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

[Gatabowl]

Academics will have some impact on decisions but not near what a lot of people on here like to think. Aren’t all college decisions 40 year decisions? Some harp on this like you aren’t going to have sucess at a lower ranked school. Fitz, the King of this quote is sending his son to Iowa as a PWO. Not an Ivy, or some elite school. How do people square this up?

Couldn’t agree more. Our posters act like we are the only ones that say “it’s a 40 year decision not a 4 year decision”. Other programs LITERALLY say that.

Setting aside professional white collar careers, being a good player at Iowa or Kansas State and having the ability to open a car dealership or insurance agency is a great life. And we don’t even offer that!

 

[NUCat320]

It does. I knew PF from HS. I socialized with athletes throughout both my tours. I was an athlete. NU has always been a major point of pride.

I was a Greek and did the hazing there. I have endured hazing I think was ok - not adult like thought out but not life changing.

But I do find the allegations pretty disturbing. Despite NU being a major part of my identity, I want to know more and learn from it. And as I know start to reconstruct some relationships I had within the program, I question more.

I will always be purple. Have no choice - it’s my history. But I’m not going to run away from history because it’s uncomfortable.

Wrong thread 🤣

This was in response to
I can see NU falling in academic rankings and it sucks as an alum.

 

[corbi296]

Not if we offer more money, it won’t.

The other stuff is a nice marginal consideration. If we’re going to be in the top half of the conference, maybe we’re offering the same general compensation as Iowa and things like culture fit serve as a tiebreaker. But if we’re offering notably more than half the conference, and most likely far more than most non-P2 schools, then we win. Simple.

That’s a game we’ll never win. We will always be one upped if recruiting becomes solely about the money.

 

[Gatabowl]

That’s a game we’ll never win. We will always be one upped if recruiting becomes solely about the money.

It will never be solely about the money.

Where do you fit in with the system?
What position will you play?
How much competition is there?
How much do you like the coaches?
What do you think of the school?
What do you think of the location?
How far are you from home? Will your family be able to see you play easily?
Do you like the players?
What is it like for players on campus? How hot are the girls? Jk but seriously.

If most of those are negatives a little more money won’t do it. If it’s a tie or close, money is a huge factor.

If our coaches (Braun like Fitz before him) keep deciding against paying HS players we will lose a LOT.

 

[IGNORE2]

Wrong thread 🤣

This was in response to
I can see NU falling in academic rankings and it sucks as an alum.

Yup, was working multiple threads last night….

 

[Sheffielder]

I'm equally thrilled and saddened to hear this news.

On one hand...obviously this is the new normal, and we're not dropping out of the Big Ten, so if this is where we are competing, then let's get off our moral high ground, get in the game and start competing. This is the game now, and it stands to help NU as much as any marquee program who for years engaged in back-room, under-the-table recruiting to maintain a perpetual competitive advantage over us. In this version of college football, maybe we wouldn't have gone a generation without a bowl victory.

On the other hand: This is the game now. Sigh. Cycle dozens of players in (and out) every season. The "college" and "education" parts are total afterthoughts - we're just rooting for a logo and a savvy front office like in the pros since players will come and go like city buses. When do we hire our first GM? And the players don't care if they're wearing purple, red, orange or green - landing wherever they land is now just "a business decision for me and my family." Sure.

Whatever I/we found special about Northwestern just...isn't anymore in this new version of CFB. And that honestly makes me really sad. But in full deference to this new setup, I admit I didn't hold back rooting for Peyton Ramsey or Ben Bryant, and I don't cheer more loudly for Bryce Kirtz than for AJ Henning just because he committed to us out of high school. Shrug.

 

[CMcCat]

Whatever I/we found special about Northwestern just...isn't anymore in this new version of CFB.

This perfectly sums up the reality I have been reckoning with since the first news of the new stadium hit. That, in my view, was the moment things began to be unrecognizable. “Hazing” scandal followed, the NIL settlement followed, Oregon/Wash playing in B1G, etc. The stadium, of course, didn’t cause the rest. They were all just indicators.

At some point you realize what it has become is no longer familiar and is not what you have been rooting for for 30-plus years.

 

[CatManTrue]

Banks will always need graduates from elite institutions to professionally gamble on which way the wind is blowing, add nothing of value to the economy, collect gigantic salaries and giganticker bonuses, and successfully beg the government for money when it inevitably fails again.

WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO MAXIMIZE SHAREHOLDER VALUE. Pierpoint will never die.

Stop making fun of @corbi296 and his fancy @kelloggcat degree!!! 📜

Did you know Chuck has an MBA? It stands for More Business Apparitions 👻

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

How is your lawn holding up this fall?

 

[NUCat320]

I'm equally thrilled and saddened to hear this news.

On one hand...obviously this is the new normal, and we're not dropping out of the Big Ten, so if this is where we are competing, then let's get off our moral high ground, get in the game and start competing. This is the game now, and it stands to help NU as much as any marquee program who for years engaged in back-room, under-the-table recruiting to maintain a perpetual competitive advantage over us. In this version of college football, maybe we wouldn't have gone a generation without a bowl victory.

On the other hand: This is the game now. Sigh. Cycle dozens of players in (and out) every season. The "college" and "education" parts are total afterthoughts - we're just rooting for a logo and a savvy front office like in the pros since players will come and go like city buses. When do we hire our first GM? And the players don't care if they're wearing purple, red, orange or green - landing wherever they land is now just "a business decision for me and my family." Sure.

Whatever I/we found special about Northwestern just...isn't anymore in this new version of CFB. And that honestly makes me really sad. But in full deference to this new setup, I admit I didn't hold back rooting for Peyton Ramsey or Ben Bryant, and I don't cheer more loudly for Bryce Kirtz than for AJ Henning just because he committed to us out of high school. Shrug.

What’s changed most in the transfer game is the elimination of the mandatory sit-out year. Programs can look for a hole to plug.

I imagine that NU will still remain different, because NU will have limits on funds, and NU will still have a moderate-to-small fanbase, and NU will still care about graduation rate.

My expectation is that, in comparison to other programs, NU will focus on athletes transferring after one year, and on athletes transferring after having graduated. NU will not be recruiting kids who will not graduate from NU (except grad transfers, who have always been their own thing).

Ideally, we’ll be in a position where Jacob Gill and Joel Priebe and Rod Heard have enough reasons to stay, which is a good thing.

(NU hired a general manager last Januaryish. His name is Luke Walerius.)

 

[Hungry Jack]

Not if we offer more money, it won’t.

The other stuff is a nice marginal consideration. If we’re going to be in the top half of the conference, maybe we’re offering the same general compensation as Iowa and things like culture fit serve as a tiebreaker. But if we’re offering notably more than half the conference, and most likely far more than most non-P2 schools, then we win. Simple.

This is why being in B1G is so critical for us vis a vis dem Dukes, Stanford and a few others.

 

[phatcat]

because NU will have limits on funds

Why? We sure are spending enough on that unnecessary stadium

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

What’s changed most in the transfer game is the elimination of the mandatory sit-out year. Programs can look for a hole to plug.

I imagine that NU will still remain different, because NU will have limits on funds, and NU will still have a moderate-to-small fanbase, and NU will still care about graduation rate.

My expectation is that, in comparison to other programs, NU will focus on athletes transferring after one year, and on athletes transferring after having graduated. NU will not be recruiting kids who will not graduate from NU (except grad transfers, who have always been their own thing).

Ideally, we’ll be in a position where Jacob Gill and Joel Priebe and Rod Heard have enough reasons to stay, which is a good thing.

(NU hired a general manager last Januaryish. His name is Luke Walerius.)

SU is hiring a general manager. His name is Andrew Luck.

 

[curdog]

SU is hiring a general manager. His name is Andrew Luck.

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Stanford obviously has a lot going for it but a huge negative is being in the ACC. All thinks being equal (money, playing time, etc), I would think playing in the BIG would make NU the more attractive option.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Stanford obviously has a lot going for it but a huge negative is being in the ACC. All thinks being equal (money, playing time, etc), I would think playing in the BIG would make NU the more attractive option.

I wish I shared your optimism.

 

[GOUNUII]

LOL.

From an athletic standpoint NU better commit enough up front, entry cash to be in the game for the better developmental HS prospects with a high enough ceiling to make NU competitive again in the new BIG. Only then will they have the good problem of later spending even more to retain them in the open market.

From an academic/career standpoint, the business world is becoming much more like the NFL than ever before. Once drafted or even signed as a free agent, teams don't care where you played or how you got there. With few exceptions teams care only about whether you can help them win. Same in business. Few people care much about where you went to college beyond getting an opportunity to interview. You're either cut from the right cloth or you're not. Successful companies have become quite good at making that call early on and are very aware that a degree from an elite school is no guarantee you have the qualities they're looking for.

GOUNUII

 

[NUCat320]

Why? We sure are spending enough on that unnecessary stadium

Because we don’t have enough megarich donors who care to fund major NIL efforts.

It’s too bad Smithee is gone. He and Pat Ryan could’ve funded a helluva NIL program.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

That’s a game we’ll never win. We will always be one upped if recruiting becomes solely about the money.

Except the news indicates we plan to now be in the top half of the Big Ten in NIL. Combined with our P2 money putting us well ahead of nearly all the ACC and Big 12 programs, it’s a game we’re playing to win and potentially doing quite well in.

The alternative is scrapping for mediocre players with few other options. The new, boosted up spending is the right path. We’ve proven in our facilities we have capacity to spend, we’re one of the richest schools on planet earth BECAUSE of our ability to raise money