Iowa Swarm Collective … to donate or not?

[hawktech]

Think I’m about to pull the trigger on donating. Want to do it now so I can write it off on the taxes. More importantly, are you donating? Why or why not? Let’s here it.

YES! Already have. College is not the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, etc, etc. The NIL money goes to the athletes. The university gives a $hit ton to each athlete, regardless of sport. But to recruit anymore, you have to entice athletes to come, and stay at The University of Iowa.

I am thankful that the student-athletes get a stipend, but there needs to be some rules & regs...Clearly

 

[dbrocket]

I support it. I don't fault anyone else for not supporting it, with one exception. If people give money to the athletics department, but not the swarm, I question their priorities.

I would rather see the people doing the work make some money than pay for another administrator or another 10% added to the pay of coaches who already make 6-8 figures.

(And even when the department money goes to construction projects, I always wonder if there are kickbacks and profiteering. Big construction projects have often been a way of siphoning money to someone's buddies.)

And our asses in seats and eyeballs on television already send truckloads of money to the department - money the players don't get a big enough slice of, even with the scholarship, food and stipend.

 

[Rifler]

I think they should. I would hope that the extreme nature is fixed in the next few years but until then i donate because i love the Hawkeyes. Also st judes. An excellent charity btw.

St, Judes and Tunnel to Towers,.. Probably still won't play the Hawkeye NIL game though.

 

[blubberhawk]

No. Alum and former season ticket holder. I donate now to the academic side of the UI only.

Just turn this pro and drop the pretense.

NIL should not be confused with a charity.

 

[JRHawk2003]

NIL should not be confused with a charity.

Right. I agree. So if we are at that point, why not just make this the developmental league level of football it is?

I don't see why football can't be like MLB. The 30-40 teams that want to actually do this break off. Pay players. The rest stay colleges and offer scholarships the way it has been.

 

[Hawkdiver]

If you are making that significant of a donation, you should reach out to Brad. You are misunderstanding the Swarm. There is the 501(3)c side, which is more of an endowment that pays for charity work, available to every player. Then there is an LLC side that pays specific players. If you don't want to feel like your money is wasted over 3 years for a couple players, the charity side is a better option.

Considering the Athletic Department is looking at a significant "raise" coming soon from TV money, I would highly consider The Swarm instead of the department. I would not feel confident that the money is being put to good use on the department side, given their actions to hinder The Swarm getting off the ground. They are trying to maintain status quo, which is not what will improve Iowa's position on the field, moving forward.

I am not misunderstanding the SWARM and while I will give Brad credit for what he has done in setting this up there is almost no way I would make a significant (probably any) contribution as the SWARM is currently structured for a couple of reasons.

First, the SWARM is only set up to benefit less than half of the athletes on campus. This is completely within Brad's right to structure it in that manner but it does not sit well with me. A donation to the university can be used to the benefit of all athletes, not just those that are already in the limelight. This is something I would think Brad would understand having been a non-revenue athlete himself.

Second, Brad has stated that they need to get to $10M annually at a minimum. He has also stated (and it is on their website) that their goal is to keep expenses around 10%. This means that $1M is being siphoned off and not going to the benefit of the athletes, essentially the exact amount of my expected donation. While I do not expect this to run for free I also realize that part of these expenses are to host events (tailgates, trips with the team, etc.) which is pulling charitable dollars out of the hands they are purported to benefit. Given that Brad has stated they are nowhere near $10M currently and will most likely not get there this year means currently they are spending like 20%-25% (at least) on the SWARM and taking those funds out of the players hands. Granted some of my donation to the school would be used as administrative costs as well but I can not only direct my donation dollars but there is also other streams of revenue that pay the already existing infrastructure costs of the school.

Bottom line, I understand the SWARM set up, understand the need for the SWARM, and respect what Brad has done but it currently doesn't fit where I would direct a significant donation. To use Bishop's St. Jude example, would people give to St. Jude if 20% (currently) were used to run the program and the other 80% went to the kids that are in the commercials, and left all the other kids out?

 

[Tx_Hawk]

I am not misunderstanding the SWARM and while I will give Brad credit for what he has done in setting this up there is almost no way I would make a significant (probably any) contribution as the SWARM is currently structured for a couple of reasons.

First, the SWARM is only set up to benefit less than half of the athletes on campus. This is completely within Brad's right to structure it in that manner but it does not sit well with me. A donation to the university can be used to the benefit of all athletes, not just those that are already in the limelight. This is something I would think Brad would understand having been a non-revenue athlete himself.

Second, Brad has stated that they need to get to $10M annually at a minimum. He has also stated (and it is on their website) that their goal is to keep expenses around 10%. This means that $1M is being siphoned off and not going to the benefit of the athletes, essentially the exact amount of my expected donation. While I do not expect this to run for free I also realize that part of these expenses are to host events (tailgates, trips with the team, etc.) which is pulling charitable dollars out of the hands they are purported to benefit. Given that Brad has stated they are nowhere near $10M currently and will most likely not get there this year means currently they are spending like 20%-25% (at least) on the SWARM and taking those funds out of the players hands. Granted some of my donation to the school would be used as administrative costs as well but I can not only direct my donation dollars but there is also other streams of revenue that pay the already existing infrastructure costs of the school.

Bottom line, I understand the SWARM set up, understand the need for the SWARM, and respect what Brad has done but it currently doesn't fit where I would direct a significant donation. To use Bishop's St. Jude example, would people give to St. Jude if 20% (currently) were used to run the program and the other 80% went to the kids that are in the commercials, and left all the other kids out?

Hawkdiver—
I appreciate your kind words and totally respect if you do not want to donate to SWARM.

A few things for you to consider:

1). Our intention is to ultimately benefit all sports, but not to the detriment of the revenue producing sports. If we can’t compete in football/basketball, everything else will suffer as well. And that includes my precious golf team!!

2). St Jude is a good charity, no doubt. A simple Google search informed me that 18% of all donations are spent on marketing/administrative costs. Trust me when I say that I am trying to keep admin costs as low as possible. I will continue to donate six figures every year and not take a dime in compensation for thousands of hours of work. In other words, this isn’t a “lifestyle charity” for its employees. I hope I never gave anybody that idea.

Anyway, I hope that you will consider and support us at any level you desire. But if not, I totally get it and will respect that decision.

Brad

 

[hawktech]

No… probably not even half of what a Michigan could spend year in and year out.

Edit: its become free agency… and based upon market and fanbase, Iowa is like the Kansas City Royals.

The Iowa athletic department is #18 in the country in revenue. Over a $100M/year... We ain't broke and living in the trailer park.

 

[cecilB]

I am not misunderstanding the SWARM and while I will give Brad credit for what he has done in setting this up there is almost no way I would make a significant (probably any) contribution as the SWARM is currently structured for a couple of reasons.

First, the SWARM is only set up to benefit less than half of the athletes on campus. This is completely within Brad's right to structure it in that manner but it does not sit well with me. A donation to the university can be used to the benefit of all athletes, not just those that are already in the limelight. This is something I would think Brad would understand having been a non-revenue athlete himself.

Second, Brad has stated that they need to get to $10M annually at a minimum. He has also stated (and it is on their website) that their goal is to keep expenses around 10%. This means that $1M is being siphoned off and not going to the benefit of the athletes, essentially the exact amount of my expected donation. While I do not expect this to run for free I also realize that part of these expenses are to host events (tailgates, trips with the team, etc.) which is pulling charitable dollars out of the hands they are purported to benefit. Given that Brad has stated they are nowhere near $10M currently and will most likely not get there this year means currently they are spending like 20%-25% (at least) on the SWARM and taking those funds out of the players hands. Granted some of my donation to the school would be used as administrative costs as well but I can not only direct my donation dollars but there is also other streams of revenue that pay the already existing infrastructure costs of the school.

Bottom line, I understand the SWARM set up, understand the need for the SWARM, and respect what Brad has done but it currently doesn't fit where I would direct a significant donation. To use Bishop's St. Jude example, would people give to St. Jude if 20% (currently) were used to run the program and the other 80% went to the kids that are in the commercials, and left all the other kids out?

Post of the year in this topic.

The Non Profit status of these will be challenged, and should receive and deserve litigious scrutiny.

The ‘rule’ that certain University employees (best paid ones) are precluded from making ‘gifts’ to a non University Non Profit is absurd….but sure, it ok for them to advocate to extract dollars large and small from others to make their job easier? This system is broken, so broken.

 

[cecilB]

Hawkdiver—
I appreciate your kind words and totally respect if you do not want to donate to SWARM.

A few things for you to consider:

1). Our intention is to ultimately benefit all sports, but not to the detriment of the revenue producing sports. If we can’t compete in football/basketball, everything else will suffer as well. And that includes my precious golf team!!

2). St Jude is a good charity, no doubt. A simple Google search informed me that 18% of all donations are spent on marketing/administrative costs. Trust me when I say that I am trying to keep admin costs as low as possible. I will continue to donate six figures every year and not take a dime in compensation for thousands of hours of work. In other words, this isn’t a “lifestyle charity” for its employees. I hope I never gave anybody that idea.

Anyway, I hope that you will consider and support us at any level you desire. But if not, I totally get it and will respect that decision.

Brad

Thanks for wading into this cesspool- message board and this new biz model for ‘college’ sports.

Please set up good counseling for the ‘kids’ as few (and their entourages) will understand the tax implications and just how ‘not far’ the money will go.

And work to fix the inability of very highly paid university employees being precluded from making gifts to NON university related Non Profits. This is absurd, and their advocation for us to support, to make their job easier, is kind of insulting when this little nuance is known.

I do respect your intent to help the kids. I left college athletics, in part because of the crazy NCAA rules that exploited the kids. But it’s insulting to be asked for $ from ‘leaders’ that don’t put skin into the game. Been a part of many capital and programmatic campaigns through the years- I can count on zero fingers how many successful ones have been conducted with out lead gifts from those who will benefit from the campaign’s success

 

[pistachio1999]

School personnel, specifically including coaches, can assist with fundraising activities through appearances or by providing autographed memorabilia. However, they cannot donate cash directly to the collective or other entity, and they cannot be employed by, or have an ownership stake in, an outside NIL entity.

Division I Board Issues New Clarifications on NIL Rules

New clarifications on the NCAA's NIL rules provide some do's and don'ts for institutions going forward.

businessofcollegesports.com

So how do NIL and the coach coordinate who they want and how much to offer (meaning how high of a priority to bring a kid in), etc? There has to be coordination on some level.

 

[JRHawk2003]

Thanks for wading into this cesspool- message board and this new biz model for ‘college’ sports.

Please set up good counseling for the ‘kids’ as few (and their entourages) will understand the tax implications and just how ‘not far’ the money will go.

And work to fix the inability of very highly paid university employees being precluded from making gifts to NON university related Non Profits. This is absurd, and their advocation for us to support, to make their job easier, is kind of insulting when this little nuance is known.

I do respect your intent to help the kids. I left college athletics, in part because of the crazy NCAA rules that exploited the kids. But it’s insulting to be asked for $ from ‘leaders’ that don’t put skin into the game. Been a part of many capital and programmatic campaigns through the years- I can count on zero fingers how many successful ones have been conducted with out lead gifts from those who will benefit from the campaign’s success

Someone has yet to make a good argument as to why this should remain part of higher education.

Just pay players. Forget scholarships. Only 30-40 teams can do this. Fix this system instead of dragging it out with half measures like NIL trying to maintain the ridiculous notion of "Student-Athlete".

 

[JRHawk2003]

I just got a Swarm with us video from KF

 

[cidhawkeye]

No. Alum and former season ticket holder. I donate now to the academic side of the UI only.

Just turn this pro and drop the pretense.

Are you concerned with the academic side and their rankings/performance?

 

[JRHawk2003]

Are you concerned with the academic side and their rankings/performance?

I am concerned with the diminishing support the University gets from the State. The University offers a narrower range of programs. I am a supporter of a liberal arts education.

 

[hawkcub]

I just got a Swarm with us video from KF

Interesting that since they were called out. There have been emails and Twitter posts highlighting the Swarm coming from the University.

 

[cecilB]

Someone has yet to make a good argument as to why this should remain part of higher education.

Just pay players. Forget scholarships. Only 30-40 teams can do this. Fix this system instead of dragging it out with half measures like NIL trying to maintain the ridiculous notion of "Student-Athlete".

Absolutely agree. Pay the rev generating sports/athletes, maybe help with preferential admission, but then let them use what they are paid, to pay for their education, if they care to attend. Kind of like the rest of us

 

[NCHawkeye24]

I have an idea for NIL that would be more inclusive for all parties as well as play a different game than other schools. Lets face it, considering the challenges that Iowa has with financial support, geography, population, academics requirements among others, there is no way that Iowa can stand toe-to-toe with schools like OSU and Alabama. And lets also face it, that the very rare 5 star top recruit would have more than likely gone elsewhere whether NIL was here or not. So this is not about those guys. If we get them, great, thats awesome, but I certainly wouldn't hitch our wagon to getting them.

Something I has made me proud over the years with respect to being an Iowa fan is how loyal, committed and nurturing all of the Iowa sports seem to be. All the players that have had scholarships honored when no other school would have done so, that kind of stuff is a big deal to me. Especially considering the horror stories of the big time programs that throw you out when you can't produce or get injured. It has always seemed that Iowa has taken care of their own.

So I wonder turning the NIL into more of a pension/retirement type fund would just play off of that and reinforce that culture. So instead of handing a recruit a bag of money and a monthly payment as long as they are playing like everyone seems to be doing, what about giving the recruits or transfers a small monthly stipend, not enough to buy a house or a Ferrari but enough to be able to eat out, go on dates, buy clothes, etc. while in college. Then, the rest of the NIL money is growing in a fund that you wont realize until you are 50 or whatever. Make the players fully vested after 2 years, but, the amount grows on a sliding scale for a 3rd, 4th and maybe 5th year, just another tool to keep the kids here after they are here. So basically, if you come to Iowa and stay all 4 or 5 years you will have your retirement all locked up before you leave, when you are 22 or 23 years old. For the 95% of the kids that don't play pro, that is one hell of a deal.

The sell here is to parents and mentors, which, is the type of environment that you want a kid to come from to build your team culture anyway. If a kid has a mentor and the mentor tells the kid to take the million now, really without any sort of insurance policy, instead of taking the guaranteed retirement pension that will set you up for later in life, I don't know if you want that kid anyway. Of course the kid could take the million if he got it and invest it, but is that really going to happen? At that age? Statistics show that most of it will be spent right away and they all end up broke. Its also an easy sell to parents, and probably the kid too, that if you have aspirations to go to the NFL that you are going to have to work and the money right now will not be in your best interest. The whole message here is that the U of I, its partners and the collective not only care about the performance of the team, they all care about you as an individual as well. And that there are very real benefits for being a Hawkeye for life.

One last thing, allow NIL contributions to be designated specifically to whatever sport that donor wants. This is an easy way to be inclusive to all the student athletes at Iowa, if for no other reason to mitigate litigation risk. So if a minor sport only has a few donations, so be it, atleast you can say you tried.

 

[Immersed]

Yes, I have and will continue to contribute to SWARM for multiple reasons (apologies for length):

1. A competitive football team and men's basketball team (and other sports) is not only fun but most importantly, provides an incredible ROI for the entire athletic department, University, Iowa City community, and even the state. The increased awareness and branding drive an increase in student applications from across the country which in-turn increases University enrollment, revenue, quality of students, employee hiring base (attracts employers to the state), successful alumni base, etc.

Look at historical enrollment statistics and endowments over the past 10-15 years for schools like Alabama, Clemson and even Wisconsin as an example.

Without a large metro in the state and in a northern state with a static and aging population, this is especially critical for the University of Iowa as we enter an era of fewer students applying to universities.

2. While Iowa has several inherent disadvantages (low population, climate, significant regional competition, comparative lack of major employers/$), Iowa also has numerous significant advantages that, if appropriately leveraged with a well-run NIL program, could realistically elevate Iowa into a perennial winner and attractive brand. Some of the advantages include:

Brand – currently on a solid foundation. Recent history of winning, B1G university, Kinnick, the Wave, etc.​

Fans – passionate and extremely loyal fanbase, locally and nationally. While no Phil Knights, Iowa’s fanbase is comprised of 10’s of thousands of highly successful people that are engaged – both alumni and non-alumni.​

Culture – KF and Fran have built very strong cultures that would likely maximize the benefits of NIL and not create a mercenary team that underperforms such as Miami, Texas A&M, etc.​

Exposure – along with brand, being in one of the two pre-eminent national conferences combined with B1G expansion (that will continue IMO), national media’s (Fox, CBS, NBC, etc.) incentive to seek and promote brands to drive eyeballs to their content. Dochterman as a talented sportswriter at the Athletic helps with this too.​

SWARM – Led by a highly successful entrepreneur that built his own company, understands business, investing significant amount of his time and personal capital, aligning with coaches’ vision, and not for personal financial gain.​

3. The student athletes have and will earn it as dictated by market value. We all know that the explosion of athletic department revenues (and ancillary benefits) driven by football has almost all gone to universities. The time commitment for a D1 athlete is significant – effectively full-time jobs on top of school.

Diver made an earlier point that he didn’t like that NIL was not available for all sports including the non-revenue athletes as currently constructed. IMO, there are really tiers of compensation that theoretically would be driven by revenue generation and market demand, but most are supplemented by football to drive a more well-rounded athletic department, diversity of student body and the overall student-athlete experience.

Tier 1 (all scholarship athletes) – Tuition, room & board, books, meals, coaching and training, tutors, medical​

​

Tier 2 – Base NIL, which is currently available through SWARM to all athletes (including walk-ons) in football and men’s & women’s basketball and earned by the athletes through charitable activities such as mentoring, children’s hospital, etc. Note that any other group is welcome to set something up for the sport(s) of their choice.​

​

Think of the possibilities of roster construction for football – scholarship to Iowa State or out-of-state school, or scholarship + $XXK per year or even walk-on + $XXK per year at Iowa?​

​

Tier 3 – Corporate NIL – For the elite-level athlete with the highest brand and marketable value. QB, left-tackles, Caitlyn Clark, etc. I’m sure if Iowa had an outstanding Olympic-level athlete in another sport that they would have opportunities as well.​

4. It’s a win / win. This isn’t about dividing a pool of finite resources. I view this as an extraordinary opportunity for the University of Iowa to advance the brand, elevate the student body in volume and quality, increase interest in attendance and contributions, and overall national relevance.

Go Hawks!

 

[CAhawki]

The Iowa athletic department is #18 in the country in revenue. Over a $100M/year... We ain't broke and living in the trailer park.

Has nothing to do with the collective…

 

[CAhawki]

So, kind of like it’s always been(well, way more consistently good than the royals), a couple of times a decade a real run at the whole ball of wax occurs

More or less…

 

[dbrocket]

Has nothing to do with the collective…

It actually does. What that means is that the athletic department could absolutely afford to steer donors towards the collective. They have more than enough money to operate a competitive department. And this will be even more true once the new TV deal kicks in for the Big Ten in (2024?).

 

[pistachio1999]

This reaches into a lot of areas. Why do employees not make more and not return as much to shareholders, why do CEOs and executive staff make so much compared to employees, etc. The gap has grown significantly in the business world. So players toil away to generate billions for media companies and work for coaches paid in multi-millions. Sure they are training and being coached, but they are the ones we watch to be entertained and what we pay for. Advertisers pay media companies to air their ads during the games played by the players.

 

[CAhawki]

It actually does. What that means is that the athletic department could absolutely afford to steer donors towards the collective. They have more than enough money to operate a competitive department. And this will be even more true once the new TV deal kicks in for the Big Ten in (2024?).

It benefits the AD nothing to push donors to the Swarm… they might go along and promote here and there, but Iowa doesnt have the donor base to keep up with the upper tier of the BIG, let alone the big dogs nationaly….

For the sake of number… Texas AnM budget this last year was around 30 mil…. iowa fans cant float a quarter of that… hell few programs nationally could… maybe 5/6… maybe.

And the tV deals means nothing… it doesnt impact the fans. We dont get kick backs for bigger TV deals.

This is all a system for the players to be funded by the fan base while the Colleges collect the revenue….

Think of it like a billionaire asking the community to fund the new baseball stadium… F’ that.

 

[dbrocket]

It benefits the AD nothing to push donors to the Swarm… they might go along and promote here and there, but Iowa doesnt have the donor base to keep up with the upper tier of the BIG, let alone the big dogs nationaly….

For the sake of number… Texas AnM budget this last year was around 30 mil…. iowa fans cant float a quarter of that… hell few programs nationally could… maybe 5/6… maybe.

And the tV deals means nothing… it doesnt impact the fans. We dont get kick backs for bigger TV deals.

This is all a system for the players to be funded by the fan base while the Colleges collect the revenue….

Think of it like a billionaire asking the community to fund the new baseball stadium… F’ that.

That's exactly my point. He doesn't want to share donor information because he wants to keep that donor revenue for his department. He's being shortsighted and greedy.

In reality, getting better players would likely mean more wins, which would drive donations of all kinds and benefit his department. But, again, I think he's short-sighted.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I fully support the players' right to make money off their NIL. We already have pro football and I don't watch that. As CFB moves more and more to a pro sport, my interest wanes. It becomes a simple matter of buying teams and that doesn't interest me.

If companies can get an ROI on NIL expenditures I'm all for it. My money buys 4 season tickets and I'm not spending more. If Iowa falls in the pecking order, well, it is what it is.

 

[WWDMHawkeye]

None. He's in fact donated thousands. He doesn't take pay. Just an amazing guy for doing this

Which makes it all the more obnoxious that some completely clueless fans who clearly have nothing better to do with their time have hopped on this board and hurled absolutely asinine insults at him. Dude has give countless hours of his time and dollars from his pocket book to do the U of I a massive favor. Fortunately the vast majority get it. Shaking my head at the few who don't.

 

[obfuscating]

I might have a different perspective than most. Between my no pic wife's parents and ourselves we have 8 degrees from Iowa and when you add in gen 3 there are 2 more with another in process. We also have 8 varsity letters. You might say we are very connected to both the school and the athletic department.

Within a couple of years our family will most likely be making a high 6 figure to low 7 figure donation. The question we are asking ourselves is what will that look like. Option 1 "donate" to NIL where the money will be used for one or two athletes that will be on campus for 3 years or less. Option 2 donate to the university where the money can be used for a wider impact, longer term, lead by people we have known and trusted for years (decades).

You might be able to guess which way we are leaning. Loyalty means a lot to us and a yet to be named 5 star recruit has done nothing to demonstrate loyalty as opposed to the university. Just my perspective.

Imagine what that money could do for kids with cancer, homeless vets, etc. Versus giving to athletes that get a full ride to school, and have the opportunity to make 6-7 figures during and possibly after being "student" - athlete.

 

[obfuscating]

Can coaches donate to the Swarm? If so the Ferentz family should be throwing millions per year into it.

 

[WamacCritic]

Can coaches donate to the Swarm? If so the Ferentz family should be throwing millions per year into it.

No, they can't

 

[ottumwan in tx]

giving money to these idiots is like giving to a third world country

 

[Tx_Hawk]

giving money to these idiots is like giving to a third world country

Am I the idiot?

 

[ottumwan in tx]

Am I the idiot?

who knows- time will tell

 

[WWDMHawkeye]

who knows- time will tell

I’ll help you out. Dude ain’t an idiot.

 

[InsaneHawkJJP]

I’m already paying to watch these teams. I’m paying if I go to the game or if I watch on TV. Fans have been paying for this product since it’s inception and now people expect us to pay more just so we can possibly get better players? I’m not that invested! It’s really sad that NIL can’t be at least partially funded by the TV $ the players generate. I’m trying not to let this new era of college athletics ruin my fandom, but it’s becoming increasingly harder. I guess if it gets too bad I’ll just have to fill my Saturdays in autumn differently in the future.

 

[mikesright]

Threads like this get extremely obnoxious. There's a bunch of clowns that pretend that this is the end of college athletics and that they'll put their time/energy into pro sports or something else instead and decided to post this on a message board. These same people put money, time, and energy in tickets, merch, and tailgating, and care enough to post on a message board. You people are lying to yourselves - you care a lot and a smart collective will find ways to market to you.

Another set of clowns pretends that donating to the university or donating to non-revenue sports is the only way this is fair, or you feel like you are doing something good and charitable. You're also lying to yourselves in thinking you are doing some kind of good deed. Charity is only a good way of showing you that you make too much money and that you have too much control over what gets fixed in society. Get over yourselves.

If you want the non-revenue sports to get a good deal, start by going to the governor and making a direct plea there to make sure the government decides to directly fund those programs. Otherwise its a matter of time before those programs get shitcanned. Title 9 has one foot on the banana peel and the other in the grave the way college sports programs are funded right now and the sooner you realize this the better.

 

[mro1978]

Absolutely.

will that hire all new coaches?

 

[WWDMHawkeye]

I see lots of emotionally driven posts in this thread. Not surprising, given the subject matter. We all tend to get a little squeamish when confronted with the prospect of dipping into our bank accounts for the sake of something like “collegiate” athletics (I think quotes are now necessary, as we all know D1 sports are now at least semi-pro).

At the end of the day, the question is a very practical one: “How interested are you in Iowa athletics succeeding in competition?” We’ll all fall somewhere on a spectrum. At some point on that spectrum, fans will deem their interest sufficient to prompt them to support SWARM. Obviously, as we’ve seen, others won’t. No surprise there.

Like it or not, NIL is here for now, and it’s simply that reality of D1 athletics. We pony up and have a chance to thrive or we don’t. Taking emotion out of the equation, it’s really that simple. Either you care enough to pitch in (according to your own circumstances) or you don’t.

I pitched in, because that’s where my interest lies. We also support things that I consider far more important than sports, to a much greater degree. That’s not to say we’re especially generous — only to point out that it’s entirely possible to support SWARM but also have a sense of perspective and recognize that there are many things in life that are much more important than whether Iowa wins or loses. Still, we love the Hawks, so what the heck. Go get ‘em, Brad!

 

[cecilB]

I see lots of emotionally driven posts in this thread. Not surprising, given the subject matter. We all tend to get a little squeamish when confronted with the prospect of dipping into our bank accounts for the sake of something like “collegiate” athletics (I think quotes are now necessary, as we all know D1 sports are now at least semi-pro).

At the end of the day, the question is a very practical one: “How interested are you in Iowa athletics succeeding in competition?” We’ll all fall somewhere on a spectrum. At some point on that spectrum, fans will deem their interest sufficient to prompt them to support SWARM. Obviously, as we’ve seen, others won’t. No surprise there.

Like it or not, NIL is here for now, and it’s simply that reality of D1 athletics. We pony up and have a chance to thrive or we don’t. Taking emotion out of the equation, it’s really that simple. Either you care enough to pitch in (according to your own circumstances) or you don’t.

I pitched in, because that’s where my interest lies. We also support things that I consider far more important than sports, to a much greater degree. That’s not to say we’re especially generous — only to point out that it’s entirely possible to support SWARM but also have a sense of perspective and recognize that there are many things in life that are much more important than whether Iowa wins or loses. Still, we love the Hawks, so what the heck. Go get ‘em, Brad!

Spot on. Current circumstances are making it less enjoyable, interesting and of less guttural importance than it once was.

 

[BFs Bunghole]

"of less guttural importance than it once was".

Wait. Huh?