Arms race of athletic facilities....taj mahal down south

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://www.businessinsider.com/alabama-football-facility-pictures-2013-7?op=1

[EnderWiggen]

ro' tayd

[Groin_pull]

ro' tayd

Is it wrong for me to be totally disgusted by this college sports facility arms race? (And yes, I know The Al is a part of the problem)

[Dawson Rental]

No wonder we got JJJ away from Alabama.  Come to Alabama and see if you can be a a distraction from the stories about the football team's pre-bowl game practices!

[GGGG]

Is it wrong for me to be totally disgusted by this college sports facility arms race? (And yes, I know The Al is a part of the problem)

Of course.  All built upon tax deductible donations too.

[Groin_pull]

Of course.  All built upon tax deductible donations too.

It's not just about the money...it's also the message. What's important to these schools? I thought universities were supposed to be focused on education. Seems like their priorities are completely out of whack.

[Eldon]

No wonder we got JJJ away from Alabama.  Come to Alabama and see if you can be a a distraction from the stories about the football team's pre-bowl game practices!

Indeed.  "Why Marquette?"  'its a basketball school, my other choices were football schools'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyFTkNSRgLo

It's so good to hear something like that.  "Hey kid come play at our school, you will be second fiddle and maybe we'll give you a tour of our great football facilities."

For football schools, every dollar spent towards basketball is a dollar not spent toward football.  I know that this may be pushing it to the limit here, but maybe this arms race forces ACC schools to choose--invest in your football facilities and gain some recruits so that your next TV contract is more lucrative OR stick to investing in basketball where the return on investment may not be as high (but not both).  The ACC chasing Bama and company in the football facilities arms race means that basketball schools like us have a little better shot at getting their recruits.

[ChicosBailBonds]

It's not just about the money...it's also the message. What's important to these schools? I thought universities were supposed to be focused on education. Seems like their priorities are completely out of whack.

For some of these communities and states, this is their way of being relevant nationally.   Look at the firestorm if Milwaukee was going to lose the Brewers or Bucks....OMG OMG OMG.  "We will be a second class city...we will no longer be major league".   Now put yourself in South Carolina, Boise, Eugene, Alabama, Mississippi, etc, and this is their ticket to the big time.  Or so the thinking goes.

[GGGG]

It's not just about the money...it's also the message. What's important to these schools? I thought universities were supposed to be focused on education. Seems like their priorities are completely out of whack.

Well, Marquette is part of the problem then.  And frankly you (and I) am too?  Do you watch any division three sports...no scholarships there.

That being said, you might be making an assumption that it's a zero sum game.  Just because they are putting these resources toward football doesn't mean that resources aren't be spent academically.

[GGGG]

And then there's this:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/dennis-dodd/22846958/bowlsby-attacks-ncaa-suggest-division-4-football-is-possible

[jesmu84]

And then there's this:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/dennis-dodd/22846958/bowlsby-attacks-ncaa-suggest-division-4-football-is-possible

Is there a reason a relegation/promotion system isn't used anywhere in the US?

[avid1010]

It's not just about the money...it's also the message. What's important to these schools? I thought universities were supposed to be focused on education. Seems like their priorities are completely out of whack.

i think it can bring a lot of pride and sense of community to a city/state, and i don't have so much of a problem with it at the college level as long as it isn't at the expense of academics.  i wish the coaches, ncaa, bcs, tv, etc. were more ethical...that's the part that bothers me. 

a few years ago a high school in texas built a stadium that cost over $60 million...in the end the superintendent admitted that they needed more classrooms, but couldn't get that referendum passed, so they went to referendum for the football stadium and then put classrooms inside of it.  that's sick...

[Aughnanure]

Is there a reason a relegation/promotion system isn't used anywhere in the US?

Why does every soccer fan think relegation is some glorious mechanism of competition?

No, I really want to root for a sport where the same 2-4 teams win every year. American sports are the paradigm of competition. It's not perfect, but at least every team really does have a chance to dream.

[GGGG]

Why does every soccer fan think relegation is some glorious mechanism of competition?

No, I really want to root for a sport where the same 2-4 teams win every year. American sports are the paradigm of competition. It's not perfect, but at least every team really does have a chance to dream.

Agreed.  Promotion/relegation made sense when you had a bunch of semi-pro type clubs with little resource differentiation..but it makes little sense in current professional sports. 

I mean let's say you are a fan of some mid-level EPL team.  There is only one chance you have to win a league title....pray that some oil shiek buys your club, throws a bunch of money a the team, and doesn't leave it bankrupt in the process.

In American sports, every team has at least a roadmap on how to win a title.

[Aughnanure]

Well, Marquette is part of the problem then.  And frankly you (and I) am too?  Do you watch any division three sports...no scholarships there.

That being said, you might be making an assumption that it's a zero sum game.  Just because they are putting these resources toward football doesn't mean that resources aren't be spent academically.

Although I totally agree with you, I guess its just actually see the jaw-dropping absurdity of it all. Everything including a safe with built in chargers for their phones in thought of. If we could put that type of attention to detail in other things, think what your schools and universities could do. There was no cutting corners with this, but it's amazing to realize how many corners there actually are.

But we love sports. We live our lives through it. We have good days and bad days based on how the game turned out. Our most vivid memories are made by it. We basically asked for this.

[Galway Eagle]

Two things first I just treat he'd Jimmy and Lazar's tour of the Al and I don't think that's its as extravagant and posh as you guys are making it out to be (outside of the lockerroom lounge) secondly I find it hysterical that these guys are supposed to be playing a rough tough guy sport and come back to this.  I'd say that four years living like that is compensation enough for playing in college, no need for money.  I could understand it if they were playing in metal lockerrooms and in the old gym still. 

[source?]

Although I totally agree with you, I guess its just actually see the jaw-dropping absurdity of it all. Everything including a safe with built in chargers for their phones in thought of. If we could put that type of attention to detail in other things, think what your schools and universities could do. There was no cutting corners with this, but it's amazing to realize how many corners there actually are.

But we love sports. We live our lives through it. We have good days and bad days based on how the game turned out. Our most vivid memories are made by it. We basically asked for this.

Have you seen the new law school building? A similar level of attention to detail went into that facility.

[source?]

Is there a reason a relegation/promotion system isn't used anywhere in the US?

Get back to me when somebody other than Man United/City, Chelsea, Liverpool, or Arsenal wins the Premier League (and this is coming from a lifelong Man U fan). The revenue sharing in European leagues is also atrocious between the top leagues and others.

[avid1010]

Two things first I just treat he'd Jimmy and Lazar's tour of the Al and I don't think that's its as extravagant and posh as you guys are making it out to be (outside of the lockerroom lounge) secondly I find it hysterical that these guys are supposed to be playing a rough tough guy sport and come back to this.  I'd say that four years living like that is compensation enough for playing in college, no need for money.  I could understand it if they were playing in metal lockerrooms and in the old gym still. 

WTF?

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Why does every soccer fan think relegation is some glorious mechanism of competition?

No, I really want to root for a sport where the same 2-4 teams win every year. American sports are the paradigm of competition. It's not perfect, but at least every team really does have a chance to dream.

Except the Cubs. Well, they can dream but still aren't going to win.

[MarquetteDano]

Agreed.  Promotion/relegation made sense when you had a bunch of semi-pro type clubs with little resource differentiation..but it makes little sense in current professional sports. 

I mean let's say you are a fan of some mid-level EPL team.  There is only one chance you have to win a league title....pray that some oil shiek buys your club, throws a bunch of money a the team, and doesn't leave it bankrupt in the process.

In American sports, every team has at least a roadmap on how to win a title.

I agree that the EPL and other European leagues have poor economic models, but I don't think it has anything to do with the promotion/relegation model.  There are advantages, forcing in the middle to bottom tiers to still fight for something as the season wears on.

I know it doesn't make economic sense but for the fan the promotion/relegation has it's merits.  There are quite a few American sports teams that are unwatchable at the end of the season because they are mailing it in.  Not as much in the EPL type model.  Some of those teams are the best to watch near the end of the season.

[brewcity77]

I agree that the EPL and other European leagues have poor economic models, but I don't think it has anything to do with the promotion/relegation model.  There are advantages, forcing in the middle to bottom tiers to still fight for something as the season wears on.

I know it doesn't make economic sense but for the fan the promotion/relegation has it's merits.  There are quite a few American sports teams that are unwatchable at the end of the season because they are mailing it in.  Not as much in the EPL type model.  Some of those teams are the best to watch near the end of the season.

Exactly right. The promotion/relegation system is not the problem, it's the revenue sharing that gives unequal proportions to teams that are constantly in the top flight and Champions League. Rewarding success is one thing, but hoarding it is something else.

When teams tank for Wiggins this year, I'm sure plenty will see merit with promotion/relegation in at least one American sport.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

For some of these communities and states, this is their way of being relevant nationally.   Look at the firestorm if Milwaukee was going to lose the Brewers or Bucks....OMG OMG OMG.  "We will be a second class city...we will no longer be major league".   Now put yourself in South Carolina, Boise, Eugene, Alabama, Mississippi, etc, and this is their ticket to the big time.  Or so the thinking goes.

I never realized this until I moved to a state without a professional sports team. The state's football team is everything. Even though they are just terrible.

[Pakuni]

When teams tank for Wiggins this year, I'm sure plenty will see merit with promotion/relegation in at least one American sport.

I'm skeptical anyone is going to tank for Wiggins. He's not a generational talent, i.e. LeBron, Ewing, Duncan, etc.

Also, for all the criticism directed toward it, the lottery has all but eliminated the benefits of tanking a season. Since 1990, the league's worst team has ended up with the #1 overall pick just three times (Orlando, 2004; Cleveland, 2003; New Jersey, 1990). The second-worst team has earned it just three times. So even if you wanted to tank for Wiggins - and again, nobody will - you're far from guaranteed a shot at drafting him.

Regardless, no professional sports team owner in this country will ever go for relegation (for good reason), so it's a moot discussion.

[Benny B]

Have you seen the new law school building? A similar level of attention to detail went into that facility.

I can't tell which is more disgusting.... spending $9M on Alabama's football facility or spending any amount of money to educate (future) lawyers.