If buying recruits becomes approved by NCAA, would Iowa become a force?

D

desihawk

Well-Known Member
A recent article stated that Iowa has the 11th most valuable (money-wise) program. In that context, would Iowa become a national recruiting power ranked yearly in the top-20 if bidding for recruits is allowed by the ncaa? I ask because Iowa is one of few programs with a mismatch between brand recog and recruiting prowess. Would the money factor improve things in recruiting? I am not talking about paying players a standard amount to play-- i mean signing bonus of any amount payable upon receipt of LOI. On perhaps a related note-- schools with solitary sugar daddies are already ranked high.

Would Iowa be winners or losers in this scenario? I am leaning towards the former.
 
They wouldn't be a national recruiting power but they'd be a regional recruiting power. Location is still going to be important and it's hard to believe Iowa could offer enough money to get too many players from the South to play up here
 
The distance between Iowa and Northern Iowa would get better, but the distance between Iowa and teams like Texas A&M or Ohio State would also get bigger. We only have one real big time donor, other teams have multiple billionaires just waiting to hand out money to kids.
 
thetrza said:
The distance between Iowa and Northern Iowa would get better, but the distance between Iowa and teams like Texas A&M or Ohio State would also get bigger. We only have one real big time donor, other teams have multiple billionaires just waiting to hand out money to kids.
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yes and no. I'm assuming you'd still have scholarship limits here, but I don't think there'd be much difference for the top teams that get all the best players they want as it is.
 
Iowa loses.

There are lies, big lies, damn lies, damn big lies and the way some football programs keep their books.

Iowa' s 'checkbook' to buy players is nowhere near 11th.
 
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Perhaps some teams currently at the top of the recruiting heap such as Texas will stay there but a lot of the others (specifically from the sec) that gain recruits simply because of location (e.g. Alabama and LSU) will no longer be able to sign up so many good players.

Secondly, teams could compensate (if they don't have unlimited funds) by recruiting strategically (perhaps because they have institutional strengths there). For example, Iowa could throw more money say just OL and build a team around them OR alternatively get a superb back while sticking with a home-grown OL. Right now (without money involved), the whole thing is harder to plan.

Money is a great equalizer. It greatly balances out the lure of tradition, weather, rule-breaking, and such. So much so that the top players won't be clustered at so few schools as they do right now. Pretty sure that Minny would've kept Cyrus K at home if they could've opened a check book.

And yes-- scholarship limits will definitely be in effect.
 
Clark said:
They wouldn't be a national recruiting power but they'd be a regional recruiting power. Location is still going to be important and it's hard to believe Iowa could offer enough money to get too many players from the South to play up here
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Money always talks. If a poor southern kid can get $2500/month up at Iowa vs. only $1000/month at, say, LSU.....where do you think he'll go?
 
desihawk said:
Perhaps some teams currently at the top of the recruiting heap such as Texas will stay there but a lot of the others (specifically from the sec) that gain recruits simply because of location (e.g. Alabama and LSU) will no longer be able to sign up so many good players.

Secondly, teams could compensate (if they don't have unlimited funds) by recruiting strategically (perhaps because they have institutional strengths there). For example, Iowa could throw more money say just OL and build a team around them OR alternatively get a superb back while sticking with a home-grown OL. Right now (without money involved), the whole thing is harder to plan.

Money is a great equalizer. It greatly balances out the lure of tradition, weather, rule-breaking, and such. So much so that the top players won't be clustered at so few schools as they do right now. Pretty sure that Minny would've kept Cyrus K at home if they could've opened a check book.

And yes-- scholarship limits will definitely be in effect.
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Except for the fact he wasn't from Minnesota
 
Minnesota has lost all its best in-state guys since their last Rose Bowl game almost fifty years ago. Letting Alabama or Notre Dame open their checkbooks isn't going to make a kid stay in Minnesota.
 
I don't think so. The ones who slip a lot of money under the table already, have way more where that came from. You take away the restrictions, and it's open season for those boosters.

Think of it like this. Right now, those boosters are the kids dismantling a car and rebuilding it in the principal's office, piece by piece. Removing these restrictions would be like telling those kids they can dismiss the deception and drive a fleet of cars through the front door.
 
Be careful what you wish for - when supply starts dramatically overrunning demand over in l'Ames, you'll be looking at the wealthiest program in America as recruits from coast to coast start throwing benjamin's at J.Pollard to secure roster spots for themselves.

This is all pending the SEZ being bowled in, of course.
 
desihawk said:
Perhaps some teams currently at the top of the recruiting heap such as Texas will stay there but a lot of the others (specifically from the sec) that gain recruits simply because of location (e.g. Alabama and LSU) will no longer be able to sign up so many good players.

Secondly, teams could compensate (if they don't have unlimited funds) by recruiting strategically (perhaps because they have institutional strengths there). For example, Iowa could throw more money say just OL and build a team around them OR alternatively get a superb back while sticking with a home-grown OL. Right now (without money involved), the whole thing is harder to plan.

Money is a great equalizer. It greatly balances out the lure of tradition, weather, rule-breaking, and such. So much so that the top players won't be clustered at so few schools as they do right now. Pretty sure that Minny would've kept Cyrus K at home if they could've opened a check book.

And yes-- scholarship limits will definitely be in effect.
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<<((S)imply because of location (e.g. Alabama and LSU)>>

If you really believe their successes are based on location and NOT "inducement", you're kidding yourself...
 
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