D1 school eliminates entire athletic department

[Da Coach]

St. Francis College of Brooklyn, NY, announces they are eliminating their entire athletic department at the end of this spring semester-

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2023/03/20/st-francis-college-brooklyn-eliminates-entire-athletic-program/11510364002/

Could this become a trend? They are in the Northeast Conference, the same conference as this season's BU opponents Stonehill and Merrimack.
Many of their basketball players have just entered the portal.

[Da Coach]

Statement from St. Francis College Director of Athletics-

https://twitter.com/SFBKTerriers/status/1637897665047404545

[Bradley8792]

Could this become a trend?

I’m surprised we haven’t seen more. St Francis College has an enrollment under 3000. I have to believe the cost of running a Div 1 athletic department is in the 10’s of millions. At the end of the day they are in the business of educating.

[Stryker]

I’m surprised we haven’t seen more. St Francis College has an enrollment under 3000. I have to believe the cost of running a Div 1 athletic department is in the 10’s of millions. At the end of the day they are in the business of educating.

I'm really surprised how many D1 schools are out there now. 15 years ago when I graduated I think there were about 330, now there are 357. I find it hard to believe so many small schools can handle the expenses involved in D1 athletics.

[64NIT]

I find it hard to believe so many small schools can handle the expenses involved in D1 athletics.

They definitely can't handle the expenses. That's why they've opted to travel the country as sacrificial lambs for the "big boys" during basketball season and collect nice paychecks. This is how their athletic departments are funded.

[molar50]

I wonder if they considered being a D3 program? I think the United States is the only country that has taxpayers subsidize sports in high schools and colleges. Europe has clubs that students can participate after school hours. Could you imagine if someone proposed to eliminate sport funding at Texas high schools? Football?

[Bball31]

Around 1984 multiple universities/conferences sued the NCAA for the right to negotiate their own TV broadcasting rights. The NCAA fought it. It went all the way to the Supreme Court and the NCAA lost the case. Since then colleges have made millions from the televising of basketball and football. The NCAA has cashed in and made billions from televising the NCAA Tournament. Schools such as St.Francis College have tried to cash in on the money involved with college basketball and the NCAA Tournament. Some schools make it and some schools don’t. The only reason there are so many D1 basketball programs is because of the potential windfall of revenue. It wasn’t many years ago and BCS schools broke away from the NCAA and started their own Bowl playoff system. That’s why we don’t see the NCAA logo on football fields where BCS bowls are played. There is plenty of money to be made by all. Coaches getting paid hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Schools making money to improve athletic facilities or subsidize other sports and the general education fund in some cases. Let’s don’t forget the billions the NCAA is making through advertising, television rights, apparel, tickets and more. I know people that don’t think it’s right that players, the ones that we watch, are now being compensated. I think the players are finally getting what they have deserved for years. No other business could operate like the NCAA has for years and gotten away with it. Yes, they are students and they are athletes. The “student athlete” phrase was developed by NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers and a group of NCAA attorneys in an effort to keep athletes from being paid or being able to be compensated for injury. Some now leave for better opportunities. Just as coaches, ADs, school Presidents, professors and others have done for decades. Last year I did not like it when Terry Roberts transferred to Georgia. Looking back, it didn’t bother me at all when Nate Wells left Bradley to go to Drake. At that time is was alright for a not so good player to transfer but not a good player. Perhaps my thinking was hypocritical

[Da Coach]

Just one correction....
Nate Wells did not transfer to Drake. He spent 4 years at Bradley (2011-2015), redshirted his first year, and played 3 seasons 2012-15. He graduated from BU and transferred to Ball State and played 2015-16 there as a grad-transfer-

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/nate-wells-1.html

Looks like he goes by Nathan Wells now-

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-wells-391781a6

[Bball31]

Just one correction....
Nate Wells did not transfer to Drake. He spent 4 years at Bradley (2011-2015), redshirted his first year, and played 3 seasons 2012-15. He graduated from BU and transferred to Ball State and played 2015-16 there as a grad-transfer-

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/nate-wells-1.html

Looks like he goes by Nathan Wells now-
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-wells-391781a6

That is correct…my mistake.

[Stryker]

Around 1984 multiple universities/conferences sued the NCAA for the right to negotiate their own TV broadcasting rights. The NCAA fought it. It went all the way to the Supreme Court and the NCAA lost the case. Since then colleges have made millions from the televising of basketball and football. The NCAA has cashed in and made billions from televising the NCAA Tournament. Schools such as St.Francis College have tried to cash in on the money involved with college basketball and the NCAA Tournament. Some schools make it and some schools don’t. The only reason there are so many D1 basketball programs is because of the potential windfall of revenue. It wasn’t many years ago and BCS schools broke away from the NCAA and started their own Bowl playoff system. That’s why we don’t see the NCAA logo on football fields where BCS bowls are played. There is plenty of money to be made by all. Coaches getting paid hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Schools making money to improve athletic facilities or subsidize other sports and the general education fund in some cases. Let’s don’t forget the billions the NCAA is making through advertising, television rights, apparel, tickets and more. I know people that don’t think it’s right that players, the ones that we watch, are now being compensated. I think the players are finally getting what they have deserved for years. No other business could operate like the NCAA has for years and gotten away with it. Yes, they are students and they are athletes. The “student athlete” phrase was developed by NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers and a group of NCAA attorneys in an effort to keep athletes from being paid or being able to be compensated for injury. Some now leave for better opportunities. Just as coaches, ADs, school Presidents, professors and others have done for decades. Last year I did not like it when Terry Roberts transferred to Georgia. Looking back, it didn’t bother me at all when Nate Wells left Bradley to go to Drake. At that time is was alright for a not so good player to transfer but not a good player. Perhaps my thinking was hypocritical

You have a good point. I have never seen someone present a solid argument as to why players shouldn't have a right to their labor above and beyond the scholarship they receive. When a player like Zion Williamson or Cam Newton attend a school, you know they are making millions upon millions for that school and they see nothing (officially anyway). The only arguments I hear are that the scholarship is worth it, or the sport is being ruined. Pretty poor arguments imo.

It would be better if the system had transitioned into a minor league or club system not tied to the schools etc. Some other entire system would have been more fair for the players, but that isn't what we have.

Also, I have no idea what the NCAA does with all the money it makes. Does anyone know?

[Da Coach]

.... Also, I have no idea what the NCAA does with all the money it makes. Does anyone know?

Nearly all of it, minus expenses and employee costs, is distributed back to the member schools and conferences. But their model for distribution heavily favors the big schools. It is based on TV appearances, and appearances and games won in the NCAA Tournament.

[Bball31]

You have a good point. I have never seen someone present a solid argument as to why players shouldn't have a right to their labor above and beyond the scholarship they receive. When a player like Zion Williamson or Cam Newton attend a school, you know they are making millions upon millions for that school and they see nothing (officially anyway). The only arguments I hear are that the scholarship is worth it, or the sport is being ruined. Pretty poor arguments imo.

It would be better if the system had transitioned into a minor league or club system not tied to the schools etc. Some other entire system would have been more fair for the players, but that isn't what we have.

Also, I have no idea what the NCAA does with all the money it makes. Does anyone know?

A large portion of NCAA revenue goes to salaries, attorneys and lobbyists. They pay very little if any in taxes. I believe the NCAA should mandate that each school receives the same amount of money to be given to players and also provide that funding. I’m sure this would be challenged in court. We are witnessing a mess that has been created by university Presidents and the NCAA. Everyone wants to blame the Power 5 schools and the NCAA. There are far more non Power 5 schools in the NCAA and the Presidents of those non Power 5 schools need to get a little backbone and get a handle on the money. That won’t be easy because those very Presidents are making tremendous salaries of which much part of it more than likely comes from basketball and football.

[Fetz86]

The big schools have the power because they bring in the money. Their attitude is that smaller schools should consider themselves lucky they get anything, and if the they don't like it the big schools can leave the NCAA at any time and make their own organization. Which is really something I think is inevitable in the next 20 years. If realignment continues and we end up with a Power 2 after the next round of tv deals are negotiated I think we see the Big 10 and SEC make their own organization and leave the NCAA. 20-24 teams each and basically North and South conferences that play each other for a championship.

[Bball31]

The big schools have the power because they bring in the money. Their attitude is that smaller schools should consider themselves lucky they get anything, and if the they don't like it the big schools can leave the NCAA at any time and make their own organization. Which is really something I think is inevitable in the next 20 years. If realignment continues and we end up with a Power 2 after the next round of tv deals are negotiated I think we see the Big 10 and SEC make their own organization and leave the NCAA. 20-24 teams each and basically North and South conferences that play each other for a championship.

There are around 350 schools in NCAA D1 basketball. Of that number on around 65 are in Power 5 conferences. There are roughly 285 non Power 5 schools. There may be more money in the Power 5 schools, but the numbers are on the side of the non Power 5 conferences. That is why I say the non Power 5 school Presidents need to get a little backbone and stand up to the financial conditions and rules that favor the Power 5 conferences. I doubt that will happen. It's easier to make yourself a victim of circumstances or remain silent.

[Da Coach]

Yes, the non-power conferences and teams do outnumber the big boys. But, if the Power 5 or 6 conference teams don't get their way, they will just leave the NCAA and set up their own BCS-type organization to rule over college basketball. They did it for football with great success and they are reaping billions in revenue from it, while the non-BCS schools get almost nothing. I'm surprised they haven't already done it for basketball.