WADR: SEC took Mizzou for the StL and KC cable TV markets

Posted on: February 20, 2019 at 12:04:07 CT

The SEC added Mizzou because (1) it was planning the SECN with ESPN, (2) the SECN at the time had business model in which revenue was based on the numbers of cable TV subscribers, and (3) Mizzou would bring the St. Louis metro and Kansas City metro cable TV subscribers. There wasn't a big time football or basketball program available to join the SEC that would have brought the same number of cable subscribers. Bottom line is was a way for the SEC decision makers to insure the SECN would be more successful.

The NCAA hit Mizzou hard for several reasons. First, it was a level one violation, secondly Mizzou was on probation and three is was an academic fraud violation. The latter was a direct affront to the NCAA's "student athlete" concept, i.e. the athletes aren't students if someone is doing their coursework.

Protecting and maintaining the "student athlete" concept is critical to the NCAA in numerous ways. If the kids aren't students, then is the NCAA a non-profit organization made up of educational institutions or just another money grubbing sports business organization?

And "money grubbing" is "beneath the dignity of many in higher education. So bottom line is the NCAA hits academic cheating hard, very hard.

Edited by ScottsdaleTiger at 12:10:32 on 02/20/19