Leveling the playing field with the SEC

[HuskerShark]

Its gonna be The Ohio State Buckeyes vs Bama or Georgia Bulldawgs in the big game next year!!

 

If you're willing to put a wager on it, I would be willing to bet you that tOSU will not be in the NC game.

[clyde40]

The only part where population plays a factor is that at least in my area, schools are small enough that athletes are three sport athletes. A football player is going to also play basketball/wrestling and run track in the spring. Spring ball would need to be maybe the first two weeks after school is out in the Spring.

The thing is when you're in high school football is still an extra cirricular activity. I had to stop playing after my sophomore year because we started weights and summer training right after Memorial Day. My parents made me have a job in the summer which didn't allow me to go four days a week and I never got to play. I say outlaw spring football everywhere instead of spreading it but I'm one of very few with that opinion.

[BigRedBuster]

Hey...i would love that. But, no one body has control all hs sports nation wide. That is a nice thought but not realistic.

[strigori]

I agree.

 

I have kids in school sports right now. Every single sport other than football has a club sport season along with the school season. If you are in basketball, you can play basketball year round in Nebraska. If you are in volleyball, you can play volleyball year round. Football? The amount of time that kid spends developing his skills is no where CLOSE to what it is in other sports.

 

What is the argument against allowing spring ball? I am actually friends with our HS AD who is the President of NSAA (head of Nebraska school activities). I'm going to ask him that question.

Damon Benning talked about this awhile back on the morning show. He was saying it is mostly politics with the coaches of the spring sports who don't want to lose a week or two of the best players from their sports.

[Notre Dame Joe]

Hey...i would love that. But, no one body has control all hs sports nation wide. That is a nice thought but not realistic.

 

The trend is something resembling Russian gymnastics, meaning we'll soon make 6 year olds decide if they want to play football all year round 6 days a week.

 

EDIT: those girls do get one day off to eat solid food right?

[clyde40]

Hey...i would love that. But, no one body has control all hs sports nation wide. That is a nice thought but not realistic.

I hate that it's becoming a full time job even for high school students.

[NoLongerN]

Two things will level the playing field.

 

1) Over signing as mentioned above.

 

2) More development of the HS football programs in the north. Players coming out of HS in the south are head and shoulders above the ones coming out of HS up north. Those kids now realize they can stay close to home and play football at top programs and don't need to go to Nebraska, Michigan or OSU.

 

The SEC has found a way to develop the talent very early and keep it all to themselves by over signing and making promises to them coming out of HS that they never intend to keep. Oh...and...let's remember, Cam didn't know his father was paid $180,000.

 

That $180K ... do notice that no $EC coach made an issue with it. In other words, "Your hand was caught in the cookie jar. Mine is in there as well but I will turn the check as long as you don't call me it. Go $EC!"

[BigRedBuster]

Hey...i would love that. But, no one body has control all hs sports nation wide. That is a nice thought but not realistic.

I hate that it's becoming a full time job even for high school students.

 

I don't like it either. I have two girls who play VB and its amazing the time they put into it year round. BUT, Pandora's box is opened on the issue in football. Southern states are doing it and they are developing these kids. There isn't this genetic border at the Mason Dixon line that says all the God given talent is in the south and there isn't any up here. There are kids up here that could play if they are developed.

 

The South however are developing them and those kids want to stay at home to play.

[VectorVictor]

Ohio coaches are talking about adding spring football like southern schools. This is HUGE and I think other Big Ten states should follow suit to keep up.

 

You mean 7 on 7, or full 11-man football? The former is rampant all over Texass, and I recall that a bunch of midwest states were looking to adopt their own 7 on 7 spring/summer programs, including Nebraska and Ohio.

 

---

 

As for the NCAA and SEC not getting busted/shut down...it's all about ESPN and the television revenues.

 

Until another viable partner comes along to take ESPN's cabal-like control away from the bowl games and NCAA sports in general, ESPN will always be able to shield their most prized conference away from the NCAA--they control what is considered 'news', and they can spin whatever anti-SEC story may come out their way, and most of the populous will lap it up because they don't know better (and because there are few alternative outlets).

 

In short, until people man up and turn ESPN off, their influence will continue to put the SEC at the top and out of the NCAA's crosshairs.

[WoodyHayes1951]

I was assuming it was 11 man football. 10 sessions. I don't remember them mentioning 7 on 7 when I was reading up on it.

[Notre Dame Joe]

Ohio coaches are talking about adding spring football like southern schools. This is HUGE and I think other Big Ten states should follow suit to keep up.

 

You mean 7 on 7, or full 11-man football? The former is rampant all over Texass, and I recall that a bunch of midwest states were looking to adopt their own 7 on 7 spring/summer programs, including Nebraska and Ohio.

 

---

 

As for the NCAA and SEC not getting busted/shut down...it's all about ESPN and the television revenues.

 

Until another viable partner comes along to take ESPN's cabal-like control away from the bowl games and NCAA sports in general, ESPN will always be able to shield their most prized conference away from the NCAA--they control what is considered 'news', and they can spin whatever anti-SEC story may come out their way, and most of the populous will lap it up because they don't know better (and because there are few alternative outlets).

 

In short, until people man up and turn ESPN off, their influence will continue to put the SEC at the top and out of the NCAA's crosshairs.

 

ESPN doesn't have that much power. It was the virtually unknown Yahoo Sports that brought down Southern Cal.

[Count 'Bility]

Ohio coaches are talking about adding spring football like southern schools. This is HUGE and I think other Big Ten states should follow suit to keep up.

 

You mean 7 on 7, or full 11-man football? The former is rampant all over Texass, and I recall that a bunch of midwest states were looking to adopt their own 7 on 7 spring/summer programs, including Nebraska and Ohio.

 

---

 

As for the NCAA and SEC not getting busted/shut down...it's all about ESPN and the television revenues.

 

Until another viable partner comes along to take ESPN's cabal-like control away from the bowl games and NCAA sports in general, ESPN will always be able to shield their most prized conference away from the NCAA--they control what is considered 'news', and they can spin whatever anti-SEC story may come out their way, and most of the populous will lap it up because they don't know better (and because there are few alternative outlets).

 

In short, until people man up and turn ESPN off, their influence will continue to put the SEC at the top and out of the NCAA's crosshairs.

 

ESPN doesn't have that much power. It was the virtually unknown Yahoo Sports that brought down Southern Cal.

Yahoo Sports hired Lane Kiffin?

[QMany]

Have you guys ever played football in late October/November? It really isn't that big of a deal. The average temperature in Columbus during the month of November is 54 for the high and 32 for the low. For Lincoln the range is 51/28. That really isn't crippling football weather by any means. The fact of the matter is, the top SEC schools have better coaching and are deeper than most B1G teams. Depth and coaching will separate the good teams from the great teams.

 

You didn't attend the Iowa game I take it? That was crippling weather. Bring Florida up for that game.

 

When you are used to 70-90 degrees, 28 is about as crippling as I can imagine.

 

In the last three seasons, Florida has left the state only ELEVEN times.

[Count 'Bility]

Have you guys ever played football in late October/November? It really isn't that big of a deal. The average temperature in Columbus during the month of November is 54 for the high and 32 for the low. For Lincoln the range is 51/28. That really isn't crippling football weather by any means. The fact of the matter is, the top SEC schools have better coaching and are deeper than most B1G teams. Depth and coaching will separate the good teams from the great teams.

 

You didn't attend the Iowa game I take it? That was crippling weather. Bring Florida up for that game.

 

When you are used to 70-90 degrees, 28 is about as crippling as I can imagine.

 

In the last three seasons, Florida has left the state only ELEVEN times.

28 degrees is not that bad. Really. It's the wind chill and any sort of precipitation that can make it hell.