Boise State president blasts NCAA reform in letter to media

[ponyinNC]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/24569414/boise-state-presidents-blasts-ncaa-reform-in-letter-to-media

Boise State's president issued a scathing criticism of NCAA reforms Wednesday night, seemingly accusing the commissioners of the SEC and Big Ten of “calling the shots.”

Bob Kustra spent more than three pages ripping Big Five conferences in an email sent to media outlets. The correspondence came less than 24 hours after Pac-12 presidents called upon their Big Five peers to quickly pass NCAA reforms.

Saying the NCAA has “ranged far afield” from the traditional amateur model, Kustra attacked what he perceives the Big Five conferences' hijacking of the system. He called reform “subterfuge for fueling the arms race.”

“The NCAA cannot fall prey to phony arguments about student welfare when the real goal of some of these so-called reformers is create a plutocracy," Kustra wrote, “that serves no useful purpose in American higher education.”

[Stallion]

Lawyer Up or Shut Up

[ponyinNC]

I find it somewhat disingenuous that this letter comes from the same man that played the AAC and MWC against each other so that Boise ended up with an unfair advantage within their own conference. Pot, meet kettle.

BTW, don't they still owe us $5M in exit fees??

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

“Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests.”

- Lord Palmerston

The Boise Pres may be hypocritical or disingenuous, but I suspect that his, SMU's, and a lot of other schools' interests likely coincide on this issue. Don't trust the P-5. This is a smoke screen for them to gain more power and control.

[PonyKris89]

I am just happy that somebody has spoken up and called out the P5 for their BS.

[FroggieFever]

In the correspondence, Kustra points out the Boise's $37 million athletic budget pales in comparison to Alabama ($124 million), Illinois ($77 million), Nebraska ($83 million) and Missouri ($64 million.)

Even more dramatic: Idaho's football budget ($4 million) doesn't equal 60 percent of Nick Saban's salary. Both schools are FBS.

Not exactly helping his case.

[Big12Mustang]

“Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests.”

- Lord Palmerston

The Boise Pres may be hypocritical or disingenuous, but I suspect that his, SMU's, and a lot of other schools' interests likely coincide on this issue. Don't trust the P-5. This is a smoke screen for them to gain more power and control.

The P5 want to find a way to shut off the rest of the FBS from the big bowls and big tv contracts. They want the rift to be clear and permanent and to make sure the Power 5 stays as Power 5.
Keep fighting.

[PonyKris89]

SMU better dig deep into the pockets and pay our way in, otherwise it's hello FBS lower division.
ya figure $100-200 million outta do it?

[Stallion]

In the correspondence, Kustra points out the Boise's $37 million athletic budget pales in comparison to Alabama ($124 million), Illinois ($77 million), Nebraska ($83 million) and Missouri ($64 million.)

Even more dramatic: Idaho's football budget ($4 million) doesn't equal 60 percent of Nick Saban's salary. Both schools are FBS.

Not exactly helping his case.

I think the point is that Boise St. and TCU (not to mention Utah, BYU, and Louisville in the past) were able to compete on a national stage in the last decade by overcoming every financial roadblock and disadvantage placed in its way. Its no longer about competition its about hording the CASH to a select few based upon market power not necessarily competitively on the field. But quite frankly either hire some lawyers and file a Sherman Anti-Trust case or move on. The argument without a lawsuit is getting old and tiresome

[ponyinNC]

yup.

[smusportspage]

Yep. Can you do it Stallion? If not, know of an attorney that can? Would not think that it has to be pro bono.

[ponyinNC]

The amazing thing about this entire system is that there are really only a handful of teams that can actually compete at the highest level, even within P5 conferences themselves. I am talking 15-25 teams total, and they will remain the same 15-25 teams in perpetuity.

Wake Forest will cash checks all day long, but at the end of the day, I give a better chance of making the playoff to a Cincy/Boise/UCF/Fresno than I do to a bottom-dwelling P5 team.

Variety is the spice of life. At what point do even casual football fans get bored with seeing this title game every year - SEC team X vs. OhioSt/Oregon/Wisconsin/Texas/FSU/Oklahoma/Michigan/USC/Notre Dame.

I mean, that is basically it. That is the entire list of schools that I give a real shot, year in and year out, for the title. Sure, every once in a while a Baylor or a Clemson may actually do it, but it hasn't happened yet.

[PonyKris89]

The amazing thing about this entire system is that there are really only a handful of teams that can actually compete at the highest level, even within P5 conferences themselves. I am talking 15-25 teams total, and they will remain the same 15-25 teams in perpetuity.

Wake Forest will cash checks all day long, but at the end of the day, I give a better chance of making the playoff to a Cincy/Boise/UCF/Fresno than I do to a bottom-dwelling P5 team.

Variety is the spice of life. At what point do even casual football fans get bored with seeing this title game every year - SEC team X vs. OhioSt/Oregon/Wisconsin/Texas/FSU/Oklahoma/Michigan/USC/Notre Dame.

I mean, that is basically it. That is the entire list of schools that I give a real shot, year in and year out, for the title. Sure, every once in a while a Baylor or a Clemson may actually do it, but it hasn't happened yet.

You make a very good point PonyInNc.
The bottom feeders might want to consider voting these new reforms down. after all, they are already in Power Conferences and having higher costs will hurt the bottom feeder's pocket books, and the bottom feeders might want to actually win a few games each year, hence they really should not limit themselves with OOC vs non P5 limits.

[sbsmith]

The bottom feeders might want to consider voting these new reforms down. after all, they are already in Power Conferences and having higher costs will hurt the bottom feeder's pocket books, and the bottom feeders might want to actually win a few games each year, hence they really should not limit themselves with OOC vs non P5 limits.

It wouldn't be wise for those bottom-feeders to bite the hands that feed them. They have to pick their battles against their more powerful brethren and fighting against these autonomy reforms is not one of them.

[ponyinNC]

Wake Forest loves their deal - cash ACC TV checks every year to the tune of over $20M.

Wake Forest football fans on the other hand? I think they want to see some G5 games on their schedule, or they can look at 2-10 records forever. Heck, even with G5 scheduling, thier overall record in 112 years of playing football is 429-624-33, for a lovely .410 ratio.