Michigan Football - 2025 Season.

[Hannibal]

Hannibal, I don't think there's a difference. A&M set up shell corporations it's rumored. The bottom line is to pay the athletes to get them to sign and play football for A&M. Since this is the wild west right now, there are no rules, no laws...... it's every institution for itself and some are moving A LOT FASTER than others to reap the benefits before there are rules..

Yeah — I’m just wondering if they are trying to maintain the facade or not.

[Hannibal]

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There is a pretty good sized NIL fund for UNL Volleyball players...hell probably more than for football...heh...

Can’t imagine why.

[THE_WIZARD_]

STFU

[Mike]

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Can’t imagine why.

That answers the only question I had.

[THE_WIZARD_]

shaddup

[lineygoblue]

I dunno... a couple of those look like they may be trans ...

[THE_WIZARD_]

...well based on Mrs. Liney's look...I would think it would turn you on...

[lineygoblue]

Well, she used to look like Drew Carey. Now its more like Woody Hayes.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Woody Hayes with a beard.

[Jeff Buchanan]

If you haven't seen his Tweet, Nick Baumgardner reports the U is 100% on board for optimizing NIL and that is the case regardless of it is with or without Jim Harbaugh.

I've paraphrased the tweet. I don't know what "100%" on board means. I very much doubt the Athletic Department or Warde Manuel will make any public statements about what is actually happening organizationally and staffing wise. We may see some innocuous hires that are announced as "joining the staff" but we won't see his job description as "NIL Coordinator."

The general consensus from reliable sources/posters is that while M is behind the Texas schools and probably most of the schools in the SEC, there's a start underway and M has the cache and the wealthy booster base that rivals UT and aTm and probably out paces the rest of the BIG in that regard. osu and PSU might be close but I'd estimate they don't have boosters in the numbers and with the denaro to best M.

I take from Baumgardner's post, a usually reliable source, to mean that the modern football monetarists influential enough with the regents or the regents themselves see the emerging landscape of CFB as the semi-pro league it is becoming. They realize they've got a good coach who is capable of winning championships when the talent levels are there. To get that talent the U (boosters for now) has to pay to get it.

Once the U gets formally involved -and I'd call "formally involved" as having an on the record organization to manage it and people on the U payroll to do that - it's at that point that Title IX comes into play and I have no doubt M will be out in front of that. You know, equity and all that ..... it is a part of the A2 socially liberal culture.

I read nothing into Baumgardner's Tweet regarding JH's status. My hopeful take is that HARBAUGH!!!'s gotten what he wants from the U that probably includes a new contract and a commitment to optimize NIL. He'll take care of the portal - he's better at that than he is at recruiting HS players. That is because he's usually dealing with more experienced, mature and wiser players. There will be a formal announcement if Jim is staying and I'll breath a sigh of relief for the 2022 season when that happens.

[iam416]

It's not a "booster base" that makes up NIL. It's the "fan base." People willing to give NIL money certainly don't need to be affiliated with the University. So, I don't know if M has some sort big "fan base" money advantage or not -- but that's the question. Not "booster base."

[Jeff Buchanan]

Thanks for that clarification ...... I think I used the term "booster" too liberally in considering any fan who wants to give money to the U a "booster." There are a lot of wealthy alums who donate large sums to the U in various ways. I'd have to do some research but I suspect the "gift pool" (most encompassing definition of it) of dollars available to the U is strikingly large and dwarfs that of most colleges and universities but that's just a guess. I think there is a more precise NCAA definition of a "booster" if I'm not mistaken.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I think "booster" implies "fan with lotsa mula". Look it up.

Seriously...doesn't matter how many "fans" a program has. It's the amount of cabbage. USC and "The U" back in the day come to mind. Didn't have huge fan bases but had "boosters"...rich and famous "boosters"...that were NILing long ago.

[iam416]

Right. You only need one well-heeled fan. T. Boone Pickens could single-handedly fund Okie State for years. The Waltons -- whether they're Arky alums or not -- could single-handedly fund Arky forever.

[WingsFan]

Everyone pretty much knows Harbaugh does not want to leave Michigan, he loves the school but hates the administration. Whenever the NIL situation comes up there is push back from Provosts and Professors who believe they should also be allowed to recruit the top students in the world. Manuel is no help, a weak AD who is a politician with zero pull with his bosses. The lack of an NIL program is the deal breaker, If Harbaugh leaves, you know NIL is dead and are the Wolverines.