Thread: U of M Should Not Pay To Cancel Game against North Carolina

StarTribune: The Gophers backed out of their home-and-home series with North Carolina in 2013-14 in favor of trying to find a lesser opponent. The kicker is even more of a doozy: The Gophers paid North Carolina $800,000 to cancel the series. That's right, an athletic department that struggles to make budget every year is forking over $800,000 to avoid playing North Carolina.

That would be comical if it weren't so pathetic....

"It's a tough decision," Teague said. "It's one that we feel like is part of our plan for building a program. It's one where Coach Kill feels like that playing in the Big Ten is hard enough. We have a young program, and we want our guys to have games in which they can build confidence and do some things rather than playing a BCS program that's pretty good right now. So it's kind of part of the overall plan."

U shouldn’t pay $800,000 to avoid a so-so foe

I believe that both the Athletic Director and Head Coach should step down. This is a debacle that will hurt the program for years to come. It hurts the students and the taxpayers as well. Why does Teague believe he has the right to make an $800,000 decision for the University and people of Minnesota that pay his salary?

That's an embarrassing thing to do. I don't know who they think they'll be fooling by taking a lesser opponent just to win 6 games instead of 5 or whatever the case may be. Pathetic.

Originally Posted by Tad7

That's an embarrassing thing to do. I don't know who they think they'll be fooling by taking a lesser opponent just to win 6 games instead of 5 or whatever the case may be. Pathetic.

The Gophers are now officially the laughing stock sissies of the Big Ten (12). That will be great for recruiting, ... won't it Mr. Kill.

I am serious, this is a big time mistake and another blow to the U of M football program. If the information is correct, both Kill and Teague should resign.

I have been reading that Coach Kill and AD Teague likely have contract incentives for wins and bowl games. If so, are they padding the schedule to reach these incentives?

At Ohio State or Michigan, a head coach can be fired for losing to Michigan and Ohio State respectively too many times. The programs are expected to have winning records, winning Big Ten records, and high profile bowl games if not the Rose Bowl itself.

In Minnesota, wins over powder puff teams, a losing record against Big Ten teams, and a second tier bowl game can get the coach a bonus. When hiring any U of M head coach, the incentives should have been for wins in the Big Ten and wins for the Axe, Jug, and Pig. Only then, incentives for wins and bowl games would kick in.

As a side note, the Big Ten splitting up Minnesota and Wisconsin, with the oldest game trophy in college football on the line, is idiotic.

Relax.
This is not an affair exposed, corruption or blackmail.

It's only football.

This is quite embarrassing being a student at the U. The gophers are already getting criticism for a soft non conference schedule so coming out and saying we want an easier schedule is just a little stupid. The $800,000 cost is just icing on this pathetic cake.

It just further exposes the Gopher football program as a joke. We may as well start taking on teams like Macalester College, or Little Johnnie School for the Blind, or Little Sisters of the Poor.