TheCup
Well-known member
J-Rod said:This has nothing to do with the schools themselves and everything to do with market size. Sad reality.
I think that's only partially true. What the P5 really are trying to do is change the governance structure of the NCAA (and it looks like they've succeeded in doing it) so that they can vote to allow schools to pay players a cash stipend, increase insurance for potential pros, pay parents for some travel and basically spend more on scholarships, academic support and all of that. They're doing that because they are scared to death of the Northwestern labor decision, and also because they have the horsepower to compete in an arms race.
To put it in perspective, Alabama generates about 50% more annual profit from athletics than UW's total annual athletics budget. The Alabama's of the world want to know, justifiably, why they should be limited under the same rules as a school like Wyoming when the whole "student-athlete" thing is really just a fiction.
My guess is that schools like CSU (if Moonlight sticks around and gets his stadium built), SDSU and Boise may eventually make the decision to join the arms race. Wyoming will never have the budget to do the same. Burman can barely get his budget funded now, so there's no way he's going to find another 4 or 5 million to give to players.
So 5 years down the road Wyoming will still be in the same conference with Boise, SDSU and CSU. The Big XII ain't knocking on any of their doors. But if, as expected, the NCAA says a school can pay players - but they don't have to - what we will have is First Class and a Ghetto in college football.
When that happens, Coach Bohl and Coach McElwain will still be competing for the same recruits. But Coach McElwain will be able to offer a recruit an extra $1000/month or whatever, under the rules, in walking around money. Coach Bohl won't be able to match it. How do you think that will turn out for Wyoming?
People don't want to hear it, but the next 5 years are a really dangerous time for Wyoming football.