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NIL

Their NIL even did a good job explaining why the Trucks were a good idea - saying the kids need them if they are going to ask them to attend and participate with these outside charities, they need reliable transportation. Even the spin they put on it sounds positive - helping charities, helping college students interact with charities, etc.
 
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Their NIL even did a good job explaining why the Trucks were a good idea - saying the kids need them if they are going to ask them to attend and participate with these outside charities, they need reliable transportation. Even the spin they put on it sounds positive - helping charities, helping college students interact with charities, etc.

and it's all steaming BS
 
and it's all steaming BS
sure, but pretty exciting for the 85 kids.
they're making a lot of money for the school. this is how collectives should be.
and the top draw players like the QB can get outside deals based on actual NIL.
 
Hard disagree. Players generate tons of money for the institutions. Coaches are paid millions, assistants make 100s of thousands. Is a star player more or less valuable than the 2nd assistant coach?

If you want to go back to amateurism, pay the coaches 75k per year.
 
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Hard disagree. Players generate tons of money for the institutions. Coaches are paid millions, assistants make 100s of thousands. Is a star player more or less valuable than the 2nd assistant coach?

If you want to go back to amateurism, pay the coaches 75k per year.
I agree Brooklyn - once coaches starting getting paid than the presidents on campus, amateurism went out the window. These schools generate money and marketing for the regular students, and good athletic programs - lead to a better student experience. These kids are athletes first, and then students second. So them getting paid now - I think they should. Cause not all of them go pro, not all of them play many years after - so this might be their best earning years for sports. Let them earn.
 
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The Utah free truck NIL has been so successful that they're expanding it to men's and women's hoops and women's gymnastics.

 
Anyone have an updates on the Spider Collective? How much money has been collected? Where is it going? etc.
 
The Utah free truck NIL has been so successful that they're expanding it to men's and women's hoops and women's gymnastics.

Where's Dick Strauss and Dapper Dan when we need them?

Go Spiders!
 
Anyone have an updates on the Spider Collective? How much money has been collected? Where is it going? etc.
I had lunch last week with two of the current contributors to the Spider Collective since I wanted to learn more so I can decide how to balance future contributions via NIL with existing UR general fund/SAF giving.

At a high level, the video below covers some key themes that Coach Mooney also spoke about at the pre season happy hour I went to.



My key takeaways from last week's conversation over lunch:
  • Whether you personally are for or against additional compensation for players, NIL is the current reality.
  • To keep the playing field level from a talent perspective, the goal is to be in the top tier of the amount of NIL $$ raised by team in the A10.
  • Each year is going to require a NIL cycle. Last year's funds have been paid so in order to retain our current players and likely need to find/fund transfers again next season, a new round of NIL donations are going to be needed.
  • Our NIL is run as I believe it should be like a business with an external partner managing it who provides the same services for other universities.
  • Players sign a contract related to the money they will receive, what services they will provide, and when they will receive the $$. They also get education about how to handle from a tax perspective.
  • Retention is part of the contract. Each year that a player comes back the model supports more $$ for them.
  • Currently there are 15 or so collective NIL partners if I understood correctly at the 10K+ level with a few large donors among the group. The current members recognize that in order to grow the total NIL pot, they need to significantly expand and get awareness out to the full Spiders alumni base. They realize that lower giving thresholds - 1K, 5K etc will be needed.
  • As with most organizations, there are incentives to donors based on the level of giving such as at the highest threshold flying with the team to an away game or the ability to join conference calls with players and coaches etc at lower thresholds.
  • See spidersnil.com for more details and based on what I heard I can try to answer any specific questions.
 
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So, Section9, what do you think is the end result for our program. It sounds like we are playing along but not necessarily doing anything extra. As I've thought all along, I imagine our success level will stay roughly the same, well above many schools but well below many others. To me, the biggest impact is a lowered ceiling for success. If so, that really sucks because the chance to make a deep run was always a fun goal. We are playing for a real championship at the highest level, which is why basketball is a million times more interesting than football. While we still are playing for the big prize in basketball, it seems the ceiling is effectively way more limited.
 
So, Section9, what do you think is the end result for our program. It sounds like we are playing along but not necessarily doing anything extra. As I've thought all along, I imagine our success level will stay roughly the same, well above many schools but well below many others. To me, the biggest impact is a lowered ceiling for success. If so, that really sucks because the chance to make a deep run was always a fun goal. We are playing for a real championship at the highest level, which is why basketball is a million times more interesting than football. While we still are playing for the big prize in basketball, it seems the ceiling is effectively way more limited.
Um - I'm not sure what the end results per se will be and very much doubt the NIL setup 10 years from now will be the same as today.

But until the NIL model changes, I do think that the largest consistent annual NIL pool we can raise and distribute to players will mean another opportunity to strengthen our basketball program for both high school talent and transfers when we need them. I also hope our superior basketball facilities, a beautiful campus, and a stronger "diploma/opportunity" and just a comparable NIL to the SLUs/Dayton of the word will make Richmond the better choice pool for some families/players.
 
We are playing for a real championship at the highest level, which is why basketball is a million times more interesting than football.
Fellow Spiders may disagree and I do here.

This view denigrating FCS football is disappointing to say the least from a fellow Spider.

Do you realize how many FCS players have been stars in the NFL?
Do you realize Spiders send far more players to NFL than NBA? Almost on a yearly basis in football. Three in the history of Spider basketball?
Do you realize Spiders actually won a National Championship in football (D-I football) and will almost certainly never in basketball?

Get it. You like basketball. Me too! But find your belittlement of FCS football misinformed and disappointing from a Spider fan.
 
I stand by my comment. Unfortunately, fcs football, although Div I, means nothing to the sports world. How many sports fans could name the fcs champion each year? How many NON-sports fans could name the fbs champion each year? Fcs may as well be Div IV unfortunately.

For your information, I was in Chattanooga for our National Championship. It was a great experience and a lot of fun. But most sports fans will never know it happened. If you tell a casual sports fan about our national championship in football, they will look at you cross-eyed and likely tell you they didn't even know we had a football team. On the otherhand, the same person will likely know we've had success in basketball.

I'll leave you this to ponder. Which provides more recognition to our university? (1) A National Championship in football or (2) A single win in the NCAA basketball tourny.

The answer is obvious to me. I would even argue making the NCAA basketball tourny provides more recognition than a football national championship.
 
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I stand by my comment. Unfortunately, fcs football, although Div I, means nothing to the sports world. How many sports fans could name the fcs champion each year? How many NON-sports fans could name the fbs champion each year? Fcs may as well be Div IV unfortunately.

For your information, I was in Chattanooga for our National Championship. It was a great experience and a lot of fun. But most sports fans will never know it happened. If you tell a casual sports fan about our national championship in football, they will look at you cross-eyed and likely tell you they didn't even know we had a football team. On the otherhand, the same person will likely know we've had success in basketball.

I'll leave you this to ponder. Which provides more recognition to our university? (1) A National Championship in football or (2) A single win in the NCAA basketball tourny.

The answer is obvious to me. I would even argue making the NCAA basketball tourny provides more recognition than a football national championship.
No doubt making the mens bb tourney provides more exposure and money. When will nil money be tied to coaching performance, well at other schools?
 
I am very happy the alumni basketball fans have volunteered their time and money to put together what is building to be a very good NIL program. I hope our alumni football fans can do the same to support our football program.
 
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I stand by my comment. Unfortunately, fcs football, although Div I, means nothing to the sports world. How many sports fans could name the fcs champion each year? How many NON-sports fans could name the fbs champion each year? Fcs may as well be Div IV unfortunately.

For your information, I was in Chattanooga for our National Championship. It was a great experience and a lot of fun. But most sports fans will never know it happened. If you tell a casual sports fan about our national championship in football, they will look at you cross-eyed and likely tell you they didn't even know we had a football team. On the otherhand, the same person will likely know we've had success in basketball.

I'll leave you this to ponder. Which provides more recognition to our university? (1) A National Championship in football or (2) A single win in the NCAA basketball tourny.

The answer is obvious to me. I would even argue making the NCAA basketball tourny provides more recognition than a football national championship.
Respect your opinion Mr. Spider.

Spiders are not going to become famous bc of FCS football (NDSU did, JMU did). That said, many need to dispel the idea it is Pee Wee football. Kills our attendance/support and is provably untrue. Major beef with me, hence my previous post.

On the other hand, if anyone believes our basketball program is going to put us on the national map on its current course..... well, will just leave it at that. We ain't blind.
 
Our football team competes at a good high level. Historically, a top 20 team. The problem is there is a higher level, and so the sports universe does not care about our level and barely knows it exists.

Basketball as we know under current leadership has a lot to desire, but at least we play on the main stage. We are missing only a few ingredients from being prominent, and when we get our shit together, we have a chance at the real trophy.

I personally follow Women's basketball, Men's and Women's Lacrosse over Football because we play for the full Division I Championship, and we have a chance to play well known schools. The sports universe doesn't care about these sports either, but at least it's for the real championship.
 
Tune in to ESPN2 for conclusion of NDSU v Montana FCS game. Will enjoy it more than a women's basketball "real" championship.
Not interested at all. I love my Spiders, and I don't follow any other team. Besides we have a basketball game on right now.

I'm a rarity. If the Spiders are out, I have no further interest. I'm one of the ones who doesn't know who wins the fcs if it's not us. Of course, I have no idea who wins the fbs either, but I know that's unusual.
 
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Thinking a lot more folks nationally are watching the FCS playoff game than the Spider basketball game. No?
 
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Sure, a semi-final? playoff game might grab more attention than a regular season basketball game. You know as well as I do that Div I basketball is a much bigger draw than fcs football.

Don't get me wrong I wish it mattered more since it's the Spiders level in football but realistically it doesn't unfortunately.
 
Sure, a semi-final? playoff game might grab more attention than a regular season basketball game. You know as well as I do that Div I basketball is a much bigger draw than fcs football.

Don't get me wrong I wish it mattered more since it's the Spiders level in football but realistically it doesn't unfortunately.
At the rate of change that college sports are going through by chasing the money, it won't be long before basketball will split between the haves and haves not. Enjoy the highest level while you can.
 
This is interesting. We are very close to the employment model for college athletics. At some point schools will have to accept long term responsibility for players. They will have to provide for long term care, health insurance and workers compensation. What if a player suffers a career ending injury?
 
This is the end of college athletics. Expect the P5 schools will eventually separate from the rest. There is talk about establishing a football Commissioner for the P5 leagues.
 
Football drives it all and it is boiling down to one national conference regionalized with 50-60 teams. Group of 5 will not matter. The big schools will want the money and control the schedules. Even within long-standing conferences, schools will be left behind (e.g, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Boston College). For sports other than football and basketball, that may stay in some more regional context to minimize travel. Basketball has already evolved into a system which rewards the P6 playing each other OOC which leaves the other conferences scrambling to get any meaningful games that help with post-season ratings and tournament bids. Despite the evidence which shows every year, the majority of the P6 at large bids for the teams below second or third place do not progress in their brackets, but because they play in leagues and pre-season tournaments which feature other P6 teams, they get the nod. March Madness is such a good product, it would be crazy to make it about only a few conferences. People who ordinarily don't follow the season closely except for their favorite school, get very involved with pools and the games on TV.
 
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Just call it payroll. drop NIL. Very few players are true NIL. Deion Sanders is right about this.
 
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Just call it payroll. drop NIL. Very few players are true NIL. Deion Sanders is right about this.
Yes, please. We are paying kids to play college ball, I don't feel great about that because again this is supposed to be about their education, but I guess that shipped sailed a long time ago (2-3 years really).

If that's what this has come to than just put them on payroll, instead of this sketchy ass ponzi scheme that is the NIL. Make it transparent to all.

And the irony of all ironies is that like 5 years ago the FBI had a full on investigation on ole Willy Wade for doing this and now it is completely above board.
 
Yes, please. We are paying kids to play college ball, I don't feel great about that because again this is supposed to be about their education, but I guess that shipped sailed a long time ago (2-3 years really).

If that's what this has come to than just put them on payroll, instead of this sketchy ass ponzi scheme that is the NIL. Make it transparent to all.

And the irony of all ironies is that like 5 years ago the FBI had a full on investigation on ole Willy Wade for doing this and now it is completely above board.
Need a salary cap and payouts from the teams that exceed it...to the teams (prorated) who are under it.
 
Yes, please. We are paying kids to play college ball, I don't feel great about that because again this is supposed to be about their education, but I guess that shipped sailed a long time ago (2-3 years really).

If that's what this has come to than just put them on payroll, instead of this sketchy ass ponzi scheme that is the NIL. Make it transparent to all.

And the irony of all ironies is that like 5 years ago the FBI had a full on investigation on ole Willy Wade for doing this and now it is completely above board.
Like Cardale Jones said, “we come here to play football, we ain’t come to play school”

Not sure he would have passed through admissions here though with a quote like that
 
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