Fans are part, major part of the problem
Not just our fans. Most fans. But we are on a State message board so lets just use this mb for the example. First is the issue.
- The system is broken.
- NIL is part of the problem. It's not a "fair" system. There are no caps and ultimately somebody is not going to be able to keep up. It's a problem with fans.
- The portal is forcing a system of 1 and done unless you have the money to retain. You can not build a team. It gets raided every year. You simply have to purchase a new team every year.
- Players are going to continue to sue to be able to be college players as long as they want. You are seeing it now in more ways than one. You have judge shopping to get a TRO. You have teams getting pro players to come in.
- and it's all in the name of winning.
That's where the fans come in. We see it here. Lebby was dogged out and demands of him being fired was extremely loud. Why? He did not win as much in year 2 as some thought he should. It did not matter that we had a talent issue. What mattered is the fact that we have some NIL and did not win because it's his job to "bring in winning talent". Because NIL and the Portal has moved us to a 1 and done type system, fans think that NIL is a cure all and it can be fixed in a NIL class. So we get loud and demand change. "NO REASON FOR IT TAKING TIME IN A NIL WORLD!!!" regardless of facts.
And there is the problem. We put coaches (not just State fans) on hot seats because of our desire to win no matter the cost. Not cost in the sense of just money, but in actions. We don't care what it takes just do it. Frick the fall out and ramifications. It's what has gotten us to this point. And we will continue to make it worse. But at what cost to the game and to the HS students.
Prior to the Portal and NIL, teams would sign roughly 25 HS players who trained and developed over the years. It's now estimated that teams have reduced that number by 40%. Since 2021, data shows approximately 400 fewer high school players sign FBS scholarships annually compared to previous cycles. For every 1 high school recruit a coach evaluates, they now have roughly 7?8 veteran college players available in the portal as alternatives.
Pre-Portal: 3-star recruits made up the "meat" of P4 rosters (roughly 60?70% of a class).
Post-Portal: P4 schools are taking roughly 20?30% fewer 3-star high schoolers, opting instead for 3-star transfers who have already played 2+ years of college ball. These "squeezed out" high schoolers are now signing with G5 (Group of 5) or FCS schools.
That trend trickles down. Those G5 and FCS players out of HS are now displaced too.
Here we are. We helped build this system. We continue to demand changes that results in less attractive college sports. Just today (and once again, it is not just States fans) here, we are calling for Jans' job. After all, it's his job to bring in tha talent. Right. Doesn't matter that most teams are going to out spend us. It doesn't matter. What matters is the win at all cost and just do it even though it's not feasible. We spend all of our time here demanding State step up even though it's not our money. Be honest. You know it's true. We want to win and the money people just need to step the frick up before we all get pissed and create a mob and burn it down. "we aren't a serious program because".. well because money people are not doing with their money what we want them to do. Again, you know it's true. So fire the coach.....
Things are not going to change until we stop the attitude of winning at all cost and start demanding the rules to change, we will never get a viable system.
I 100% agree with Ark coach Cal. Coaches are on hot seats from day 1 and it's hard to blame them for pulling in Pro players because fans want to WIN NOW. He also stated it screws HS students. That's 1 less spot. He stated until the rules change, coaches will be forced to do what they have too. You think Golding is going to get in trouble with the NCAA? No, he won't. You think LSU could not go out right now and spend another 45 million if they needed to?
I want to win as much as anybody. This system really pisses me off. It's not sustainable. As much as I want to win, I'm not going to be over the top "fire everybody" because we did not get every player we wanted. Because we are not going to out spend everybody. That's not a coaching issue. That's a system issue. It's going to get worse because money will 100% keep increasing until the creams of the money crops rise to the top and THOSE will be your new bigs that will be able to load the rosters.
