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There are 4 D-1 MBB teams that play in Chicago, and there is little to no interest in them. I went to a Chicago State game just to satisfy my curiosity, and an Owens led Miami squad had more fans in attendance. DePaul gets interest primarily from fans of traveling BE teams, Loyola’s biggest news this year was the passing of Sister Jean and UIC made the NIT, which I did not know until I saw that Gabe Cupps transferred there today.
DePaul has a huge alumni base for a private school, they’ll draw well if they start winning again. Loyola has a small but loyal contingent that fills their arena when they’re good. UIC is historically bad so no one has a reason to care. Chicago State is a zombie college nowadays.
Yeah, pretty much spot on.
=>At 2,210 D1 players have at least announced that they are entering the portal.
From Evan Miyakawa, and this same analysis applies to women’s college basketball as well:
- “The NIL market for Division 1 players is up about 65% from last year. That means a player good enough to be valued at $1 million last offseason would be getting around $1.65 million this offseason.”
- “The market is up even higher for players coming from high-major programs: There has been a 73% increase in the going rate for players on power conference teams. The market increase for players from low- and mid-major conferences is slightly lower, up 44% from last offseason.”
- “To obtain a center or a point guard who are equivalent in talent level, it would cost $1.3 million for the center, while only $813,000 for the point guard. That means, in this market, it costs 61% more NIL dollars to get a center of the same caliber as a point guard.”
- “With more teams trying to load up on long, athletic frontcourts, my current working theory is that teams who stock up on value at other positions could end up with more talented rosters.”
All I can think while reading this article is “this madness must stop”.
Ya know, with rumors of LIV saying it might pull the plug on golf, eventually NIL type folks might say “screw it, I’m just giving away my cash for zippo nada in return” and these deals will be GREAT for blue bloods, but the other schools will say “Yeah, can’t do it. Good luck!”
Very likely if we have an economic downturn.
If I’m a “rich” Miami alumni right now living in Chicago, Atlanta or out west and see that my $300,000 contribution helped pay for some kid from some dinky college I’ve never heard of (say) $250,000/year. Then he comes and he has a good year (12.5ppg/6rbs/2.3 assist). We win 24 games but don’t make the NCAA’s. Next he decides to portal and he’s off to his 3rd school in 3 years.
I’d really be real tempted to say screw it.
Anybody disagree with that?
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Dave-Matt Leinart did just that with USC football. But it wasn’t just tied to the money but also a request by the school to let a current player wear Leinart’s former jersey number.
The current NIL model will certainly cause a lot of “fatigue” that you describe. It is certainly unsustainable.
Troy Aikman had a similar experience paying NIL money to a UCLA player. He said he’s done with contributing
I don’t disagree with it being unsustainable, but the continuous upward curve of (alleged) payouts highlights that we certainly aren’t yet at the cash-fatigue peak.
Troy was upset he didn’t get a thank you from the player the funds went to, and then the player (Dante Moore) transferred. kind of odd expectation
Expectations are misaligned. College athletics boosters still think of themselves as “donors” and expect recipients to act like donees. The athletes now think of themselves as de facto employees and do not really care how their employer funds their compensation as long as it’s there.
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A lot of it will come down to the wealth of each school’s donors and willingness to continue funding. Net worth isn’t cash flow, but a single donor worth $1B who gives 0.1% of their wealth ($1M) gives the same as twenty donors worth $10M who give 0.5% ($50K each), the same as a hundred donors worth $1M who give 1.0% ($10K each). That’s just an example, but there’s only so much you can go to the third group and get all hundred to buy in unless you keep winning.
