Solutions to improving HBCU football long term





The MEAC would’ve had two postseason teams if we weren’t ineligible for the postseason. The committee wouldn’t have left 2nd place A&T out. It would’ve been tight with A&T losing to a 1-8 Morgan State, but they would’ve gotten in.

It does suck for SCSU, because they did what they had to do...their only losses were to USF, and ranked FAMU and A&T.

The key for HBCU football is to win early OOC games. Always play the money game in Week 1.
 
JAGSC said:
I think it's apples and oranges to compare South Carolina state to Wofford since Wofford just won their conference
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They beat a conference champ and dominated the game. Also, what no one talks about is the So Con second place team; Furman at 7-4 got in and they lost to Wofford. You are right, apple and oranges; SC State in and Furman out.
 
funkie junkie said:
This is true, but the bigger issue is we'd (and I'm partially including myself) rather stay home and watch Tennessee/Ole Miss instead of going to see Tennessee State/MVSU in person. That won't work.

That's where we have to start. We even see it with the bands. Most of the better HBCU bands are pushing right at 200+ per year, and have been for decades. So, each one of those former members can't donate say, $50-$100 annually to the program?

Bingo. Not just asking alums to blindly give, but be transparent with where and how the money is managed.
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Good points, we will spend money and an SEC school, take time to watch Power 5 Football all day and not support what we have in person. I go to at least 5 games per year and show my support at the ticket gate.

As for giving money, not just the band, but former athletes and students and then, our schools need to be upfront on where the money is going.

We would have if we support ourselves and not everyone else! Bayou Classic today and I can care less about the iron bowl!
 
wahines said:
Good points, we will spend money and an SEC school, take time to watch Power 5 Football all day and not support what we have in person. I go to at least 5 games per year and show my support at the ticket gate.

As for giving money, not just the band, but former athletes and students and then, our schools need to be upfront on where the money is going.

We would have if we support ourselves and not everyone else! Bayou Classic today and I can care less about the iron bowl!
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It will feel odd to not have any more Valley football until the spring after supporting them in person 9 games this year (didn't go to Lamar or AAMU).

And you are definitely right about the second part of your post. HBCU alums are gonna have to start holding our administrations accountable that send our athletes out here to get embarrassed in these money games only for admin to come in and dip into the pot. Also I would encourage alums that if the school isn't doing what they are supposed to be doing, they need to step up and handle business and work on getting people in place at the school who will
 
wahines said:
Good points, we will spend money and an SEC school, take time to watch Power 5 Football all day and not support what we have in person. I go to at least 5 games per year and show my support at the ticket gate.

As for giving money, not just the band, but former athletes and students and then, our schools need to be upfront on where the money is going.

We would have if we support ourselves and not everyone else! Bayou Classic today and I can care less about the iron bowl!
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In_The_662 said:
It will feel odd to not have any more Valley football until the spring after supporting them in person 9 games this year (didn't go to Lamar or AAMU).

And you are definitely right about the second part of your post. HBCU alums are gonna have to start holding our administrations accountable that send our athletes out here to get embarrassed in these money games only for admin to come in and dip into the pot. Also I would encourage alums that if the school isn't doing what they are supposed to be doing, they need to step up and handle business and work on getting people in place at the school who will
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Your post about the administration dipping into the money game pot that belongs to the athletic programs has to stop and has been done for year. Where is the money from the money games are going is an excellent question. When you give to your school, you and fellow alums have a right to give. If they want us to give, then they have to be transparent as well where the money is going and if they can't not do that, then you need to band together and get those in office that will.
 
Right now, the philosophy at HBCU does not align with improving its football. We can't expect others to kneel down to us, we have to make them kneel. HBCU leadership is not in the position of forcing their will on others, instead, most are waiting for some pie in the sky. Perfect example is Virginia University of Lynchburg (VUL). VUL is a HBCU that beg for everything. I'm sure them other folks would love to see all HBCUs like VUL.
 
major095 said:
we are so far behind the curve
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it can be done - those schools excelled thanks to TV money which is helped by our athletes. unfortunately our athletes who can drive revenue aren’t ready for a bold enough move - especially in football where you gotta wait 3 years to go pro. It can happen in basketball but we’ve sold ourselves out to the highest bidder.

any AA kid who doesn’t understand the Kapernick situation is blind. He ain’t even 100% black and they’ve outed him. We could walk out and cripple these leagues overnight but won’t do so
 
ghostwriter said:
it can be done - those schools excelled thanks to TV money which is helped by our athletes. unfortunately our athletes who can drive revenue aren’t ready for a bold enough move - especially in football where you gotta wait 3 years to go pro. It can happen in basketball but we’ve sold ourselves out to the highest bidder.

any AA kid who doesn’t understand the Kapernick situation is blind. He ain’t even 100% black and they’ve outed him. We could walk out and cripple these leagues overnight but won’t do so
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Part of this falls on fans who could stop watching (haven't watched a game going on 3 years) but like many areas in our community we lack courage blindly supporting these billionaires despite most not giving a f**k about us (I was a Cowboys supporter but couldn't do it anymore)

But you are spot on about the players holding the power. A few like Richard Sherman are putting it out there that players need to start saving their money about a possible strike down the line but most just tow the line when the team owners crack them whips (see Michael Bennett and the Cowboys)
 



wahines said:
Your post about the administration dipping into the money game pot that belongs to the athletic programs has to stop and has been done for year. Where is the money from the money games are going is an excellent question. When you give to your school, you and fellow alums have a right to give. If they want us to give, then they have to be transparent as well where the money is going and if they can't not do that, then you need to band together and get those in office that will.
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Like when you start doing stuff behind the scenes at Valley like I am, you learn a few things. If you are looking at things from the outside like I was and wondered like I did a few years ago when we made almost $800K in money games from basketball (which has less overhead than football) yet we still out here barely making ends meet, it makes you wonder where the money is going. When someone informed me that this is a regular occurrence at SWAC schools as far as admin doing that (dipping into athletic revenue), it makes you mad (because admin wants to blame alums for the shortcomings (we can do better) but ignore that they are half a**ing it in athletics while pimping the student athletes to make ends meet at the university) but it also sure be a wake up call that all of our athletic departments need to strive to become self-sufficient
 
In_The_662 said:
Like when you start doing stuff behind the scenes at Valley like I am, you learn a few things. If you are looking at things from the outside like I was and wondered like I did a few years ago when we made almost $800K in money games from basketball (which has less overhead than football) yet we still out here barely making ends meet, it makes you wonder where the money is going. When someone informed me that this is a regular occurrence at SWAC schools as far as admin doing that (dipping into athletic revenue), it makes you mad (because admin wants to blame alums for the shortcomings (we can do better) but ignore that they are half a**ing it in athletics while pimping the student athletes to make ends meet at the university) but it also sure be a wake up call that all of our athletic departments need to strive to become self-sufficient
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I have been enlightened and very interesting!
 
In_The_662 said:
Like when you start doing stuff behind the scenes at Valley like I am, you learn a few things. If you are looking at things from the outside like I was and wondered like I did a few years ago when we made almost $800K in money games from basketball (which has less overhead than football) yet we still out here barely making ends meet, it makes you wonder where the money is going. When someone informed me that this is a regular occurrence at SWAC schools as far as admin doing that (dipping into athletic revenue), it makes you mad (because admin wants to blame alums for the shortcomings (we can do better) but ignore that they are half a**ing it in athletics while pimping the student athletes to make ends meet at the university) but it also sure be a wake up call that all of our athletic departments need to strive to become self-sufficient
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Most schools have this practice. It's not just the MEAC, SWAC. This money generated from "beatdown" goes to either the Auxilliary Fund, where Athletics budgets are generated or they go to the general fund for the school. Unless the school's athletic department is a self-sustaining entity as only just a few P-5 programs are, it's up to the university to balance the budget of the athletic department.
 
Simple formula: acquire the services and commitment of a higher caliber of student-athlete and bring in a higher caliber and committed set of coaches vs the chitlin’ circuit shit show we see being presented to decimate the VULs and Edward Waters colleges of the world while bragging “but weze have a winning recordttttttt w/ those 2 victories...”

We cannot continue to bring in mules and donkeys “coached” by mentally inferior, low IQ staffers to run a competitive race in the ncaa fcs kentucky derby. I was HIGHLY embarrassed fall 2019 that the SWAC went winless vs the slc. Horrible showing.
 
SUJagFan said:
Drop down a division. Put the money saved toward basketball.

HBCUs are much more competitive in basketball. With concerted effort, I believe some programs could become strong midmajors.

It's hard to compete in any sport without athletes and money. Football takes too many athletes and too much money to be competitive nationally.

Basketball requires fewer good athletes to field a competitive team. Takes less money to operate the program.

HBCU football will still have its traditions and fans. I don't think there's any shame in putting effort into areas where you're most likely to get the highest return. Highest bang for your buck. Right now, that's in basketball.
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Is it even possible to sponsor one sport in a lower division than the others?
 
Being creative and coming up with sensible ideas are too much like right for today's HBCUs. Our leadership is just mimicking what they see others do without analyzing things for their specific school. It is almost like they don't trust the their own intelligence or just plain lazy.
 
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2kool said:
Is it even possible to sponsor one sport in a lower division than the others?
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They do it in hockey (a team that is D3 in every other sport but D1 in hockey) but doubt they would let HBCUs do that

Minnesota Duluth is D1 in hockey (won the national title this past season) but D2 in every other sport. Union won in 2014 yet they are D3 in every other sport

I agree with basketball being the sport that you can have the quickest turnaround in. all you need is the right coach and 2-3 good players.
 
JAG89 said:
Being creative and coming up with sensible ideas are too much like right for today's HBCUs. Our leadership is just mimicking what they see others do without analyzing things for their specific school. It is almost like they don't trust the their own intelligence or just plain lazy.
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You just don't know how true this is smh

I know if my non-doctorate carrying self can come up with sensible ideas (a couple that have been used/will be used at Valley and hopefully others down the road) that just make plain sense then I know "the powers that be" at our schools can as well. Some do it better than others
 
SUJagFan said:
I also think HBCUs have to find a way to get a major television deal. If not a network, some cable channel or subscription service.

The SEC Network is forced upon millions of people. Millions are paying $5 per month to the SEC whether you like or watch SEC football or not. Doesn't matter. Most of us are paying.

There has got to be a way to market and sell HBCU athletics. The whole HBCU ”experience” people brag about. I believe there is a price people who did not attend HBCUs are willing to pay to televise these games. If not all of them, the major games and the pageantry surrounding them. Just have to determine what that price is and how ensure there is a continuous stream of quality content.

JMHO
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We need a College Gameday like thing that is HBCU centric. And this would carry on for the entire game not just the picks are made. Get sponsors and show the entire halftime show

I'm interested to see how the No Huddle thign works out on Aspire because right now they seem to be in the lead as far as possibly bringing HBCU football back to TV regularly similar to the BET days. They just need to stop being so East coast centered and s**ting on the UAPB and Valleys while kissing the a** of SU, Grambling and A&T

And I still think the MEAC and SWAC need to build up their own digital network from the ground up and go from there. That makes it a lot easier to get our games on ESPN+/ESPN3 (similar to the OVC) as well as feature our games the way they need to be featured (halftime, etc.)
 
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