NIL struggles

[Dick_in_MI]

And how is the fact that AW craved some "attention " and some "recognition " for his donations, any different than other billionaires such as Phil Knight donating to Oregon, Mike Repole donating to St Johns or the Waltons or Tysons donating to Arkansas. None of them have been shy about what they donate, but those schools had no issue accepting their money.

Well, my friend, Phil Knight and AW don't even belong in the same sentence. They may both be billionaires, but it is at that point where the comparison ends.

Knight has donated over two billion dollars to UO, much of it on the academic side. He has donated a billion dollars alone to establish a Biomedical Engineering and Applied Science facility. Toss in other academic buildings he has helped fund plus endowing department chairs and professorships, and he has given back to his alma mater for far greater reasons than "attention" and "recognition" or even merely helping athletics.

Far from "having no issue" accepting his money, Oregon is and should be damn proud to do so.

 

[SUfanNC]

It’s pretty simple. Do you want to take the side of the guy who has donated very little or the guy who has donated a lot and continues to donate a lot. Money buys influence.

Ahhh. I get it......blindly following either or because they got some cash. Seems like thats how we got to where we are. I get your principles now.


Fairly certain it doesn't have to be either or. Other programs firgure it out it seems

 

[grepal]

How is anyone suppose to chill when Weitsman won’t shut his mouth and keeps feeding people ammunition to get angry.

Mute button or change to a different medium always works for me.

 

[Domedog84]

Ahhh. I get it...blindly following either or because they got some cash. Seems like thats how we got to where we are. I get your principles now.


Fairly certain it doesn't have to be either or. Other programs firgure it out it seems

Provide a clear example of one mega donor at another school that donates outside the collectives and is allowed the special treatment that AW wants? If other schools have figured this out, please provide clear examples.

 

[RedtheGOB]

I don't think people realize the slippery slope. Next year let's say AW puts up his 2 mil to the next 5 star hoops guy outside of the NIL collectives, which he requires. Cool everyone is happy for a YEAR.

Ok the next year he gets in a twitter fight with someone else at the program or he decides well now I want to do something differently again. Who knows, maybe he'll want to buy the next big QB.

I'm shocked there's No mention of football ever around here and for good reason, Fran Brown would not be silent on this stuff if former football players and billionaires were causing distractions. This would've been nipped long ago and no way it ends up with someone getting special treatment.

There's a reason people are only messing with hoops right now and it's cuz the program is in the gutter. He's walked away once and burned relationships clearly it can easily happen again.

 

[oldpinepoint]

Ahhh. I get it...blindly following either or because they got some cash. Seems like thats how we got to where we are. I get your principles now.


Fairly certain it doesn't have to be either or. Other programs firgure it out it seems

First don’t insult me saying these are my principles, it’s how the world works. Ideally everyone would all get along, but that also not how the world works. I have no idea what other programs do but I’m sure others have turned money away. I’m sure others have accepted the type of giving that AW is offering. Bottom line is SU said if you want to donate, give it to a collective. AW said no, it’s what it is. SU has more to lose here than AW. So they make the rules.

 

[MamesJungro]

You could almost make that same argument regarding any donor to Syracuse athletics as the results have been somewhat lackluster.

Excluding what Fran Brown personally did raising funds in the last 18 months for the football program, there hasn't been much to cheer about.

And that may or may not have anything to do with AW, but it does have something to do with Wildhack and Syverud.

lol wut? We opened up a brand new performance center last month that was part of an 150 million dollar capital campaign. I think we are doing just fine and I trust their fundraising vision

 

[SUfanNC]

First don’t insult me saying these are my principles, it’s how the world works. Ideally everyone would all get along, but that also not how the world works. I have no idea what other programs do but I’m sure others have turned money away. I’m sure others have accepted the type of giving that AW is offering. Bottom line is SU said if you want to donate, give it to a collective. AW said no, it’s what it is. SU has more to lose here than AW. So they make the rules.

You asked what side would I take. Im not on either side. Im not following one over the other. The only commonality I know I have with either is SU

I only care how to maximize NIL funding if possible. Since most do not know what went wrong, there is no way to know if it’s fixable or not. Per dasher it seems not.

I personally have a hard time giving money ( barely a splash in the pond) when they have seemingly people that have more means to make it worthwhile and aren’t working on smoothing things out. I don’t find it acceptable given what I know which isn’t much.

I apologize if you felt insulted. It was a strong response but you either or statement was strong. Regardless my apologies.

 

[SUfanNC]

Provide a clear example of one mega donor at another school that donates outside the collectives and is allowed the special treatment that AW wants? If other schools have figured this out, please provide clear examples.

You’re making up terms. Im not going to go through every college donor. Hell I didn’t even really know the Johnnie’s guys name.

Don’t you think it is fair to say if a donor wanted to give money to a school, most institutions would figure it out? Are there some they may turn said donor away……yes I believe so, but I also think there are some that would stroke said ego.

Other than donating outside NIL collective what is this special treatment?

If you don’t know for a fact you statement is redundant.

Just so you are clear, I don’t agree that it should be outside the collective if SU doesn’t want it that way but you or I don’t know why he would prefer it. Maybe it’s better tax wise or any number of random things

 

[Cusefan0307]

You’re making up terms. Im not going to go through every college donors. Hell I didn’t even really know the Johnnie’s guys name.

Don’t you think it is fair to say if a donor wanted to give money to a school, most institutions would figure out? Are there some they may turn said donor away……yes I believe so, but I also think there are some that would stroke said ego.

Other than donating outside NIL collective what is this special treatment?

If you don’t know for a fact you statement is redundant.

Just you are clear, I don’t agree that it should be outside the collective if SU doesn’t want it that way but you or I don’t know why he would prefer it. Maybe it’s better tax wise or any number of random things

What does “figure it out” mean? Do you want the school to let AW do whatever his heart pleases because that’s basically what he wants.

 

[SUfanNC]

What does “figure it out” mean? Do you want the school to let AW do whatever his heart pleases because that’s basically what he wants.

Did you read what you quoted?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Did you read what you quoted?

So you want Aw to do do as he pleases without oversight?

This conversation is pointless then.

 

[Scooch]

Just stop. We are way past that answer. Unless you can prove it stop

It's been explained here before. AW's primary contribution to SU Athletics was him renovating a Dome suite and paying for premium parking. And he gave some money to a handful of players in the very early days of NIL. Maybe he would have given more over the past 2-3 years, but his choice was to not do so.

He's never donated to a capital campaign, as far as anyone can say.

These are facts. They've been re-re-re-rehashed here for 2 years.

 

[Scooch]

Well, my friend, Phil Knight and AW don't even belong in the same sentence. They may both be billionaires, but it is at that point where the comparison ends.

Knight has donated over two billion dollars to UO, much of it on the academic side. He has donated a billion dollars alone to establish a Biomedical Engineering and Applied Science facility. Toss in other academic buildings he has helped fund plus endowing department chairs and professorships, and he has given back to his alma mater for far greater reasons than "attention" and "recognition" or even merely helping athletics.

Far from "having no issue" accepting his money, Oregon is and should be damn proud to do so.

Tremendous post. Some of the comparisons people make re: Weitsman are insane. Hell, there are people who post ON THIS BOARD who have donated multiples of what he ever did.

 

[SUfanNC]

So you want Aw to do do as he pleases without oversight?

This conversation is pointless then.

What is so hard to understand. Read it. Hint the last paragraph

 

[Cusefan0307]

What is so hard to understand. Read it. Hint the last paragraph

And I said the conversation is pointless. You only care about how AW is treated. You say you’re neutral, but you only care about appeasing AW so he donates.

 

[SUfanNC]

And I said the conversation is pointless. You only care about how AW is treated. You say you’re neutral, but you only care about appeasing AW so he donates.

I never said appease one person. Not once. It is pointless if you keep making assumptions.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

I personally have a hard time giving money ( barely a splash in the pond) when they have seemingly people that have more means to make it worthwhile and aren’t working on smoothing things out. I don’t find it acceptable given what I know which isn’t much.

I understand that. I don't donate to SU athletics like I once did but it has zero to do with AW. I am sure he is a nice enough guy, but I normally don't spend 3 milliseconds out of my week thinking about him nor his battles with SU. I'll always love SU sports but the current college sports business model is something I don't feel like being a part of.

I used to donate approximately 50:50 academics:athletics. In recent years, I have added much of what I used to donate annually to sports to my annual donations to my old academic department. It was that education that paved the way for a very successful career. It is those students that I can relate to because I used to be one of them. On the other side are athletes that make well into 6 figures annually (or more) and who may only be around a year or two. More power to them, but...

Someone made donations that I unknowingly took advantage of when I was a student so now I want to pay it forward. If it means doubling my donations at the expense of the athletic department, I am more than comfortable with that, given (again) the current college sports business model.

Bigtime college sports was always Show Biz, but now there is no pretense otherwise. But unlike all other forms of show biz, the consumer is asked to dig deeper beyond their ticket price to fund the entertainers.

At the end of a movie, there isn't an address on the screen for you to send extra $$$ to Meryl Streep so that the studio can hire her again. When you see a concert, you pay your hundred bucks or whatever and that's it. Springsteen doesn't come out at the end and ask for more money to pay Roy so that he doesn't hit the portal and join Neil Young's band. And if he DOES portal to Neil, well Bruce needs you to pony up so that he can attract a good piano player. Nope, that's not how it works but for whatever reason college sports now works that way. Sure, guys always got paid. But not like this, and not via demands of the fanbase to foot the bill.

 

[SUfanNC]

I understand that. I don't donate to SU athletics like I once did but it has zero to do with AW. I am sure he is a nice enough guy, but I normally don't spend 3 milliseconds out of my week thinking about him nor his battles with SU. I'll always love SU sports but the current college sports business model is something I don't feel like being a part of.

I used to donate approximately 50:50 academics:athletics. In recent years, I have added much of what I used to donate annually to sports to my annual donations to my old academic department. It was that education that paved the way for a very successful career. It is those students that I can relate to because I used to be one of them. On the other side are athletes that make well into 6 figures annually (or more) and who may only be around a year or two. More power to them, but...

Someone made donations that I unknowingly took advantage of when I was a student so now I want to pay it forward. If it means doubling my donations at the expense of the athletic department, I am more than comfortable with that, given (again) the current college sports business model.

Bigtime college sports was always Show Biz, but now there is no pretense otherwise. But unlike all other forms of show biz, the consumer isn't asked to dig deeper beyond their ticket price to fund the entertainers.

At the end of a movie, there isn't an address on the screen for you to send extra $$$ to Meryl Streep so that the studio can hire her again. When you see a concert, you pay your hundred bucks or whatever and that's it. Springsteen doesn't come out at the end and ask for more money to pay Roy so that he doesn't hit the portal and join Neil Young's band. And if he DOES portal to Neil, well Bruce needs you to pony up so that he can attract a good piano player. Nope, that's not how it works but for whatever reason college sports now works that way. Sure, guys always got paid. But not like this, and not via demands of the fanbase to foot the bill.

It’s the principle part. Insert any donor It seems like Im defending him but in all honesty more people are attacking someone without knowing the facts. If other donors were getting dragged without facts I would say the same , it just happens to be him.

I would like SU to be successful with the all the donors they have access to. The last part that you wrote I think is the kicker for me. Im just and average guy that throws chump change. It feels like SU should be able to understand and set expectations to the big donors, that allows them to continue. Doesn’t mean kneel at their feet either.

Anyway it’s the principle part that Im defending not AW. Don’t know him. Never ran into him. Hell Im not even in Syracuse anymore. I have no personal feelings towards him Same goes for the other donors. I want to see SU do right by the fan base. I don’t want to keep hearing we need every dollar.

Appreciate the background. Always nice to hear about posters to get insight into the fandom we share.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

lol wut? We opened up a brand new performance center last month that was part of an 150 million dollar capital campaign. I think we are doing just fine and I trust their fundraising vision

The money raised for the capital campaign is huge and it helps Syracuse with facilities that are way overdue, but will it directly impact wins and losses, or just bring us up to speed with our peer schools. It wasn't that long ago that it was reported that the basketball program couldn't afford another treadmill.

People need to understand there are different types of donators.

1) Ones that only donate to academic or generic school campaigns.

2) Ones that only donate to the CAF, or to a specific athletic campaign

3) Ones that might only donate to NIL because they are a fan of Red, or Fran, or Gary, etc or a specific team.

4) Ones that might donate to multiple 1's, 2's and 3's. and have increased their donation due to NIL now being a thing.

5) Same as #4, but have kept their donations the same as prior to NIL.

6) Some other combo that I might not have listed.

So, assuming that AW falls into category 3 and wants to donate $2 million to the basketball players. This is a big assumption. Some people are saying AW is great and some people are saying he is a fraud. But, let's just say it's real.

We know he has some issues with the collective. So, AW or the school, or the two combined, develop another collective. Call it the $2 million collective. You work with AW and the staff directly on how the money is being spent. Isn't that part of the new GM's role? This isn't brain surgery, if the money is real, and not monopoly money, let's make it work and stop playing games.

 

[Cusefan0307]

The cynic in me says AW is pulling for SU to have a crappy year so he can stay part of the conversation. I don't believe he really wants to see us be successful if he is not a donor.

 

[Scooch]

If other donors were getting dragged without facts I would say the same , it just happens to be him.

Facts keep being presented. I don't understand why you insist on ignoring them.

 

[SUfanNC]

Facts keep being presented. I don't understand why you insist on ignoring them.

Not ignoring them. In fact I haven’t disputed anything you said.

1 There have been opinions that are thrown around like facts

2 I feel there is more to the story. Just my opinion

 

[RedtheGOB]

Not ignoring them. In fact I haven’t disputed anything you said.

1 There have been opinions that are thrown around like facts

2 I feel there is more to the story. Just my opinion

 

[MSOrange]

Adam seeing another 500+ post thread about him.