OK, I'm no "insider" but I recently had the opportunity to talk with an individual who is centrally involved with the NIL process. Some intel:
*** We have been pretty successful at AU, so far, in meeting the expressed NIL needs since Hew got here. 90% of these funds come from a relatively small number of donors (no surprise). The old adage we've heard in church, "10% of the members donate 90% of the budget", is true in the current NIL model. BUT, raising NIL money is not easy and every donation, big or small, is important.
*** Coach bowl cut has an annual weekend for about 12 donors (13 this past year) where they eat and drink with the HC on Friday and Saturday nights and play golf all day Saturday. The donors pay $1,000,000 each for the privilege. That's primarily how the pups fill their NIL chest and one reason why they continue to do so well in recruiting.
*** Once gus got his new contract in 2017/18 his clear number one priority was "protect the buyout". He could only lose his buyout if we got into NCAA trouble. So he basically hamstrung AU's recruiting with his extreme conservatism in the pre-NIL world. (I personally think he realized he was in over his head and would be fired eventually.)
*** Hew knows how to run a recruiting enterprise. The NIL money is absolutely necessary but there's a lot more to recruiting than the money. Spending NIL money doesn't guarantee wins -see a&m and miami.
*** The wall between private NIL and the athletic departments will come down within two years. Federal legislation will be passed in this regard.
*** There will soon be a super collective of the major conferences who will create their own league/governance. Some SEC teams like vandy and msu may not get an invite to this party.
SIAP or this is common knowledge to some of you connected people.
*** We have been pretty successful at AU, so far, in meeting the expressed NIL needs since Hew got here. 90% of these funds come from a relatively small number of donors (no surprise). The old adage we've heard in church, "10% of the members donate 90% of the budget", is true in the current NIL model. BUT, raising NIL money is not easy and every donation, big or small, is important.
*** Coach bowl cut has an annual weekend for about 12 donors (13 this past year) where they eat and drink with the HC on Friday and Saturday nights and play golf all day Saturday. The donors pay $1,000,000 each for the privilege. That's primarily how the pups fill their NIL chest and one reason why they continue to do so well in recruiting.
*** Once gus got his new contract in 2017/18 his clear number one priority was "protect the buyout". He could only lose his buyout if we got into NCAA trouble. So he basically hamstrung AU's recruiting with his extreme conservatism in the pre-NIL world. (I personally think he realized he was in over his head and would be fired eventually.)
*** Hew knows how to run a recruiting enterprise. The NIL money is absolutely necessary but there's a lot more to recruiting than the money. Spending NIL money doesn't guarantee wins -see a&m and miami.
*** The wall between private NIL and the athletic departments will come down within two years. Federal legislation will be passed in this regard.
*** There will soon be a super collective of the major conferences who will create their own league/governance. Some SEC teams like vandy and msu may not get an invite to this party.
SIAP or this is common knowledge to some of you connected people.
