The more I think about it, the more I'm not surprised by his decision:

1) first and foremost, I'm sure he's receiving A LOT more $ (end of discussion right there)

2) he's probably going to start for a team that's playing in perhaps the strongest conference in college football. If he has NFL aspirations, what better way to see if that's feasible than to play against defenses that will field many NFL-level players? He's not going to see that in the MAC.

3) for once, he'll be playing in front of large crowds in the later part of the year. How much fun was the guy having playing in nearly empty MAC stadiums at the end of the year? Crowds where on the best day "maybe" approach 5,000, if that? Take a look at the photo galleries on OU's website of the last few games of the year-it's crickets. At least in the Big 10, he'll be playing in front of fans that actually attend games, crowds approaching six figures all season long. Face it, the atmosphere is much more electric at a Big 10 game than in the MAC for the most part.

Whether we like it or not, he's paid his dues. He played for OU for what, 4-5 years? He got a degree here, so what more do we want from him? Good luck to him, I hope it works out.

Yes, he was in the program for five seasons. He's paid his dues. What more do I want? Credit for Ohio University if he does make it. If he gets drafted to the NFL, why should he be Kurtis Rourke from IU when we put in five years and they put in one?

I hear ya... but we can't control that.

After last season, if he has success next season with Cignetti.......... (It will be tough to watch, but I'll watch and be happy for him)

Will be tough for him to not lean harder into that. Especially since IU is one of the worst teams in P5, pretty consistently. Imagine if they're competitive in the Big 10... OU has a chance to become the 3rd longest active bowl streak in FBS. Indiana hasn't won a bowl game in my entire life. It's only MAC football, but we're not exactly poverty. We were good before him. We'll be good after him. Indiana went into 4OT with Akron last season. If he can pull them from the dregs...

Honestly, I'm still in the mind that it will look positively on us - especially if Navarro sees success next season and we kind of just keep the train moving.

True, but take a look at the difference in stats. Not sure that's the point you were trying to make.

I sure hope the money he makes, which I don't begrudge him for taking, outweighs the shame of playing for the biggest laughingstock in Power Five football.

They needed three overtimes to beat Akron.

Careful Jim. They didn't teach common sense or basic deductive reasoning in the Mid-70's. Thinking OU would beat a team that struggled against and needed OT to beat a team with 7 MAC wins in 5 years is such a reach that one has to be drinking or doing drugs to come to that conclusion.

Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. Please forgive my previous post. Your logic can't be argued with by anyone who is sane.

You ain't wrong there!

CFL is not like playing in Europe for basketball. Only the best make any real money, with the average salary being $60-$100k, read awhile back that most CFL players have off-season jobs.

One of my kids has a friend who is an engineering major who is not a citizen (nor is his family). He goes to a school that requires Co-ops (hint: UC). He was not allowed to make money with these until he was 21. The school found a way to accommodate with unpaid school co-ops until then. I would assume that Rourke would be in the same situation, but past 21.

According to a Wikipedia article, Chip Cox signed a three-year contract with Montreal in 2014 (his 9th year in the league) for more than $200,000 a year. At the time, he was the highest paid defensive player in the league.

What I have heard from people close to the program is that Kurtis is going to be getting 500k in NIL.

Don't believe it has anything to do with the NCAA, but instead the US government. Something about working visas for international college students.