Spinning Out of Control

[HB Pony Dad]

and the other shoe is ready to drop...

In a telephone interview early Sunday morning, a congressman from a state with a university that could be harmed by realignment said that the issue raised concerns over taxes, antitrust law and, potentially, Title IX.

While no one has formally approached Congress yet, the congressman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the situation was “spinning out of control.”

“I think the situation is rising to a level where getting Congress engaged may be unavoidable,” he said. He added: “Congress has the nexus to engage. These are tax-exempt organizations now making billions off of unpaid athletes. When it’s a regional league, it seems to make sense. When you’re taking schools practically from coast to coast and putting them in big-profit revenue leagues, we may be at a point where the N.C.A.A. has lost its ability to create a fair system for all to play in.”

Syracuse and Pittsburgh Switch Conferences, Sowing Chaos

[Big Hoss]

Interesting. And he would be right.

[ponyte]

I hate the instability that is college football conferences now. But one thing I know, there is nothing in this universe that our Congress can't make worse. Congress needs to stay out of this. Upset elected officials looking to get votes will not do the right thing or the needed thing. IT will do what the Congressman feels is the best way to get votes for his/her reelection. And that is never good for the situation or organizations involved.

[RyanSMU98]

I hate the instability that is college football conferences now. But one thing I know, there is nothing in this universe that our Congress can't make worse. Congress needs to stay out of this. Upset elected officials looking to get votes will not do the right thing or the needed thing. IT will do what the Congressman feels is the best way to get votes for his/her reelection. And that is never good for the situation or organizations involved.

I think your opinion about Congress is spot-on, but perhaps the fact that they are showing public interest and tacit objection to the spiraling decline into mega-conferences will give some folks pause before it gets beyond the point of no return. I certainly don't think Congress should try to dictate how this should all shake out (in fact that concept scares the heck out of me), but ESPN et. al. need someone to stand up and say "wait a minute, is this really in the best interest of the schools involved and athletics as a whole?". Since it is clear the NCAA can't/won't fill that role, maybe it takes Congress to put those brakes on, if only temporarily. While all this movement benefits schools' coffers, it provides very little benefit in any other area. Regional appeal is destroyed; academic competitiveness is diluted in many of these conferences; fan experience will suffer; and the Title IX issue for non-revenue sports becomes a legitimate concern as it is something I don't think anyone is talking about. All this adds up to the whole thing unravelling in relatively short-order anyway, so if Congress is willing to step up and say that we should head off this realignment Titanic before it hits the iceberg, more power to them.

[ender3]

First of all, it's already past the point of no return.

Second of all, while I might agree with everything the congressman said, don't they have anything bigger to worry about? If I were to list the 10 biggest challenges facing the country, I'm quite positive that college football (or athletics in general) would not make the list. If I expanded the list to 100, I'm still not sure that it would.

There is no problem so bad that it cannot be made worse through Congress' intervention, but there are way bigger problems for them to be making worse than conference realignment.

[peruna81]

I hate the instability that is college football conferences now. But one thing I know, there is nothing in this universe that our Congress can't make worse. Congress needs to stay out of this. Upset elected officials looking to get votes will not do the right thing or the needed thing. IT will do what the Congressman feels is the best way to get votes for his/her reelection. And that is never good for the situation or organizations involved.

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help..."

[redpony]

[quote="peruna81] "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help..."[/quote]

As R. Reagan said that is one of the most unwelcome sentences that you can hear.

GO PONIES!!!

[NavyCrimson]

If the gov't doesn't get involved, then what will happen will happen. Frankly, whose going to fight it? We know ALL the have-not wont & that includes SMU, too.

So the logical conclusion is the bcs-BS will eventually take over college football & that beautiful football stadium we have can be turned into a soccer venue. I guess our administration & all the have-nots don't think it's worth fighting for - or do they?!

Just wait for all that admissions revenue starts to fall off much like it did in '87-88 when we lost football - & then, let's see who takes responsibility for no action? Right now, I sure as h%$# wouldn't buy any SMU stock if it was being sold.

[NickSMU17]

I'll take the other side as many as you want....

[redpony]

Depends on the bid and offer. What price conferences??

GO PONIES!!!

[NickSMU17]

All I am saying is that SMU is on the up either way....We will most likely be left out, but if you think this is the end of 119 D-1 football you are wrong....

There will be an opportunity if we choose to continue on and become the boise/tcu of the new mega conferences...Get better than everyone else you play and stick your foot in the door...

As for SMU as a school, as dallas goes SMU goes...I have never ever been as bullish on Dallas as I am right now...

We won't be getting rid of football...we will be playing at a d-1 level where consistent running of the table will get you big games at the end of the year, it will be up to us to get to a level where when these things start falling apart, and they will....we are prepared next time...

It sucks and it will hurt, but buy the dips....you will be rewarded...

[ponyboy]

I agree with Nick. We will only improve our current situation.