AH, I agree 100,000% with your sentiment. Personally have a strong aversion to NIL as it is currently structured. What you suggest will prepare these kids for life, and in past years, players have attended event like the golf outing, like the basketball kickoff dinner, like the President's dinner. Keep in mind that basketball is a two semester sport, and these kids practice and train 12 months a year. Unfortunately, maybe of them come to college with academic deficiencies and ask them to travel from November to March, spend Thanksgiving and sometimes Christmas away from family, and practice or play at least 6 days a week. I can't even begin to comprehend how Charles Minlend handled pharmacy school AND be a varsity starter, and many others who attained degrees in 4 years.
I agree with your logic but that isn't the current landscape. We have a HOF coach, one of the greatest ever, but without NIL money raised by a collective dedicated only to SJU, and funds raised from people who believe not only in basketball but the university as a whole, we may as well rehire Norm Roberts. If this program is to be restored, to even have a chance to be restored, players have to be paid. I don't know a single D1 athlete who has turned down NIL, and most go to the highest bidder, including some kids who committed to us and recently left to get far more money than was available at St. John's.
I haven't told anyone what to do with their money, but there is a VERY HUGE reality - competing schools raise NIL money from fans, big and small donations. Until the rules change, we either raise large sums of money, or waste this giant FINITE opportunity of having the great Coach Pitino on board. To some extent, supporting NIL repulses me, but so does the opinion that St. John's is a second or third tier school. So does making the NCAA's just 3 times since our Elite 8 team of 2002. More than ever though, I have a chance to do something about it, as we all do, to make a small dent, or tiny ding, in NIL funding of players. This isn't an opinion, it's reality, and while I understand anyone who chooses not to support it, to get angry retorts is just beyond logical comprehension.
AH, I respect you greatly, but be aware that SJU is accepting donations towards facilities, and have already raised a significant amount of the gigantic final bill. The big thing holding it up is finalizing plans for a student wellness center that will allow them to removate Tafner as basketball only. There are exciting options being discussed such as private/public investment by corporations in retail space and maybe even a national franchise gym to partner with. Great things ahead there. You can commit right now by contacting Nick Vendikos or Mike Cragg.
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