NIL Talk

[DeltaSwamp]

Where are we realistically? I'm of the opinion we are fine and we have had a lot of coaches new in several sports so I just think itll take time but some are worried about NIL. If they are right and I am wrong how do we get where we need to be?

[Goldendawg]

Rumor I have heard is that we spend most of our NIL $ to keep our good players, thus limited funds for HS "salaries". Connected friend of mine says we need to play "Money Ball". Look at how many of last year's aTm freshman class hit the portal after one year on campus. This may be sustainable for the big boys, but it's a mess for college sports overall. JMO.

[DeltaSwamp]

Thanks Goldendawg. thats where I figured we lived and am ok with it. aTm type schools will feed us and well get them with plenty of eligibility while we still finds the diamonds like we always have

[Coach34]

yep. Our NIL is mostly spent on keeping players- not bringing in new ones. Good strategy with limited funds

[ZedFedder]

That really isn?t the worst idea.

[maroonmania]

I hope we are doing well in other areas because this is about the worst start to a HS recruiting season I can remember since way back.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Just put it this way, every 3 star player in the nation thinks they deserve a big pay day. Seriously. They are all the best players on their team, they feel they should be a high 4 star, and one of if not the only real world convo they are having with each school is what kind of NIL package they can get.

[msu15]

yep. Our NIL is mostly spent on keeping players- not bringing in new ones. Good strategy with limited funds

Especially when we have guys that have extra Covid years.

[bulldogcountry1]

Rumor I have heard is that we spend most of our NIL $ to keep our good players, thus limited funds for HS "salaries". Connected friend of mine says we need to play "Money Ball". Look at how many of last year's aTm freshman class hit the portal after one year on campus. This may be sustainable for the big boys, but it's a mess for college sports overall. JMO.


The HS recruits we are going to get are the highest risk. I don't think we need to focus on HS kids, because there are probably 500 kids in MS who think that they are SEC players who deserve a big payday. Meanwhile, there will be tons of players in the portal that have had to prove themselves in college and have been humbled. It's not a great way to build a program, but it's reality. It's going to be the best NIL value for our program. It's probably the best option for all but about 10 programs.

[Cowbell]

I hope we are doing well in other areas because this is about the worst start to a HS recruiting season I can remember since way back.

We are about to lose a bunch of experience after this year. I wouldn't be shocked if we are going to be heavy in the portal.

[HancockCountyDog]

We are about to lose a bunch of experience after this year. I wouldn't be shocked if we are going to be heavy in the portal.

I've been told that the people driving the NIL truck are hoping for a 9 win season with a potential 10th win in a bowl to help drive NIL donations so that we can make a splash in the portal because it is an absolute necessity so that we don't have a very rough 2024 season.

I also like the strategy of spending our money on proven commodities like our seniors. I know the bears are spending money on high school kids, but look what happens when half of those kids don't contribute much their freshman year and then leave. That is a terrible investment and I hope they keep doing it.

[PGHBulldogBG]

I've been told that the people driving the NIL truck are hoping for a 9 win season with a potential 10th win in a bowl to help drive NIL donations so that we can make a splash in the portal because it is an absolute necessity so that we don't have a very rough 2024 season.

I also like the strategy of spending our money on proven commodities like our seniors. I know the bears are spending money on high school kids, but look what happens when half of those kids don't contribute much their freshman year and then leave. That is a terrible investment and I hope they keep doing it.

9 regular season wins? I can’t imagine people with realistic expectations think that. 6-6 or 7-5 is more likely and if one of those wins is over Ole Miss that will be a good year given our situation. 4 non conference should be wins along with UK and OM at home. @Ark is the swing game. Not sure I see much else unless we pull an upset @aTm which may be possible given their struggles against the Mississippi teams

[Goldendawg]

We just had nine players named pre-season All SEC with 5 on the offensive side of the ball (counting Thomas at PR). Surely, we can win at least 7 games. Hail State!

[confucius say]

Retention primarily. Some on the portal. Not focusing on paying HS kids because we don't have that kind of money.

[HancockCountyDog]

Retention primarily. Some on the portal. Not focusing on paying HS kids because we don't have that kind of money.

I don't think we will have that many kids that are worth paying big bucks for on the retention market. We have plenty of covid seniors and regular seniors that will be out of eligibility.

[SpaceWranglerDawg]

I was told that it was pretty "non existent" compared to other schools around us (was told the same about Ole Miss if it makes you feel any better). They are scrambling to get people to cough up some cash and not having a lot of success in doing so.

[Homedawg]

I was told that it was pretty "non existent" compared to other schools around us (was told the same about Ole Miss if it makes you feel any better). They are scrambling to get people to cough up some cash and not having a lot of success in doing so.

this just isn't accurate. Do we have a&m money? No. But we are coming along.

[confucius say]

I don't think we will have that many kids that are worth paying big bucks for on the retention market. We have plenty of covid seniors and regular seniors that will be out of eligibility.

We had a bunch after the 2022 season though.

Should be much less after 2023. Will spend more on the portal.

[SpaceWranglerDawg]

this just isn't accurate. Do we have a&m money? No. But we are coming along.

I sincerely hope that you are right, and have been information than I do. Which is totally possible. Most info that I gather comes from 3 families, so i by no means have the entire picture.

Based on what you know, where would we be in the pecking order of SEC teams and who would be below us?

[Homedawg]

I sincerely hope that you are right, and have been information than I do. Which is totally possible. Most info that I gather comes from 3 families, so i by no means have the entire picture.

Based on what you know, where would we be in the pecking order of SEC teams and who would be below us?

I can't give that an honest answer. I do believe we will be in a position to compete w our peers. Heck, we kept Tolu, that was no small task.

[Jarius]

yep. Our NIL is mostly spent on keeping players- not bringing in new ones. Good strategy with limited funds

It's a good strategy until you don't have any good players to keep because you didn't buy them up front out of high school.

[SpaceWranglerDawg]

I can't give that an honest answer. I do believe we will be in a position to compete w our peers. Heck, we kept Tolu, that was no small task.

Valid point.

But I can answer that question...it's no one. We are at the bottom of the list, at this point in time. Realistically, we're a very small school.

From the conversations that I've had, Mississippi State does not have the numbers to be competitive from a dollar to dollar point of view. We will never be able to compete on that level.

That being said, the Yankees haven't won a world series in a while, so there's a lot more than just buying the players.

[Homedawg]

Valid point.

But I can answer that question...it's no one. We are at the bottom of the list, at this point in time. Realistically, we're a very small school.

From the conversations that I've had, Mississippi State does not have the numbers to be competitive from a dollar to dollar point of view. We will never be able to compete on that level.

That being said, the Yankees haven't won a world series in a while, so there's a lot more than just buying the players.
Ok so if you know everything why did you ask me? It's clear you have no idea how much we have or have committed.....And if you mean being at Alabama ga lsu levels then no we won't. That's not new.

[Homedawg]

It's a good strategy until you don't have any good players to keep because you didn't buy them up front out of high school.

We have and will use nil to get players. Just part of it going forward. But we won't be ole miss saying it...

[DownwardDawg]

We have and will use nil to get players. Just part of it going forward. But we won't be ole miss saying it...
This is a great statement.

[State82]

Heck, we kept Tolu, that was no small task.

That was a huge NIL win.

[BeardoMSU]

It's a good strategy until you don't have any good players to keep because you didn't buy them up front out of high school.

And we're not losing all the top MS players to Bama, LSU, or Auburn....we're losing "em to OM, stud guys on D, no less.

If this is our current trend, the outlook is ****ED.

[Really Clark?]

Valid point.

But I can answer that question...it's no one. We are at the bottom of the list, at this point in time. Realistically, we're a very small school.

From the conversations that I've had, Mississippi State does not have the numbers to be competitive from a dollar to dollar point of view. We will never be able to compete on that level.

That being said, the Yankees haven't won a world series in a while, so there's a lot more than just buying the players.

Nobody knows what other initiatives really have and where we are in the standings. The most accurate statement anyone can make is we are somewhere in the bottom tier for football but men's basketball and baseball is very competitive if not top half of the league. Football is getting better but a long way to go to catch up. Anyone making a definite claim we are last in the league is just making it up and not considering Vandy. Charlie and a select few inside that circle actually know what we have.

[msu15]

Valid point.

But I can answer that question...it's no one. We are at the bottom of the list, at this point in time. Realistically, we're a very small school.

From the conversations that I've had, Mississippi State does not have the numbers to be competitive from a dollar to dollar point of view. We will never be able to compete on that level.

That being said, the Yankees haven't won a world series in a while, so there's a lot more than just buying the players.
Yankees haven't tried to buy a World Series since George Steinbrenner died. If they still operated that way Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Carlos Correa, and Justin Verlander would all be on the team.

[Goldendawg]

Rumor from a connected friend of mine is that if you donate $25K or more to NIL, you get inside information. I don't know anyone in that type position to verify this. Maybe one of you can. Hail State!

[Cowbell]

Rumor from a connected friend of mine is that if you donate $25K or more to NIL, you get inside information. I don't know anyone in that type position to verify this. Maybe one of you can. Hail State!


This has been discussed on this board multiple times and it is verified

[BeardoMSU]

Rumor from a connected friend of mine is that if you donate $25K or more to NIL, you get inside information. I don't know anyone in that type position to verify this. Maybe one of you can. Hail State!

He probably read it on this board bc someone just posted that yesterday or tdb, lol

[SpaceWranglerDawg]

Yankees haven't tried to buy a World Series since George Steinbrenner died. If they still operated that way Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Carlos Correa, and Justin Verlander would all be on the team.

I was just referencing the payroll.

[HancockCountyDog]

What most people don't realize is that there is no "right way" of dealing with NIL and getting players. Here is why - No one knows what actually works. Look at A&M. Go back and look at their number 1 class from 2022 (I think) and see how many of those kids have already left. How much money did that cost them? How many wins did it get them?

Sure there are a few schools out there that they can throw away 5-10 million in NIL money and not blink an eye. We aren't one of those schools and the bears aren't either.

This is all so new that no one knows what will actually work. UGA used NIL money to keep their roster intact, but most of the guys that carried them to a title signed pre NIL money and it was just old school cheating.

All i know is that if you go back and look at schools that are in the same position as us NIL wise and look at their recruiting classes the last few years and really look to see who is still on that campus, I think you would be stunned.

[the_real_MSU_is_us]

What most people don't realize is that there is no "right way" of dealing with NIL and getting players. Here is why - No one knows what actually works... This is all so new that no one knows what will actually work.

Not to be pedantic but there IS a "right way" to do it. The fact we don't have enough data to statistically probe what the "right way" is doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

There's multiple "right ways" to do it depending on how much money you have. The best way for UGA will be different from the best strategy we could have. But there's still a "right way" for both of us

[BrunswickDawg]

Not to be pedantic but there IS a "right way" to do it. The fact we don't have enough data to statistically probe what the "right way" is doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

There's multiple "right ways" to do it depending on how much money you have. The best way for UGA will be different from the best strategy we could have. But there's still a "right way" for both of us

To a degree, this is true. But, the definite "right way" to do NIL is to not have your head in the sand hoping it will go away. Cohen, and I think to a degree Lemonis and Leach, seemed to have done that and it has bitten us in the ass.
I know straight from a high level UGA donor that Kirby mentions NIL and how important it is at every single donor function and that the AD staff constantly stresses it and approaches them about opportunities. We have to be doing that as well - even if our methods and amounts of giving are different.