebbie got a full share from day one, and those guys are all getting north of $50mm a year each.

Nebraska had a buy in too. They were done with it by the time RU entered the conference