RIFan wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
I am very reluctantly considering donating, but one thing (many actually do) keeps bothering me about this. Let’s use our new freshman PG as an example, say he ends up starting next year and is as good as we hope, maybe even better…A10 rookie of the year, will we realistically have the $500,000 plus to retain him and continue to pay the others or provide raises to retain a burgeoning young core? Or will we have roughly the same amount to pay and be stuck with players willing to play at our rate and it will constantly be reshuffling each season. I know it depends on the budget and what people donate, but it seems to me that if you have a good young core your bill to keep them could literally double or more in 1 year. And I venture to say that you are not going to get enough average Joes to make that up overnight. So are the usual suspects ready and willing to step up? If not then this may be all for nothing.
I think the only honest answer to this at this point is...who knows? This is all new, we'll have to see how it plays out. But I think the most important thing right now is to get us back to being a program that people want to be a part of and want to stay at, which comes with winning more. There's no guarantee that this will work out how we all hope, but we can guarantee that if we do nothing it will continue to go pretty badly.
For me, this is what it ultimately came down to...do I love the NIL setup as it currently stands? Not really. But what I do love is that for the first time in my 25 years as a Rhody fan I feel like we are trying to do everything we can to keep up with our peers. It finally feels like everyone in the administration is all in, and the addition of Stone to lead the collective gives me the confidence I need to know that we're going to be giving 100% to this aspect of the program now to. And for me that's enough to say I am going to be all in as well and donate what I can. It doesn't guarantee success or that a player will never leave, but it does guarantee that for once we aren't going to sit idly by while we watch everyone around us pass us by.
That's why doing the subscription makes sense because you get the decals, a shirt, discount at the Rhody Excellence store and future events.
Or at least get something from the store like a hat where you at least have something tangible from it, if you're super concerned with how useful your money will be.
RIFan wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
I am very reluctantly considering donating, but one thing (many actually do) keeps bothering me about this. Let’s use our new freshman PG as an example, say he ends up starting next year and is as good as we hope, maybe even better…A10 rookie of the year, will we realistically have the $500,000 plus to retain him and continue to pay the others or provide raises to retain a burgeoning young core? Or will we have roughly the same amount to pay and be stuck with players willing to play at our rate and it will constantly be reshuffling each season. I know it depends on the budget and what people donate, but it seems to me that if you have a good young core your bill to keep them could literally double or more in 1 year. And I venture to say that you are not going to get enough average Joes to make that up overnight. So are the usual suspects ready and willing to step up? If not then this may be all for nothing.
If they put a money cap on the NIL that would be sustainable and would reduce transfers and would allow , coaches, facilities ect to be what solidifies commitments.
Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
If they put a money cap on the NIL that would be sustainable and would reduce transfers and would allow , coaches, facilities ect to be what solidifies commitments.
Why would anyone think the NCAA could enforce a salary cap with a number any better than they used to when the cap number was zero?
And every year the core improves they’ll want a raise…I just see no way we can keep a core 4 together without basically doubling your NIL budget every year. And if our core players aren’t good enough that bigger programs don’t try and poach them, then will we ever be as good as we want?
One thing that should never happen again is a program getting put on probation for illegal benefits. It is the complete Wild West and with 90% or more of these players never going to be in the NBA or a high end basketball career the education/school end of it is a a complete joke. I give credit to people who want to contribute money that would go to the NIL, but for me I am at the point of wanting to give less and no longer waste money on season tickets for an arena where you can go to any game and easily get good seats. If I want to watch good basketball I will watch the Hurley/Harrick/Skinner days when players like Mobley, Wheeler , Terrell and EC went through growing pains and grew as a unit. We are now forced to watch players like Always Wright that shouldn’t even be on this level and even teams that have successful years have many players leave. This sport is a complete dumpster fire outside of the tourney and even that hasn’t been very good after the first round. I have as little interest as I have ever had in college basketball which was my favorite sport. Could care if it caves at this point.
RamStock wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
One thing that should never happen again is a program getting put on probation for illegal benefits. It is the complete Wild West and with 90% or more of these players never going to be in the NBA or a high end basketball career the education/school end of it is a a complete joke. I give credit to people who want to contribute money that would go to the NIL, but for me I am at the point of wanting to give less and no longer waste money on season tickets for an arena where you can go to any game and easily get good seats. If I want to watch good basketball I will watch the Hurley/Harrick/Skinner days when players like Mobley, Wheeler , Terrell and EC went through growing pains and grew as a unit. We are now forced to watch players like Always Wright that shouldn’t even be on this level and even teams that have successful years have many players leave. This sport is a complete dumpster fire outside of the tourney and even that hasn’t been very good after the first round. I have as little interest as I have ever had in college basketball which was my favorite sport. Could care if it caves at this point.
Yes. Even the concept of rooting for the laundry gets more difficult in the current environment. Cause it is such a mess surrounding what it takes to put bodies in the laundry.
How long before there's transparency around player salaries? I mean, once the players are considered employees, won't the Rams be state employees and salaries have to be public? Then, we can all rally/lobby at the state house for funding...
If they become employees do they even have to go to class and keep up a GPA? Do they even need to be students! Can you limit number of years of eligibility? Are there any limits you can put? I wonder how long they can limit the years since this all stems from not being able to limit ones ability to earn money. Who says you can only do it for 4 years?
RIFan wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
If they become employees do they even have to go to class and keep up a GPA? Do they even need to be students! Can you limit number of years of eligibility? Are there any limits you can put? I wonder how long they can limit the years since this all stems from not being able to limit ones ability to earn money. Who says you can only do it for 4 years?
Likely if/when schools can directly pay players it would be in the form of a stipend. As someone who has worked in public university systems, it would be a huge nightmare to deal with regulating hours, when they can/can't work, and what they can and cannot do, especially at public/state universities. A stipend would essentially give them the funds without having to deal with the mess of them being an employee.
RIFan wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
If they become employees do they even have to go to class and keep up a GPA? Do they even need to be students! Can you limit number of years of eligibility? Are there any limits you can put? I wonder how long they can limit the years since this all stems from not being able to limit ones ability to earn money. Who says you can only do it for 4 years?
Likely if/when schools can directly pay players it would be in the form of a stipend. As someone who has worked in public university systems, it would be a huge nightmare to deal with regulating hours, when they can/can't work, and what they can and cannot do, especially at public/state universities. A stipend would essentially give them the funds without having to deal with the mess of them being an employee.
If it looks like an employee, smells like an employee, quacks like an employee, has set hours like an employee etc etc, it is an employee. College basketball players are not, nor will be employees.
RIFan wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
If they become employees do they even have to go to class and keep up a GPA? Do they even need to be students! Can you limit number of years of eligibility? Are there any limits you can put? I wonder how long they can limit the years since this all stems from not being able to limit ones ability to earn money. Who says you can only do it for 4 years?
Likely if/when schools can directly pay players it would be in the form of a stipend. As someone who has worked in public university systems, it would be a huge nightmare to deal with regulating hours, when they can/can't work, and what they can and cannot do, especially at public/state universities. A stipend would essentially give them the funds without having to deal with the mess of them being an employee.
If it looks like an employee, smells like an employee, quacks like an employee, has set hours like an employee etc etc, it is an employee. College basketball players are not, nor will be employees.
RIFan wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
And every year the core improves they’ll want a raise…I just see no way we can keep a core 4 together without basically doubling your NIL budget every year. And if our core players aren’t good enough that bigger programs don’t try and poach them, then will we ever be as good as we want?
Everyone(else) must donate
Triple it !
Sorry - I am not an employer… what ks this Kramerica ?
I was all for donating to the school back in the day
But all the NIL brings is more and more money to pay a player
Now if that player agrees to do errands for me then that’s different and I’ll pay them like Darren
RIFan wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
And every year the core improves they’ll want a raise…I just see no way we can keep a core 4 together without basically doubling your NIL budget every year. And if our core players aren’t good enough that bigger programs don’t try and poach them, then will we ever be as good as we want?
Everyone(else) must donate
Triple it !
Sorry - I am not an employer… what ks this Kramerica ?
I was all for donating to the school back in the day
But all the NIL brings is more and more money to pay a player
Now if that player agrees to do errands for me then that’s different and I’ll pay them like Darren
People talk a lot on this board about donating. Yet when I go into the Alumni Lounge each game, it's full of people who most likely don't post here. URI has 17,000 students, but has an endowment of $200 Million. Alumni just do not donate to this school. Sad, but true.
A-10 NILs fell into the Tier 2 green bar category (along with AAC/MWC/WCC) this past year. 200k min - 500k mean - 1.25M max. One would expect these numbers to rise for the coming season.
Who knows how accurate those numbers are, but it is interesting to see it broken down like that. Some pretty big ranges in those tiers to. One thing that does stand out to me is how those tiers look very much like the recruiting tiers that have always been in place. So while NIL has obviously changed the recruiting methods a lot, the tiers are basically the same as they've always been and we just need to make sure we are competitive in our tier and we'll be fine.
adam914 wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
Who knows how accurate those numbers are, but it is interesting to see it broken down like that. Some pretty big ranges in those tiers to. One thing that does stand out to me is how those tiers look very much like the recruiting tiers that have always been in place. So while NIL has obviously changed the recruiting methods a lot, the tiers are basically the same as they've always been and we just need to make sure we are competitive in our tier and we'll be fine.
It’s not NIL in a vacuum, it’s NIL plus no sit transfers that is causing the massive player movement. Plus, I assume more people are getting paid now than before and in larger sums.
RIFan wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
It’s not NIL in a vacuum, it’s NIL plus no sit transfers that is causing the massive player movement. Plus, I assume more people are getting paid now than before and in larger sums.
Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
I think the tiers are dependent on the consistency of the cash flow from each fan base. I’m hoping the P5 tier gap isn’t enlarged over the years.
The Cal offer from Arkansas was for $15m per year for his salary and NIL and his salary is $8m of that, math says Arkansas has a NIL pool of at least $7m per year. I think it's widening.
Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
I think the tiers are dependent on the consistency of the cash flow from each fan base. I’m hoping the P5 tier gap isn’t enlarged over the years.
The Cal offer from Arkansas was for $15m per year for his salary and NIL and his salary is $8m of that, math says Arkansas has a NIL pool of at least $7m per year. I think it's widening.
Wow. That is a significant NIL pool.
Did this intel come from a solid source, RhodyKyle.
Appreciative of the info, RK. Everything is so fluid right now regarding NIL and transfers but I am conflicted: fun to follow but concerned about how long this all goes on and where we (Rhody) are sitting when the musical chairs music stops.
RIFan wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
It’s not NIL in a vacuum, it’s NIL plus no sit transfers that is causing the massive player movement. Plus, I assume more people are getting paid now than before and in larger sums.
Transfers will drop after next season.
The extra Covid year will have expired.
I hope that makes a noticeable change for the better…from a fans standpoint better means fewer transfers as far as I’m concerned.
Rhodymob05 wrote: ↑3 weeks ago
I think the tiers are dependent on the consistency of the cash flow from each fan base. I’m hoping the P5 tier gap isn’t enlarged over the years.
The Cal offer from Arkansas was for $15m per year for his salary and NIL and his salary is $8m of that, math says Arkansas has a NIL pool of at least $7m per year. I think it's widening.
Wow. That is a significant NIL pool.
Did this intel come from a solid source, RhodyKyle.
Appreciative of the info, RK. Everything is so fluid right now regarding NIL and transfers but I am conflicted: fun to follow but concerned about how long this all goes on and where we (Rhody) are sitting when the musical chairs music stops.
Roz wrote: ↑2 weeks ago
Does anyone have any idea what URI's NIL pool is?
My sense is it’s between $500-700K. I think this is good to help keep existing priority players year to year, but it needs to grow big time to compete for new recruits.
Jdrums#3 wrote: ↑2 weeks ago
Sometimes I wonder if some coaches float NIL disinfo out to misdirect the competition.
This post comes courtesy of my cynical fan side.
Of course they do. And, I imagine that similar to a normal job market, players float "go away" numbers to programs they're not actually that interested in. i.e. "I dislike this fit so much that if I'm going here, my number is $X million." That's pretty common in all walks of life.
We need more people to start leaking what kind of money coaches representatives are asking other schools for while they are still under contract at their current school.
Jdrums#3 wrote: ↑2 weeks ago
Sometimes I wonder if some coaches float NIL disinfo out to misdirect the competition.
This post comes courtesy of my cynical fan side.
Of course they do. And, I imagine that similar to a normal job market, players float "go away" numbers to programs they're not actually that interested in. i.e. "I dislike this fit so much that if I'm going here, my number is $X million." That's pretty common in all walks of life.
SG, maybe our next assistant coach hire should be a former CIA disinfo agent.
Background note: I read all the Robert Ludlum books when I was young.
