When you build facilities on campus, it is never entirely privately funded. Its a long term committment of money and resources.

Fans have never jumped ship … I have decided you havent been here long. This is a very old story. You are watching something happen that I have watched probably four other times in the past.

I never mentioned ‘ditching’ anything.

Making money isnt the point … but by comparison they dont. The UofA basketball players (Olson) that have played in the NBA have earned somewhere between 600 and 900 million dollars – nearly one billion dollars. I think the UofA basketball program does 11 million a year.

Hog tie? If any coach had one check bounce from their seven figure incomes – whey would walk. Here is reality in the big time – get seven figures … perform. Tell you what … any coach that doesnt perform and receives seven figures – YOU pay them.

This is a land grant university. That means something. Football (and basketball etc) is inconsequential and not the point of a land grand university.

Its a broader question going more to the entire history of Arizona football.

What is the problem? Facilities or academic entrance requirements or locale or … maybe its athletic directors. Do we know? Has anyone presented a clear and convincing explanation of the problem and the fixes?

Sorry … its not about Stoops or the players.

We are about to spend nearly one half billion dollars. I think we need to take a look. How will we feel about spending half billion dollars for a program that performs like this? Why do I say that? Wouldnt it be nice to say … a team that has accomplished so much deserves better facilities … instead of … maybe if we throw money at the problem it will get better.

Remember, there is no taking it back. If they move forward – and they will – we will eat it one way or the other – with or without a rose bowl.

Maybe a performance requirement should be established first. The football team must enter a period in which it has won fifty percent more games than it has lost before being eligible for major facility upgrades. (But then it would never happen I suppose)

Are there alternatives? For example an academic exemption for football players might prove more productive than half billion bucks of new plumbing.

Basketball performs … a small portion of that money will get the football team out of McKale. The productive basketball program deserves that. (As do so many other programs)

And how do we protect the University itself for any negative consequences? Like what? How about a nationally ranked (academically) university getting a black eye on national TV over a football game?

Game day truthfully was a Dooms Day for the UofA in many ways.

In addition, am I the only one that gets chills thinking about a Livengood plan costing half billion dollars? Oh my god!

How do we avoid this future … Arizona loses a close one again and their reputation as an instution takes another hit … but their new half billion dollar digs look great.

You put half billion dollars in space sciences and you get rovers on mars (if its on mars the info comes through the UofA).

If you spend half billion dollars on a non-perform (historically) football program ….

… what do you get?

(sorry, dont mean to be a downer. But this is folding money and will effect the UofA’s future in general).

A lot will turn on the Ducks-Beavers and the Wildcats-Trojans games.

Let’s assume that the Ducks win out and own the Rose Bowl spot. All else being equal, I think most of the relevant bowl committees, including the Holiday, would try to get USC should it finish with only 3 losses.

If the Beavers win, the Ducks would get the Holiday spot, and the scramble becomes about the Sun Bowl, which again, would likely take SC if it could.

So, beat SC and the Wildcats could clinch at least 3rd and perhaps 2nd place. Lose to SC and be part of the scrum for the Pointsettia/Vegas/Emerald with Cal and Stanford.

Either way, a great chance to show off the Pac-10 against one of those other, lesser conferences.

JJ