Glad I am not a Cal fan, here is a post from their message board:
Finally, the fact that Div-1A College football has been driven by and orchestrated by TV money all along, is now laid bare for all to see. By paying Pac-12 schools approx 1/3 what they paid the SEC and Big-10, FOX and ESPN assured that the conference would not survive as a viable college football entity. U$C graduates at Fox orchestrating the move of $C and U _ _ _ to the Big-10 was easy as these schools eagerly did the only thing that would assure their athletic future.
While this was unfolding, our brilliant Pac-12 Commissioner stupidly voted against expanded playoffs, stupidly told ESPN & Fox to shove it with the embarrassing Pac10 Network, unbelievably, stupidly did not believe that individual schools would act in their own best interest but rather "stay united" with the Pac-12 schools getting far less revenue than the Big-10/SEC schools.
One could reasonably argue that Cal's fate was sealed the day George Kliavkoff was hired. Chancellor Christ and A.D. Knowlton did nothing while U$C and ucla plotted to abandon the Pac-12 for a much larger college football payday.
I do not know how Cal Football can be saved -- I do know that having a stadium debt to repay does not assure that TV networks will pay Cal, a .500 team at best, always in the second tier in the Pac-12, any amount near what Cal needs to maintain a viable D-1 College Football Program. Indeed, Cal can no longer count on U$C and ucla as football opponents once they start their Big-10 schedules. There are no schedule replacements in the West that have the financial ability to take their place. When the rumored Pac-12 abandonment by the Arizona schools, Utah, Oregon and Washington takes place Cal will likely not be able to count on scheduling these teams either.
I do know that Christ and Knowlton have been outmaneuvered at every critical stage of this fiasco.
I do know that there does not appear to be any major donors with the ability or willingness to advocate for Cal to join the Big-10, unlike Phil Knight & Oregon.
I do know that the SEC/Big-10 schools are now, clearly, feeder minor league pro teams for talent to audition for the NFL. The fans of these schools may foolishly continue to believe the college schedules of these teams actually mean anything other than to showcase NFL player auditions, but more realistic fans know that it will be more entertaining to watch the real NFL on TV rather than these NFL feeder programs. It will be reasonable to ask why the SEC/Big-10 forces football players to go to class at their schools, when all that does is dilute the preparation time for football during the week.
We will start seeing recruitment of any 3-star or above prospect become impossible as they get offers from the SEC or Big-10, the two major TV revenue driving programs. NIL money will also drive that trend. For the HS prospects who do not get picked by the SEC/Big-10, outdated Cal academic standards will exasperate the recruiting problem.
So, hard as it is to stomach, we are witnessing the destruction of Cal Football as a viable D-1 College Football Program. Perhaps Christ can sell the land that the stadium is on to pay-off the stadium debt. We will all bid on eBay to get a genuine brick from Memorial stadium if we cannot get one as Memorial Stadium is demolished, to facilitate top dollar condominium construction with a view of the Bay. And of course watch the 49ers on TV to satisfy our football appetites.
