Leaderboard

Here's what I learned Groce says we have 2 more players that will be committing in the next 2 weeks. Once they clear the compliance process announcements will be made. That will bring us to 13 players on scholarship. 4 more football players will be added through the transfer portal in the next few weeks. JoMo is very optimistic about seeing real improvement this season but is realistic about how far the program needs to grow to be a consistent force in the MAC. He totally understands how important it is to beat Kent! Every practice ends with a drill focused on making that happen. Embick says we should see improved scoring this season but we have a young backfield that will need to improve. The rifle team signed 2 freshmen that placed in the top 10 at the junior Olympics recently. Womens golf had their best ever MAC finish this season taking 3rd overall. Track and Field is getting ready for the regionals next week. They feel confident the Zips will be represented at the NCAA meet in Oregon.

😂

He might be, but I doubt it. Illinois was well under the 85 scholarship limit and had no way of getting to that limit outside of blueshirting guys like crazy. They were one of the schools pushing hard for the 25 yearly scholarship rule being suspended.

From February 22, 2022... https://www.rblandmark.com/2022/02/22/lths-boys-look-to-snatch-first-sectional-title-since-2001/ From March 23, 2022... https://www.rblandmark.com/2022/03/23/local-high-school-basketball-players-named-all-state/ Lyons Township senior Tavari Johnson was named to the second team and Riverside-Brookfield senior J.P. Hanley to the third team of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association boys basketball Class 4A All-State Team. Johnson also received honorable mention on the Associated Press 4A All-State Team.

We just landed Senior DT Ravontae Holt from Wyoming. Wyoming’s coach talking about Ravontae last season linked below.

They're all a bunch of hypocrites. Add to the mix that the NCAA is incompetent and ill-prepared to deal with the NIL stuff (despite the writing being on the wall for years) and you end up with a damn mess. The P5s and larger programs will eventually split off to their own rule structure.

I'm opened to having my opinion changed, but I'm against NIL for competitive balance. I'm all for the free market, but in a closed system/zero sum game (especial regarding sports as entertainment) you want competitive balance. NFL & NBA have salary caps so that small market teams (G5's & ~90% of P5's) can compete with the large market teams (~top 10% of P5's). This makes for a better product (NBA, NFL). I know, I know, I could have added 20 caveats to the post above. But that's my concern in a nutshell. There's not much competitive balance as is, but now I think there will be even less. P.s. As an aside, college athletes are supposed to be amateurs. They're already receiving a free education worth thousands upon thousands of $$$. Plus the athletes get a number of plush perks regular students don't.

Boo f-ing hoo Nick. These players are adults. There are NHL and NBA players making millions at the ages of 18 and 19 and nobody says poo. If college players make stupid decisions with their money, they should be free to do so. It's a free country. College football isn't being destroyed by nil and the transfer portal. In fact one could easily argue college football had one of the best seasons if not the best season ever last year. More teams are better and games are more exciting. Blue bloods worry about non blue bloods showing up to their country club in a pair of cargo shorts and a $10 golf shirt from Target, and winning the club championship. That's what Nick is whining about.

This is amazing!

It often feels like the Pac-12 stumbles their way around, but I like this move. The ACC is also changing their format. Seems like every conference would want their two best teams competing for the conference championship.