Leaderboard

Bottom line: If enrollment stays steady or goes up over the next five years, that's a signal that this kind of spending is a perfectly valid way to fund athletics. If it drops significantly, then it's a sign that parents and students have looked at the numbers and decided that they don't like what they see. Alumni and outsiders calling it unsustainable completely ignores the beliefs of those who will actually be paying it.

When you look at this data, the two words that leap to mind are "unsustainable" and "ridiculous". I can't help but look at this from an overall NEO perspective, aggregating what UA, Can't, CSU and YSU are spending. All are public universities whose students come from the area. In aggregate, these students are being burdened with about $60 million a year subsidizing sports (UA and Can't $42M of that total). Basically, the public college students of NEO are paying to build an Infocision Stadium each and every year. I don't see how this is at all sustainable. When UA jumped to 1-A, the disparity with the top tier schools was massive. Now, that difference is an order of magnitude larger than that. With this playoff set up and the advent of direct payments, the gap will not only grow larger, it will grow even faster. UA and MAC schools will face a choice-- exhaust themselves financially or get off the hamster wheel by dropping down (or out altogether like UAB). Our other option, because of geography, is confederating UA and Can't in some way, which in some other threads I have made the argument for at least studying. To me, these numbers-- the sheer size of them-- not only begs that question, but demands a serious look at anything that might alter the collective trajectory.

I hope that article is correct that he graduated.

Former Zip Shawn Lemon about to sign NFL contract. Listed at six-feet-two and 250 pounds, Lemon almost certainly will line up as an outside linebacker rather than a defensive end. Lemon racked up 13 sacks and forced eight fumbles in 2014 for the Stampeders, the latter of which was a CFL record. Still only 26-years old, Lemon is still a young player with room to grow. Although Lemon bounced around the Arena League and the CFL, playing for a total of six teams in his short career, Mitchell reported as many as 14 teams were interested in Lemon's services, indicating his game tape was worth a shot. His strip-sacks remind me of another NFL MAC outside linebacker. @SLemonator

#CamRIPus_Lounge!

The steak sandwiches are really good. The beer selection is good, but not great. The place is clean, and, for Exchange Street, pretty classy. Plenty of room. Tons of TV's...but for whatever reason they seem to always have the same thing on every TV? I will probably be there. I like it. I'd recommend you go, get a sandwich and fries (those are really good too) and if you hate it you can go to the Gyro shop or BW's afterwards. I think you'll like it. If their management was smart, they pass out coupons at the JAR after games, or offer pre-game specials. IMO it has the potential to be THE pre-game hangout. But they need to do some advertising work.