Now that the new ESPN media deal is 'old news' (today is Wednesday. It was announced Tuesday but leaked Monday).

So now what will those dollars buy?

So-called cost of attendance is going to cost some big bucks.

In this article, OSU is planning on 1.65M per year.

http://www.ohio.com/sports/zips/george-m...s-1.514937

"Here’s a little perspective: Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith said in reports that OSU was prepared to spend an additional $1.65 million in cost-of-attendance benefits for its student athletes."

As a side note, will cost of attendance issues lead to a decrease in some sports at schools/conferences which might be strapped financially?

E.g., Howard University in Washington, D.C. has had big financial problems (think largely because of their hospital). Can they afford to pony up say another 500K / year for athletics?

UMass AD said he would think about cutting back the football scholarships to 82 instead of 85 and using the money to cover the cost of attendance for the rest of the team.

(08-20-2014 07:57 AM)EmeryZach Wrote:  UMass AD said he would think about cutting back the football scholarships to 82 instead of 85 and using the money to cover the cost of attendance for the rest of the team.

That's not a bad way to approach it... Most teams can lose three players (or replace them with three walk ons).. It also gives the coach a little play in taking on a transfer or picking up a JUCO..

(08-20-2014 08:56 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(08-20-2014 07:57 AM)EmeryZach Wrote:  UMass AD said he would think about cutting back the football scholarships to 82 instead of 85 and using the money to cover the cost of attendance for the rest of the team.

That's not a bad way to approach it... Most teams can lose three players (or replace them with three walk ons).. It also gives the coach a little play in taking on a transfer or picking up a JUCO..

And, truth be told, 85 man rosters are too big.

What are travel squads? 55?

I'd like to see 85 become 75 - 78, which would also make more talent available to G5 schools as more borderline P5 talent signs with G5.

(08-20-2014 09:24 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(08-20-2014 08:56 AM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(08-20-2014 07:57 AM)EmeryZach Wrote:  UMass AD said he would think about cutting back the football scholarships to 82 instead of 85 and using the money to cover the cost of attendance for the rest of the team.

That's not a bad way to approach it... Most teams can lose three players (or replace them with three walk ons).. It also gives the coach a little play in taking on a transfer or picking up a JUCO..

And, truth be told, 85 man rosters are too big.

What are travel squads? 55?

I'd like to see 85 become 75 - 78, which would also make more talent available to G5 schools as more borderline P5 talent signs with G5.

Not sure about that. Top schools have walk-ons and gray shirts who've passed up scholarships at other schools.

(08-20-2014 03:10 AM)emu steve Wrote:  In this article, OSU is planning on 1.65M per year.

http://www.ohio.com/sports/zips/george-m...s-1.514937

And OSU has a lot of sports compared to a MAC school: all 14 men's sports sponsored by the Big Ten, all 14 women's sports, plus men's volleyball, women's synchronized swimming and co-ed fencing, pistol and rifle, for 33 varsity sports.

Contrast with Kent State with 8 men's sports sponsored by the MAC, 10 women's sports, and no others for 18 varsity sports.

Now to be sure, FB may have the scholarships of five to ten other NCAA, but even add a notional "+9" to both side for FB, and that's still 42/27 = 155%

Which is why its not surprising that many schools seem to be looking to the additional $1m per school ($860K for CUSA) from the CFP system to cover the cost of attendance. Since UMass is not going to be part of that extra $1m per team payout, they'd naturally have to look elsewhere.

We wil be fine, the sky is not falling, we get second choice already for the most part recruiting-wise, yet NIU could compete in the Pig10 or Big12 most of the last 15 seasons.

Win, promote, ignore the P5.

There are a lot of unanswered questions, parity with women's sports in term of cost of attendance. I'm sure the MAC as a conference will not offer what the Big Ten or other P5 conferences will. They simply cannot afford to do that. I'm actually surprised at how small of a number Ohio State came up with. What I think we'll see on the MAC level is the unlimited meals and a small monthly stipend for incidentals and have it applied to all scholarship athletes men's and women's. I would not be surprised if some programs get dropped. I expect whatever the MAC does to fit around or beneath the additional revenues generated by the ESPN contract.

(08-21-2014 10:50 AM)emu79 Wrote:  There are a lot of unanswered questions, parity with women's sports in term of cost of attendance. I'm sure the MAC as a conference will not offer what the Big Ten or other P5 conferences will. They simply cannot afford to do that.

That depends largely on whether or not they were counting on the extra $1m in CFP money to fill an existing hole in their budget. If the whole $1m is available, it goes a long way toward a full cost of attendance stipend in line with, for example the full cost of attendance as computed by Kent State for determining what is the remaining cost of attendance to be filled when students with external partial scholarships are also applying for Kent State scholarships.

If "full cost of attendance" added a massive amount to full-ride scholarship costs, the P5 wouldn't be pushing for them as a way to fend off athletic-(student) complaints that are showing up in court. Its a way of doing something that sounds good while still being able to take the majority of recent revenue growth for the use of the Athletic Department.

(08-20-2014 07:57 AM)EmeryZach Wrote:  UMass AD said he would think about cutting back the football scholarships to 82 instead of 85 and using the money to cover the cost of attendance for the rest of the team.

Those 3 scholarships just covered the football team.

I think in the same article he estimated it to be $300,000 total.

The difference between the UMass estimate of $300,000 and the $1.65M Ohio State estimate is that UMass/A10 were just going to offer full cost of attendance for Mens and Womens Basketball and Football and off-setting Title IX in UMass case where OSU would offer for every sport.

(08-21-2014 10:50 AM)emu79 Wrote:  There are a lot of unanswered questions, parity with women's sports in term of cost of attendance. I'm sure the MAC as a conference will not offer what the Big Ten or other P5 conferences will. They simply cannot afford to do that. I'm actually surprised at how small of a number Ohio State came up with. What I think we'll see on the MAC level is the unlimited meals and a small monthly stipend for incidentals and have it applied to all scholarship athletes men's and women's. I would not be surprised if some programs get dropped. I expect whatever the MAC does to fit around or beneath the additional revenues generated by the ESPN contract.

I'm not sure that MAC schools can drop sports. NCAA DI mandates you sponsor 14 sports. Factor in Title IX and the sports that have already been dropped over the years, where do you go?

(08-21-2014 12:57 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  

(08-21-2014 10:50 AM)emu79 Wrote:  There are a lot of unanswered questions, parity with women's sports in term of cost of attendance. I'm sure the MAC as a conference will not offer what the Big Ten or other P5 conferences will. They simply cannot afford to do that. I'm actually surprised at how small of a number Ohio State came up with. What I think we'll see on the MAC level is the unlimited meals and a small monthly stipend for incidentals and have it applied to all scholarship athletes men's and women's. I would not be surprised if some programs get dropped. I expect whatever the MAC does to fit around or beneath the additional revenues generated by the ESPN contract.

I'm not sure that MAC schools can drop sports. NCAA DI mandates you sponsor 14 sports. Factor in Title IX and the sports that have already been dropped over the years, where do you go?

You drop mens sports...

(08-21-2014 01:51 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(08-21-2014 12:57 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  

(08-21-2014 10:50 AM)emu79 Wrote:  There are a lot of unanswered questions, parity with women's sports in term of cost of attendance. I'm sure the MAC as a conference will not offer what the Big Ten or other P5 conferences will. They simply cannot afford to do that. I'm actually surprised at how small of a number Ohio State came up with. What I think we'll see on the MAC level is the unlimited meals and a small monthly stipend for incidentals and have it applied to all scholarship athletes men's and women's. I would not be surprised if some programs get dropped. I expect whatever the MAC does to fit around or beneath the additional revenues generated by the ESPN contract.

I'm not sure that MAC schools can drop sports. NCAA DI mandates you sponsor 14 sports. Factor in Title IX and the sports that have already been dropped over the years, where do you go?

You drop mens sports...

How do you get to 14? Men-Football,Basketball and baseball? Women-Volleyball, Basketball, CC, Track, Softball, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Swimming, Gymnastics...??? How about ice hockey? Won't work.

Division I member schools are required to sponsor a minimum of seven sports for women and seven for men (or eight for women and six for men). Many MAC schools are close to the 14 number right now.

(08-21-2014 03:41 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  

(08-21-2014 01:51 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  

(08-21-2014 12:57 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  

(08-21-2014 10:50 AM)emu79 Wrote:  There are a lot of unanswered questions, parity with women's sports in term of cost of attendance. I'm sure the MAC as a conference will not offer what the Big Ten or other P5 conferences will. They simply cannot afford to do that. I'm actually surprised at how small of a number Ohio State came up with. What I think we'll see on the MAC level is the unlimited meals and a small monthly stipend for incidentals and have it applied to all scholarship athletes men's and women's. I would not be surprised if some programs get dropped. I expect whatever the MAC does to fit around or beneath the additional revenues generated by the ESPN contract.

I'm not sure that MAC schools can drop sports. NCAA DI mandates you sponsor 14 sports. Factor in Title IX and the sports that have already been dropped over the years, where do you go?

You drop mens sports...

How do you get to 14? Men-Football,Basketball and baseball? Women-Volleyball, Basketball, CC, Track, Softball, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Swimming, Gymnastics...??? How about ice hockey? Won't work.

Division I member schools are required to sponsor a minimum of seven sports for women and seven for men (or eight for women and six for men). Many MAC schools are close to the 14 number right now.

And many are not.