Mike West

If that's the case, how are they able to operate? It costs at least $3M to operate any football team with 85 players. Heck the scholarships cost more than $3M. I recognize they get a couple of million from P5 schools a game, but we're taking razor thin margins in order to stay in business.

If we're trying to stay regional, Boise State in football and Gonzaga in basketball is a no brainier. Add SDSU and Fresno State to tap California in depth. My opinion of course

I also read somewhere the MWC gets $270 a year. ESPN is low balling the PAC12 hoping they're desperate. Wait...until 2024. See what they do (are they trying to wreck the conference?)

With Lanning I can see that possibility. With Mario, we would have been 7th or 8th at best

Couldn't have said it better. We need to wait until 2024 before signing a deal (us and the Fuskies particularly).

I wish this topic wasn't brought up. I've had an extremely different experience that I don't feel I can share because it would be considered political. That's unfortunate because part of it involves speculation, and most of it is fact that half our beloved posters would fight to the death in disagreement. And that is highly unfortunate. Fortunately, most of us are alive and well. Which is a beautiful thing. Good health to us all, and to OBD.

Helfrich was the key when Arizona embarrassed OBD in Tuscon on national TV. He immediate started challenging the defense to live up to it's billing. Helfrich did exactly what a HC is supposed to do in that situation, he coached his team up. He challenged his talented group, and they responded. They didn't get there by themselves, the were led there. They avenged a bitter loss, and dethroned the defending national champs. They took on a hot team,. They were down 21-20 going into the fourth quarter with inexperienced linebackers and without two starting WRs. Against a juggernaut at that ( some fourteen OSU players were drafted from that 2014 team). Helfrich was responsible for that Natty appearance (Chip was long gone). Chip didn't get them back to the Natty. Helfrich did, and Chip had more talent on defense to go with that awesome offense of his. More players got drafted under Chip than Helfrich. But Helfrich got his title shot. Never forget that. It took a seriously flawed individual to expose we wasted five years believing we couldn't bring elite talent to Eugene. And Helfrich put OBD in position to win the Natty with a declining set of talent. Ponder that for awhile. Because we just lucked out by losing a coach that ruined a damn good shot at a title in 2019, Not to mention that flawed character that may have brought us one in 2018. Always cherish an accomplishment like Helfrich's. He's in rare company. Very, very few coaches EVER ready the playoffs, much less the Natty itself.

A slight correction, We have owned USC since 2007 when we made our first true run at the Natty. Heck, we even coined the term Natty! But we were not good enough twenty years ago to challenge Pete Carroll's stormtroopers. But we are now.

Actually, I hope they have a great year.... Until we smash them so emphatically they just might shut up for once.

When a hundred million dollars may cut into your expenses (short or long term) , your billion dollar enterprise will be affected. Even if you have an executive tending to that line of business, you are ultimately responsible. Taxpayers pick up those kind of mistakes (and students of course)

If football ceases at Oregon State, millions of dollars may be siphoned from that excellent School of Engineering Program to pay for Reser Stadiums renovations ( that attendance will no longer have the prospect to cover). If Oregon State loses that $35 million a year to cover the expenses of it's athletic department, that will affect the University. In the realm of priorities, that is as real as it gets. I live in the real world. University Presidents aren't just failing at football. I manage several of their "products". Let me tell you, they are are extremely disappointing. From Lions to Lambs. I recommend that movie. And the title seems so appropriate to our times. Robert Redford could be talking about the higher education system at this point. Because they have been taking the easy route for decades now. Those who saw the movie will know what I'm talking about.

I think it's pretty clear the Conference Presidents lack Business skills. Not a surprise actually. They don't face true competition. They got a hand out basically (won't go into it, due to rules I respect here, so please read between the lines). I doubt these leaders would survive in the real world, but they never had to. I do wonder if they could, given some oafish statements I've read from their mouths the past three years. But this looks like the LA schools were, and simply have been greedy. If this report is accurate. That should have set off alarm bells for astute observers in the room. But then again, see above.

Oregon has had ONE FOOTBALL TEAM as good as any of USC's historical best. Sorry guys, but 15 million people in one area is going to supercede 4.5 million. In oh so many ways. You can discuss culture, you can counter with morals. But you cannot expect 15 million people to feel less viable than four. LA will always be more arrogant. Why do you think we always say don't californicate Oregon. We needed them. Their TV market, their recruits, their prestige. That's the bottom line. It sucks, but without Los Angeles, we have a far bigger hill to climb. Doesn't matter where we go from here, ignoring LA's arrogance was a huge mistake. USC was telling us for at least 12 months they were unhappy. Frankly, our arrogance ( like new money spitting in old money's face) may have cost us. We even talk snack now about our newfound heritage. I grew up in Southern California. Moved to Oregon and loved it. Wanted to stay, but couldn't. Why? That should be obvious. Oregon is no match for Southern California when it comes to drawing talent of all kinds. LA is justified in being arrogant. They back it up every day. That sucks. But life does oftentimes. We built a brand that exploited USC's Demise. I for one never thought USC would let us slowly grind them into nothingness. USC got up from a Mike Tyson mega punch. The question is, will we respond like Evander Holyfield. I know what I would do if I were in charge. Because I hate to lose. I'd hate to allow my true rival steal the thunder I've harnessed ever so patiently. Football is war. It's not fair and friendly. If it's not obvious now, everyone can see what Im doing with my anger. I've lived in world class Los Angeles. I believe we are world class Oregon. I believe it requires stepping into the fray of dealing with what goes on in world class battles. With integrity, guts and fire. The world isn't fair. Never will be. If we are truly world class, we step into the battle and never look back. Who cares how arrogant USC is. They made their move. They exploited their advantages. It's time to respond.

The BIG10 is in a very strong position. They can force ND to pay more to schedule their teams, they can expand East or West and add massive value to the brand. Keep in mind, the ACC started this mess when they effectively killed the Big East. Now marque members Miami and FSU are mediocre. Will they stay as the BIG10 and SEC strangle football? What value can the ACC add to ND? Without siphoning money from their members? ESPN has their marquee conference. Will they raid the ACC and leave ND hanging? After all, they have the TV rights to the remaining marquee programs from the South and the East. Fox has the Southwest and leverage against "the Conference of Champions". Optically, the nation is split with two regions dominating the financial picture. By a massive amount. Oregon versus Cincinnati is no more compelling than USC versus Rutgers. But Washington versus Baylor will not draw TV dollars the way USC versus Iowa will(a former Rose Bowl game by the way). So imagine this: half of USC and UCLA games will feature former Rose Bowl games. As in NY6 games before January. Neither the ACC nor the Big12 can match that. And the BIG10 and SEC could effectively end the bowl structure and have playoffs themselves. And there aren't enough eyeballs left to really counter a move like that. Because outside of Miami and FSU, fans don't follow their schools to all points of the globe like they do in the SEC and the BIG10. That's what scares me. USC and UCLA may as well be Hawaii geographically, but they are so much more valuable than what our region can provide financially. Deciding not to expand after Luxury Box Larry crashed and burned on the OU and Texas grab was fait accompli for our neighborhood. We HAD TO EXPAND. In essence, Colorado and Utah wasn't enough. It makes total sense to me why ESPN made the best of things by featuring their stranded market at night. Even USC and UCLA couldn't save us.

Axel, You are ON FIRE

And you just added to them.

I think it's clear Fox is happy USC and UCLA are in the BIG10... and ESPN isn't.

In my mind, this falls squarely on the Conference Presidents. Not only did they hire Larry Scott, they sat idle while the SEC cleaned their respective clocks when it came to ensuring their prized Olympic Sports would continue to be funded properly. The fact these "leaders" disregarded the very sport that funds their cherished group tells me they believe past prestige in football would take care of business. It should have been clear when the SEC took it USC that the South meant business when it came to running football on the collegiate level.

I'm not sure there are going to be many programs that can afford football in the next ten years. San Diego State is not going to replace USC as a money generating prospect. And it has the second largest population in California. I don't believe FSU, Clemson and Miami stay in the ACC past 2024. They'll break their contract. Half the country isn't like SEC and BIG10 football. Those fans are for real, we're fair weathered friends. If OBD starts losing to USC like we did in the seventies, are you still going to watch the games?

I'm still in. College football will always be great in my mind. It's been a huge money making industry for decades. We just didn't want to see the ugly side of it. But it's been there all along. I believe the clamour to settle the national title on the field ( instead of by opinion) changed the nature of the game. Tradition wasn't going to settle the issue, and that meant change was inevitable. I also believe the SEC took USC down for practices they routinely institutionalized. NIL is the aftermath, because students saw it as well- hence the lawsuits started soon after. Football is a multi billion dollar business. It is a way of life for a sizable portion of the country. It isn't out here in the West. Except for USC. We can lament traditions were losing, but the ugly part of those traditions were always swept under the rug. Now we see college football the way it's been for the better part of fifty years. The only difference is the tens of billions of dollars at stake now. Thousands of people dedicate their life to this sport. It's an industry. It's a profession. Has been for at least thirty years. I believe we just didn't want to see it that way. I believe the genius level leaders in the sport will find a way to preserve the nostalgia that makes college football so dear to many of it's fans. We have to face reality though. People make a living in the sport. They don't work for free. Will college football resemble the NFL. I'm guessing no.

I have a bad feeling about this. I don't see a PAC anything in 2024. Who is going to fill the void for that huge LA market? Geographically, who is attractive? Surely not the Pacific Northwest. Did any Conference President apply Game Theory to the conditions on the ground the past twelve months? Surely everyone could see USC wasn't going to accept Rutgers making more money a year than the Trojans. Are you kidding me? Conference of Champions. What a hollow theme. So what gives now? OBD are facing the ultimate threat to the brand. Does anyone here believe the Ducks have 12 months to show elite recruits that Oregon will be a destination school to further their football goals?

One thing we can take from the split squads is both coordinators ultimately executed ( took the defense a half to adjust). I like Williams at safety over Hill, BUT Hill did improve this spring. The first play of the Spring Game an example of Dillingham exploiting decision conflicts in the secondary ( the safety had to choose between two "evil" choices). That gave Nix an easy throw. The type that keeps him out of trouble. Nix will have tight windows he must complete accurately (against the more talented defenses). Moving the pocket will help in his case when he starts to get consistent pressure in my opinion. Max protection ( 7 blockers) is another option (I'd run the burners on crossing patterns so they can separate in that scenario). I personally believe the defense is going to surprise lots of people. And the offense will be more explosive if and only if we expose and exploit a defense's weaknesses early and often. Can't wait until fall!!!

You can't blame the kids, until they demonstrate lack of effort. Even the, they just might not truly be elite. The NFL is the perfect laboratory. We know most 5* QBs aren't elite. Stetson Bennet. Darin Thomas. Countless others. Versus the four to five well known guys that flopped. I'm finding my four star guy with enough ability to be accurate on the "route tree". I can develop that kind of talent because he's more likely to perform like CJ Stroud. Because he'll be hungry enough to want to be a guy like Stroud. There are more than enough QBs like that out there.

And that 5* QB isn't much better. I watched both struggle this spring. And we also have our 5* that isn't lighting it up like we've seen at Bama and tOSU. Statistics are saying develop a lower rated QB. Why waste money on a maybe, when you can mold a definite? Bo Nix was also a 5*. I've just mentioned four 5* QBs that aren't even Heisman worthy. And another 5* left tOSU for Texas ( and had garnered a 7 figure NIL deal). Does it really make sense to throw massive dollars at potential, instead of identify and develop capable athletes that will shine if you develop their respective skills better suited to your system?

Something tells me $30 million is going to look foolish five years from now. Stetson Bennet won a Natty for God sakes. Realistically, how many title games are going to feature two top five QBs ( as in the number five QB in his class versus another top five QB of his respective class)? The next few years are going to be a riot. I see many a teenage bust a coming. From my perspective, does millionaire CJ Stroud justify anything less than a Natty? Risk versus reward. What is this kid ( in the article) really worth? And yes, he's just a kid. And a massive risk at that. I seriously think A&M is going to faceplant. We'll just have to wait and see.