OT: Las Vegas game changer in recruiting?

[jekelish]

I didn't see this posted but might have missed it, but...

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...sketball-skip-college-mcdonalds-all-americans

A "semi-pro" team based out of Vegas that will offer big time recruits $700k to play on a traveling team, allowing them to bypass college and make a lot of money before the NBA comes calling?

 

[PeteCalvin]

I didn't see this posted but might have missed it, but...

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...sketball-skip-college-mcdonalds-all-americans

A "semi-pro" team based out of Vegas that will offer big time recruits $700k to play on a traveling team, allowing them to bypass college and make a lot of money before the NBA comes calling?

UK is finished if this happens, and Cal will be gone. couchburn

 

[SWFLCUSE]

It is an interesting idea but I don't see it coming to fruition. If it did however become a successful thing a piece of me thinks the NBA could try to bring it in as maybe a AA option then get rid of age limits on the NBA draft and just try to go the complete MLB style of minor leagues. I know its a virtual impossibility but still its fun to think in big what ifs.

 

[Full_Rebar]

I think this group would have to show they can fund at that amount, and have a schedule in place. Now if the shoe companies were to get involved in something like this, that would be a game changer.

 

[jekelish]

I think this group would have to show they can fund at that amount, and have a schedule in place. Now if the shoe companies were to get involved in something like this, that would be a game changer.

Very true. Imagine if Under Armour came in as a sponsor, for instance.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Very true. Imagine if Under Armour came in as a sponsor, for instance.

This would be AAU on crack and heroin, with a dash of LSD.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Very true. Imagine if Under Armour came in as a sponsor, for instance.

Yep. I think a number of top recruits would listen. Just think about a year of being paid to train (w/ someone like former Cuse guy McClanaghan) without restrictions or the conference schedule that most P5 teams have. You'd have to think that someone like McCullough would have gone that route.

 

[Toga]

This would be AAU on crack and heroin, with a dash of LSD.

What do the Mormons have to do with it?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

What do the Mormons have to do with it?

Everything.

 

[007]

I think this group would have to show they can fund at that amount, and have a schedule in place. Now if the shoe companies were to get involved in something like this, that would be a game changer.

Who would they play? The Wahington Generals? And who would pay to buy those tickets or televise those games?

 

[Col. Bleep]

Who would they play? The Wahington Generals? And who would pay to buy those tickets or televise those games?

That's the issue.
And these guys are pushing to get this going without appropriate lead time.

If they established some kind of 19 and under pro league...they might have something.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Who would they play? The Wahington Generals? And who would pay to buy those tickets or televise those games?

This group said it is trying to get games against top Euro teams, but I don't think they are close to pulling it off. I do think a cable sports network would be interested if Nike or UA had a team of NBA prospects playing.

I would imagine hoops fans would have been interested in watching a team this year if it featured Towns, Russell and Mudiay.

 

[007]

This group said it is trying to get games against top Euro teams, but I don't think they are close to pulling it off. I do think a cable sports network would be interested if Nike or UA had a team of NBA prospects playing.

I would imagine hoops fans would have been interested in watching a team this year if it featured Towns, Russell and Mudiay.

You could be right, I just find it highly unlikely for a number of reasons. A schedule with Euro teams would have to be exhibition games. Not sure how much interest and revenue that will drive. The NBA D League had their "playoffs" televised for the first time last year (I think). The TV audience was estimated at 0.02 million viewers.

http://www.statista.com/statistics/...interested-in-the-nba-development-league-usa/

 

[Ghost]

You could be right, I just find it highly unlikely for a number of reasons. A schedule with Euro teams would have to be exhibition games. Not sure how much interest and revenue that will drive. The NBA D League had their "playoffs" televised for the first time last year (I think). The TV audience was estimated at 0.02 million viewers.

http://www.statista.com/statistics/...interested-in-the-nba-development-league-usa/

None. There would be about zero interest in this if it happened.

You're going to have a lot of kids that nobody cares about (Jeremy Tyler types), and if you have a few good recruits most college basketball fans won't care because they're not going to college. Those people follow HS/AAU sports so fervently because those kids are going to college. Do NBA fans watch the NBA D-League when they're kids are down there - are Bucks fans tuning in to see Tyler Ennis if he's down? Doubtful. Now imagine if it's just a few potential draft picks playing some blah exhibition games. It would have to be some sort of game-changing life altering player to make it viable - and even then, that just means you reach double-digit viewers if it was ever televised.

Maybe if you gave them funny nicknames and had 'The Professor' play you could create the magic of the And1 tour ESPN used to show. I suppose the point of the league though is more about signing the kids as their agents down the road, and in the interim make it a sports academy type setting where you get paid...

 

[RandygoCuse]

At the very least, I see the start getting delayed, my guess is it gets scrapped altogether. If it does get off the ground, I bet that salary of 700,000 gets adjusted downward.

 

[stuckinbig11]

If I was a kid they were recruiting, I would want a cashier's check in hand the moment I signed.

 

[Ghost]

If I was a kid they were recruiting, I would want a cashier's check in hand the moment I signed.

lol...thought the same thing. Feels like one of the Russian hockey leagues where your salary is $75,000,000.00 USD, but you only ever see $248.00.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I didn't see this posted but might have missed it, but...

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...sketball-skip-college-mcdonalds-all-americans

A "semi-pro" team based out of Vegas that will offer big time recruits $700k to play on a traveling team, allowing them to bypass college and make a lot of money before the NBA comes calling?

$700K per player is way too much for a semi-pro league. Most players fresh out of HS would be happy for $200-250K, which is several times more than they make in D League.

 

[Moontan]

You'd need 4 teams (Nike, Adidas, UA, the rest). Go on tour to 20 U.S. cities playing double headers. Fox could carry some of these. The question is timing... when do they play this. Head-to-head with the NBA and college hoops could be a problem. The best windows might be between the Final Four & NBA playoffs, and between NBA Finals and start of football. Of course, that doesn't tie-in well with the NBA Draft.

 

[cuseguy]

You'd need 4 teams (Nike, Adidas, UA, the rest). Go on tour to 20 U.S. cities playing double headers. Fox could carry some of these. The question is timing... when do they play this. Head-to-head with the NBA and college hoops could be a problem. The best windows might be between the Final Four & NBA playoffs, and between NBA Finals and start of football.

Who would watch this? It's the D League with lipstick.

 

[reedny]

UK is finished if this happens, and Cal will be gone. couchburn

But think of the money Ky's boosters will save .. Maybe they'll contribute to the library instead!!

 

[reedny]

None. There would be about zero interest in this if it happened.

You're going to have a lot of kids that nobody cares about (Jeremy Tyler types), and if you have a few good recruits most college basketball fans won't care because they're not going to college. Those people follow HS/AAU sports so fervently because those kids are going to college. Do NBA fans watch the NBA D-League when they're kids are down there - are Bucks fans tuning in to see Tyler Ennis if he's down? Doubtful. Now imagine if it's just a few potential draft picks playing some blah exhibition games. It would have to be some sort of game-changing life altering player to make it viable - and even then, that just means you reach double-digit viewers if it was ever televised.

Maybe if you gave them funny nicknames and had 'The Professor' play you could create the magic of the And1 tour ESPN used to show. I suppose the point of the league though is more about signing the kids as their agents down the road, and in the interim make it a sports academy type setting where you get paid...

Maybe you're onto something here.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Who would watch this? It's the D League with lipstick.

The same people who watch the HS games (football and hoops) that ESPN shows. It's not great ratings, but live sports are what are selling to networks.