OK guys, I have no clue… Does anybody have a clue as to how much NIL money we have for basketball? I also don’t know, is there any way to get that information? Just asking for myself…haha

It's been confirmed based on a pretty close connection from a poster here that Simmons is making six figures. I assume use of the phrase six figures implies the low end.

That's all I know, but it gives you an interesting sense and helps calibrate a bit.

That's a jump from when Boals said - in confidence (apologies, coach), a few years ago - we couldn't bid $75K for a big. That was pre-Cornish. So my assumption was always that Ike was in that wheelhouse, and we couldn't offer it to anyone else. I've operated in the assumption our max cap is likely in that $100K area, and if it's all going to Simmons... I can't imagine we're spreading much more than $50K around.

If Simmons is making $100,000 I want to cry, but I'm also surprised we're playing in that sandbox. I doubt we having much more than $150K to play with. I would've said $100K at most. Maybe $200K if Simmons is indeed pulling down six figures.

We really need to get creative. I know we're trying, and when you're dealing with $100K you want to bring in a proven guy (12 / 6 at Toledo is pulling $100K?! good lord), but in all honesty, I'd rather see two D2 bigs getting $50K each and praying we struck gold.

$100K for me should buy more than 14 points, but maybe it doesn't.

Perhaps, the situation is crazier than I ever assumed.

It is. Baylor is recruiting from the NBA G-League. Izzo joked about Jordan and LeBron having eligibility next. Do NOT think it too far-fetched for the NCAA to screw up.

I don't think BLSS was referring to you.

Let's also stop driving the narrative that just because the school is in Athens, OH, doesn't mean all of the donors are. Alumni are everywhere.

The Athletic Department just got a $1.5 million donation from Sacramento St. (Along with the rest of the MAC)

This post just make me curious about the potential of bringing in a GM. Thought I saw that was a new position this year added to the football program (I may be mistaken but thought I came across their twitter awhile back). I think that's a way to combine Boals' recruiting skills with somebody who can dedicate 100% of their time towards roster construction and research.

Not sure that would be possible at this point in Boals' tenure but just has me thinking what direction the program is going to go in the post Boals era.

Even if we add a GM, the lack of development, offensive identity, and scheme still poise issues for Boals and his staff.

BLSS and others post advanced analytics on shot charts, lineup combos, etc, that are also available to our staff. Judging how we continue to play free willingly with no actual strategy, that data appears to be ignored. A lot needs to be fixed with this program.

I REALLY need to understand more about this. There really is no way of asking, but I sincerely doubt we're better at this than they are - which leads me to where you are... they're ignoring it.

And I don't understand how. Or why. Other than quicksand. And fear.

Breath who had white preppy frat boys dunking circles around him at fiami? If his NIL package included anything bigger than a Tim Horton gift card, Boals should already be on a final double-secret-probation over it.

I lived in Murray for three years. What he says is true. Imagine a slightly more upscale Logan, and you've got Murray. Murray is in what's called the Purchase. This is the area added to Kentucky when President Jackson "purchased" the land from the Chickasaw Indian Tribe. The official name is the Jackson Purchase. Paducah is the "capital" of the Purchase. It is culturally very distinct from the rest of Kentucky. During the late rebellion it was by far the most rabid rebel area of Bluegrass State. My wife couldn't get into the social circles there because she wasn't eligible for the most prominent ladies group – the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

The only real industry in Murray is several car-fix-up joints that have a national reputation for taking wrecked cars and fixing them up for dealers to sell without a trace of their past collision history. This was actually written up in a national magazine (forget which one) when I lived there. It's a source of great civic pride. I doubt they contribute too much to the MSU NIL pile. Other than that, there's almost nothing there. Might be a few businesses in Paducah that would contribute NIL money. But, greencat, is essentially correct that if MSU can raise enough money to "hire" good players there's no excuse we can't unless we just refuse to the play the new "ringer-for-hire" game.

Miami is not outspending Ohio. Toledo and Akron might be. Talked to someone in the profession a couple of weeks ago. Said everyone will tell you what everyone else is spending but not what they are spending. But triangulating different pieces of data he believes UMASS is tops in the MAC at $1.3M.

It's ironic that he says Toledo has more resources when Ohio took one of their players.
 

This would explain how we were able to bring in two proven bigs at the D1 level this past portal cycle after whiffing the previous three.

Unfortunately for Boals and the program, the downward trend is going to evaporate the NIL budget faster than any lack of local businesses. Having upwards of $600K (but south of $1 million) to spend on a MAC roster that isn’t competitive and hovering .500 is pretty bleak.

Akron supposedly has a $1 million roster. Sure, $3OO-$400K is a sizable gap but not something that can’t be overcome with better roster construction and management.