Alex Kline

[CuseMan4]

Kline did fine helping put together the roster this year. It’s not his fault that George one of the best PGs in the ACC last year took a step back this year. That’s more on Autry

Kline also found Kyle and Kingz who have been reallly good for us. And Betsy to an extent has been better than what people thought compared to what he did at Cincy. Unfortunately the weak link on the roster is the coach. Talent can bring you so far. If you have a coach that doesn’t know how to use the talent, develop the talent, scheme with the talent or make in game adjustments….not much more talent can do when that’s your coach.

We are 15-11. We really should have won that Houston game which would have been a hell of a win, honestly probably should have beat Clemson too, if Donnie even had an AVERAGE first half that game….we win. Should NEVER lose to BC or Hofstra. We were so close to being 19-7 if we justmade our free throws and the ball bounced different a possession or two. And could have had quality wins over Houston, Tennessee, Clemson, SMU and Cal. We’d probably be in the tourney or pretty damn close depending on what we did the last few games here. But that’s the game of basketball for ya. Ball doesn’t always bounce your way. But we were really that close. That’s why I don’t think talent is the issue at all

 

[kirbivore]

This is what I find so annoying about the nil era, we don’t really know what teams are spending, it’s all word of mouth etc. Wish it was transparent like pro sports payrolls.

and most numbers the agents say they got for their clients are complete BS

 

[MamesJungro]

Maybe I’m misunderstanding the mechanics of NIL fundraising, but this is a major private university with a multibillion-dollar endowment and a wealthy, influential alumni base centered in the global financial capital.

$10 million is real money, but the university raises several multiples of that every year for operations.

We have David Falk’s name on a building and Carmelo Anthony as a highly visible program booster. This is a solvable problem.

 

[Orangezoo]

Maybe I’m misunderstanding the mechanics of NIL fundraising, but this is a major private university with a multibillion-dollar endowment and a wealthy, influential alumni base centered in the global financial capital.

$10 million is real money, but the university raises several multiples of that every year for operations.

We have David Falk’s name on a building and Carmelo Anthony as a highly visible program booster. This is a solvable problem.

You are talking about 9 or more million per year remember too. Probably a need of say as much as 150-200 million over 10 years to keep pace if things stay on that pace. All while that money has no true ROI to boot beyond a satisfied fan if the team wins.

 

[Cusefan95]

Maybe I’m misunderstanding the mechanics of NIL fundraising, but this is a major private university with a multibillion-dollar endowment and a wealthy, influential alumni base centered in the global financial capital.

$10 million is real money, but the university raises several multiples of that every year for operations.

We have David Falk’s name on a building and Carmelo Anthony as a highly visible program booster. This is a solvable problem.

People with large amounts of money prefer to spend it on a building that will be named after them, instead of writing a check that goes into the abyss of yearly spending like NIL. You’re noting that Falk and Anthony have their names on buildings without realizing donors prefer that as the result of their donation.

It may be a solvable problem…the issue is much bigger than having a viable pool of donors though.

 

[MamesJungro]

People with large amounts of money prefer to spend it on a building that will be named after them, instead of writing a check that goes into the abyss of yearly spending like NIL. You’re noting that Falk and Anthony have their names on buildings without realizing donors prefer that as the result of their donation.

It may be a solvable problem…the issue is much bigger than having a viable pool of donors though.

I’m a professional fundraiser, although in a very different field. I have a small team and we raise around the same annually. I’m not talking about principal-level campaign gifts to name buildings.

Our existing donor pool (large numbers of wealthy alumni in finance and private equity that live in NYC-area /watched Carmelo win natty as students or recent grads/are very comfortable with philanthropic giving) gives us an enormous leg up on nearly every school.

People like Falk and Camelo should be leveraged to expand the donor network. We have plenty of talented advancement staff, including many in the NYC area already, to execute.

 

[Orangezoo]

I’m a professional fundraiser, although in a very different field. I have a small team and we raise around the same annually. I’m not talking about principal-level campaign gifts to name buildings.

Our existing donor pool (large numbers of wealthy alumni in finance and private equity that live in NYC-area /watched Carmelo win natty as students or recent grads/are very comfortable with philanthropic giving) gives us an enormous leg up on nearly every school.

People like Falk and Camelo should be leveraged to expand the donor network. We have plenty of talented advancement staff, including many in the NYC area already, to execute.

Interesting take. Myself having spent many years handling relationships with large mission based non profits and holding SR leadership roles at a couple too- the challenge here is that just like in the non profit space we are competing often for the same resources and doing so with more than just academic and sports programs. Even if maybe that isn’t the case at the beginning it ultimately ends up there.

Thus until there is a true managed sponsorship model with more structure and rules around it - it’s going to be a wagon going down a mountain with the wheels barely staying on.

 

[RedtheGOB]

I’m a professional fundraiser, although in a very different field. I have a small team and we raise around the same annually. I’m not talking about principal-level campaign gifts to name buildings.

Our existing donor pool (large numbers of wealthy alumni in finance and private equity that live in NYC-area /watched Carmelo win natty as students or recent grads/are very comfortable with philanthropic giving) gives us an enormous leg up on nearly every school.

People like Falk and Camelo should be leveraged to expand the donor network. We have plenty of talented advancement staff, including many in the NYC area already, to execute.

How do you feel about corporate donors? Feels like that’s the way to go. Obvi the megadonors are needed too but big corporations are how a lot of other schools are finding success.

As someone posted above I do think it’s a solvable problem but at the same time this is uncapped market with a few teams that have it all and many others that are battling for an even playing field

The drum I’ve been beating all week is that the top tier nil schools are just going to one up everyone else year after year.

Example it’ll be a big deal if let’s say we hit the 10 mil mark for hoops next year. We should all expect the tourney but does that really get us the talent needed to beat the top of the ACC. I’m not so sure next year.

Duke and UNC annd Louisville are just going to throw in 2-4 mil more year over year. NCSt/miami/uva will throw in another whatever it takes for stay ahead of us.

Hell SMU after losing to us yesterday will say well we need 12-14 mil next year, 10 mil isn’t enough anymore.

At this point who cares about the past. I’m talking the next 2-3 years with the new coach and decisionmakers.

I just feel like every time we “catch up” in nil these other programs are just going to say well Syracuse is catching up we need throw more in the pot.

 

[MamesJungro]

Interesting take. Myself having spent many years handling relationships with large mission based non profits and holding SR leadership roles at a couple too- the challenge here is that just like in the non profit space we are competing often for the same resources. Even if maybe that isn’t the case at the beginning it ultimately ends up there.

Thus until there is a true managed sponsorship model with more structure and rules around it - it’s going to be a wagon going down a mountain with the wheels barely staying on.

Agree. I honestly am not even sure if all of these gifts are even deductible (although I assume there are work arounds) and I assume the Whitman folks aren’t excited to share their donors.

Ultimately none of this is sustainable without enforcable contracts and a functioning governing body, but if you were going to pick a few schools at the beginning of NIL era that you think would be ok (for basketball, not football), I would have predicted Syracuse before Iowa St or BYU or Alabama.

 

[Cusefan0307]

How do you feel about corporate donors? Feels like that’s the way to go. Obvi the megadonors are needed too but big corporations are how a lot of other schools are finding success.

As someone posted above I do think it’s a solvable problem but at the same time this is uncapped market with a few teams that have it all and many others that are battling for an even playing field

The drum I’ve been beating all week is that the top tier nil schools are just going to one up everyone else year after year.

Example it’ll be a big deal if let’s say we hit the 10 mil mark for hoops next year. We should all expect the tourney but does that really get us the talent needed to beat the top of the ACC. I’m not so sure next year.

Duke and UNC annd Louisville are just going to throw in 2-4 mil more year over year. NCSt/miami/uva will throw in another whatever it takes for stay ahead of us.

Hell SMU after losing to us yesterday will say well we need 12-14 mil next year, 10 mil isn’t enough anymore.

At this point who cares about the past. I’m talking the next 2-3 years with the new coach and decisionmakers.

I just feel like every time we “catch up” in nil these other programs are just going to say well Syracuse is catching up we need throw more in the pot.

It’s been discussed. Insufferable.

 

[MamesJungro]

How do you feel about corporate donors? Feels like that’s the way to go. Obvi the megadonors are needed too but big corporations are how a lot of other schools are finding success.

As someone posted above I do think it’s a solvable problem but at the same time this is uncapped market with a few teams that have it all and many others that are battling for an even playing field

The drum I’ve been beating all week is that the top tier nil schools are just going to one up everyone else year after year.

Example it’ll be a big deal if let’s say we hit the 10 mil mark for hoops next year. We should all expect the tourney but does that really get us the talent needed to beat the top of the ACC. I’m not so sure next year.

Duke and UNC annd Louisville are just going to throw in 2-4 mil more year over year. NCSt/miami/uva will throw in another whatever it takes for stay ahead of us.

Hell SMU after losing to us yesterday will say well we need 12-14 mil next year, 10 mil isn’t enough anymore.

At this point who cares about the past. I’m talking the next 2-3 years with the new coach and decisionmakers.

I just feel like every time we “catch up” in nil these other programs are just going to say well Syracuse is catching up we need throw more in the pot.

SMU is actually a great comp for us - virtually identical endowment, similar socioeconomic profile for students/alumni (although we are much larger and more selective).

There really no structural reason why they would have any meaningful leg up on us for an NIL perspective (for basketball)

 

[sufan59]

I’m a professional fundraiser, although in a very different field. I have a small team and we raise around the same annually. I’m not talking about principal-level campaign gifts to name buildings.

Our existing donor pool (large numbers of wealthy alumni in finance and private equity that live in NYC-area /watched Carmelo win natty as students or recent grads/are very comfortable with philanthropic giving) gives us an enormous leg up on nearly every school.

People like Falk and Camelo should be leveraged to expand the donor network. We have plenty of talented advancement staff, including many in the NYC area already, to execute.

You are on to something. First, people want to donate to other things outside of Syracuse Sports, people can have other passions and areas where they want to give that probably do more good in the world. Though Syracuse being good at sports should be high up on everyone’s list lol. Second, there is large volumes of alumni in well to do NYC metro area, the Palm Beach/Broward/Miami Dade I. Florida counties just to name a few that convincing them to make 4 figure donations and perhaps even 5 figure donations annually is where you really can build a sustainable base for years to come. Not easy to get done though. But that’s what I talk about in how the next hire in men’s basketball needs to grow the grassroots support as priority number 1 by people going to games, but also financially. I guess when you think of grassroots you think of high volume of 3 figure donors annually which is very important too, but this could be like grassroots plus. I think the powers that be get this concept, but plenty of room to get better and grow. Which is a good thing, getting better being an option with how far they have come is a good thing.

 

[atlanticuse]

People like Falk and Camelo should be leveraged to expand the donor network. We have plenty of talented advancement staff, including many in the NYC area already, to execute.

As others have said, talent isn't the issue.
Mixing the ingredients and not letting them spoil is our problem this year.
Our coach is not HC material. He can't articulate things like a head coach, he can't manage games like a HC, and his players either don't follow him (giving up at the end of games) or he has no plan.
Except hockey line changes.

 

[sufan59]

As others have said, talent isn't the issue.
Mixing the ingredients and not letting them spoil is our problem this year.
Our coach is not HC material. He can't articulate things like a head coach, he can't manage games like a HC, and his players either don't follow him (giving up at the end of games) or he has no plan.
Except hockey line changes.

I completely agree, talent is not the issue. I think op is trying to share how there is potential to even further advantage Syracuse in the resources game. That goes to more volume donations at still a pretty significant value than high level profile donations.

 

[MamesJungro]

I completely agree, talent is not the issue. I think op is trying to share how there is potential to even further advantage Syracuse in the resources game. That goes to more volume donations at still a pretty significant value than high level profile donations.

Sufan59 is correct. “Advancement” is the jargon word for university fundraising

But I agree with you on talent. I like our team a lot and think it’s a coaching issue

 

[althea]

SMU is actually a great comp for us - virtually identical endowment, similar socioeconomic profile for students/alumni (although we are much larger and more selective).

There really no structural reason why they would have any meaningful leg up on us for an NIL perspective (for basketball)

There is a lot more money in the Dallas area than there is in Syracuse. Like a lot more.

 

[sufan59]

There is a lot more money in the Dallas area than there is in Syracuse. Like a lot more.

The poster is not talking about the Syracuse area. It’s about the alumni in the NYC area.

 

[richmondcuse03]

Agree. I honestly am not even sure if all of these gifts are even deductible (although I assume there are work arounds) and I assume the Whitman folks aren’t excited to share their donors.

Ultimately none of this is sustainable without enforcable contracts and a functioning governing body, but if you were going to pick a few schools at the beginning of NIL era that you think would be ok (for basketball, not football), I would have predicted Syracuse before Iowa St or BYU or Alabama.

NIL is not tax deductible unless you’re a business contracting for marketing expenses with players. There’s a reason more people donate to a university or even the AD than NIL. The tax advantages are a huge one and most people dislike the concept of giving money to pay players. They’d rather donate to the university. Lot of NIL initiatives are funded by a few big whales not lots of little donors.

 

[atlanticuse]

I’ll say I really love our team. We’re a 7 foot center and REAL PG - like 4-1 asst-TO ratio - from top 25.

(I love WK3 but he’s man-handled/backed under rim down low like yesterday - their Euro center fouling out was great strategy by us - turnovers were that he was sloppy)

With a good coach.
I’m tired of being a crap team with upside being the spoiler.

 

[Cusefan95]

Our existing donor pool (large numbers of wealthy alumni in finance and private equity that live in NYC-area /watched Carmelo win natty as students or recent grads/are very comfortable with philanthropic giving) gives us an enormous leg up on nearly every school.

Part of the problem is funding NIL isn’t broadly viewed as philanthropic giving. It’s a really hard sell as a result.

I drive around Pennsylvania a lot for work - it seems like everywhere I go there are billboards and business ads using Penn State athletes. The approach appears to be to go after midsize to large companies to have them spend some of their marketing budget on NIL. It’s not philanthropic giving.

Syracuse doesn’t have the corporate base to use that approach. We don’t have the volume of alumni to compete on small dollar contributions with large schools. Big dollar donors are going to be rare whales; I’m skeptical that is a sustainable approach...and we don’t have a substantially bigger pool than other schools either. I think Syracuse can be successful enough - but I don’t think we have a leg up on other schools in any area. We’re going to need to grind for every dollar and outwork others to succeed.

 

[atlanticuse]

Sufan59 is correct. “Advancement” is the jargon word for university fundraising

But I agree with you on talent. I like our team a lot and think it’s a coaching issue

Like when the advancement guy offered to take me to dinner, then when he couldn’t pick a date, offered a Zoom meeting?

How do you say “tone deaf”?

 

[richmondcuse03]

Part of the problem is funding NIL isn’t broadly viewed as philanthropic giving. It’s a really hard sell as a result.

I drive around Pennsylvania a lot for work - it seems like everywhere I go there are billboards and business ads using Penn State athletes. The approach appears to be to go after midsize to large companies to have them spend some of their marketing budget on NIL. It’s not philanthropic giving.

Syracuse doesn’t have the corporate base to use that approach. We don’t have the volume of alumni to compete on small dollar contributions with large schools. Big dollar donors are going to be rare whales; I’m skeptical that is a sustainable approach...and we don’t have a substantially bigger pool than other schools either. I think Syracuse can be successful enough - but I don’t think we have a leg up on other schools in any area. We’re going to need to grind for every dollar and outwork others to succeed.

Bingo. We need small and medium sized businesses. Large ones are great but the mid size ones who can spend 25-250k a year are ideal.Calvin Russell’s social followings are huge. A business in Syracuse could tap into that and in person events for not a lot of money.

 

[EnviroSciGuy]

NIL is not tax deductible unless you’re a business contracting for marketing expenses with players. There’s a reason more people donate to a university or even the AD than NIL. The tax advantages are a huge one and most people dislike the concept of giving money to pay players. They’d rather donate to the university. Lot of NIL initiatives are funded by a few big whales not lots of little donors.

This is a huge part of the current environment that I think the vast majority of fans overlook.