American Athletic Conference

[pogo]

A couple of weeks ago at Mulligans there were several people talking about WSU and the whole study of athletics at WSU. I brought up the fact that without football WSU would always be at a disadvantage in joining a larger conference. Someone asked which conference would be interested and another guy, a K state grad and supporter said they would fit well in the Big 12 if they had football. He pointed out that all of our other sports are and would be competitive with other members. When he said that it just blew me away to think that there is actually other people from other schools that believe this as well. But as in all things it only costs money.

[pogo]

I thought they had more than just floated plans for a new facility. I also thought that such a facility was to take care of existing needs and the needs of existing programs and student athletes. But I could be mistaken.

That is what I heard as well. The only caveat was whether they were going to connect it to CKA by a skywalk.

[SHOCKvalue]

How many other programs would need to be created to make up for the additional male scholarships? Not to mention facilities associated with said programs.

Looked this up as I was curious myself:

http://www.scholarshipstats.com/ncaalimits.html

NCAA already allows more schollies for women than men in the same, or essentially the same, sports. Right now WSU has 46.3 men's schollies, and 71 women's schollies, assuming WSU is funding each of their sports at the max scholly allotment per sport (one would assume so in order to be competitive at the level of the typical program in WSU athletics).

NCAA D1 FBS football has 85 schollies, so that leaves 60.3 to make up in new women's sports.

You could do that by adding Rowing, Bowling, and three out of Soccer, Lacrosse, Field Hockey, and Rugby. Rowing and bowling would simply come about by converting current club sports WSU already has into NCAA sports, and the rest could all be played at Cessna, or the hypothetical new football stadium.

Not as hard as it seems, at least from the laymen's perspective.

[DJShocker10]

Shortly after Bardo became president, many marketing classes began assigning projects on marketing plans to increase enrollment. The best ideas would be selected by the professors and made available to Bardo for further analysis. Coincidental or not, I personally know a student who pitched the idea of tearing down Braeburn and adding more buildings to the campus, including an "aggieville" type strip in the southeast corner of campus and adding parking structures. She left the 21st and Oliver corner of campus open for the availability of building a new football stadium or additional parking. Now, I don't have any idea if this is what Bardo is basing his ambitious ideas off of, but I'm just going to allow myself to believe I have friends in high places. If we do end up bringing back football and achieving some success, I want to say from the bottom of my heart.... You're welcome, Shocker Nation... You're welcome.

[SHOCKvalue]

From an office and academic space standpoint, they've already floated plans for a new building that fits between Shocker Hall and Koch arena. Same plans had provisions for skyboxes in Koch.

That building is happening, period. Koch has already donated the lion's share of the funding for it.

On the skyboxes, I've heard WSU is cooling off on the idea.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

A program to watch that just brought back football is East Tennessee State.

Or UAB, but I'm not sure how much to discount that because they were without it for only one year.

[Shocker-maniac]

Shortly after Bardo became president, many marketing classes began assigning projects on marketing plans to increase enrollment. The best ideas would be selected by the professors and made available to Bardo for further analysis. Coincidental or not, I personally know a student who pitched the idea of tearing down Braeburn and adding more buildings to the campus, including an "aggieville" type strip in the southeast corner of campus and adding parking structures. She left the 21st and Oliver corner of campus open for the availability of building a new football stadium or additional parking. Now, I don't have any idea if this is what Bardo is basing his ambitious ideas off of, but I'm just going to allow myself to believe I have friends in high places. If we do end up bringing back football and achieving some success, I want to say from the bottom of my heart.... You're welcome, Shocker Nation... You're welcome.

Bardo was pitching the Innovations Campus to the BOR when he was interviewing for the job. That's the reason he got the job because of his vision and the potential for economic development. Now whether his plan at that point included the location of the Innovations Campus I don't know. However, it's possible because he was very familiar with our campus since he was previously a professor at WSU. Good job to that student group. They had some very good ideas!

[Shocktoberfest]

That tweet was almost certainly run past a marketing team, if Bardo even has any personal control over the account. WSU's sports marketing team is one of the best, if not the best, in the entire country. I think the tweet has done exactly what was intended.

But yeah, I'm not sold on the design and actually slightly lean toward "nay" in regards to bringing back football.

Maybe Bardo uses the same screener Trump uses for his tweets.

[Shocktoberfest]

I have to say I don't know why I torture myself by checking on this thread. I always get my hopes built up like there's some breaking news that has real meat regarding getting out of this crappy conference. This football talk is really cool, though. But only if HCGM is on board. It's gonna take huge jack, but gosh darn it, Bardo doesn't screw around. It could happen.

[Stickboy46]

Here is a quote of a tweet that someone sent to Bardo

how about NO athletics. Recertify things like the Engineering&Science depts that slipped so badly in the past 5 yrs!!

[DJShocker10]

I have to say I don't know why I torture myself by checking on this thread. I always get my hopes built up like there's some breaking news that has real meat regarding getting out of this crappy conference. This football talk is really cool, though. But only if HCGM is on board. It's gonna take huge jack, but gosh darn it, Bardo doesn't screw around. It could happen.

Perhaps we allow HCGM to be a part of the hiring process with the hypothetical football program? I seem to remember Michigan State go through some of the interview process with coaching candidates for their squad. Marshall is the biggest asset to our athletic department and arguably to the university as a whole. Adding a football program doesn't have to change that.

[HockeyShock]

Here is a quote of a tweet that someone sent to Bardo

To be fair (and not to threadjack), the Engineering Department problems were largely caused by the political maneuverings of the (thankfully) former Dean.

[OregonShocker]

Dr. Bardo is a very smart man. There is a calculated reason behind his tweet. As has been said earlier in this thread, this man moves fast. Hold on for the ride!

I will never have a chance for basketball season tickets, but I am hoping to have them for Shocker Football!

I'm guessing that may not be a problem, judging from fan interest in 1984...

[WuShock16]

Here is a quote of a tweet that someone sent to Bardo

Yeah, I once had a conversation with someone that went something along these lines, this person's interest being music. "I think it's ridiculous that coaches make the money that they do. Why don't music professors make that kind of money?" The comment came from nowhere, and I was too surprised to be able to respond coherently.

Look, it is all relative. In the grand scheme of things, yes, it is dumb to think how much money society spends towards athletics. However, the best answer that I can use is that "it is what it is." Athletics is what I (and many others) find interesting and enjoyable, so that is where a good chunk of disposable income will go. The market will bear it, so coaches will get paid. If you want music directors to get paid so much, you better figure out a way to get people to pay the kind of money that athletics gets.

Also, the things that nobody thinks about is with the high expenses come high responsibility. You don't hear people gripe about the solo trumpeter who flubs a note in a symphony concert. That applies to small-exposure sports too. If a pole vaulter no-heights at the KT Woodman track meet, you probably won't see people calling for the scholarship to be revoked. However, how many here have insinuated that certain men's basketball players should find a new school? If you want to attention and adulation, you have to be willing to accept the negative that can come with it too.

[SHOCKvalue]

Here is a quote of a tweet that someone sent to Bardo

It is embarrassing that seemingly intelligent people don't understand the structural, funding, and revenue differences between athletics and academics within a given university.