Alabama coach with some interesting comments on 11.7 and Bama disadvantage.

[txbo]

Agreed. But, I do wonder outside of LSU, who in the short-term has the resources to pretty much "buy" a championship. LSU clearly is dumping trucks of money at the doorstep of players and it has landed them Little, Young, White, etc. They also lead for Hurd and Skenes. Could Texas do this? Maybe.

Long-term (i.e. next 5-10 years) I think more programs might be able to catch up and invest like this. But, right now, college baseball remains a niche sport for programs that seem to be pouring all their resources into football to correct their programs in the largest revenue generating sport. It even seems that Tennessee which has had immense success on the diamond under Vitello, and is a pretty wealthy university in our own right, is not interested in playing the NIL game for baseball.

I'm not sure where things will go in the future, because I believe some type of NIL reform is on the way, but for now baseball is the one sport where a handful of programs that consider themselves "baseball" schools like LSU will be able to do whatever and get whomever they want.

How fast this spread is still the real question....but it's going to spread. Interest in college baseball is up everywhere.

As far as NIL reform, I think the NCAA is baffled on what they can do about it. The courts ruling appears to disallow any limits.

 

[cobbwebb0710]

How fast this spread is still the real question....but it's going to spread. Interest in college baseball is up everywhere.

As far as NIL reform, I think the NCAA is baffled on what they can do about it. The courts ruling appears to disallow any limits.

I’ve never understood why college baseball was not marketed or pushed like football or basketball?
I understand Boston, New York, California, etc, but the southeast is college driven and the SEC, ACC and Big12, should be shoving baseball down our throats!

 

[cobbwebb0710]

I think one thing that could really benefit NIL, would be for major universities that are serious about athletics, negotiating their way into a network, like Texas has. Let it be a subscription channel, showing all Tennessee athletics and let that money go toward the athletes. I don’t mean football getting 75% either! They will still get their cut from ESPN/CBS...
Let that channel fund NIL for baseball, swimming, golf, track, through subscription and advertising.
GBO!!

 

[Volprofch05]

I’ve never understood why college baseball was not marketed or pushed like football or basketball?
I understand Boston, New York, California, etc, but the southeast is college driven and the SEC, ACC and Big12, should be shoving baseball down our throats!

Yep, lots of great college programs and there’s really only 1 MLB team for most of the southeast. Should be filling that void.

 

[cobbwebb0710]

I think one thing that could really benefit NIL, would be for major universities that are serious about athletics, negotiating their way into a network, like Texas has. Let it be a subscription channel, showing all Tennessee athletics and let that money go toward the athletes. I don’t mean football getting 75% either! They will still get their cut from ESPN/CBS...
Let that channel fund NIL for baseball, swimming, golf, track, through subscription and advertising.
GBO!!

The Vol network does an awesome job with radio, take the next step and move toward television!

 

[cobbwebb0710]

Yep, lots of great college programs and there’s really only 1 MLB team for most of the southeast. Should be filling that void.

I’ve never thought of that! Basically in that footprint you have the Braves, Marlins, Rangers and Astro’s, right? Am I missing someone?
I guess you could throw the nationals in there?

 

[cobbwebb0710]

I would much rather watch an LSU/Mississippi St series over a Braves/Nationals series...and I like the Braves!
GBO!!

 

[volfaninky]

MLB sucks like the NBA

 

[TheMookieMonster]

MLB sucks like the NBA

You take that back.

 

[vol66]

I think one thing that could really benefit NIL, would be for major universities that are serious about athletics, negotiating their way into a network, like Texas has. Let it be a subscription channel, showing all Tennessee athletics and let that money go toward the athletes. I don’t mean football getting 75% either! They will still get their cut from ESPN/CBS...
Let that channel fund NIL for baseball, swimming, golf, track, through subscription and advertising.
GBO!!

Yeah that worked out great! Aside from nearly killing The B12.

 

[Volprofch05]

I’ve never thought of that! Basically in that footprint you have the Braves, Marlins, Rangers and Astro’s, right? Am I missing someone?
I guess you could throw the nationals in there?

Yep, and everyone other than the Braves is very far from the core of the southeast. If you live in Tennessee, beyond ATL, for the next closest you’re talking about Texas, Florida, DC, St Louis? That’s pretty crazy. In the northeast you’ve got the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox all within ~200 miles of one another.

 

[txbo]

Yeah that worked out great! Aside from nearly killing The B12.

I'd say it did kill it just slowly. They've been circling the drain for years.

 

[vol66]

I'd say it did kill it just slowly. They've been circling the drain for years.

The SEC is where it is because it’s all for one, one for all. Texas messed up. Just like the PAC did. I don’t know what the plan for the LHN is when they and OU arrive in the SEC, but outside of Texas, no one cares for the LHN.

All that stuff is driven by football. We all know that much. In baseball, Texas had some games I would have watched, but I couldn’t because I don’t have a subscription same with Oregon St. this past season. I don’t have the answer but if y’all don’t mind me borrowing a phrase…Pay these prices and pay no more.

 

[preacherman20]

Now I understand where preacherman20 got the 7% he had mentioned previously. That's on a retail side of a product and not for a contract to advertise or make appearances.

I am just guessing here, but I would think Beck made some decent money off the Honcho shirts, and that was just based on a story about an illegal bat. So, it was circumstantial. But if Beck got 7% of every shirt sale, then I would wager to guess that he made 5 figures off that. I know it's just one player, but that isn't pocket change.

But, there is probably a little more to all of this, and it will be at a select number of schools. As I have said previously, giving to Spyre is not tax deductible, so big money guys would probably rather do it through their business for tax purposes.

I don't know what Beck made but to make 5 figures he had to sell over 4,000 shirts. I don't think there are that many Honcho shirts out there. But any is better than none which is what I remind mine and all the others. A small piece of a pie is better than no piece of the pie.

 

[vol66]

I don't know what Beck made but to make 5 figures he had to sell over 4,000 shirts. I don't think there are that many Honcho shirts out there. But any is better than none which is what I remind mine and all the others. A small piece of a pie is better than no piece of the pie.

Exactly! It’s not enough, but it’s better than nothing.

 

[txbo]

The SEC is where it is because it’s all for one, one for all. Texas messed up. Just like the PAC did. I don’t know what the plan for the LHN is when they and OU arrive in the SEC, but outside of Texas, no one cares for the LHN.

All that stuff is driven by football. We all know that much. In baseball, Texas had some games I would have watched, but I couldn’t because I don’t have a subscription same with Oregon St. this past season. I don’t have the answer but if y’all don’t mind me borrowing a phrase…Pay these prices and pay no more.

There's many people, like me, in Texas that don't watch any Horn sports because of it.

 

[vol66]

There's many people, like me, in Texas that don't watch any Horn sports because of it.

Which seems like a great disservice to the players at Texas, at least to me.

 

[tn4elvis]

I'm not sure it does for baseball players. They are not the big name celebrities that football and basketball are. There may be some schools who pay their players to come but I don't know if that will be the case for a while in baseball. We have some baseball guys who are well recognized in Knoxville after last season and I do not know of any that have an NIL contract that is paying anything other than a little spending money.

Preacherman I hope this changes soon. I know baseball is not the revenue producer that Fb and basketball are. I have had more fun watching these guys the last couple of years than I can say. It’s a shame these kids are not reaping some financial gain from the effort and time they put in. My yearly donation to the athletic department this year was earmarked for baseball. Tell Kirby and the boys to keep up the good work and bring us a Natty.

 

[txbo]

Which seems like a great disservice to the players at Texas, at least to me.

The players and the entire athletic department. Although I don't follow Horns sports closely, they have some interesting matchups in several sports that I would watch, especially baseball. They're driving fans away just like MLB does with their stupid contracts.

 

[vol66]

The players and the entire athletic department. Although I don't follow Horns sports closely, they have some interesting matchups in several sports that I would watch, especially baseball. They're driving fans away just like MLB does with their stupid contracts.

I bet it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it sure seems like a dud now. It’s a good example of what Not To Do. I can’t imagine sitting around and watching TVN 24/7, that’s just me.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

MLB sucks like the NBA

But I still watch the Braves. I saw the first Major League Baseball game played in The New stadium when the Braves to Atlanta. At that time, Mel All was the voice of the Braves and Larry Munson left Vandy to join their broadcast team. Soon after that, he started calling the Georgia football and basketball games and left the Braves.

 

[cobbwebb0710]

Yeah that worked out great! Aside from nearly killing The B12.

Good point.

 

[cobbwebb0710]

I don't know what Beck made but to make 5 figures he had to sell over 4,000 shirts. I don't think there are that many Honcho shirts out there. But any is better than none which is what I remind mine and all the others. A small piece of a pie is better than no piece of the pie.

Agreed, but some of us would like to see them get the whole pie(or the whole dozen lemon cookies) from time to time.
The ones I feel bad for are the guys from the ‘20-‘22 teams because I think this baseball thing is about to take hold in Knoxville and those guys laid /are laying the foundation for future guys to benefit from NIL.
GBO!!

 

[cobbwebb0710]

Ok ok, @vol66 and @txbo I get it, you’ve made your point! My idea sucked, now move along...

 

[cobbwebb0710]

So what kind of ideas do you guys have to get these baseball guys compensated(other than full rides, which they should already be getting) and getting college baseball more exposure?
GBO!!