EXCLUSIVE: Northwestern will be 'very aggressive' in early portal window

[lou v]

Armed with more NIL money, sources say the Cats are ready to rebuild their roster with transfers next month.

Sources: Northwestern will be 'very aggressive' in early portal window

Armed with more NIL money, sources say the Cats are ready to rebuild their roster with transfers next month.

northwestern.rivals.com

 

[TheC]

This will be interesting. Some of you have put forward the idea that Northwestern could buy themselves back into the game. The question now is whether money will be enough to get players here and if admissions will play ball too. As I have said on here before, I think NU should strive for excellence all around and that includes on the field/court. If someone is one of the best in the world at what they do, why wouldn't we want them here just because they don't meet some artificial threshold?

 

[1060Ivy]

Without major changes to admissions standards will NIL matter?

Article notes change to admissions timing so players can start Winter Quarter but no clue how many this impacts as no mention of standards changes

 

[AdamOnFirst]

This is a bombshell report. The transfer window change and the increase and money in and of itself is potentially game changing, but even greater the explicit indication that Northwestern as an institution is "all in" on adapting to modern CFB is majo major news with revenue sharing forthcoming. What a hopeful scoop.

 

[NUCat320]

“Streamlined Admission Process” is music to my ears.

If NU does this right, we’ll be talking pre-SAP and post-SAP eras.

Make it so, general manager Luke Walerius!

 

[wildcatpn]

Without major changes to admissions standards will NIL matter?

Article notes change to admissions timing so players can start Winter Quarter but no clue how many this impacts as no mention of standards changes

At the very least it will help us to stop getting killed by Duke and Stanford in recruiting.

 

[CMcCat]

This is a bombshell report as it marks a transition in NU football and associated strategy. The “forty-year decision” recruiting approach is over. NU falls in line with the rest of the TV contract-funded programs.

As for me, my pro team plays on Sunday.

 

[Styre]

Hang on, I was told that NU effectively wouldn't participate in NIL and the athletic department would fall apart, leading us to drop down to the MAC.

 

[corbi296]

This is a bombshell report as it marks a transition in NU football and associated strategy. The “forty-year decision” recruiting approach is over. NU falls in line with the rest of the TV contract-funded programs.

As for me, my pro team plays on Sunday.

Why would the “40 year decision” approach end? It’s still NU’s most effective recruiting pitch to HS seniors and that is why many of our recent transfers out of NU have done so after getting their NU degree. By the way, nothing I’ve heard so far makes me think this pool of NIL money will be used to attract HS recruits. There will be some exceptions, but my impression is the majority of money will be used to retain NU talent and to attract transfers.

 

[JoeWildcat]

Hang on, I was told that NU effectively wouldn't participate in NIL and the athletic department would fall apart, leading us to drop down to the MAC.

The MAC didn’t want us, so we had to push the reset button.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Why would the “40 year decision” approach end? It’s still NU’s most effective recruiting pitch to HS seniors and that is why many of our recent transfers out of NU have done so after getting their NU degree. By the way, nothing I’ve heard so far makes me think this pool of NIL money will be used to attract HS recruits. There will be some exceptions, but my impression is the majority of money will be used to retain NU talent and to attract transfers.

A better QB in the portal, and impact WR, and Priebe and Heard still on the team would be a somewhat big deal.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Without major changes to admissions standards will NIL matter?

Article notes change to admissions timing so players can start Winter Quarter but no clue how many this impacts as no mention of standards changes

IT explicitly does not include changes to admissions standards.

This one story doesn't change every single issue we've complained about, but it's a huge huge change in both direct dollars and attitude change. Be happy. Take today's loaf.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Hang on, I was told that NU effectively wouldn't participate in NIL and the athletic department would fall apart, leading us to drop down to the MAC.

You might want to read the rest of the article.

 

[Hungry Jack]

The MAC didn’t want us, so we had to push the reset button.

Why would the MAC turn down a program that it regularly beats?

 

[CMcCat]

Why would the “40 year decision” approach end? It’s still NU’s most effective recruiting pitch to HS seniors and that is why many of our recent transfers out of NU have done so after getting their NU degree. By the way, nothing I’ve heard so far makes me think this pool of NIL money will be used to attract HS recruits. There will be some exceptions, but my impression is the majority of money will be used to retain NU talent and to attract transfers.

There is the long-term reason and the short-term reason.

The short-term reason is that this is now pro football. The introduction of formal compensation, variable across competing programs means that pay becomes the decisive factor. Look at the NFL. There is some competition around facilities and player fit and other factors. But compensation predominates.

The long-term factor is NU’s academic advantage and reputation is in the early stages of a trending downward, along with that of other “elite” schools. This marginal advantage will narrow so the “40-year decision” is less meaningful.