Conversations With Cully And Conlon Returns with UConn Women's Basketball legend, Western Connecticut State University Head Coach Maria Conlon. We talk about the new NCAA House Settlement, NBA Finals, and WNBA.
Maria talks about the House/NCAA Settlement and makes a great point. She has worked in sales and you can get an opportunity, but if you don’t perform, businesses will not pay for dead weight. College Sports are a billion dollar industry, teams who bring in revenue will be compensated the most, the ones who don’t have TV deals or are selling out arenas, could become club sports or cut all together. I was like this sets Title IX back 40 years!
Only a small percentage of athletic departments generate revenue as it is, putting a 20 million dollar cap on paying athletes will be difficult for Universities to pay on a fair level. Maria doesn’t believe Football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball players will be paid as the others. Is that considered a Title IX Violation?
Or is the main purpose focused on having the same number of sports or scholarships for men and women? ACC and the Big 12 don’t have 20 million like the SEC or Big 10 do to start on a level playing field. This money comes from a combination of TV contract money, Ticket Sales, and “unknown” factors. Also, similar to the NFL, the 20 Million number will increase year to year.
On top of this is NIL money, colleges still have collectives, sponsorships, boosters to either make up if they don’t reach 20 Million? Or add on where Colleges could have 50 Million a year to pay players. It’s wild.
Maria talks about the WNBA and has a little fun with Angel Reece. Chicago is struggling, Indiana is fighting without Caitlin Clark and is 4-4 with her return imminent. Minnesota and NY are completely dominating, beating teams by 20 each night.
A viewer named Mark called Maria out and said the Pacers are winning the NBA Championship. Maria is sticking to her guns, Oklahoma City in 5 or 6 games tops!
