Why The BIG 12 Is NOT Adding UConn!

let's get into that situation with uh Yukon because I thought this was a big story yesterday in Big 12 country and it is it is really not a surprise that this did not come to fruition um with the big 12 and and Yukon because as we've talked about on the show sources close to that situation have told us very bluntly and directly that the money does not add up for Yukon to join the Big 12 I think there are some presidents in the Big 12 that were willing to take a financial hit on Yukon to join the League the problem is the majority of of presidents and administrators in that League were not uh and I was told again yesterday by a source very close to that situation this came down to Dollars and cents and with the instability in the the house nil settlement universities I think just were not willing to subsidize Yukon football uh which they would have had to do and and have Yukon football be an absolute lost leader for the conference on the whole that is something that Brett ymar could not sell to his constituents as much as you want Dan Hurley and that men's basketball program and the women husky program as well in the Big 12 there was no way you were going to be able to subsidize Yukon football to the level that you would have needed to even if they did not come into the conference in 2031 um even if they had waited till 2031 or not come into the conference at all adding Yukon Lock Stock and Barrel never made Financial sense and we we talked about this does Yukon operate with an athletic B budget at the level of1 150 to $200 million just on football they do not and that money was going to have to come from somewhere and it was likely going to be from other members of this conference which for a majority of members in this league was a non-starter and I think that's always going to be the question with Yukon and when the discussions came up I was told about Yukon not playing football or not joining the Big 12 on football Yukon said that was a non-starter for them they want all of their Sports in one conference and as much and I think this is a really important point because it was pointed out to me multiple ways yesterday as much as Yukon has love and respect for the Big East they are well aware that being an independent in football and being a a a team really with the level that they play out in college basketball leaving significant millions of dollars on the table every year they really wanted to find a way to get a big 12 mood done for all of their sports but it just didn't make Financial sense and especially on the same day this announcement was made the house settlement on the nil stuff completely fell apart and it looks like that's going to head the trial I think Jake we've been pretty spot on with this one again it just never made Financial sense for Yukon to join the Big 12 yeah and it's really unfortunate because you know like you said I mean the basketball programs at Yukon are dominant they're highly valuable they'd be a great addition of the conference but you know I I I think the Big 12 is is keenly aware that you know they they can't afford a mistake right now with expansion you know you you obviously want to look at expansion opportunities you know you you really of course want to grow your conference grow your brand you know grow your footprint as they always say uh but you're not going to do that um in a way that that brings you risk or you know exposure if you you're not going to you know Force an addition of yukon's basketball programs into the conference uh you know while having to take on a football program that just is you know just brutal honestly like it's just not good and and and I think that that's the hard part and I and I think you know the the the big 12 handled this well I think Brett ymar continues to be a phenomenal businessman I think the relationship he has with his administrators uh at the different schools in the Big 12 uh is is is one of the main reasons that the Big 12 has been able to grow has been able to build this Security in the conference and you know I think at some point Yukon will find their way out of that situation but I think what this you know negotiation if you will what this look into expansion and going to the big 12 did for Yukon is it showed them hey like we got to improve the football situation somehow and that doesn't mean that you got to go out and compete in the college football playoff but what it does mean is that you either need to stop playing football or you need to figure out a better Stadium situation that is more attractive to a power conference well I think the stadium point is a very well-made one because when you look at the way that Yukon operates football they rent a stadium they lose money on tickets and concessions they lose money on branding and frankly as an independent they don't have a media deal that pays them significant dollars and it's becoming a point where if you are the Big 12 and you already have a smaller rights deal leading up to 2031 and as I explained on the show previously this is why you weren't going to add Yukon football until at least 2031 because you're not willing to rebate Yukon for being a really bad football program and I think we saw that in week one where they got torched I it just never made a lot of sense and again I think the stadium point is a really good one there's no fixing that they don't have land on their campus to build a stadium nor do they have the financial resources to build build an appropriately sized Revenue generating football facility that could house lacrosse in soccer and track as well they don't have those kind of resources at Yukon the state does not have those kind of resources to allocate and the the real problem here is Yukon is committed to football Yukon is not in a place at least not right now and I think those words are really important at least not right now Yukon is not in a place where they are willing to either drop football as a sport or join a different smaller conference to make some kind of money because that breaks up their athletic department which is something Yukon doesn't want to do and I think we all have to remember Yukon is in the exact same model as Notre Dame is the only difference is you're talking about an iconic historically important program at Notre Dame that has a free pass into the college football playoff system and you're comparing that and contrasting it with Yukon who has no history in college football is not a Powerhouse doesn't have a stadium and doesn't draw a TV or an inst Stadium uh you know following it's a really tough situation for Yukon and I think wisely so Yukon tried to leverage their success on the basketball court to prop up their their football program and I don't think they ever got close to doing it in the Big 12 I was told yesterday that there was never agreements in principle there was an agreement between the Big 12 and Yukon that they had you know a like-mindedness that they were pushing in the same direction that they wanted to build a basketball Powerhouse which is what Yukon was selling the whole time but I think you're looking at a commissioner and presidents and administrators in the Big 12 that are far too Savvy and understand they don't have a lot of financial flexibility in the Big 12 they're not getting a $100 million per per school for a TV deal they're not you know generating significant private Equity money or over-the toop Revenue with a a 50 to800 million TV distribution like the the SEC is they're not doing that in the Big 12 your question is are you are you going to have more than your conference champion in the college football playoff whereas in the Big 10 or the SEC it's how many of us are getting in is it three is it four cuz it's certainly going to be more than your conference Champion certainly right certainly you're just not in a place where you can afford to take a financial risk of this magnitude I think it's a very Savvy move by the presidents of this league yeah and I also think you know the the the notes and Lessons Learned out of the ACC adding SMU and how bad that looked uh I I think it's something that that administrators you know are just a little wary of you know not to say that adding Yukon you know with their specific situation would look as bad as the ACC did you know when they added SMU but I think you know if you were to if you were to have pushed this forward and you were to have added Yukon you know given their specific situation the first thing everyone would have said is well all you guys are trying to do is be good at basketball and you're not a football conference that that's what the haters would have said and and I just think that the Big 12 while they're clearly not the best football conference in the country they're the best of the rest and what I mean by that is the acc's got nothing on the Big 12 on the football field the Big 12 is superior to the ACC you want basketball conversation fine but on the football field the Big 12 has them and I think the Big 12 appreciates the fact that they can be the little brother if you will to the Big 10 in the SEC and they don't want to mess that up and I don't blame him for that yeah and then there's this nil situation and if you didn't see this yesterday this was not that's surprising they go to court to have a judge approve the settlement and the main sticking point as it turned out with the nil settlement in this house case is the Plaines really I think drawing attention to this booster component where the defendant in this case the NCAA and its membership want to be able to lock out boosters from paying players directly for any anything that's not name image and likeness related and the struggle right now for the NCAA is that you have a situation where you have boosters hiding payments to players in the name of name image and likeness hey uh why don't you come cut a 30 second spot for my tire store here's $ 55 trillion do for that right like these overpayments where boosters are clearly paying a player to come to a school well the problem is Court across you know parts of this country have said and they have really put a stop in place from the NCAA enforcing those rules you are not allowed to tell a kid how much money he can get and for what purpose that's essentially what courts have said the kidss and athletes in college athletics are allowed to say hey give me 500 bucks and I'll put my face on a t-shirt but give me $5 million and I'll come and play for your University the NCAA wants to say you can't take money for an agreement to come and play at a select University well courts have said that's not that's that's not lawful and they have they have put an injunction in place to stop the NCAA and its memberships from enforcing that rule and that crapped into court yesterday when the judge in the house case said hey we've got to address this because when you tell people how they can get paid and why they get paid that's not the most popular opinion in the world and I agree and I think at this point there's there is no other outcome than for this nil lawsuit to go to trial and if it goes to trial I think it could be a complete disaster uh for the defendant in this case in which would be the NCAA and its membership I think it's a complete disaster I think yesterday was a win across the board for boosters I think it was a win across the board for this what's the right way to say it Wild West mentality that we have that is clearly pervasive across NC AA Athletics right now where there are there are no longer bagmen there are just stacks of cash being handed out in broad daylight I think that's what was was one yesterday the right for boosters to say hey come play at SMU come play at Oak State come play it Notre Dame now that's not unlawful you can now come out of the shadows and the Alleyways and you can come out of the the criminal element of it and you can you can continue to do it in broad daylight until somebody says that's against the rules and I don't that that'll ever be the case yeah and I just think that you know we've always treated this as like some taboo thing like you know I I I think about the you know obviously everyone points to like the Reggie Bush USC stuff you know with Pete Caroll and and everything that went down there but but isn't this just what we do in our country like if we step back and and we you know put put the fact that we're talking about college football aside for a second is it not how this country Works where hey I want you to do X and I'll pay you why will you do that yes I will quit Pro quow right like that's what we do in our country that is like that's how it all works so so the idea that the NCAA is trying to stop this under the guys that hey you're a college student you're a student first you shouldn't be making money because it's academics because that's just what we've decided that's the issue and and I just I just think the ncaa's time would be better spent figuring out a way to create a system that benefits everybody and I'm fine if it benefits the NCAA too right like you know the the folks who run the the the NCA itself like not just the school administrators but the board of the NCA cool if you guys want to make money on it too fine but it can't just be you making the money it can't just be the ad the money being paid to the school who will then pay it to the player yeah like come on because I I think that's what that's what athletes are worried about that you're going to be in a situation where a booster who owns a car dealership an oil company yeah whatever right if if you own a a large business and you want Jake to come and be your quarterback you pay him $5 million for a three-year commitment well the school wants you to pay the school the $5 million the kid wants you to pay him the $5 million under the table and the IRS wants you to pay the kid $5 million on top the table so they can get tax money out of it which I'm fine with that the tax portion I think is very straightforward this is I mean we we see this in Pro Sports every day like the tax portion shouldn't be confusing for anybody like that should be very straightforward we have precedent yeah like we've got something to follow that should be the easy part which is ironic honestly but like the idea that hey pay the school so then the school can get their cut and then we'll pay the kid and that like it just is all like everyone's trying to get their piece of the pie any way they can can and it feels like we're scared to just say yeah hey dude booster can pay the kid and and and what's crazy is no one wants to say hey if the kid is that good at football and they come and play for your school your school's going to benefit and you're all gonna make money and I think the other part of this is Super League yeah because the argument that the defendants in this case the NCAA and its membership we making is we need a competitive balance we need a way to to put a cap on this so that we can have you know competitions across all levels to which I say that's not the free market system that we have built this country on and I understand whether it's a professional League of any of any nature you want to put a salary cap in okay but that doesn't preclude a kid from making money it does not proc preclude a kid from getting a Land Rover a Corvette deal a Lambo deal it it doesn't preclude him from wearing a Rolex and the hard part is that that is going to impact competitive balance because you're going to make more money uh at at Colorado than you're going to make at Nebraska so Colorado's going to get a better cut of player let's say if in a game this weekend but why should Colorado be penalized because they they prioritize the modernday business they shouldn't be but this is why we need a Super League yeah and if this goes to court and if this goes to trial the NCAA is going to wind up paying out more money on this so you're going to need to make more money on this because now I don't see any way that football's not a $200 million operation it has to be I mean wasn't it we were looking before in Ohio State's already like 180 plus like 190 I think making $200 million plus yeah like you you're you're looking at a situation where player compensation is going to push football into a $200 million business and you need a super league and I go back to what we've reported for over a year I go back to what Kyle Whittingham has said the head coach at Utah about how it's inevitable we're going to have a a a college football championship on a Saturday and a Super Bowl on a Sunday we're gonna have an NFL playoff model we are going to pay players we I'm telling you it's coming yeah it doesn't mean conferences are going away it means that football conferences are going away we won't have sec versus Big 10 anymore we'll have the AFC versus the NFC in college football in some model or form but you if you're so worried about competitive balance and the implications of the booster all this is doing is pushing you closer and closer to a Super League which is where we should all be pointed at right now it's it's as simple as as it can be said and by the way if you don't think that the private Equity deals that just got done in the NFL are are going to have an impact on college football you're crazy because that's all that is that's setting a precedent that's saying hey well look at what they're doing in the league right 10% ownership of of of a franchise why wouldn't we why wouldn't we do maybe not ownership of the school obviously but you know 10% stake in the Returns on profit in our football program you either win enough games to get in or you don't and if you don't you're not in you want to make the postseason you know like that that's what needs to happen and by the way don't cry me a river uh from these schools who who are like oh well it's unfair even though we haven't invested in the last 10 years and we haven't done any winning and we haven't paid our fair share now we want our fair share that's before we get to your comments this is why dabo's such a problem this is why gundi is such a problem this is why Nick Sabin retired because they don't want to deal with this but you better because you need to it it's here whether you want it to be here or not uh udub van Jim why is the salary cap in the NFL legal it's Absolut it absolutely prevents players from getting paid more it does not the difference is a salary cap is how much the team can pay its players in totality the nil suits and the house suits are boosters and outside entities paying kids for Nike deals hey uh end again endorse my car dealership endorse my restaurant Endor my my happy ending massage parlor I was going more massage parlor uh anyway that's why it's different that's a and I also think a salary cap is what is needed because universities have the right to pay their players and their player compensation will be between 20 and $23 million a year which already prices teams like Yukon out of football right so it's not there's not going to be a salary cap at the NCAA level there is we're not arguing over schools paying players we're arguing over the NCAA wanting boosters to report and pay the school who will pay the player yes instead of allowing the player to take as much money as he wants from anybody that's the issue hey you know I'm shador Sanders presented by DraftKings can gambling operations pay college football players very interesting question very interesting question uh Mike Smith because the NFL and players union agreed to it well and that's the other thing and it's collectively bargained yeah I mean the NFL is so much more organized right I mean it's such a like by by size of like Humanity it's such a smaller entity than a nationwide NCAA hundreds of schools like you're you're comparing a grain of sand on the beach to the ocean in this case well and I think unionization of college football athletes or College athletes in general is coming there's already bodies doing it so I I don't think we're far from that at all Willie Wilson yep probably want to wait on acc which makes good business sense I I'm curious what happens with the ACC situation I'm very curious because Brett yar's got his ducks in a row on the ACC so that that's I think that's something to watch Paulo nil is good for local businesses some yeah certainly for some no doubt about it Nick D nice D Nick yeah we need four regions where they play a round robin the four region Champs go into a playoff but it's too complicated and and you're thinking of the you're thinking of it the wrong way like you're you're you're thinking of like hey like from a national perspective it's not going to work that way you're going to have the Super League where you've got the NFL playoff model and it's going to be extremely straightforward you're not going to have Ron Robin yeah I think that's critically important yeah you're just going to have head up matchups loser goes home like You're Not Gon to have double elimination you know nit brackets like we're not doing that that's not that's not happening I cannot believe Lamar the the highlights are on TV from it's wide open bro oh my God the Z flowers throw is is egregious I mean missed him and by the way to your point what kind of throw is it it's across his body from right to left that's why he missed it because he doesn't have the mechanics to make that throw so bad um let's see Mike Smith that is what I understand as well pausing the Yukon addition due to presidents I believe is a way to try and pressure Yukon to drop the idea of adding football to the Big 12 I think it's a non-starter I think it's a non-starter it's it's also why I think Gonzaga has so much leverage and why Gonzaga has been comfortable to wait Gaga because I think uh Gins swaga Gaga understands that the landscape is going to change probably multiple times in the next five years yeah certainly and if the ACCC melts down is that good or bad for Gonzaga I think it's really good for Gonzaga because Gonzaga is viewed as a Powerhouse now obviously you lose some leverage if you don't continue to win at the level they've won at but that's the game that we play that's the game we play so I think it's a very interesting the Big 12 has no business subsidizing Yukon football and I know we've talked about that ad nauseum no business no business at all subsidizing that no nor should they I just uh Big Daddy magic player you are sad devotion to the outdated Notre Dame is fascinating character flaw in your almost perfect character okay I don't know why it's a sad devotion why are you sadly devoted to the Buffalo Bills not D are mother like what do you mean sad devotion what are you talking about what are you talking about um Mike Smith I miss that Yark Gonzaga sound drop yeah you like that dude J likes that drop a lot yeah Gaga you know Gonzaga uh how can you add Yukon when you have the ACC on the brink of divorce and having to fight out custody disputes with much more flexible schools because I think if you were able to get Yukon without football that strengthens your position with Virginia Louisville dude Carolina who you're not kidding um Florida State Miami I I think it strengthens your position because you you look at what Yukon represents a win over Yukon is a massive win with where they've built both men's and women's basketball and I think the revenue stream that men's and women's basketball has become dictates that you have you have Partners who are dedicated to basketball so if you are the Big 12 and you can get Yukon and Gonzaga that gives you incredible leverage to to make phone calls if the ACC melts down yep which is why Brett and his constituents in the Big 12 had been so focused on expanding with the right Partners yeah and I think that's why the Gonzaga thing just hasn't quite happened yet because it's a timing thing more than a fit thing it's a clear fit it's just I I would guess for the Big 12 you know you when because when you add think about how the the whole pack 12 thing went down like the big 12 was real keen on making sure that they didn't add like a school this week a school next week a school the following week and a school a month later they wanted to have one announcement one press release hey we're adding the four corner schools like this is what we're doing they're you know they're coming in and so if you think about it like it doesn't make sense for the Big 12 to go and add Gonzaga and then add Yukon and then add Louisville and the ace like they're gonna want to do that in one swoop yep I agree all right let's get to work on some games hour number two of the Monty show presented by our friends at Canyons Golf Canyons golf the official golf course of the Monty show hello love Canyons Golf I've got the big Indian wedding starting tonight and tomorrow can't wait to get out on the course on Sunday um iron swing feels pretty good right now I have just enough time I have about 90 minutes where I'm allowed to go to the driving range tomorrow morning and then I am I have to put my balls back in the Mrs Monty jar and I have to you know put on the full Indian outfit and go to this wedding tomorrow but I'm telling you I can't wait for Canyons on Sunday gonna Crush it's going to be amazing there's nothing better than playing golf at altitude and watching your ball fly that's what you get a Canyon's golf never mind that it's in a worldclass resort like Park City Mountain Resort at Canyon's Village never mind that you can play 18 beautiful holes of golf and then get a world class meal never mind that it's priced like a mun never mind you can book online never mind that you get coner service where they carry your clubs you get GPS and a beautiful cart you see wildlife oh it's all good at Canyons Golf I'm telling you folks hook it up online just search Park City Canyons Golf book your tea 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