(06-21-2018 07:01 AM)gsloth Wrote:  

(06-20-2018 05:06 PM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(06-20-2018 09:54 AM)texowl2 Wrote:  

(06-20-2018 07:06 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Before doing anything about the D1/D3 debate, the university needs to wait and see if there is a breakup within the P5.

The next round will end up with 4 megaconferences of 16 each with two divisions of 8. In football, 11 games in conference 7 in division and 4 cross division or perhaps more likely 2 cross division, then 1 or 3 out of conference. Playoff in conference. Winner gets autobids to 8 team playoffs with 4 wild cards.

Anybody not in the 64 will be in subconferences and there is always basketball if you can convince kids not to transfer up.

Makes too much sense even for this bunch of egomaniac idiots.

Rice's hope is to somehow land in a decent subconference. Alternatively, hope Trinity will allow us in their conference.

In the QA session in the Austin Coaches Caravan JK pretty much implied that was going to be the 'next thing'. It may be forced on the NCAA due to litigation in the 9th circuit as early as next year.

JK said that it could very well occur that the P5 will shatter into the "paid-for athletes / very big ticket for-business model / training leagues" groups and those that will shy away from jumping into that pool headfirst. Think of a cleave between the (UTexas / LSU / Florida / Michigan / Ohio State / Oklahoma / USC)-type bunch who will directly and unambiguously jump into that arena; and the (Tulane / Vanderbilt / Northwestern )-types that will naturally group into the 'not big business' model.

It would be interesting to see where Notre Dame, Penn State, TCUs fall when that split occur. And such a split could be a life jacket tossed to Rice.

There is NFW we ever go P5 'present day' with our sports revenues, funding, and tbh, Rice's 'mission' that results in the prototypical Rice student body. There is NFW for that route presently because we have to make up 50 years of 'costing wars' --- not gonna happen. So right now we are stuck in this 'how the hell do we make up ground in this?' dilenma.

But with that type of 'uber p5' / remnants who dont want to take it to *that* level, it could very well be the entre to move up at a far lower cost than today --- simply because that entire 'second level' willbe by definition playing on a completely different money field than the 'uber p5' that could pop out.

No one can say that NCAA athletics / athletes are *not* on that trajectory currently.

I don't think there's any doubt where those schools are going to land. They've already made the conscious decision to invest and keep up. Even Northwestern has, with their $260MM+ facility. They're going to keep going where the money is and try to keep up, as long as the big boys want to have them at the table.

They may be losing money now, but they can also see what happens when a school (Rice) doesn't choose to keep up. None of them are going to choose that route and try to muddle along in a lesser state. They'll face the same complaints we hear about Rice's affiliations - lack of geographic commonality, no established rivalries, etc. I just don't see any of them choosing that. It might be forced on them, but no one is going to choose to weaken their overall brand and associations.

And if the stories we always hear are true, these uberconferences are going to need private schools to be members, to keep certain types of data private and away from FOIA-type requests.

I’m pretty sure Stanford and NDs athletic directors have already said they will retain amateur status and not pay their players when the break happens. Who knows if they actually mean it.