(02-28-2019 08:37 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  On the side of the argument that says you're handicapped if you DONT spend the money, I give you the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Frank the Tank argued in the MVC thread that there's no real second-choice option in Illinois for kids who don't get into UIUC, and the neighboring state flagships are poaching Illinois kids. But looking at the USNWR numbers, UIC at #129 is tied with Mizzou, NEbraska, Alabama and Nebraska.

But without athletics serving as a seven-figure annual advertising campaign, UIC may get lost in the shuffle "Oh, University of Chicago, like where Obama taught? Oh you mean University of Illinois, like with the football team?"

"May" get lost in the shuffle? I mean, I've never heard of UIC. Not until this moment. For what that's worth.

I think the behavior of public vs private schools is pretty instructive on this point. We see far less privates playing the FBS game, they have to respond to real market forces.