The B10's Weaponization of clean cash is shifting power dynamics from south to north

[fordman84]

How much was Ohio State paying players before NIL started? When did that start?

Just curious. It must have started with Urban Meyer because Terelle Pryor, #1 QB recruit in the country, was paid "so much" that he had to trade autographs and memorabilia for tattoos.

pre-NIL the money didn't usually go to the kids. It went to an uncle or friend until the kid was out of college.

 

[fordman84]

they will never run out of buildings, programs, fields, statues, etc for those big checks lol

maybe they should do naming rights for rosters?

"Welcome your 2026 fighting texas aggys powered by buccees!!!!"

Or tOfficial school message boards

"Welcome (back) to shaggybevo.com"

 

[jjc2009]

. It went to an uncle or friend until the kid was out of college.

Or until said uncle or friend blew it all.

 

[fordman84]

When did that happen?

They didn't win the SEC. They played one SEC team that was ranked and lost to them twice. They beat 7 of the bottom 8 SEC teams. They were given the easiest schedule in the SEC.

Let's see how they "dominate" in 2026/2027 when they play OU, Bama, LSU, Ole Miss, Tenn, USCjr, Auburn, Missouri.

FWIW, I am not sure they ever see that schedule. The most Texas thing in the world will be when the SEC changes the schedule to a 1-7-7 format in 2026, and reshuffles and hopefully balances the schedules. There is no way to balance the schedules without letting TEX off the hook in those years.

 

[osubuckeye89]

pre-NIL the money didn't usually go to the kids. It went to an uncle or friend until the kid was out of college.

Yep that was the loophole "the kid and school didn't know what his uncle/dad/whoever was doing!"

 

[WhosYourDawggy]

Very coincidental that the "SEC dominance" diminished when everyone was allowed to start paying players.

It's pretty logical that it's more the transfer portal than NIL, and it's got a lot to do with Saban leaving and even doing poorly prior to that. If you really want to see when the change happened, it was when Smart left Bama and UGA became a balance against Bama (except when we played Bama, LOL).

The SEC teams are paying the players just as much as the B1G. I'd say even more across the conference. What the SEC teams can't do now is stockpile talent the way they used to. But even that I am not totally sold on ... look at this year's recruiting. Look at who does the best in the portal. I'd have to see this over a 5 year period for this to really be something.

What I think is happening is parity, and that's a good thing. I've argued that here for years - seriously, I found posts going back to 2020 where I talk about parity that is coming due to NIL, transfer portal, and CFP expansion. This is what you are seeing. No one expected the SEC to dominate as long as they did. Geographically, they still will have the talent advantage. It will be interesting to see what happens when and if OU, UF, and Auburn become more competitive teams.

In the meantime, as a fan of CFB, I like parity. I like having teams like SMU, ASU, etc., making waves.

 

[osubuckeye89]

It's pretty logical that it's more the transfer portal than NIL, and it's got a lot to do with Saban leaving and even doing poorly prior to that. If you really want to see when the change happened, it was when Smart left Bama and UGA became a balance against Bama (except when we played Bama, LOL).

The SEC teams are paying the players just as much as the B1G. I'd say even more across the conference. What the SEC teams can't do now is stockpile talent the way they used to. But even that I am not totally sold on ... look at this year's recruiting. Look at who does the best in the portal. I'd have to see this over a 5 year period for this to really be something.

What I think is happening is parity, and that's a good thing. I've argued that here for years - seriously, I found posts going back to 2020 where I talk about parity that is coming due to NIL, transfer portal, and CFP expansion. This is what you are seeing. No one expected the SEC to dominate as long as they did. Geographically, they still will have the talent advantage. It will be interesting to see what happens when and if OU, UF, and Auburn become more competitive teams.

In the meantime, as a fan of CFB, I like parity. I like having teams like SMU, ASU, etc., making waves.

Every major program across the country can no longer stock pile depth. The days of developing guys for 3/4 years is over, even 3* who land at major programs are gone within a year or two if the path to starting is not there. This is not exclusive to the SEC. You have to rely on the portal to recover depth and even then that's not a easy task because most guys in the portal are looking to start somewhere, not be a rotational depth piece.

The portal is almost quickly becoming more important than HS recruiting. You'll have your main core of like maybe 10 HS recruits that actually play and stick around each class, but you are going to be filling 10-20 spots a year with the portal to replace the like 10-20 players you recruited out of HS who jet elsewhere after a year or two. Schools who don't play the portal right are really going to feel it.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

as soon as billionaires see little return on investment, billionaires will regulate themselves.

Will they? What's $10 million to a recruit to someone with a billion dollars?

Larry Ellison bought us a recruit, seemingly for his wife. He has over 200 billion dollars. $10 million to him is legitimately nothing. Phil Knight has $35 billion, same concept. Really like you or I handing someone a $50. Phil Knight doesn't seem to be regulating himself any.

 

[fordman84]

Every major program across the country can no longer stock pile depth. The days of developing guys for 3/4 years is over, even 3* who land at major programs are gone within a year or two if the path to starting is not there. This is not exclusive to the SEC. You have to rely on the portal to recover depth and even then that's not a easy task because most guys in the portal are looking to start somewhere, not be a rotational depth piece.

The portal is almost quickly becoming more important than HS recruiting. You'll have your main core of like maybe 10 HS recruits that actually play and stick around each class, but you are going to be filling 10-20 spots a year with the portal to replace the like 10-20 players you recruited out of HS who jet elsewhere after a year or two. Schools who don't play the portal right are really going to feel it.

We are already there. The NCAA ruling that JUCO years don't count against eligibility is going to make that an even bigger issue. I've mentioned that impact on college baseball, but see it happening with football as well. Fewer HS kids will make the jump to start at D1 schools. They need to go to a smaller school, and at that point go JUCO to save eligible years. Then in the transfer portal is where the tD1 schools go to get talent. Especially with NIL where you want to make sure you are getting the best player for your buck.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

I know you really want this to happen bc scUM has a couple of them, but these guys aren't going to do that year after year

This gets back to how much they are invested in the success of the football program. Phil Knight is super invested, and has essentially single-handedly turned Oregon into a football school; especially true now in the world of NIL where their classes are better than ever. What is $10 million over 4 years to someone who has $200 billion?

 

[osubuckeye89]

Will they? What's $10 million to a recruit to someone with a billion dollars?

Larry Ellison bought us a recruit, seemingly for his wife. He has over 200 billion dollars. $10 million to him is legitimately nothing. Phil Knight has $35 billion, same concept. Really like you or I handing someone a $50. Phil Knight doesn't seem to be regulating himself any.

You COMPLETELY miss the point. These people who never otherwise put money into a schools sports program are going to want to see success with their money, if you take their money and it doesn't work out favorably they are much less likely to do it again. You say that money is "nothing to them" but is can assure you that they don't think this way.

Not everyone is Phil Knight who's completely obsessed with the sports program at a given school and will just keep writing blank checks regardless.

 

[fordman84]

Will they? What's $10 million to a recruit to someone with a billion dollars?

Do you think billionaires are all like scrooge mcduck? That they have vaults with all their money in it, as a liquid asset? They don't, they have budgets just like you and me.

Larry Ellison bought us a recruit, seemingly for his wife. He has over 200 billion dollars. $10 million to him is legitimately nothing. Phil Knight has $35 billion, same concept. Really like you or I handing someone a $50. Phil Knight doesn't seem to be regulating himself any.

See above. Just because on paper they are worth that, doesn't mean they have the liquid funds just laying around to waste on hobbies and pet projects that don't really offer any tangible return.

 

[osubuckeye89]

Do you think billionaires are all like scrooge mcduck? That they have vaults with all their money in it, as a liquid asset? They don't, they have budgets just like you and me.

See above. Just because on paper they are worth that, doesn't mean they have the liquid funds just laying around to waste on hobbies and pet projects that don't really offer any tangible return.

He does, we've had this argument over the supposed "never ending money cannon" afforded to Michigan now. They better hope Underwood brings some immediate success or that guy is never writing them a check again. These mega billionaires absolutely do care about their money, guys like that arent gonna just keep throwing 12 million dollars at QBs until 1 works. Phil Knight is a exception not a rule.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Do you think billionaires are all like scrooge mcduck? That they have vaults with all their money in it, as a liquid asset? They don't, they have budgets just like you and me.

See above. Just because on paper they are worth that, doesn't mean they have the liquid funds just laying around to waste on hobbies and pet projects that don't really offer any tangible return.

I think most do, in fact, have an unspendable amount of funds they have access to. Especially if you're talking about just a few million dollars per year on.

 

[osubuckeye89]

I think most do, in fact, have an unspendable amount of funds they have access to. Especially if you're talking about just a few million dollars per year on.

Once again just because they may have access to these funds doesn't mean they are going to keep throwing millions at a football program if it isn't bringing success. You fail to grasp the fact that Phil Knight is a almost 1 of a kind case.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

He does, we've had this argument over the supposed "never ending money cannon" afforded to Michigan now. They better hope Underwood brings some immediate success or that guy is never writing them a check again.

Back to the question though, I think it's going to entirely depend on how obsessed ultra rich alumni are with football at their school. I think guys like Portnoy will always attempt to buy Michigan players at this point in the world of NIL. If hte coach isn't succeeding I think they'll also have a crazy amount of persuasion in coaching changes and decisions at the school moving forward. Which isn't good.

Who knows how persuasive the girl is having sex with Larry Ellison, but she also pretty openly stated that she's going to buy michigan a team every year. And I think that comes with a ton of strings.

But the overall point is that I think this could be the future and which teams have people in the background like this?

 

[fordman84]

I think most do, in fact, have an unspendable amount of funds they have access to. Especially if you're talking about just a few million dollars per year on.

Well, then you need to learn. If the funds are liquid then they are missing out on gains. If they aren't liquid then there is going to be pretty big tax implications in liquidating them.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Well, then you need to learn. If the funds are liquid then they are missing out on gains. If they aren't liquid then there is going to be pretty big tax implications in liquidating them.

Bryce Underwood was supposedly offered $10 million over 4 years. That's just $2.5 million dollars per year. We aren't talking about liquidating $1 billion here.

 

[osubuckeye89]

Back to the question though, I think it's going to entirely depend on how obsessed ultra rich alumni are with football at their school. I think guys like Portnoy will always attempt to buy Michigan players at this point in the world of NIL. If hte coach isn't succeeding I think they'll also have a crazy amount of persuasion in coaching changes and decisions at the school moving forward. Which isn't good.

Who knows how persuasive the girl is having sex with Larry Ellison, but she also pretty openly stated that she's going to buy michigan a team every year. And I think that comes with a ton of strings.

But the overall point is that I think this could be the future and which teams have people in the background like this?

I think the Ellison situation has big potential to blow up in Michigan's face. Like you said a lot of strings; He has zero affiliation with the university outside of the gold digger he currently dwells with.

When it comes to Portnoy I wouldn't want him meddling around either.

 

[fordman84]

Bryce Underwood was supposedly offered $10 million over 4 years. That's just $2.5 million dollars per year. We aren't talking about liquidating $1 billion here.

One day you will understand what I'm telling you today.