Mora is right

[Kolumbo]

I can help out. Generally, there are 2 types of NIL. There is NIL money for top stars from brands like Nike, Gatorade,… that is going to top players based on the star’s ability to market the brand. Think Paige Bueckers or Caleb Williams. That is not what Mora is talking about as that only impacts a very few players. Then, there is NIL cash that is being being paid by collectives, small and medium businesses, individuals,… that is basically paying the players for some “use” of NIL but is basically a payout. I don’t think large corporations are a big part of this. That is what Mora means when he says NIL.

At most large universities, they have a well developed booster club outside of university oversight that has been raising money for years for things like facilities, athletic scholarships, coaching salaries, … Many are now involved in NIL. To my knowledge, I don’t think UConn has a booster club, as historically the AD has been the fundraiser. With NIL it has to be an outside organization that is raising the money.

Could very well go that way. Should go that way. Programs like Kansas for example. It is not a good football program despite all the benefits of playing in a power conference with Texas and Oklahoma. You almost have to make it your mission to be bad at football given the setup. Now Kansas isn't even in the P2. I doubt their donors will want to fund NIL when they don't care about football in the first place.

Texas, Oklahoma, TAMU, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, LSU - That conference is going to be printing money and making college kids filthy rich. Same with B1G. Forget about the G5. Many power conference members won't compete either.

some folks mention booster clubs and I'm still learning about this NIL stuff. Here is something included at The Battle's End:
"Under these new laws and NCAA rules, schools and booster organizations COULD NOT fund or provide NIL deals to athletes. This gave rise to 3rd-party organizations like The Battle’s End that can directly compensate athletes for the right to market the NIL of those athletes and help them maximize the value of their name, image, and likeness."

 

[Punkbo]

And if the football schools break off and form their own basketball tournament, what does UConn do?

Happy Thanksgiving! I don’t think this will happen. The football program clearly has bigger issues, including the expense to field a competitive team. I think UConn ends up in a regional football conference. The members of the conference will be dependent on the fate of the ACC. Since it’s proven that UConn can compete successfully in both men’s and women’s basketball, those teams will find a lifeline with a major conference.

 

[buddy]

Write your state representatives. End ESPN tax breaks. Give the money to UConn NIL collective. They are the cause of UConn's problems. They could have gotten UConn into a power conference a decade ago and didn't and still refuse.

 

[UConnJim]

some folks mention booster clubs and I'm still learning about this NIL stuff. Here is something included at The Battle's End:
"Under these new laws and NCAA rules, schools and booster organizations COULD NOT fund or provide NIL deals to athletes. This gave rise to 3rd-party organizations like The Battle’s End that can directly compensate athletes for the right to market the NIL of those athletes and help them maximize the value of their name, image, and likeness."

Most of the NIL collectives are offshoots of the booster clubs as they have the business leadership, organization, and fund raising capabilities that NIL collectives need. Somebody has to organize an NIL collective and to my knowledge UConn has 2: The D'Amelio Collective set up by D'Amelio and Bleeding Blue for Good helped set up by UConn. UConn didn't have a booster club in which members could set up a collective.

 

[Skies2018]

To blame the situation on Mora and AD Dave is just ridiculous, but you always try to get your cheap shots in.

I would love to know 1. How you think partially blaming a coach for a 2-3 win season his second year is cheap and 2. Who exactly you place the blame on.

We lost to FIU - it’s not a skill issue.

 

[Ldandy]

I'd like to take a moment to wish you all a healthy and happy Thanksgiving. You may now return to your previously scheduled arguments.

 

[Waquoit]

Oh yeah I'm sure he's only talking about millionaires. Give me a break.

Put up or shut up.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Put up or shut up.

Is the BY your “date” today?

 

[Blades]

They all leveraged what they did here to make money or more money and whether you like it or not or agree with it or not a lot of those chunk plays by the RBs or Turner's career year at slot are on tape and under Charlton's offense. And I'm not a big fan of Charlton. The two RBs this year left early and redshirted simply to maximize their monetary benefit.

Well that's a fair take on the $ for em' and "3" RB's overall. Besides the fact that Carter, Brewton then Houston might want to be able to walk after there college careers are over. Seeing that his offense and his rugby scrum formations gave them no room in space and kept slamming them all into his 7 OL/TE piles until they were all injured, multiply times. (Victor too). The WR's too had to love playing in Charlton's well conceived offense... where they're mostly used as blocking dummies and he had to lead the nation in passes thrown behind the line of scrimmage for little or no gain, SMH!

 

[uconnfan68]

That my boy, is called NIT 2.0.

Like we’ll have a choice? If the P4 decides to go their own way… you’ll think we’re special enough to go too?

 

[uconnfan68]

Write your state representatives. End ESPN tax breaks. Give the money to UConn NIL collective. They are the cause of UConn's problems. They could have gotten UConn into a power conference a decade ago and didn't and still refuse.

The ESPN tax breaks were for jobs in CT. Just like they gave to other companies.

 

[DawgEnjoyer]

If Mora is right (as the title of this thread suggests), we’re better off taking whatever NIL money we raise and using it to pay the players on the basketball team. We’ll never have enough money to support a full football roster and be competitive with the southern schools.

Mora is both right and wrong IMO

Yes, to compete consistently with top 25 teams we will need a boatload of cash.

But to beat FIU and Utah State, we just need competent coaching/ schemes.

I personally have never thought we would or could be a constant top 25 team...more 5-8 wins and a lower bowl game.

 

[buddy]

The ESPN tax breaks were for jobs in CT. Just like they gave to other companies.

The money would be better spent on UConn. ESPN has enough money to pay their employees

 

[Kolumbo]

I do

The money would be better spent on UConn. ESPN has enough money to pay their employees

I don't necessarily agree with the tax breaks and yes espn has enough money to pay its employees. The key is to keep paying those employees in Connecticut.

 

[Kolumbo]

Bleed Blue is the only NIL collective worth putting your time into. D'Amelio is a total scumbag who shouldn't be trusted with the money of young athletes.

I don't know this stuff but it would seem we need one collective and I checked out Bleeding Blue. It seems to have the right partners. Any collective named after a single donor, "dameliohuskies.com," yeah, I'd have my doubts. This is something they really need to promote and clarify if they are going to be successful at it.

 

[huskymedic]

This is something they really need to promote and clarify if they are going to be successful at it.

 

[KembaKek]

paid by collectives, small and medium businesses, individuals,… that is basically paying the players for some “use” of NIL but is basically a payout. I don’t think large corporations are a big part of this. That is what Mora means when he says NIL.

This is correct. UConn collectives use local businesses for these payouts. namely Jefferson Fry Co. and Gansett Wraps.

 

[FearThePups]

That’s fine as long as you don’t mind that UConn is never going to be competitive in football.

UConn has never been competitive in football so why should it bother anyone now? It’s a $30M a year sink hole with no hope in sight. All this talk about raising money so the program can improve is delusional.

 

[gtcam]

To blame the situation on Mora and AD Dave is just ridiculous, but you always try to get your cheap shots in.

I was a huge and to some extent still am a Mora man but we are starting to see the true colors of the man- the excuses are starting to flow.
AD David Benedict is worth less than you think - takes credit for getting UConn into the NBE when that was the NBE's vision/plan before DB stepped onto the Storrs campus. A total blowhard. I remember talking to him at The Rent right after the NBE deal was done and was speaking to him about the mens soccer team and he started by stating he is a huge fan but 3 minutes into the conversation he couldn't remember who coached before Ray Reid and how many NCAAs titles the program had won. He became flustered and walked away. Guy standing next to me just shook his head and said "and he's the AD - amazing".
Ever wonder why no school in the SEC has asked him to join them?
No cheap shots just actual observations
BTW - been a UConn athletic fan and booster since 1965 - probably before you were born and have seen a lot.
The issues with the football team lie more with DB than Mora but Mora had better restart producing next season and begin with getting a new OC and hiring a DC.
No excuses for winning only 2-3 games this season. Nearly zero of his portal moves produced.

 

[king conn]

The ESPN tax breaks were for jobs in CT. Just like they gave to other companies.

The other companies don't screw the state of Connecticut in return. ESPN does.

 

[RSTuthill]

A few of us are donating with season ticket seating donation ....

Is that true? Those funds go to UConn not to NIL, right?

 

[uconnric]

Is that true? Those funds go to UConn not to NIL, right?

Right the donations go to the UConn Foundation. They can be earmarked to certain sports or academics but don’t go to NIL.

 

[UConnJim]

Well, based on the upcoming meetings in NYC I'm hearing about, led by a deep pocketed UConn "booster", that's about to change. But Texas A&M just paid a coach $75 million not to. They also pledged $300,000 to get a New England area HS QB to commit. If Mora said we only need $1.5M to compete, he's kidding himself. The oldest adage in business is you get what you pay for.

Can you provide more insight? I would love to see a football focused collective. It just seems like Bleeding Blue for Good is focused on small dollar charitable opportunities. That's great, but I think UConn needs something more focused.

 

[BlueandOG]

One observation about AD Dave that irks me. I sent him an email when the band didn’t show up for the game- and I got no response. Nothing. At a minimum I would expect an auto reply thanking me for the message.

 

[Woof 101]

One observation about AD Dave that irks me. I sent him an email when the band didn’t show up for the game- and I got no response. Nothing. At a minimum I would expect an auto reply thanking me for the message.

With 21 division one sports along with the may lay of how they overlap, how could one single fan be disappointed not hearing from an AD? This unless you mentioned multiple $$$$$$ in the message.

Here is the one to write / call / complain to and you will get a response. Catherine Zuppani - Assistant Athletic Director of Athletics Administration - Staff Directory - University of Connecticut Athletics
the rest of the staff if you should need it.

Staff Directory - University of Connecticut Athletics

The official Roster for the University of Connecticut Huskies

uconnhuskies.com