Need a RB in the Portal

[NorthKCHawk]

I have heard from people in person who I trust, as well as online that ISU has more than we do. Smaller school, yes, but I'd argue that their fans are just as rabid and they're basically building a small town next to Trice for $200M here shortly. Google Cytown. There's LOTS of money being spent in Ames.

Brad Heinrichs who runs the Swarm collective has also been on record numerous times on podcasts and interviews showing his frustration with not having the level of money that's competitive even within our own "tier" of programs.

So for me at least I'm pretty sure we aren't competitive. There's definitely been zero creativity other than a branded beer in trying new things to get money coming in.

Lastly, I think the results to this point speak for themselves. If Iowa was competitive financially, we'd have been making some waves by now. To this point we haven't even made a ripple. As far as guys not leaving, I do think we have one of the best cultures around and that has to play a big part. Higgins could've bolted but he's said how much he loves the Iowa program and staff.

Thanks, Fry. Those points seem consistent to the general scuttle, but as we know, there are lots of ways to raise NIL funds. The Swarm is the most visible way that happens, but I would imagine there are the guys you witnessed flying out of the IC airport that can be tapped to write a big check for a specific player. It also appears that coaches and schools are figuring out ways to funnel their own money through channels to compensate players.

I guess that is my point, there is just no way to really know how much money is being spent or is available because it is dark money.

As for not making splashes, I think the KF model for NIL would be similar to his approach overall: bring in 3 star kids, develop the shit out of them, and pay those guys as they mature to ensure they do not bolt. Use the portal to fill a handful of specific needs, but generally, rely upon your existing roster to fill holes.

But again, we had a 7-figure guy on campus this weekend, so there is money there. How much? Who knows?

 

[Westernhawk]

I'm curious what you guys think about the current NIL landscape.

I know that it's imperative to have a lot of $$$ in NIL funds to attract and retain top talent. So, part of me wants to give to the NIL, but...

I'm disgusted by all of it and it makes me want to turn away from some of this. I already ended my long term purchase of season tickets (plus I live far away from IC).

I'm definitely of two minds about all of this. You?

 

[Grady]

Not sure if you're joking here.

Braelon Allen for one. Chez Mellusi is another (albeit a guy who was setup with really tough injuries). Jalen Berger is another.

Long before them: Jonathan Taylor, Melvin Gordon, Montee Ball, James White, Corey Clement.

TLDR: Iowa gets one guy per decade in this category. Wisconsin has ~1 at all times.

I'm well aware of Wisky's tradition at the RB position. But I asked about the past two years. Allen's last year for the Badgers was solid: 90/yds per game. Certainly not dominant. And for your description of him as 'big and glamorous', well, I guess if you consider getting picked in the 4th Round with the 134th pick in the 2024 draft glamerous...
No idea what you're talking about with Berger. His last year at Wisconsin was in 2021, 3 years ago, when he had 24 carries for a total of 88 yds THE ENTIRE SEASON!
My point is, even at a school with tremendous RB tradition, it can be hard to sustain success.

 

[Fryowa]

I'm curious what you guys think about the current NIL landscape.

I know that it's imperative to have a lot of $$$ in NIL funds to attract and retain top talent. So, part of me wants to give to the NIL, but...

I'm disgusted by all of it and it makes me want to turn away from some of this. I already ended my long term purchase of season tickets (plus I live far away from IC).

I'm definitely of two minds about all of this. You?

If they figure out contracts it'll be fine. Copy the NFL model for parity, and at that point the best programs with the best coaches will win, which is how it should be.

Paying athletes can work.

 

[Fryowa]

Moulton is a fine fine player and I'm glad he's wearing our colors. He would not start for Oregon, OSU, Michigan, Penn State. He likely wouldn't even play.

Kaleb would start for those schools (or at the VERY least would've been a big contributor).

We are so far from those 4 programs you can’t even see them from here.

There are infinite things out of reach for Iowa that would have to happen in order to be like those programs, and RB is pretty far down the list.

Your attitude of seeing what the blue bloods have and expecting to be able to reach that level is what got nebraska and Wisconsin where they’re at right now, btw.

 

[IowaTeddy]

I have heard from people in person who I trust, as well as online that ISU has more than we do. Smaller school, yes, but I'd argue that their fans are just as rabid and they're basically building a small town next to Trice for $200M here shortly. Google Cytown. There's LOTS of money being spent in Ames.

Brad Heinrichs who runs the Swarm collective has also been on record numerous times on podcasts and interviews showing his frustration with not having the level of money that's competitive even within our own "tier" of programs.

So for me at least I'm pretty sure we aren't competitive. There's definitely been zero creativity other than a branded beer in trying new things to get money coming in.

Lastly, I think the results to this point speak for themselves. If Iowa was competitive financially, we'd have been making some waves by now. To this point we haven't even made a ripple. As far as guys not leaving, I do think we have one of the best cultures around and that has to play a big part. Higgins could've bolted but he's said how much he loves the Iowa program and staff.

Totally agree. But even if we could perfectly understand the competitive landscape of NIL accounting and fundraising across different programs, there is also certainly a "program" factor. And I think it weighs heavily for all of these guys. Whether an upperclassmen (on our roster) who could entertain offers elsewhere... or someone in the Transfer Portal who could consider Iowa as a destination, these guys are clearly thinking about some factors that are not simply $$$. I know it sounds corny to say, but I think it's true.

I'm not saying it really will help us land anyone in the portal, but it certainly seems to help us retain the guys we already have. Their familiarity with the program and opportunities for NFL development are big factors.

 

[Fryowa]

Thanks, Fry. Those points seem consistent to the general scuttle, but as we know, there are lots of ways to raise NIL funds. The Swarm is the most visible way that happens, but I would imagine there are the guys you witnessed flying out of the IC airport that can be tapped to write a big check for a specific player. It also appears that coaches and schools are figuring out ways to funnel their own money through channels to compensate players.

I guess that is my point, there is just no way to really know how much money is being spent or is available because it is dark money.

As for not making splashes, I think the KF model for NIL would be similar to his approach overall: bring in 3 star kids, develop the shit out of them, and pay those guys as they mature to ensure they do not bolt. Use the portal to fill a handful of specific needs, but generally, rely upon your existing roster to fill holes.

But again, we had a 7-figure guy on campus this weekend, so there is money there. How much? Who knows?

The one that scares me is ISU. They are spending literal truckloads of cash down there. That Cytown this is gonna be an impressive sight to behold once they get it done.

They'regoing to have restaurants, hotel, shopping, bars, 3-story medical clinic, big open plaza with a huge big screen & a stage/amphitheater, frickin actual housing units you can buy on ten year skids, fully-furnished with either 2 or 3 bedrooms...all right between the stadium and Hilton which are walking distance from each other. They're building a literal town for god's sake. How cool would it be to be a rich donor and have a personal condo literally right out the front door of your stadium on a 10 year renewable contract? Right in the middle of all the nightlife they're building.

Trice and Hilton could not be in more perfect spots. Out in plenty of open space, a half mile off a divided 4 lane highway. Absolutely crazy and as crazy at it is it's exactly what teams should do.

 

[IowaTeddy]

We are so far from those 4 programs you can’t even see them from here.

There are infinite things out of reach for Iowa that would have to happen in order to be like those programs, and RB is pretty far down the list.

Your attitude of seeing what the blue bloods have and expecting to be able to reach that level is what got nebraska and Wisconsin where they’re at right now, btw.

Disagree 100%. You said Moulton could hypothetically move and step into a starting spot in a lot of different programs right now. I think what you meant is that he could do that for bottom half big 10 teams. That's my point, that's not the kind of RB we need (to be clear, we 100% want him on our roster and in the rotation, just not as our feature back).

The whole point of this thread was to share my theory that Iowa could try to get better on offense with better focus on big time RB talent. Instead, every time the Transfer Portal opens we go crazy thinking about which QB we can go and get... on our limited budget... with a dogsh*t sales pitch.

You know what we are NOT going to have? QB and WR talent to compete with those "premier Big10 programs". You know what we could realistically have? A top notch OL and a big time RB talent that can control the game and give us a platform to build an offense around.

 

[Hawkboys]

I wonder if IA is struggling to let donors donate to the NIL instead of always to the Athletics program. You see how season tickets are setup where donating to the athletic department is required to get good seats.

 

[Westernhawk]

I wonder if IA is struggling to let donors donate to the NIL instead of always to the Athletics program. You see how season tickets are setup where donating to the athletic department is required to get good seats.

I was a long-time season ticket holder, and if you combine the required I club donation, the cost of the seats themselves, and then maybe an additional NIL donation, it's a lot for many folks, I think.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

Totally agree. But even if we could perfectly understand the competitive landscape of NIL accounting and fundraising across different programs, there is also certainly a "program" factor. And I think it weighs heavily for all of these guys. Whether an upperclassmen (on our roster) who could entertain offers elsewhere... or someone in the Transfer Portal who could consider Iowa as a destination, these guys are clearly thinking about some factors that are not simply $$$. I know it sounds corny to say, but I think it's true.

I'm not saying it really will help us land anyone in the portal, but it certainly seems to help us retain the guys we already have. Their familiarity with the program and opportunities for NFL development are big factors.

There will always be a "program factor" to a degree, but the impact is lessoning every year. Kids with enough talent and/or upside more and more are prioritizing the money. A program like Ohio State can sell WRs on their pipeline for example, and deservedly so, but they can't sign all of them every year. The program factor will apply more to good, but not necessarily NFL material-type, players.

One of the many problems with the set-up as it currently stands, is that there really isn't a big disincentive for, say, an elite WR to sign with Ohio State. If he doesn't see the field as fast as he (or his parents) want, he can simply cash the check and enter the portal.

Now, if we end up with an NFL-type system, where there are negotiated fee-for-service contracts and a salary cap (which is the only viable option to get control of the current free-for-all mess), then that WR would have to really think twice.

If that contract is for, say, three years, and is heavily laden with incentive-based pay escalations, he could end up riding the bench and not making much bank. Adding to that, I wouldn't be surprised if in that type of system, we see a return to the one year sit-out rule along with potential restrictive covenants, such as disallowing transfer within conferences. Players and families will have to realistically examine their options before signing, and the teams will have to prioritize how to distribute a limited amount of money.

Something has to give. It's going to be very interesting to see how all of this plays out over the next few years.

 

[Westernhawk]

I wonder if IA is struggling to let donors donate to the NIL instead of always to the Athletics program. You see how season tickets are setup where donating to the athletic department is required to get good seats.

I'm not very well versed on this, but it seems like the rules around this are changing very soon, and the universities are going to have to pay the athletes directly, with a cap.

I imagine the next phase is schools (boosters) figuring out how to beat that cap with endorsements/commercials/etc.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

I'm not very well versed on this, but it seems like the rules around this are changing very soon, and the universities are going to have to pay the athletes directly, with a cap.

I imagine the next phase is schools (boosters) figuring out how to beat that cap with endorsements/commercials/etc.

Right now, The schools can't. Legally. And I don't mean the NCAA. Despite what the lawsuit settlement may provide, if schools pay all these male athletes millions, without similar money going to women, its a serious Title IX issue. Its also a real big deal to make them all employees for a variety of reasons.

And, a cap is not legal absent Congress intervening or unionization, or frankly, it might take both. Its a clear anti-trust violation for competitors (schools) to collude to cap what they pay to their workers (the players) absent a change in the law or collective bargaining.

To be clear, it needs to head this direction, but man there are some thorny steps between here and there.

 

[Fryowa]

I wonder if IA is struggling to let donors donate to the NIL instead of always to the Athletics program. You see how season tickets are setup where donating to the athletic department is required to get good seats.

Hopefully the people not buying season basketball tickets anymore are giving that money to the Swarm. Holy smokes that place looks like a morgue on tv during men’s games.

 

[Westernhawk]

Right now, The schools can't. Legally. And I don't mean the NCAA. Despite what the lawsuit settlement may provide, if schools pay all these male athletes millions, without similar money going to women, its a serious Title IX issue. Its also a real big deal to make them all employees for a variety of reasons.

And, a cap is not legal absent Congress intervening or unionization, or frankly, it might take both. Its a clear anti-trust violation for competitors (schools) to collude to cap what they pay to their workers (the players) absent a change in the law or collective bargaining.

To be clear, it needs to head this direction, but man there are some thorny steps between here and there.

Agree, and thanks for the insights.

I read an article that schools will indeed have to consider Title IX. Having said that, they may put these athletes in tiers, giving more money to some (football) and less to others. Both men's and women's sports would be paid, but some athletes would get 90% of all of the money, I read.

Who knows how it actually ends up!

 

[Fryowa]

Right now, The schools can't. Legally. And I don't mean the NCAA. Despite what the lawsuit settlement may provide, if schools pay all these male athletes millions, without similar money going to women, its a serious Title IX issue. Its also a real big deal to make them all employees for a variety of reasons.

And, a cap is not legal absent Congress intervening or unionization, or frankly, it might take both. Its a clear anti-trust violation for competitors (schools) to collude to cap what they pay to their workers (the players) absent a change in the law or collective bargaining.

To be clear, it needs to head this direction, but man there are some thorny steps between here and there.

It’s going to have to go the route of collectives forming an association like the NFL has and agreeing on a salary cap, and doing away with the connections to the schools themselves and eliminating the NCAA. I’ve heard people at work talking about how there’s no way a Texas or OSU will agree to caps in a league with Rutgers or Vanderbilt or whoever, but I disagree. The benefit they’ll all gain is structured contracts. The players need to form a union, then the collectives will have no choice but to fall in line.

This is all basically a pro sports league with no restrictions on salary and no restriction on hopping from team to team. That’s never worked in pro sports and is doomed to fail. It’s in the interests of teams, players and collectives for the players to organize and create a league to administer everything that the NCAA isn’t built to administer.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Not sure I agree this is top tier need for Iowa.
After a tall WR who can catch.
A tackle who can pass block.
And 2 or 3 DB's

All bigger needs than RB...and make that two tackles

 

[BigD]

Well Tim has already made great strides and getting to QB's that far and away are better than anything our last OC had brought to Iowa. Now I am guessing that Tim is looking far and wide for a younger recruit that can carry the torch for Iowa for more than just one season. Year three could be real interesting for Tim as an Offensive Coordinator. The more successful he is the better QB's he will attract.

 

[Fryowa]

All bigger needs than RB...and make that two tackles

Good to see you back…don’t be a stranger so long next time

 

[Hawkfnntn]

The one that scares me is ISU. They are spending literal truckloads of cash down there. That Cytown this is gonna be an impressive sight to behold once they get it done.

They'regoing to have restaurants, hotel, shopping, bars, 3-story medical clinic, big open plaza with a huge big screen & a stage/amphitheater, frickin actual housing units you can buy on ten year skids, fully-furnished with either 2 or 3 bedrooms...all right between the stadium and Hilton which are walking distance from each other. They're building a literal town for god's sake. How cool would it be to be a rich donor and have a personal condo literally right out the front door of your stadium on a 10 year renewable contract? Right in the middle of all the nightlife they're building.

Trice and Hilton could not be in more perfect spots. Out in plenty of open space, a half mile off a divided 4 lane highway. Absolutely crazy and as crazy at it is it's exactly what teams should do.

Damn.... I hadn't been through there since the early mid 00s I think. And yeah they've always had all that room open for development. It's kinda crazy it's taken till now to get it going. But done right that could be a pretty bad ass environment for a college sports program there's no doubt.