OT: D1

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Then they should tell their head coach and his top recruiter to stop obsessing over it. He doesn't cherry pick it. He gets about 80-85% of every P4 level coming out of Western PA. I have it on good accord that James Franklin's obsession over the WPIAL is largely due to Terry Smith and Franklin's personal beef with Pat Narduzzi. They offer all WPIAL players that commit $100k and a Tesla simply so that they don't go to Pitt. Pitt can't offer that. They really don't care what they do once on their roster. Most fizzle out up there. The last player from the WPIAL to make any tangible impact at Penn State was Lamont Wade, and even he wasn't exactly a world beater up there. Franklin said this spring in a press conference that, "We love Central guys." He was referencing the massive number of Central Catholic recruits to Penn State over the last 10 years. The best college player he got out of that bunch was John Petrishen and his best 2 years were after he transferred to Pitt after not playing at Penn State lol.

I also know that Narduzzi doesn't really care about the WPIAL in the manner than most Pitt fans want him to. Pitt is hardly in the mix for any WPIAL guys ever anymore. They target maybe 3-5 local players and don't really bother with the rest. I don't necessarily have a problem with that to be honest because a bunch of them just end up transferring home in 2 years anyways (hello MJ Devonshire). And a 3-star from Florida or Georgia is likely a better player long term than a 4-star from Western PA. I think the sad part though is that not enough players see the value in simply getting on the field early and getting tape. Pitt doesn't stack up to the elite programs of college football. But they are exceptional at developing talent and getting guys into the league. That's mostly been true regardless of who the coach is. A Tesla and a bag of cash is nice at 18, but playing early and generating tape to have professional opportunities down the road is nicer.

I just hope they beat Duquesne. Losing streak needs to end.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I don't know how this is going to end or where it's going ... but, Jordon Hudson's involvement in UNC Football will be fantastic to watch.

Not sure if this will be more Jersey Shore or Dateline.

[Fightingscot82]

Devin Whitlock was a preferred walk on at Pitt, did not have a single "star" ranking from any recruiting site, and didn't have a single FBS offer. I'm not sure where you are getting that he was going to be a local star.

His two biggest scholarship offers were Duquesne and Youngstown State.

Okay. I think I confused him with Quinton Martin.

[IUP24]

I just hope they beat Duquesne. Losing streak needs to end.

I will buy you a Tesla if they don’t.

[IUP24]

Okay. I think I confused him with Quinton Martin.

Yes. They provided Martin’s family with an apartment somewhere around State College to sweeten the deal to get him. Not sure they needed to do that though. He grew up a Penn State fan and had little interest in other places.

[IUPNation]

No WPIAL players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Has it not become clear that the center of PA high school foosball and the level of talent has moved eastward?

[IUP24]

Has it not become clear that the center of PA high school foosball and the level of talent has moved eastward?

Not sure that's what the conversation is. I don't think anyone is arguing about where the talent is. Just stating that there's less population in Western PA, thus less players, equaling less big prospects.

[Fightingscot82]

We've ruined a good thing. FCS, D2, and D3 conferences should advertise that they're "real" college football.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/spo...t-20299985.php

[IUPbigINDIANS]

We've ruined a good thing. FCS, D2, and D3 conferences should advertise that they're "real" college football.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/spo...t-20299985.php

You sure? I thought only the top half of the P4 actually counted?

[IUP24]

We've ruined a good thing. FCS, D2, and D3 conferences should advertise that they're "real" college football.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/spo...t-20299985.php

I did not read that whole article, just the first part. But there's a couple things I can note here...

1. The "corporation spend" is ultimately where this is going. Private equity investments, large company investments, and the like, will get funneled into athletes pockets. Schools in locations where major companies are headquartered (Austin has Tesla and Dell Technologies with HQs there) and schools with more CEOs and executives in their alumni base than their competition (Michigan, Penn State, and Ohio State) are all going to be leapfrogged into a different level of spend. Nearly all FBS schools will spend the 20.5 million on the revenue sharing piece. But only a few schools will be able to lean on big corporations to do the rest for them.

2. That article also does prove what I've been saying for a while. NIL isn't going away, but collectives are going to be neutered - significantly. Corporations are going to be the ones paying these players to market their products and their brand (which is what the purpose of NIL was supposed to be). With the House settlement, these transactions do have to be above board. It will no longer be shadow money that is pay for play, but disguised as NIL. I'd rather know that Tesla is giving Arch Manning a specific amount of cash for a particular service he is providing for them, rather than Texas' collective be paying him to simply have a jersey. I do hope the evaluation process of all these deals holds up and works, which is what is intended to be the plan.

3. We can laugh about Arch Manning, but the fact that he and his family went out and got their own NIL deals is always what NIL was supposed to be about. I don't know what the number is that he's making, but I have heard for a long time now (and this article mentioned it) that Texas was never actually paying him a dime. I actually commend him for finding his own deals. I have zero issues with that whatsoever. That's what this was always supposed to be about. A local example... Pitt's Alliance412 pays every football player on their roster a figure that is at minimum 5-figures (don't know what the number is). But that's not NIL, that's pay for play. That's not what this was ever supposed to be.

[Fightingscot82]

I did not read that whole article, just the first part. But there's a couple things I can note here...

1. The "corporation spend" is ultimately where this is going. Private equity investments, large company investments, and the like, will get funneled into athletes pockets. Schools in locations where major companies are headquartered (Austin has Tesla and Dell Technologies with HQs there) and schools with more CEOs and executives in their alumni base than their competition (Michigan, Penn State, and Ohio State) are all going to be leapfrogged into a different level of spend. Nearly all FBS schools will spend the 20.5 million on the revenue sharing piece. But only a few schools will be able to lean on big corporations to do the rest for them.

2. That article also does prove what I've been saying for a while. NIL isn't going away, but collectives are going to be neutered - significantly. Corporations are going to be the ones paying these players to market their products and their brand (which is what the purpose of NIL was supposed to be). With the House settlement, these transactions do have to be above board. It will no longer be shadow money that is pay for play, but disguised as NIL. I'd rather know that Tesla is giving Arch Manning a specific amount of cash for a particular service he is providing for them, rather than Texas' collective be paying him to simply have a jersey. I do hope the evaluation process of all these deals holds up and works, which is what is intended to be the plan.

3. We can laugh about Arch Manning, but the fact that he and his family went out and got their own NIL deals is always what NIL was supposed to be about. I don't know what the number is that he's making, but I have heard for a long time now (and this article mentioned it) that Texas was never actually paying him a dime. I actually commend him for finding his own deals. I have zero issues with that whatsoever. That's what this was always supposed to be about. A local example... Pitt's Alliance412 pays every football player on their roster a figure that is at minimum 5-figures (don't know what the number is). But that's not NIL, that's pay for play. That's not what this was ever supposed to be.

Yeah and that's why its now tainted. Players were already compensated for playing - just not paid in cash. Tuition scholarships, housing and meal plan waivers, free clothing, etc. A tuition waiver for employees is sometimes a taxable benefit. Sometimes free housing is a taxable benefit for employees.

Go out and get celebrity endorsement deals, do autograph signings, get paid for working camps & clinics, etc. That's all legit work and outside of their position as XYZ University football player.

But $150,000 just for wearing the jersey on Saturdays is too much in my mind. I can't be the only one.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Yeah and that's why its now tainted. Players were already compensated for playing - just not paid in cash. Tuition scholarships, housing and meal plan waivers, free clothing, etc. A tuition waiver for employees is sometimes a taxable benefit. Sometimes free housing is a taxable benefit for employees.

Go out and get celebrity endorsement deals, do autograph signings, get paid for working camps & clinics, etc. That's all legit work and outside of their position as XYZ University football player.

But $150,000 just for wearing the jersey on Saturdays is too much in my mind. I can't be the only one.

One is worth what somebody is willing to pay.

[IUP24]

One is worth what somebody is willing to pay.

Within the confines of what NIL was supposed to be. You have to recognize that there are complex layers to this pertaining to college athletics that aren't just as simple as what you just said.

They are worth what somebody is willing to pay within the 20.5 million dollar revenue sharing model. And they are worth what a business is willing to pay (and deem legitimate exchange of services under the House settlement) for an NIL opportunity.

We can disagree on the entire premise of NIL, payments, etc. What we should not be able to disagree with is the process of how this was abused from the start. Some may like that it was abused, others may not. But it was abused and not the intent of what it was deemed allowable.

[IUP24]

From what I'm being told, Dugger's father felt he should be an FBS starting quarterback this fall. He fell to third on the depth chart after Heintschel passed him up. When it was clear he wasn't going to play, he transferred. He supposedly has a visit to Washington State, but otherwise, what I'm hearing is he is likely dropping to a smaller school to play QB and try to ascend back to P4 down the road. Pitt was his only P4 offer out of Penn Hills.

Cole Gonzales helps Pitt as an experienced QB who can be a backup. He played at Western Carolina (for Kade Bell and his dad) before going to Oklahoma for one year. He knows the Kade Bell offense and provides good experience in the event that Holstein goes down. I have to think there still may be some lingering health items with Holstein if they were able to attract Gonzales, although I have not heard anything to suggest that. QBs 1-3 of Holstein, Gonzales, and Heintschel in 2025 is far superior to Holstein, Nate Yarnell, and Ty Deffienbach of 2024.

Dugger commits to Washington State.

Somebody here had Dugger visiting Washington State, which was news that was never public. Just sayin’…

[Fightingscot82]

Reports swirling that Bill Belichick's 24 year old girlfriend is banned from the athletic facilities. If true, that's amazing, but also smart. She's nothing but a distraction and keeps others from cutting in on their arrangement.