(05-12-2022 11:00 AM)schmolik Wrote:  

(05-12-2022 10:53 AM)MU88 Wrote:  

(05-12-2022 10:01 AM)schmolik Wrote:  I liken the Pioneer Football League to them wanting to have their cake and eat it too, have football but not "pay" for it (the scholarships). Obviously Butler and Davidson football doesn't make the same money Penn State and Illinois money make but if they make more money than other sports at these schools in which they give scholarships for (baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, etc) why should football players not get scholarships then? If they're going to charge $10/$20 to attend these games or the head coach is making 6 figures, the players get nothing seems like BS to me. There wouldn't be a football program at these schools if it weren't for the players. If Butler is closer to Wilkes University than North Dakota State in terms of revenue or expenses, I can see why they "can't" give scholarships. Otherwise, cheapskates.

I can almost guarantee you the "endowment" funds cannot be used to fund the football program. Almost all of these assets are restricted at most schools. So, a school's endowment has little to do with this discussion.

Further, I am don't think you understand the cost of these minor sports relative to football. First, most olympic sports teams are not fully funded. Scholarships are split amongst all the athletes. My daughter had D1 scholarship offers, but they were only a fraction of the actually tuition. She had academic scholarship offers that were 6-7 times greater at comparable schools. Second, you also have title 9 issues. Third, the cost of 63 full ride scholarships, including room and board, would be in the neighborhood of $3.5-$4.5 million at a private school. This doesn't include the costs of running the program. Villanova spends around $6 million per year on football alone. In other words, Villanova spends more on football than on all their other men's non-basketball sports combined.

I don't really see what the issue is. Most privates cannot financial afford to fund scholarship football, but want to offer the sport on campus. It is great for alumni relations, fundraising and it attracts male students, which are tough to attract. Most of these schools have a long history of playing football. The NCAA dictates they play on the D1 level.

If it was up to Dayton and Drake, they would play D3 football. But, they can't. That said, these schools hold their own. Since being non-scholarship, Drake has beaten a top-10 scholarship FCS team. San Diego was ranked when Harbaugh was the coach. I don't think the other FCS schools mind. In fact, they schedule the Pioneer League teams regularly. There are way bigger problems in college sports than having a conference of non-scholarship teams playing football in the FCS.

You want football, pay for it (in terms of scholarships). Don't cry because you have to fly to San Diego for games when 90% of FCS schools are willing to not stiff their players.

But... who's crying? None of the PFL teams are complaining, the league has generally been growing more than anything. This post was not created because the AD at Valpo complained about having to travel to Stetson, Marist, and San Diego.