Unless there is full transparency about which players every dollar is directed to, how can we measure the effectiveness of this collective? Otherwise we're blindly giving money and assuming there will be a trickle down effect that is keeping athletes at Ohio. But will a few hundred extra bucks each actually keep the best players (i.e. Sears, Vanderplas)? Probably not.
So what's the point of all this really. Unless I am misunderstanding, we are just funding pocket cash for athletes on scholarship who can still just leave when they get a better offer on the portal. It doesn't sound like there's much tangible benefit from what I've read so far. Someone please convince me otherwise about the benefit of this for a mid major program.
I’d suggest reaching out to the collective itself to learn about who is involved and what its strategy is. For example, is the plan to have involvement from former players like Preston and Trent? A lot of collectives include previous athletes for credibility to fans/alumni, brands, and current/perspective athletes. I imagine Preston’s and/or Trent’s inclusion would create more openness among those who are uncertain, given their experience as student-athletes and how much they mean to Ohio athletics/basketball.