Zippy87 Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) contracts have already changed college athletics, and I'm expecting that to continue in years to come, especially when coupled with less strict transfer rules. We'll never operate in the same as as bigger schools, but I do think the schools that do this well will create advantages for themselves, even at the mid-major level. To this point, I've seen our student athletes connected to Barstool, Zips Merch, Sign Here Signatures, and Hey Dude. I'm assuming there are others I haven't seen/don't know about. Athletics will need to plan to try to connect our athletes to these opportunities as much as possible, as I believe this will be something HS and transfer recruits will look at more and more as time goes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 44 minutes ago, Zippy87 said: Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) contracts have already changed college athletics, and I'm expecting that to continue in years to come, especially when coupled with less strict transfer rules. We'll never operate in the same as as bigger schools, but I do think the schools that do this well will create advantages for themselves, even at the mid-major level. To this point, I've seen our student athletes connected to Barstool, Zips Merch, Sign Here Signatures, and Hey Dude. I'm assuming there are others I haven't seen/don't know about. Athletics will need to plan to try to connect our athletes to these opportunities as much as possible, as I believe this will be something HS and transfer recruits will look at more and more as time goes on. They would be better off instructing the athletes on how to live like a college student and save what little they get for life after college. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy87 Posted February 15 Author Report Share Posted February 15 3 hours ago, GP1 said: They would be better off instructing the athletes on how to live like a college student and save what little they get for life after college. Sure, but we both know that isn't going to draw recruits. This is going to have a significant impact on college athletics and the teams that get ahead of it will have a huge advantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roopride Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 Who has any facts and details about how AKRON is handling NIL? I could ask a ton of questions. How much NIL available? Is it public knowledge? where can someone contribute. Is it now better to contribute to NIL vs the school. I am curious but I am not a fan of NIL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akron1 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 (edited) No real facts about FEAR THE ROO MENS BASKETBALL COLLECTIVE LLC. Just a few clues on X... Edited April 2 by Akron1 additinal info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy5 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 12 hours ago, roopride said: Who has any facts and details about how AKRON is handling NIL? I could ask a ton of questions. How much NIL available? Is it public knowledge? where can someone contribute. Is it now better to contribute to NIL vs the school. I am curious but I am not a fan of NIL. How much NIL available? -- I don't know if any collective really publishes this Is it public knowledge? -- No where can someone contribute. -- Good question, hopefully they publish something soon Is it now better to contribute to NIL vs the school. -- School contributions can't go to players while NIL can. So it's up to you if you want to fund facility/travel type expenditures or to pay for players 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reslife4Life Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 46 minutes ago, Akron1 said: No real facts about FEAR THE ROO MENS BASKETBALL COLLECTIVE LLC. Just a few clues on X... They would do a read for the Fear the Roo collective at basketball games this year. I don't really remember what they said as I thought it was just the same as the Zips athletic club. Maybe some more info will come out in one of those newsletters they send out every month or so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 The collective might just be made up of a dozen or so Tommy Evans Lounge types. Perhaps they will look to expand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Zip Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 Bud Wentz discussed the collective at the beginning of this podcast with Joe Dunn 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 (edited) On 4/2/2024 at 10:45 AM, Sergeant Zip said: Bud Wentz discussed the collective at the beginning of this podcast with Joe Dunn This was a fascinating listen. Bud Wentz needs to be at the forefront of PR for the University - he's a tremendous communicator. For those that haven't listened to this, here are some key takeaways... - NIL program is built around community involvement; designed to retain players more so than attract players; Wentz believes there are changes in NIL are coming very soon that will make Akron's program more of the model as the "pay to play" schemes are going to get shut down - FearTheRooCollective.com is the NIL site; they're working on finalizing it to be more formal and easy to use; he mentioned one time donations, monthly donations, etc., and a wide range of amounts starting as low as $10 - The basketball practice facility isn't finished yet; a grand opening is expected at some point; Wentz said our facilities across the board are nicer than most mid majors, including James Madison - Akron basketball alumni, since Groce has been here, have returned at a very high rate to continue to support the program. Part of the NIL program is a former player assistance program so they can be involved and build longevity with the program @roopride You asked what is a better donation destination - the school itself or the NIL? That's a personal preference, but I'll say this: success in college athletics drives enrollment. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/online-colleges/does-march-madness-performance-drive-college-application-rates/ Edited April 4 by Let'sGoZips94 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZippyRulz Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 15 hours ago, roopride said: Who has any facts and details about how AKRON is handling NIL? I could ask a ton of questions. How much NIL available? Is it public knowledge? where can someone contribute. Is it now better to contribute to NIL vs the school. I am curious but I am not a fan of NIL. There's this from gozips.com : https://dash.inflcr.com/exchange/university-of-akron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 16 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: This was a fascinating listen. Bud Wentz needs to be at the forefront of PR for the University - he's a tremendous communicator. For those that haven't listen to this, here are some key takeaways... - NIL program is built around community involvement; designed to retain players more so than attract players; Wentz believes there are changes in NIL are coming very soon that will make Akron's program more of the model as the "pay to play" schemes are going to get shut down - FearTheRooTrust.com is the NIL site; they're working on finalizing it to be more formal and easy to use; he mentioned one time donations, monthly donations, etc., and a wide range of amounts starting as low as $10 - The basketball practice facility isn't finished yet; a grand opening is expected at some point; Wentz said our facilities across the board are nicer than most mid majors, including James Madison - Akron basketball alumni, since Groce has been here, have returned at a very high rate to continue to support the program. Part of the NIL program is a former player assistance program so they can be involved and build longevity with the program @roopride You asked what is a better donation destination - the school itself or the NIL? That's a personal preference, but I'll say this: success in college athletics drives enrollment. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/online-colleges/does-march-madness-performance-drive-college-application-rates/ I was going to go to the feartherootrust.com, but the website doesn't seem to work for me. Was anyone else able to give it a look? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 1 minute ago, kreed5120 said: I was going to go to the feartherootrust.com, but the website doesn't seem to work for me. Was anyone else able to give it a look? I had the same issue on my phone but wasn't sure if it was a work WiFi issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZIp Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 Glad to see the powers that be are putting something together. Whether you like it or not (I’m not personally opposed to players benefitting, but there is a lot that needs fixed), play the game or fall further behind. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 2 minutes ago, LZIp said: Glad to see the powers that be are putting something together. Whether you like it or not (I’m not personally opposed to players benefitting, but there is a lot that needs fixed), play the game or fall further behind. The way Wentz laid it out, it sounds like they're playing the game in a way that obviously keeps them behind the P6s (for the moment until things are restricted), but ahead of most G5s while also feeding into the culture of the team. It serves multiple purposes for Groce and the program as a whole... - Attracts the right kind of person to wear the Akron uniform - Promotes loyalty to the University which ultimately leads to more chemistry on the court (hopefully) with longer termed players rather than one & dones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy5 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 4 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: The way Wentz laid it out, it sounds like they're playing the game in a way that obviously keeps them behind the P6s (for the moment until things are restricted), but ahead of most G5s while also feeding into the culture of the team. It serves multiple purposes for Groce and the program as a whole... - Attracts the right kind of person to wear the Akron uniform - Promotes loyalty to the University which ultimately leads to more chemistry on the court (hopefully) with longer termed players rather than one & dones how about football? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 26 minutes ago, zippy5 said: how about football? Based on the research into the Fear the Roo Trust, it looks to be for each individual sport. I do wonder if Wentz is more on the basketball side while Kaulig handles football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy87 Posted April 2 Author Report Share Posted April 2 4 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: This was a fascinating listen. Bud Wentz needs to be at the forefront of PR for the University - he's a tremendous communicator. For those that haven't listened to this, here are some key takeaways... - NIL program is built around community involvement; designed to retain players more so than attract players; Wentz believes there are changes in NIL are coming very soon that will make Akron's program more of the model as the "pay to play" schemes are going to get shut down - FearTheRooTrust.com is the NIL site; they're working on finalizing it to be more formal and easy to use; he mentioned one time donations, monthly donations, etc., and a wide range of amounts starting as low as $10 - The basketball practice facility isn't finished yet; a grand opening is expected at some point; Wentz said our facilities across the board are nicer than most mid majors, including James Madison - Akron basketball alumni, since Groce has been here, have returned at a very high rate to continue to support the program. Part of the NIL program is a former player assistance program so they can be involved and build longevity with the program @roopride You asked what is a better donation destination - the school itself or the NIL? That's a personal preference, but I'll say this: success in college athletics drives enrollment. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/online-colleges/does-march-madness-performance-drive-college-application-rates/ Thank you for the summary. It's good to see them actively trying to build an advantage for UA. I don't know that I agree with Bud that major changes are coming, though, because of the advantage it builds for P5 teams. But I still think the mid-major schools that can build a successful NIL program will benefit. Did he mention anything about promoting players? To me, that's the biggest weakness with Athletics in relation to the players. Not promoting Freeman more, selling Freeman gear, having a Freeman shirt giveaway night, etc was a gigantic miss by the department IMO in not capitalizing on an all-time Zip. I'd like to see that change with future players who turn out to be stars here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 (edited) 1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: The way Wentz laid it out, it sounds like they're playing the game in a way that obviously keeps them behind the P6s (for the moment until things are restricted), but ahead of most G5s while also feeding into the culture of the team. It serves multiple purposes for Groce and the program as a whole... - Attracts the right kind of person to wear the Akron uniform - Promotes loyalty to the University which ultimately leads to more chemistry on the court (hopefully) with longer termed players rather than one & dones I imagine it's also easier and cheaper to retain players on your current roster as they already decided to play for Akron once. If you try to go after the 'free agents', who have no connection to the area, you probably have to pay a premium to get them to come to Ohio vs Florida or a Southern Cal school. Edited April 2 by kreed5120 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 3 minutes ago, Zippy87 said: Thank you for the summary. It's good to see them actively trying to build an advantage for UA. I don't know that I agree with Bud that major changes are coming, though, because of the advantage it builds for P5 teams. But I still think the mid-major schools that can build a successful NIL program will benefit. Did he mention anything about promoting players? To me, that's the biggest weakness with Athletics in relation to the players. Not promoting Freeman more, selling Freeman gear, having a Freeman shirt giveaway night, etc was a gigantic miss by the department IMO in not capitalizing on an all-time Zip. I'd like to see that change with future players who turn out to be stars here. I agree, it's not like the NCAA was behind NIL. They had their hands forced by the courts. Any restrictions they attempt will likely just get met with more lawsuits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: Based on the research into the Fear the Roo Trust, it looks to be for each individual sport. I do wonder if Wentz is more on the basketball side while Kaulig handles football. Personally, I feel NIL would go further with basketball anyway. You really only need 8-9 contributors on a basketball team and of those you only need 2-3 of them to be All-MAC caliber players. Football you need considerably more and those players are likely fetching more as well since football is much more popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roopride Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 Thank for the input and info. I’ll say I am not a fan of NIL but I am not trying to run it thru a grinder here either. Just trying to understand NIL a little better and how UA adapting to it. Not opposed to players benefitting, but scholarships (room/board/food,etc..) to pay for college are pretty good too. I think the combination of NIL and the Portal are what are really rubbing me the wrong way. And NIL being used to get players to basically pay players to come to a school is wrong. I trust it never was the intent but how it’s being applied you have to be pretty naïve to think otherwise. College sports has a certain meaning to me. It’s what I am grounded in. Kids changing schools every year and chasing money in these moves is not what college sports are about in my opinion. It is really changing my interest in the game. There has to be some $ limits somewhere. If a young man or woman are looking for the $ or feel they are owed/deserve the $ because what the university, NCAA, coaches are making; then go pro. That is where an athlete gets paid due to their athletic ability. A few other thoughts: Colleges like UA. · Where do they end up? · They can’t raise funds like the big boys. · I hope they don’t have to pay NIL to get certain caliber players. This is a vicious downward spiraling circle. · I am like others and assume the big boys will separate. So be it, but then how much $ have to be spent to be at the top of a second tier group My legions to UA · I am a long time season ticket holder. And a modest contributor to the school and athletics. · I really follow the ZIPS and not many other schools · That said I have little interest to donate $ for the purpose of paying players. · So I prefer to donate to the school athletics. · But I am not going to throw more and more money to keep up with the Jones (other schools) to pay for top players. I’ll pause for a moment and stop pouting. It’s hard to be enthusiastic and excited when the future is so uncertain. Hoping you guys here can make me feel better about all this stuff…………….. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egregiousbob Posted April 3 Report Share Posted April 3 (edited) 23 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said: - The basketball practice facility isn't finished yet; a grand opening is expected at some point; Wentz said our facilities across the board are nicer than most mid majors, including James Madison This is an EXTREME exaggeration. Take another look at JMU's facilities, for example. Their volleyball facility is better than the JAR, much less the bball arena. Edited April 3 by egregiousbob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGoZips94 Posted April 3 Report Share Posted April 3 2 minutes ago, egregiousbob said: This is an EXTREME exaggeration. Take another look at JMU's facilities, for example. Their volleyball facility is better than the JAR, much less the bball arena. They modeled their volleyball facility after Barberton's gym. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed5120 Posted April 3 Report Share Posted April 3 Scroll through the pictures. They just had this arena built in 2020. I don't think anyone could tell me with a straight face that the JAR is nicer than this. https://www.athleticbusiness.com/project-galleries/architectural-showcase/m1UCQrt96Q/atlantic-union-bank-center-james-madison-university#next-slide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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