UConn 2025 Outbound Transfers (Dec. 9th > 28th 2024 & April 16th > 25th 2025 Cycle) *No Speculation*

[History Geek]

I would argue only with one aspect of your post. These are not kids. They are men.

Young men. Close, but not quite, fully mature cognitively.

 

[Bubba1957]

Some posts compared this to going to a new job for more money. As someone who did a lot of job hopping here’s the difference; a new job/salary sets you up at a new level that will benefit you for years.
Leaving to make a few extra bucks for one year does nothing for your future earnings. In Yates’ case he’s leaving a good situation with great coaches that could help him achieve his long term goals in and out of football. Depending on where he ends up, it’s doubtful to me that his situation will be better. We’ll see.

 

[UConnDan97]

Surprised by this take.

Personally I have no issue with a kid transferring. But taking his name out of the portal and declaring his commitment to the UConn family after the Bowl game while knowing he was gone is just a weak move by Yates. Process matters

I agree with this. I don't have hate for the young man. It's just a rough look between him and the team, coaching staff, and fan base. I've stated earlier that I think the process he chose to do this probably makes it almost impossible to return from a "team credibility" standpoint.

Having said that: if Yates were to decide to return again, and if the coaching staff and team are willing to accept him back, then who am I to argue against it?

 

[BigTenFan]

Disagree. This is a kid saying I’m leaving for a better offer and then saying never mind, I love it here. And then a week later saying, oops never mind again.

They all have opp to enter portal, but treating it like a revolving door just reflects poorly on him. More, you know when he entered his name initially that the staff started looking for replacements. His coming back let them focus elsewhere. Now, who knows what was lost.

Your people can leave any day. That’s not how the portal works. If someone critical to the firm left the night before a case he was managing opened for trial I’m guessing your prepared pep talk might come across differently.

These kids are student athletes, not ladies of the night.

I think the governing body...NCAA or whatever it will be needs to define what a student- athlete is. Clearly the definition has changed dramatically in the past 2 years.

 

[CJasmer]

I think the governing body...NCAA or whatever it will be needs to define what a student- athlete is. Clearly the definition has changed dramatically in the past 2 years.

I think it should be changed to athlete-student.

 

[Stray_Dog]

I agree with biz on this. Heck, these kids are not doing anything different than coaches have been doing forever. The current system allows for this and the kids are taking full advantage. From my standpoint, college athletics brought this upon themselves.

My biggest concern is for the kids. This system is going to bring out some very bad players as "agents" and if kids don't have a good support group around them they are going to get some very bad representation and advice. The leadership at the schools that play in this realm have been completely innept at guiding major college athletics. They have been long greed and short of leadership. There have already been some very bad situations and I fear we are only at the tip of the iceberg.

I don't and it is just that, my opinion to NOT accept this position! Right or wrong, I believe in standards of behavior - one might say its the letter of the law being followed here. I realize we have taken much spirit out of the law and so suffer with a lack of common sense. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH THAT THIS IS MY OPINION!

 

[uconnbill]

Surprised by this take.

Personally I have no issue with a kid transferring. But taking his name out of the portal and declaring his commitment to the UConn family after the Bowl game while knowing he was gone is just a weak move by Yates. Process matters

That is my issue with it. I am fine with him being in the portal but then to remove himself and then reenter is a kick in the groin

 

[ZOOCONN]

I agree with this. I don't have hate for the young man. It's just a rough look between him and the team, coaching staff, and fan base. I've stated earlier that I think the process he chose to do this probably makes it almost impossible to return from a "team credibility" standpoint.

Having said that: if Yates were to decide to return again, and if the coaching staff and team are willing to accept him back, then who am I to argue against it?

I have a post on twitter that is fairly critical of him, it has been liked by more than a few of the players on the team and a few that played directly next to him. I would imagine him returning is not going to happen.

 

[gioff2323]

I think it should be changed to athlete-student.

Just athlete. I’ve a relative at a P4 school playing a sport, not fb. Trust me, most of the kids playing fb have not cracked a book or opened their school provided laptop.

 

[fleaflicker]

The energy on the UConn sideline at Fenway was through the roof. The energy on the UNC sideline was pretty neutral. We came to play. Happy New Year, Old Guy!

Thank You....Now, lets bring the Women and Men's BB team home with a W today. UConn is the sports capital of the world! Let's remember all the other UConn teams that are winning at an incredible level. Hockey, Baseball, Volleyball and more.....I wear my Husky shirt proudly....Keep the great Boneyard posts coming for the "old Guy"! Love reading them all......

 

[uconnfan68]

Just athlete. I’ve a relative at a P4 school playing a sport, not fb. Trust me, most of the kids playing fb have not cracked a book or opened their school provided laptop.

They can’t all be at North Carolina.

 

[CL82]

The hate for Yates is silly. The only people who should be bashing him are people who've turned down opportunities for jobs they've really wanted, paying them materially more, because they had just given a verbal commitment to their prior employer that they weren't going anywhere.

Unless you've done that because you thought morality required you to turn the better offer down, you really should keep your mouth shut here. I'm not bashing the kid because I doubt I would do differently in his shoes. Heck, I tell people who work for me when they take new jobs that what they owe me is two weeks notice and working their butts off every hour during that period.

On the other hand, if you've ever expressed an opinion on something without having lived that experience, your condemning, anyone else who's doing the same thing in this thread is, well, equally hypocritical.

Love you though Biz.

 

[CL82]

The portal is the wild west. I heard of a kid (friend of a friend) who put his name in the portal in December and had $100k+ offers thrown out quickly from a couple big schools (he was a backup at a P4 school) and ultimately he committed to a low level FBS school. What happened? I don't know for sure, but my guess is that there are offers and then there are committable offers. Schools will throw out an offer and evaluate all of their choices and then decide who they want. I just hope if Yates was thrown an offer with money involved that it was a committable offer.

This.

I think many on this board are holding onto this notion of loyalty, team, student athlete, etc., which simply doesn't exist anymore. The new model is a mercenary free agency approach which most often is optimized by adhering to self interest only.

Now, sometimes, players may appear to have loyalty to their coaches or to their institutions and, God bless them if that's true, but you will forgive me if I think that an unpublicized NIL deal may often be behind those decisions.

That's the new normal. The sooner you embrace that, the sooner you spare yourself a whole lot of heartache and indignation.

 

[ZOOCONN]

Man, he has transferred every single year since 2021

 

[Jewels]

What’s lost here is are these kids getting a Degree. I mean short term money is nice, but you can’t live the rest of your life on it.

I’d be curious to know how this is affecting graduation rates and looking at a kid 3 years down the road after he got a potful of money.

Is this really helping?

The opportunity to get a degree will be available down the road after the boatload of money comes their way. The other way around may never come again.

 

[BigTenFan]

Will be interesting 10 years from now analyzing how many athletes actually earn college degrees after all the movement.

Seems like most of the student athletes in women's sports graduate with a degree.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Will be interesting 10 years from now analyzing how many athletes actually earn college degrees after all the movement.

Seems like most of the student athletes in women's sports graduate with a degree.

Moving credits from school to school has to be a nightmare.

 

[Jetskies]

seems that way from what is on Storrs Central. The Mora story wound up on ESPN with Yates mentioned in the article as well. Wonder if "the suitor" drops the offer with that bit since with a commitment from Yates, it would be glaringly obvious whodunnit.

even if the suitor drops the offer, I feel like Yates is gone, now. that relationship has to be seriously strained. if I were JM, i'd be seeing this system for what it is, and everyone's true colors being shown. I see him as a guy who still wants men of character. Pryce messed up.

 

[noeynox]

Will be interesting 10 years from now analyzing how many athletes actually earn college degrees after all the movement.

Seems like most of the student athletes in women's sports graduate with a degree.

What happened to APR talk?

 

[Patman]

What happened to APR talk?

no kidding

 

[AllHusky]

What happened to APR talk?

At most of the factories, APR was a manufactured stat, except for the S-A's that were serious about their degrees, and there were plenty of those. The kids that were there to play FB/BB had counselors that made sure they were in classes that would pass them along with a minimum of attendance and work. In some cases, students were hired to attend class for the Athletes. Out of the system for a few years so have no knowledge of how it works now. Credits transferring for a guy who attended 3 schools in 3 years, impossible to meet the old satisfactory progress requirements requiring a percentage of degree applicable credits each year of eligibility. They must have admissions folks who evaluate transferable credits with a mandate to make sure the kid meets whatever requirements there are for Satisfactory Progress today.

 

[maple]

The hate for Yates is silly. The only people who should be bashing him are people who've turned down opportunities for jobs they've really wanted, paying them materially more, because they had just given a verbal commitment to their prior employer that they weren't going anywhere.

Unless you've done that because you thought morality required you to turn the better offer down, you really should keep your mouth shut here. I'm not bashing the kid because I doubt I would do differently in his shoes. Heck, I tell people who work for me when they take new jobs that what they owe me is two weeks notice and working their butts off every hour during that period.

Speaking for myself, I wasn’t hating. I have no hate for the young man and wish him well. I was expressing my sentiments that I didn’t like the flip-flopping specifically. And I feel the same way about coaches who act the same way, frankly.

 

[Hamms30]

even if the suitor drops the offer, I feel like Yates is gone, now. that relationship has to be seriously strained. if I were JM, i'd be seeing this system for what it is, and everyone's true colors being shown. I see him as a guy who still wants men of character. Pryce messed up.

He's definitely done here. I was just wondering once the ESPN article popped up and Mora made his comment if the other team would say.. ya know what, this guy isn't worth sticking our neck out for and then Yates ends up flapping in the breeze and is the one that loses because of another team tampering. I would be fascinated to read all about the ensuing lawsuit coming out of that one.

 

[businesslawyer]

On the other hand, if you've ever expressed an opinion on something without having lived that experience, your condemning, anyone else who's doing the same thing in this thread is, well, equally hypocritical.

Love you though Biz.

For what it’s worth, I think reasonable minds can differ on this.

 

[formerlurker]

View attachment 105896
Man, he has transferred every single year since 2021

No matter the odds, I'll never knock someone for chasing a positive dream.