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[Kristin Meredith]

I am the first to admit I don't know much about what goes into the college football rankings.  With that said, I am very confused about the pre-season rankings.  There are conferences which have announced no games will be played this fall.  But the top 10 in the pre-season rankings include schools from those conferences -- it ranks Ohio St (No. 2), Penn St. (No. 7) and Oregon (N0. 9) and then indicates that all their games are canceled.

So why are they even factored into the pre-season rankings? (genuine question here, I don't understand)

[lil moose]

I am the first to admit I don't know much about what goes into the college football rankings.  With that said, I am very confused about the pre-season rankings.  There are conferences which have announced no games will be played this fall.  But the top 10 in the pre-season rankings include schools from those conferences -- it ranks Ohio St (No. 2), Penn St. (No. 7) and Oregon (N0. 9) and then indicates that all their games are canceled.

So why are they even factored into the pre-season rankings? (genuine question here, I don't understand)

I'm sure THEY don't have a clue either, but they got to just give us something to keep their jobs for another year  

[Hank D Thoreau]

I have forgotten all about college football. I have been too caught up in the Marble League (rebranded MarbLympics) and Marbula One.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYJdpnjuSWVOLgGT9fIzL0g

[jdmessner]

There are conferences which have announced no games will be played this fall.  But the top 10 in the pre-season rankings include schools from those conferences -- it ranks Ohio St (No. 2), Penn St. (No. 7) and Oregon (N0. 9) and then indicates that all their games are canceled.

So why are they even factored into the pre-season rankings? (genuine question here, I don't understand)

I wondered the same thing. However, the more I thought about it, it actually makes sense.

Regardless of circumstances every tram is 0-0. I think that unil the first game is played they have to rate each team on its own merits, as they are now without looking ahead. It seems crazy that the NCAA couldn't  come up with a unified policy for all schools, but we are in the midst of crazy times.

[Bar-B-Lew]

Two things to ponder that are related to this subject.

1) It seems crazy how much the money generated by college football and basketball mean to the funding of colleges and universities.  If sports are not played for several seasons and this big money doesn't come into those schools, what impact does that have on the future education of our youth and the future of our society?
2) If that money is not spent to view or attend college football and basketball events and the associated costs of meals, beverages, clothing, hotels, etc. by individuals and larger corporations, where is that money going?  In my small mind and view of things, the money just didn't disappear.  It was either reallocated by an individual or company to spend on something else, or it was put into savings or an investment.  In that simplistic view, something else is reaping the benefits of those spending dollars or the dollars were saved to be spent at a later date.  Over time, the economy should catch itself up.

[pmillen]

I have forgotten all about college football. I have been too caught up in the Marble League (rebranded MarbLympics) and Marbula One.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYJdpnjuSWVOLgGT9fIzL0g

I'm hooked!  And still smiling.  I haven't, yet, picked a favorite team, but it'll be the one with the least-dressed cheerleaders.

[lil moose]

I have forgotten all about college football. I have been too caught up in the Marble League (rebranded MarbLympics) and Marbula One.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYJdpnjuSWVOLgGT9fIzL0g

I'm hooked!  And still smiling.  I haven't, yet, picked a favorite team, but it'll be the one with the least-dressed cheerleaders.

LOL!!!!!!

[Kristin Meredith]

" If that money is not spent to view or attend college football and basketball events and the associated costs of meals, beverages, clothing, hotels, etc. by individuals and larger corporations, where is that money going?  In my small mind and view of things, the money just didn't disappear. "

Well, actually it could have just disappeared. Lot's of business -- both big and small -- are struggling or going under (look at cruise lines, airlines, retail clothing establishments, malls, restaurants).  Lots of businesses and people that don't have disposable cash like they did a year ago.

[Bar-B-Lew]

" If that money is not spent to view or attend college football and basketball events and the associated costs of meals, beverages, clothing, hotels, etc. by individuals and larger corporations, where is that money going?  In my small mind and view of things, the money just didn't disappear. "

Well, actually it could have just disappeared. Lot's of business -- both big and small -- are struggling or going under (look at cruise lines, airlines, retail clothing establishments, malls, restaurants).  Lots of businesses and people that don't have disposable cash like they did a year ago.

Your thoughts are very possible.  I am not sure those that are going under are those that have spent money on college athletics.  I also think that people who are not spending money on those companies that are going under are either spending it somewhere else or they are saving it to spend at a later date.  I get that those employees that are part of the unfortunate group of companies going under do not have money to spend.  I think that over time those people will end up working for companies where people or corporations are buying things at a higher level then they previously did.

Don't get me wrong.  I feel for those who have lost jobs during these horrible times.

I'm going to make up some numbers here that are not exact. If there is $10 trillion dollars for consumers and corporations to spend before the pandemic, there will be $10 trillions dollars to spend after the rebound of the pandemic.  I think there is a fixed amount of money that will be spent at some point regardless of the circumstances.  Now, I understand there is an argument that could be made regarding the government stepping in or the FED stepping in.  It certainly is a complicated matter.

I guess the bigger point I was attempting to make is the amount of money people spend on college athletics and its impact on the education of our society.  Unless that money that isn't spent to fund colleges via athletics is not put back into the education system in one way or another, it could present challenges to our country's economy going forward due to the lack of investment in education.

Its been about 30 years since I have studied this.  Back then when I wrote a paper for my econometrics class there was a strong correlation between government spending on education and the countries GDP.  I suspect it is still as strong, but I have not taken the time to do the research.

[MysticRhythms]

One of the ways the colleges will offset the lost revenue from sports is by raising tuition.
The school my son attends just announced a 2.4% tuition increase in spite of moving to almost 100% distance learning.
2.4% won't cover the millions lost from athletics but there will also be cuts and cost savings due to not having students on campus.

[pmillen]

One of the ways the colleges will offset the lost revenue from sports is by raising tuition.

This subject is extremely interesting to me.  I'd like to know more...

• What university are you referring to?
• How has the sports-generated revenue been distributed?
• What percent of the sports-generated revenue was used to keep tuition costs down?

[MysticRhythms]

I am referring to Eastern Washington University.
As far as how the sports funds are distributed I have no idea.
I am assuming that the tuition increase is in part due to the loss of revenue from sports. They may have planned to raise tuition regardless but I suspect that the lost revenue has to play in to the decision.
The school is saying that their costs have risen. Costs like maintenance, labor and utilities. All of those items should be costing less considering there aren't very many students on campus.

[pmillen]

I am referring to Eastern Washington University.
As far as how the sports funds are distributed I have no idea.

I asked because in many schools the only two sports that produce revenue are football and basketball, a few schools have profitable women's volleyball programs.  The money from those revenue-producing sports stays in the athletic department to pay salaries, facility costs, equipment, travel and such.  None of it ever reaches a budget where it could be considered to be helping keep the average student's costs down.

I was wondering if you knew of a school where some of the money does.

[Bar-B-Lew]

At a minimum the funds from those two sports contributes to keep costs down for some students in other sports programs that receive scholarships to go to college.

[pmillen]

None of it ever reaches a budget where it could be considered to be helping keep the average student's costs down.

So it appears that the average student might be helped financially if the university didn't use the profit to subsidize the non-profitable sports.