COLUMN: What happens to Iowa State if the Big 12 implodes?

alarson

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The city to some small extent as sports traffic declines, but people drastically overstate athletics impact on a university’s revenue. Last year athletics made up about 7% of ISUs revenue.

I am not sure how much conference affiliation and research dollars matter. I’d suspect very little. But if there is some consideration at all about research dollars, ISUs external research dollars have nearly 3x athletics revenue FWIW.

Obviously a big hit to athletics hurts, but in the big picture of most of these universities, including ISU, athletics are in the public eye, but simply not the financial driver sports fans think they are.

You're not looking at the indirect effects. For example:

Successful athletics is a big boon to enrollment, which brings in more dollars.

Athletics also does a lot to keep people connected to the university after graduation. This makes it easier for the university to hit those people up for academic donations years down the road when they have money to donate.

And on too of that, a rabid fanbase wields some amount of in state political power. Will be easier for those who would like to slash ISU and ship programs off to Iowa (as has been attempted in the past) if there's less resistance from a smaller fanbase.
 

SoapyCy

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Oct 10, 2012
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The city to some small extent as sports traffic declines, but people drastically overstate athletics impact on a university’s revenue. Last year athletics made up about 7% of ISUs revenue.

I am not sure how much conference affiliation and research dollars matter. I’d suspect very little. But if there is some consideration at all about research dollars, ISUs external research dollars have nearly 3x athletics revenue FWIW.

Obviously a big hit to athletics hurts, but in the big picture of most of these universities, including ISU, athletics are in the public eye, but simply not the financial driver sports fans think they are.

I would never go to Ames 6-7 times/ year again if it weren't for football games, so the 4 restaurants, hotels, Target, etc all suffer. Yeah, small potatoes, but there's a reason the best programs have the most loyal alumni.
 

Win5002

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Apr 20, 2010
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Interesting theory but wouldn't this blow up 1 or 2 of the other 'viable' P4 conferences (PAC & ACC)? It also assumes BIG can cherry pick whoever they want. NOT.

If UT & OU cannot continue to compete in the current Big 12 deciding every political decision in the league and every competitive advantage available, the idea USC, UCLA & Oregon in the dying PAC can afford to sit still is silly. There has been a lot of grumbling from those school fan bases.
 

Win5002

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Apr 20, 2010
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The best outcome for ISU could be if the B1G raided the 4 California schools and OR & UW and it left ASU, AZ, Utah and Colorado homeless(but I think in that solution Colorado might be selected by the B1G as a bridge with KU or maybe in place of one of the northern California schools).

An addition of ASU and/or AZ, Utah, BYU & Houston might be the best the B12 could be left with. The conference still doesn't have much value tv revenue wise
 

Andyman

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Oct 2, 2019
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So ISU football will just have to take care of business this year. Run the conference table, win the BIG XII championship game. Then beat Clemson and Bama in the playoff to win the National Championship. Wining will take care of everything. F*** OU and UT.
 

IAStubborn

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Aug 16, 2012
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The politicians that care about sports are Iowa fans and their voters don't care about ISU. I suppose the Governor could try to lobby on ISU's behalf, but I think she's looking at bigger role in politics.

OK State is going to be the school that inevitably saves/kills the Big 12. The OK legislature could raise a stink that makes OU stay or they work out a solution to keep OK State fans/voters appeased.
This is factually incorrect.
 

tomar1

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Aug 16, 2008
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I guess getting free room and board and a college education wasn’t enough! So letting some players make a lot of money off their name is finally going to ruin the NCAA! Too bad! Let’s join Notre Dame as a independent! Choose who we play! Go Cyclones!