GRAM4LIFE
Well-Known Member
You can use ULM as a reference point but they are not the common I-A school. Most I-A's have better facilities as well as other things than any of those good I-AA's that you can name. Which in turn, cost more money to maintain them. Meaning if you make more, you spend more. If you spend more then of course there is a greater profit margin in either direction. As much as you try to compare ULM to Montana's or Georgia Southern's of the world, the so-called dominate I-AA, McNeese, still struggled with the so-called doormat I-A, ULM. Why is that? I guess there must be some kind of huge difference between the two classifications if a great I-AA will barely beat a horrible I-A. Go post some more win/loss records can scores and manipulate the numbers so they can fit your point.
You may be able to point out 10 or more I-AA's that are doing well but you can also name over 70 I-A programs that are doing better than them. An atheletic department's goal is to win not make a huge profit. Breaking even is the goal... If you go in the hole by $1 million dollars while becoming a national power and thus raising your enrollment and bringing in money from donations that will not be added into the bottom line then I think they will live with it. I hope you don't think that these schools are putting donations to the booster's club into the equation. See getting on ESPN week in and week out effects people's mindset about your school. You can go from unknown to household names. That's the risk these schools are willing to take. Did you know that Georgia Southern lost money in I-AA? Should they move down?
You can name all the garbage teams at 1-A you want to but I can name you the same amount of garbage I-AA programs that lose to D2 schools. Should they move down, too? Every classification will have terrible schools, where people don't go to games, and they lose year in and year out. That's the nature of the beast. In order to get where Florida State is you must first be Marshall and before you become Marshall you must first be Troy State. And so on and so forth... See if Louisville would have the attitude of you then they would not be in the position of being invited to a BCS conference. You must have your bags pack when opportunity knocks. Things change over time and conferences come and go. The question is will you stand still while others pass you by. That's what most HBCUs have done. Now, look at us...
In order to have winners, you must also have losers.