lou v said:

I don't understand your assumption that NU is not going to be competitive in the NIL era. To me, this year has shown that they can be. They signed 12 transfers, including Stone, who we know didn't come cheap. ALL of them participated in spring ball, and most of them enrolled in January, a first for NU due to a streamlined admissions process. They addressed their major needs with a QB, three OL and two WRs. The athletic department is committed to fully funding revenue sharing to the tune of $20.5M once the House Settlement is implemented.

Will they sign big-name transfers like Iamaleava or Beck? Of course not. Will they get the five-stars out of high school who command big money? No -- but they never have before, either. That doesn't mean they won't be competitive. I think they have the resources to fill needs in the portal. The question is whether they can get the right ones.

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Hungry Jack said:

Who the f*** cares about the skin color of the players?

It's time to get beyond woke idiocy.

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Hkjb said:

I agree - Painter is one of the very best. Unrelated question - is there a whiter team in the B1G? (Seemingly getting whiter through the portal....)

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prez77 said:

Someone enlighten me. Beyond following the rules, I don't get how it would advantage any program to have more than 20 walk-ons. The likelihood that there is a player that would alter a team's fortunes among the players "ranked" 106-plus is very small. It's rare enough that walk-ons among the 20 become starters. If a program wants to give players "106-plus" equipment, pick up their insurance, and have them participate in practice, I don't see what difference it makes beyond what that institution wants their program to be. Especially with today's transfer rules, you couldn't possibly warehouse talent that way and it obviously wouldn't cost you scholarships.

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PurpleWhiteBoy said:

He will have 2 years of eligibility, because he was a medical redshirt as a freshman.
To his credit, Luke earned his diploma before departing Evanston.

When Hunger committed to Chris Collins and Northwestern in November of 2021, he was the only recruit in that class and was generally considered a good prospect, having chosen NU over Pitt, Mississippi and Boston College.

He came in as a perimeter-oriented big guy, despite his heavy frame and his lower body strength. He never really picked up the inside game that many expected from him at Northwestern, in part because he was limited vertically and wasn't particularly quick. He couldn't score over most Big Ten post defenders. He was generally not a good low post defender for the same reasons, but did have a knack for offensive rebounding. His perimeter shooting never became an asset. He always played hard and remained engaged in the game. However, Hunger's lack of development at NU was very disappointing.

Some thought Hunger was a natural power forward, or a player who slotted between the 4 and 5. That sort of physique can perform effectively at the 5 in the Atlantic 10, where the centers are not as big or athletic.

It will be unfortunate for NU fans if Collins is unable to replace Hunger via the transfer portal and ends up playing a true freshman (or two) for major minutes at the 5 - or if the backup center is a transfer who isn't as good as Hunger. It seems to me that Hunger would have stayed if he only had 1 year of eligibility and hadn't earned his degree, but expectations are high for incoming Cade Bennerman, so Hunger's minutes two years from now looked very limited at NU. The timing made sense to leave.

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CoralSpringsCat said:

I give you credit…you are terrific at taking any bit of news and somehow manipulating it to take a subtle dig at Collins. Do you work for The NY Times? Washington Post? CNN?

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PurpleWhiteBoy said:

When Hunger committed to Chris Collins and Northwestern in November of 2021, he was the only recruit in that class

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CoralSpringsCat said:

Maybe. Who knows? I thought Barnett was close to cutting Austin early in his career. Same for the Flyin’ Hawaiian…wasn’t he a trainer of some sort?

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CoralSpringsCat said:

I give you credit…you are terrific at taking any bit of news and somehow manipulating it to take a subtle dig at Collins. Do you work for The NY Times? Washington Post? CNN?

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PurpleWhiteBoy said:

He will have 2 years of eligibility, because he was a medical redshirt as a freshman.
To his credit, Luke earned his diploma before departing Evanston.

When Hunger committed to Chris Collins and Northwestern in November of 2021, he was the only recruit in that class and was generally considered a good prospect, having chosen NU over Pitt, Mississippi and Boston College.

He came in as a perimeter-oriented big guy, despite his heavy frame and his lower body strength. He never really picked up the inside game that many expected from him at Northwestern, in part because he was limited vertically and wasn't particularly quick. He couldn't score over most Big Ten post defenders. He was generally not a good low post defender for the same reasons, but did have a knack for offensive rebounding. His perimeter shooting never became an asset. He always played hard and remained engaged in the game. However, Hunger's lack of development at NU was very disappointing.

Some thought Hunger was a natural power forward, or a player who slotted between the 4 and 5. That sort of physique can perform effectively at the 5 in the Atlantic 10, where the centers are not as big or athletic.

It will be unfortunate for NU fans if Collins is unable to replace Hunger via the transfer portal and ends up playing a true freshman (or two) for major minutes at the 5 - or if the backup center is a transfer who isn't as good as Hunger. It seems to me that Hunger would have stayed if he only had 1 year of eligibility and hadn't earned his degree, but expectations are high for incoming Cade Bennerman, so Hunger's minutes two years from now looked very limited at NU. The timing made sense to leave.

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prez77 said:

My position is a program should have as many walk-ons as it would like and I don't see any anti-competitive reasons not to let them. Would Austin, Barry or Zeke really have been outside the first 20 though?

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CMcCat said:

Dear Grok: In the current NIL era, is it wise for Northwestern University to construct an $800 million football stadium?

Answer: The decision for Northwestern University to build an $850 million football stadium (per updated estimates) in the current Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era is a complex one, with significant financial, strategic, and competitive implications. Below, I evaluate the wisdom of this investment by analyzing the key factors, including the impact of NIL, financial feasibility, competitive positioning, and alternative uses of funds.

In this environment, universities must balance investments in facilities, NIL programs, and other athletic priorities while maintaining academic and community commitments.

(Analysis omitted due to length)

Conclusion:
Building an $850 million stadium is a bold but risky move for Northwestern in the NIL era. The project’s private funding, long-term revenue potential, and alignment with industry trends make it financially feasible and strategically appealing, particularly for enhancing fan experience and community ties. However, the opportunity cost is significant: funds could be used to strengthen NIL efforts, which are more critical for recruiting and competing in the Big Ten’s upper echelon. The stadium’s success hinges on Northwestern’s ability to generate consistent revenue from premium seating and events while navigating community opposition and legal risks.

**Recommendation**: The stadium is a reasonable investment given its private funding and potential to modernize Northwestern’s program, but it should not come at the expense of NIL competitiveness. Northwestern must aggressively grow its NIL collective (through donor support or stadium revenue) to ensure the program can attract talent to match its new facilities. Without a balanced approach, the stadium risks becoming a shiny monument to ambition that fails to deliver on-field success in the NIL-driven landscape.

If you’d like me to analyze specific financial projections, recruiting data, or community impact further, let me know!

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HailToPurple said:

This new world of college athletics is very sad to this older Wildcat fan. And I suspect to older fans at every school.

There was a time, not too long ago, when most football and basketball players were recruited as freshmen and could almost be counted on to play for their school for a full four years. A few transfers did occur, but for the most part they were few and far between.

Now, however, there is little loyalty to the school that does the initial recruiting. Transfers at just about every year and level are rampant. And I really have to wonder if many of these work out better for the players than if they would have stayed where they were.

It used to be that we would have a quarterback who would be a backup and only see limited clean up action during his freshman year. Or he would red shirt and see no action. Then he would emerge as a starter in his second or third year when the previous starter graduated. So we could relate to him as true Wildcat, because he would be with our program throughout his entire college career.

But now every year it seems we get a graduate transfer with only one year remaining. So he really never becomes a true Wildcat like a four-year player would be. More of a pro brought in for a quick one-year fix.

That’s the way it seems to be now, and I doubt that it will ever go back to the old way. Sad to some of us older fans, but probably not much that can be done about it.

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CappyNU said:

Dude.

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Hkjb said:

I agree - Painter is one of the very best. Unrelated question - is there a whiter team in the B1G? (Seemingly getting whiter through the portal....)

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Hkjb said:

Unrelated question - is there a whiter team in the B1G? (Seemingly getting whiter through the portal....)

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