I think that something needs to be put on the table. The aggravation is too much. Do we belong in the SEC? Why don't we play where we can compete? Okay, bring up golf, tennis, bowling. Rice is not in the SEC and has done just fine in baseball. And there's no guarantee of any dominant continuity once Corbin steps down. Look where we were before.
Admissions standards are significantly more selective than our peers for both academics and athletics. And for academics it's in the stratosphere which in part correlates to a reduced interest in sports among students. Athletic expenditure priorities seem to be a 180. Generally recruit ratings are well below other SEC schools (throwing out a recent anomaly). Do we always want to be in the teens (13, 14)? And again, I'm mostly talking 'revenue' sports.
We have only six D-1 men's sports! Six for gods sake. Nine (I believe) for women. That's incredible. Find any other Power 5 (6) that has so few. Any other D-1 for that matter. Geez. Every D-III I know fields more teams for both men and women.
Our facilities are embarrassingly substandard. And 'substandard' is an overstatement.
Okay, but look at all the money we get and what about baseball? Where does the money go? Baseball is different. On average recruits tend to be more academically oriented the great majority of whom do NOT get full scholarship rides…or even half for that matter.
Vanderbilt is a school that should be winning and completing on a moderately equal plane. Not being stomped by schools where most of their athletes could not get in here. And have funds that dwarf ours. And have three to four times the undergraduates and alums. Fill their stadiums and prioritize their sports. Play softball, track & field, volleyball, swimming, water polo and so on. We pick bowling.
Hey, why not the American Athletic Conference? We'd have Cincy, Houston, Tulane. Still a challenge yet a realistic one. And we'd get to travel to a real city!!!!
Given the recent discussions, dilemmas, disasters, priorities…isn't it time to get real? Time to sober up?
Why be wannabes and not winners? VU should be for winners. We can still go to the CWS, NCAA tournament and compete at every level.
Open for discussion
Admissions standards are significantly more selective than our peers for both academics and athletics. And for academics it's in the stratosphere which in part correlates to a reduced interest in sports among students. Athletic expenditure priorities seem to be a 180. Generally recruit ratings are well below other SEC schools (throwing out a recent anomaly). Do we always want to be in the teens (13, 14)? And again, I'm mostly talking 'revenue' sports.
We have only six D-1 men's sports! Six for gods sake. Nine (I believe) for women. That's incredible. Find any other Power 5 (6) that has so few. Any other D-1 for that matter. Geez. Every D-III I know fields more teams for both men and women.
Our facilities are embarrassingly substandard. And 'substandard' is an overstatement.
Okay, but look at all the money we get and what about baseball? Where does the money go? Baseball is different. On average recruits tend to be more academically oriented the great majority of whom do NOT get full scholarship rides…or even half for that matter.
Vanderbilt is a school that should be winning and completing on a moderately equal plane. Not being stomped by schools where most of their athletes could not get in here. And have funds that dwarf ours. And have three to four times the undergraduates and alums. Fill their stadiums and prioritize their sports. Play softball, track & field, volleyball, swimming, water polo and so on. We pick bowling.
Hey, why not the American Athletic Conference? We'd have Cincy, Houston, Tulane. Still a challenge yet a realistic one. And we'd get to travel to a real city!!!!
Given the recent discussions, dilemmas, disasters, priorities…isn't it time to get real? Time to sober up?
Why be wannabes and not winners? VU should be for winners. We can still go to the CWS, NCAA tournament and compete at every level.
Open for discussion
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