Michigan Football - 2025 Season.

[lineygoblue]

That sums it up about as well as I've ever seen.

My pipe dream of parity in CFB will never happen, but yet something along those lines is what will be needed in order to bring that top pack of teams back to the rest of the crowd.

But again, it will never happen. Those who are in control now will never negotiate away their built in advantages.

When Nick is no longer coaching, it could cause Alabama's recruiting to take a mild dip, but what he's built there isn't going away for a long time.

[iam416]

Well, the “word” is that aTm just spent 25-30M on this class (as of ESD). The boosters coordinated, were assigned players, formed shell LLCs to sponsor each player and doled out cash.

That’s what’s going on. It’s insane.

[froot loops]

It doesn't seem like 25-30 million on a single class is sustainable.

[iam416]

Right. There has to be a market correction. One would hope.

[froot loops]

Like what is the ROI on that money?

[froot loops]

That sums it up about as well as I've ever seen.

My pipe dream of parity in CFB will never happen, but yet something along those lines is what will be needed in order to bring that top pack of teams back to the rest of the crowd.

But again, it will never happen. Those who are in control now will never negotiate away their built in advantages.

When Nick is no longer coaching, it could cause Alabama's recruiting to take a mild dip, but what he's built there isn't going away for a long time.

You are a Michigan fan, why on fucking Earth would you want to negotiate for parity? You fellas endlessly tell us about your great brand and deep pockets. Use the brand and deep pockets to gain an advantage instead of whining about other schools. Use the portal, start signing NIL deals, tap your deep pocketed boosters.

[iam416]

Like what is the ROI on that money?

Right.

[THE_WIZARD_]

...seemed to work for SMU back in the day...

[Jeff Buchanan]

You are a Michigan fan, why on fucking Earth would you want to negotiate for parity? You fellas endlessly tell us about your great brand and deep pockets. Use the brand and deep pockets to gain an advantage instead of whining about other schools. Use the portal, start signing NIL deals, tap your deep pocketed boosters.

I agree 100% with this. Don't count me among those who aren't interested in having M's football program and movers and shakers with $$$$ optimize what's available. Sure, there's elements within M's culture that arrogantly avoid what they perceive as bottom feeding. I reject that kind of thinking but acknowledge that it exists as sort of an anchor on doing the obvious required to compete in the 1-4 cohort of teams with talent advantages...... and to be sure, "doing the obvious" which is paying the players, now completely legit, is the path the teams that want to compete for CFP spots are going to have to do.

That these teams 1-4 exist, and for whatever reasons they do exist right now is fact so, I won't point fingers and look down my nose at those that point this out. If you see it as "complaining about other programs," I don't think that's what it is. It's stating the facts and recognizing M is not in that 1-4 grouping - the next one, 5-10, is where M sits with expectations from fans M that we'll get into that 1-4 cohort on the regular without a clue of what it takes ($$$$$) to get us there.

M fans that hang out here are not likely to have the deep pockets to conglomerate with those that do and do what Texas A&M has pulled off this class. Your call to "tap your deep pocketed boosters" belies the fact that the posters your complaining about here are working stiffs, making a paycheck and trying to provide as best we can for our families. We have zero impact on what needs to be done and are not among those that will get it done.

[iam416]

I think the aTm phenomenon sort of hints at the fact that money wasn’t really driving recruiting — it was more traditional factors such as location, comfort and ability to win. aTm has shown how much it costs to overcome those factors.

I’m not saying money wasn’t involved previously—just that it wasn’t enough to be decisive in most cases. M could still beat Clemson for Gary. Would they have if Clemson offered him $2M? I doubt it.

[lineygoblue]

M fans that hang out here are not likely to have the deep pockets to conglomerate with those that do and do what Texas A&M has pulled off this class. Your call to "tap your deep pocketed boosters" belies the fact that the posters your complaining about here are working stiffs, making a paycheck and trying to provide as best we can for our families. We have zero impact on what needs to be done and are not among those that will get it done.

I just started a job recently where I drive a dial-a-ride bus. I don't have the ear of any deep pocketed booster. I doubt any of them give a rats behind about what I think.

My comments about parity have to do with if the NCAA is actually interested in a CFB major division, where many teams have a legitimate shot at a national title. If that is really what the NCAA wants, (doubtful) then something is going to have to be done to spread out the talent. They tried back in the 80's when they started scholarship limits. The football factories have found a way around that. I don't claim to know what the answer is.

For now, all we're going to see is Alabama taking about 75% of the NC's, and 3-4 other teams dividing up the remaining 25%. And Michigan isn't going to be one of them for a long time.

[froot loops]

Anything the NCAA would try to negotiate to get this parity is going to run into restraint of trade issues and they would get the smack laid down on them in court especially by Beer Kavanaugh. Of course you all are working stIffs that aren't big time donors, nobody was arguing otherwise. But if the brand and the boosters are as strong as you fellas claim it is, they should be competing. Come on now, we are talking about Texas A&M. Working stIffs can always put pressure on the administration. For as long as I have followed college football, the Michigan contingent has always complained about everyone else cheating. The supreme court said that shit was nonsense.

[Hannibal]

Well, the “word” is that aTm just spent 25-30M on this class (as of ESD). The boosters coordinated, were assigned players, formed shell LLCs to sponsor each player and doled out cash.

That’s what’s going on. It’s insane.

Programs that have a more organized structure in this area are going to have a "first mover" advantage. I expect others to catch up if they haven't already.

What remains to be seen is whether programs like Michigan will take the "high road" and not participate in the new NCAA economy. We have a history of this type of stupidity. But we definitely have the deep pockets to compete with anyone.

[Mike]

That's exactly right. I posted somewhere here a few weeks ago that Michigan needs to get on the NIL train before it leaves the station. They already got left in the dust earlier this century, clawed their way back to relevance, and now risk watching it circle the drain as other programs adjust to the new CFB landscape. According to US News, the Ross School of Business has the #4 ranked marketing program in the country. Warde needs to walk down the street and talk to some of those smart folks about the best ways to monetize the talents of his current and future athletes. Hell, Tom Brady is already on board. I don't think it would be too difficult to find some rich alumni who would be interested in setting up a charity or organization from which to funnel money to athletes.

Here's a great example: Horns with Heart. https://hornswithheart.org/

Texas is paying every offensive lineman $50,000/year to use their NIL to bring "awareness to worthy causes that impact their local community"

https://247sports.com/Article/The-Pancake-Factory-Inside-the-NIL-initiative-that-will-let-Texas-offensive-linemen-bring-in-50000-annually-177666783/

This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when George bought fake Christmas gifts for everyone under the guise of a charitable donation. The Human Fund: Money for people.

I propose the Michigan Fund: Improving the lives of Michigan residents through superior Wolverine football.

A Texas booster also set up a crowdsource fund for the TE group. Burnt Ends.

https://247sports.com/Article/Texas-TEs-pose-with-Whataburger-cash-bags-as-part-of-crowd-sourced-NIL-sponsorship--170231195/

[froot loops]

I hadn't heard the 25 million dollar figure about A and M. That seems a little steep to me, but if it's true I forecast a lot of wasted money there. In the superior NFL, throwing money at the problem solves some things, creates others. Mainly what do you do when the backup who isn't getting anything is playing better in practice than the high priced player. It remains to be seen how it shakes out, what's true is if you sit it out, you are doomed.

UWM has NIL deals with all of the football players and basketball players on MSU that pays them 500 dollars a month to tweet about UWM.