(01-07-2024 07:06 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(01-07-2024 06:07 PM)JSchmack Wrote:  

(01-02-2024 03:27 PM)mainejeff Wrote:  I think that people need to throw out their antiquated views of certain schools and their athletic programs....it's a new world. Some schools like Maine and New Hampshire may not be looked highly upon yet they are investing in their athletic programs and each have fairly concentrated populations of 1 million+ where they are the only show in town. Then we have the St. Bonaventures, Duquesnes, etc. that have cloudy futures at best.

Your overall point on investment in athletics vs an antiquated view of athletics is an extremely valid one. Some schools "Get it" and some schools don't. And looking at records of teams doesn't always tell that tale, because it's about investing in infrastructure and a model that works more than "Do we have a good coach for now?"

However, your examples are absolutely terrible.

Per capita, I doubt there's anyone more invested than St. Bonaventure. Duquesne just finished a massive project to completely rebuild their basketball arena and are clearly on the right path.

Like I said a couple pages ago, the A-10 school with the antiquated view of college athletics is found at Fordham.

Fordham plays scholarship football these days

Maybe you’re thinking of LaSalle

It's the Patriot League, though

(01-08-2024 12:34 AM)whittx Wrote:  

(01-07-2024 07:06 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(01-07-2024 06:07 PM)JSchmack Wrote:  

(01-02-2024 03:27 PM)mainejeff Wrote:  I think that people need to throw out their antiquated views of certain schools and their athletic programs....it's a new world. Some schools like Maine and New Hampshire may not be looked highly upon yet they are investing in their athletic programs and each have fairly concentrated populations of 1 million+ where they are the only show in town. Then we have the St. Bonaventures, Duquesnes, etc. that have cloudy futures at best.

Your overall point on investment in athletics vs an antiquated view of athletics is an extremely valid one. Some schools "Get it" and some schools don't. And looking at records of teams doesn't always tell that tale, because it's about investing in infrastructure and a model that works more than "Do we have a good coach for now?"

However, your examples are absolutely terrible.

Per capita, I doubt there's anyone more invested than St. Bonaventure. Duquesne just finished a massive project to completely rebuild their basketball arena and are clearly on the right path.

Like I said a couple pages ago, the A-10 school with the antiquated view of college athletics is found at Fordham.

Fordham plays scholarship football these days

Maybe you’re thinking of LaSalle

It's the Patriot League, though

Yes, but it ain't your grandpappy's Patriot League! (except for Georgetown which models themselves after the Ivies)

(01-07-2024 07:06 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(01-07-2024 06:07 PM)JSchmack Wrote:  Your overall point on investment in athletics vs an antiquated view of athletics is an extremely valid one. Some schools "Get it" and some schools don't. And looking at records of teams doesn't always tell that tale, because it's about investing in infrastructure and a model that works more than "Do we have a good coach for now?"

However, your examples are absolutely terrible.

Per capita, I doubt there's anyone more invested than St. Bonaventure. Duquesne just finished a massive project to completely rebuild their basketball arena and are clearly on the right path.

Like I said a couple pages ago, the A-10 school with the antiquated view of college athletics is found at Fordham.

Fordham plays scholarship football these days

Maybe you’re thinking of LaSalle

And what's it getting them? La Salle isn't the exact situation of Fordham or the A-10 schools who "Get it." There's no "one-size fits all" metric of schools that "Get it" and schools that don't.

I assume that a bunch of sports nerds like us talking about market sizes and TV rights would all be familiar with the concept of Moneyball: using data to find market inefficiencies to gain an advantage when you can't spend your way to success. Aka Get the most bang for your buck

The schools that get it are the ones who are investing in athletics in the areas with the best ROI: Facilities, Coaches, Image. Those things impress recruits and boosters, which gets you better players and more revenue.

Fordham is antiquated because they spend the most of any A-10 school and get the worst ROI. They're competing for A-10 Commissioner's Cup for best overall athletics department...

While Dayton, VCU and St. Bonaventure are funding far fewer sports, and the non-revenue sports they have they are more "participating in" rather than "funding," while they fund basketball to compete for NCAA bids AND the cut of the billion dollar TV contract that comes with that.

It's not that they don't CARE about the other sports, they're merely pragmatic and realistic about what cost-to-benefit ratio.


I mean, La Salle is definitely in the group of schools that's going through the motions, trying to do what everyone else does... while facing obstacles not everyone faces, and definitely not having the resources to be competitive, and therefore are floundering and have been for decades.

Generally speaking, the schools that Get It know who they are, and are trying to be the most efficient and best version of THAT, rather than trying to be someone else.

On the subject of William & Mary, the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

(John O'Connor) W&M holds tight to CAA affiliation as league continues to evolve

Feels to me like William & Mary, unlike fellow perpetual Patriot League football rumor subjects Richmond and Villanova, is characterized here as more wedded to CAA/F than the other two, in no small part because of the all-sports membership status that the Tribe holds (or is held by?)

As another note, the article is centered on the CAA Football shakeup, which is to say nothing of what I think will eventually transpire with Charleston and the ol' A10.

As someone who grew up on the CAA and CAAFB and is now a realignment junkie, this is looking like a golden age of question marks. W&M is in a major bind with its institutional profile and football expectations and biggest remaining CAAFB peers being FB-only associates/CAAFB full members, technically.

Another HUGE gift for Maine Athletics.....$80 million from the Alfond Foundation for facility improvements. This brings the total to $208 million.

https://goblackbears.com/news/2024/1/9/a...-gift.aspx

This is more than a drop in the bucket, right? Are A-10 level programs making these types of investments?

(01-08-2024 03:31 PM)JSchmack Wrote:  The schools that get it are the ones who are investing in athletics in the areas with the best ROI: Facilities, Coaches, Image. Those things impress recruits and boosters, which gets you better players and more revenue.

That's not ROI.