Kentucky looks to make athletic department LLC

[Scotty R 3,741]

2 minutes ago, Home Jersey said:

A lot of low and mid major players still want to pursue professional careers though, so they’d probably pursue a semi-pro league or go overseas rather than be amateur competitors. If you truly want to keep it to amateur athletics it’s guys who play pick up for fun at the rec center. Maybe people would fill the arena and watch truly amateur talent with great interest - how much do you think they’d spend for those tickets or to travel though? I’d bet not enough that it’s as profitable as skills need/want it to be. The point is… once the toothpaste is out of the tube, there’s no putting it back. Have to adapt. 

I don't think anyone is saying they would watch pick up games but the point is that the University is what sells and not individual players. It isn't about players having pro aspirations because that has always been the case. The point is that the college players need the University more than the University needing the individual player. For these players to make the most they can they go to teams like Duke rather than playing in the G League 

[Hardwood83 5,057]

4 minutes ago, Home Jersey said:

A lot of low and mid major players still want to pursue professional careers though, so they’d probably pursue a semi-pro league or go overseas rather than be amateur competitors. If you truly want to keep it to amateur athletics it’s guys who play pick up for fun at the rec center. Maybe people would fill the arena and watch truly amateur talent with great interest - how much do you think they’d spend for those tickets or to travel though? I’d bet not enough that it’s as profitable as skills need/want it to be. The point is… once the toothpaste is out of the tube, there’s no putting it back. Have to adapt. 

Eh...The Pacers would beat Univ of Florida by 60pts, right? Even thought they are a mid-level NBA team, they play an exciting style (I guess) and had an incredible win last night. I am a Pacer "fan" in that I don't like any other NBA teams and I loved the Pacers as a kid (Pacer pride is the pride of Indiana, am I right?)

Having said all that, I didn't watch the Pacers game last night, nor have I watched them all season, or for the last several. They are GREAT basketball players, but I have opted out for a handful of reasons. I am not stating that I am typical but pointing out that I didn't 'have to adapt' instead, I lost interest in NBA basketball 8-10yrs ago. Will that happen to "college" athletics if the model continues to radically change? Dunno, maybe it will grow in popularity....but I suspect that once the association with the schools are severed and it's just a pro minor league it will be as popular as the CBA, AAA baseball, XFL, etc. Might have a niche, but just another option. 

You are correct, you can't put the paste back in the tube, so it might just get thrown away. 

[Home Jersey 16,182]

11 minutes ago, Scotty R said:

I don't think anyone is saying they would watch pick up games but the point is that the University is what sells and not individual players. It isn't about players having pro aspirations because that has always been the case. The point is that the college players need the University more than the University needing the individual player. For these players to make the most they can they go to teams like Duke rather than playing in the G League 

We disagree that the University is what sells and not the individual players. The university needs the players and that’s why they’re totally changing their model to retain them. Can’t have a program without players. Bad players = bad product, even if you feel a connection to the school. Then nobody is going to pay for that so the school will just cut the program. People will still watch if these programs form a real semi-pro league, maybe someday it even acts as a farm system for the NBA. Who knows. It’s already no different for a rich Duke alum to pay 4M to get Flagg than it is for a G league owner to  pay top dollar for a highly ranked HS player. Perhaps acknowledging this is not amateur athletics anymore will help level the playing field again someday, albeit in a different form. As it stands today though, the current landscape seems to benefit IU on a relative basis. 

[Home Jersey 16,182]

8 minutes ago, Hardwood83 said:

Eh...The Pacers would beat Univ of Florida by 60pts, right? Even thought they are a mid-level NBA team, they play an exciting style (I guess) and had an incredible win last night. I am a Pacer "fan" in that I don't like any other NBA teams and I loved the Pacers as a kid (Pacer pride is the pride of Indiana, am I right?)

Having said all that, I didn't watch the Pacers game last night, nor have I watched them all season, or for the last several. They are GREAT basketball players, but I have opted out for a handful of reasons. I am not stating that I am typical but pointing out that I didn't 'have to adapt' instead, I lost interest in NBA basketball 8-10yrs ago. Will that happen to "college" athletics if the model continues to radically change? Dunno, maybe it will grow in popularity....but I suspect that once the association with the schools are severed and it's just a pro minor league it will be as popular as the CBA, AAA baseball, XFL, etc. Might have a niche, but just another option. 

You are correct, you can't put the paste back in the tube, so it might just get thrown away. 

Yes you don’t have to adapt, but the sport / admins do. They may not retain every fan and they may gain some new ones. But better to have a smaller niche than to stay stagnant and wake up one day with everything out of your control (as the NCAA basically has done). 

[Scotty R 3,741]

9 minutes ago, Home Jersey said:

We disagree that the University is what sells and not the individual players. The university needs the players and that’s why they’re totally changing their model to retain them. Can’t have a program without players. Bad players = bad product, even if you feel a connection to the school. Then nobody is going to pay for that so the school will just cut the program. People will still watch if these programs form a real semi-pro league, maybe someday it even acts as a farm system for the NBA. Who knows. It’s already no different for a rich Duke alum to pay 4M to get Flagg than it is for a G league owner to  pay top dollar for a highly ranked HS player. Perhaps acknowledging this is not amateur athletics anymore will help level the playing field again someday, albeit in a different form. As it stands today though, the current landscape seems to benefit IU on a relative basis. 

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this topic because I don't agree with this opinion at all

[str8baller 7,551]

5 hours ago, Scotty R said:

I don't think anyone is saying they would watch pick up games but the point is that the University is what sells and not individual players. It isn't about players having pro aspirations because that has always been the case. The point is that the college players need the University more than the University needing the individual player. For these players to make the most they can they go to teams like Duke rather than playing in the G League 

Why are you watching and firing off emails then? The kids made a lot of money last year, they’ll make more next year, and the year after that. Yet you’re still watching. Not only that I saw you telling people to be positive (lol) in the thread specifically dedicated to bringing in new players and paying them lots of money.  
 

Your own actions don’t actually correspond to your philosophy very well.

[Scotty R 3,741]

14 minutes ago, str8baller said:

Why are you watching and firing off emails then? The kids made a lot of money last year, they’ll make more next year, and the year after that. Yet you’re still watching. Not only that I saw you telling people to be positive (lol) in the thread specifically dedicated to bringing in new players and paying them lots of money.  
 

Your own actions don’t actually correspond to your philosophy very well.

I am still watching because they wearing the Indiana Hoosier uniform. Once they stop representing IU then I will stop watching

[str8baller 7,551]

36 minutes ago, Scotty R said:

I am still watching because they wearing the Indiana Hoosier uniform. Once they stop representing IU then I will stop watching

Sure. 
 

But you can’t really explain why you’re in the thread talking about individual players. Or coaches for that matter. Why send a email discussing the quality of coach? How would that affect anything if we’re just cheering for IU? Why get on a message board at all? If everything is blandly interchangeable except for the institution, just turn on the tv in Nov and cheer for the faceless guys in IU jerseys on the floor, no? 

[Tasmanian Devil 1,911]

6 hours ago, Home Jersey said:

We disagree that the University is what sells and not the individual players. The university needs the players and that’s why they’re totally changing their model to retain them. Can’t have a program without players. Bad players = bad product, even if you feel a connection to the school. Then nobody is going to pay for that so the school will just cut the program. People will still watch if these programs form a real semi-pro league, maybe someday it even acts as a farm system for the NBA. Who knows. It’s already no different for a rich Duke alum to pay 4M to get Flagg than it is for a G league owner to  pay top dollar for a highly ranked HS player. Perhaps acknowledging this is not amateur athletics anymore will help level the playing field again someday, albeit in a different form. As it stands today though, the current landscape seems to benefit IU on a relative basis. 

Players are what drives the game.

The highest-rated final four at the time in 1979 was because of Bird and Magic Johnson. Same thing when they got to the league and turned the NBA finals from tape delay into must watch TV..

And we really wanna say that the WNBA didn’t need Caitlin Clark, or when she was at Iowa the girls Final Four wasn’t must-watch TV?