Think we can dispense with the notion that NIL is why we're doing well in recruiting

[Voltime123]

You got to love the trolls on this board are wanting facts on the NIL and it’s obvious influence on recruits…they are wallowing in their own denial of how great our NIL is, and it hilarious to watch

 

[Volfan76]

Those are usually the thoughts of hourly employees with little job satisfaction. I had recruiters offering me guaranteed 40% increases last year and I didn't entertain them until an upper management change had deleterious effects on work culture. I'm being offered roughly 25% more than current to entertain conversations with recruiters now, and haven't nibbled yet because I'm frankly very happy where I am at. That 25% isn't worth the "unknowns" of culture, etc...

There comes a certain threshold where you have enough $$$ and comfort that it stops becoming the driving force in decisions. Not for everyone, obviously. Unthinking greed is a thing, but I like to think it's not as rampant as some project it to be.

Or the thoughts of 18-20 year olds that are suddenly given substantial money for the first time in their lives and zero obligations to the entities giving it....I give you the transfer portal.

 

[Ten_Titans]

Rather than continuing to argue in hypotheticals... can you show some PROOF of what you claim?

Here's an article that argues against your claims:

What Matters More to Your Workforce than Money

Sure. First, I would say what does happiness/ employee satisfaction have to do with any of this?

I think everyone knows money doesn't buy happiness. And higher paying jobs come with more stressful responsibilities. But that isn't what we're talking about here at all. The question you seem to be trying to infer is "Are players who place higher priority on money less happy with their college decision?" Maybe. But that isn't the question we are talking about here.

The real question is "What are the factors in players picking schools?" And the analogous question is "What factors do employees look at when switching jobs?"

Googling that, and the first link is...

What Do Job Seekers Want in a New Role? | Clutch.co



Under no other context would anyone be making the argument you guys are making. This isn't something people have to" prove" or look up. Everyone already knows this.

 

[peaygolf]

I would just like to see the evidence. You are making the claim that the only reason we got Nico was because of NIL. I would just love to see some actual facts that back that up.

Like Nico is ever going to admit that........or anyone "in the know" for that matter.

 

[Orange_Crush]

Sure. First, I would say what does happiness/ employee satisfaction have to do with any of this?

I think everyone knows money doesn't buy happiness. And higher paying jobs come with more stressful responsibilities. But that isn't what we're talking about here at all. The question you seem to be trying to infer is "Are players who place higher priority on money less happy with their college decision?" Maybe. But that isn't the question we are talking about here.

The real question is "What are the factors in players picking schools?" And the analogous question is "What factors do employees look at when switching jobs?"

Googling that, and the first link is...

What Do Job Seekers Want in a New Role? | Clutch.co

View attachment 452440

Under no other context would anyone be making the argument you guys are making. This isn't something people have to" prove" or look up. Everyone already knows this.

Your graph is making the argument we are making, Cochise.

 

[SSVol]

Sure. First, I would say what does happiness/ employee satisfaction have to do with any of this?

I think everyone knows money doesn't buy happiness. And higher paying jobs come with more stressful responsibilities. But that isn't what we're talking about here at all. The question you seem to be trying to infer is "Are players who place higher priority on money less happy with their college decision?" Maybe. But that isn't the question we are talking about here.

The real question is "What are the factors in players picking schools?" And the analogous question is "What factors do employees look at when switching jobs?"

Googling that, and the first link is...

What Do Job Seekers Want in a New Role? | Clutch.co

View attachment 452440

Under no other context would anyone be making the argument you guys are making. This isn't something people have to" prove" or look up. Everyone already knows this.

So money is the largest single reason, but well less than 50% of the total. So the vast majority change jobs for reasons other than money.

 

[buckfama]

The NIL came into being at exactly the right time for UT with all the NCAA troubles created by Pruitt.

It jumpstarted our recruiting and gives us a punchers chance to get back to being where we should be if it hadn't been for all the incompetence the last 2 decades.

The NIL, Heupel, and DW Awere exactly what we needed.

Is the NIL the only reason?

Nope.

You still have to build relationships and have good coaching.

But the NIL is right in UT's wheelhouse because of our huge fanbase and resources.

 

[buckfama]

Money doesn't buy happiness, but it can buy you a boat....

 

[jvols1999]

The NIL came into being at exactly the right time for UT with all the NCAA troubles created by Pruitt.

It jumpstarted our recruiting and gives us a punchers chance to get back to being where we should be if it hadn't been for all the incompetence the last 2 decades.

The NIL, Heupel, and DW Awere exactly what we needed.

Is the NIL the only reason?

Nope.

You still have to build relationships and have good coaching.

But the NIL is right in UT's wheelhouse because of our huge fanbase and resources.

Great post. Only quibble (as stated in OP) is that IMO Nico was a) very interested in UT before NIL entered the discussion, and therefore, IMO b) committed to UT because of a large variety of factors, including but not limited to NIL. IMO his commitment is what has jumpstarted our recruiting this cycle, building off what Heupel and Co. did at the end of the 2022 cycle.

 

[sjt18]

Sure. First, I would say what does happiness/ employee satisfaction have to do with any of this?

Pretty much everything. It is why people stay in jobs... and refer their employer. There are place that pay well and are known to be difficult. They have constant turnover. I have a guy working for us right now who makes good money by general comparison... but about half what he was making in the North Dakota oil fields straight out of HS.

Money is always a factor. We can't do it for free and we all have budgets/expectations that have to be satisfied. But your response is a fairly sophisticated straw man. I don't see anyone here claiming that money doesn't factor.

I think everyone knows money doesn't buy happiness.

I wish I could agree but there are some that are equating money to "happiness"... the only (or completely dominant) reason a kid might choose to play football for UT.

And higher paying jobs come with more stressful responsibilities.

That's not necessarily true either. You can make great money working for a great company... and not be overwhelmed by stress.

The most stressed I've ever been was in a position with less responsibility compared to other positions. I left that job for a HIGHER paying job with challenges but nowhere near the stress. Culture is DEFINITELY a bigger factor RE stress than pay.

But that isn't what we're talking about here at all. The question you seem to be trying to infer is "Are players who place higher priority on money less happy with their college decision?" Maybe. But that isn't the question we are talking about here.

Nope. Again that appears to be a straw man. The simple question is: "Are these players being driven exclusively or almost exclusively by the biggest NIL offer?"

Again, money is always a factor and important. But guys like Nico could have/would have been paid by someone else. Probably a lot. Oregon won't have any trouble competing in NIL. It is reported that he loves the staff. Loves the program. Loves the area. And believes he'll have great future opportunities.

The real question is "What are the factors in players picking schools?"

Agree. And have REPEATEDLY said that money factors in. But some pretend it is the ONLY true factor in their decision.

And the analogous question is "What factors do employees look at when switching jobs?"

No. The relevant question would be what caused a person to take one job over another. That may seem nuanced but the survey you posted asked why people look... not why they choose a particular job/offer. Money factors. But the claim some are making is that it is the ONLY significant factor.

By and large, people have already decided to leave a job before looking for one. Once a person "quits" in their mind... it is rare that they restart at the same company.

Again an anecdote from my own experience... at a previous plant I managed we had three very large competitors for labor who offered more money to start than most of my guys made at the top end of their scale. Their scales were at least 25% higher than ours. The responsibility was less and more simple. Those companies struggled to stay staffed. I would routinely get 70-80 applications for a single position. We NEVER lost people to them though the skill levels were very similar. We had a culture that people wanted to work in... and recommend to their friends.

Under no other context would anyone be making the argument you guys are making. This isn't something people have to" prove" or look up. Everyone already knows this.

The "argument" I am making is that money is NOT the only or even necessarily the biggest factor in why someone selects one offer over another. And companies around the world do in fact already know this.

 

[buckfama]

Great post. Only quibble (as stated in OP) is that IMO Nico was a) very interested in UT before NIL entered the discussion, and therefore, IMO b) committed to UT because of a large variety of factors, including but not limited to NIL. IMO his commitment is what has jumpstarted our recruiting this cycle, building off what Heupel and Co. did at the end of the 2022 cycle.

I totally agree. Heupel and company sold him and his family on UT, the NIL is just added insurance.

 

[rjd970]

Those are usually the thoughts of hourly employees with little job satisfaction. I had recruiters offering me guaranteed 40% increases last year and I didn't entertain them until an upper management change had deleterious effects on work culture. I'm being offered roughly 25% more than current to entertain conversations with recruiters now, and haven't nibbled yet because I'm frankly very happy where I am at. That 25% isn't worth the "unknowns" of culture, etc...

There comes a certain threshold where you have enough $$$ and comfort that it stops becoming the driving force in decisions. Not for everyone, obviously. Unthinking greed is a thing, but I like to think it's not as rampant as some project it to be.

This is me. I’m leaving money on the table not changing jobs. There is something to be said for being comfortable and dealing with the devil you know. It’s good knowing if I get fed up where I am I can change with a raise, but money isn’t the full picture for me.

 

[KnoxToTheBoro93]

Why is proving how much he got paid going to prove that? I have no idea how much he was paid. I know that Heupel brought in a stable of 3 stars in the 2022 class all of which live within a few hour recruiting circle of campus..maybe one from indiana. Now, after a 7-6 record with a gravy schedule, no signature win and a bowl loss to all the sudden Heupel is pulling a 5 star from California and has already got as many 4 stars committed as he did from the entire class last year. He didn't show that much promise and UT doesn't have anything else to offer that it didn't last year. We are still under the same investigation, so that is obviously a non-factor.

It had nothing to do with the starting Qb1 going 31-3 td to int ration after not starting the first game and a half and us being top 10 in the nation in offense and a proven Qb coach who has had great Qb play at every single stop… but you right he didn’t show any promise my goodness some of y’all can’t seriously believe what y’all post

 

[TNHopeful505]

It all still comes down to who has the coaching staff that can develop a kid enough to get them to the league and make them successful. NIL can get you there, but no kid wants the only football income they get to be their NIL deal. They want to go to the league. So, NIL is great. But if you cant win and you cant develop a kid and get him to the next level, it won't matter how much you pay him. That's why I'm more excited about the fact that we got 5 guys drafted this week than Nico's $8M contract. It shows we have both. We can pay you AND get you to the league.

 

[VOLfrombama]

That was the state, not the University.

How many high level boosters not tied to UT are there? Im going to go with almost zero. He absolutely means UT, in the hills of East Tennessee, where UT is located. You know, up on The Hill

 

[Batman1948]

NIL, ‘booster banks’ and recruiting wars: For some, it doesn’t add up - Sports Illustrated

UT not even mentioned here. Spyre is killing it, don't get me wrong. And NIL I'm sure *was* a component of Nico's decision to commit here, although as had been discussed ad nauseum it was one of many and of course he visited here in Nov 2021 with zero promises of anything. His commitment, along with the groundwork Heup and Co. laid over the last 12 months, is why we've got juice on the trail.

But NIL, at this point IMO, is no longer a competitive advantage for us. It's table stakes, and we're in the game. But if we sign the kind of class we think we are going to it won't be *because of* NIL/Spyre.

They did mention Tennessee in the article. They said the politicians pushed through a bill allowing coaches to talk to the collectives and that was a potential violation of the current NCAA NIL policy.

 

[sjt18]

It all still comes down to who has the coaching staff that can develop a kid enough to get them to the league and make them successful. NIL can get you there, but no kid wants the only football income they get to be their NIL deal. They want to go to the league. So, NIL is great. But if you cant win and you cant develop a kid and get him to the next level, it won't matter how much you pay him. That's why I'm more excited about the fact that we got 5 guys drafted this week than Nico's $8M contract. It shows we have both. We can pay you AND get you to the league.

That IMO will be the eventual balance. Kids will consider the "guaranteed" money from NIL. But a whole bunch of other factors will play in as well... to include the potential to play in the NFL.

 

[Batman1948]

Why is proving how much he got paid going to prove that? I have no idea how much he was paid. I know that Heupel brought in a stable of 3 stars in the 2022 class all of which live within a few hour recruiting circle of campus..maybe one from indiana. Now, after a 7-6 record with a gravy schedule, no signature win and a bowl loss to all the sudden Heupel is pulling a 5 star from California and has already got as many 4 stars committed as he did from the entire class last year. He didn't show that much promise and UT doesn't have anything else to offer that it didn't last year. We are still under the same investigation, so that is obviously a non-factor.

Heupel and his staff came in at the very end of the recruiting cycle. It's not fair to say he only signed a bunch of local 3 star guys. It's a whole new game now and it looks like this staff has embraced it and is going after the best talent in the country. If it involves NIL, so be it. This staff can still develop talent and recruits will see that as much as the NIL opportunities.

 

[Orange_Crush]

It all still comes down to who has the coaching staff that can develop a kid enough to get them to the league and make them successful. NIL can get you there, but no kid wants the only football income they get to be their NIL deal. They want to go to the league. So, NIL is great. But if you cant win and you cant develop a kid and get him to the next level, it won't matter how much you pay him. That's why I'm more excited about the fact that we got 5 guys drafted this week than Nico's $8M contract. It shows we have both. We can pay you AND get you to the league.

Well said.

 

[Devo182]

Money doesn't buy happiness, but it can buy you a boat....

I believe the joke is about a jet ski.

"“Money doesn’t buy happiness.” Uh, do you live in America? ‘Cause it buys a WaveRunner. Have you ever seen a sad person on a WaveRunner? Have you? Seriously, have you? Try to frown on a WaveRunner. You can’t!"

 

[BigSteve09]

sounds like players want to talk money, and we're talking big money

 

[SugarCC]

sounds like players want to talk money, and we're talking big money

F that coach.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

I believe the joke is about a jet ski.

"“Money doesn’t buy happiness.” Uh, do you live in America? ‘Cause it buys a WaveRunner. Have you ever seen a sad person on a WaveRunner? Have you? Seriously, have you? Try to frown on a WaveRunner. You can’t!"

It's a song..

 

[turbovol]

NIL is a joke--a disaster. Where came this idea that student-athletes are being exploited? It's nonsense. Revenue-sport scholarships provide a free college education. That is a big deal worth abot $200K over 4 years--plus medical care, counseling, tutoring, all the rest. Others get partial scholarships worth a lot of money.

If a private company sells T-shirts, jerseys or whatever with a players name on it, I'm ok with the player getting a cut of the sale or with making some money if he's part of a TV commercial for the local lumber yard or whatever--and I think this was the original idea behind NIL and the Supreme Court decision. But of course it quickly spiraled out of control because the NCAA didn't establish any rules and because, even if it did, how would it monitor and enforce deals of one kind or another going down at every school in the country? Now of course NIL is just a license to bribe kids and their families--bribe them to sign with your school or bribe them to switch from another school to your school. It's the further corruption and professionalization of college sports. What's more, how are the other 20 good players on a football team going to feel if they're not among the 3-4 players with nice NIL deals? They're going to be pissed--and how's that for team cohesion? Not good.

Look at the one-and-done for basketball. I get that a player should be be able to quit school and turn pro whenever he wants. But at the same time the 1-and-done has made a mockery of the game, in some ways. You've got coaches chasing these 5-stars for their programs; you sign them, and then they're gone when they're finally starting to get it. And then you do it again the next year, and the next. Calipari--the kind of 1-and-done--has won 1 national title at Kentucky. It's all a big mess.

 

[LordVOLdemort]

Yep, it’s getting us back into the game we’ve been excluded from for almost two decades

Sucks for the poors!!!! Go VOLS!