UNC Football Catch-all | Bill Belichick Era underway

[uncjhodges]

Yes, all of those fractures are precisely why this hire has done so much damage so quickly. The folks who were reaching a boiling point of frustration with college sports were essentially shoved out the door by "this is the way it is now. Get on board or find somewhere else".

And they’re continually driving a wedge with pretty much everything they’re doing, but especially the Basketball arena

edited- you just said that too my bad

 

[CarolinaFever]

I believe courts have struck down rules on both sitting out a year due to transferring or limiting SAs to one transfer.

For those rules (or others like them) to be (re)instated, there will almost certainly have to be collective bargaining.

So, it other words, we're stuck with this crap.

 

[Zoo_View]

I wonder how much revenue there is in big-time college football plays a role in these decisions? A lot of schools in the SEC are building new buildings, funding research, etc., from the money their football teams bring in (tv deals, merch, applicants, and so on).

Alabama 2024 football had $140.6 million in revenue and $113.8 million in expenses. The revenue included $50+ million in contributions.

The basketball team had $21.3 million and $15.3 million in expenses.

The rest of the athletic department lost $25+ million.

Where are the millions and millions of $$$ from athletics that are funding academics or research or labs or buildings?

 

[mpaer]

Alabama 2024 football had $140.6 million in revenue and $113.8 million in expenses. The revenue included $50+ million in contributions.

The basketball team had $21.3 million and $15.3 million in expenses.

The rest of the athletic department lost $25+ million.

Where are the millions and millions of $$$ from athletics that are funding academics or research or labs or buildings?

On the various tar pit boards there is a small group that contunually make this claim
It is not true
I do think 15 years ago Football Donors did a side gig and raised pretty good money for a library at Tennessee
That is about it

 

[Peppers49]

It's definitely not that deep. But, you're being too superficial here, imo. Spending that much on a coach, staff, and GM shows to the landscape that we're willing to put money into our football program and make it a top priority. It shows everyone that, while we're still known for basketball, we're not a basketball school. That is incredibly important going forward, when we're hiring a new staff, and something you couldn't argue prior to last year.

I understand what you’re saying. Having the money in the first place to pay a coaching staff what we’re paying is a good thing. For the record I’m in the camp that tends to believe that similar money will actually be there for future staffs when we finally pull the plug on Belichick.

I’m still decidedly not glass half full about the whole thing for the reasons that CFORD laid out on the previous page. Money alone doesn’t automatically translate to wins (which is obviously the end goal) if you aren’t putting it in the right places. If our PTB were only willing to pony up serious cash for football if we hired Belichick and are doubling down on it even after it’s become obvious to most people that it was a complete whiff of a hire, then that in and of itself is very concerning. Same thing with the logic behind the Mack Brown hire. Definitely does not give me confidence that they’ll finally make the right hire the next time around.

 

[IllegalMotion9999]

The concern that I personally have as it pertains to the financial piece of this whole experiment is that a lot of our fans seem to think that future funding at this currently-high level is inevitable. It is not, IMO. While UNC is a very well-resourced public university with a good donor base and sizable endowments (both the university and the athletics department), it is not a place that has people who are willing to spend limitless amounts of money to prop up the football program like you see at places like LSU, Texas Tech, Alabama, Ole Miss, etc., etc., etc. What I mean by that is that those types of places (i.e., every school in the SEC) would gladly spend their last dollar to try to win a football game, and their donors fully support that mindset. UNC doesn't have those people. LSU, for example, has people who would rather their on-campus libraries quite literally crumble in place as long as they can spend $30 million to install nap pods in the football team's locker room. The vast majority of UNC people with money and influence would turn Kenan Stadium into a chemistry lab before letting that happen.

To put this into perspective, UNC recently concluded a $5 billion university-wide fundraising campaign, of which $600 million (12% of the overall campaign) was earmarked specifically for Athletics. By contrast, the University of Alabama recently concluded a $1 billion university-wide fundraising campaign, of which $600 million (60%) was specifically earmarked for Athletics. The fact that a purported R1 research university would have a comprehensive campaign where 60% of the goal was specific to Athletics is staggering and extremely revealing as to both institutional and donor priorities.

My thesis is that even though schools like Texas Tech, Texas A&M, LSU, Auburn, etc. will happily continue lighting donor money on fire to cycle through coaches every 2-3 years- and their donors will happily let them do so- those are a very, very stark contrast to the donor culture at UNC. UNC desperately needs for *THIS* very specific $100 million experiment to work out, and work out very quickly, or there is going to be a lot of people who withdraw their financial support of the football program. As it stands, we had to drag several prominent donor families kicking and screaming to the table to secure the resources necessary to hire this staff and provide the current infrastructure. Many of those people are already extremely turned off by how poorly this whole thing is going and how they've been treated. I would not want to be the UNC Development personnel having to go salve those relationships anytime soon.

The other enormously complicating factor financially for UNC is that we are apparently about to go full steam ahead with building a brand new basketball arena. UNC is going to need each and every single donor family with any capacity and any remote affinity for Carolina Athletics to support that project. Guess which one, if forced to choose between a new Carolina Basketball arena or propping up a failing football coaching staff, most of them are going to choose?

Well articulated. Of course.
What you hit on is what I have been wondering. What level of commitment should UNC have to competing in football against the likes of SEC and Big10 powerhouses? There is real damage being done if that effort fails. The football program has to be successful to a certain level, but what is realistic? I have seen others poast about breaking up the FBS into different tiers and I am thinking that would be a good thing. To be honest, the ACC schedule is already like playing a second tier schedule already. Let UNC compete for a national championship with other schools that refuse to sell souls to the Devil and totally forsake academic programs for the chance to get another football win. Add in relegation if necessary to appease.

 

[donbosco]

Any of y'all get an email from The Carolina Coalition Foundation today about Belichick and a New Basketball Arena (among other things)?

 

[SnoopRob]

Well articulated. Of course.
What you hit on is what I have been wondering. What level of commitment should UNC have to competing in football against the likes of SEC and Big10 powerhouses? There is real damage being done if that effort fails. The football program has to be successful to a certain level, but what is realistic? I have seen others poast about breaking up the FBS into different tiers and I am thinking that would be a good thing. To be honest, the ACC schedule is already like playing a second tier schedule already. Let UNC compete for a national championship with other schools that refuse to sell souls to the Devil and totally forsake academic programs for the chance to get another football win. Add in relegation if necessary to appease.

I think this really sums up how I feel about Carolina Football.

If we're going to try to go to the P2 and highest tier of CFB, then we've got to make moves to prioritize football and significantly increase our football spending. (That's not to say I think we've spent wisely in the year that we've attempted this.)

If we're not going to have longer-term institutional commitment to spending at the level we're at now - from the University, AD, donors, sponsors, alums - then we'd be very well considered to figure out a real plan for our future in college sports. (Including how we get on a level that is commensurate with our commitment to college athletics based on the reality that without the highest level of CFB we're likely not going to play at the highest level of any major college sports.)

 

[stankeylegjones]

I didn't think it was even up for debate that there are schools which put excess funds generated by sports back into the broader university. Isn't that common knowledge?

 

[Calheel]

I didn't think it was even up for debate that there are schools which put excess funds generated by sports back into the broader university. Isn't that common knowledge?

I wasn’t aware there were any schools with excess funds generated by sports. I thought all athletic departments operated at a loss or else minimally in the black and that any excess funds were placed in reserves and not shared with the general university.

 

[sunnyheel]

I'm sure that many will point out that the two things aren't directly connected, but it's still disgusting to see UNC shutting down longstanding and prestigious centers and departments in an effort to save $70 mil while at the same time the powers-that-be have no problems paying Belichick alone (not including his staff of friends and family) $50 mil. And that's not just because of Belichick, I would say that if we were paying any head coach $50 million.

A head-spinning example of misplaced priorities and the way money steamrolls everything.

 

[mpaer]

I didn't think it was even up for debate that there are schools which put excess funds generated by sports back into the broader university. Isn't that common knowledge?

I read it all the time...on Tar pit. I have sincerely never seen an example..other than the Univ Tenn ex I gave

 

[mpaer]

I think this really sums up how I feel about Carolina Football.

If we're going to try to go to the P2 and highest tier of CFB, then we've got to make moves to prioritize football and significantly increase our football spending. (That's not to say I think we've spent wisely in the year that we've attempted this.)

If we're not going to have longer-term institutional commitment to spending at the level we're at now - from the University, AD, donors, sponsors, alums - then we'd be very well considered to figure out a real plan for our future in college sports. (Including how we get on a level that is commensurate with our commitment to college athletics based on the reality that without the highest level of CFB we're likely not going to play at the highest level of any major college sports.)

I think the uncertainity of "will the power conferences consolidate and break away , "and "will Carolina go to a big payout conference" has everyone kind of On hold.
The Indiana one in a million ex gives every one Hope that we can actually maybe still do it
Could be the Belichick experiment ends all that in a year or two
I have a brother that went to a D-III school He goes to all the rivalry games still and all have fun-

 

[PTOHeel]

I wasn’t aware there were any schools with excess funds generated by sports. I thought all athletic departments operated at a loss or else minimally in the black and that any excess funds were placed in reserves and not shared with the general university.

Right. I've always read that the goal is to roughly have expenses equal expenses for athletics. If they're operating at huge profit, then why are they including athletic costs in the student fees?

 

[Zoo_View]

I didn't think it was even up for debate that there are schools which put excess funds generated by sports back into the broader university. Isn't that common knowledge?

Please link to the millions upon millions produced by D1 athletic departments that have funded academics at universities.

 

[stankeylegjones]

Don't think I ever said millions upon millions, and pretty sure I said excess funds. Also, pretty sure I didn't say a lot (it's around 1% believe). But, perhaps y'all know better than me.

And to be clear, I'm only talking about the excess revenue, not the benefit from the rise in applicants, donations, exposure, and so on due to athletics. Those are much harder to quantify/trace, also much impactful.

 

[mpaer]

Don't think I ever said millions upon millions, and pretty sure I said excess funds. Also, pretty sure I didn't say a lot (it's around 1% believe). But, perhaps y'all know better than me.

And to be clear, I'm only talking about the excess revenue, not the benefit from the rise in applicants, donations, exposure, and so on due to athletics. Those are much harder to quantify/trace, also much impactful.

Well for ex I think it is fair to say-Hooker did-that DES did a lot for UNC's reputation
But I don't think actual football $ makes it's way to the greater univ at say Alabama

 

[CarolinaFever]

I think the uncertainity of "will the power conferences consolidate and break away , "and "will Carolina go to a big payout conference" has everyone kind of On hold.
The Indiana one in a million ex gives every one Hope that we can actually maybe still do it
Could be the Belichick experiment ends all that in a year or two
I have a brother that went to a D-III school He goes to all the rivalry games still and all have fun-

As an App State alum, I enjoyed their football more when they were in the FCS and Southern Conference. They had a dynasty going with three straight national titles and they already had the playoff format. Now they are in the Sun Belt and have to travel further for conference games and really have no shot at winning a national title anymore. I would love them to go back to a lower level and have a smaller conference with other area schools like ECU, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, James Madison, Old Dominion, Marshall and Georgia Southern.

 

[CFordUNC]

If you're wanting to know how things are going over on IC, there is a group of snowflakes melting because Don Callahan said that he likes to use the ignore feature. Never, ever, ever ceases to amaze me how so many grown men let the friggin' internet get them so emotional.

 

[SnoopRob]

If you're wanting to know how things are going over on IC, there is a group of snowflakes melting because Don Callahan said that he likes to use the ignore feature. Never, ever, ever ceases to amaze me how so many grown men let the friggin' internet get them so emotional.

He didn't even say he uses it, he said he "recommends" it. (And he later clarifies that he doesn't use it.)

I do think that IC staff shouldn't be using the ignore feature (I didn't ignore anyone when I was a mod), because they (collectively) need to read as much of the board posts as possible to see problems and reply to questions, but folks did certainly lose their minds when they thought Don was ignoring some (unnamed) posters.