OT: Woj bomb!

[Eight Legger]

If I could afford to buy us the best five college basketball players in the nation, I would do it. I’m sort of surprised some hugely wealthy donors at a random school hasn’t done this yet. $2M a year per guy for five guys. A drop in the bucket for plenty of the elites in this country. What if some rich guy who went to Winthrop or somewhere like that made that offer? There aren’t five great players who would take it?

 

[spiderman]

If I could afford to buy us the best five college basketball players in the nation, I would do it. I’m sort of surprised some hugely wealthy donors at a random school hasn’t done this yet. $2M a year per guy for five guys. A drop in the bucket for plenty of the elites in this country. What if some rich guy who went to Winthrop or somewhere like that made that offer? There aren’t five great players who would take it?

step 1: in May, bet $100,000 on Winthrop at say 1,000:1 to win the national championship.
step 2: THEN pay $2M to the top 5 guys.

 

[VT4700]

If I could afford to buy us the best five college basketball players in the nation, I would do it. I’m sort of surprised some hugely wealthy donors at a random school hasn’t done this yet. $2M a year per guy for five guys. A drop in the bucket for plenty of the elites in this country. What if some rich guy who went to Winthrop or somewhere like that made that offer? There aren’t five great players who would take it?

If they are great players, they will get a lot of money to play at a power school, maybe even more than 2 million.

 

[Eight Legger]

Maybe. I guess my point is just that whatever the top amount is that someone is making right now, there have to be plenty of people who could afford to top that and offer it to four other guys, too. There are enough random rich people in life that there must be a bunch from small schools who could do something like that. I'm just surprised no one has tried yet.

 

[AnnapSpider]

While there is no question that money and greed have a
good foot hold on college athletics, I wonder if there is a
group of schools that wants to start another association, where the
old rules prevail. It would be a mammoth task, but FOX started a
network, Tesla started an automotive business, Amazon started as
a bookstore, etc. With the right organization and planning, it could be done.

 

[urfan1]

More likely will be a severe split of divisions, with different rule sets for each group.

 

[spider23]

While there is no question that money and greed have a
good foot hold on college athletics, I wonder if there is a
group of schools that wants to start another association, where the
old rules prevail. It would be a mammoth task, but FOX started a
network, Tesla started an automotive business, Amazon started as
a bookstore, etc. With the right organization and planning, it could be done.

I hear you on this, I think there is that model now, and it is called the IVY league. Every year I plan to go out to a couple Yale games, maybe this will the year.

 

[brooklyn brownstone]

It’s already started. Saw a headline about BYU wanting to throw $4.5m at the #1 prospect, no idea of its accuracy.

Bennett is correct. Players should get revenue slices. The way it all happens now and the ability to renegotiate deals, the sketchy middlemen and collectives and guys quittting a team mid season is not working tho and will blow itself up eventually.

 

[spiderman]

While there is no question that money and greed have a
good foot hold on college athletics, I wonder if there is a
group of schools that wants to start another association, where the
old rules prevail. It would be a mammoth task, but FOX started a
network, Tesla started an automotive business, Amazon started as
a bookstore, etc. With the right organization and planning, it could be done.

if that's what you're looking for it's called DIII. great seats are available cheap.

 

[spiderman]

I hear you on this, I think there is that model now, and it is called the IVY league. Every year I plan to go out to a couple Yale games, maybe this will the year.

I feel like the Ivy is missing out on a big opportunity with this NIL money stuff. nobody has more potential NIL. if that league wanted to, they could be a power in basketball landing all the really smart great hoopers.

 

[SpiderTrap]

Thank goodness we have PQ and friends helping us stay competitive. But every school has PQs. If they're all willing to share it with the athletes, good for them.

This came up in a discussion the other day with a fellow Spider fan. Yes - we have PQ and probably a handful of other large donors (not many I would suspect) that are paying the large portion of the bill when it comes to NIL and paying athletes. But how long can you keep those donors - because this is a continued investment year after year, because each year - they fill up the bank account, and then it is given out to the players, and then they must fill it again. How long can you keep those donors with your current level of success?

This is not unique to UR, but take a school like Bonnies and just hiring Woj, with part of it being - he can drive up some NIL money with his connections. But then won't those donors demand results? And fast. I mean - if you keep coming back to me for 100K each year to donate to the collective, and we don't make the NCAA's in 4-5 years - will I continue to give my money?

Does this land in even greater power given to the large donors? To get rid of coaches, etc if they think success is not happening?

 

[spiderman]

 

[MDspider8]

View embedded media

Thankfully, seems like he caught it early and it isn't a major concern. Article says he was diagnosed in March.

 

[urfan1]

View embedded media

wish him the best!

 

[SFspidur]

Woj has gotten Bona partnered with WWE for NIL-generating belts. Only $549!

 

[Eight Legger]

There can't be 10 people walking the earth who will buy that thing.

 

[MrTbone]

There can't be 10 people walking the earth who will buy that thing.

I was trying to do that math myself. I mean, I don’t think it’s got some kind of massive alumni base.

But as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Which is incorrect btw, but people say it.

 

[SpiderTrap]

At least its something. I even saw on the TV the other day a car commercial for a local dealer in Richmond, and they had two VCU players in the commercial.

Not saying these belts and commercials make much of a difference, but again - when it comes to UR NIL and deals - its crickets. Now - if we are 8-1 or even 7-2, probably wouldn't care as much - but since we are 4-5, everything will be nick picked.

 

[RichmondNative]

At least its something. I even saw on the TV the other day a car commercial for a local dealer in Richmond, and they had two VCU players in the commercial.

Not saying these belts and commercials make much of a difference, but again - when it comes to UR NIL and deals - its crickets. Now - if we are 8-1 or even 7-2, probably wouldn't care as much - but since we are 4-5, everything will be nick picked.

I was watching Purdue vs Texas A&M on Sling here in Richmond and there was a commercial for VCU Women’s basketball 🤢. Of course UR isn’t proactive enough to promote the women’s team.

 

[spiderman]

At least its something.

it's something ... but it's a really weird promotion.

 

[SpiderTrap]

100% weird. But - the WWE is a 1.3 BILLION dollar machine. With a lot of fan support. So maybe they know something we don't.

Maybe the Bonnies have a strong WWE following or maybe a Bonnie alum is a current wrestler?

 

[SFspidur]

It's in one of the tweets above...Woj and WWE president Nick Khan are buddies.

 

[SpiderTrap]

I guess also - there is no risk on either side. WWE is just letting them sell belts, which I am willing to bet are not made in large quantities until ordered. And Bonnies get some PR, they are not giving the WWE anything. And maybe the WWE see college kids as a possible market. Very little risk on both sides really.

 

[97spiderfan]

Was watching the Bills game the other week and they panned to a shot at the stadium. St. Bonnies had ads running on all of the scrolling scoreboard things at the stadium. I'm not sure if this is WOJ or not but great idea. They got their name out on a national CBS NFL broadcast.

 

[SpiderTrap]

Was watching the Bills game the other week and they panned to a shot at the stadium. St. Bonnies had ads running on all of the scrolling scoreboard things at the stadium. I'm not sure if this is WOJ or not but great idea. They got their name out on a national CBS NFL broadcast.

Not only that - but all the fans at the stadium. We are lucky if our marketing department uses spell check before sending out an email.

With that being said - we could pick on our marketing department all day - but lets talk solutions, what is one/two things you wish they did or tried to do - either to promote more of the University, get more attendance, etc.

 

[Wood Hall]

Not only that - but all the fans at the stadium. We are lucky if our marketing department uses spell check before sending out an email.

With that being said - we could pick on our marketing department all day - but lets talk solutions, what is one/two things you wish they did or tried to do - either to promote more of the University, get more attendance, etc.

The University set an all-time record for applications for the Class of 2028.

“In a year where we saw a record high number of more than 16,000 applications, the undergraduate applicant pool had the strongest academic profile in UR history,” said Stephanie Dupaul, vice president for Enrollment Management.

Never let the facts get in the way of a good rant.

Record Applications Lead to Strong Class of 2028

The University of Richmond is welcoming about 840 traditional undergraduate students to campus for the 2024–25 academic year.

news.richmond.edu

 

[brooklyn brownstone]

Did I miss the explanation between the applications to the school and its relationship to the basketball program marketing?

Quote pending approval.

 

[fan2011]

Did I miss the explanation of the applications to the school and its relationship to the basketball program marketing?

Quote pending approval.

I guess they are implying that non-athletic marketing is working fine since we are getting record numbers of applicants. Just a guess though, not sure

 

[SFspidur]

Tell those 16,000 applicants they get bonus points on their applications if they attend a UR basketball game.

 

[Eight Legger]

Yeah, I don't think any of us are questioning whether UR the institution is going a good job getting students interested in attending. We are questions ng whether the athletic department is doing a good job promoting our two-time championship football team (judging by attendance the past two seasons, it isn't), our top-40ish women's basketball team (room for improvement), our alleged flagship men's basketball program (we all know the answer to this one), or our actual flagship men's lacrosse team.

 

[spiderman]

were the Bills game ads for SBU the institution or SBU hoops?