If you had 1 Billion Dollars

[Mattymc727]

If you had 1 billion dollars, but could only spend it on NCAA football, what changes would you make?

What would you give to your team? What would you build?

What kind of conferences would you create?

What kind of TV deals would you set up?

So, as NCAA football as your sandbox, how would it look? You can include all divisions.

[Mattymc727]

Id unite the old Yankee conference, and stick it in the FBS (Only because UConn and UMass wouldnt move down). Id poor money into UVM so they could bring a team back, same with Northeastern, BU.

I suppose it would look a lot like Hockey East without Notre Dame

UNH
UMaine
UVM
UConn
URI
UMass
BU
Northeastern
BC

Id pay whatever the school asked to join up the new conference.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

If you had 1 billion dollars, but could only spend it on NCAA football, what changes would you make?

What would you give to your team? What would you build?

What kind of conferences would you create?

What kind of TV deals would you set up?

So, as NCAA football as your sandbox, how would it look? You can include all divisions.

http://media.giphy.com/media/5hHy4i1YoiyIw/giphy-facebook_s.jpg

[344Johnson]

I'd go ahead and see how much NDSU would want to get an athletic building named after the family.

Rest would go to Notre Dame to not join a conference.

[OSBF]

1) Finish the "horseshoe" phase of stadium renovations at Hancock


2)Build an on-campus stadium at InSU and hire them folks a bigtime coach, they've suffered long enough


3)Buy Penn ST, push the whole thing in a hole, and burn it, hopefully, with most of the admins, boosters, and donors somewhere in the pile of rubble

[BEAR]

1. I'd go fund baseball players to have full ride schollys.

2. I'd get that striped turf replaced.

3. I'd make sure EVERY student athlete at my school had a full ride scholly.

4. I'd buy "BEAR FORCE ONE", a large commercial jet for away games.

5. I'd make admission free to all athletic events for Conway residents.

6. Tailgating would EXPLODE! with fireworks that is!

[Smitty]

Since WCU's stadium is considered as one of the top stadiums in the country, there isn't much I can do. So I would probably sponsor a trash can or something...

[BluBengal07]

JSU Football


budget increase of 75% to hire full quality staff, support staff and GAs. plus broadcasting and marketing (football will be focused, but overlaps all JSU sports)
full scholarships for active player roster. if injuries during the season, scholarship remains active.
go on and take care of that dome dream JSU hadxrotatehx and help secure 3 years of entertainment acts in there to support year-round usage.
build a IDPF, similar to YSU with weight room and nutrition & med support center (football will be focused, but serves all JSU sports) family naming rights
football dormitory with a nutritional cafe. (maybe just near the IDPF)
a new charter bus, like a MegaBus.
setup an agreement with Shell gasoline(or similar) on reduced gas cost or a set rate for 5 years. (football will be focused, but serves all JSU sports)
an independent uniform agreement for 5 years. (nike, UA, Adidas, etc) (football will be focused, but serves all JSU sports)
not JSU. support other SWACs on improving their practice conditions, like fields and equipment
not JSU. build UTSA a football stadium on campus.

[Mattymc727]

Nobody wants to change conferences around? Obviously supporting your school would be priority, but creating conferences that should exist but dont because of money issues would be fun.

[frozennorth]

I'd be on the conference building front. Move ndsu sdsu uni isu msu isu and ysu to fbs, add cincy and niu.

New stadiums would be required at a couple places.

[Fordham]

http://media.giphy.com/media/5hHy4i1YoiyIw/giphy-facebook_s.jpg

hilarious.

my money would clearly go into all facilities as well as endowing the coaching staff and scholarship spots.

[centennial]

A new FBS conference would be fun; Great North Conference-
Montana
Montana State
NDSU
SDSU
UNI
Illinois State
Southern Illinois
Missouri State
Grand Valley State
Idaho
New Mexico State
Other members we could possibly get-
Wyoming
Air Force
Northern Illinois

[Pinnum]

$1BN would payout roughly $30MM from the typical University Endowment. Figuring an average of $30k a year for the typical FCS school's scholarship you could fund the education for 1k students. If you split it up by 20 schools each school could fund roughly 50 scholarships. (Would go much further at state schools with low tuition rates.)

Since I have to spend it on FCS Football (schools), I would make the donations to the MEAC/SWAC schools with the stipulation that they go non-scholarship and the previous football scholarships, as well as my donation be used in the general scholarship fund to attract students to the campus. Would also advocate for the continuation of the bowls and a HBCU centric football system (which would allow the teams to all be competitive with one another without scholarships).

Should the SWAC/MEAC schools turn down the money (not likely) I would:

-Fund the following schools move to Division-I while sponsoring FCS Pioneer League Football with operational endowments: American International, Azusa Pacific, Cal Baptist, Ouachita Baptist, Indianapolis, Maryville, Simon Fraser, Shorter, St Cloud State, & Upper Iowa. (Roughly $250MM which would preserve the school's current sport offerings at the D1 level and allow the sports to be competitive)

-Purchase 15 years of airtime for the Pioneer Football League's new Championship game on a broadcast network (NBC/CBS/ABC) in primetime.

-Offer every current FCS program the option of moving to the Pioneer Football League with a 20 year non-scholarship football commitment.

-The remaining funds would be allocated evenly, based on a per pupil basis, between all of the new Pioneer Football League member schools' general scholarship funds.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

I guess I'd do some things mentioned already for UM but mainly it would probably have more to do with creating a network and the infrastructure at each FCS school to broadcast via the net each and every game.

Alpha would be very busy for a while with this project.

I'd also probably fund the Pied Piper guys and implore them to get their project done so I can utilize it for my project. Plus I'd hire Erlich Bachman to run this with Alpha because I'd never stop laughing.


http://core0.staticworld.net/images/article/2014/05/silicon_valley_7_bachman-100268396-large.jpg

[Daytripper]

1. Upgrade Bowers. I don't want to increase the size or seating. Just trick it out.
2. Set up an endowment to allow all athletes to attend summer school.
3. Build an on campus bowling alley.
4. Buy a new inflatable helmet.
5. Buy out Bobby Williams' contract and hire myself as AD and pay myself a nice salary.


OH, and....

http://media.giphy.com/media/JhVEJ0t4jQ5Uc/giphy.gif

[taper]

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances/

Revenue and expenses for most(don't think all?) D1 schools.

For those saying taking multiple or even 1 school FBS, compare your annual expenses with the $43M Boise St spends. How far does that $30M/year another poster has get you? How about the $100M+/year the top programs spend? You're wiped out in a decade. 1 billion really doesn't go that far at this level.

[FargoBison]

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances/

Revenue and expenses for most(don't think all?) D1 schools.

For those saying taking multiple or even 1 school FBS, compare your annual expenses with the $43M Boise St spends. How far does that $30M/year another poster has get you? How about the $100M+/year the top programs spend? You're wiped out in a decade. 1 billion really doesn't go that far at this level.

If you are an NDSU or Montana it would be easy.

For NDSU build a 33k seat retractable roof stadium with suites and club seating...it would be a revenue generating machine for the program. Then put whatever is left over(probably $500 million+) in an endowment and the program is set for a long time.

[HailSzczur]

1. Buy the more of Radnor Township (marked in red below)

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20716&stc=1

2. Demolish current athletic facilities

3. Build premier basketball stadium on site of current Pavilion/Jake Nevin Field House/Villanova Stadium footprint. Capacity ~10,500

4. Build 30,000 seat football stadium (with option to expand) in red area, with rest of room for tailgate lots.

5. Put one of them nice football houses with a good weight room, film room, etc in the end zone

6. Join the ACC. We'll kick BC out

7. If there's money left, take the Prez and AD of Georgetown out for a nice dinner and convince them to follow our plans and replace Wake in the ACC

[catamount man]

WCU would never lose a football game again if I had $1 billion. GO CATS!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

With my $1B I'd open up the bidding to neutral sites to sponsor the NCAA FCS Semis, promising a conference and school share-type concept to reward the teams that qualified. Large travel parties for qualifying schools would have all their costs covered. With the semis and FCSNCG now a BiggerFD, I go back to ESPN and say, "well, Fox really wants these expanded playoffs with more at stake... we're ready to walk if necessary. Whichever happens the TV contract for the playoff gets lots more money and more exposure. With the expanded coverage, Nike pledges millions to be the official sponsor of the FCS playoffs.

Seeing dollar signs, the SWAC and MEAC see the error of their ways and join this new playoff structure, while the Ivy League, not wanting to be the only conference left out, joins as well. Suddenly, old, tired arguments along the lines of "the Bayou Classic won't do as well the week before Thanksgiving" and "football players can't miss classes for the postseason" get relegated to the dustbin of history, and we finally have an FCS playoff system that accommodates everyone.

The only question is what to do with the other $500 Million. Perhaps there will be enough to subsidize all the travel parties and their families for the first few rounds of the playoffs, I'm not sure, thus putting the bidding process to the dustbin of history as well. With that, seeding all the playoff participants 1-24 seems like a reasonable next step.

[UAalum72]

while the Ivy League, not wanting to be the only conference left out, joins as well.
Nah, the IL says this only shows that they're right and everybody else is wrong.

[CasualFan]

Every year until the money runs out:

Each team reaching the playoffs gets a $1,000,000 check.
For each playoff win, they get another $1,000,000 check.

[unigriff]

A new FBS conference would be fun; Great North Conference-
Montana
Montana State
NDSU
SDSU
UNI
Illinois State
Southern Illinois
Missouri State
Grand Valley State
Idaho
New Mexico State
Other members we could possibly get-
Wyoming
Air Force
Northern Illinois

MVFC teams don't want cellar dwellers in wyoming, GVS, and NMSU

[Pinnum]

If you are an NDSU or Montana it would be easy.

For NDSU build a 33k seat retractable roof stadium with suites and club seating...it would be a revenue generating machine for the program. Then put whatever is left over(probably $500 million+) in an endowment and the program is set for a long time.

You think a new 33k seat stadium would generate over $25MM a year in revenue for the program?

[FargoBison]

You think a new 33k seat stadium would generate over $25MM a year in revenue for the program?

I never said that it would...probably more like $12-18 million if you could fill it. Of course the other component would be a $500 million endowment. I think the program could get by on that.

[344Johnson]

I never said that it would...probably more like $12-18 million if you could fill it. Of course the other component would be a $500 million endowment. I think the program could get by on that.

Chances of filling it.... Unfortunately not very good without FBS.

[Go...gate]

1) Fund 60 football scholarships (with AI) at Georgetown and all other PL schools;

2) Fund the renovation/completion of any PL football stadia in need of same (Georgetown, Fordham and Colgate come to mind);

3) Safely bank or invest the remainder of the money as an endowment for conference football.

Everybody will have scholarships and good facilities - it is up to them from there to figure out how to succeed.

[Missingnumber7]

WCU would never lose a football game again if I had $1 billion. GO CATS!

Bold strategy paying off the refs.

[Missingnumber7]

Facilities upgrade for NDSU...across the board...whatever's left...nah...everything for facilities.

[bjtheflamesfan]

Oh this is gonna be fun...

If I had $1 Billion...

Liberty

Finish the final two phases of the football stadium expansion
Buy the mall and build a multipurpose basketball arena and convention center as well as triple the facilities and available technology for LFSN
build an arena and adjoining facilities for women's volleyball
Reinstate Wrestling as an NCAA sport as well as make men's hockey an NCAA sport (while adding women's bowling and women's hockey as well)
Build an Olympic quality natatorium for swimming and establish men's and women's water polo

Conference realignment
Gonna have to think about that one

[CHIP72]

1) Realign Division I-A such that the conferences (or pseudo-conferences) that existed in the 1980s - with some 1990s and early 2000s modifications and some special CHIP72 modifications - would exist again to ensure long-time rivalries are preserved. For example, the renewed and realigned Big East conference would include the following schools: Boston College, Connecticut (probably), Maryland, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and either Massachusetts or Buffalo (or possibly Notre Dame). The Big Ten would have its long-time ten members. The Big 12 would have its original 12 members. The Pac-10 would be the Pac-10 again. Utah and Brigham Young would be in the same conference again. You get the general idea.

2) Reduce the maximum number of regular season games in all NCAA divisions and NAIA to 11 games.

3) Increase the number of Division I-A playoff participants to 16 teams, ensure all Division I-A conference champions get an automatic bid to the playoffs, and allow higher seeded teams at a minimum to host 1st round and quarterfinal playoff games (and possibly semifinal games).

4) Create pre-slotted bowl games for the eight teams that lose in the first round Division I-A playoffs (and depending on the schedule, the quarterfinal playoff losers as well).

5) Play the Division I-A championship game on either the Saturday during the weekend between the NFL conference championship games and Super Bowl or the Saturday (day before) the Super Bowl.

6) Excluding the playoff loser bowl games and playoff games themselves, reduce the number of bowl games to 12 games (i.e. 40 postseason teams - 16 in the playoffs, 24 in non-playoff bowls).

7) Eliminate conference slotting for non-playoff bowl games, but give those bowls rankings slots where they can select from a range of teams that fall within a certain power ranking (or require bowls to choose higher ranked, low profile teams if those teams are passed over by higher-tier bowl games).

8) Force Ivy League programs to allow a limited number of athletic or partial athletic scholarships for academically qualifying players, require Ivy League teams to play mostly regional opponents in Division I-AA athletic scholarship leagues in their non-conference schedules, and require Ivy League champions to participate in the Division I-AA playoffs. Additionally, require Ivy League programs to schedule 11 regular season games.

9) Realign the Division II playoffs so that a) 32 teams participate, b) Earned Access is eliminated and conference champions earn automatic bids, and c) the playoffs are less regional in nature.

10) Expand the Division III playoffs to at least 48 teams and possibly 64 teams. (There are A LOT of Division III teams, actually many more than there are in the higher level classifications.)

11) Ensure all Division I-A games are on TV and available for free streaming, and ensure all Division I-AA and Division II games are available for free streaming (with some also being televised).

12) Ensure Temple upgrades their facilities and academic budget such that they become much more popular in the Philadelphia market. Also require the Philadelphia Eagles to not raise Temple's rent at Lincoln Financial Field. (Temple IMO should NOT try to build an on-campus stadium in the middle of north Philadelphia with poor access for most fans.)

13) Ensure Temple plays Villanova every year, and that Villanova plays Penn every year.

14) Make sure Lehigh/Lafayette moves to a larger neutral site on a 10 year cycle but does not alter the rotation of non-neutral games in the series. (Last year's Lehigh/Lafayette 150 game at Yankee Stadium was technically a Lafayette home game; however, Lehigh hosted 149 and will host 151, which IMO isn't fair to Lafayette.)

I might think of a few others.

[SFA 93]

Build a stadium for track and field only, getting rid of the track around Homer Bryce Stadium bringing the seating closer to the field, covered concessions, new state of the art jumbo video and sound board.

[65 Pard]

$25 Million to each Ivy endowment fund for having LC, LU, Bucknell and Colgate join the Ivy League and allow playoff appearances.

Realign schedules to promote regional rivalries.

$25 Million to FCS to guarantee Ivy champ and one at large Ivy in tournament.

$20 million to renovate Franklin Field and make it the Championship Playoff site.

Sponsor the championship game on ABC as well as the Rivalry.

[Go...gate]

$25 Million to each Ivy endowment fund for having LC, LU, Bucknell and Colgate join the Ivy League and allow playoff appearances.

Realign schedules to promote regional rivalries.

$25 Million to FCS to guarantee Ivy champ and one at large Ivy in tournament.

$20 million to renovate Franklin Field and make it the Championship Playoff site.

Sponsor the championship game on ABC as well as the Rivalry.

xthumbsupx

[taper]

$25 Million to FCS to guarantee Ivy champ and one at large Ivy in tournament.

It's widely assumed an autobid is available for the Ivy if they ever choose to use it, which I fully support. No money needed there.

I am absolutely against paying to guarantee an at large. Completely against what playoffs are for.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

If you had $1 billion dollars you'd still still be about $22.9 billion short of Yale's endowment.

[AmsterBison]

Edited original post.

Arrange for temporary seating in Frisco.

Create a free archive of all past Bison game film.

[Hammerhead]

New stadium with retractable roof and also has the ability to add more seats if they are needed in the future.