Time to face reality

[ShoreLion85V2]

What we have here at PSU is a total mis-allocation of a finite resource- cash. The Athletic Department funds too darn many sports. Sadly, we need to eliminate some of them to plow the funds into the 2 sports that, also very sadly, matter - Football and basketball. we need to move to the SEC strategy. example: Bama has 8 men’s sports. 8. We have 14, and are NEVER nationally competitive in several(swimming, tennis, golf, and my favorite sport - baseball).

PSU must cut programs that drain financial resources - otherwise, we will be a 5th- 9th place conference football team, and God can only help us in basketball. Time to cut men’s tennis, golf, and swimming/diving as a start. Fencing, too. The days of funding this ancillary stuff are over. Sad, but true. Baseball might be next after that, and if $$ is still what’s needed, mens gymnastics and volleyball (though both are nationally relevant).

forget cutting women’s sports, even though they have degraded under this AD- we’re now losing to MSU in volleyball? We aren’t winning the conference in soccer? The field hockey team is now terrible? What the bleep happened?

If no changes in the above direction are made, dark times for PSU sports approach…

 

[PSUFTG]

What we have here at PSU is a total mis-allocation of a finite resource- cash. The Athletic Department funds too darn many sports. Sadly, we need to eliminate some of them to plow the funds into the 2 sports that, also very sadly, matter - Football and basketball. we need to move to the SEC strategy. example: Bama has 8 men’s sports. 8. We have 14, and are NEVER nationally competitive in several(swimming, tennis, golf, and my favorite sport - baseball).

PSU must cut programs that drain financial resources - otherwise, we will be a 5th- 9th place conference football team, and God can only help us in basketball. Time to cut men’s tennis, golf, and swimming/diving as a start. Fencing, too. The days of funding this ancillary stuff are over. Sad, but true. Baseball might be next after that, and if $$ is still what’s needed, mens gymnastics and volleyball (though both are nationally relevant).

forget cutting women’s sports, even though they have degraded under this AD- we’re now losing to MSU in volleyball? We aren’t winning the conference in soccer? The field hockey team is now terrible? What the bleep happened?

If no changes in the above direction are made, dark times for PSU sports approach…

There is only one "other" sport that drains significant financial resources (Women's BB).

So - you start by eliminating that?

 

[BCS PSU]

What we have here at PSU is a total mis-allocation of a finite resource- cash. The Athletic Department funds too darn many sports. Sadly, we need to eliminate some of them to plow the funds into the 2 sports that, also very sadly, matter - Football and basketball. we need to move to the SEC strategy. example: Bama has 8 men’s sports. 8. We have 14, and are NEVER nationally competitive in several(swimming, tennis, golf, and my favorite sport - baseball).

PSU must cut programs that drain financial resources - otherwise, we will be a 5th- 9th place conference football team, and God can only help us in basketball. Time to cut men’s tennis, golf, and swimming/diving as a start. Fencing, too. The days of funding this ancillary stuff are over. Sad, but true. Baseball might be next after that, and if $$ is still what’s needed, mens gymnastics and volleyball (though both are nationally relevant).

forget cutting women’s sports, even though they have degraded under this AD- we’re now losing to MSU in volleyball? We aren’t winning the conference in soccer? The field hockey team is now terrible? What the bleep happened?

If no changes in the above direction are made, dark times for PSU sports approach…

You're probably right unfortunately, and I've posted this as well.

PSU had an overall great 2024-2025 sports season, but since then, the overall success of the PSU teams has declined dramtically. Also, PSU used to have one of the most successful women's athletic programs in the country, but now, other than hockey, most of these women's programs are mediocre to bad. Even the women's volleyball team, which won the NC just two years ago, has declined so that they have no chance to compete with the really elite programs and now have former players who "quit" because of mental health issues joining programs like Pitt; I guess that that player is mentally well now.

By the way, unless private donations funded the new soccer complex, that was a giant waste of money too. I often watch soccer games on BTN, and even elite programs like Maryland and Washington don't seem to have as nice facilities as PSU. To be successful in that sport, you have to have connections with elite travel programs or MLS academies, which I understand that PSU used to have but which has dried up, as have the results for PSU in that sport.

There's a paradox at PSU right now in that the facilities seemingly are getting better (the field hockey team has a nicer stadium now than Duquesne's football team), yet the results are getting worse.

 

[dcf4psu]

There is only one "other" sport that drains significant financial resources (Women's BB).

So - you start by eliminating that?

I’m shocked. Someone speaking the truth rather than saying something because it makes them feel good.

 

[ShoreLion85V2]

Sure, if it weren’t for Title IX, I’d cut a lot of women’s sports, leaving only the reasonably popular ones. PSU, located in a northern state with lousy weather much of the academic year, and with the addition of UCLA and USC, should just face facts and eliminate the “Cali, Florida, Texas” sports like swimming/diving, tennis, and golf. Seriously - we will NEVER compete with good weather states in those sports, so why bother? Fencing? Really? Why don’t we fund Falconry, pistol dueling, and jousting too, you know, to complete the “ Ridiculously anachronistic nonsense” motiff?

Money is finite, and thus comes with it significant opportunity costs every dollar spent on fringe sports is one less to spend on major sports. Refer to SEC men’s sports programs. Bama 8, PSU 14. It’s 2026, gentlemen. Reality is calling - will PSU answer, or will we continue to be mired in our current mediocrity ( or worse, refer mens hoops).

 

[PSUFTG]

Sure, if it weren’t for Title IX, I’d cut a lot of women’s sports, leaving only the reasonably popular ones. PSU, located in a northern state with lousy weather much of the academic year, and with the addition of UCLA and USC, should just face facts and eliminate the “Cali, Florida, Texas” sports like swimming/diving, tennis, and golf. Seriously - we will NEVER compete with good weather states in those sports, so why bother? Fencing? Really? Why don’t we fund Falconry, pistol dueling, and jousting too, you know, to complete the “ Ridiculously anachronistic nonsense” motiff?

Money is finite, and thus comes with it significant opportunity costs every dollar spent on fringe sports is one less to spend on major sports. Refer to SEC men’s sports programs. Bama 8, PSU 14. It’s 2026, gentlemen. Reality is calling - will PSU answer, or will we continue to be mired in our current mediocrity ( or worse, refer mens hoops).

OK.

So lets say you free up $5 Million cutting Women's BB (and a few others). Better yet, you free up $5 Million letting go of some of the various and sundry Admins who do, what?
(Even better, you free up tens of million of dollars (over)spent on various ICA capital projects)

WHAT DO YOU SPEND IT ON - Assuming you want to spend it on things that make "Football/Men's BB better"?

What - specifically, do you spend it on, that is not being spent already?
Please know that you can't spend it on "buying better players". You can't just re-allocate that money to "buying better football players" (because you are not allowed to - PSU, and just about every other P4 program - already maxes out that allowable amount)

I'll hang up and listen.

 

[BCS PSU]

Sure, if it weren’t for Title IX, I’d cut a lot of women’s sports, leaving only the reasonably popular ones. PSU, located in a northern state with lousy weather much of the academic year, and with the addition of UCLA and USC, should just face facts and eliminate the “Cali, Florida, Texas” sports like swimming/diving, tennis, and golf. Seriously - we will NEVER compete with good weather states in those sports, so why bother? Fencing? Really? Why don’t we fund Falconry, pistol dueling, and jousting too, you know, to complete the “ Ridiculously anachronistic nonsense” motiff?

Money is finite, and thus comes with it significant opportunity costs every dollar spent on fringe sports is one less to spend on major sports. Refer to SEC men’s sports programs. Bama 8, PSU 14. It’s 2026, gentlemen. Reality is calling - will PSU answer, or will we continue to be mired in our current mediocrity ( or worse, refer mens hoops).

The same goes with baseball, and I love college baseball. However, it's almost impossible for PSU to ever qualify for the NCAA Tournament in that sport, even when they have somewhat competitive teams like in 2025 and 2025 (in 2024 they made it to the Big 10 Championship game and in 2025 they made it to the Big 10 semis). With that said, it's amazes how WVU can make the College World Series, yet, PSU, which plays in probably the nicest stadium in the Big 10, can't even qualify for the Big 10 Tournament.

 

[BCS PSU]

OK.

So lets say you free up $5 Million cutting Women's BB (and a few others). Better yet, you free up $5 Million letting go of some of the various and sundry Admins who do, what?
(Even better, you free up tens of million of dollars (over)spent on various ICA capital projects)

WHAT DO YOU SPEND IT ON - Assuming you want to spend it on things that make "Football/Men's BB better"?

What - specifically, do you spend it on, that is not being spent already?
Please know that you can't spend it on "buying better players". You can't just re-allocate that money to "buying better football players" (because you are not allowed to - PSU, and just about every other P4 program - already maxes out that allowable amount)

I'll hang up and listen.

You raise a good question. However, there is no doubt that a lot of these sports either should be club sports or compete in regional conferences. It's absurd to be sending these teams to the West Coast to play soccer games and other sports.

 

[ShoreLion85V2]

OK.

So lets say you free up $5 Million cutting Women's BB (and a few others). Better yet, you free up $5 Million letting go of some of the various and sundry Admins who do, what?
(Even better, you free up tens of million of dollars (over)spent on various ICA capital projects)

WHAT DO YOU SPEND IT ON - Assuming you want to spend it on things that make "Football/Men's BB better"?

What - specifically, do you spend it on, that is not being spent already?
Please know that you can't spend it on "buying better players". You can't just re-allocate that money to "buying better football players" (because you are not allowed to - PSU, and just about every other P4 program - already maxes out that allowable amount)

I'll hang up and listen.

I can think of one thing already: A nationally known recruiting dynamo of a head coach in men’s basketball. Lavish that guy with $$ for him and his staff, and max out the player compensation pool. Who is currently a great, famous coach, like Danny Hurley - double what UConn is paying him. No-names from minor conferences are clearly not the answer.

 

[PSUFTG]

It's absurd to be sending these teams to the West Coast to play soccer games and other sports.

You will find no disagreement on that here.

But that is what PSU committed itself to (well, what the Big Ten - with the enthusiastic blessing of PSU - committed them to).

In any event, I don't see how that impaired "football" (or men's BB).
Over the long term - and we haven't even gone down this road yet - PSU has done 100X as much damage to ITSELF in recent years. Really ever since Kraft the department wrecker, and his crew, have been placed at the wheel.

It is what it is.

 

[Knickslions69]

What we have here at PSU is a total mis-allocation of a finite resource- cash. The Athletic Department funds too darn many sports. Sadly, we need to eliminate some of them to plow the funds into the 2 sports that, also very sadly, matter - Football and basketball. we need to move to the SEC strategy. example: Bama has 8 men’s sports. 8. We have 14, and are NEVER nationally competitive in several(swimming, tennis, golf, and my favorite sport - baseball).

PSU must cut programs that drain financial resources - otherwise, we will be a 5th- 9th place conference football team, and God can only help us in basketball. Time to cut men’s tennis, golf, and swimming/diving as a start. Fencing, too. The days of funding this ancillary stuff are over. Sad, but true. Baseball might be next after that, and if $$ is still what’s needed, mens gymnastics and volleyball (though both are nationally relevant).

forget cutting women’s sports, even though they have degraded under this AD- we’re now losing to MSU in volleyball? We aren’t winning the conference in soccer? The field hockey team is now terrible? What the bleep happened?

If no changes in the above direction are made, dark times for PSU sports approach…

So Penn state loses a football game in a transition year and you want to gut all other sports? Not sure what you were expecting this year but obviously too much.

 

[PSUFTG]

I can think of one thing already: A nationally known recruiting dynamo of a head coach in men’s basketball. Lavish that guy with $$ for him and his staff, and max out the player compensation pool. Who is currently a great, famous coach, like Danny Hurley - double what UConn is paying him. No-names from minor conferences are clearly not the answer.

Keep in mind:
With an open wallet and a blank check, Kraft couldn't hire an in-demand coach for FOOTBALL (whether one likes or does not like Campbell - that remains true).
And then said he "couldn't find Campbell's number" I could have - if it was my first day on the job, never having worked in college athletics, with no connections and no "rolodex" of contacts, and I fired Franklin and wanted to talk w Campbell about the job at PSU - could have gotten word to Campbell in an hour, that I wanted to talk to him. People bought that?

Now, as to the original topic:
If your thought is to take - for example - the $5 Million or so spent on Women's BB and spend it on a Men's BB coach (and I don't mean to put words in your mouth, so tell me if this is not basically what you are saying).
Adding that to the current outlay would make PSU Men's BB at or near top $ in the nation for Men's BB coaches. No doubt.
That would make Men's BB more competitive? Maybe - but I expect it is probably more than 50-50 that it would just be wasted by Kraft hiring someone for a lot more money who is no better than what they have now - but you could argue that it would be an improvement, certainly.
It certainly would not allow more money for buying Men's BB players (that money is already maxxed - with nearly all of it going to football). Would it bring in outside $ (donor-NIL for Men's BB)? IDK. Maybe.

Remember, Kraft's "NIL Machine" - after years of sputtering - just blew the head gasket last week (NIL Chief walking off the job - seemingly out of frustration for the way things are run under PK)

Maybe that is worth a shot. IDK.

But I would say task #1 would be bringing in a competent AD with the ability to build a solid (not bloated) staff.

 

[ShoreLion85V2]

“All”? No. Some, yes. And plow the savings into hiring the BEST coaching staff for men’s basketball, not the easiest to get, which has been a PSU tradition in that sport (Jerry Dunn? Ed DeChellis? Mike Rhoades from VCU?). Please, our current AD is a buffoon, too. PSU must have the absolute worst ROI in the nation considering dollars spent vs success. Our decision making matrix needs to be s-canned and rethought. Cael Sanderson is the only head coach who understands his job. Maybe the women’s soccer coach, too, although results there are not up to par, either.

 

[Sharkies]

You will find no disagreement on that here.

But that is what PSU committed itself to (well, what the Big Ten - with the enthusiastic blessing of PSU - committed them to).

In any event, I don't see how that impaired "football" (or men's BB).
Over the long term - and we haven't even gone down this road yet - PSU has done 100X as much damage to ITSELF in recent years. Really ever since Kraft the department wrecker, and his crew, have been placed at the wheel.

It is what it is.

Barry, I love you but this was going on well before Kraft. See Rodney Erickson, Dave Joyner, and Ms DEI herself.

 

[PSUFTG]

Barry, I love you but this was going on well before Kraft. See Rodney Erickson, Dave Joyner, and Ms DEI herself.

You mentioned three folks who I am not the biggest fan of - as I guess you are not as well. So I do not think we disagree at all.

That said, as ADs go, PK is the worst of the three (not that I would seek out any of them). I will leave it at that - because otherwise I could go on for a LONG time of the legacy of PK..

 

[Anon1750875978]

Lion fans expecting ISU-East to compete in the B1G had unrealistic expectations.
Even with a relatively easy schedule, the quality of kids Campbell was not great.
Upper half of the conference is still there for the taking.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

So Penn state loses a football game in a transition year and you want to gut all other sports? Not sure what you were expecting this year but obviously too much.

U U

 

[BCS PSU]

Lion fans expecting ISU-East to compete in the B1G had unrealistic expectations.
Even with a relatively easy schedule, the quality of kids Campbell was not great.
Upper half of the conference is still there for the taking.

Yeah, we all know how good the Big 10 has been this season, what with Duke winning at Illinois, Mississippi State blowing out Minnesota at Minnesota, Wake winning at Purdue, ND blowing out Wisconsin and also beating MSU, Okie State ending an eleven game losing streak by beating Oregon, Michigan losing at home to Western Michigan (even though they won), and Rutgers losing at home to UMass and at BC. I guess it just was too much to ask a bunch of former Big 12 players, a conference right now that has possibly three teams that are better than two thirds of the Big 10, holding on to a 17-0 lead and 20-10 lead at home against what's probably a midling Big 10 team.

 

[KingLando]

Wouldn't cutting men's basketball and moving the money spent there to football make the most sense?

 

[IoffendwithTruth1]

Wouldn't cutting men's basketball and moving the money spent there to football make the most sense?

Why would you cut a sport that has such a winning track record, lol?

 

[Big_O]

Wouldn't cutting men's basketball and moving the money spent there to football make the most sense?

I would be for it, but the B10 would not.

 

[Lion84]

Wow one loss really get's the Mary's to come out of the woodwork. The sky is falling.

 

[BCS PSU]

I would be for it, but the B10 would not.

Yeah, teams like MSU and Purdue need schedule filler, and Izzo needs to talk up the PSU coach and say with a straight face what a great job that coach is doing.

 

[ShoreLion85V2]

PSU has to get SERIOUS about what is, and more importantly, what is not important in collegiate sports. What is: Football and men’s basketball. What is not: EVERYTHING ELSE. I don’t like this - big fan of PSU wrestling, lacrosse, ice hockey, and women’s soccer and volleyball. But they don’t matter. Women’s basketball is completely unwatchable and nothing but a money pit, but thanks to TitleIX, there’s nothing to be done there. But please don’t act like there aren’t significant savings to be had by FOCUS, concentrating on what matters, and using scarce resources to upgrade the 2 things that do.

1. Fire Kraft at the earliest opportunity, after a replacement is already lined up. Get a replacement from a school, like Texas, or sad to say, Ohio State that understands the current climate of collegiate sports.

2. ID a few other sports where PSU has either a competitive advantage (wrestling, lacrosse) or an angel capitalist (ice hockey) and keep those;

3. Get rid of some of the others. My first 3 choices are mens golf, tennis, and swimming/diving. If Title IX allows for it, get rid of the women’s programs in those sports too.

4. For God’s sake, hire a real men’s basketball coach, from a major winning successful program, money no object. Continue doing the absolute minimum for women’s basketball, because it simply doesn’t matter.

5. Re-evaluate every 3-4 years. What else can be cut to put more focus, energy, cash, etc. into what matters.

I under a stand that this is harsh, maybe even terrible, but this is the sports environment in which we live. It’s time to embrace it, or remain an also ran or worse in the 2 sports that actually matter.

 

[JVP_Yahweh]

What we have here at PSU is a total mis-allocation of a finite resource- cash. The Athletic Department funds too darn many sports. Sadly, we need to eliminate some of them to plow the funds into the 2 sports that, also very sadly, matter - Football and basketball. we need to move to the SEC strategy. example: Bama has 8 men’s sports. 8. We have 14, and are NEVER nationally competitive in several(swimming, tennis, golf, and my favorite sport - baseball).

PSU must cut programs that drain financial resources - otherwise, we will be a 5th- 9th place conference football team, and God can only help us in basketball. Time to cut men’s tennis, golf, and swimming/diving as a start. Fencing, too. The days of funding this ancillary stuff are over. Sad, but true. Baseball might be next after that, and if $$ is still what’s needed, mens gymnastics and volleyball (though both are nationally relevant).

forget cutting women’s sports, even though they have degraded under this AD- we’re now losing to MSU in volleyball? We aren’t winning the conference in soccer? The field hockey team is now terrible? What the bleep happened?

If no changes in the above direction are made, dark times for PSU sports approach…

I've been saying this even before NIL became a thing. Too many sports and the current revenue sharing model is hemorrhaging money to sports that don't make a dime and are not competitive in any sense: men and women

 

[PSUFTG]

PSU has to get SERIOUS about what is, and more importantly, what is not important in collegiate sports. What is: Football and men’s basketball. What is not: EVERYTHING ELSE. I don’t like this - big fan of PSU wrestling, lacrosse, ice hockey, and women’s soccer and volleyball. But they don’t matter. Women’s basketball is completely unwatchable and nothing but a money pit, but thanks to TitleIX, there’s nothing to be done there. But please don’t act like there aren’t significant savings to be had by FOCUS, concentrating on what matters, and using scarce resources to upgrade the 2 things that do.

1. Fire Kraft at the earliest opportunity, after a replacement is already lined up. Get a replacement from a school, like Texas, or sad to say, Ohio State that understands the current climate of collegiate sports.

2. ID a few other sports where PSU has either a competitive advantage (wrestling, lacrosse) or an angel capitalist (ice hockey) and keep those;

3. Get rid of some of the others. My first 3 choices are mens golf, tennis, and swimming/diving. If Title IX allows for it, get rid of the women’s programs in those sports too.

4. For God’s sake, hire a real men’s basketball coach, from a major winning successful program, money no object. Continue doing the absolute minimum for women’s basketball, because it simply doesn’t matter.

5. Re-evaluate every 3-4 years. What else can be cut to put more focus, energy, cash, etc. into what matters.

I under a stand that this is harsh, maybe even terrible, but this is the sports environment in which we live. It’s time to embrace it, or remain an also ran or worse in the 2 sports that actually matter.

Not an unrealistic plan, IMO. Though I think there are other legit concerns/thoughts/philosophies as well.

 

[WVilleLion]

Get rid of both men’s & women’s BB and allow BJC to schedule all the events they can. BJC loses out on many quality events because of blackout dates for the basketball programs.

 

[ShoreLion85V2]

And for the sake of my sanity, get rid of fencing, too. I can’t think of a more ridiculous waste of finite resources than something that went out with the Code Duello in the early 19th century. Seriously - you want to fence, great, join a fencing club and compete there. Should we fund badminton? Equestrian? Priorities, people!!

 

[BCS PSU]

PSU has to get SERIOUS about what is, and more importantly, what is not important in collegiate sports. What is: Football and men’s basketball. What is not: EVERYTHING ELSE. I don’t like this - big fan of PSU wrestling, lacrosse, ice hockey, and women’s soccer and volleyball. But they don’t matter. Women’s basketball is completely unwatchable and nothing but a money pit, but thanks to TitleIX, there’s nothing to be done there. But please don’t act like there aren’t significant savings to be had by FOCUS, concentrating on what matters, and using scarce resources to upgrade the 2 things that do.

1. Fire Kraft at the earliest opportunity, after a replacement is already lined up. Get a replacement from a school, like Texas, or sad to say, Ohio State that understands the current climate of collegiate sports.

2. ID a few other sports where PSU has either a competitive advantage (wrestling, lacrosse) or an angel capitalist (ice hockey) and keep those;

3. Get rid of some of the others. My first 3 choices are mens golf, tennis, and swimming/diving. If Title IX allows for it, get rid of the women’s programs in those sports too.

4. For God’s sake, hire a real men’s basketball coach, from a major winning successful program, money no object. Continue doing the absolute minimum for women’s basketball, because it simply doesn’t matter.

5. Re-evaluate every 3-4 years. What else can be cut to put more focus, energy, cash, etc. into what matters.

I under a stand that this is harsh, maybe even terrible, but this is the sports environment in which we live. It’s time to embrace it, or remain an also ran or worse in the 2 sports that actually matter.

First, OSU's athletic program also is bloated and loses a lot of money.

Second, if the downward trend in most PSU programs continues much longer, then the current AD needs to be evaluated because, like I said, the overall state of PSU's athletic program has declined since the really good 2024-2025 season.

Third, if Nebraska, which had a worse men's basketball history than PSU, could hire a coach like Hoiberg who has done wonders, PSU, which also is a Big 10 school and is within four hours driving distance from basketball hot beds like NYC, Philly, DC, Baltimore and even Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, should be able to hire somebody similar to Hoiberg, and then money needs to be pumped into that program. In that sport, you really only need upwards of four really good players and the rest of the roster can be made up of complimentary players that every Big 10 team has on its roster. The current state of the basketball program just is totally unacceptable.

 

[Midnighter]

Slightly tangential but related (PSU in particular and CFB more generally)- great post here and sums up my feelings as well:

 

[laKavosiey-st lion]

what’s girls lax cost?

 

[ShoreLion85V2]

Far more than it’s worth. Cost: X. Worth: X- 90%. It’s unwatchable to anyone that likes real lacrosse - almost like watching freeze tag with sticks. No offense intended to the ladies, but that ain’t lacrosse.

 

[Midnighter]

PSU has to get SERIOUS about what is, and more importantly, what is not important in collegiate sports. What is: Football and men’s basketball. What is not: EVERYTHING ELSE. I don’t like this - big fan of PSU wrestling, lacrosse, ice hockey, and women’s soccer and volleyball. But they don’t matter. Women’s basketball is completely unwatchable and nothing but a money pit, but thanks to TitleIX, there’s nothing to be done there. But please don’t act like there aren’t significant savings to be had by FOCUS, concentrating on what matters, and using scarce resources to upgrade the 2 things that do.

1. Fire Kraft at the earliest opportunity, after a replacement is already lined up. Get a replacement from a school, like Texas, or sad to say, Ohio State that understands the current climate of collegiate sports.

2. ID a few other sports where PSU has either a competitive advantage (wrestling, lacrosse) or an angel capitalist (ice hockey) and keep those;

3. Get rid of some of the others. My first 3 choices are mens golf, tennis, and swimming/diving. If Title IX allows for it, get rid of the women’s programs in those sports too.

4. For God’s sake, hire a real men’s basketball coach, from a major winning successful program, money no object. Continue doing the absolute minimum for women’s basketball, because it simply doesn’t matter.

5. Re-evaluate every 3-4 years. What else can be cut to put more focus, energy, cash, etc. into what matters.

I under a stand that this is harsh, maybe even terrible, but this is the sports environment in which we live. It’s time to embrace it, or remain an also ran or worse in the 2 sports that actually matter.

College athletics should exist and do at many schools across the country in a a way that minimizes cost. First, remove football and have it function independently. Second, reduce coaching salaries for everything else. Third, regionalize conferences to reduce travel costs. Fourth, quit making big infrastructure investments that you can't afford. Athletics should exist as part of the college experience, but shouldn't be the centerpiece of it for anyone save football players. For basketball, lobby the NBA to allow anyone to opt in to the draft and keep the sport at the college level regional as well. Rhoads makes $3.6mm a year. For what????

 

[BCS PSU]

Far more than it’s worth. Cost: X. Worth: X- 90%. It’s unwatchable to anyone that likes real lacrosse - almost like watching freeze tag with sticks. No offense intended to the ladies, but that ain’t lacrosse.

I also detest the relatively new display after a goal is scored and they have to throw their stick on the ground.

 

[PSUFTG]

First, OSU's athletic program also is bloated and loses a lot of money.

Second, if the downward trend in most PSU programs continues much longer, then the current AD needs to be evaluated because, like I said, the overall state of PSU's athletic program has declined since the really good 2024-2025 season.

Third, if Nebraska, which had a worse men's basketball history than PSU, could hire a coach like Hoiberg who has done wonders, PSU, which also is a Big 10 school and is within four hours driving distance from basketball hot beds like NYC, Philly, DC, Baltimore and even Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, should be able to hire somebody similar to Hoiberg, and then money needs to be pumped into that program. In that sport, you really only need upwards of four really good players and the rest of the roster can be made up of complimentary players that every Big 10 team has on its roster. The current state of the basketball program just is totally unacceptable.

PSU's placement in all Big Ten sports in the 2024-25 Sports season, FWIW:

Average for Men's Sports:
8th of 13 Big Ten competitors in 14 Big Ten mens' sports that PSU competes in

Average for Women's Sports:
9th of 16 Big Ten competitors in 13 Big Ten womens' sports that PSU competes in

Not exactly crushing it, even then. But Ice Hockey and Lacross (? IIRC) had nice post-season runs which kind of flavored things a bit on the mens' side (In addition to FB with the nice season, and, of course, Wrestling).
On the womens' side: Volleyball had the magical post-season, but otherwise the Womens' side (which used to be STELLAR) was a complete **** show.

Big Ten Season Standing:
PSU placement / Total Big Ten teams fielding squads

	2024-25
Mens CC	8​	15​
Mens Soccer	11​	11​
Football	2​	18​
Mens Swim & Dive	9​	9​
Mens Indoor TF	12​	15​
Mens Outdoor TF	8​	17​
Mens BB	17​	18​
Wrestling	1​	14​
Mens Hockey	5​	7​
Mens Gymnastics	2​	5​
Mens Tennis	14​	14​
Mens Golf	16​	18​
Mens Lacross	2​	6​
Baseball	8​	17​
	3 way tie
Womens CC	4​	18​
Field Hockey	7​	9​
Womens Soccer	10​	18​
Womens Vball	1.5​	18​
Womens Swim & Dive	12​	14​
Womens Indoor TF	7​	17​
Womens Outdoor TF	10​	17​
Womens BB	18​	18​
Womens Gymnastics	8​	12​
Womens Tennis	11​	18​
Womens Golf	15​	18​
Womens Lacross	3​	9​
Softball	10.5​	17​
Womens Rowing

 

[BCS PSU]

PSU's placement in all Big Ten sports in the 2024-25 Sports season, FWIW:

Average for Men's Sports:
8th of 13 Big Ten competitors in 14 Big Ten mens' sports that PSU competes in

Average for Women's Sports:
9th of 16 Big Ten competitors in 13 Big Ten womens' sports that PSU competes in

Not exactly crushing it, even then. But Ice Hockey and Lacross (? IIRC) had nice post-season runs which kind of flavored things a bit on the mens' side (In addition to FB with the nice season, and, of course, Wrestling).
On the womens' side: Volleyball had the magical post-season, but otherwise the Womens' side (which used to be STELLAR) was a complete **** show.

Big Ten Season Standing:
PSU placement / Total Big Ten teams fielding squads

	2024-25
Mens CC	8​	15​
Mens Soccer	11​	11​
Football	2​	18​
Mens Swim & Dive	9​	9​
Mens Indoor TF	12​	15​
Mens Outdoor TF	8​	17​
Mens BB	17​	18​
Wrestling	1​	14​
Mens Hockey	5​	7​
Mens Gymnastics	2​	5​
Mens Tennis	14​	14​
Mens Golf	16​	18​
Mens Lacross	2​	6​
Baseball	8​	17​
	3 way tie
Womens CC	4​	18​
Field Hockey	7​	9​
Womens Soccer	10​	18​
Womens Vball	1.5​	18​
Womens Swim & Dive	12​	14​
Womens Indoor TF	7​	17​
Womens Outdoor TF	10​	17​
Womens BB	18​	18​
Womens Gymnastics	8​	12​
Womens Tennis	11​	18​
Womens Golf	15​	18​
Womens Lacross	3​	9​
Softball	10.5​	17​
Womens Rowing

In 2024-2025, PSU won two NCs, and and three of its other teams made it to the Final Four. I consider that to be a very successful season. Last year, wrestling won the NC, women's hockey made the Final Four, and men's lacrosse won the regular and Big 10 championships, and that was it; both football and women's volleyball were preseason #2 and underachieved greatly. So far, the 2026-2027 season isn't off to a good start.

 

[PSUFTG]

In 2024-2025, PSU won two NCs, and and three of its other teams made it to the Final Four. I consider that to be a very successful season. Last year, wrestling won the NC, women's hockey made the Final Four, and men's lacrosse won the regular and Big 10 championships, and that was it; both football and women's volleyball were preseason #2 and underachieved greatly. So far, the 2026-2027 season isn't off to a good start.

Agreed and Agreed

Pointing out that even in the "good" year it was a very "top heavy" level of success. A few programs that did very well - and scads of programs that were bottom-feeders


One should also be aware, as I expect you are, that there are some sports, where making a Final Four doesn't even mean much (eg Womens Ice Hockey, Men's Volleyball, etc - where you might have a half dozen to a dozen 1/2 serious competitors in the entire nation, and are not even Big Ten sports).

But 2024-25 was good in a couple of higher profile sports - which helped a lot. Football, women's VB (which has a good number of serious competitors, and is still a fairly big deal at PSU) - but even Men's Ice Hockey and Wrestling are rather niche sports (not as niche as things like Women's Hockey, Fencing and Men's Volleyball and some others, of course)


Just a little tid bit:
In his first year (2022?) PK guaranteed PSU would win at least FOUR NATIONAL championships.
IIRC, I think they won ONE BIG TEN championship, out of around 25-30 Big Ten sports (wrestling, which of course also won the national title)