I know, I know, not another Baylor thread, but it's the middle of June and four days until the CWS starts. I was thinking about this last night, and Baylor's football future is screwed so badly, it doesn't matter what they do:
Bring Briles Back: Admittedly now a longshot, but if for some reason they do,
1) The worst fallout in the history of intercollegiate athletics from media and women's right groups. It will be brutal and unrelenting.
2) The name of Baylor will be tarnished forever. It will be synonymous with rape and scandal and win at any costs.
3) Enrollment will take some hit, which translates to dollars.
4) Briles will be what, 61, 62 by then? Odds are he's lost a lot of his mojo, and he certainly won't be able to bring in his pet transfers.
5) Baylor will be toxic. With realignment on the horizon in 2018-2020, when most TV contracts are done, conferences will again change. No Power 5 will want anything to do with them. They will go to the AAC to join up with Houston, Memphis and the like.
Keep Briles Terminated, Then Fired: The likely path they remain
1) From all indications, Briles will sue for the remaining $40 million of his contract for being fired "without cause." This will force Baylor to be transparent, and release the full PH report, which they are loathe to do. There must be a lot of dirty laundry in that report. Considering the trial, if it makes it that far, will be in Waco, Briles likely gets a sympathetic jury and wins his money.
2) Two recruiting classes take major hits -- 2016 and especially 2017. We've already seen the effects in less than three weeks. The possibility of some kind of NCAA penalty looms. That only adds to recruiting difficulties.
3) Because of the money Baylor must spend to settle lawsuits, debt, etc., they don't have the cash to money-whip a coach and pay him close to Briles money. So they aren't just going to get get anyone. Montgomery at Tulsa and Babers at Syracuse are probably out because having been on the staff previously, it's likely Baylor will want to make a clean break. Tom Herman? Please. More than likely, it will be a young coach from FCS or Sun Belt.
4) Support continues to dwindle. We saw the division at Tech with Leach. It's about three times that or more with Baylor and Briles. Those crowds of 45,000 in their new stadium when they were top 10 go back to what it's historically been -- 30,000 or so, and less donor money.
And no matter the path they take, this won't change:
1) Settling out of court with as many as 18 victims that will probably cost around $20 million.
2) The Title IX probe and the feds, with the Dept. of Education, getting involved.
Baylor's Day Of Reckoning is nigh, gentlemen. I'm truly sorry of the human cost it took for this to happen. Baylor fans are fond of comparing this situation to Biblical times, and so am I:
You reap what you sow.
Bring Briles Back: Admittedly now a longshot, but if for some reason they do,
1) The worst fallout in the history of intercollegiate athletics from media and women's right groups. It will be brutal and unrelenting.
2) The name of Baylor will be tarnished forever. It will be synonymous with rape and scandal and win at any costs.
3) Enrollment will take some hit, which translates to dollars.
4) Briles will be what, 61, 62 by then? Odds are he's lost a lot of his mojo, and he certainly won't be able to bring in his pet transfers.
5) Baylor will be toxic. With realignment on the horizon in 2018-2020, when most TV contracts are done, conferences will again change. No Power 5 will want anything to do with them. They will go to the AAC to join up with Houston, Memphis and the like.
Keep Briles Terminated, Then Fired: The likely path they remain
1) From all indications, Briles will sue for the remaining $40 million of his contract for being fired "without cause." This will force Baylor to be transparent, and release the full PH report, which they are loathe to do. There must be a lot of dirty laundry in that report. Considering the trial, if it makes it that far, will be in Waco, Briles likely gets a sympathetic jury and wins his money.
2) Two recruiting classes take major hits -- 2016 and especially 2017. We've already seen the effects in less than three weeks. The possibility of some kind of NCAA penalty looms. That only adds to recruiting difficulties.
3) Because of the money Baylor must spend to settle lawsuits, debt, etc., they don't have the cash to money-whip a coach and pay him close to Briles money. So they aren't just going to get get anyone. Montgomery at Tulsa and Babers at Syracuse are probably out because having been on the staff previously, it's likely Baylor will want to make a clean break. Tom Herman? Please. More than likely, it will be a young coach from FCS or Sun Belt.
4) Support continues to dwindle. We saw the division at Tech with Leach. It's about three times that or more with Baylor and Briles. Those crowds of 45,000 in their new stadium when they were top 10 go back to what it's historically been -- 30,000 or so, and less donor money.
And no matter the path they take, this won't change:
1) Settling out of court with as many as 18 victims that will probably cost around $20 million.
2) The Title IX probe and the feds, with the Dept. of Education, getting involved.
Baylor's Day Of Reckoning is nigh, gentlemen. I'm truly sorry of the human cost it took for this to happen. Baylor fans are fond of comparing this situation to Biblical times, and so am I:
You reap what you sow.
