Haslam's Recent Interview on Where UM Is

[Hoops watcher]

The driving factor for "Moving Up" isn't football. It is Basketball, and they wouldn't be moving up, just moving to a different conference. Basketball (Men's and Women's) would be the larger beneficiary of a "Move Up". It would get both a chance at getting better talent, and in a conference that has more chances at bids into the NCAA Tourney, which in turn would mean way more money split between all the conference schools. Mountain West Men's Basketball had 6 bids last year (their highest ever since 5 in 2012-13). Even if it is 3-4 a year, that is a major improvement. And the bids aren't for 14-16 seeds or Play-in... They are games VS teams that you would actually have a chance against (not every year of course). Each tourney game gets the Conference one "Unit" (worth about 2 million dollars) each win gets you another "Unit". Yes, Football drives the car now, but it doesn't have to be the only driver if you "move up".

Do you actually think that same amount of money will be there when the BIG/SEC cabal and whoever they decide to bring with jettisons the rest and form their own conference/s thus ending March Madness as the great tournament it is today? Nobody will pay a billion dollars a year for what is left when the smoke clears. Given recent hints by their respective commissioners about wanting more of the pie football playoff wise (spots and revenue) it seems inevitable.

 

[EverettGriz]

Vegas is the outlier here. I was thinking about when they imploded the Kingdome reading they still had another decade or so to pay off the public backed bonds in addition to new ones for the Mariners' and Seahawks' new facilities. Paid off with sales tax shares along with bed tax, etc. I don't care if people decide it's worth it to have their favorite play in a nice new barn, I might in a lot of cases. But they are sold as economic drivers, job creators and anchors for redevelopment often times. Construction jobs pay well for sure, selling popcorn not so much. The new revenue goes to team owners and real estate scions. At least owners seem to ponying up more of their coin and some like SOFI in LA and Jerry's place were built with their own money (related infrastructure is another story I bet). But usually the public gets it's leg pissed on while being told it's raining. Vegas indeed exists as a show all of it's own and being entertainment is it's primary function I'm sure they look at spending by the city and state on all things related to that function in a unique light.

Please. Ask any existing business or those who have started within the last 15 years in the SODO if like the stadiums. What you'll hear is: "Wouldn't be here without them". They're mammoth economic drivers

 

[Ursa Major]

No. Many low level and low life programs don’t have $40 or $50 million budgets. Some FCS schools opt to stay at FCS. Liberals like you think money grows on trees. I can’t imagine the BOR regents would approve this for the schools, unless FCS truly wasn’t an opttion or falling apart. I agree things are a changin.

Says the guy who voted for Hillary Clinton.

 

[mthoopsfan]

Says the guy who voted for Hillary Clinton.

I’m not a liberal and know money doesn’t grow on trees.