Big changes coming for ACC Basketball?

[Sean Miller Fan]

Another W for the 🐐



Jim Phillips must read my posts. This tweet doesn't get into specifics but I interpret it as ACC programs must invest enough of the "revenue sharing money" into basketball player salaries so that each team is paying enough to compete with SEC talent levels.

Here's the thing, SEC and B10 programs will also have to pay out $20 million or so but I'd think almost all will go to football. L

Let's play with numbers:

Current SEC basketball payroll: $3 million
Current ACC basketball payroll (excluding Duke, UNC): $1.5 million

Rev share:
SEC teams give $18 million to football, $2 million to basketball.

ACC teams give $15 million to football, $5 million to basketball.

2025-26 basketball payrolls
SEC: $5 million (3 from boosters, 2 from university)
ACC: $6 million (1 from boosters, 5 from university).

So if you are Pitt, how do you spend $6 million? Here's me:

$4 million combined on a PG, wing scorer, and big who can rebound

$1 million on the 4th and 5th starters

$250K each for backup big, backup guard, and 1 more backup

$100K each for 9th and 10th man.

$50K each for 11th, 12th, 13th. These will be lowly ranked HS players (ie lottery tickets) or lower-rated MM transfers, preferably transfers. Like maybe some 22 year old who averaged 10 PPG at Quinnipiac.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

This is all fine and good. But we need a coach who can....you know....coach first. If we're paying players as professionals, I think we should expect professional level results. I don't care where the players come from, but we know there will be probably 6 or 8 new faces. Nothing short of an NCAAT bid as a higher seed will be acceptable from Capel now. That is the expectation. If he doesn't meet that minimum, cut him loose.

 

[Sam Young 23]

Pitt isn't serious about athletics. You see all these coaches being fired. We have 1 play in tournament appearance and had the same coaching staff for 8 years. It's a joke. Capel probably gets 2 more years as well.

 

[Gep Dawg]

Our head coach and his coaching staff can’t game day coach so we do need volume shooters from outside to soften the defense. Guys who can make contested threes all day. At least 2-3 of them.

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

I know this. 75% of the SEC starters are considered to be "Seniors" (whatever that means anymore) so they are literally men against boys.

Pitt can't go into spending money on HS kids, unless they are low priced projects or a stud. They need to go and get veterans in the portal.

 

[12162022]

We've been crushed by coach extensions. Did Gallagher give Heather to tie up that much? Did Gabel know about them?

 

[joeydavid]

Our head coach and his coaching staff can’t game day coach so we do need volume shooters from outside to soften the defense. Guys who can make contested threes all day. At least 2-3 of them.

IMO, it's more like they are treading water while waiting for the rules to be implemented. Rules that might not ever come.

 

[Black_Man_Panther]

IMO, it's more like they are treading water while waiting for the rules to be implemented. Rules that might not ever come.

Bingo. Which was Heather's mentality as well. Shows that nothing really has changed.

The only way rules change, is if the have-nots organize and go find a sympathetic federal court. Shouldn't be too hard. But, you have to want it to happen. If they think status quo is going to turn out good for them... they are sadly mistaken.

 

[Gep Dawg]

IMO, it's more like they are treading water while waiting for the rules to be implemented. Rules that might not ever come.

What rule changes are they waiting for?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

What rule changes are they waiting for?

I think he meant that Heather and others were waiting for this illegal booster pay for play to go away due to NCAA enforcement.

 

[ThePanthers]

Pitt isn't serious about athletics. You see all these coaches being fired. We have 1 play in tournament appearance and had the same coaching staff for 8 years. It's a joke. Capel probably gets 2 more years as well.

Pitt can only spend what it has which is far behind pretty much everyone. There is a difference between being serious and being limited.

The most successful schools, the donors step up the most when things are bad. Ours runaway

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

I think he meant that Heather and others were waiting for this illegal booster pay for play to go away due to NCAA enforcement.

NCAA enforcement, lol.

 

[TD_6082]

I think he meant that Heather and others were waiting for this illegal booster pay for play to go away due to NCAA enforcement.

The NCAA is literally member schools. No big school is going to bite the hand that feeds it.

 

[ChiefJusticeMarshall]

This is where schools like the Johnnies, Nova, Marquette, Xavier, UConn have over the ACC schools. They don't have to worry about football. So if you got a whale, it is all going towards Hoops.

Inside the billionaire NIL donor behind St. John’s basketball success

Entrepreneur and top St. John’s Univ.’s men’s basketball donor Mike Repole has emerged as one of the most striking examples of how money is reshaping college basketball as the team finished the regular season 27-4.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

 

[PittAU]

I know this. 75% of the SEC starters are considered to be "Seniors" (whatever that means anymore) so they are literally men against boys.

Pitt can't go into spending money on HS kids, unless they are low priced projects or a stud. They need to go and get veterans in the portal.

I saw a short clip of an interview with Rick Pitino and he said they are not spending any money on, or going after, high school kids. They are looking strictly at the transfers.

 

[PittAU]

This is where schools like the Johnnies, Nova, Marquette, Xavier, UConn have over the ACC schools. They don't have to worry about football. So if you got a whale, it is all going towards Hoops.

Inside the billionaire NIL donor behind St. John’s basketball success

Entrepreneur and top St. John’s Univ.’s men’s basketball donor Mike Repole has emerged as one of the most striking examples of how money is reshaping college basketball as the team finished the regular season 27-4.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

That's another thing Pitino said going forward. Big East money won't be split with football, to the Big East's advantage.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

I saw a short clip of an interview with Rick Pitino and he said they are not spending, or going after, any money on high school kids. They are looking strictly at the transfers.

I'd assume that's what Pitt should be doing as well. We have one kid coming from high school, I believe. And he probably won't contribute, if he ever does, for another 2 years at least. We have to focus on the high end, high quality portal players only. This is a free agent market now in college sports.

 

[AllegeneeGenacGenac]

That's another thing Pitino said going forward. Big East money won't be split with football, to the Big East's advantage.

Not really. Would you rather have the majority of around $6M (keeping in mind all the non-revenue sports that have to be funded) or a smaller percentage of $45 million?

I get that Pitino would rather be the big fish in the small pond, but his statement doesn't make economic sense.

 

[PittAU]

Not really. Would you rather have the majority of around $6M (keeping in mind all the non-revenue sports that have to be funded) or a smaller percentage of $45 million?

I get that Pitino would rather be the big fish in the small pond, but his statement doesn't make economic sense.

I don't know all the intricate details of what is to come but, Pitino said it all changes next year and that he feels like he's in a good spot then next few years with the revenue sharing. I think I'll take him at his word concerning this.

 

[AllegeneeGenacGenac]

I don't know all the intricate details of what is to come but, Pitino said it all changes next year and that he feels like he's in a good spot then next few years with the revenue sharing. I think I'll take him at his word concerning this.

Pitino is in a great spot because he's in NYC with a billionaire backing his team.

Having less money isn't an advantage for anyone.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Not really. Would you rather have the majority of around $6M (keeping in mind all the non-revenue sports that have to be funded) or a smaller percentage of $45 million?

I get that Pitino would rather be the big fish in the small pond, but his statement doesn't make economic sense.

NCAA schools can pay athletes $20 million/year directly starting in July. The thought is that schools without a football team can pay their basketball team $20 million/year. In theory, you could even have schools like Robert Morris or St. Francis (they have football teams but no one cares) pay their basketball teams $20 million/year. Football schools are going to have spend most of this money on football.

Jim Phillips seems to want to mandate that ACC schools spend more of this money on basketball than the SEC and B10 are expected to.

 

[AllegeneeGenacGenac]

NCAA schools can pay athletes $20 million/year directly starting in July. The thought is that schools without a football team can pay their basketball team $20 million/year. In theory, you could even have schools like Robert Morris or St. Francis (they have football teams but no one cares) pay their basketball teams $20 million/year. Football schools are going to have spend most of this money on football.

Jim Phillips seems to want to mandate that ACC schools spend more of this money on basketball than the SEC and B10 are expected to.

If you're making $6 million a year (as the top teams in the BE are, most make less) in TV revenue, does it matter that the limit is $20 million?

The only argument that could make sense on Pitino's side is if Title IX comes into play concerning payments, and the basketball only schools don't have the women players that are needed to offset the football rosters. But it still doesn't ultimately matter when your athletic department revenue is well under the limit, as they are for most schools that don't have a P4 football team (and ND).

The idea that schools like Bobby Mo or St. Francis will spend $20 million a year on basketball is laughable. That's over half of the entire endowment for RMU and a little less than that for SFU, and is likely to put the school on a course towards bankruptcy.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

If you're making $6 million a year (as the top teams in the BE are, most make less) in TV revenue, does it matter that the limit is $20 million?

The only argument that could make sense on Pitino's side is if Title IX comes into play concerning payments, and the basketball only schools don't have the women players that are needed to offset the football rosters. But it still doesn't ultimately matter when your athletic department revenue is well under the limit, as they are for most schools that don't have a P4 football team (and ND).

The idea that schools like Bobby Mo or St. Francis will spend $20 million a year on basketball is laughable. That's over half of the entire endowment for RMU and a little less than that for SFU, and is likely to put the school on a course towards bankruptcy.

RMU and SFU are hypothetical examples. They won't but I think you may see some school like that put together a $20 million roster just for the heck of it.

And we are talking about 2 different things. The Fox money that SJU gets is a different bucket. The university, if it wants to, can pay the basketball players $20 million/year. It doesn't matter that Fox only pays them $7.25 million/year (not 6). The university can pay whatever amount they want to pay, up to $20 million. Let's take the hardest of hardcore football schools, Alabama. Wouldn't you figure they will spend $18, $19, maybe the full $20 million on football and then tell the boosters if they want good basketball, they have to fund bball player salaries themselves?

So a school like SJU should have significantly higher paid players than a school like Alabama.

 

[AllegeneeGenacGenac]

RMU and SFU are hypothetical examples. They won't but I think you may see some school like that put together a $20 million roster just for the heck of it.

And we are talking about 2 different things. The Fox money that SJU gets is a different bucket. The university, if it wants to, can pay the basketball players $20 million/year. It doesn't matter that Fox only pays them $7.25 million/year (not 6). The university can pay whatever amount they want to pay, up to $20 million. Let's take the hardest of hardcore football schools, Alabama. Wouldn't you figure they will spend $18, $19, maybe the full $20 million on football and then tell the boosters if they want good basketball, they have to fund bball player salaries themselves?

So a school like SJU should have significantly higher paid players than a school like Alabama.

Any school like RMU or SFU has the same problem. Paying players $20 million for one year is basically betting the entire future of your institution on that one year generating so much attention that donations and/or applications increase so much that it offsets the expense. It would be insanity.

Money is money. I focused on the TV revenue because it's the key differentiation between these types of schools. SJU does not have the athletic department revenue to spend $20 million on basketball player salaries, and it's going to be a hard sell for them (or any other school) to take money from general revenues to pay basketball players (or any other athlete). Bama does have the athletic department revenue to do it, and it's because of their football team.

And why do you think Bama is going to just tell boosters (which are the source of the current athletic department revenue and indirect financial support) what is going to happen without their input?

I mean you can concoct all sorts of scenarios where Pitino would be right, but there are very few cases where it's better to have less money at your disposal than it is to have more money. I don't think this is one of them.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Any school like RMU or SFU has the same problem. Paying players $20 million for one year is basically betting the entire future of your institution on that one year generating so much attention that donations and/or applications increase so much that it offsets the expense. It would be insanity.

Money is money. I focused on the TV revenue because it's the key differentiation between these types of schools. SJU does not have the athletic department revenue to spend $20 million on basketball player salaries, and it's going to be a hard sell for them (or any other school) to take money from general revenues to pay basketball players (or any other athlete). Bama does have the athletic department revenue to do it, and it's because of their football team.

And why do you think Bama is going to just tell boosters (which are the source of the current athletic department revenue and indirect financial support) what is going to happen without their input?

I mean you can concoct all sorts of scenarios where Pitino would be right, but there are very few cases where it's better to have less money at your disposal than it is to have more money. I don't think this is one of them.

1. Stop talking about RMU and SFU. They aren't going to do it but I said someone like them will. Maybe not $20 million but a school like that will pay $5 million to $10 million just as a strategy to grow enrollment.

2. How much of the $20 million is Bama going to spend on football players? I say a minimum of $18 million and maybe the full $20 million. Now your turn.

3. I dont know how much SJU will spend but I am telling you that they are going to spend more than Pitt and most every football school. Even if it's $5, $6, $7 million, that's more than what the football schools are going to pay basketball players.

 

[Black_Man_Panther]

Jim Phillips seems to want to mandate that ACC schools spend more of this money on basketball than the SEC and B10 are expected to.

I read this and I ask, what is his end-game here? Forcing the SEC/B10 to allocate more money to basketball at the detriment of football? What exactly can that accomplish. This guy had better wake up. "March Madness" and the CFP are the B10/SEC invitational with a few oligarch-supported interlopers on an invite-only list.

Just remember, there are plenty of billionaire oligarchs to go-around. The only problem is, they tend to pick up their toys and go home if they don't get their way.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I read this and I ask, what is his end-game here? Forcing the SEC/B10 to allocate more money to basketball at the detriment of football? What exactly can that accomplish. This guy had better wake up. "March Madness" and the CFP are the B10/SEC invitational with a few oligarch-supported interlopers on an invite-only list.

Just remember, there are plenty of billionaire oligarchs to go-around. The only problem is, they tend to pick up their toys and go home if they don't get their way.

I think the end game is simply to allocate more of the $20 million to basketball than the SEC/B10/B12 schools will so it levels the playing field and we can compete with those leagues in hoops. Because, really, does it make any difference if Pitt or Wake or Virginia or VT spends $12 million or $18 million on football player salaries? But that $6 million difference could mean everything in basketball.

 

[Black_Man_Panther]

I think the end game is simply to allocate more of the $20 million to basketball than the SEC/B10/B12 schools will so it levels the playing field and we can compete with those leagues in hoops. Because, really, does it make any difference if Pitt or Wake or Virginia or VT spends $12 million or $18 million on football player salaries? But that $6 million difference could mean everything in basketball.

OK... but is that going to prevent a 6-win Texas squad getting a bid in the future? Apparently, these bids are based on perceived viewership. And if the "committee" thinks a 6-win Texas squad gets better viewer numbers than a 12-win Wake Forest squad??

If I was ACC commissioner, I would tell my members to pony up $5/mil apiece for legal fees for the best anti-trust law firm available and file suit in Federal district court of Northern California alleging collusion to restrain trade and monopolize against the SEC/B10 cartel. I like these odds.

 

[AllegeneeGenacGenac]

1. Stop talking about RMU and SFU. They aren't going to do it but I said someone like them will. Maybe not $20 million but a school like that will pay $5 million to $10 million just as a strategy to grow enrollment.

2. How much of the $20 million is Bama going to spend on football players? I say a minimum of $18 million and maybe the full $20 million. Now your turn.

3. I dont know how much SJU will spend but I am telling you that they are going to spend more than Pitt and most every football school. Even if it's $5, $6, $7 million, that's more than what the football schools are going to pay basketball players.

Lol, you brought up RMU and SFU. Not me. I don't think you understand how much money $5 - $10 million is to a school like that.

I think they will spend something like $2 - $3 million on basketball to start, and will be willing to ramp that up if needed to be competitive. They aren't going to spend $20 million on football.

Schools are going to make calculations on ROI, and I think there are a number of schools with mediocre football programs that are going to recognize that basketball offers an opportunity to be more competitive at a lower price point while still keeping a mediocre football program going. SJU doesn't have the option to make that choice, and it's not a positive for them.

Also, there's a decent chance schools like SJU and Nova aren't even in the same division or governing organization as the P4 schools 10 years from now. Pitino won't care at that point, but those schools will. That's how much of a difference there is in athletic department revenue, and that's the real risk those schools are running.

 

[Islanderpanther]

Pitt can only spend what it has which is far behind pretty much everyone. There is a difference between being serious and being limited.

The most successful schools, the donors step up the most when things are bad. Ours runaway

Well the others haven’t necessarily seen their university screw up as much as Pitt has…. or done some things that demonstrate a clear antipathy for athletics.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

OK... but is that going to prevent a 6-win Texas squad getting a bid in the future? Apparently, these bids are based on perceived viewership. And if the "committee" thinks a 6-win Texas squad gets better viewer numbers than a 12-win Wake Forest squad??

If I was ACC commissioner, I would tell my members to pony up $5/mil apiece for legal fees for the best anti-trust law firm available and file suit in Federal district court of Northern California alleging collusion to restrain trade and monopolize against the SEC/B10 cartel. I like these odds.

Wake couldn't pay enough to keep Carr and Miller. So in theory, had they had this $20 million to spend on bball player salaries, they could have kept both and made the NCAA Tournament. Also, the more that ACC teams spend, the fewer players that SEC teams have available in the portal so a team like Texas may not have been able to sign enough good players to make the NCAAT. What's that stat that something like 20 of the top 30 transfers picked an SEC school? I forget what it was exactly but it was a lot and FAR more than the ACC? There's a reason the SEC is historically good. They spent the most.

 

[12162022]

That's another thing Pitino said going forward. Big East money won't be split with football, to the Big East's advantage.

But he won't get $$$ from profitable FB programs.

 

[9782978]

But he won't get $$$ from profitable FB programs.

Steve Pedersen shared Pitino’s theory 30 years ago, when he decided to move money to basketball and compete in Big East basketball. It worked until it didn’t.

 

[12162022]

Steve Pedersen shared Pitino’s theory 30 years ago, when he decided to move money to basketball and compete in Big East basketball. It worked until it didn’t.

SP was told to hire Howland by Sonny/Adidas. Peterson couldn't spell basketball. And Ben didn't get big money. UCLA did that. We got lucky with Dixon.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

This is where schools like the Johnnies, Nova, Marquette, Xavier, UConn have over the ACC schools. They don't have to worry about football. So if you got a whale, it is all going towards Hoops.

Inside the billionaire NIL donor behind St. John’s basketball success

Entrepreneur and top St. John’s Univ.’s men’s basketball donor Mike Repole has emerged as one of the most striking examples of how money is reshaping college basketball as the team finished the regular season 27-4.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

Certain folks on here don’t want to understand that this is the main reason Pitts two revenue sports are stuck in the mud . Pitt needs one or two whales who have nothing better to do with their money than to buy players .

We all want them to be a championship caliber team and the easiest thing to do is complain about the coaches , but first they need the players and to acquire the players they need MONEY . BIG MONEY , not the few hundred dollars most donors give , but they need millions annually to be a true contender .

The real question is how much is winning college basketball and football games worth ?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Certain folks on here don’t want to understand that this is the main reason Pitts two revenue sports are stuck in the mud . Pitt needs one or two whales who have nothing better to do with their money than to buy players .

We all want them to be a championship caliber team and the easiest thing to do is complain about the coaches , but first they need the players and to acquire the players they need MONEY . BIG MONEY , not the few hundred dollars most donors give , but they need millions annually to be a true contender .

The real question is how much is winning college basketball and football games worth ?

How much money do we have to pay the players per year to make the NCAA Tournament? $10 million per year?

 

[Las Panteras]

SP was told to hire Howland by Sonny/Adidas. Peterson couldn't spell basketball. And Ben didn't get big money. UCLA did that. We got lucky with Dixon.

Maybe so

But Nordenberg indeed blessed the "basketball first" decision, especially after mediocre football results.

Criticize SP all day.....but he got his marching orders and followed them.

 

[Las Panteras]

ANY SCHOOL.....in ANY SPORT......not in the SEC or Big Ten....

Im all for billionaires helping them out.

College basketball is better when a NYC school is relevant. This is a good thing if you despise the SEC and B10 as I do.....

 

[12162022]

Maybe so

But Nordenberg indeed blessed the "basketball first" decision, especially after mediocre football results.

Criticize SP all day.....but he got his marching orders and followed them.

He knew NOTHING about hoops. Destroyed Nebraska and came back and damaged the whole programs. When Chryst had his final discussion with Gallagher they canned SP right away. Gallagher must have liked another big dude, so wheeler-dealer Barnes came in.
NTOP used to clean in the Cathedral......told me all.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

SP was told to hire Howland by Sonny/Adidas. Peterson couldn't spell basketball. And Ben didn't get big money. UCLA did that. We got lucky with Dixon.

I think Steve Pederson becomes a better AD the longer he is removed from his tenure but mostly due to comparing him to the garbage that came after him. Pederson wasn't nearly as bad as Barnes and Gallagher

- resurrected Pitt football and basketball by hiring Walt and Howland. I dont want to hear that Sonny told him to hire Ben. He didn't have to.

- got the Pete built

- decision to fire Wanny was warranted even if some of us didn't agree. His biggest flaw was hiring Haywood and Graham.

- hired Dan Fisher which everyone forgets