Best NCAA Conference

[Weeble]

More Proof that the SEC is the greatest Conference.

Universities with at least 3 out of 5 major sports (Football, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Baseball & Softball) receiving votes in polls: (A university sport with a "N/R" meaning, "Not Ranked", receives a count of "50" to be averaged in)

1. LSU

2. Texas

3. Tennessee

4. Oklahoma

5. Georgia

6. UCLA

7. Florida

8. Alabama

9. North Carolina

10. Ohio State


#1 LSU
(55) Avg Rank = 11, Teams Ranked - 5
2005 Football - #5, 2006 Men's B-Ball - #17, 2006 Women's B-Ball - #5, 2006 Baseball - #12, 2006 Softball - #16

#2 Texas
(81) Avg Rank = 16, Teams Ranked - 4
2005 Football - #1, 2006 Men's B-Ball - #9, 2006 Women's B-Ball - N/R, 2006 Baseball - #18, 2006 Softball - #3

#3 Tennessee
(82) Avg Rank = 16, Teams Ranked - 4
2005 Football - N/R, 2006 Men's B-Ball - #19, 2006 Women's B-Ball - #5, 2006 Baseball - #5, 2006 Softball - #2

#4 Oklahoma
(84) Avg Rank = 17, Teams Ranked - 5
2005 Football - #22, 2006 Men's B-Ball - #20, 2006 Women's B-Ball - #8, 2006 Baseball - #24, 2006 Softball - #10

#5 Georgia
(91) Avg Rank = 18, Teams Ranked - 3
2005 Football - #10, 2006 Men's B-Ball - N/R, 2006 Women's B-Ball - N/R, 2006 Baseball - #20, 2006 Softball - #11

#6 UCLA
(101) Avg Rank = 20, Teams Ranked - 4
2005 Football - #16, 2006 Men's B-Ball - #8, 2006 Women's B-Ball - #23, 2006 Baseball - N/R, 2006 Softball - #4

#7 Florida
(105) Avg Rank = 21, Teams Ranked - 5
2005 Football - #12, 2006 Men's B-Ball - #10, 2006 Women's B-Ball - #36, 2006 Baseball - #15, 2006 Softball - #32

#8 Alabama
(106) Avg Rank = 21, Teams Ranked - 3
2005 Football - #8, 2006 Men's B-Ball - #42, 2006 Women's B-Ball - N/R, 2006 Baseball - N/R, 2006 Softball - #6

#9 North Carolina
(112) Avg Rank = 22, Teams Ranked - 4
2005 Football - N/R, 2006 Men's B-Ball - #12, 2006 Women's B-Ball - #1, 2006 Baseball - #4, 2006 Softball - #25

#10 Ohio State
(112) Avg Rank = 22, Teams Ranked - 3
2005 Football - #4, 2006 Men's B-Ball - #6, 2006 Women's B-Ball - #2, 2006 Baseball - N/R, 2006 Softball - N/R

5 out of the top 10 teams are from one conference.

[twd]

Not to mention that Arkansas just won it's 42nd NCAA national track title.

[Arkstfan]

Whoop-de-doo.

Nothing that is accomplished by teams from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10 or ACC impresses me. Those league poop money. Those ten schools listed are all spending $30 million or more on their athletic programs.

I am much more impressed by the five schools left in the NCAA Tournament that are there despite spending anywhere from half to a quarter what those schools are spending. In football #7 Va.Tech spent about the same amount of money on its football coaching staff as #11 TCU spent on football.

[Arkstfan]

How they've done with the NCAA jailhouse the last two decades.

1. LSU
Twice busted by NCAA in men's basketball and once in football and women's basketball in past 20 years.

2. Texas
One bust each in football and baseball the past 20 years.

3. Tennessee
Two busts in football past 20 years.

4. Oklahoma
One bust in football past 20 years.

5. Georgia
One bust each in men's basketball and football.

6. UCLA
Two busts in men's basketball, one in softball.

7. Florida
One bust each men's hoops and football.

8. Alabama
Two busts in football, one in men's basketball

9. North Carolina
CLEAN RECORD PAST 20 YEARS!!!

10. Ohio State
Two hits in men's basketball, one in football, one in women's basketball.

[Skip]

Whoop-de-doo.

Nothing that is accomplished by teams from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10 or ACC impresses me. Those league poop money. Those ten schools listed are all spending $30 million or more on their athletic programs.

I am much more impressed by the five schools left in the NCAA Tournament that are there despite spending anywhere from half to a quarter what those schools are spending. In football #7 Va.Tech spent about the same amount of money on its football coaching staff as #11 TCU spent on football.

Welcome to the Big Leagues in America, where men's athletics (especially football) not only spend big money, but also rake in even more, and often "justify" their existence by bestowing a new library on the school (or such like), and also pay for the unprofitable athletic programs.
It is appalling to me that Americans spend so much money on entertainment -- yet they do. So I deal with it.
Until Americans stop watching and supporting advertisers and stop spending, the money will flow in abundantly.
Money to buy facilities, pay lawyers, build skyboxes, and bestow gifts upon the parent "educational" institution.
Money greases the machine...

[Bon Voyage]

Other than conference pride, I could give a rip about basketball.  I haven't watched any of it.  And if you are a good baseball player, you play in the minors, not college.

So that leaves football.

[marc]

What?  Better than the Atlantic Sun?

[Weeble]

How they've done with the NCAA jailhouse the last two decades.

1. LSU
Twice busted by NCAA in men's basketball and once in football and women's basketball in past 20 years.

2. Texas
One bust each in football and baseball the past 20 years.

3. Tennessee
Two busts in football past 20 years.

4. Oklahoma
One bust in football past 20 years.

5. Georgia
One bust each in men's basketball and football.

6. UCLA
Two busts in men's basketball, one in softball.

7. Florida
One bust each men's hoops and football.

8. Alabama
Two busts in football, one in men's basketball

9. North Carolina
CLEAN RECORD PAST 20 YEARS!!!

10. Ohio State
Two hits in men's basketball, one in football, one in women's basketball.

While this may be true Jerry Tarkanian (sp?) in his new book tells that he was busted while at UNLV and the basketball put on probation for because he allowed Basketball players to use the phone in his home to call their parents, and bought kids from the team Big Macs during the year since they had no money.  So I really wonder about how clean or dirty a program is.

Right now South Carolina football in on probation because some of the tutors helped out some high school kids who had already committed to the program.  How lame can you be?

[Arkstfan]

Well, did Tark let other students use his phone?

Did he buy healthy meals for other students?

The NCAA is not some alien force that has descended upon earth to impose its will on colleges. Back Tark's heyday rules got passed by a majority vote of all Division I members. Today they are passed on a conference basis.

The membership has said that except for specifically listed benefits no student athlete can get something that their fellow students aren't entitled to as well.

In the case of UNLV and its three busts in men's basketball the extras proven to be given included more than phone calls and Big Macs. It also included cash payments to prospects and players. While the coach couldn't be tied directly to the cash its always fascinating that boosters close to the program seem to be able to figure out just which of the thousands of high school players to contact that the school is recruiting.

[Weeble]

Well, did Tark let other students use his phone?

Did he buy healthy meals for other students?

I don't know the answer to these questions. But what I have always struggled with is why can a professor do this with not athletes and it be OK while if a coach does this it is illegal?

College athletics are big business and the athletes bring in lots of money. Why can't the the students receive a little money to live on? I know that they get a  free education but most of them would get a free education anyway if they would apply for grants and student aide.

[twd]

Why not just be honest about it, and set up the major sports teams as for profit organizations--associated with but distinct from the universities--with the players as employees?

They could even provide the players with the opportunity for an education as a perquisite.  More of them might take advantage of it than do now.

But, no, we'd rather stick with the pretense that they are students first, playing the sport secondarily.  Somehow, the hypocrisy is more righteous.

[Arkstfan]

Ah the great lie.

Of the 300+ schools participating in Division I about 30 really make a profit though a few have argued it to be as high as 45.

The typical "big money" program is having to rely on general university revenue to remain functional.

The coaches and athletic directors have a more effective lobby than the players so the players can hang up any ideas of getting part of the action. Besides to make the budget work they will fund paying basketball and football players by cutting those other unimportant sports and the athletic scholarships that are being given out there.

The presidents don't want athletic programs run in an efficient manner because that need for university resources is basically all the control they have over the programs.

[twd]

What lie?  I didn't claim that all, or even most, programs are for profit.  I do suspect that, if all the various hidden revenue streams were captured, more than 30 are profitable.

Fine, take, say, the top fifty programs in terms of revenue, and set them up that way.  They will, naturally, draw the top coaches and players who are interested in sports as a career.  Maybe the rest of the schools can then get back to sports as an extra-curricular activity.

A pipe dream?  Probably.

[slu-magoo]

The University of Memphis (where I am a grad student) spends almost as much on its basketball program as it makes.  UAB loses money.  This in spite of men's basketball being a program that supposedly supports itself.

George Lapides (a Memphis sports reporter) has a list of basketball profits on his website right now:

http://www.georgelapides.com/view.php/id/33

Regards.

[twd]

Very interesting, slu.  Of course, what it doesn't, and can't, track is what goes under and around the table.

[Mere Nick]

Slu,

That is surprising to hear that Memphis loses dough on basketball.  It would seem that if you are a college basketball team, especially of a caliber such as Memphis', that you'd have to pack a lunch, go in early and stay late and really work hard at it to lose money.

As for the best conference, well, it's the ACC, folks.  Take Duke football, for example, . . .

[twd]

As for the best conference, well, it's the ACC, folks.  Take Duke football, for example, . . .

Yeah, when I think football I think Duke... 

[Mere Nick]

See?  TWD understands.

[spurly]

Other than conference pride, I could give a rip about basketball.  I haven't watched any of it.  And if you are a good baseball player, you play in the minors, not college.

So that leaves football.

Not always true.  Many of them follow the path of Will Clark and go to college.