But you have to understand that there is ZERO incentive for the player to agree to such a structure that would only cause to deter interest from future schools.
Cooper and All had zero D1 offers. You’re saying a player with zero offers wouldn’t sign a contract that paid them money and allowed them to play D1 ball?
I was afraid of this. Small schools like Valpo just can't compete in the NIL era. I'm sure Wright will probably do the same thing. At some point Roger will move on before his coaching career is destroyed. Disappointing but not surprising.
@mj08 I am saying these players are smarter and have more confidence in their ability than you give them credit for. You see them as scrap heap finds that have no other choices. They rightfully see themselves as just needing the opportunity to prove themselves a little more to the higher levels.
Both All and Cooper had zero other offers, based on prior reports. They would have signed a contract to get the D-1 scholarship and platform. Apparently, as others have now said, Powell is selling Valpo as a place to build your resume and get a payday. That can work if we end up with some type of stability, but you're not going to win in the MVC with your superstars as FR/SO. I get that you have to recruit from season-to-season and get hidden gems, you have to be willing to take them leaving after 1-2 year, but someone without a scholarship offer at this level would be happy to sign a contract that takes 5-10% of their big payday NIL back to Valpo. That is extra motivation to play your best and work into a big contract elsewhere. As we see in Cooper's TVB article, he never had any plans to stay past 2 years at Valpo, if he proved his worth. There is nothing in there about wanting to come to Valpo, it is just that we were his only option...
I was afraid of this. Small schools like Valpo just can't compete in the NIL era. I'm sure Wright will probably do the same thing. At some point Roger will move on before his coaching career is destroyed. Disappointing but not surprising.
Prelude to a move to D-II? OR……. even D-III????? Stay with me on this.
We're D-I bottom feeders right now (at least as an MVC member). In the NIL era we are a last resort. Little to no NIL war chest. Recruiting the portal means a commensurate response - low level school seeking players, low level players willing to sign at the Valpo level. Being a feeder program to P5 schools relegates us to FOY players going big time in one or two years. Projected MVC improvement success indicators point continually downward.
Now look at D-II. D-III, NAIA. They exist in a different world. Budgets= smaller. Competition more equitable. Hardly mentioned in NIL conversations. Potential for winning seasons ⬆️ Chances of going to the not-so-big Dance ⬆️. Chances of competing for a national championship ⬆️. Great positive PR.
Case in point: Indiana Wesleyan. Private. Religious connected. NIL is not happening to the degree at D-I. They have developed better facilities than D-I Valpo. They are usually nationally ranked in FB and MBB. They can draw on that to attract applicants and their fan support is super. Kids there have more pride in a their school, attend games, and are more animated (based on my observation of local colleges near me that are not D-I). Alums are more willing to donate to that kind of positive institutional culture.
Downside: We disappear from the ESPN crawler. We lose the magic words, “We are D-I.” Our demographic contracts.
Upside: Our facilities are still better than most. Our endowment is better than most. Our D-I experience and athletic infrastructure is better than most. We can really focus on high school athletes, develop them, and, in most cases, retain them for 4 years.
Conclusion: WE CAN GO BACK TO THE FUTURE!
Powell is selling Valpo as a place to build your resume and get a payday. That can work if we end up with some type of stability, but you're not going to win in the MVC with your superstars as FR/SO.
Powell spun the transfer of Cooper in as positive light as he could, which I respect. However, when he says in the video "we're not going to change" rather than adjust his approach, he risks losing Valpo followers. Further, he ends his talk requesting contributions from those same fans even though there is no way any VU NIL money can compete with other programs. He says "we need help" from fans in the new "college basketball culture," but he doesn't acknowledge he needs to acclimatize as well in the new NCAA athletics atmosphere. If he wants fans to give more maybe he should give a bit in his strategy as well.
The past two years the Valpo faithful displayed great patience and trust, permitting Powell to attempt his project of building the program with promising freshmen who will develop. How many times did we hear TV announcers comment about VU being the youngest team in the conference and among the youngest in the nation? Now, that plan has proven fruitless in the MVC, and there is a limit to most people's indulgence. The team wound up in 12th place and 11th place, and it is losing the best player if not more as year three nears. Einstein famously said "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
@valpopal Agree, Pal, with the spirit of your post. It’s time to look at our resources and the future in the eye. That’s the reason for my post immediately before yours. The writing is on the wall (in all CAPS). Acknowledge the truth. Then do something aggressive: Either mortgage the entire university to pay the bill for D-I MBB, or concede and drop down to a world where we can actually compete without risking the future of the entire institution.
Pal is continuing his famous whinning. Powell knows what challenges he is facing. Zero people understood MVC players getting 700k two years ago. Powell and his staff include zero dummies. They will seek out discouraged players from upper divisions, top flight shooters from D2 and top flight freshman. Rinse, repeat. If he can’t provide a n increasing performance in the Valley then maybe we need a different coach. I’d give him the balance of his five year contract, and maybe more, as he is a superior representative of all things Valpo.
Cooper is a bigger loss than Wright would be and he may go as well.
The Drake method (all experienced DII/III/NAIA) method may be the best option.
I know I haven’t posted much on this new board (not that it’s all that new anymore), but on the old board, as a former NAIA coach, I said for years that recruiting was an extremely subjective activity and that many DII and NAIA players could be successful at the D1 level.
It appears that Drake and our own Tyler Schmidt prove this to be true. How is it that Ben Stirtz, the obvious choice for MVC POY, was overlooked by DI schools when his high school resume reads thus “1000-point scorer his senior year, 3rd all time in scoring at Liberty High. 2x All-State Selection, 1x Conference Player of the Year, 2x All-District while maintaining a 3.75 GPA”?
While he had two stellar years at Northwest Missouri State he never made first team MIAA. Still hiding in plain sight. Ben McCollum has removed the blinders and a lot of Mid-Major coaches will be following suit.
I mean can we get a cut of whatever deal cooper/all make with their next team, similar to valpotx’s suggestion
Is there an example of this within any NIL contract? I can't see why a player wouid sign something like that.
Is there an example of this within any NIL contract? I can't see why a player wouid sign something like that.
The new school would “purchase” the contract from Valpo. Which would allow the player to sign a new NIL deal with the new school.
Will All jump ship or take the path of Cooper and stay second year, cash in after two years to a tune of 500k to 1 million? It will truly interesting how Powell navigates year 3 at VU.
@mj08 Still need for you to explain the incentive for the student athlete to sign a contract that would force his transfer school to pay his prior school. Especially knowing that that money will either come out of his NIL or it will deter some schools from proceeding with recruiting him. It makes ZERO sense to the student. It's just a money grab for the universities and an attempt to coerce or force unhappy students to stay. I see no good on any side.
Some good news. It looks like Tyler Schmidt qualifies for another year of eligibility.
Still need for you to explain the incentive for the student athlete to sign a contract that would force his transfer school to pay his prior school. Especially knowing that that money will either come out of his NIL or it will deter some schools from proceeding with recruiting him. It makes ZERO sense to the student. It's just a money grab for the universities and an attempt to coerce or force unhappy students to stay. I see no good on any side.
I’m a high school player with zero D1 offers. Valpo comes along and offers me a 4 year NIL deal that pays me starting immediately and provides me a platform for more exposure.
Or I play down a level, making $0, hoping to attract some attention.
The contract provides certainty to the player and the team. The player knows exactly how much money he will get. It allows the team to recoup the costs of developing the player. It’s not about forcing players to stay and be unhappy.
Right now it’s the P5 teams that are doing the money grab. They’ve created this monster and have forced mid majors to bear the negative consequences. Contracts will allow mid majors to be competitive.
