JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
as it relates to recent championships:
http://hawkeyenation.com/football/hawkeyes-none-worse-in-the-big-ten
http://hawkeyenation.com/football/hawkeyes-none-worse-in-the-big-ten
Schwartz: Iowa Athletic Department Worst in B1G
- Thread starter JonDMiller
- Start date
Iowa may need to decide to focus on a few niche sports instead of putting in resources in the more competitive sports. Being competitive in the revenue sports and then finding a couple of off the wall sports where they can put in massive more resources than anyone else might work.
Unfortunately, they have not won enough recently even in the niche sports in which they do focus, field hockey/wresting.
HawkeyeHypnosis
Well-Known Member
That is pretty eye opening.
HawkeyeFever
Well-Known Member
Looks pretty pathetic on the surface.
Championships are the ultimate goal, but lack of being #1 doesn't necessarily paint he whole picture.
I am curious as to what more data would reveal, such as what is Iowa's overall finish in terms of where they did finish in each season (No championship, but finished 3rd, 4th, etc.)
Also, weighing each sports' importance would also impact results (A B1G championship in football would trump two or three field hockey championships, IMO).
Pretty sad, though, to not be more competitive in terms of overall hardware in the display case.
Championships are the ultimate goal, but lack of being #1 doesn't necessarily paint he whole picture.
I am curious as to what more data would reveal, such as what is Iowa's overall finish in terms of where they did finish in each season (No championship, but finished 3rd, 4th, etc.)
Also, weighing each sports' importance would also impact results (A B1G championship in football would trump two or three field hockey championships, IMO).
Pretty sad, though, to not be more competitive in terms of overall hardware in the display case.
ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
It appears the answer to his first question is yes, money is everything.
STILLBUSTER
Well-Known Member
HawkeyeHypnosis
Well-Known Member
Edited for accuracy.
First its eye opening, then its embarrassing.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
almost as much as it is misleading.
While Championships could be the ultimate measure, by virtually every other measure...we're consistently in the top half of the conference. Always.
Purdue, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern and no doubt Rutgers and Maryland... would love to have our resources, fan support and yes...success on the field and court. And usjing this same measure ISU would have a more successful athletic department...that alone should reveal the flaws in the headline.
If you weighted the sports by things like attendance/popularity/exposure...(football gets a weight of 5, bball 4 or 5, women's bball 3, wrestling 3, hockey 2, rowing 1 ...for example... and then did more than a simplistic Championship =1 , no Champ =0 ranking system...((in this analysis, 0-12 gets the same credit as 8-4 and a New Year's Day bowl game) IOWA would fare very well.
But we live in the era of overly simplistic, inflammatory headlines. Anything to get clicks. Lack of Championships, yes. Worst department in the Big Ten? Please....
HawkeyeHypnosis
Well-Known Member
I don't disagree, but Barta consistently talks about wanting championships in all sports, yet that obviously isn't happening under his watch. Even with the resources, fanbase and success on and off field it hasnt helped produce championship teams. Players want to play for championships. Again, I do agree that while Iowa may be last in titles, the athletic department is responsible for far more than titles and stack up well in other categories as you said.
INTIMIDATORHawk
Well-Known Member
What is the point of spending all that money on facilities if those improvements are not helping those sports compete at a higher level? Isn't that the point of improvements....to entice recruits to come to the University of Iowa?
eyekwah
Well-Known Member
I believe the article is a bit misleading. Iowa does not field these mens' sports; ice hockey, soccer, lacrosse. For sake of title IX it invented some women's sport that are just bizarre as far as local interest. The point I want to make is that you don't win championships in sports that you don't compete in or you're using to simply be compliant with title IX. All but one of the conference members that border Iowa have only one DI team, Illinois has two, but its population is three or four times Iowa's. Iowa is second to last in population size in the conference, but has two colleges competing at DI. My point is that the talent in-state gets diluted between Iowa and ISU, who offers fewer sports than Iowa, which allows ISU to concentrate its resources on sports of local interest, i.e. women's volleyball.
Some would argue that some of my points are excuses, I can accept that. Since the article is about the lack of championships one has to consider all the factors and the article simply presents that Iowa is last in championships over a time period he picked. This is rather typical of today's media members, find a fault and make an issue. If you are older and wiser you realize that fortunes in sports rise and fall. There are about five sports I care about and in this order, football, men's bball, wrestling, women's bball, and baseball. Winning a championship in one of those areas trumps all the others.
Some would argue that some of my points are excuses, I can accept that. Since the article is about the lack of championships one has to consider all the factors and the article simply presents that Iowa is last in championships over a time period he picked. This is rather typical of today's media members, find a fault and make an issue. If you are older and wiser you realize that fortunes in sports rise and fall. There are about five sports I care about and in this order, football, men's bball, wrestling, women's bball, and baseball. Winning a championship in one of those areas trumps all the others.
HawkeyeHypnosis
Well-Known Member
That time period (although i doubt this was the reasoning for picking it) is from right about the time GarBar took over. If anything it should go back on him.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
Except the whole point behind generating big revenue is so you can be more competitive. Ohio State and Michigan are right at the top of the championship standings, and it's no coincidence that they also pull in the most revenue.
Well it's also no coincidence that they are two of the largest schools too. I haven't seen the list but I assume PSU was up there as well.
True, I would rather be competitive in basketball, football and wrestling, and be poor to average, elsewhere than to
be dominant, in say, swimming, gymnastics, etc. and be horrible in basketball and football.
trj
Well-Known Member
from roughly 1980-1996 Iowa had a top 25 athletic department by any critieria you wanted to measure it buy. the mid 90's is about the time the stereotypical AD stop being the ex-football coach and it became the guy that is ceo with a mba. Today's AD is a salesmen and he has to be very good at that, Barta excels at that.....in today's collegiate sports your AD has to be a good fundraiser, championships really do not matter.
HawkeyeHypnosis
Well-Known Member
2013 Big Ten Revenues
1. Wisconsin $149,141,405
2. Michigan $143,514,125
3. Ohio State $139,639,307
4. Iowa $107,153,782
5. Penn State $104,751,464
6. Minnesota $98,286,669
7. Michigan State $97,942,726
8. Nebraska $86,916,001
9. Illinois $79,725,521
10. Indiana $76,660,265
11. Purdue $72,379,39
1. Wisconsin $149,141,405
2. Michigan $143,514,125
3. Ohio State $139,639,307
4. Iowa $107,153,782
5. Penn State $104,751,464
6. Minnesota $98,286,669
7. Michigan State $97,942,726
8. Nebraska $86,916,001
9. Illinois $79,725,521
10. Indiana $76,660,265
11. Purdue $72,379,39
