Sure, programs that win make it easier for the colleges to shake down alumni. But is that why a university exists? "College" football and basketball are corrupt as hell and the corruption stinks all the way up to the university presidents.
Sure, programs that win make it easier for the colleges to shake down alumni. But is that why a university exists? "College" football and basketball are corrupt as hell and the corruption stinks all the way up to the university presidents.
It's not just shake down the alumni. A lot of future students have to make the decision whether they take the admission offer of university A, B or C. So if they say like the sports at B most, they might tend more towards B.
I don't think alumni care that much about the sports program though.
It is an interesting debate. Think of Alabama. They have no sports franchise that I can think of. But the state is wild about their Crimson Tide. Many of 'Bama's fans probably aren't alumni just the used car dealer in Anniston, the realtor in Mobile, the plumber in Huntsville or the cotton farmer in Cherokee.
You are very right about how a sports team helps recruiting with students. Think of Alabama again. Say you're a kid who scored 1300 on his SATs but wants to stay in-state. Virtually every university and college will accept you. If your choice is Alabama, Auburn, Troy, University of South Alabama, Alabama-Birmingham or Tuskegee, which does a young man or lady choose?
Alabama has had AA baseball in the Southern League for the last 60 years, first in Montgomery and now in Birmingham as the Barons. 30 years ago Terry Francona managed Michael Jordan with the Birmingham Barons.
Whenever a league tries to compete with the NFL, they invariably put a team in Birmingham, as I remember 8 distinct leagues doing so in the last 50+ years.
I meant major leagues. I believe Birmingham had a team in the old USFL, the Spring/Summer league that lasted three seasons in the 80s. I think of Birmingham a little like Memphis. Declining black-run cities surrounded by affluent white suburbs.
Memphis has a basketball team that has trouble attracting free agents. Birmingham and Memphis are too small to support a baseball team for a 162 game season. Major league baseball plans to expand soon but neither will get a franchise. Nashville has a NHL franchise so Memphis will never get one. Neither will Birmingham. I can't see either getting a NFL franchise. The Tennessee Titans would nix any Memphis franchise and any Birmingham NFL franchise would have to compete with the Crimson Tide college team. As for NBA basketball, I am shocked that Memphis can support a team. I don't think Birmingham would ever support a NBA franchise.
I knew what you meant; I was just adding some background.
You give the Titans too much credit here; what is holding Memphis back from getting an NFL team is the fact that the Liberty Bowl is a dump. If the NFL really wanted to expand to Memphis, the Titans wouldn't be able to stop them; the distance between Nissan Stadium and the Liberty Bowl is further than the distance between MetLife Stadium and Gillette Stadium.
You are correct that the NBA and NHL would never further expand into Tennessee even though the markets are far apart as the state couldn't support both; it's the same reason the NBA would never expand into Tampa.
As an aside about Memphis, the CFL tried expanding there 30 years ago and it was comical as the field was MUCH too large to fit into the Liberty Bowl. It was most successful in Baltimore as Memorial Stadium had a large enough field to accommodate the CFL
Sure, programs that win make it easier for the colleges to shake down alumni. But is that why a university exists? "College" football and basketball are corrupt as hell and the corruption stinks all the way up to the university presidents.
It's not just shake down the alumni. A lot of future students have to make the decision whether they take the admission offer of university A, B or C. So if they say like the sports at B most, they might tend more towards B.
I don't think alumni care that much about the sports program though.
It is an interesting debate. Think of Alabama. They have no sports franchise that I can think of. But the state is wild about their Crimson Tide. Many of 'Bama's fans probably aren't alumni just the used car dealer in Anniston, the realtor in Mobile, the plumber in Huntsville or the cotton farmer in Cherokee.
You are very right about how a sports team helps recruiting with students. Think of Alabama again. Say you're a kid who scored 1300 on his SATs but wants to stay in-state. Virtually every university and college will accept you. If your choice is Alabama, Auburn, Troy, University of South Alabama, Alabama-Birmingham or Tuskegee, which does a young man or lady choose?
Alabama has had AA baseball in the Southern League for the last 60 years, first in Montgomery and now in Birmingham as the Barons. 30 years ago Terry Francona managed Michael Jordan with the Birmingham Barons.
Whenever a league tries to compete with the NFL, they invariably put a team in Birmingham, as I remember 8 distinct leagues doing so in the last 50+ years.
I meant major leagues. I believe Birmingham had a team in the old USFL, the Spring/Summer league that lasted three seasons in the 80s. I think of Birmingham a little like Memphis. Declining black-run cities surrounded by affluent white suburbs.
Memphis has a basketball team that has trouble attracting free agents. Birmingham and Memphis are too small to support a baseball team for a 162 game season. Major league baseball plans to expand soon but neither will get a franchise. Nashville has a NHL franchise so Memphis will never get one. Neither will Birmingham. I can't see either getting a NFL franchise. The Tennessee Titans would nix any Memphis franchise and any Birmingham NFL franchise would have to compete with the Crimson Tide college team. As for NBA basketball, I am shocked that Memphis can support a team. I don't think Birmingham would ever support a NBA franchise.
I knew what you meant; I was just adding some background.
You give the Titans too much credit here; what is holding Memphis back from getting an NFL team is the fact that the Liberty Bowl is a dump. If the NFL really wanted to expand to Memphis, the Titans wouldn't be able to stop them; the distance between Nissan Stadium and the Liberty Bowl is further than the distance between MetLife Stadium and Gillette Stadium.
You are correct that the NBA and NHL would never further expand into Tennessee even though the markets are far apart as the state couldn't support both; it's the same reason the NBA would never expand into Tampa.
As an aside about Memphis, the CFL tried expanding there 30 years ago and it was comical as the field was MUCH too large to fit into the Liberty Bowl. It was most successful in Baltimore as Memorial Stadium had a large enough field to accommodate the CFL