Enjoyed a nice breakfast this morning with some folks. One is a current D1 WBB HC at a G5 program.
Asked her some questions. Her thoughts were interesting.
1) until this year, most schools had zero NIL for WBB except in cases where the athletic department had a set amount for every student athlete……basically mostly P4 schools.
2) #1 above has changed. Small amounts of NIL $ are accumulating for most schools.
3) the gap between P4 & G5 NIL $ is a gaping chasm.
4) no one can give a fair estimate of market value this year because the number of "payers" has risen dramatically. The amount available to most programs has increased dramatically. Likely a P4 program can pay more for a key reserve than a G5 can pay their best player, but not certain. People are learning more about the market value on a daily basis.
5) some schools simply "lead with money" when recruiting. Example: Miami Hurricanes [men & women]
6) budgeting a roster build is new to coaches. she thinks a couple of programs are likely blowing their budget on one key player when they could probably build a better team spreading that same $ among 3-4 players.
7) the number of players overestimating their market value is huge. HS Summer league coaches and "handlers" are largely to blame. While no one really knows the market, the comments on what players are worth is laughably inflated. The 6th player on a mediocre Summer league team is not worth 70-100K per year but some folks think that opinion simply makes you a "hater".
8) P4 NIL budgets vary widely. G5 NIL budgets vary widely. Absolutely not close to an even playing field.
9) professional opportunities [or moreso, lack thereof] matters. The WNBA has far fewer teams with far fewer roster positions. Players retire later due to less career earnings. Breaking into the WNBA is very hard. More 1st Round picks fail than succeed. Unlike the NBA, the top players also play overseas. Like the USA, overseas has fewer opportunities for women. Combining less opportunities with more competition means many players are left out. Also, it means the middle & lower rungs [lesser European divisions] pay very low $ contracts. The average D1 player will live worse going to a lower division Euro league. The health care will be worse. The travel will be less friendly. And sometimes the payments aren't made.
10) unless you are a top 40-60 player in college, you are better off becoming a nurse than playing pro. Get your degree. Go pro in something else.
11) if you think the portal is crazy now, wait until next year. Using NIL $ on a player creates production expectations. It isn't simply the players who will push player movement. 15 player rosters meant that many coaches allowed for underperformance absent off the court issues. Not anymore. Don't produce or underperform? Don't let the door hit you on the way out to the portal.
12) coaches 40+ years old hate what the game has become. Expect retirements/firings to explode over the next 2-3 years.
13) begging for NIL $ is degrading but necessary. "I should be focused on basketball not even more fundraising."
14) expect pace of play to increase. Players know that scoring helps their market value. Coaching uptempo schemes will get you better players.
15) she fields a huge number of inquiries weekly [during portal season] about "how much she has to spend?"
16) for all of the benefits that Caitlin Clark has meant to viewership, she has likely created more harm by crazy $ demands. Not blaming her, simply the reality of the situation. Players all want to be her and get similar money. They spend an insane amount of time on increasing their social media presence.
17) she thinks the "other sports" [not FB, MBB, WBB] are facing a looming death sentence. Don't be surprised if those 3 sports [& enough other women's sports to make Title IX compliance work] survive and the remaining sports all become club sports. The days of universities fielding 16, 18, 20+ sports teams is rapidly coming to an end. If the coaches in those "other" sports don't see it, they are blind.
18) some folks will welcome the P4 splitting off if March Madness [men & women] survives. The budget % of FB at G5 schools is higher than at P4 schools. A P4 split might save some jobs.
19) illegal contacts is at an all time high. Deals are struck long before the portal opens.
20) Coach Collen is very well liked.
Asked her some questions. Her thoughts were interesting.
1) until this year, most schools had zero NIL for WBB except in cases where the athletic department had a set amount for every student athlete……basically mostly P4 schools.
2) #1 above has changed. Small amounts of NIL $ are accumulating for most schools.
3) the gap between P4 & G5 NIL $ is a gaping chasm.
4) no one can give a fair estimate of market value this year because the number of "payers" has risen dramatically. The amount available to most programs has increased dramatically. Likely a P4 program can pay more for a key reserve than a G5 can pay their best player, but not certain. People are learning more about the market value on a daily basis.
5) some schools simply "lead with money" when recruiting. Example: Miami Hurricanes [men & women]
6) budgeting a roster build is new to coaches. she thinks a couple of programs are likely blowing their budget on one key player when they could probably build a better team spreading that same $ among 3-4 players.
7) the number of players overestimating their market value is huge. HS Summer league coaches and "handlers" are largely to blame. While no one really knows the market, the comments on what players are worth is laughably inflated. The 6th player on a mediocre Summer league team is not worth 70-100K per year but some folks think that opinion simply makes you a "hater".
8) P4 NIL budgets vary widely. G5 NIL budgets vary widely. Absolutely not close to an even playing field.
9) professional opportunities [or moreso, lack thereof] matters. The WNBA has far fewer teams with far fewer roster positions. Players retire later due to less career earnings. Breaking into the WNBA is very hard. More 1st Round picks fail than succeed. Unlike the NBA, the top players also play overseas. Like the USA, overseas has fewer opportunities for women. Combining less opportunities with more competition means many players are left out. Also, it means the middle & lower rungs [lesser European divisions] pay very low $ contracts. The average D1 player will live worse going to a lower division Euro league. The health care will be worse. The travel will be less friendly. And sometimes the payments aren't made.
10) unless you are a top 40-60 player in college, you are better off becoming a nurse than playing pro. Get your degree. Go pro in something else.
11) if you think the portal is crazy now, wait until next year. Using NIL $ on a player creates production expectations. It isn't simply the players who will push player movement. 15 player rosters meant that many coaches allowed for underperformance absent off the court issues. Not anymore. Don't produce or underperform? Don't let the door hit you on the way out to the portal.
12) coaches 40+ years old hate what the game has become. Expect retirements/firings to explode over the next 2-3 years.
13) begging for NIL $ is degrading but necessary. "I should be focused on basketball not even more fundraising."
14) expect pace of play to increase. Players know that scoring helps their market value. Coaching uptempo schemes will get you better players.
15) she fields a huge number of inquiries weekly [during portal season] about "how much she has to spend?"
16) for all of the benefits that Caitlin Clark has meant to viewership, she has likely created more harm by crazy $ demands. Not blaming her, simply the reality of the situation. Players all want to be her and get similar money. They spend an insane amount of time on increasing their social media presence.
17) she thinks the "other sports" [not FB, MBB, WBB] are facing a looming death sentence. Don't be surprised if those 3 sports [& enough other women's sports to make Title IX compliance work] survive and the remaining sports all become club sports. The days of universities fielding 16, 18, 20+ sports teams is rapidly coming to an end. If the coaches in those "other" sports don't see it, they are blind.
18) some folks will welcome the P4 splitting off if March Madness [men & women] survives. The budget % of FB at G5 schools is higher than at P4 schools. A P4 split might save some jobs.
19) illegal contacts is at an all time high. Deals are struck long before the portal opens.
20) Coach Collen is very well liked.
