Man, Jeff Walz does not like NIL...

[the artist FKA zipp]

No big news here except the degree of his dislike and the possible ramifications. In fact, he makes it pretty clear that NIL will lead to his early retirement from coaching.

He again focused on NIL during the off-air segments of his radio show tonight at Parlour Pizza downtown. Some guy named "Don" from the 502 Circle was there to do a sales pitch and answer questions. Walz lamented the passage of time when he and his staff could outwork other programs to get recruits to U of L. He commented that we're looking at just making a Sweet 16 every five years or so without stepped up participation.

The underlying message which has consequences for all U of L sports is that U of L is not a major NIL player. We have an exception here and there like Van Lith and Clarkson, but U of L is well behind the major national programs in each sport.

Walz understands that he has (we have) to participate in order to try compete. However, he's not optimistic that that is going to happen.

He remarked in passing that he regularly talks to Tom Jurich FWIW...

 

[2330859]

Actually Zipp, that maybe “the biggest news” there is right now. Jeff’s comments go well beyond WBB, as I suspect that it could be insight into the future of UL Sports in terms of ability to compete.

I have been following the progress of SEC schools for some time ….. no secret there in terms of Football and Baseball. However, the rapid improvement in Basketball (both Women and Men) is evident as the emphasis that each of those member institutions are investing in their entire sports programs is showing results. I saw it first with the quality of coaches they were attracting from other conferences, and their ability to retain the in-state talent inside their respective geographical regions that are some of the most fertile in the country. The amount of money being directed towards NIL in those SEC schools is heading into a direction where I expect they will start to dominate college sports. It is no coincidence to witness ESPN’s bias coverage for all SEC schools in all college sports over the last 5 years or so

Regrettably it is all about money, and Jeff’s attitude about NIL is being shared by many of his peers, as I have heard other coaches and ADs suggesting that most D1 programs will become non-competitive over time.

 

[the artist FKA zipp]

He definitely uses SEC women's basketball programs as reference points: So. Carolina, Tennessee, and LSU were each mentioned.

Walz said his program needs a half million annually to safely keep it where it is, at least a quarter million. Think about that in the context of what football and men's basketball each think they need.

Naturally with me in attendance, there was a lively discussion after the show about fund raising in general and with U of L's current financial situation as a backdrop. At one point, I remarked that I look at U of L financials quarterly--to which Walz countered "so do I."

For the same reasons we're having trouble with money internally, I'm not optimistic about where NIL is going. And it doesn't appear Walz is either.

The poor 502 Circle guy looked like "what have I walked into?"...

 

[KozmasAgain]

Tennessee is paying their top 5 players $100,000 per season, unfortunately they’re not getting their money’s worth. It is a lot of motivation for them so it must not be good coaching.

 

[KozmasAgain]

To me the top sports at Louisville that should be getting NIL money.
1.) football
2.) men’s and women’s basketball
3.) baseball
4.) volleyball
and that should be doable.

 

[the artist FKA zipp]

Here's my NIL specific issue, and I tried to be as clear as possible with the NIL guy...

Nowadays, I give no money to U of L that I don't have to except what I can "earmark" or direct to a specific program. I will go up to someone trustworthy in women's basketball, for example, and hand him/her an envelope of cash to do with as they choose. I do NOT give money to sports in general nor do I advise anyone else to.

NIL allows you to direct your money donated. But I'm not trusting anyone until I know more about that process. I'm familiar with how the United Way works... You designate a charity, and UW offsets that by redirecting money that charity would have received otherwise. I'm not increasing the denominator of a ratio so that football and men's basketball get more money--not until they deserve it.

On that issue, Walz was quick to rebut that we NEED those programs to be successful. And there's no argument from me on that. But when that horse and cart come around the corner, I want the horse leading the cart and not the other way around. You reward performance, you don't fund it so you get performance, not unless you trust the people handling the investment.

I trust very few people inside U of L making important decisions. When that changes, I'll be more relaxed on these concerns. NIL is just the latest fund raising effort undertaken by or on behalf of a place that can't manage its finances...

 

[KozmasAgain]

I agree I don’t trust the current administration making decisions on our behalf. To many sUcK people working behind the scenes on our payroll.

 

[2330859]

I would be interested in knowing how much (or how little) that IU, Iowa and OSU WBB players are receiving via NIL money?

The SEC is unquestionably leading all schools and conferences in funding, but I would be very interested in learning what is going on up north as those aforementioned BIG conference schools are playing excellent fundamental basketball, and I am not sure they are anywhere close to their SEC peers.

 

[the artist FKA zipp]

Walz hasn’t mentioned Big Ten programs that I recall. He clearly equates the high revenue schools with increased recruiting advantages from pay-for-play. And big disadvantages for himself.

He’s going as far as directing people who have to choose, give to NIL and not to U of L or his program. That’s the very win-lose situation I expected when NIL started. And it’s why/how U of L’s inability to raise money matters. Money is the fundamental issue…

 

[beantowncard]

Here's my NIL specific issue, and I tried to be as clear as possible with the NIL guy...

Nowadays, I give no money to U of L that I don't have to except what I can "earmark" or direct to a specific program. I will go up to someone trustworthy in women's basketball, for example, and hand him/her an envelope of cash to do with as they choose. I do NOT give money to sports in general nor do I advise anyone else to.

NIL allows you to direct your money donated. But I'm not trusting anyone until I know more about that process. I'm familiar with how the United Way works... You designate a charity, and UW offsets that by redirecting money that charity would have received otherwise. I'm not increasing the denominator of a ratio so that football and men's basketball get more money--not until they deserve it.

On that issue, Walz was quick to rebut that we NEED those programs to be successful. And there's no argument from me on that. But when that horse and cart come around the corner, I want the horse leading the cart and not the other way around. You reward performance, you don't fund it so you get performance, not unless you trust the people handling the investment.

I trust very few people inside U of L making important decisions. When that changes, I'll be more relaxed on these concerns. NIL is just the latest fund raising effort undertaken by or on behalf of a place that can't manage its finances...

I still don’t understand why you’re a UofL fan.

 

[KozmasAgain]

Right now women’s basketball and volleyball are keeping this fan base together. If we don’t support them with NIL money we will lose what we have built.

 

[the artist FKA zipp]

I still don’t understand why you’re a UofL fan.

Do you have to troll every thread about ‘zipp’?

It’s increasingly a challenge BTW. But I may stop when they stop cashing my checks and asking for more money. They’re desperate…

 

[2330859]

Zipp does not need to explain his support of UL; he like a lot of us are simply expressing the frustration that we have with how the leadership at OUR University has made one bad decision after another.

UL has always been the underdog in terms of its acceptance in this Commonwealth, as the support from Frankfort and virtually the entire state has viewed UL and the city of Louisville as a threat to UK.

I do not know what the future of UL will be any more than anyone else, but it takes visionary leadership to make the right decisions in a highly competitive environment, and if this school continues to make the wrong choices it will fall further behind.