NIL’s

[SJU stalwart]

That would be the official death of mid major and probably big East basketball I fear.

Let’s not pretend there haven’t always been haves and have nots. Even when you disregard the under the table compensation. (Which I’m not.) take Kentucky with its luxurious and specialized accommodations and its sterling performance reputation and fan base.

Even St. John’s has participated in this. When I was in school, back in the dark ages, I was shocked to learn that the team got stipends. At the time, it wasn’t all that much but it was more than I was making at a part time job. They got these stipends legally because we didn’t have dorms, so it was enough to share an apartment or buy a car. (And there were always rumors that some got more than the legal limit set by NCAA.)

Might not sound like much but it was probably enough of an incentive for a kid who wanted to stay in the area to choose St. John’s and its reputation and MSG rather than go to a school like Fordham or Iona.

What’s more, at the moment, playing in the Big East makes it more of a have than have not.

Of course the money sounds ridiculous now. And the scale of difference between schools seems off the charts. But even within the SEC there are haves and have nots, relatively speaking. Let’s see how it all shakes out. Not everyone can be a Kentucky — in the past, present or future.

 

[vegasman2000]

College athletics is dead. This has become some out of control pro league. With no collective agreement or parameters on spending

Yeah absolutely. It's a pro league under a college structure

 

[Section3]

Shocked that some above are knocking the players. Sure, some of them may not love school or care about staying in same place with same mascot but they did not make these rules. I'd never blame a player like Omoruyi or Roach or any other for the chance to earn $1M+ in a single year..

Nobody blaming them…but they dont deserve these $s and fact that universities may make $ is irrelevant, It’s their name on the front of th jersey that is of value

 

[Section3]

100%. Let's not forget that NIL was implemented to prevent the creation of a pre NBA professional league. As it stands in essence college becomes NIL plus room and board, with players. A lot of us as students had 4 jobs or more in 4 years. For NIL recipients, sports is now a job. The classrom part is just a job requirement to earn.

Beast…without the university affiliation, a pre-professional league would ultimately fail…no one cares about G league, Ignite…the Universities bring the value but need to figure out whether sponsoring a semi-pro team is the mission

 

[Section3]

But what if sacrificing a "favorite poster" gets you a better player?

Mjmaher report to the NIL office and bring your play book

 

[austour]

When many players in the 3rd most talented league in the country are making way more than all players in the 2nd most talented league(G league) in the country, and more than some players in the most talented league in the world(NBA), then something is seriously wrong and the system and it cannot sustain itself for very long.

I keep thinking the same thing. Every hot new market goes through an irrational boom. Feel like there has to be a correction at some point. Remember all but one fan base ends the season as losers. That may be good enough for some but not for a lot of the schools that think they are big boys, bit really aren't. Just feel like it's not coming for a couple years.

 

[Wolfie]

I keep thinking the same thing. Every hot new market goes through an irrational boom. Feel like there has to be a correction at some point. Remember all but one fan base ends the season as losers. That may be good enough for some but not for a lot of the schools that think they are big boys, bit really aren't. Just feel like it's not coming for a couple years. bubbles burst

Bubbles burst when demand for a product / service / entertainment collapses; when potential buyers refuse to pay exorbitant prices and the market collapses.

You're right, prices for college basketball players have probably not peaked because demand for their services clamored for has not yet been exhausted by the cluster of conferences still able to pay out-of-this-world prices.

The NIL Bubble should collapse once the customer base willing and able to pay the freight withers away.

 

[redmanwest]

I keep thinking the same thing. Every hot new market goes through an irrational boom. Feel like there has to be a correction at some point. Remember all but one fan base ends the season as losers. That may be good enough for some but not for a lot of the schools that think they are big boys, bit really aren't. Just feel like it's not coming for a couple years.

I keep thinking you can’t put the genie back in the bottle.

 

[Beasts of the East]

Wishful thinking that NIL will just go away. Forever boosters have compensated athletes in a lot of illegal ways. Now it's legal and the ante has been raised.

Fans are invested already. For years I've planned my travel between sju home games, commit close to 20 days or nights to attend games. Even our remote fans or non ticket holders make sure to watch every game they can. Does anyone want to watch a loser? No. If we win big will ticket holders pay more to watch winning bball. Yes. If you are dropping 2500 for a pair of season tix, how much more would you pay to get the best players here? In essence, THAT'S NIL. Winning is a drug.

There is a big announcement coming very soon but won't say anymore not to steal anyone's thunder. I think it's brilliant.

 

[monte]

I keep thinking you can’t put the genie back in the bottle.

Agree with that, but something is going to happen. It may not happen tomorrow, but it'll happen at some point. I just don't see how this business model can sustain itself.

Fans are not going to continue to donate to millionaires, who are one year hired guns for their respective schools, for very long. Fans are not going to continue to buy tickets, to watch essentially a new team every season, for very long.

Almost everything that once made college basketball so special is now gone. IMO Only a matter a time before the it's reflected in the fan interest and the bottom line.

 

[monte]

Wishful thinking that NIL will just go away. Forever boosters have compensated athletes in a lot of illegal ways. Now it's legal and the ante has been raised.

Fans are invested already. For years I've planned my travel between sju home games, commit close to 20 days or nights to attend games. Even our remote fans or non ticket holders make sure to watch every game they can. Does anyone want to watch a loser? No. If we win big will ticket holders pay more to watch winning bball. Yes. If you are dropping 2500 for a pair of season tix, how much more would you pay to get the best players here? In essence, THAT'S NIL. Winning is a drug.

There is a big announcement coming very soon but won't say anymore not to steal anyone's thunder. I think it's brilliant.

"Winning is a drug" Not for me it ain't, not this way. I turned my back on pro sports and I can turn my back on college sports.

I may be in the minority, but I've spoken with enough long time die hard fans who feel the same way as I do. So you may speak for some fans when you say that, but you most certainly do speak for all fans.

 

[Beasts of the East]

Of course I don't purport to speak for you, Although I will say that it's very clear that college basketball is more of the money game in terms of the talent teams attract than ever before. You're aware of that. And you're still here.

You didn't buy season tickets because Rick is here for any other reason than it promises winning. If we went 9-23 would you renew?

 

[monte]

Of course I don't purport to speak for you, Although I will say that it's very clear that college basketball is more of the money game in terms of the talent teams attract than ever before. You're aware of that. And you're still here.

Here where? On the message board? If you'll notice, I am posting less and less. I assure you I ain't renewing my season tickets next season and will not stop whatever I'm doing to watch an SJU game.

I didn't stop following pro sports completely overnight. I probably won't stop following college basketball completely overnight either. But unless this NIL thing is reigned in somehow, I put college sports in the same category as the other pro leagues(maybe even worse since there are no contracts) and will gradually turn my back on it.

 

[room112]

Wishful thinking that NIL will just go away. Forever boosters have compensated athletes in a lot of illegal ways. Now it's legal and the ante has been raised.

Fans are invested already. For years I've planned my travel between sju home games, commit close to 20 days or nights to attend games. Even our remote fans or non ticket holders make sure to watch every game they can. Does anyone want to watch a loser? No. If we win big will ticket holders pay more to watch winning bball. Yes. If you are dropping 2500 for a pair of season tix, how much more would you pay to get the best players here? In essence, THAT'S NIL. Winning is a drug.

There is a big announcement coming very soon but won't say anymore not to steal anyone's thunder. I think it's brilliant.

Just to take what you're saying a step further, a winning basketball team can help propel the school as a whole to new heights. Which is why it's important for the school to invest in the program (which it appears they are at this point).

UConn recently announced they hit an all time high for applications this year. You have to credit the increased interest to the success of the basketball program. When I went there, I remember countless students mentioning they only wanted to go there because they were fans of the team.

 

[ctstorm]

Just to take what you're saying a step further, a winning basketball team can help propel the school as a whole to new heights. Which is why it's important for the school to invest in the program (which it appears they are at this point).

UConn recently announced they hit an all time high for applications this year. You have to credit the increased interest to the success of the basketball program. When I went there, I remember countless students mentioning they only wanted to go there because they were fans of the team.

I can still remember an athletic director (not St. J) telling me “no one knows Notre Dame because of their math department.” Didn’t like the comment but had to agree it was accurate.

 

[Beasts of the East]

Just to take what you're saying a step further, a winning basketball team can help propel the school as a whole to new heights. Which is why it's important for the school to invest in the program (which it appears they are at this point).

UConn recently announced they hit an all time high for applications this year. You have to credit the increased interest to the success of the basketball program. When I went there, I remember countless students mentioning they only wanted to go there because they were fans of the team.

Same thing happened at Villanova the year after they went to the first jay wright sweet 16. Friends I know who went to Georgetown pre John Thompson say "Thank God for Patrick Ewing" because prior to basketball success Georgetown was just a very good school that became academically elite because applications and donor $$ soared.

 

[Silly Donovan]

Agree with that, but something is going to happen. It may not happen tomorrow, but it'll happen at some point. I just don't see how this business model can sustain itself.

Fans are not going to continue to donate to millionaires, who are one year hired guns for their respective schools, for very long. Fans are not going to continue to buy tickets, to watch essentially a new team every season, for very long.

Almost everything that once made college basketball so special is now gone. IMO Only a matter a time before the it's reflected in the fan interest and the bottom line.

Couldn’t agree more Monte. I would rather see college hoops collapse all together than continue to go on like this. This new reality for college sports is making big money for the worst form of humanity, that being the handlers and hangers on who use the talent of athletes for their own financial gain.

And does anyone really believe with such money, greed, bidding wars etc. that players are really going to care about the success of a program???? Heck no, they will be playing, as Pitino would say, for the name on the back, showcasing their skills for the next NIL deal the following season. Team play, what’s that?

In terms of the future, winning or not, many on this site and others will be turned off to this in a few years as well as our coach. And even if we win, it will not feel the same as developing players who once actually gave a damn about the name on the front of the jersey.

 

[paultzman]

Two separate issues;

There has to be a sensible transfer policy.

NIL is a positive re compensating players, but it has bred more duplicity, shady characters and erosion of low to mid level programs.

The NCAA certainly was flawed regulating entity, but some oversight solution re sensible Transfer process and NIL must be found. The foxes in the chicken coop self regulating approach will imo destroy the game. SJU79 has articulated this well.

I obviously am addicted to the RM site and banter, but like Monte I find myself more turned off to college sports. I once had SJ season tickets and attended MAAC games regularly near my home. I enjoyed both because just seeing kids compete was fun. That MAAC program recently lost 5 kids to transfer mania who they recruited well. To compensate for that year after year is close to impossible, let alone raise sufficient NIL $ to compete. The game is rotting from bottom up & the “little guys” winning a Dance upset for example may become relatively rare.

 

[bamafan]

I can still remember an athletic director (not St. J) telling me “no one knows Notre Dame because of their math department.” Didn’t like the comment but had to agree it was accurate.

Baton twirling?

 

[dk423]

I listened to this pod and highly suggest everyone take a listen.