2024 Recruiting Thread

[knoxvol52]

Outbid is a blanket statement. Which players did we lose and what were the offers? Where is the gap separation? Seems nobody has that answer, except “we need more”.

Ponzi scam...

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Then they need to get out of the way and let Spyre take it over. Since, I don’t have a clue. The fact you said “struggled” to put together deals for Rickea seems they are in over their head. Tennessee has the resources to compete with anyone & Spyre is recognized as one of the best NIL collectives in all of college, but yet somehow the LV would rather do it another way. And here we are

Yup! Agreed

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Outbid is a blanket statement. Which players did we lose and what were the offers? Where is the gap separation? Seems nobody has that answer, except “we need more”.

Valez
Del Rosario
Preston
Heckle (i say this one was a highly possible)

I've been asked not to share exact numbers because of who provided them so you can take my word or not but i can assure you i'm not lying. They all got 6 figure deals (except for Preston I believe) which would not be what they got here. All there deals with their current school or school of choice range from 100-150k except i think Preston's may be lower BUT got about 20k more at Texas i've heard. Again, take it out leave it but the separation is in the fact that other schools have deeper wells to go to ask for more Money than the BHC collectively has right now.

So while outbid may be a blanket statement it is a very true one. One that I hope to see fixed in the near future.

@Rooster1 or @Poultrygeist may be able to better speak on what they heard SC was offering De Rosario but she made multiple trips to both schools and I think was a silent LSU commit the whole time.

 

[glv98]

If the LVs were folded into Spyre, would they be guaranteed a cut? How much? Can megadonors who contribute to Spyre earmark what program their donated funds go to?

If it is actually the case that the same group of old timers who insist on only a coach who was a Pat player i alsos ruining our chances of keeping up in the new environment, I'm gonna find a new hobby.

What an irony, to mothball this program out of misguided loyalty to Pat Summit.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

If the LVs were folded into Spyre, would they be guaranteed a cut? How much? Can megadonors who contribute to Spyre earmark what program their donated funds go to?

If it is actually the case that the same group of old timers who insist on only a female coach who was a Pat player is ruining our chances of keeping up in the new environment, I'm gonna find a new hobby.

What an irony, to mothball this program out of misguided loyalty to Pat Summit.

Amen! I've been saying that. There are people who don't believe in NIL that could help bridge some gaps on the campus i've been told but they don't like the way sports are going.

If they don't think Pat wouldn't have been out there being the best at this somehow or trying they didn't truly see how she ran her program all these years. She was a competitor on all fronts.

I don't know exactly how the inner workings of the money would go but from what i've heard we could go to a deeper well and have more resources if things were arranged different. I'm sure there could be a few worked out that a certain amount was earmarked for female athletes.

It might even be better to just move WBB and have BHC represent the rest of the Women athletes because our WBB program is sort of a different beast.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Then they need to get out of the way and let Spyre take it over. Since, I don’t have a clue. The fact you said “struggled” to put together deals for Rickea seems they are in over their head. Tennessee has the resources to compete with anyone & Spyre is recognized as one of the best NIL collectives in all of college, but yet somehow the LV would rather do it another way. And here we are

Them getting out the way may be easier said than done. These ties run deep and not easily cut or changed.

I also agree with your post about winning games on TV. Let me be CLEAR I want kellie to do well but we HAVE TO WIN GAMES! If she can't do that then this staff needs to go. We can't keep getting bounced in the S16 but it has felt good to not worry about making the tourney after the dumpster fire that was before kellie. NO, I'm not settling for mediocrity but that doesn't mean i'm going to take the chance to trash our team at every chance I get. I said from the beginning I thought if TK was healthy we'd have a chance of going 4-1 or 3-2 against the nonconference P5 schools we play i still think we have a chance at 3-2. But i also strongly think we have at least 4-5 top25 wins this season because of how the top half of the SEC will be ranked. Just my humble opinion but it won't take until the end of the year to get a ranked win this year (which shouldn't have happened last year either)!

 

[Volfan2012]

Them getting out the way may be easier said than done. These ties run deep and not easily cut or changed.

I also agree with your post about winning games on TV. Let me be CLEAR I want kellie to do well but we HAVE TO WIN GAMES! If she can't do that then this staff needs to go. We can't keep getting bounced in the S16 but it has felt good to not worry about making the tourney after the dumpster fire that was before kellie. NO, I'm not settling for mediocrity but that doesn't mean i'm going to take the chance to trash our team at every chance I get. I said from the beginning I thought if TK was healthy we'd have a chance of going 4-1 or 3-2 against the nonconference P5 schools we play i still think we have a chance at 3-2. But i also strongly think we have at least 4-5 top25 wins this season because of how the top half of the SEC will be ranked. Just my humble opinion but it won't take until the end of the year to get a ranked win this year (which shouldn't have happened last year either)!

Games against Indiana, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Notre Dame. We have to win at least two or this season is looking like a bust. I want all four, but less than two will be another season looking bleak.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Games against Indiana, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Notre Dame. We have to win at least two or this season is looking like a bust. I want all four, but less than two will be another season looking bleak.

I'm shooting for 3 wins... Luckily we have ranked games teams like Ole Miss, LSU, SC (2x), Miss St and i think even A&M will be ranked at some point this season or will be considered a top win. But i agree we have to win at least two of those games out of conference. luckily OSU and ND will be at home lol ... hope that helps along with some FreeThrow practice

 

[Majors]

Them getting out the way may be easier said than done. These ties run deep and not easily cut or changed.

I also agree with your post about winning games on TV. Let me be CLEAR I want kellie to do well but we HAVE TO WIN GAMES! If she can't do that then this staff needs to go. We can't keep getting bounced in the S16 but it has felt good to not worry about making the tourney after the dumpster fire that was before kellie. NO, I'm not settling for mediocrity but that doesn't mean i'm going to take the chance to trash our team at every chance I get. I said from the beginning I thought if TK was healthy we'd have a chance of going 4-1 or 3-2 against the nonconference P5 schools we play i still think we have a chance at 3-2. But i also strongly think we have at least 4-5 top25 wins this season because of how the top half of the SEC will be ranked. Just my humble opinion but it won't take until the end of the year to get a ranked win this year (which shouldn't have happened last year either)!

That’s a fair answer. And unfortunately it seems the first part of your statement is playing a bigger role that is showing its head and being a detriment to the team moving forward. Which goes to the part of get out the way (not to posters, but the old guard trying to control)

 

[Majors]

If the LVs were folded into Spyre, would they be guaranteed a cut? How much? Can megadonors who contribute to Spyre earmark what program their donated funds go to?

If it is actually the case that the same group of old timers who insist on only a coach who was a Pat player i alsos ruining our chances of keeping up in the new environment, I'm gonna find a new hobby.

What an irony, to mothball this program out of misguided loyalty to Pat Summit.

Nothing wrong with being loyal, but loyal can also be knowing your time is up to help the program move forward.

 

[Knoxvol14]

If the LVs were folded into Spyre, would they be guaranteed a cut? How much? Can megadonors who contribute to Spyre earmark what program their donated funds go to?

If it is actually the case that the same group of old timers who insist on only a coach who was a Pat player i alsos ruining our chances of keeping up in the new environment, I'm gonna find a new hobby.

What an irony, to mothball this program out of misguided loyalty to Pat Summit.

That would be up to Spyre to determine how much a deal would be worth with one of our players.

 

[DeerPark12]

Taking this at face value,
"The “not closing” has been a 100% financial decision for at least four kids the last three years.", then what about the other 60-75 offers that went out in the last 3 years ?
Am I to conclude that we met Pissott's initial price but then she got a better offer from Vandy ?

When she made the decision to transfer, I don’t think there were any bidders. I think her family was surprised at how little interest there was in her in the transfer portal.

 

[DeerPark12]

Is this exclusive to Women's basketball? Because people seemed pretty willing to line Nico's pockets out of high school.

Also, who's in charge of correcting this? Who is the NIL development director for women's program? Is that part of what the collective does?

Actually, they weren’t. Spyre was able to get some individual backing to make him a guarantee, but the money from the sponsors didn’t start arriving until he got to campus. And it’s not money without strings, he is doing appearances, speaking engagements, autographed deals, T-shirt deals which all goes towards that rumored $2 million a year, not is in addition to it. The actual guarantee is much lower than $2 million, by the way.

There’s not really somebody in charge of correcting this because the university can’t be directly involved in getting kids in IL money. They connect as a portal to collect names from interested parties, but they can’t negotiate the deals. The boost her club is trying to raise as much money as possible from individual donors to bridge the gap until athletes get here and start doing those appearances.

The athletes that are already on campus are doing fine compared to most of their peers around the country as far as doing appearances, camps, autograph sessions and all for money. Where we are lacking is the initial guarantee upfront to get them here. Again, it has been a little easier with transfers than it has for initial recruits. But even look at baseball and men’s basketball, and it’s kind of the same thing. We have had much more success in the portal than out of high school because we aren’t making the same guarantees to high school kids that other schools are.

 

[DeerPark12]

Then they need to get out of the way and let Spyre take it over. Since, I don’t have a clue. The fact you said “struggled” to put together deals for Rickea seems they are in over their head. Tennessee has the resources to compete with anyone & Spyre is recognized as one of the best NIL collectives in all of college, but yet somehow the LV would rather do it another way. And here we are

Spyre is not interested in doing anything with women’s sports, which is one reason why the boost her club was put together in the first place. Several donors went to them at the start and said they wanted a certain amount of their money to go to women’s sports and the reply was that they would determine how best to distribute the money, then they declined to meet with any of the women’s coaches. They did have a role with an AT&T promotion that involved a couple of female athletes, but that was mostly because they did a larger deal with AT&T and the sponsor wanted at least two female athletes as part of the promotion. That’s the only deal they’ve shown any interest in any women’s sport on to this point.

Spyre gets a lot of attention because they are good at marketing themselves, but I don’t think things are nearly as rosy with them as people think, and I will leave it at that. They certainly aren’t getting a penny of my money.

I work in Atlanta, so I can’t have them out to our firm to sign autographs, but I personally paid for a couple of autographed sessions at charity events this past summer for both male and female athletes and paid them directly rather than going through one of the collectives. I have the ability to do that, most fans don’t. Which is why a boost her club gift is the most efficient way for the average man to help.

 

[DeerPark12]

Amen! I've been saying that. There are people who don't believe in NIL that could help bridge some gaps on the campus i've been told but they don't like the way sports are going.

If they don't think Pat wouldn't have been out there being the best at this somehow or trying they didn't truly see how she ran her program all these years. She was a competitor on all fronts.

I don't know exactly how the inner workings of the money would go but from what i've heard we could go to a deeper well and have more resources if things were arranged different. I'm sure there could be a few worked out that a certain amount was earmarked for female athletes.

It might even be better to just move WBB and have BHC represent the rest of the Women athletes because our WBB program is sort of a different beast.

If the BHC was folded into Spyre, then kiss being competitive in women’s sports goodbye, because those people have exactly 0 interest in women’s sports and it made that very clear from the start. You’re talking to someone who was approached to give them a six-figure gift two years ago when I helped settle a major case. They will not spend a penny on women’s sports unless a sponsor demands it.

 

[1reVOLver]

While some people have speculated with great, self-assured determination—and they may be right—that we lost out to LSU in a price war, there is at least one other factor those kids may have taken into account: Mulkey has won multiple national championships; KJH hasn't yet taken a team to the final four.

Mulkey is a haberdasher's nightmare, and looks like she's spent way too many years under Dr. Demento's patented Wrinkle Ray Particle Beam Emitter, but her record of success is something recruits are apt to consider.

 

[RAVOL]

In all honesty I as a coach would not offer big deals to high school kids unless they are Elite and there are only few of them each year so keeping my assets for Portal kids is the way to go get proven players at College level especially since our Coffers are limited. I do believe many programs throwing out dollars like candy will eventually slow way down as fans and businesses have to tighten budgets. It's coming. In CHRIST Alone

 

[Lucy]

Them getting out the way may be easier said than done. These ties run deep and not easily cut or changed.

I also agree with your post about winning games on TV. Let me be CLEAR I want kellie to do well but we HAVE TO WIN GAMES! If she can't do that then this staff needs to go. We can't keep getting bounced in the S16 but it has felt good to not worry about making the tourney after the dumpster fire that was before kellie. NO, I'm not settling for mediocrity but that doesn't mean i'm going to take the chance to trash our team at every chance I get. I said from the beginning I thought if TK was healthy we'd have a chance of going 4-1 or 3-2 against the nonconference P5 schools we play i still think we have a chance at 3-2. But i also strongly think we have at least 4-5 top25 wins this season because of how the top half of the SEC will be ranked. Just my humble opinion but it won't take until the end of the year to get a ranked win this year (which shouldn't have happened last year either)!

VA I think you are one of the most knowledgeable and reasonable posters we have. Thanks always for your input!
I’ve been turning this around in my head and the economics of NIL and have a question.
Let’s say a program has several all in donors and NIL is just taking off. Year one my big fish pony up $150k for a top ten recruit and two top fifties. I’m assuming that is an ongoing commitment? Year two my fish cough up another $120K for another top recruiting class in addition to the second year of $150k. This continues into years 3 and 4 so once high roller NIL has been in place several years my fish are in for $600k per year, ongoing if we want a top ten recruiting class annually. If a program is not bringing a Nattie home regularly I’m not sure this is a sustainable economic plan for hardly any program.
Tell me what I’ve got wrong here.
Thanks!

 

[Lucy]

Spyre is not interested in doing anything with women’s sports, which is one reason why the boost her club was put together in the first place. Several donors went to them at the start and said they wanted a certain amount of their money to go to women’s sports and the reply was that they would determine how best to distribute the money, then they declined to meet with any of the women’s coaches. They did have a role with an AT&T promotion that involved a couple of female athletes, but that was mostly because they did a larger deal with AT&T and the sponsor wanted at least two female athletes as part of the promotion. That’s the only deal they’ve shown any interest in any women’s sport on to this point.

Spyre gets a lot of attention because they are good at marketing themselves, but I don’t think things are nearly as rosy with them as people think, and I will leave it at that. They certainly aren’t getting a penny of my money.

I work in Atlanta, so I can’t have them out to our firm to sign autographs, but I personally paid for a couple of autographed sessions at charity events this past summer for both male and female athletes and paid them directly rather than going through one of the collectives. I have the ability to do that, most fans don’t. Which is why a boost her club gift is the most efficient way for the average man to help.

I’m sure you meant average man or woman to help. Thanks for what you are doing!

 

[glv98]

Thanks for the info and Oh s$&t this is all depressing! AND South Carolina is really good, much better than last year.

Much clearer now that the problem is that we can't match the signing bonus others are offering for the top high school players. Nothing to do with actual Name Image and Likeness which almost no one has a problem with.

How did legalized pay for play even happen? Seems like it snuck in on the back of legit NIL. Any hope it will be reigned in any time soon? We keep hearing rumors. That sounds like the LVs best bet to me.

We have conflicting info over the BHC role. A couple of posters earlier indicated the BHC is the roadblock and Spyre should take over. Then DP says the only reason the BHC exists is bc Spyre has no interest in the LVs. Just jeeze, this is all dismil.

 

[Volfan2012]

Thanks for the info and Oh s$&t this is all depressing! AND South Carolina is really good, much better than last year.

Much clearer now that the problem is that we can't match the signing bonus others are offering for the top high school players. Nothing to do with actual Name Image and Likeness which almost no one has a problem with.

How did legalized pay for play even happen? Seems like it snuck in on the back of legit NIL. Any hope it will be reigned in any time soon? We keep hearing rumors. That sounds like the LVs best bet to me.

We have conflicting info over the BHC role. A couple of posters earlier indicated the BHC is the roadblock and Spyre should take over. Then DP says the only reason the BHC exists is bc Spyre has no interest in the LVs. Just jeeze, this is all dismil.

I think you must have the money to get two of the top elite players every year then try to fill in with good players. South Carolina is doing really well cause they have so many talented players in state and they are staying. I'll be really interested to see what Edwards does in the next few weeks or maybe days.

 

[DeerPark12]

I’m sure you meant average man or woman to help. Thanks for what you are doing!

I’m sorry, voice to text let me down, and trying to edit sitting out in the sun let me down even more. I meant “fan.”

 

[glv98]

I'm curious how far down the rankings the signing bonus offers go, and if they decrease in scale as the recruit goes down in ranking. Do any just get recruited the old fashion way with no (above board) pay? That must make for some interesting locker room dynamics.

 

[Majors]

Thanks for the info and Oh s$&t this is all depressing! AND South Carolina is really good, much better than last year.

Much clearer now that the problem is that we can't match the signing bonus others are offering for the top high school players. Nothing to do with actual Name Image and Likeness which almost no one has a problem with.

How did legalized pay for play even happen? Seems like it snuck in on the back of legit NIL. Any hope it will be reigned in any time soon? We keep hearing rumors. That sounds like the LVs best bet to me.

We have conflicting info over the BHC role. A couple of posters earlier indicated the BHC is the roadblock and Spyre should take over. Then DP says the only reason the BHC exists is bc Spyre has no interest in the LVs. Just jeeze, this is all dismil.

Goes back to Ed O’Bannon in the 90’s from UCLA realizing the video games were capitalizing off their college athletics. EA sports making millions while college kids get nothing from it. It’s been a slow bleed until the last 10 years. Arian Foster being vocal about while at Tennessee. Coaches getting trouble for providing Krystal’s when all he wanted was a meal.

 

[glv98]

Goes back to Ed O’Bannon in the 90’s from UCLA realizing the video games were capitalizing off their college athletics. EA sports making millions while college kids get nothing from it. It’s been a slow bleed until the last 10 years. Arian Foster being vocal about while at Tennessee. Coaches getting trouble for providing Krystal’s when all he wanted was a meal.

I think you're talking about NIL which is different than upfront pay to a recruit for signing. Few argue against athletes getting paid when their name is used to make money. It's the Wild West bidding war for signing top talent that's the problem. Few rules, no supervision, gobs of money involved, what could possibly go wrong?