Just because "its been explained many times by multiple people" doesnt mean I have to accept that. Nobody has actually EXPLAINED it at all. There are some people that dont think it will consume many resources or dont think it will be expensive. But they havent explained WHY. Even if 100 people dont "think" it will be that expensive, it doesnt change my mind one bit until I see some evidence. this should be approached as a business decision for the university. Showing mumbo jumbo accounting results that shows that a team spent "DOWN TO THE PENNY" the exact amount of money it brought in is actually just evidence that they DONT want you to see the actual P&L of the program.
The startup costs will be in the millions. I believe that once you get past that, the program MIGHT be able to operate at a small deficit yearly ( a few hundred thousand). If the team draws in incremental students in the form of players, then the incremental tuition (after associated costs) can be attributed to the program as well. I see an extremely limited student recruiting benefit outside of the very immediate local area.
If the startup costs were being covered by a donor that would only provide money if it's used for that purpose, then it does impact my concerns consdierably.
And, for the record.....1) I dont think I've ever commented on the idea of a athletic stipend. Thats actually an idea I WOULD endorse, as long as it's equally applied (all sports at ALL schools) and genuinely meant to cover cost of living an incidental stuff. I'm talking like 10K per year. 2) Yes, I hate the NIL rules. 3) I never mentioned or have commented on the Supreme Court case. I'm giving my opinion on these issues, and it has absolutely nothing to do with that case. My opinion would not change at all based on the outcome of that case or if it had not existed at all. I dont let court decisions define my opinions. 4) You forgot the immediate transfer rules. I hate that rule. 5) and, I guess we will have to keep our eye on the overall college sports landscape to see what the impact is. What I DO know is that Jay Wright and Roy Williams both retired and specifically cited some of these changes...