Thank You Adam Weitsman

[OCESIP]

The issue with NIL isn't with Weitsman or any of the the other collectives. Like many changes that had good intentions (ie: let all players participate in the big $$ that is college football and basketball), it has evolved into a significant tool for recruiting with inducements that have little to do with the original concept. Even if you believe the NCAA is powerless, until college administrations officially remove them from the equation they cast a shadow over the process.

The reality for SU is the money available to sustain a competitive advantage in this new world will be hard to come by. We will never be in the upper echelon relative to the programs which have a larger and much more enthusiastic pool of big $$ contributors.
The football money alone in some of these schools will have enough excess to help fund basketball as well.

 

[rrlbees]

The issue with NIL isn't with Weitsman or any of the the other collectives. Like many changes that had good intentions (ie: let all players participate in the big $$ that is college football and basketball), it has evolved into a significant tool for recruiting with inducements that have little to do with the original concept. Even if you believe the NCAA is powerless, until college administrations officially remove them from the equation they cast a shadow over the process.

The reality for SU is the money available to sustain a competitive advantage in this new world will be hard to come by. We will never be in the upper echelon relative to the programs which have a larger and much more enthusiastic pool of big $$ contributors.
The football money alone in some of these schools will have enough excess to help fund basketball as well.

Part of the problem is that those college administrations are the NCAA.

 

[Frozen]

“How does the CNY-based owner of a scrap metal recycling/processing business become friends with rappers and actors and Logan and/or Jake Paul and Dan Bilzerian?” is a question I keep running over and over in my head.

 

[MikeSU02]

“How does the CNY-based owner of a scrap metal recycling/processing business become friends with rappers and actors and Logan and/or Jake Paul and Dan Bilzerian?” is a question I keep running over and over in my head.

"friends" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that statement.

 

[elimunelson]

"friends" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that statement.

it's a bit too much for my taste. this guy is a professional genuflector.

Like I said, great that he's spending his disposable income on college athletes but the ROI is going to prove to be terrible in the long run.

 

[cuseallday]

And appreciate your reporting, to be clear.

Just saying, it's going to be messy before it's easy with all of this.

Appreciate you. And I agree. My own personal opinion is that Adam is being careful and doing everything by the book, but it's also a muddy situation with NIL and the NCAA.

 

[Cusefan0307]

it's a bit too much for my taste. this guy is a professional genuflector.

Like I said, great that he's spending his disposable income on college athletes but the ROI is going to prove to be terrible in the long run.

What’s your alternative?

Might want to engage some of your ex teammates who have been advising him.

 

[elimunelson]

What’s your alternative?

Might want to engage some of your ex teammates who have been advising him.

there's no alternative unless another rich guy shows up willing to spend money on college athletes.

if it's weird that i find the whole NIL industrial complex weird so be it. i've harped on the same theme which is congressional action is needed because an amateur sport shrouded in this mercenary activity is destined to blow up.

 

[Cusefan0307]

there's no alternative unless another rich guy shows up willing to spend money on college athletes.

if it's weird that i find the whole NIL industrial complex weird so be it. i've harped on the same theme which is congressional action is needed because an amateur sport shrouded in this mercenary activity is destined to blow up.

Congress can’t even police themselves and you want them to get involved with college athletics? This is no different than the olympic model.

 

[swish7]

I appreciate all you have done for Upstate NY. Don't listen to the naysayers here and around town. I appreciate your donation of time and money. I appreciate your vision.

I love that you made Clover Restaurant in Skaneateles. A place where the entire community can get a great meal at a modest price.

I have mixed emotions about NIL and what it will do to college sports but I do appreciate you are choosing to help keep SU and possibly other schools relevant in these turbulent times through NIL. I know it can be infuriating to read people's criticism of how you spend your money. It is your money and you do what you want with it.

Your heart is in the right place.

Well said.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Imagine if we 10 Adams. We need to find more.

 

[althea]

there's no alternative unless another rich guy shows up willing to spend money on college athletes.

if it's weird that i find the whole NIL industrial complex weird so be it. i've harped on the same theme which is congressional action is needed because an amateur sport shrouded in this mercenary activity is destined to blow up.

Yes, the new system sucks. The worst way to fix it would be congressional action. They would absolutely make it worse.

 

[pwong]

I can say with 100 percent certainty that NIL is being offered not just to 5-star, one-and-done players, but also to many 4-stars ranked much lower by recruiting services. It's happening everywhere. Adam W. told directly that Elijah Moore had multiple NIL offers.

I think top 75 kids are now expecting NIL offers but not exactly sure where the cut off is (top 50, top 75, top 100, etc).

 

[cuseallday]

I think top 75 kids are now expecting NIL offers but not exactly sure where the cut off is (top 50, top 75, top 100, etc).

Yeah, I agree. I'd love to know what the "cutoff" is. Such a weird time in college sports.

 

[Wrinkle]

I would like to see us be judicious with the NIL money we can throw around. Getting high 5-stars would be phenomenal, obviously, and we need to get them when we can. But if we can also build a deep and talented roster by scouting and targeting Top 100 players, as we once did very well, and secure them with smaller deals, I think that's still a legitimate avenue to sustained success. Just comes down to being good at scouting, smart with scholarships, and now smart with money.

 

[kcsu]

There is an excellent article in the Athletic that discusses NIL. It is an interview and insight into North Carolina. The gist of the article is that NIL money is going from boosters to specific players vs to the Athletic department and that even schools like NC will be forced to cut D1 programs like swimming etc... It is very alarming and almost all schools are looking for guidance from the government. Without some sort of rules what is most likely to happen is that many programs will be cut. For instance, one 500k NIL player makes more than the entire annual budget for one of the non rev programs. Lots of kids are going to suffer. It's a mess.

 

[orangecuse]

I think top 75 kids are now expecting NIL offers but not exactly sure where the cut off is (top 50, top 75, top 100, etc).

It's problematic. Top 75 kids assures nothing. Torean Thompson was a Top 75 guy, so was Kaleb Joseph, so was Jalen Carey, just to name a few of late in this category who didn't even come close to being productive and panning out. All of whom transferred.

Donors will primarily do so because of interest and the love for the program, school, etc. first and foremost, not because of the individual. And, most will want to see it paying dividends on the court, field, etc. Coaches soon will likely/potentially also be dealing with complaints, etc. from donors, especially the higher $$$ ones, as "their guy" cries to them about lack of playing time, etc., unhappiness, etc. and bolting to the portal in a heartbeat.

Coaches will have to deal with these additional external pressures, scrutiny, etc. and all the potential ramifications that may come with it versus simply playing guys the minutes HE sees fit (strictly from a coach perspective) on HIS team that is most deserving.

It's a cluster.

 

[cuseallday]

View attachment 224591

Just talked to Adam about this Once he confirms, I'll share who his guests are!

 

[MikeSU02]

I think top 75 kids are now expecting NIL offers but not exactly sure where the cut off is (top 50, top 75, top 100, etc).

Think of it this way, do you think kids that were top 75 were looking for benefits before, at least some of them? For sure.

Absolutely, top 75 kids will be asking for NIL, especially because it's legal now and there will be legit people working to make money off those deals.

There won't be a cutoff. It's going to be pretty crazy and messy. There will be people asking for NIL deals that shouldn't even remotely be humored with them.

As someone else noted, non revenue sports might be in real trouble.

 

[Toga]

4 stars were getting paid under the table beforehand. They have on record as mid major guys getting bags for $50k before all of this. Quite literally, quoted in a documentary.

It's not that these guys are getting paid, it's how much we're paying to attract what talent, what's the ROI (hate saying that as cold as that sounds).

We'll see how it all plays out, but that's the story, imo. And then, obviously, how is that translating on the court and how it applies to JB's tenure.

This is no commentary on AW or what was paid to Elijah, I'm stoked for the kid.

One wonders if players getting big NIL $ will now be paying taxes when they may not have when they were getting bags that were out of view. Players probably dependents on their parents' taxes.

 

[Orangezoo]

Think of it this way, do you think kids that were top 75 were looking for benefits before, at least some of them? For sure.

Absolutely, top 75 kids will be asking for NIL, especially because it's legal now and there will be legit people working to make money off those deals.

There won't be a cutoff. It's going to be pretty crazy and messy. There will be people asking for NIL deals that shouldn't even remotely be humored with them.

As someone else noted, non revenue sports might be in real trouble.

Yeah.. then look at the crazy non revenue sports darlings .. like the most obvious example in that gymnast at LSU.. Livvy Dunn or something like that.. there is so much more to figure out and that includes what the NCAA ultimately decides to do with all of this and their "reduced role".

 

[hoopsupstate]

If AW is writing these deals off as business expenses, players better claim them.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I would like to see us be judicious with the NIL money we can throw around. Getting high 5-stars would be phenomenal, obviously, and we need to get them when we can. But if we can also build a deep and talented roster by scouting and targeting Top 100 players, as we once did very well, and secure them with smaller deals, I think that's still a legitimate avenue to sustained success. Just comes down to being good at scouting, smart with scholarships, and now smart with money.

By us, you mean Adam. SU has no funding obligations at all.
People on head root for the Red Sox and Yankees, but want SU to not jump into the deep end of spending (and it’s not SU’s money.)

 

[MikeSU02]

Yeah.. then look at the crazy non revenue sports darlings .. like the most obvious example in that gymnast at LSU.. Livvy Dunn or something like that.. there is so much more to figure out and that includes what the NCAA ultimately decides to do with all of this and their "reduced role".

Livvy Dunne is like the prime showcase of it. I can't imagine what she's raking in already. In fact, her just being in her teammates' videos is probably making *them* serious money.

Cavender sisters at U of M basketball, too.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

If AW is writing these deals off as business expenses, players better claim them.

They will get a 1099 or W-2. That’s another benefit. Before, when all of this was under the table (as a whole, of course not at SU), there was no reporting and no taxes paid.