Already historically disadvantaged from brand and budget perspectives, programs in the Group of Five are now struggling to compete with their bigger brothers in compensating players. Power Five programs, equipped with on average five times more NIL cash, are outbidding Group of Five schools to take their best players, pillaging rosters of returning all-conference athletes and transforming FBS football’s lower subdivision into a veritable minor league.
“We are a farm system,” said Liberty coach Jamey Chadwell. “No matter who you are, you are going to have to try hard to hold on to your top players. That gets taxing. We are taking the approach that if a freshman plays and he does well, we are only going to have him for one more year.”
I think this is probably true at a fair number of “P4” schools, as well. It’s also true if they don’t play at all, don’t play “enough,” or don’t get “the right opportunities.”
as if the big boys cared, if they can get more money; they’ll do it. its not as if all the so far they paused once and considered the long term affects on college athletics. show them the money and they’ll stab anyone in the back, even the p4.
We’re clearly the A’s or maybe the Rays is a more apt comparison, considering our consistent success despite limitations (and now, a tough neighborhood/division).
An athletic conference is a means of increasing the income of colleges by limiting competition.
If Chrysler, Ford, and GM attempted to operate as a conglomerate, the Federal Government would quickly stop them because it would limit competition and decrease pressure to innovate. When an athletic conference disallows membership of a school, it acts as a conglomerate with similar results.
The more athletic conferences resemble conglomerates with huge amounts of money involved, the more likely the feds will intervene. If congress can figure a way of taxing them, the faster it will act.
Yeah, I made a better comparison with the Rays in the same post.
And even the A’s are not immune to playoff contention despite limitations given how often they’ve made the playoffs since the Beane era. The Astros eliminated them from the playoffs during the Covid year. So just because I compare us to a cash strapped organization (like this school and athletic department is) doesn’t mean we can’t overcome it.
But the fact is we ARE cash strapped and lacking fan support, at least the compared to other P5/4 schools/AD’s. So if you don’t like the A’s comparison, take the Rays comparison. Either works.
