Xavier FCS Football???

[xubrew]

What's your problem? Do you just hate the idea of X and football? Or are you questioning the budget amounts?

I sometimes wonder if he's just trying to do a parody to amuse himself. Sometimes he's so far off, but yet so insistent, that you just can't help but question if he's actually being serious. And I kind of hope that it is. If it is, then cheers to him, because it would actually be kind of funny. But if it isn't, then...WOW!

[nickgyp]

Since Xavier has been down this road before in 1973 where the expense of football was weighed, it seems highly unlikely that given the business background of many of those on the Board of Trustees that all the financial angles were not considered. As it was in 1973, there were people who just didn’t like football anyway and they were more than happy to see it discontinued. Hopefully, if Xavier does pull the trigger and sponsor a non- scholarship team then there will be enough support for the program as is seemingly projected.

One former Alabama player has questioned the heart of current Crimson Tide players who are benefiting from NIL money. At the non-scholarship level there would not be such a worry which is a refreshing thought.

[X-band '01]

This is good enough for me!!!

Let me say this about the PFL. I actually appreciate it. I'm not getting multiple TVs set up to watch each game, but I like that this type of model for football exists, and it is not just sustainable but beneficial to the schools who field programs.

As for all of this speculation of how it will inevitably end up being a money pit and taking away from other sports, understand that every PFL budget is about $1 million a year. That's the TOTAL BUDGET!!! If/when Xavier makes their official presentation to the PFL, if their financial plan involves spending substantially more than that, they're not going to be voted into the league. The member schools have an understanding of what the PFL is and what it should cost. If Xavier goes over that, they're not going to even want them.

So...if you're worried about this being a money pit, rest easy!! It won't be. And if it is, they'll end up getting thrown out of the league for spending too much and probably end up having to cut the sport anyway.

Wasn't St. Thomas thrown out of their D3 league in part because of enrollment and financial advantages they had over their peer schools in that league?

It's one thing for the Tommies to be top dog in the Pioneer League, but they're not at a point where they're going to be dominating the Summit League in basketball and other sports anytime soon, though.

[xubrew]

Wasn't St. Thomas thrown out of their D3 league in part because of enrollment and financial advantages they had over their peer schools in that league?

It's one thing for the Tommies to be top dog in the Pioneer League, but they're not at a point where they're going to be dominating the Summit League in basketball and other sports anytime soon, though.

Essentially. Saint Thomas actually got into the top 25, but isn’t eligible for the playoffs yet.

[MHettel]

It’s nonsense that they would get kicked out of the Pioneer league because they are spending too much. And if they do “spend too much” then the only option would be to cut the sport? Moving up to a higher league would not be an option?

And, you are clear that if xu was gonna “spend too much” they wouldn’t get the invite. That might be the most asinine thing I’ve heard of. Maybe the only more asinine thing would be if the did get the invite and then once in started spending more. What then?

[xubrew]

It’s nonsense that they would get kicked out of the Pioneer league because they are spending too much. And if they do “spend too much” then the only option would be to cut the sport? Moving up to a higher league would not be an option?

And, you are clear that if xu was gonna “spend too much” they wouldn’t get the invite. That might be the most asinine thing I’ve heard of. Maybe the only more asinine thing would be if the did get the invite and then once in started spending more. What then?

Well, to join any league other than the PFL they'd have to add scholarships and be voted in. The only other football only league is the MVFC, and MAYBE they'd take a recent start up as a member, but to just assume that is a big assumption. All the other conferences would probably take Xavier, but not as a football only member. I mean, MAYBE they would, but it would probably come with some sort of scheduling agreement in men's basketball where we agreed to give the conference so many home-and-homes a year. But, yes, to your point, I suppose X could do that. They could also opt to leave the Big East and become a full member of a conference that has football. I just don't think that's in their plans, though.

The PFL is pretty much exactly what the member institutions want it to be. It's schools that want football for enrollment purposes, but don't want to spend a lot of money on it. There are no substantial media deals, there's no revenue sharing, and everyone is perfectly okay with that. There is no desire to change anything, and they feel absolutely no need to add anyone. They're certainly willing to add schools (and added one just last year), but they're not looking to add someone who would look to outspend them. They just won't. If a school is looking to dump a lot of money into football, the PFL simply isn't for them, and they are not for it. Schools like Austin Peay and Mercer have left the PFL because they wanted to take football more seriously and were basically told they couldn't offer scholarships and up their spending and stay in the league.

My hunch is that if X is interested in the PFL, they're not looking to spend all that much more than a million a year, they won't spend much more than a million a year, all of their costs will be covered by the university (so it'll be one of these deals where you see the revenue was identical to the expenses), and that the university will feel this is worth it because it is more than offset from the tuition dollars. So, them outspending the rest of the PFL isn't an issue anyway.

And again I wonder...are you just trying to parody things?

[xu9697]

I really hope that this will NOT affect Corcoran Field, or, if repurposed for football, a soccer/lacrosse field will be built somewhere else on campus. I am 100% for the PFL model and want XU football, but I don't feel it should take away what is happening with XU soccer. Both men & women soccer teams are growing their programs and having increased success, and with improvements to the infrastructure for those programs, part of that "improvement" should not be a "soccer field with football lines". I can deal with the lacrosse lines. :-)

I understand that Men's Basketball is the $ line sport and should be, however as a proud alum interested in many sports and the health of the entire athletic program, I'd like to see X do all they can to continue to look to be a relevant winning program in as many sports as possible.

[nickgyp]

I really hope that this will NOT affect Corcoran Field, or, if repurposed for football, a soccer/lacrosse field will be built somewhere else on campus. I am 100% for the PFL model and want XU football, but I don't feel it should take away what is happening with XU soccer. Both men & women soccer teams are growing their programs and having increased success, and with improvements to the infrastructure for those programs, part of that "improvement" should not be a "soccer field with football lines". I can deal with the lacrosse lines. :-)

I understand that Men's Basketball is the $ line sport and should be, however as a proud alum interested in many sports and the health of the entire athletic program, I'd like to see X do all they can to continue to look to be a relevant winning program in as many sports as possible.

Not sure where they would build a stadium but seems to me, Corcoran Field would work well. Perhaps a multi-use stadium; and, if necessary, move soccer off campus for time to build it. There seems to be land On the west side of Victory Parkway just north of the baseball stadium. Could be a nice athletic corridor. Just thinking aloud as I am not keen on the idea of a stadium near Montgomery Rd. particularly if a medical school was to be built there.

[XUGRAD80]

I’d be really shocked if they built a new stadium right off the bat, although I could see a multipurpose stadium being built sometime down the line if there appeared to be a demand for it. Putting it where the old stadium is might be possible. It will be interesting to see what that land looks like after Schmidt is torn down (which brings a tear to my eye even just thinking about it).

[JTG]

I’d be really shocked if they built a new stadium right off the bat, although I could see a multipurpose stadium being built sometime down the line if there appeared to be a demand for it. Putting it where the old stadium is might be possible. It will be interesting to see what that land looks like after Schmidt is torn down (which brings a tear to my eye event thinking about it).

Schmidt like the pressbox side of Corcoran was built into the side of a hill, so it will look like a cliff when it's demolished. Plus I'm not sure what will hold up the side of the Armory, which has been declared a historic building. I would guess a multi purpose stadium, with minimal initial seating would be the plan.There are some very smart folks running X these days, so I trust they will have a good plan