Can't believe there is no thread. Let's get the discussion going:
https://herosports.com/fcs-playoffs-...ew-model-bzbz/
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Can't believe there is no thread. Let's get the discussion going:
https://herosports.com/fcs-playoffs-...ew-model-bzbz/
My gut tells me this isn't a good thing...if they are looking to make more money...where does that come from? The consumer. Somehow I see this costing more for fans. Championship tickets are already going for too much.Quote:
Originally Posted by THEsocalledfan
Schools could already increase revenue by putting better teams on the field which should lead to higher ticket sales.
Sam Herder does have an extended conversation about the plusses and minuses in his podcast this week. Couple things that struck me were pointing out recent premuim matchup playoff ratings have been higher than low tier bowl games. Also, the addition of the Ivy League, love them or hate them, adds real brand names to the mix. Also interesting discussion of what happens when their alumni see how far behind they are...... So, if you have a real cash infusion, what does that do? Does it make teams invest more? Some of that seemed pie in the sky, but enjoyed the discussion.Quote:
Originally Posted by TransAmBison
Funniest negative they discussed was if Florsports wanted to buy all the TV rights......I doubt they'd have the money needed, but made me laugh. But, why can't a semi-final game carry some branding like "The FCS semi-final game brought to you by Sprite." If the ratings are good, isn't that a better investment than garbage bowls? Very good discussion. I'm not sure what to think, other than they should hear out the proposal, then do due diligence and saying no is okay.
Media deals. Right now the FCS playoffs is part of a package of 20-something NCAA Championships for which ESPN is paying over $100M a year for. The NCAA makes hosts schools pay to host FCS playoff games (even if you're the higher seed you're required to submit a minimum bid to host) under the premise that the FCS playoffs lose money because they do if you don't include the money from the media deal.Quote:
Originally Posted by TransAmBison
What would that FCS playoffs media deal be worth? I don't know but I suspect it would allow for the minimum bid stuff to go away and perhaps even allow you to seed the entire field. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing but I could see it being advantageous to the subdivision under certain circumstances.
If Sprite buys it I'm out.Quote:
Originally Posted by THEsocalledfan
Flosports is awful...I agree that is a negative. Interesting idea on the branding...that may be something.
People get upset about seeding/who gets in now, wait til they see it with a new entity.
Privatization could easily mean whoever controls it gets to decide who plays who and where ...Quote:
Originally Posted by ndsubison1
Agreed. 2 things hit my brain listening to it thinking if I'm the private entity:Quote:
Originally Posted by ndsubison1
1. I would want a smaller field; that unecessarily increases expenses. I think you'd have to take away some auto-bids and imagine the howling over that.
2. You'd want your games at revenue generating sites. Thus, how would that affect seeding/locations for games?
Just interesting thoughts.
No different than what the FBS is doing right now.
Feels like the final end of the NCAA. This would be bad because the NCAA TV deal is the only reason we get a prime time spot for the National Championship. Would this private group be guaranteed a good TV spot? I doubt it.
This could be a win for the bottom part of the FCS who don't get seeded and an exposure loss for the big dogs... maybe with a better cash payout but worse exposure.
A smaller field reduces the number of games (and number of weekends you can have games) which could limit the media deal and I think you'd have a hard time gaining support to approve this if it meant eliminating autobids. I don't think ticket revenue is where the missing dollars are at in the FCS Playoffs - it's the media deal.Quote:
Originally Posted by THEsocalledfan
Ironically enough in response to this news there are some SOCON fans on AGS arguing that there are too many at-large bids in the playoffs and that it should be contracted and weighted more towards conference champions.
More details on this proposal: https://frontofficesports.com/fcs-pr...quity-playoff/
Quote:
According to the proposal, the new playoff would be run by a new private entity. FCS conferences would own the majority of the new entity, but Sequence Equity would take a minority stake and offer “tens of millions of dollars in investment,” the source said.
They will just sanction the games just as they do now with the FBS and its bowl games and playoffs.Quote:
Originally Posted by HerdBot
Very intriguing. I don't know exactly how they can monetize the FCS more without it being passed onto the fans. A vast majority of college football fans already don't care that much about FCS football and that's backed up with lousy attendance and support. Best case speculation is can this get to a point where it would encourage teams to drop down a level? Realist in me says no, but one can hope.
The FCS playoffs is the gem of the TV deal that the NCAA has with ESPN. What else pulls ratings like it?Quote:
Originally Posted by HerdBot
A little off topic here, but why doesn't Fargo bid to host the Championship game?
I heard it was because the crooked yard lines on our turf disqualified us.Quote:
Originally Posted by NI4NI
Probably shouldQuote:
Originally Posted by KSBisonFan
NDSU has been Subsidizing the FCS for 15 years now!!!
NDSU has been Subsidizing the MVFC for 15 years now!!
Why Does NDSU allow itself to be used like this........ Every FCS team FUNDRAISES OFF OF NDSU!!!
TIME TO END THIS & GO
I'm skeptical that a bunch of McKinzie wannabe douche bros can run anything.
To me, the value in the media if probably once you hit round of 16; so many garbage games that probably garner very few viewers, however, you surely right that the money is in media.Quote:
Originally Posted by Professor Chaos
Quote:
Originally Posted by marenlee
That was the pie in the sky take on Sam's podcast. I'm guessing unlikely as well, however, the chance is also probalby more than the 0 it is now.
If teams got to keep more home gate ~ that might move the needle of teams moving down.
What percentage of revenue do teams keep of home games?
In the current format FCS teams get 25% of the net gate receipts (which should be ticket revenue minus expenses). I've heard fans (and maybe even admins) at some schools be adamant that they lose money hosting in the FCS playoffs but I think that's only the case if they overbid to host (which isn't really necessary anymore since the higher seed always hosts if they make the minimum bid) or if the total net gate receipts doesn't meet the minimum bids for each round - which I believe starts at $20k for a first-round playoff game and goes up $10k per round until it's $50k for a semifinal game. Host schools are required to send 75% of the net gate receipts to the NCAA or the minimum bid amount - whichever is higher.Quote:
Originally Posted by blackdiamond2
cuz January in Fargo is not very niceQuote:
Originally Posted by NI4NI
You serious Clark?Quote:
Originally Posted by NI4NI
AbsofreakinglutelyQuote:
Originally Posted by 56BISON73
Do they take the roof off the dome for winter or something?
No, just more schnapps in the hot chocolate. (or less hot chocolate in the schnapps)Quote:
Originally Posted by scottietohottie
And what makes Fargo a destination game in the winter. Hell what makes Fargo a destination game anytime of the year?Quote:
Originally Posted by NI4NI
Chub's Pub, obviously.Quote:
Originally Posted by 56BISON73
You make it an experience. Celebrate the cold. Market it. Remember when Minneapolistan hosted the Superbowl?Quote:
Originally Posted by 56BISON73
Ask an AI of your choice what is the worst that could happen if you let a PE firm take over running your kid's lemonade stand.
In the end, the one thing that all the AI's should agree on is that you end up losing your house and all the equity you put in it, but only after a long, painful series of events that involves useless, be-vested twats milling around in your front yard screeching at each other about how successful they are like the spawn of a peacock demon and a Real Housewife, a mountain of rotting lemon peels and industrial waste appearing in your front yard, Lemmonadeᵀᴹ-related poisonings somehow getting pinned on you, and your kid disappearing one day to be replaced by a knockoff Yamasaki HP50-20-NX100 manufactured in North Korea out of washing machine parts that Russian soldiers looted from the Chernobyl site.
And that's one of the better case scenarios.
Finance Bro Clothing | Premium Apparel for Modern Finance Pros
You missed that the maintenance of the stand and equipment will stop happening. (Direct personal experience.)Quote:
Originally Posted by tony
You know, I consulted for a PE firm here in Mpls for four years right at the end of my career. I never once saw any of them screeching at each other. Not one time.Quote:
Originally Posted by tony
So I did ask the clanker. Here is what ChatGPT said:
Worst case:
Quote:
That’s a fun thought experiment — let’s walk it out. If a private equity (PE) firm took over your child’s lemonade stand, the “worst-case” scenario might look like this:
1. Over-leveraging the stand.
They borrow money to “grow aggressively,” saddling the stand with debt it can’t realistically pay back on 50˘ cups of lemonade.
2. Aggressive cost-cutting.
Fresh lemons are swapped for lemon-flavored powder, cups get flimsier, sugar gets cut with corn syrup. Quality tanks, but margins temporarily improve.
3. Over-expansion.
Suddenly, there are ten stands on your block, each charging franchise fees. Growth looks good on paper, but the neighborhood market for lemonade saturates quickly.
4. Employee squeeze.
If your child hired friends to help, they might get their “wages” slashed (no more free cookies or Pokémon cards), while management bonuses increase.
5. Brand hollowing.
What started as a cute neighborhood venture loses its charm. Instead of “Billy’s Lemonade,” it becomes “CitrusCorp™, a portfolio company of ThirstQuench Capital.” The neighbors stop buying because it feels soulless.
6. Exit strategy chaos.
The PE firm sells the stand (and its debt) to another buyer. When the bubble pops, your kid is left with no stand, no goodwill, and maybe even a bill for “consulting services.”
So in short: the stand could go from a fun summer project to a debt-laden corporate husk, stripped for parts and reputation ruined — all before recess is over.
and it offered a best case scenario for balance:
Quote:
Alright — let’s imagine the best-case version of a private equity takeover of your kid’s lemonade stand:
1. Capital infusion.
The PE firm gives your child a big cash boost to upgrade equipment: shiny new stand, professional juicers, branded cups, maybe even a Square reader for card payments.
2. Scaling smartly.
They help expand to multiple locations — soccer fields, parks, farmers’ markets — capturing untapped lemonade demand. Suddenly, it’s not just a stand, it’s a chain.
3. Operational efficiency.
Bulk lemon purchases from Costco, optimized sugar-to-water ratios, and logistics that ensure every stand is stocked on time. Costs go down, profits go up.
4. Professionalization.
Your child learns about marketing, finance, and supply chains. There’s a logo, a slogan, a social media campaign (“#WhenLifeGivesYouLemons”). It becomes a neighborhood brand.
5. Talent pipeline.
Neighborhood kids are hired, trained, and maybe even given performance bonuses. It looks great on college applications later.
6. Exit jackpot.
The PE firm positions the lemonade empire for acquisition by Nestlé or Coca-Cola. Your child walks away with a life-changing payout — say, enough to cover college tuition plus a head start on retirement.
So, in the rosiest outcome: your kid starts with a folding table and a pitcher, and ends up as a teen lemonade mogul with a crash course in business.
Ask it to name two nfl teams that don't end in the letter S eh.Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenfieldBison
browser is smoking...Quote:
Originally Posted by scottietohottie
You got catch them at, say, a Rangers hockey games or Financial District-adjacent restaurant, suffering from severe cases of imposter syndrome. Disclaimer: I have a friend who is a retired PE firm executive - I don't know what he was like back in his early days and have never worked with him, but he's pretty awesome now - James Bond could take lessons.Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenfieldBison
Also, I hadn't known about that Finance Bro apparel site until today, but it is really amusing. My favorite product so far: Bitcoin-scented candles.