Bill Snyder says universities have sold out

I have a lot of respect for Bill Snyder. I disagree with his conclusions.
College football hasn't "sold out" but rather moved forward with the marketing opportunity provided by increased exposure. How a university deals with the growing revenues from that exposure of is up to the individual school. I am very comfortable that the University of Alabama has done an incredible job with the opportunity.
With the successfully $143 million athletic program from last year, the University has improved the academic support and facilities for all student-athletes; provided life skills programs that many were lacking; improved their training facilities; improved the facilities were they play; become a major factor in recruiting students to the general student body; increased donations to the University general fund; helped grow the University to record student numbers with more than half coming in from out of state (and paying nearly 3 TIMES the tuition); and still allowed the athletic department to be a major DONOR to the University of Alabama. The success of the athletic department floats all boats. This fall the Alumni Association ALONE will provide over $4.7 million in scholarships to 2,400 incoming freshmen.

Bill Snyder shouldn't fault the opportunity but rather how some universities manage and accept it. Having money and opportunity for a university can have the same effect it does on an individual. It can be positive or negative. It is their choice.

He's right.

CraigMack said:

He's right.

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Concur. There's no going back.

Bamabuzzard said:

And what would the alternative look like? Many of these colleges wouldn't have the academic resources they had if it weren't for these big time football programs bringing in the money they do. It's a double edge sword. If he's going down this road then I think it is fair to discuss the fact that so many colleges offer degrees for things that have no real demand in the job market. Leaving these kids with big student loans, and a degree that is about as worthless as the paper it's on. Just because you have an "education" doesn't mean you are employable.

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Exactly. Remember when the chemistry professor told Coach Bryant he felt there was too much emphasis on football at Bama? Coach Bryant replied, "Oh really...well let me ask you, when was the last time 50,000 people paid to watch one of your chemistry tests?"
The money from football helps the university as whole, in a big way.

dvldog said:

Concur. There's no going back.

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There will be a correction sometime as is already happening at Michigan, but the college feel of the game is being taken over by TV and a corporate feel. Who knows when the correction will happen, but no amateur sporting event can be bigger and more expensive every year with some kind of bubble bursting.

mdb-tpet said:

There will be a correction sometime as is already happening at Michigan, but the college feel of the game is being taken over by TV and a corporate feel. Who knows when the correction will happen, but no amateur sporting event can be bigger and more expensive every year with some kind of bubble bursting.

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It has already happened, and as buzz said above, "it is a double edged sword". Personally the collegiate game day atmosphere has changed to more of what you would expect at an NFL venue. I was not impressed with the game day atmosphere in Tuscaloosa last year and chalked it up to my "old school expectations", but the changes have taken place over the years and it is not for me.

I will still attend a few games every year, but the entire game day experience is entirely too commercialized and made for TV for my liking. I realize it is all about the dollar driving the decisions and that too is a sign of the times. It is what it is.

I understand Snyder's point.

I saw this story a few days ago, I though how refreshing. A guy who has plenty of money already tries to help others rather than see what a big pile of money he can personally have. I think he's truly motivated by the Christian directive to help those less fortunate.

http://www.vox.com/2014/8/4/5967181/kentucky-state-university-president-minimum-wage

Without question many schools have decided to cash in on college sports to the detriment of the principle charter of their institutions. This is the reason that the Ivy League schools decided to change their sports departments decades ago. That said, I see it as a victimless change.

What concerns me more is the way that colleges have tried to change our society. They have created an almost elitist mindset across the country that has pushed people into college than should ever have attended, often leading to debt that will never be covered. Not every job requires a degree, and many employers now require degrees for positions that should not require any college whatsoever.

B1GTide said:

Without question many schools have decided to cash in on college sports to the detriment of the principle charter of their institutions. This is the reason that the Ivy League schools decided to change their sports departments decades ago. That said, I see it as a victimless change.

What concerns me more is the way that colleges have tried to change our society. They have created an almost elitist mindset across the country that has pushed people into college than should ever have attended, often leading to debt that will never be covered. Not every job requires a degree, and many employers now require degrees for positions that should not require any college whatsoever.

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I read an essay this morning talking about how college has been turned into a way to bury yourself in debt rather than a way of bettering yourself.

I agree with Coach here.

I recently heard Mike Slime take a question about whether he was concerned about single neutral site non-conference games replacing home and homes as being bad for the game or the fans. Slime responded by basically saying he did not care a slong as the SEC got the TV rights.

CraigMack said:

He's right.

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He is right, but it's been happening since the beginning of the twentieth century or thereabouts. I believe that, anyway. Colleges began to use sports, football in particular, as a PR tool to grow their campuses at that point in time and the method picked up steam. That's how the Ivy League lost it's hold on the sport. Those colleges didn't need money or student recruiting tools, colleges in other areas of the country did and they found it. Television absolutely boosted the situation exponentially. So did the rise of pro football. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

I respect Snyder. I think in a lot of ways, the education priority has suffered and been diluted. I believe there are probably many departments who get no piece of the football pie. The athletic department will always get the first share. I would assume at Bama, there is plenty to go around. But at other schools, where the football doesn't make much money, the educational departments suffer. They have to put money into football to try and compete with everyone else.

CraigMack said:

He's right.

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The whole world has sold out.

CullmanTide said:

The whole world has sold out.

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Yep, our entire society seems to devalue education and celebrate anything or anyone on television or radio regardless of why they may be there. Doing the right thing isn't celebrated, but acting like an idiot or an immoral jerk may earn you fame and fortune. Gee, I wonder what message the kids pick up there?

CullmanTide said:

The whole world has sold out.

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They would have generations ago, but no one was buying.

C.A. Said it.

I've always thought everyone that has any desire for learning should try college to see if it is for them. But, of course they should get out quickly if it is not. I'd be huge fan of a first semester freshman year discount for those who want to be in college, yet don't think they can afford it. And it could help weed out those who can afford it, but don't belong (like the guy down the hall from my dorm room with a .5 GPA his Freshman year) by letting the truly hardworking folks stay . We really need to step back and find a way to make college a lot less expensive with the same quality and outcomes. Maybe we can use these outrageously expensive sports like football to fund more of the education someday.

B1GTide said:

Without question many schools have decided to cash in on college sports to the detriment of the principle charter of their institutions. This is the reason that the Ivy League schools decided to change their sports departments decades ago. That said, I see it as a victimless change.

What concerns me more is the way that colleges have tried to change our society. They have created an almost elitist mindset across the country that has pushed people into college than should ever have attended, often leading to debt that will never be covered. Not every job requires a degree, and many employers now require degrees for positions that should not require any college whatsoever.

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