Jesse Edwards in portal and transfers to WVU

[IthacaMatt]

Can I ask everyone something? Why is everyone freaking out? The kid was a senior, any other year he would have been gone naturally. We had no actual hard facts he was going to return. It’s still early in the portal world.
Is it because he’s transferring somewhere else?

Because people are hoping we don't lose 20 games next year.
Autry's tenure will be over before it's even started if that happens.

 

[Biaxtar]

Can I ask everyone something? Why is everyone freaking out? The kid was a senior, any other year he would have been gone naturally. We had no actual hard facts he was going to return. It’s still early in the portal world.
Is it because he’s transferring somewhere else?

I feel like the freak-out now is more about losing our booster.

 

[Cuse1055]

Can I ask everyone something? Why is everyone freaking out? The kid was a senior, any other year he would have been gone naturally. We had no actual hard facts he was going to return. It’s still early in the portal world.
Is it because he’s transferring somewhere else?

Yes, because it highlights the worry we have that our program cannot compete with major programs in the current landscape.

 

[littlereg]

Nancy allowed more students admitted. she gamed the admissions process the exact opposite way that other schools decided to go.

Northeastern gerrymandered their admissions and policies to be specifically US News appealing. They are now a higher ranked school than SU. Even Boston College decided to go a more difficult admissions route as well and their sports aren't exactly high flying. They are the analogy IMO. They are mediocre at best in hoops/football and are much higher ranked than SU now and MUCH more selective. I just went through this process w my son.

SU falls behind Nova, BC, Gtown, Penn St, Maryland, even Umass at this point. Some depts are SU remain hard to get into but the school itself is achievable if you want to write the check

Your last sentence nailed it.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I think it's how it went down that is the issue. We wanted to keep him, he wanted to return and we didn't have the NIL resources/abilities to make it happen. Now that's publicized and we sit without a primary target at the 5.

AND other schools know they can take our guys once they get good enough to play at a Big Boy school.

 

[NYCCuse826]

Weitsman wants the publicity. He wants to be World Wide Wes. He wants the celebrity.
SU doesn't want "Showtime", apparently. We want a nice little Patriot League team like Colgate.
That's who we aspire to be now. I already went to 2 colleges where the sports don't matter. Now, the college team that I follow simply surrenders. I just can't watch anymore.

SU would take Showtime if the booster wasn't "all in the video, dancing" as Suge Knight once said. Nevin Shapiro should be the reason why you don't want someone to be a face of paying players. Miami never learned that lesson and that bill could be due when they least expect.

 

[tptcuse]

Can I ask everyone something? Why is everyone freaking out? The kid was a senior, any other year he would have been gone naturally. We had no actual hard facts he was going to return. It’s still early in the portal world.
Is it because he’s transferring somewhere else?

Because we didn't recruit anyone this year.

 

[jdubs30]

Can I ask everyone something? Why is everyone freaking out? The kid was a senior, any other year he would have been gone naturally. We had no actual hard facts he was going to return. It’s still early in the portal world.
Is it because he’s transferring somewhere else?

Because we lost him due to NIL. This is just a precursor. It’s not as much about Jesse as it is about we just won’t be able to compete with most P5 schools NIL-wise.

 

[Cuse181]

AND other schools know they can take our guys once they get good enough to play at a Big Boy school.

People are really out here acting like Syracuse is a mid major...

 

[pwong]

Can I ask everyone something? Why is everyone freaking out? The kid was a senior, any other year he would have been gone naturally. We had no actual hard facts he was going to return. It’s still early in the portal world.
Is it because he’s transferring somewhere else?

Because theres the possibility to retain him for another year with an enticing NIL offer. It’s easier to retain your top player(s) than get new ones from the portal.

 

[Scooch]

Weitsman wants the publicity. He wants to be World Wide Wes. He wants the celebrity.
SU doesn't want "Showtime", apparently. We want a nice little Patriot League team like Colgate.
That's who we aspire to be now. I already went to 2 colleges where the sports don't matter. Now, the college team that I follow simply surrenders. I just can't watch anymore.

This seems really, really overwrought.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Nancy allowed more students admitted. she gamed the admissions process the exact opposite way that other schools decided to go.

Northeastern gerrymandered their admissions and policies to be specifically US News appealing. They are now a higher ranked school than SU. Even Boston College decided to go a more difficult admissions route as well and their sports aren't exactly high flying. They are the analogy IMO. They are mediocre at best in hoops/football and are much higher ranked than SU now and MUCH more selective. I just went through this process w my son.

SU falls behind Nova, BC, Gtown, Penn St, Maryland, even Umass at this point. Some depts at SU remain hard to get into but the school itself is achievable if you want to write the check

To me, it's always been that way at SU. A handful of world-class programs, and a lot of mediocre programs filled with children of wealthy people who couldn't get into an Ivy. That's why SU has always been considered a party school.

 

[OCESIP]

Not sure if it's accurate or not, but there was a comment that part of JB's new promotional position going forward would include some aspect of fundraising. Not sure if he would be involved with the collectives since they are technically removed from the university. Given his distaste for the entire concept of big $$ pay for play situations, I would think that he wouldn't be a very enthusiastic intermediary in any case.

 

[orangefog]

I'll ask again... if he wanted to give money to an existing collective today would his money be refused?

Of course he can spend his money how he pleases. Who's arguing that?

But if his primary goal is to support SU athletics than it sounds like he's quite welcome to do that, within the guidelines that all other SU boosters are being asked to follow. if his primary goal is something else, then that's his choice and it's fine. We just shouldn't pretend otherwise.

Good question, I was just told that his NIL money wasn’t welcome. That may mean they don’t want it his way. But, he is making sure he’s 100% in compliance, so why should it matter?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Short term will be bad for SU Hoops. Long term I would bet this is good for Syracuse University as a whole.

Kent wants to actually bring the school into a higher ranking status again. His job is to improve the student body experience holistically. Not just athletics.

I applaud him if this is part of a grander theme to get them back into the top 50 academically. This stuff matters when you are charging students 80k to come to Syracuse.

one has nothing to do with the other.

 

[rrlbees]

Weitsman wants the publicity. He wants to be World Wide Wes. He wants the celebrity.
SU doesn't want "Showtime", apparently. We want a nice little Patriot League team like Colgate.
That's who we aspire to be now. I already went to 2 colleges where the sports don't matter. Now, the college team that I follow simply surrenders. I just can't watch anymore.

Lol

 

[Trueblue25]

Someone said we already have a million dollars in the collective.
So why isn't that enough to keep Jesse?
Are we giving it all to women athletes?
I noticed that the only person Weitsman mentioned was a female basketball player.

The “million” or x dollars may indeed be there.

Doesnt mean its intended to be used on Jesse though.

 

[elimunelson]

To me, it's always been that way at SU. A handful of world-class programs, and a lot of mediocre programs filled with children of wealthy people who couldn't get into an Ivy. That's why SU has always been considered a party school.

I think that's spot on. The unfortunate part is we were part of a consortium of other schools like Nova and BC where they were perpetually the fall back to Gtown and ND.

Now we're the fallback to the fallback to the fallback. It will have broader implications unless Kent turns around the impression of the school academically. Let's face it SU isn't in a big city, isn't in warm weather. He needs the school to stand on its own. The sports aren't going anywhere. That's hyperbole. They will be there forever. It may be altered but the school can't cheapen itself

 

[Sbucketball]

This makes sense to me. And I agree, he can do whatever he wants, obviously. But let's not pretend he's some cherub-like good soul who only cares about dear ol' SU and his charities. He wants ROI.

I don't think anyone is denying that though. You don't become a billionaire by being a cherub-like good soul who throws money away. But why would Weitsman getting a ROI matter to Syracuse or fans? That's how deals work -- all parties enjoy a benefit. Also it gives the arrangement longevity.

 

[IthacaMatt]

This seems really, really overwrought.

We'll see, won't we?
In 18 months, we'll know whether Red is a dead man walking.
He will get next year to try to pull a good recruiting class.
We'll have a year to get our NIL act together.
But coming off of a likely season of ~20 losses, who is he going to pull?
Ain't nobody coming here, and there ain't no coming back if we completely fall off the cliff.
Fifty percent of our fans have already checked out.
I know a person who holds lots of high quality season tickets because she wants to support the university, but is checking out, and dumping them.

 

[UpstateSM]

If we aren’t going to be able to recruit/retain at anything close to a high level Matt Langel should have been our hire

 

[Domedude3]

That may literally sway me to not purchase my seasons.

I’m fairly certain I’m not renewing. 25 year season ticket holder here.

 

[Scooch]

Good question, I was just told that his NIL money wasn’t welcome. That may mean they don’t want it his way. But, he is making sure he’s 100% in compliance, so why should it matter?

It matters if SU says it matters to them. I mean, that part of it isn't difficult to understand. They have reasons, and I suspect we can all figure those reasons out. Weitsman's publicity-hounding is no crime, but it is something that's going to spook the administration of a school that was on a major probation just a few years ago.

*edit* And let's be real about that "100% compliance" stuff. It's clear he's toed some lines in the past, and it's not going to take much to trigger something from an NCAA that has targeted SU for 30+ years.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Yes. But, so long as it is in compliance with the rules, who cares

well, there's the rub.

 

[M2MPrinciples]

I'm fine with SU wanting to distance itself from Weitsman (or at least being willing to do so), but it's the lack of a Plan B other than "hold our breath until NIL goes away" that irks me, if that's what it is.