Current State of Affairs in Professional College Athletics

Men's Sports
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I get multiple economics of sports e-letters a week. One today suggested we will likely see movement in the MAC in 2026, but not necessarily from a team(s) moving up, but rather moving down to cut costs. Also predicted the MAC will be a conference to look to add FCS members.

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There ain’t no way Duke is getting off the money train willingly. No way in hell.

1 Like
43

The ACC distributes about $45m/year per school. Even if you assume Duke’s total athletics revenue is double that, $100m is not much money compared to the school’s overall budget, $12.3 billion endowment, or overall academic ambitions. They get individual donations almost every year that are larger than a year’s worth of athletics revenue – and those donors by and large don’t give two shits about sports.

44

We’re arguing hypotheticals. But if Duke were to exit big-time college athletics they are truly a unicorn institution in this day and age. You may think they are, I in no way believe they are. Maybe we’ll find out one day…

45

The future is going to be very different than the past. I think a number of institutions will be rethinking the roll that athletics play within their overall mission, priorities and budget. I would argue that Miami and the MAC more generally would be wise to do so.

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Betteridge’s law of headlines is an adage that states: “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.”

2 Likes
48

Matt Brown of Extra Points predicted that a MAC school will announce they’re dropping down to FCS in 2026. I don’t think that’ll happen, but it’s not impossible.

49

If it’s us, I honestly wouldn’t complain. Maybe we could win a natty.

Ps, maybe it’s just me, but I read the article about the Texas Tech booster and I’m still not convinced he gives a rats ass about MU.

50

For a few P4 schools, sure, but for the vast majority of collegiate athletic programs, they’re an anchor to the schools. The athletes at those schools get more than they give to the school.

51

Be that as it may, and I largely agree with you on most schools being underwater on athletic spending, I still think athletes should be able to make money on their name, imagine and likeness. Just as anybody else in society can.