Saw this article where Fox is “passing” on the B12 Championship Game in 2019. Not a good sign when media right comes up again. Maybe the B12 will have to take a CUT in the value. If so, would that destabilize the league? (Hint: Think so!)
https://mattsarzsports.blogspot.com/2019/01/big-12-football-championship-game-rights.html
What has really surprised me is that in virtually every list of “possible coaches” I’ve seen, Leavitt is NOT on the list! I had kinda understood that he was a shoo-in to replace Snyder. I don’t think he’s even been “interviewed” in Manhattan by the AD like several others have been. Guess the guy from NDSU who seemed to be the front runner for a while was not offered, at least not yet. Does sound like there is a “tug of war” going on in Manhattan between someone(s). Thought they would have decided by now…but the longer they wait I think the better for us!
He’s being recruited by Ohio State and Nebraska among others. He’s from Free State in Lawrence.
@kjayhawks This article, courtesy of a poster on another board, tells why he won’t…though the article makes it clear why he should be, at least according to them: https://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2018/09/rutgers-kansas_politis_5_observations.html
(pretty poor picture showing attendance near the end of the article)
I’d be among the very last to ever defend the Z person (don’t even want to type his name anymore) but to be fair there was no ESPN+ or other OTT network from ESPN at the time…it was all cable based. That doesn’t excuse the deal Z made…it was lousy, but there were only cable options at that time…no OTT.
@Crimsonorblue22 Agree with you wholeheartedly about that contract…though it seems to have been an “oversight” by the Athletic Corporation Board of Directors…who obviously in hindsight placed too much trust in Zenger who showed, at best, bad judgment, compounded by the Board abdicating its responsibility (as provided in its By-Laws). Setting general policy IS the job of the Athletic Board…carrying out that policy responsibly is the job of the AD. Just like a Board of Directors in a corporation, the AD being the President of the corporation. The Board sets general parameters but the “nitty-gritty” of carrying out those policies (the details like hiring/firing personnel) are left to the discretion of the President. But, the President still remains ultimately responsible to the Board and if they so choose, the Board may terminate him if they do not believe he is responsibly carrying out their policies. Because it was Zenger’s responsibility (coaches, contracts, administration) he was terminated, and properly so, even if regrettably later rather than sooner (in my opinion)…
@Crimsonorblue22 then why hire an AD?..and who makes the “ultimate decision” then, the “committee”/“guider”? (and who chooses the “committee” and who is on the “committee”). Then who is responsible if it doesn’t “work out”…are we going to fire the members of the “committee” and keep the AD since it wasn’t “his” hire, it was the committees? Realistically though, most ADs have at least an informal committee for input, but that is the ADs choice, not someone telling him what he can and can not do. If you “hamstring” your AD, that seems to say you don’t have confidence in your AD to make a good decision so you should not have hired that person as AD in the first place.
@Crimsonorblue22 Yes…but…
Yes, the “responsibility” falls on the AD…he is in charge of the athletic department…BUT, most AD’s seek some kind of counsel on the hire (though not “required” to do so) be it forming a committee, hiring a consultant(s), getting recommendations from the “leaving” coach (assuming he was successful, such as Self) and maybe even “running” his choice by certain people (Chancellor, BMDs, etc.) before an announcement. So, ultimately the AD does the hire, but being a little like a politician…“consulting” with people and trying to get as big a “buy-in” from them as he can on his final choice (something I don’t think Zenger did).