It's a slow weekend, I've been getting over a sickness and haven't been as active on the boards in the last few days. So, why not make this the perfect time to share my overall thoughts on Michigan's NIL approach, what it means for the future and all that 😂
I have always been told to never speak on topics that I do not understand because you're just going to come off as an idiot. So, for me to claim that I am a NIL expert and know ALL the inside and outs of what Michigan is doing, both from a football and administration level, would make me a liar.
My major takeaways are these:
1. Is Michigan perhaps being a bit too cautious? Yes.
2. Michigan is absolutely doing the right thing by playing the long game here and not participating in the Wild West. Does that mean short-term hits in terms of recruiting? Yes but that's okay.
Again, I don't claim to know all the happenings with NIL and how Michigan prepared. Could you make the argument that Michigan as a whole seemed unprepared? Sure. We don't know that for a fact. This is why I think things are being a bit too cautious. The players should've absolutely been able to use school branding from day one. That's a negative.
However, there are positives to be had, too.
Michigan was way ahead of the curve in allowing student-athletes to benefit from jersey sales. This is a good thing.I can understand the sense of caution. Love it or hate it, Michigan has a reputation for playing by the rules upholding a "Leaders and Best" mantra. Oftentimes, that mantra has them tripping over themselves but that is something that is never going to change.
This brings us to collectives.
It's true that the athletic department and collectives are fighting over donated dollars. That's a completely different argument in itself. Yes, some collectives are way ahead of the curve compared to what Michigan is doing. Take Notre Dame's for example, their collective is a well-oiled machine between the football staff, the leaders of the collective to the donors. That is a system Michigan's future collectives would like to replicate. Again, things are slow because the big-time collectives that are in the works want to make sure that things are above-board. It wants the best for the student-athletes, present and future, and not put the athletic departments in a position to be hurt by any potential sanctions. Say what you will about the NCAA and lack of enforcement, this has been, and always will be, a long play.
Again, the short-term might be hurt by the lack of any major collectives. However, once these things are off the ground, above board and airtight, it'll no longer be an issue.This has always been a look to the future with NIL, it's never been about the present day. You might hate that fact but that's the way it's going to be.
Want to know what helps recruiting, too? Winning.
Yes, the argument that the football program should be recruiting better coming off a Big Ten-winning campaign is valid but the Wolverines have always been a program to close strong. The month of July has been good for the program but results on the field are going to be important.
Another strong season could show some tangible evidence to recruits on the fence. The Wolverines have always thrived picking up four-star talent, even fringe four-star players to low-end three-stars. U-M doesn't do its business in the Top-50 rankings. Sure, you get the occasional five-star talent but success has always been had with the developmental players. Harbaugh has been consistently bringing in Top-10 classes during his tenure. Save for maybe one or two, most have been right there.
Take 2018 for example, 24th in the country. The crown jewel of that class? Aidan Hutchinson. A four-star. The same class that had Hassan Haskins and Ronnie Bell. Not to mention NFL players such as Cameron McGrone and Jalen Mayfield.
Rankings look good on paper but development means everything. There's tangible evidence of development.
All I can do is stress patience. This season will sort itself out on the field and recruiting will follow. There's no sense in stirring up drama when it comes to the future of recruiting, as I am not a fortune teller.
Transformational vs. Transactional
That's a term from Jim Harbaugh that has a lot of people up in arms. What else is he supposed to say? 'Oh yeah, we're going to cheat our butts off!"For those who think Harbaugh's line of thinking is archaic, he's been one of the leading voices in the entire COUNTRY for student-athletes to have more freedoms. The one-time transfer rule, student-athletes to earn money off their name, image and likeness and many, many others.
That line of thinking isn't anti-athlete. It's common sense thinking if you're playing by the rules.
The line of thinking has always been from the staff, 'We can't offer you guarantees upfront. What we can guarantee is if you sign with us, your earning potential is unlimited.' Of course, that's general paraphrasing of what is being said but it's true. At Michigan, a student-athlete can make as much, or as little, as he or she chooses. There's no cap, there's no opportunity he or she can't have. That's how the rules have always been. Of course, with no enforcement and some grey area, programs are taking advantage of this. This is where the Wolverines refuse to compete and I don't blame them.
When things start to get into the second or third layer of families, cousins, and friends coming out of the woodwork trying to stick their hands in the pot, this is where things have lost the plot. It's a game that isn't new, it's always been this way. It's just not something the coaching staff is going to get involved with.
This is where the frustration is stemming from. 'It's hard to beat the cheaters.' Remember? The Wolverines can't combat guarantees with promises right now.
This is why collectives are important. It will bridge the gap between these frustrations and it'll be above board.
It's going to take time. Maybe the time could've been used earlier but what is done, is done.
After this long-winded post, I want to say that the sky isn't falling. The football program will rise tomorrow, it'll participate in fall camp and should have a strong season on the field. That speaks larger than any narrative that's being thrown out there saying otherwise.
It's always been about development, development, development. That will never change.
I, for one, will not sing the downfall of a coaching staff that is working with one hand tied behind its back. You can point fingers at why this is until you're blue in the face.
However, winning matters.
Until play on the field is impacted by the happenings in recruiting, I will not worry.
I will choose to trust the process and I implore you to do the same for your own sanity.
I have always been told to never speak on topics that I do not understand because you're just going to come off as an idiot. So, for me to claim that I am a NIL expert and know ALL the inside and outs of what Michigan is doing, both from a football and administration level, would make me a liar.
My major takeaways are these:
1. Is Michigan perhaps being a bit too cautious? Yes.
2. Michigan is absolutely doing the right thing by playing the long game here and not participating in the Wild West. Does that mean short-term hits in terms of recruiting? Yes but that's okay.
Again, I don't claim to know all the happenings with NIL and how Michigan prepared. Could you make the argument that Michigan as a whole seemed unprepared? Sure. We don't know that for a fact. This is why I think things are being a bit too cautious. The players should've absolutely been able to use school branding from day one. That's a negative.
However, there are positives to be had, too.
Michigan was way ahead of the curve in allowing student-athletes to benefit from jersey sales. This is a good thing.I can understand the sense of caution. Love it or hate it, Michigan has a reputation for playing by the rules upholding a "Leaders and Best" mantra. Oftentimes, that mantra has them tripping over themselves but that is something that is never going to change.
This brings us to collectives.
It's true that the athletic department and collectives are fighting over donated dollars. That's a completely different argument in itself. Yes, some collectives are way ahead of the curve compared to what Michigan is doing. Take Notre Dame's for example, their collective is a well-oiled machine between the football staff, the leaders of the collective to the donors. That is a system Michigan's future collectives would like to replicate. Again, things are slow because the big-time collectives that are in the works want to make sure that things are above-board. It wants the best for the student-athletes, present and future, and not put the athletic departments in a position to be hurt by any potential sanctions. Say what you will about the NCAA and lack of enforcement, this has been, and always will be, a long play.
Again, the short-term might be hurt by the lack of any major collectives. However, once these things are off the ground, above board and airtight, it'll no longer be an issue.This has always been a look to the future with NIL, it's never been about the present day. You might hate that fact but that's the way it's going to be.
Want to know what helps recruiting, too? Winning.
Yes, the argument that the football program should be recruiting better coming off a Big Ten-winning campaign is valid but the Wolverines have always been a program to close strong. The month of July has been good for the program but results on the field are going to be important.
Another strong season could show some tangible evidence to recruits on the fence. The Wolverines have always thrived picking up four-star talent, even fringe four-star players to low-end three-stars. U-M doesn't do its business in the Top-50 rankings. Sure, you get the occasional five-star talent but success has always been had with the developmental players. Harbaugh has been consistently bringing in Top-10 classes during his tenure. Save for maybe one or two, most have been right there.
Take 2018 for example, 24th in the country. The crown jewel of that class? Aidan Hutchinson. A four-star. The same class that had Hassan Haskins and Ronnie Bell. Not to mention NFL players such as Cameron McGrone and Jalen Mayfield.
Rankings look good on paper but development means everything. There's tangible evidence of development.
All I can do is stress patience. This season will sort itself out on the field and recruiting will follow. There's no sense in stirring up drama when it comes to the future of recruiting, as I am not a fortune teller.
Transformational vs. Transactional
That's a term from Jim Harbaugh that has a lot of people up in arms. What else is he supposed to say? 'Oh yeah, we're going to cheat our butts off!"For those who think Harbaugh's line of thinking is archaic, he's been one of the leading voices in the entire COUNTRY for student-athletes to have more freedoms. The one-time transfer rule, student-athletes to earn money off their name, image and likeness and many, many others.
That line of thinking isn't anti-athlete. It's common sense thinking if you're playing by the rules.
The line of thinking has always been from the staff, 'We can't offer you guarantees upfront. What we can guarantee is if you sign with us, your earning potential is unlimited.' Of course, that's general paraphrasing of what is being said but it's true. At Michigan, a student-athlete can make as much, or as little, as he or she chooses. There's no cap, there's no opportunity he or she can't have. That's how the rules have always been. Of course, with no enforcement and some grey area, programs are taking advantage of this. This is where the Wolverines refuse to compete and I don't blame them.
When things start to get into the second or third layer of families, cousins, and friends coming out of the woodwork trying to stick their hands in the pot, this is where things have lost the plot. It's a game that isn't new, it's always been this way. It's just not something the coaching staff is going to get involved with.
This is where the frustration is stemming from. 'It's hard to beat the cheaters.' Remember? The Wolverines can't combat guarantees with promises right now.
This is why collectives are important. It will bridge the gap between these frustrations and it'll be above board.
It's going to take time. Maybe the time could've been used earlier but what is done, is done.
After this long-winded post, I want to say that the sky isn't falling. The football program will rise tomorrow, it'll participate in fall camp and should have a strong season on the field. That speaks larger than any narrative that's being thrown out there saying otherwise.
It's always been about development, development, development. That will never change.
I, for one, will not sing the downfall of a coaching staff that is working with one hand tied behind its back. You can point fingers at why this is until you're blue in the face.
However, winning matters.
Until play on the field is impacted by the happenings in recruiting, I will not worry.
I will choose to trust the process and I implore you to do the same for your own sanity.
