Critical Moment for ISU Athletics

[clonedude]

I know we have various threads on here that get into this issue somewhat (mostly the CR Gazette one)... but wanted to kind of put it all in one place.

There are 3 major things negatively affecting ISU Athletics and its future right now... and it puts us in a very precarious situation I'm afraid. They are....

1. NIL - financially for obvious reasons

2. Wendy Wintersteen retiring - who knows who gets that job and what their view on athletics will be? Wintersteen by all accounts has been great.

3. When will JP retire? - not too much talk on this, but this would probably be the BIGGEST of the 3 issues IMO. JP has been amazing for ISU Athletics. I don't agree with him on everything, but nobody can refute what he has accomplished for ISU Athletics... maybe the best AD in the country. He has to be thinking about retiring soon I would think... and his replacement will probably make or break us.

And... with all 3 of these things lingering over us... who knows what that will do to people like Matt Campbell, TJ, etc... and their futures? I just really feel like the next handful of years will really determine the future of our athletics program.

 

[CyCrazy]

You are not wrong. But always pessimistic

 

[nfrine]

I know we have various threads on here that get into this issue somewhat (mostly the CR Gazette one)... but wanted to kind of put it all in one place.

There are 3 major things negatively affecting ISU Athletics and its future right now... and it puts us in a very precarious situation I'm afraid. They are....

1. NIL - financially for obvious reasons

2. Wendy Wintersteen retiring - who knows who gets that job and what their view on athletics will be? Wintersteen by all accounts has been great.

3. When will JP retire? - not too much talk on this, but this would probably be the BIGGEST of the 3 issues IMO. JP has been amazing for ISU Athletics. I don't agree with him on everything, but nobody can refute what he has accomplished for ISU Athletics... maybe the best AD in the country. He has to be thinking about retiring soon I would think... and his replacement will probably make or break us.

And... with all 3 of these things lingering over us... who knows what that will do to people like Matt Campbell, TJ, etc... and their futures? I just really feel like the next handful of years will really determine the future of our athletics program.

 

[Pope]

I know we have various threads on here that get into this issue somewhat (mostly the CR Gazette one)... but wanted to kind of put it all in one place.

There are 3 major things negatively affecting ISU Athletics and its future right now... and it puts us in a very precarious situation I'm afraid. They are....

1. NIL - financially for obvious reasons

2. Wendy Wintersteen retiring - who knows who gets that job and what their view on athletics will be? Wintersteen by all accounts has been great.

3. When will JP retire? - not too much talk on this, but this would probably be the BIGGEST of the 3 issues IMO. JP has been amazing for ISU Athletics. I don't agree with him on everything, but nobody can refute what he has accomplished for ISU Athletics... maybe the best AD in the country. He has to be thinking about retiring soon I would think... and his replacement will probably make or break us.

And... with all 3 of these things lingering over us... who knows what that will do to people like Matt Campbell, TJ, etc... and their futures? I just really feel like the next handful of years will really determine the future of our athletics program.

On your list of 3 things, I would replace NIL with direct payment to athletes. The challenge for the Athletic Dept is to find within the next 2 years at least $20 million/year in additional revenue to cover the direct payment to athletes expense.

Once you've solved that problem, then you can focus on NIL as NIL is the gravy that goes on top of the direct payments.

 

[cytor]

Pollard is signed to 2030. So 5 more years unless he steps down early

 

[Jeffrey Scott]

Pollard is signed to 2030. So 5 more years unless he steps down early

Pollard has negotiated a lot of tough situations during his tenure. I think I'll keep him. He's good.

 

[CycloneRulzzz]

Pollard has negotiated a lot of tough situations during his tenure. I think I'll keep him. He's good.

At this point he's not going anywhere. It's either ISU or retirement.

 

[Clonehomer]

I know we have various threads on here that get into this issue somewhat (mostly the CR Gazette one)... but wanted to kind of put it all in one place.

There are 3 major things negatively affecting ISU Athletics and its future right now... and it puts us in a very precarious situation I'm afraid. They are....

1. NIL - financially for obvious reasons

2. Wendy Wintersteen retiring - who knows who gets that job and what their view on athletics will be? Wintersteen by all accounts has been great.

3. When will JP retire? - not too much talk on this, but this would probably be the BIGGEST of the 3 issues IMO. JP has been amazing for ISU Athletics. I don't agree with him on everything, but nobody can refute what he has accomplished for ISU Athletics... maybe the best AD in the country. He has to be thinking about retiring soon I would think... and his replacement will probably make or break us.

And... with all 3 of these things lingering over us... who knows what that will do to people like Matt Campbell, TJ, etc... and their futures? I just really feel like the next handful of years will really determine the future of our athletics program.

ISU athletics have always seemed to be one step from complete collapse. Whether it’s conference realignment or having to cancel sports due to finances. This is how’s it’s always been. And it’s likely to always be that way. Do more with less has always been the way.

 

[Zed_One]

Busch Lght North End Zoooooone....!!!

 

[TitanClone]

I'm not nearly as concerned right now as I was when the realignment talks were at a high before the SEC and B10 poaching. We could have easily ended up like WSU and OSU. Things are going to change more but the Big 12 is clearly in a better place than the ACC, we have FB and MBB coaches who (knock on wood because s*** happens) are in it for the long haul. I've been critical of Pollard in his early years but the long term results are objectively positive and the previous point makes the job replacing him more prestigious than previously.

It also seems like presidents may be less involved with the AD than in the past but I could be completely off base on that.

 

[cydnote]

I probably know less than the next guy, but thought I read we can probably survive the next two years on reserves. We can't (and won't) take a "worry about it later" attitude until that time, but we also aren't the only school in this position. AD's across the country aren't going to borrow their way out of the situation so I fully expect things to change unless a media rights deal is proposed that would allow us to recoup the losses when the new deal is enacted. We most certainly could end up a bigger fish in a smaller pond, but presently can't compete with the "haves" as a "have not". I fully expect schools with less resources to split off and form a new league if the playing field is not somehow leveled.
I also believe our core of Jamie, Matt, and TJ to stick it out until we are back on solid ground (wherever that may be). They all seem too invested to do otherwise, but we also saw Saben, et al, throw in the towel. Also think Yormark will keep us in the game if he can.

 

[clonedude]

On your list of 3 things, I would replace NIL with direct payment to athletes. The challenge for the Athletic Dept is to find within the next 2 years at least $20 million/year in additional revenue to cover the direct payment to athletes expense.

Once you've solved that problem, then you can focus on NIL as NIL is the gravy that goes on top of the direct payments.

Agree…. thank you for that correction. I have just gotten into the habit of using “NIL” as a general term for the whole mess, but that is not correct. I meant the $20 million per year in direct payments to the players.

Why does a B1G school like Minny have to charge their students an athletic fee with the money the B1G programs are being paid anyway? So they aren’t even making enough money either?

 

[CySmurf]

I would think the next president WILL care a lot about ISU athletics considering the current horizon of how finances are associated with it.

 

[HFCS]

I'm not nearly as concerned right now as I was when the realignment talks were at a high before the SEC and B10 poaching. We could have easily ended up like WSU and OSU. Things are going to change more but the Big 12 is clearly in a better place than the ACC, we have FB and MBB coaches who (knock on wood because s*** happens) are in it for the long haul. I've been critical of Pollard in his early years but the long term results are objectively positive and the previous point makes the job replacing him more prestigious than previously.

It also seems like presidents may be less involved with the AD than in the past but I could be completely off base on that.

That is a huuuge positive. We had four different times we were at serious risk of what actually happened to wsu/ore st (along with a few others in b12) and our worst case realignment scenario is now far better than that. Worst case is we are in the third best conference for fb and the gap between 2 and 3 grows a lot. I cannot see b12 not being elite in basketball in large part because the two money leagues expanded while intentionally ignoring basketball.

 

[Mr.G.Spot]

Agree…. thank you for that correction. I have just gotten into the habit of using “NIL” as a general term for the whole mess, but that is not correct. I meant the $20 million per year in direct payments to the players.

Why does a B1G school like Minny have to charge their students an athletic fee with the money the B1G programs are being paid anyway? So they aren’t even making enough money either?

They don't have to.

Their leadership (president, AD, regents,etc) have made the strategic decision to implement this charge. Get on with it or get out.

Same reason the states of Florida and Tennessee are giving their schools $20 million more. More states to follow.

Iowa's legislative bodies, the isu foundation, the regents, ISU administration better get the cajones and find $20 million collectively or individually. If not, it won't be pretty.

This site will be damaged along with the story county economy, hotels, restaurants and bars. Enrollment drops and the value of real estate takes a serious dip (apartments). The second secondary and tertiary effects will be real.

If these constituents can't find $20 million then isu is ******.

 

[HFCS]

Why does a B1G school like Minny have to charge their students an athletic fee with the money the B1G programs are being paid anyway? So they aren’t even making enough money either?

Obviously Minn gets more media money than ISU. I have no idea what kind of money they generate at their games but it’s obvious they have less truly engaged fans than ISU in terms of real eyeballs and real fans who will go to a home or away game. They wouldn’t have built a new 50k seat stadium if they had a massive fan base.

I can see how they’d struggle vs most big ten teams. The Big Ten teams with less engaged fans won’t waltz through this era as easy as the programs that can put 70k in the stands in their sleep. SEC has an edge on them there and it’s why the middle of SEC has better football the past 25 years or so.