Michigan making moves on the NIL front!
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/20…
Looking forward to donating once it's up and running with their big, anchor donors. This NIL program is going to be run with clear, audited financials and an audit committee with outsiders in it, so it's going to be done right.
Excited for this. Great work Valiant.
Both outlets have a writer that will occasionally show Michigan in a good light, but generally both outlets will shit on UM every chance they get.
Are you fucking kidding me?!
Angelique is the biggest puff piece writer in the history of puff pieces.
The "right" way is the one that results in recruits that help us win championships of all kinds. I think we need to move past the "Michigan does things the right way" days...
Go fast, go hard, finish. (that's what she said)
There's more nuance to the "right way" than you describe. I have heard other NIL collectives criticized or described as shady tax dodges. Matt Brown, of Extra Points with Matt Brown, appeared on the Solid Verbal and gave an interview that I recall mentioning those concerns. I cannot sidestep the Detroit News paywall, so I did not read the article, but the OP's summary indicated that Michigan's collective will have more transparent financials. Michigan can get recruits that help win championships without exposing its donors or athletes to an uncomfortable conversation with an IRS auditor.
Okay - Is that what they're concerned with? IRS concerns? This is such weirdly bureaucratic crap.
See goal. Score goal.
See girl. Get girl.
I get what you're saying, but the fact that its taken months and months for Michigan to even get the engine going is the problem. If this is of real value, it should have been built, out, and available in weeks... a year ago.
We are perpetually playing from behind in so many things. I love my school and I love our team, but tying one hand behind our collective backs because we feel it is noble and right, while we bemoan MSU rolling us, losing 20 outa 22 games to osu, and never winning a bowl game...
See players. Go get them.
In the old days, i'm okay with playing the "we dont pay. we are better. we value education." Now - its all out in the open. Do or do not. There is no try.
You do realize the school didn't organize this don't you?
sometimes faster isn't always better
HOMER: There are three ways to do things. The right way, the wrong way, and the Homer Simpson way.
BART: Isn't that the same as the wrong way?
HOMER: Yes, but faster.
SEC schools not named Bama have been recruiting transactional talent for years, and it hasn’t gotten them past the Crimson Tide.
You need committed talent.
You also need intellectually committed talent at Michigan or they won’t be eligible for long.
- I'm glad they did something NIL related.
- I'm getting tired of this "right way" holier-than-thou branding that they're pushing. It just reminds me of ND fans pretending that academic standards are what hold them back from being as successful on the field as Alabama.
The funniest thing about Harbaugh’s “transformational vs. transactional” bullshit spiel is that he just signed a 5 year $37M deal (with the opportunity for even more w/incentives) after trying out the NFL coaching carousel. But of course it’s not transactional for him though, just transformational. It’s only transactional if the recruits/players get a fraction of that money. So hypocritical
Doesn't seem fair. For one thing, Harbaugh himself didn't demand to get paid to come to Michigan as a student back in the day. (Sure, he couldn't, back then, but still -- no double standard there). Plus, surely the hypocritical thing for him to do would be to leave immediately for whoever's offering him the most money -- which he hasn't done.
He's not saying nobody should ever accept money that's being offered. He's saying players shouldn't choose to come to Michigan solely because they're paid to do so.
Doesn't seem hypocritical to me at all.
And while this blog seems full of cynical people saying "screw doing what the 'right' thing is, and just admit that we need to wallow in the mud like everyone else and be done with it," I like that Michigan is trying to hold itself to a higher standard. Doesn't always work, obviously. And I'm not saying we're the only school that does it. But ... I approve of trying to find the legal and ethical and effective way forward.
He did give away his bonus money to others in the athletic department... transformational.
And...37 mil sure would be transformational for most people. :)
He is still getting paid less than many who haven't even proven yet. So, I am not sure what you are referring to here. He is not stopping a student from going to another place where they pay them up front or more. Similar jobs don't pay the same in the job market. If you think Harbaugh is hypocritical, the whole job market is hypocritical.
My guess is they are saying hey we won't pay to to come here, but when you come for a visit you might happen to run into a booster that has a word with you about what happens when you get on campus.
Personally I'm glad UM isn't just doing it the way everyone else is....how is moving w the crowd ever a method to get ahead.
If all you have to offer is money in a bidding war..you are going to lose more often than not because there is always someone out there with a bigger cannon. And if you hire nothing but mercenaries then they will be out the door (transfer portal) at the first sign of adversity or phone call with a few more bucks attached to it.
Building a winning program isn't as simple as having the biggest payroll.
Then why are all the schools who are constantly accused of being dirty and paying players the schools who constantly win National Championships? And why can't you be transformational AND shell out cash?
I mean ... there's only one school that "constantly wins National Championships," isn't there? One that happens to have significantly lower academic standards (and requirements), meaning they're able to play some/many players that we would not?
I don't mean to be too disingenuous. I too would like to win like Alabama. But ... Saban will leave, some day, and then things will change. They always do.
There’s not a single player on Alabama that Michigan coaches would not take because of academics coming out of high school. They offer and go after many of the same players. The vast majority of the football team and frankly, the basketball and hockey teams, would not be admitted to Michigan on their grades and test scores. Michigan’s ability to take transfers is certainly hindered because of university-wide policy, but that doesn’t mean they don’t accept those students - just that their credits won’t transfer and they have to start over. In sum, the academic requirement is bullshit. Now, maybe if the argument is that we actually force people to play school once they’re here, that may be a different argument and one I’m not as familiar with. Maybe that keeps people away? I don’t know.
Of course you can be both...and I imagine that's the point of Harbaughs and UMs approach...to be both. But many here only focus on the 'transformational' comment and assume that's the end of it.
But Harbaugh has always been pro player AND about winning...so I dont believe he's going to settle for being relegated to coaching a second rate programme.
Plus Bama did it in the pre portal era. Much harder to hold a roster together now so you have to have more than money to offer. No surprise that Saban has been amongst the most vocal critics of the changes.
Downvoted because you posted a paywalled article and didn't off any summary or synopsis of the contents. Do better, OP. Do better.
The other posts haven't provided any additional information on what's being set up or how its run, only arguments about 'the right way' to do NIL and transactions vs transformations. As I have stated many times, there are no rules whatsoever regarding NIL right now, so whatever we're doing isn't enough. No serious recruiting = not enough NIL. If you whine about 'no pay for play is allowed', I will laugh in your face because nothing the NCAA would like to try defending will ever stand up in court.
We haven't played one game after getting to the playoffs last year, and everyone's yelling about what a failure Michigan is. Jeez. We'll be fine in recruiting, we'll get players like Haskins in that others overlook, and Harbaugh et al will coach 'em up. Man, the sky ain't falling, I promise.
That's because the same natives are,"restless!" All you have to do is check their posting history. The people who are Harbaugh Hater's just didn't get that way. The Warde Manuel haters just didn't get that way. They can't help themselves. There are things that Harbaugh has done that some posters said he'd never do. Now that he has it's still not enough. I'm glad he doesn't live vicariously through the posters eyes on mgoblog. Lol
I was never a "Harbaugh Hater," but I too thought he had lost the team and agreed that, unfortunately, we needed to move on. Sure glad I have no access and no power, and that nobody who does pays any attention to my stupid ramblings.
I dunno. I think anxiety is a sign of fandom. I have a friend from Alabama who never fails to tell me how much their kicking game sucks, and how they can never find good field goal kickers, and ... it always makes me laugh.
Sweet agony, being a die-hard fan is. Always sure that your team will find a way to fumble the win away, always sure that the refs will find a way to screw you, always sure that if only God didn't hate your team so much, you could actually relax and enjoy constant winning. :-)
Where does my post say anything about failure? All I said was that because the NCAA can't do a damn thing to stop anything means we should be going all out. We're not, but we certainly could be without any danger of 'punishment' against SVSU.
The croot class will end up just fine, maybe even better than last year. But we can't deny the slower than usual start, and all the rumors, either. Also, my posting history is anything but 'sky is falling Harbaugh Hater'. Like you, I also thought moving on was the option after 2020, and I thought his dalliance with the NFL went too far last year. But I'm happy he's our coach, and he'll prove that sentiment correct on the field - and on the trail.
Thanks for this!
It feels like the collective's that are set up (or close to being set up) are essentially the same things others are doing, except with an element of legitimacy to them. Meaning that they are looking out for the athlete as much as for the team. I don't get that feel from some (ie: all) of the others that are helping recruit #1 classes or just paying entire position groups.
Do I feel like expecting athletes to do something will hurt with the top kids? No. Michigan really hasn't ever recruited those kids, anyway...
Enjoy it while it lasts. It won't be long before enough decision makers deem the NIL business untenable. I figure it will take 1 or 2 more classes of bidding wars and then it collapses. I'm glad Michigan will attempt to steer clear of the muck and mire, and hopefully emerge from this with integrity intact.
"I'm glad Michigan will attempt to steer clear of the muck and mire, and hopefully emerge from this with integrity intact."
Nervous Bird, I think the animals escaped the barn many years ago. Probably before any current MGoBlogger was born.
Trust me on this: Michigan has been doing some degree of shady stuff with its football players for many years. For sure not to SEC levels (or OSU, or Clemson, or Duke and Kansas in basketball), but beyond the point of "integrity intact."
What's the difference between X (Michigan pre-NIL) and 5X (other schools pre-NIL)? What difference does it make if Michigan -- legally -- goes to 5X to match Alabama and Duke?
Question: How should we handle NIL as it relates to recruiting?
No one:
Absolutely no one:
NCAA:
Michigan: Well, I guess we have no choice but to do it the Michigan Man way that will put us at a huge disadvantage so that we can pat ourselves on the back and pretend like we're bastions of ethical behavior even though we have no leg to stand on ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Sure we hid sexual abuse and our married president shtupped a subordinate, but abusing NIL and paying players to participate in a dangerous sport is beyond the pale. We'll do it the right way by making distinctions without a difference.
Exactly. It's such a bizarre approach. It's like the NCAA handed Michigan a bazooka, and Michigan just decided "no, we fight with muskets around here, just like our great great grandpappy did, bc that's the way we do it".
I've read your posts in this thread and I've seen most call them "bad takes" or the like and I don't see where you've said a single thing that's wrong.
Many fans have a crazy notion that kids care about anything but waiting out their time to go pro. Many don't. For *most* of the top-end talent their entire college experience is just waiting out their 3 years to go pro. School was out for them before they left HS, they certainly don't care about learning anything in college. Further, many of the kids already at Michigan and never going to play a snap in The NFL fit this same description.
School is OUT. So, when it comes to where they spend their 3 years in college as they wait to go pro, money matters. It matters as much as it matters to you reading this! It's money. They likely have very little of it. It's money.
To be given a situation where there are no real rules and insist on playing behind a set of rules is...uniquely Michigan. The NCAA has exactly ZERO enforceable rules on the subject. They can send all the notices they want, they're done. There is nobody coming for TA&M, BAMA, etc. A kid can earn on his NIL and why a kid took money is up to them. "It's illegal to give money for a commitment"? Ok, I didn't go there for the money. I REALLY liked TA&M and then they just so happened to also have an autograph signing where I earned $500,000 for signing a single autograph. The NCAA cannot enforce intent of decision for an incoming college student. They'd get sued to oblivion and lose every time if they tried.
Anyway, NIL is a lawless land and kids absolutely go to college solely based on what they are given as they give zero shits about thenl education or scene at said college. That actually makes up the majority of major CFB players. To think otherwise is naive to a degree that is actually very funny, almost adorable.
Correct.
For these athletes in the money sports they are not coming to university to "play skool".
To call them student athletes is a fraud. Not just my words, Various AD's and Board of Directors have said the same.
I'm sure that WD will put that he's a donor to this in his twitter flair.
So now instead of yelling “Launch the money cannon!” we can yell “Launch the Champions Circle!”?
"Champions Circle" sounds very Brandon-esqe
It reminds me of the "Circle of Trust".... not a huge fan of it.
We're not gonna pay players to come to Michigan. We're gonna pay players who come to Michigan for a transformational experience. It's totally different.
TOTALLY!
Here's a compromise solution between pay to play and "transformational not transactional". You promise the player a pay to play, but most of it is payable only after they graduate, with a small advance to sign, or it's incentivized in a way that rewards the player for playing school and/or not transferring. NIL while they're playing is between the player and the collective.
I don't think inducing players to commit to your school is wrong. The transactional approach vs the transformative approach. Obviously you want to do some background research on the players to see if they are bad apples but saying Michigan is only interested in the transformative players is ignoring the reality that cfb is a business.
This is quite the topic, and it takes a lot of thought for sure.
On the one hand, this move is a fine thing. I have no problem with transparency -- in fact, it should be required and enforced, even though it won't ever be.
BUT, for this to work, Michigan's NIL amounts have to be competitive with the other CFP-caliber schools. If Michigan isn't going to say "we'll give you the same $1 million Alabama is offering for you to come here", then they better be saying, "if you sign and play for Michigan, we have a $1 million NIL deal in place for you."
That, as I see it, is the key. Michigan can do whatever it wants with the verbiage, as long as its NIL offerings (availability and amounts) are comparable to the schools with whom we want to compete.
The way the NCAA is set up for NIL, the only “right” way to do it is to spend the money. Who cares if the university is included. I don’t understand why Michigan boosters don’t just spend on their own. No matter what anyone thinks about reports of investigations happening, nothing will happen and those will be the teams dominating the future.