#6 - The GOAT Conversaion

In this episode your hosts talk about which college athletics program they think is the best of all time. Factoring in historic success, success in all sports and diving into some of the biggest brands in all of sports.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

And we are live for another episode of Future Funds. I'm Howie. Walt. And yeah, we're just going to again dive right into it. I feel like I say that every single episode, but nice little intro. Consistency is key. Exactly. Exactly. So uh this week's topic, we're going to break down the best college athletic programs, in our opinion, of course, of all time. And I'll actually pull up a list in a little bit of, you know, especially in the age of NIL, a lot of people have looked of like the most valuable brands in college athletics and the most valuable programs. I know uh shocking, maybe not shocking. I'm pretty sure Texas is number one.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Oh, well, fuck me. Texas. Texas joining the SEC is just a well, I guess like they'll never be they'll never be considered. And what's funny is I think if I'm not mistaken, and you can fact check me on it, but I think they were in the Southern Conference back in the day, like way back in the day. Maybe never. I don't know. I felt like they were in it, but I might be wrong on it. But they just never feel like SEC, man. Sorry, people of Texas. And I listen, we got future funders all over the place, and nothing about nothing against the great state of Texas. I'd love to fish Caddo Lake if anybody wants to take me out. I'd love to go fish Caddo Lake in Texas, but like yeah, fuck 'em. Sorry. Horns down.

SPEAKER_03 1:37

Eat dick. Yeah, so there I'm I'm fact-checking. Southern comp oh no, this is SoCon. That's not what I want.

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Well, anyways, I digress.

SPEAKER_03 1:50

Regardless. Yeah, honestly, that that's before my time. And I I only I only remember uh they started the what is the Big 12 now? It was the Big Eight? Something that was yeah, something like that. Way back. Yeah. And uh and just recently moved into the SEC. Do you think that increased their value at all joining the SEC? And why do you think yes?

SPEAKER_01 2:21

You know, the interesting thing is, guys, y'all are just gonna have to fact check me a million times. But I think it was right before they joined the SEC that they started their own Longhorn Network. Remember that? Like it was a big deal because they were essentially like kind of trying to break a contract with ESPN or something. It was something weird, and they signed this huge deal to have the Longhorn Network and then joined the SEC Southwest Conference. That's what it was called. Yeah, that's what okay, okay. That's right. Uh the Southwest, yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_03 2:57

And then it was literally Texas and Arkansas.

SPEAKER_01 3:01

Yeah, okay. I knew it was something different, but uh yeah, I they got a lot of money, man. They got a lot of money. I think it shows what the rosters are putting together, and I think it shows with the damn NIL that they're getting. I'm excited for today's topic. There's a lot of debate going on. Would you consider Texas a top five athletic department? Athletic prowess.

SPEAKER_03 3:31

I'm going to say they are my front runner for number one, honestly. And we're gonna get into this because we have talked about this off the podcast, obviously, a couple of times, and I've talked about it with several people. The reasoning I have behind Texas, I think there's a couple different reasonings and categories you have going into this topic. One, in your major sports, have they won a championship? Texas has won in football, they've won in baseball, they've won in women's basketball, they haven't won in men's basketball, so that is something where they have good teams, though.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

They were competitive in the Brick Barnes era.

SPEAKER_03 4:15

Absolutely. Absolutely. So like that's fuck them, but they that is where you know you kind of start bringing other schools into the conversation where it's like, well, so-and-so made a final four, has made this many final fours. So stuff like that. I also think track and field, you start looking at the smaller sports. Track and field has been extremely competitive throughout the years. Um softball. Really good this year. Even better or like more successful golf. They produced Jordan Spieth, Scotty Scheffler, they won like probably eight straight in those two, like those two players' careers, like eight straight Big 12 championships, a couple of NCAAs. So volleyball. Volleyball, they're extremely competitive, uh, have won a handful. So what I'm getting at is one, have they made a final four? Have they won a football championship? Something big like that. Two, do they compete in the not so funded sports, the ones that people really don't hear that much about? And the final thing I think is a big one for me, continued success. Because take a look at Oregon, for example, you know, they've only had recent success in some sports. Or you could take a nut, maybe even Duke, right? Taking Coach K. Outside of Coach K, have were they competitive in basketball before? Stuff like that. So like I think it's how long they've been successful, have they been successful in everything? That's what it boils down to for me.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

You said something that this is an argument, and I'm gonna this is this was before we started today. Uh I said, I'm excited because I've been talking about this a little bit. And there's rankings that come out legitimately from like other polls and places like that about the top universities in the country based off championship, NIL, stability in the athletic department, a lot of different things. One I I hate saying it, we talked about it last time. Was these sports gotta stop with this shit, man? I don't give a rat's ass about golf. Yeah, I don't. In terms of a fan, I don't give a shit unless I played. Yeah, I'm a former player here or something along those lines, or I played at a different school and I just keep up. Like golf, bowling, rifle, yeah, swimming and diving. These are sports that aren't making money for the school. Yeah, they're just not. And I don't give a shit. Who was it? Vandy's golf? New golfhouse? Or maybe it was the great state of Alabama that was ridiculous. I saw the Bama. And like, yeah, kudos, you got the money to do it through donations, and that's awesome. Oh, yeah. You don't tick it, you make no money for the fucking school. If people aren't giving those donations yearly, it doesn't matter. Like you're not bringing in money. So this brings me to my next point. Do I think do I agree with you? Yeah, I do. I think Texas is that kind of number one. They're good in everything that matters with the other dumbass sports that nobody cares about.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

I I'm with you on that. I would I would probably put Florida up there too. I'd agree. Uh, it doesn't matter that football hasn't been good. They sell it out even if they're shit. That's that's a powerhouse in itself. Now, I've heard through grapevines that the athletic department has some shakes in it, which one doesn't, but I've heard a little bit disorganized, would be a word I've heard thrown around there. So I can't speak on the athletic. I think we preface our fun conversation today about we can't speak on any of these athletic departments. We don't work there. Yeah. So this is subjective about oh yeah, the other stuff that we can see, the other stuff that's out there. Here's the program that I'm excited to talk about today. A lot of people consider it, a lot of people consider it number one. Are you ready for this name?

SPEAKER_03 8:27

I have the top 10 list pulled up of the most valuable, so I'm interested to see if it's on that. Stanford.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

Stanford Athletic Department. A lot of people consider it number one across the board from stability to standpoints to the Capital One Cup race, like all of that. They consider it number one. Where's it on the list? Is it? It's not. See, that's interesting. So a lot of people consider it like really, because they win at a lot. Here's where I agree with you. You don't win in basketball and you haven't in a long time. Football's been dog shit ever since you got rid of David Shaw and stopped giving him a chance to win. Andrew Luck was a good move. I think that could help bring some stability to the play. In the right direction. Baseball, suck a dick. Softball, you're pretty good. You had some players, and then you kind of sit middle of the pack every year. So I don't care about the rest.

SPEAKER_04 9:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

I don't give a rat's ass about squash. I don't know if that's a sport there. I'm just saying, like, they have these sports, and everybody's like, well, they're good all around. They win at so many. Dude, nobody gives a shit about rowing. I can go get in a kayak right now and do the same thing. You're considering this athletic department number one, and yes, they turn a positive profit, and yes, they have a stability aspect to it as well. I'm not saying they don't. If you're talking about number one overall, you're looking at the thing that matters, and right now, in the current space, with NIL, it's money and wins. That's what matters. Like tradition is starting to die off, and people want bigger, better, bolder. That's just what it is. I'm not saying they're not good. I'm not saying the AD is not great. I'm not saying anything about that. What I'm saying is stop calling them number one. Because in this modern age, they're not they're not even relevant anymore.

SPEAKER_03 10:15

I find that so weird, too, because you would think they have the money to back a big coach, some big players, but like they're just they've kind of fallen off the face of the earth. They have. Also, 2019 women's water polo champions, by the way.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

Oh, sick. Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_03 10:33

I have a t-shirt. It was on sale for 10 bucks when I went there. Nice. Nice.

SPEAKER_01 10:39

That's what I'm saying, though. Like, who cares?

SPEAKER_03 10:42

Yeah. Like, but I mean, that that is an interesting one because I think there is a lot of potential there. Um, being in Palo Alto, like Silicon Valley, like all these tech companies. Now, I feel like most of the founders of those tech companies probably dropped out or or didn't go to Stanford, period. But like, still, you would think there's a couple of people around that are just like, yeah, I've got fuck you, money.

SPEAKER_01 11:15

So Lopez twins. That was the last time they were relevant in basketball. Damn. Go way back. There you go. That that's a while. That is that's my fucking point. And honestly, they started going downhill with Davis Mills, and he's a good quarterback. He was probably last really good when that came out of Stanford. Damn. So I'm just saying, but when's the baseball been good? They made a dumbass move when the Pac-12 disbanded.

SPEAKER_03 11:44

Yeah, pack that I was gonna say, the Pac-12 disbanding really that shot them. That killed them. You know what it did?

SPEAKER_01 11:56

It killed a lot of the programs we consider like the to be the best. It killed a lot of those. I don't look at USC like that anymore. Oh, absolutely not. And they 100%, USC would have been a top five. Fact. Their football has always been good, basketball was always relevant, baseball was really good, softball, women's back. They had the package and they made money because they were the fucking team. Yeah. Outside of the Lakers and shit, they were the team in LA, and now they just suck bags of dicks.

SPEAKER_03 12:33

They're actually ranks number eight on this list.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

I they got a lot of money.

unknown 12:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

Money-wise, they have a lot.

SPEAKER_03 12:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

But do they have the rest?

SPEAKER_03 12:44

Anymore? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 12:46

That's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_03 12:47

I mean, I feel like football's made a little bit of a return. It's so irrelevant.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

I want them to be good so bad. Yeah. So bad. Because I loved watching them back in the day. Like Key Carroll era. Oh, dude. This is as if you're a USC fan, I hope you listen to what I'm about to say because we absolutely fucking dog walked your ass. Alabama did that year. You tried to crawl out of the tunnel and act like you were tough, and we just fucking spanked you. Yeah. Let it be a lesson. My point is that I loved watching them, man. It was so fun to watch like real, like the defense was so just oh man, the tradition, as you know. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to the jerseys and stuff, man. Like just plain, simple. You never changed it. It looks good. I love USC. I have nothing against them. I just think like, what the fuck are you doing with your programs? Especially in a city like we talk about Stanford and Palo Alto. You can't get donors in LA. LA. Yeah. Come on, man. Swaggy P. I know. I know he probably doesn't have LeBron money, obviously. No. He's got enough, and he played at USC. Yeah. And played for the fucking Lakers. And you didn't tap that? Like, now players are stingy as fuck. We're not going to get in that rabbit hole of pros not paying back their colleges. Here's some shoes. Okay. Well, they're free. So how about some real the narrow?

SPEAKER_04 14:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:14

Right? Like, you've made, if you're a good one, Shay, Mr. Twotime MVP, like there's a lot of players out there that are attached to these colleges that I don't think they're giving a lot of money back to.

SPEAKER_03 14:28

No.

SPEAKER_01 14:29

And I think it's if LeBron can give money to schools he didn't even go to, again, not apples to apples. Some of these guys, you're signing fucking monster contracts. You have a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 14:39

You have enough. If you're investing it correctly, too, like LeBron did, you're making handover fist.

SPEAKER_01 14:47

Oh yeah. I think again, as an Alabama fan, I think of Alabama and I the lot of players were talking shit how bad we were. This is an Alabama football. Blah, blah. Well, if you're saying that, some of the guys that were saying that were like big time players. Give some fucking money.

SPEAKER_03 15:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:03

That's where I'll leave it, anyways.

SPEAKER_03 15:05

I mean, like, uh circling back to your uh the whole tradition point, um, we've got Notre Dame on this list at number six. Which I think is interesting because I'm not gonna say they're exclusively football, but they're exclusively football.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

Yeah, I mean Mike Bray had them good at basketball and they haven't been good since. Baseball's always yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:29

Baseball's a hit or miss for them, I feel like, because there's years they're like really good. I mean women's basketball. They've uh that that they've always been good. They're Notre Dame, though. Yeah, it's more so the brand. Go through the list. Okay, so number one, we've got Texas Hook'em Horns. Uh number two, the Ohio State University, which I'll say is actually kind of surprising for me.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

That high, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:58

Yeah, like I expect them to be on this list, but at number two is kind of wild. Number three is Texas AM. Makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 16:05

Fuckload of money.

SPEAKER_03 16:06

Another one though that I'm like, oh wow, like that high. Um four is Georgia. Which is interesting because like where are they spending? I feel like Kirby Smart hasn't really made any moves in the portal. No, he doesn't. Generally, he recruits and develops. So you think he's just like investing in them?

SPEAKER_01 16:24

Like, because I feel like I think Georgia's doing it in a right way in terms of like they're spending money on the facilities more so than they're spending on the players. Because you haven't heard anything about them hitting a dangerous cap or anything like that. Like they're I think they're doing it in a really good way. Yeah. And they know they're they know they can get players because they're Georgian and they spent behind the books, however you want to say it, but Kirby spent the money early on.

SPEAKER_04 16:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

To win nattdies. Now you're just consistently good.

SPEAKER_04 17:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:02

I look at it the same way, Deborah at Alabama, like you're still gonna get talent because Nick Saban made Alabama what Alabama is, but before Nick Saban, you have Paul Bear Bryant. Yeah. Like you had guys in those eras that you go, all right, like what if we have a bad year, we have a bad year, but like we're gonna bounce back. We're the blank, blank, blank university, right? Like so Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:30

Got Michigan at five.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

That's shocking.

SPEAKER_03 17:33

Really?

SPEAKER_01 17:34

I say it's shocking because AM, and and Georgia, honestly, for that matter.

SPEAKER_03 17:40

Before them or before. So you think Michigan would be before?

SPEAKER_01 17:44

Yeah, dude.

SPEAKER_03 17:45

Like so I'll say Michigan's actually tied with Georgia for the most amount, or the their evaluation.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

Here's why I say this before you continue on in the list is Georgia is known in Georgia and okay, probably throughout the country. It's a regional school. Yeah, Michigan is fucking known. Like you see that M, you don't go, ha, Missouri. Fuck no. You go, that's Michigan.

SPEAKER_04 18:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:19

I know Michigan. Go below. You see what I'm saying? So like I feel like Georgia, like, yeah, Southeastern Conference, you know them because, well, you're in the SEC, you you're like me, I'm a fan of Alabama. Like, if you're a fan of Florida, like you're like, oh fuck Georgia, like Auburn, Georgia hate each other. Like, you know them. If you're outside of that, you know them from being in the playoffs, and you know them from SEC bias, but I don't think you know them like nationally, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_03 18:49

I think it also has to go into academics. Not that Georgia is a bad school by any means, but I mean Michigan is Yeah, you're carrying some weight with Michigan. Like, like people who are smart and don't follow athletics are like, I want to go to Michigan to study XYZ. I want to go get my law degree from Michigan, right? I don't think you hear a lot of people for now. We we touched on this in a previous episode. The SEC is definitely starting to turn in that direction because there are so many people from the Northeast that are like, screw this, I want to go to warmer weather and I want to be packed on Saturday in a 100,000 person capacity stadium hammered watching college football. Yep. Like, so the SEC definitely is shifting towards um getting more selective, becoming a more prestigious, and you know, not just with athletics, but outside of that, like I know the SEC spotlights it a lot on their social media of the progression and the money that other donors in academics are you know putting into how they're developing AI classes, and you know, for Mississippi State, it's more like engineering and agriculture and stuff like that. But they're definitely like not exclusively putting money into the athletic programs, it's definitely getting spread out.

SPEAKER_01 20:22

I think southern economy helps too because it's way cheaper in the south than it is in the northeast. Absolutely. And the west coast. All right, so Georgia, Michigan.

SPEAKER_03 20:31

Then we got Notre Dame. We discussed that six. Um, I mean, I that that makes sense to me. But seven, this is a little surprising. University of Tennessee. Yeah. I think it's a big name, but like tradition.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

That big they've been around for a long time. They've done a lot of things that were kind of pioneered. Like when they started doing like bigger seat royalties for the football and like stuff like that. Like they were and they were being transparent about it. They were like, look, we're gonna charge you more fucking money. You want to win and you want better facilities? This is what's happening. And like a lot of people were pissed about it, but then you see Nealan fucking sold out. Basketball's good, you've invested in your coaching staffs, and you have the NIL to continue. Yeah. So I would honestly say Tennessee over AM. The only reason AM is because of oil money. But in terms of programs, Tennessee, they're better, and I fucking hate Tennessee. But the in terms of like what they have and what they bring to the table, like baseball's good every year. I know it's down right now because but they're still right left, but like yeah, softball's good. Football is always gonna be football, whether they're great or not, subjective, but they're always gonna be football in a tough place to play. Basketball has been good. You went from Pearl to fucking Rick Barnes. I mean, that's not a skip of a step. Like you really succeeded on that front. Like, who gives a shit about the other sport? Women's basketball. Is the are you kidding me? Yeah. Outside of Gino? Pat? Come on, dude. Go. So like RIP, but like, yeah. You got, you got. That surprises me low.

SPEAKER_03 22:22

Really?

SPEAKER_01 22:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:24

Yeah. I mean, fuck on. I don't I don't know. Yeah. Who's number eight? USC. Okay. Which, again, we kind of touched on, like.

SPEAKER_04 22:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:38

It's the brand, and that that definitely helps. Now, coming in at number nine. Yours truly. Roll tide.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

That's shocking.

SPEAKER_03 22:49

Really? Like, you didn't expect them to be top ten, or you honestly, I didn't. Really?

SPEAKER_01 22:55

Why not? Look, uh, back in the day, you know, things changed. Getting recruited by Alabama, like back in the day, it was a fucking joke. Like, not football, obviously.

SPEAKER_04 23:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:08

Other sports. Won't say which one. Other sports. And it like it, they weren't known for anything but football. Baseball was always bottom of the barrel, SEC. Basketball was, well, you really, if you played basketball in the state of Alabama, you were a fucking weirdo. Uh, you know, softball got good, and they've been good for a longer time recently, but not like historically. You had football. And like, I love the great state of Alabama. Love Tuscaloosa. T Town, baby. T Town. But it's not the greatest city. No. It's a true, dirty ass college city. And like, so that and the facilities were never outside of again football. Like, the facilities were never Saban turned it around to bring it more in focus that like we can be good in other sports.

SPEAKER_04 24:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:07

So that okay. I'll agree with it because it has turned around a lot. It's turned around a lot. That's the way I'll put it. So I'm with it. I'm with it in the top ten. Now, if you would have come to me four or five years ago, no, because baseball was still really bad. Softball was good. That was when they were on their tears with they had a lot. Baseball was ass. Women's basketball was not even thought about. Now they're getting ranked, like they're doing some things, but like they weren't. They were ass. Oates, I think, maybe had just got there and was just trying to build the culture. So basketball wasn't really like he went from sorry ass Anthony Grant who didn't win just because he couldn't play at that competition, but he was winning at Dayton. So like I mean, you know, there was a lot. Yeah, there was a lot.

SPEAKER_03 25:04

Number 10. Now I want to say this one's coming out of the woodworks, but if you think historically, I feel like it makes sense. Nebraska.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Yes, I agree with you historically 100%.

SPEAKER_03 25:26

One of the better football programs historically.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

Here's why I'm shocked. Now, obviously, this list, like, all right, funders, like, we're we're going off of the list current day. Yeah. I'm talking, this is what it is now. Now, if we're talking all time, you know a name that shocks me is not on that list, which is why I say, like, understand, like, when I'm talking about Alabama's kind of shocking and like Georgia and these schools, I mean that not because they're shocking nowadays. I mean that because if we're talking all-time, here's a name for you Miami. Yeah, the year. Who the fuck are they? They've been good at sports across the board for a very long time. Right? Like, even basketball was okay back in the day. You know, so you kind of look at that. Like, here's another school for you, Clemson.

SPEAKER_03 26:19

Clemson, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 26:21

They've always been recognizable. You know who's not on that list? I brought him up earlier. Florida.

SPEAKER_03 26:30

True Gator Chomp.

SPEAKER_01 26:32

Here's another one in the state of Florida, Florida State. Florida. Yeah, Florida. Leonard Hamilton had basketball rolling for a very long time and consecutively.

SPEAKER_04 26:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

And football was always football. Baseball was always track and field, stellar.

SPEAKER_04 26:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:47

Softball was always good. Here's another crazy one. I know right now I'm sticking in the SEC. Bear with me on this because honestly, there's some schools where you're just like, what the fuck are we talking about? So here's another one though. LSU.

SPEAKER_03 27:01

Yeah. So I pulled up the full, this is the top 75 list. Uh rounding it out. Well, LSU's number 12. Okay. Coming in just so Nebraska and Penn State actually tied for 10. They're at $1.06 billion. And then LSU's $1.05. Now, this is my opinion. LSU will be in the top 10 by the end of uh next school year.

SPEAKER_01 27:35

If they can get the governor out of their shit and stop making it about politics and keep it about sports, one Lane Kiffin's not helping them at all because he keeps running his fucking mouth. Will Wade is now recruiting just straight up pros and not comes at all. So if they can't get that, and baseball was dick. So if they can't get that fixed, they're in trouble anyway. Here's the thing, and we understand that. Like we were talking about what we started this off episode talking about the greatest departments programs of all time. We understand, you don't gotta fucking chop our heads off. We get it. Like this is an evil of monetary prowess. That's what this is. It's evaluation. Yeah. Like this is not ranking departments. This is not ranking sports. That's why we're adding that commentary. So I wanted to say that for the funders, just so that like they're like, well, they said that they were gonna talk. Like, that's why we're adding extra commentary on the like, oh, that's shocking because this school has this sports not good. This sport because like Penn State slotted in at number 10 makes sense for valuation. Oh, yeah. They're fucking Penn State. Yeah, people know what they are, people know who they are. Now talk about department wise. Fuck no. Baseball's dick, softball sucks, women's basketball fucking sucks, men's basketball's never really been great. You only have football.

SPEAKER_03 28:59

I mean, I feel like that's a common trend throughout this list, though, because football makes the money out of money.

SPEAKER_01 29:05

It is this list that's not representing of what we've been talking about overall. This is a list based off valuation. So that's the big thing we want you guys to keep in mind is like we're talking about as a whole. When I say Alabama shocks me, as a whole. Yeah. Now, modern day that makes sense.

SPEAKER_03 29:26

Oh, yeah. They they've stepped it up as you mentioned. I mean, I also think it segues into another topic I would love to cover today of now. I think the answer is clear, but who the best conference is. And I mean, it it's gonna become pretty clear real quick.

SPEAKER_01 29:52

Let's go over overall. Overall. Overall, first, SEC. Because it's most noticeable. Everybody talks about it, everybody's tired of hearing about it, everybody wants the SEC to crumble, everybody wants this school to lose, and blah, blah, blah. Yeah. From that standpoint, SEC. It's the brand that people fucking know. It literally has a slogan that says it just means more. Because it does. Now, if we're breaking down sports, it's kind of hard to argue football outside of the SEC. I give the Big Ten a lot of credit because of what they've won.

SPEAKER_03 30:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:26

So I'm not going to shit on them because they've won three nattties in the past three years. That's true. So I'm going to give them credit where credit is due. But the SEC top to bottom football-wise, it's just better. Talent-wise, like, look at the rosters and eat my nuts. With this argument right here, I'm going to close this shit. Half of Ohio State's roster were from fucking Alabama or other SEC schools. Suck a dick. That's where they started. They did not start in the Big Ten. Caleb Downs, roll tied. Yeah. Let's not forget that. Quinshawn Judkins, oh miss. Let's not forget that. Julian Saiyan, Alabama. Let's not forget that. I'm not saying that they're not talented teams with great coaches. What I'm saying is stop with the argument that they're just these kids, these kids, these kids. Right? Like, no team is built from freshmen exclusively anymore. There's that's why Georgia's hurting. Because Kirby is on that. I'm recruiting and I'm building, but then they leave you and now you have nothing.

SPEAKER_03 31:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:28

That's where we're at. All I'm saying is from top to bottom, talent-wise, SEC.

SPEAKER_03 31:34

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

SEC. So I think baseball has now become the SEC. It used to not be, man. It used to be the Pac-12, like West Coast teams used to be fit.

SPEAKER_03 31:49

I mean, you still have it, but and ACC. ACC definitely is still competitive, I'll say. Like UNC, that's another school that I'm surprised isn't anywhere near this topic. UNC has always been competitive in baseball. We know what their basketball program is. Obviously, football. Oregon is another one where it's like That's shocking. Oregon, it's here on sick at number 16. So like, but again, like the football program's been really good. Have they won an adieu?

SPEAKER_01 32:28

Maybe. Ever? Ever. That I don't know, actually. I know they've been, and Auburn beat them.

SPEAKER_03 32:35

But my point kind of being is like, oh, they excel at track. If you're gonna sit here and tell me there's another, there's a better track program historically than Oregon, I'll laugh in your face. There isn't. It's Oregon. Maybe, maybe you throw in like Nova, UPenn, like the Ivy League schools that have just that's what they do. But there is not another team that that tops Oregon, I feel.

SPEAKER_01 33:13

No, I agree with that.

SPEAKER_03 33:14

They have never won an official NCAA recognized major national championship in its history.

SPEAKER_01 33:20

Fun fact for you, if you can tell me who has the most football national championships or claims the most.

SPEAKER_03 33:26

Claims the most? I feel like the obvious answer would be Bamma.

SPEAKER_01 33:34

No, baby, we have the most. We don't claim the we are the most.

SPEAKER_03 33:39

Claims. Really? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:43

Yeah. Oh, yeah, because of like all the like weird undefeated seasons and shit like that back when football was just now starting. Yeah. That's wild. Well. That doesn't really have anything to do with anything. I just thought that was cool the other day. I saw it. I'm like, what the fuck? I was trying to prove a point. I won't get down that rabbit hole because it pissed me off, but it's Yale. Uh yeah, I don't know. It's weird to think about programs now and just like schools as a whole, athletic departments as a whole, because NIL shifted so much. But like now, basketball, you'd love to say the SEC as an SEC fan. Nah. Nah. But here's the crazy shit. It used to be the ACC. Big East, it shifted to the Big 12. Big 12 was hands down the best conference for basketball this year.

SPEAKER_03 34:34

Yeah, I'd agree with that. Hands down. I'd agree. Yeah, which I mean, again, historically ACC, I would say. And I know Michigan won.

SPEAKER_01 34:44

Like, that's the thing. But I'm talking top to bottom. Like it was the Big 12.

SPEAKER_03 34:49

Well, and that's what like is interesting too about like kind of the development since the Pac Pac-12's coming back. Sure. Not what it used to be.

SPEAKER_01 35:00

It sucks, but yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:02

But I'm hoping it's a little they can just get the ball rolling.

SPEAKER_01 35:07

Will they let them be a P5? Will we go back to P5s? Or because the Pac-12 is only comprised of two actually big schools, will they tell them to fuck off? Sorry, you're a group of five.

SPEAKER_03 35:18

Group of five, probably.

SPEAKER_01 35:19

That sucks. I mean, like, but look, I'm from Phoenix originally. Uh grew up in Alabama, so I have an affinity for the West Coast. I love my Sun Devils. But 512 man was awesome.

SPEAKER_03 35:36

There is no way you let this.

SPEAKER_01 35:38

Yeah, it's like Texas State.

SPEAKER_03 35:40

Yeah, this this is some others. But Boise. Boise State, Colorado State, California State. Uh well, Fresno, the Bulldogs. Um, Gonzaga, they're just not, they don't play football. Um, Oregon State. That's another school that has gotten destroyed by NIL. Because they used to be not every year, but like they used to have some good teams.

SPEAKER_01 36:07

I'll tell you what they had really good that's been disappointing. Baseball. Yeah. Dude, they were stacked. Rushman was.

SPEAKER_03 36:15

Up until like two years ago, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:17

Rushman was fucking stuck. Yeah, they were number one in the country, like that team.

SPEAKER_03 36:21

Yeah. Oh, they were really good.

SPEAKER_01 36:23

I love, I want, uh, as you know, I love nature. I'm a big outdoorsman. And you fucking Corballis, man, used to be a dream location for me to end up in Corballis and work at Oregon State. I used to want to fucking be there so bad. I mean, dude, yeah. Halloween's my favorite holiday. They're orange and black, and they're in the fucking woods. Yeah. That's true. Suck me. I really fucking care. The the thing is, is I love living in hot my whole life. I love sunshine.

SPEAKER_04 36:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:51

And I love the hot weather. It's gonna be raining. No, maybe when I'm an old curmudgeon and retired, like Corvallis is where I end up because like, you know, it's not hot. It stays around the same temp all year round, which is sick. Uh, or I'll just move to San Diego. Nah, I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_03 37:06

I was gonna say they're way too you can't well speaking of San Diego, San Diego State is gonna be in the Pac-12, Texas State, Utah State, and Washington State. I mean, it is nothing what it used to be. But it also I'll segue it into the Big 12 because yes, they were the best for basketball, but I had no clue Utah and Colorado don't have baseball teams. Did you know that?

SPEAKER_01 37:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 37:44

I just found that out this year, which I mean I haven't really c followed college baseball all that much, but I just find it interesting. Like, that conference is so weird to me because it's like Colorado is a weird one, I always thought. Why do you not? That I don't get. I mean Utah I guess uh it makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 38:12

Like, just why not though? Yeah, I don't know. In today's age, that I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 38:16

It's also like you kind of need it just to keep up. I also I also think of like Cincinnati in that conference, and it's just like they're projected to be a two-seed in their region for baseball this year. I saw that. I and I'll I'll even bring up like TCU, Oklahoma State, a couple of the other teams that are probably gonna be in the college baseball like playoffs and work through regionals. How are you gonna sit here and tell me that this conference maybe it is competitive, but you've got two schools that don't even have teams? Meanwhile, you've got the SEC that is fighting for their life every single game, and you're like, oh yeah, we'll we'll let them come and play in the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 39:10

Well, if you look at just the SEC, you might go, Ew, they're fucking terrible. How are they even ranked? It's because they went across the country and kicked the fucking shit out of the other best teams in the country. Yeah. And like I'm not saying that again, I know it sounds biased because I'm talking SEC and I'm a fan, but like I'm talking strictly from the game perspective. Five. Here's a staggering statistic. Five of the top eight seeds projected are SEC teams. That's wild. Yeah, that's shifted dramatically. Like I said, NIL, and we can talk about this later. Future episode, because we're talking a little bit more about like departments and stuff today, but it is called fucking future funds. But like NIL has crushed the fun of college baseball. I used to love watching shitty little tiny calstick Fullerton come out of nowhere and go to a college world series. And like, yeah, we did see a little bit of that with Southern Miss.

SPEAKER_03 40:16

Dude, they're still rolling.

SPEAKER_01 40:17

Yeah, they are still rolling before them.

SPEAKER_03 40:20

Coastate. Coastal too. And Murray State. Murray State was really made uh a Cinderella run. That was fun last year. That was awesome to watch.

SPEAKER_01 40:29

But it's not as much anymore. No, and that's what kind of sucks because like powerhouses, dude. Powerhouse in Cal State. Cal State Fullerton was a fucking powerhouse. Coastal was a powerhouse. They won it every year. Yeah. When it was obtainable. Yeah. Now you don't have the NIL dollars to compare and compete.

SPEAKER_03 40:51

Yeah. It it's really guess who is looking for a new athletic director, too?

SPEAKER_01 40:57

Who?

SPEAKER_03 40:57

Fullerton.

SPEAKER_01 40:59

Really?

SPEAKER_03 40:59

I'm pretty sure. Pretty sure I saw something on LinkedIn about that. I think maybe they're trying to keep up with the times.

SPEAKER_01 41:05

I think, well, that's it. That's what we were we were talking about today earlier. Is like it's kind of crazy what NIL is doing to schools when you have Queens College who just went D1 not too long ago merging with Elon. Because they're trying to keep the academics afloat. Yeah, it's it's wild, dude. I don't know anymore.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

Yeah. I mean a lot of opinions. It's a sad too.

SPEAKER_01 41:31

Hell yeah, it is. It's real sad. These guys love this shit, man. They breathe it, they live it, they love it. Like they're in athletics for a reason. They're doing this shit for a reason, and then all of a sudden just rug pulled out from underneath of you. Yeah. Hey, you need XYZ amount of millions of dollars to even like we're not gonna give it to you.

SPEAKER_03 41:50

Be be at the have a seat at the table. Correct. This isn't guaranteeing you any any wins or you know, like any success. It's just so you can have a seat at the table.

SPEAKER_00 42:00

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 42:01

And guess what? At the end of the day, if you don't succeed, you gotta repeat it again. Regardless, win or lose. Literally. So have fun. Dickhead. Yeah. That's what they're saying. It's rough out there. I I really miss the Pac-12 now that you bring that up. I don't know, dude.

SPEAKER_01 42:20

Like, I felt like I remember the days back when it was the Pac-10.

SPEAKER_03 42:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:24

And USC is dominant.

unknown 42:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:27

Here's another school for you. Arizona's not on that list. That's interesting. They've been relevant in football for a little while. Basketball's always been basketball, and baseball's gotten better, so that's interesting. Softball is powerhouse for a long time. And uh yeah, that's an interesting one not on that list. Yeah, I don't and they're a massive school, too. Like they have a lot of students.

SPEAKER_03 42:51

The pack they Arizona State, even too, like you gotta think, especially with the evaluations, like notable alumni. Again, Tex saying M Texas, the market they're in. Um I will say the SEC does run this list because I think there's probably there's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. So half of the teams in the SEC are in the top twenty.

SPEAKER_01 43:30

That's insane.

SPEAKER_03 43:31

Because we've got after the ones in the top ten, I mentioned LSU at number twelve, then it goes Oklahoma at 13, Florida at 14, Kentucky at 15.

SPEAKER_01 43:44

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 43:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:48

Yeah, and that's not biases. I mean, that's just those are just statistics. Like it's just, you know, and the argument is well, yeah, but the SEC and the playoffs, they suck, they choke, Big Ten's won chance. Championships. Yeah, you're not wrong. Absolutely. 100%. Guess what, though? People would rather watch an SEC team lose than watch two teams that nobody gives a fuck about playing the national championship.

SPEAKER_03 44:13

Facts.

SPEAKER_01 44:14

The Alabama games are watched more than the national championship game. I think that's another problem, is people inflate numbers now on media so they don't look like there's biases. You can't tell me that if the Spurs go play the fucking who the Knicks playing? The Cavs. Yeah. That's going to be more watched than the Knicks playing uh OKC.

SPEAKER_03 44:40

That's true.

unknown 44:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:41

I mean, that's just a fact. Like, I'm not knocking Wemby or anything like that. They're a great team. And honestly, my favorite, I'd want them to win.

unknown 44:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:51

Because my sons didn't go. My boy LeBron didn't go. I don't really give a shit. I like Jokic. If they would have won, I would have watched. But like at this point, I'm rooting for the Spurs just because they're young and they play. It's good to see the Spurs good again. We're not talking about the pros, but like, you know, viewership has a lot to do with also this list we're talking about of departments. Like, does your school put yourself in a good position to be viewed nationally?

SPEAKER_03 45:15

Notre Dame. That's that's because they have that exclusive deal with NBC, like Alabama.

SPEAKER_01 45:22

They're always on an ESPN game for football. Yeah. Uh, if we're talking to other sports, Kentucky, I'm pretty sure they're literally just cocked everywhere on TV for basketball. Yeah. Well different when Cal was a coach. I will say I've noticed a dip. Really? I've noticed a dip of them on TV with Pope as the coach. It's just not as sexy as it was with Cal. Like Cal had the five-star talent. They wanted them on TV. They wanted you to see it.

SPEAKER_03 45:45

You think LLC is going to be that way this upcoming year?

SPEAKER_01 45:48

I think the NCAA and contracts will try to do everything they can to keep them off the fucking TV because they're pissed off at Will Wait.

SPEAKER_03 45:56

I think that is one of the I actually a friend of mine I brought it up. One of the most interesting things, because I think back to the conversation we've had about him and about how what was it, three, four years ago, he got fired from LSU for paying players. And now it's like, oh well, now it's legal, so we'll have you back. And you know what? We're gonna bankroll you too.

SPEAKER_01 46:26

I I know people are mad. He's ruining the game of basketball. He's not. It's the fact that there's no rules above him.

SPEAKER_03 46:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:34

Set this precedent that they can sign and they can play. You're not, you're, you're, you're shitting on Will Wade. Yeah, he doesn't care what you think. He's just he's in the rules, though. What are you gonna bitch about, dude? He's doing what he's doing. Yeah, those rules are already there. Now, yeah, he might be doing it like an asshole. So what? Yeah, he's doing it. What's the difference in him doing it with a 26-year-old who's been on a couple pro teams and you doing it with a guy who was in the Euro League at 18? He's still a professional athlete. Yeah. And you're still bringing him over here. Just because he's younger and hasn't played as much, that makes it different? No, it doesn't. Fuck off. I'm not saying poor guys can't play. What I'm saying is there's no difference. There's still a pro is a pro. If you earned a paycheck, you're a professional athlete.

SPEAKER_03 47:26

You think if he starts making them relevant in basketball? Now, obviously, this would contradict the whole historical side of our argument for the best athletic program of all time. But you think if they become relevant at basketball that they could be considered maybe not of all time, but in the new day and age, they could be considered one of the best athletic programs.

SPEAKER_01 47:50

They could get up there. Because I mean they've had everything, even gymnastics is good. Who knows what's gonna happen? They made a smart hire with Mulky. Women's basketball. Softball was relevant. And I say gymnastics is good. I think people made it better than it was, but and well, I think we all know the reason why. And quite frankly, like here's a hot take, and how he's heard me say this before, and I stand on this fucking hill till the day I'm blue in the face. Y'all trip out over a very average-looking woman.

SPEAKER_03 48:22

Suck me. I ever tell you how I met her sister. I don't remember. I uh my like her sister. Three degrees of connection, essentially. My friend from college, his roommate's younger sister is friends with her sister. No, like like six degrees of connection, essentially, but like that friend, they're best friends. They'll hang out all the time. Like, she went to the devil's game with them, and they were hanging out with the players afterwards and stuff like that. So, like, they know them well, and we're we're just out at a bar like a couple years ago. It's like, oh, this is so-and-so's sister. I was like, Oh. And I remember going home and telling my mom about it. I'm like, I played it off like cool, I didn't bring her up at all because if I was a famous person's sister and I wasn't as famous, I wouldn't want them to be like, oh my god. Yeah, you know. I also think she was strategic in the sense that who she's dating, where it's like, oh, my success is from social media, and I only have so much time, so let me latch on to the best athlete available. Stud. Oh, absolute stud. Stud ball player. I mean, I respect the game. I I respect it. Absolutely. If I was a chick, that's what I would do. I like Skeens. I love him.

SPEAKER_01 50:12

I love him in general. I think he's a great baseball player and doesn't run his cocksucker. He just plays baseball. He's a very awkward guy when he has to be in the limelight, and I respect that. Yeah. He just straights up, he just gets on the mound and plays baseball.

SPEAKER_03 50:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:23

And I appreciate that. She sucks ass. And let me tell you why she sucks ass. One, relax. Very plain. Two, when she was on game day, LSU Alabama, and she took that shot at Nick Saban.

SPEAKER_04 50:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:38

And then we beat the fucking brakes off LSU. So that's what you get. You should have no opinion in sports.

SPEAKER_03 50:45

True. Um, but conversation topics coming to a close here. Definitely a good one. Um like and subscribe if you enjoyed. Smash that like button. I think we'll end. I always like to end with a question. And this is way out in the future. Can kind of segue into us starting to talk about football because let's be honest, it's 14 weeks away. See, that's close. It's two and a half months, three three and a half months roughly. And if in the mind of an SEC fan, we're there tomorrow, baby. No, actually, I I was talking about it on the phone today, and I was like, ooh, like they're like, yeah, week two, I'm gonna be pumped for that game. And I'm like, well, we'll see what happens, but regardless, I want to hear your opinion and what you think is gonna happen our way too early prediction. I actually don't know what weekend it is, but LSU at allness.

SPEAKER_01 51:57

The game of the fucking century this year because of all the shit that's been caused. I you gotta think on paper, and this is what's great about college sports, is on paper doesn't mean shit all the time, but on paper, you gotta think LSU will take the cake. And you also have to think that I respect Pete Golding. He was at Alabama, he could have done way more with the defense. I'm never gonna sit there and say he couldn't have, because we weren't the best we weren't an Alabama defense that was like what it should have been. And I know that's hard to say, especially as I'm not the coach. So like I was I but I respect him and I respect the way he handled everything that was going on around LSU and oldness when Kiffin just decided to fuck him over. And like I respected how he handled it. Like, I'm here to fucking coach, I'm not here to do all that other crap. I respect that. Yeah, would I like to see Ole Miss win? Yes, because I fucking hate LSU as an Alabama fan. You hate everybody, but like them especially, them in Tennessee, lick me and Auburn. I don't mention them, they're irrelevant to me. Uh but like on paper, man, I have a hard time believing LSU doesn't get it done. I I mean quarterback play is good, running backs are good, like wide receivers are good, he got offensive line. He got the the kid from Colorado for five million fucking dollars, the lineman. Like he got that edge rusher coming in to he pieced together a freak offensive and defensive side of the ball. Now, depth might be their big problem. He spent big on starters.

SPEAKER_04 53:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:44

Depth could very well be their big problem. But they got the Weeks brothers back. Got the kid from Clemson that you tampered with to come in. Or he went to Ole Miss. He went to Ole Miss. Is Perkins back? Nah, he's in the draft. Well, sorry, drafts already happened. Yeah. He didn't get drafted. Or he got drafted really late. Him and Deontay Lawson. Which is fucking crazy to me. And Deontay ended up going to Philly, so have fun playing Philly for the next however long. They got G.I. Campbell and Deontay Lawson. That's freakish. They're freak athletes. Looks like the Hawks got him. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 54:20

But regardless, yeah. I I mean we'll see what happens.

SPEAKER_01 54:26

Will you and I be watching? Yeah. What week is that? Don't know. Who knows? We'll be watching. You know, I I just think that there's so much football, they've made it weird now where they like like to slate in really big games to start. The middle of the season's dog shit, and then all of a sudden at the end you have this big boom of big games again. They need to figure out the scheduling. SEC, I think, did it right. The only problem is the SEC is now beating each other up because of the three permanent opponents, and then you swap out other rotations. Like it gives you good games, but it's also putting a hurting on you. You know?

SPEAKER_03 55:02

Yeah. I think that game's in October, but I think it's November one of the later weeks. I want to say November 17th is just slated with all great matchups. So way far out. But again, great conversation today.

SPEAKER_01 55:27

Yeah, and we're still working on it. Funders, we're still working on it. Instagram, we're gonna make this better, we're gonna make it bigger. You know, we're trying. You know, we are like we've said episode one in the trailer. Like, we're in the industry, we work. Like, yeah, we work very hard to try to make this podcast as knowledgeable and unbiased as possible. And got a little biased. We we care about what you guys are hearing, and we want it to not be some bullshit gimmick like sports centers become and all this other crap. Like we just want to try to give the best we can and open the floor for discussion amongst you guys when you go to work. Like, oh, I heard this the other day, like this is crazy. I heard that like we just want to be able to open the floor soon. Hopefully, we can get even like down the road when we gain more of you guys, like get a YouTube going so we can address some comments and like that. And again, working on an Instagram where you guys can drop some comments and questions that we can answer and talk about and like fucking intro music, like we're we're working on some stuff, just bear with us. Like, we are trying to make this big, and we want to do it because we want you guys to like have a place where you can come and learn and like talk some shit and enjoy it, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 56:42

Yeah, but uh as always, I'm Howie. Walt, and this has been an another episode of Future Funds.