“Now is the time. This is the place”
When Whit Babcock first uttered those words things were looking up for Cincinnati. The UC athletic director had just wrapped up the unveiling of renovations to Nippert Stadium. The plans called for the addition of a few thousand club seats, suites, and luxury boxes. Overall the renovations would go a long way to bringing UC’s football venue into the 21st century and pumping millions of much-need cash annually into Cincinnati’s athletic budget. On top of this Babcock broke the mold and hired a well-known coach from a major conference in Tommy Tuberville. Bearcats football was poised to establish the infrastructure that would propel it out of “stepping stone” status.
All of these efforts (and expensive efforts at that) were put forth to propel Cincinnati into a stronger, more stable, and financially beneficial conference. That conference was going to be the ACC. With the Big Ten, SEC, and Big XII bound take the likes of North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Florida State, etc. Cincinnati was bound to receive an invitation because of that desertion. But with the ACC universities signing a Grant of Media Rights, it doesn’t look like any of those schools are going anywhere anytime soon. This turn of events has caused that phrase from Whit Babcock to seem like empty words now as a door has closed on Cincinnati’s hopes of upgrading their conference.
But that door hasn’t been locked.
While some are quick to point out that the ACC won’t be losing their schools anytime soon, there is nothing to say they can’t still expand and add one or more schools. In addition, the fact that the Big XII can no longer target Florida State or Clemson means the UC moves up on the list should they choose to expand beyond 10 teams. For Cincinnati, the net result is that they have decreased their chances of an ACC invitation only slightly and increased their chances of a Big XII invitation substantially. And if the NCAA denies the Big XII their waiver to host a championship game with just 10 teams, UC’s chances increase even further.
But if the Bearcats are relegated to play their conference games in the American Athletic Conference, UC athletics can still thrive. There is a very real fear that it will take a step backwards because of the comparatively miniscule payday from the AAC’s media deal. That’s true. Cincinnati will be making about $2 million per year less in their new conference than they were making in the Big East.
On top of that they are shelling out $70 million (although not all of it will be paid for by UC) for the Nippert Stadium renovations, $2.2 million per year to pay Tuberville, will likely give men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin a raise from his $1.45 million contract this past season, and are reinstating 19 scholarship programs. Essentially, an already cash strapped athletic department will be paying for more projects and higher salaries in the coming years while bringing in less revenue.
Not exactly a money management system any financial analyst would sign off on.
For a number of reasons, a smaller cash flow is the biggest issue Cincinnati faces as they begin play in the AAC this Fall. Still, that shouldn’t spell the end of the Bearcats athletics we know and love. It’s a challenge and not one I would wish on my worst enemies (even Xavier… okay, yes, Xavier) but for UC to continue performing at a high level there is no more critical time than now than to invest in Cincinnati’s programs. The donations and ticket sales cannot wane in a time when the Bearcats need them the most. Essentially, for Cincinnati to maintain their success they must accomplish the following four goals:
Retain Tommy Tuberville
Tuberville has to not only succeed at Cincinnati, he has to stick around. The Bearcats have struck gold with their previous three coaches but each left after three seasons. Mark Dantonio greatly elevated the talent on the roster, Brian Kelly brought the national spotlight on UC football, and Butch Jones modernized the inner workings of the program. But those three left for Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Tennessee, respectively. Had they stuck around they would have elevated Cincinnati from a “stepping stone” to an “established” program.
That’s what Bearcats football needs from Tuberville. First he has to win, then he has to stay at Cincinnati for 5 – 10 years if not longer. Tuberville talks the good talk now but I’d hope he’s true to his word and doesn’t bolt for a high-level SEC program if it became available in a few years.
Move Forward With Nippert Stadium Renovations
Secondly, Cincinnati must must must complete the renovations of Nippert Stadium. This is absolutely imperative. Like I mentioned the biggest challenge facing UC athletics right now is higher overhead combined with less revenue. Cincinnati’s athletics department has to become more self-sufficient now more than ever. Relying on their conference’s TV money and BCS bowl revenue won’t cut it anymore. In order to pull their heads out of the water UC needs to build the boxes, suites, and luxury seating that will pump millions of dollars into the athletic department every year. This will help prop up UC athletics and help pay for the expensive salaries of their head coaches and assistants. Again, if Cincinnati can retain Tommy Tuberville and Mick Cronin long term that will go a long way to maintaining the success of Bearcats athletics.
Pay Whit Babcock
The architect who is masterminding the upgrading of UC athletics is current athletic director Whit Babcock. But he’s being paid the least of his colleagues in the Big East. It’s a crime, really, that a brilliant and charismatic leader such as Babcock is making less than South Florida’s clown of an AD Doug Woolard. I believe that retaining Whit Babcock is as important if not more so than Cincinnati ensuring Tuberville/Cronin stay long term.
Why? Well, again, he’s the face of the Nippert Stadium renovations and the program as a whole. If Babcock leaves, donors will see that as sure sign of his lack of confidence in UC athletics. They would pull back their donations if they thought that even Cincinnati’s leader of athletics didn’t believe in the department. That would be devastating to the Bearcats.
Be Boise State
Over the last decade or so Boise State has been breaking the mold of non-BCS programs by beating the piss out of everyone in and outside of their conference to force their way into BCS bowl games. With the evolution of college athletics to the point where the haves are further separated from the have nots, Cincinnati has to play the same role as Boise State has for years.
While an automatic birth in a playoff bowl game isn’t guaranteed, UC can still gain access by being the highest rated team among the programs in the AAC, MAC, Mountain West, WAC, Conference-USA, and Sun Belt. Of those teams, Cincinnati should be among the best 5 – 10 programs in those conference in any given year. To truly embrace the Boise State effect, UC must be the class of those 6 conferences, or damn near it, year in and year out. Just win, baby!