Iowa's SWARM Collective

[Niko13]

What's going on here? I've seen multiple sites that show Iowa has a top 20 NIL collective program, yet I continue to hear we have no money. For the last few years Iowa has brought in some of the lowest transfer numbers of any P5 program, so where is the money going? I'm seeing programs like Minnesota, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Tech and others that supposedly don't have near the collective programs that Iowa does but yet they seem to be attracting players that we cannot. Is it the numbers are a lie? If so, why are the numbers so low? I think it might have to do with that greater than 50% of our fans are no longer "excited" about Iowa football anymore. We have a coach that's been here for 3 decades and has spent all 3 decades preaching "we're not sexy" and now the rest of the country see us as such and many players are not even giving us a look. Thoughts?

 

[DogBoyRy]

What's going on here? I've seen multiple sites that show Iowa has a top 20 NIL collective program, yet I continue to hear we have no money. For the last few years Iowa has brought in some of the lowest transfer numbers of any P5 program, so where is the money going? I'm seeing programs like Minnesota, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Tech and others that supposedly don't have near the collective programs that Iowa does but yet they seem to be attracting players that we cannot. Is it the numbers are a lie? If so, why are the numbers so low? I think it might have to do with that greater than 50% of our fans are no longer "excited" about Iowa football anymore. We have a coach that's been here for 3 decades and has spent all 3 decades preaching "we're not sexy" and now the rest of the country see us as such and many players are not even giving us a look. Thoughts?

NTSA
How do you think iowa got guys like jackson, castro, higgins, etc to return last year.
This year Graves, dunker, and a couple others could go portal and get major $$$. Swarm will hopefully keep them at iowa.

 

[Spoco2011]

The money isn't just for acquiring players, it's for retention as well.

Have you seen the quality of the dudes Minny and ISU brought in so far? They're garbage outside of the ECU WR. I don't want Iowa bringing in people that will never see the field just to say they got transfers.

Show me the study saying over 50% of fans are no longer excited about football when Iowa sells out every home game and is top 20 in TV ratings annually.

The majority of kids that transfer do so because they're just not good. That leaves a small group that's worth even looking at but that means every big p4 program is looking at them too.

 

[uihawk82]

NTSA
How do you think iowa got guys like jackson, castro, higgins, etc to return last year.
This year Graves, dunker, and a couple others could go portal and get major $$$. Swarm will hopefully keep them at iowa.

The NIL money to enable a student athlete to stay another year is a big factor. I dont know but let's say Higgins got $250,000 and Castro got $200,000. That seems like a lot of money because some of these guys also say they just love playing with their teammates and at Iowa.

As far as our starters like Graves and Dunker going portal for their last year I suppose they might but that is a big risk. If you are chasing a chance to play in the playoffs on a top team you might not even start anymore and play much. Yes, they probably deserve some money for staying.

And that is the deal now isnt it the players are getting paid by IOwa arent they. Not sure how much

 

[Hendy hawk]

I see it as us fans look at other teams getting better players (or so we think they are) but Iowa coaches are looking at how players FIT into the scheme of the way Iowa wants to play football. Most fans think we can just pick up a 4–5-star player and everything will fit together.
Never been a coach but we all scrutinize things we do in life just like coaches do in putting together a team.
fans may think this or that player might be a good fit when the coaches have more info about a player and pass on them.
Sometimes it's not about NIL.

 

[Niko13]

I see it as us fans look at other teams getting better players (or so we think they are) but Iowa coaches are looking at how players FIT into the scheme of the way Iowa wants to play football. Most fans think we can just pick up a 4–5-star player and everything will fit together.
Never been a coach but we all scrutinize things we do in life just like coaches do in putting together a team.
fans may think this or that player might be a good fit when the coaches have more info about a player and pass on them.
Sometimes it's not about NIL.

I somewhat agree with this. I do believe Iowa puts more thought and analysis into fit than many of the other schools do. I've been a defensive coordinator for a school in the Quad Cities for 3 years now and I understand that chemistry means a lot and so does fit. It does take a "buy in" and acceptance of culture. Kids flipping schools, even at the high school level now, creates a huge challenge for coaches.

 

[Spoco2011]

The NIL money to enable a student athlete to stay another year is a big factor. I dont know but let's say Higgins got $250,000 and Castro got $200,000. That seems like a lot of money because some of these guys also say they just love playing with their teammates and at Iowa.

As far as our starters like Graves and Dunker going portal for their last year I suppose they might but that is a big risk. If you are chasing a chance to play in the playoffs on a top team you might not even start anymore and play much. Yes, they probably deserve some money for staying.

And that is the deal now isnt it the players are getting paid by IOwa arent they. Not sure how much

The schools paying directly hasn't started yet, there's still court cases to be settled. Could be 25, probs 26 when it starts

 

[squeezebox]

I don't think anyone knows how much money collectives have. It is obvious schools like OSU, Michigan (new money from Portnoy and Ellison), Oregon, Debbie have some serious coffers. Iowa is in a tough spot, football isn't the only sport that is invested in, two major state schools, and a population of only ~3.2 million.

 

[uihawk82]

The schools paying directly hasn't started yet, there's still court cases to be settled. Could be 25, probs 26 when it starts

Thanks for the update

 

[squeezebox]

Also Kelvin Bell had an entire twitter thread associated with players decisions shouldn't merely be based on money. So I would say that signals to Iowa struggling with money.

 

[Niko13]

Also Kelvin Bell had an entire twitter thread associated with players decisions shouldn't merely be based on money. So I would say that signals to Iowa struggling with money.

I did not see that. Thanks for sharing. It may not mean Iowa is struggling with collective money but I can definitely see where a comment like that can lead one to believe that might be the case.

 

[squeezebox]

Here is the thread for those interested.

 

[Spoco2011]

Also Kelvin Bell had an entire twitter thread associated with players decisions shouldn't merely be based on money. So I would say that signals to Iowa struggling with money.

I don't think it signals Iowa is struggling with money, if it were there would be starters transferring out.

I think it signals that Iowa won't throw a bag at a kid just because they're in the portal, especially if they're moving up in competition.

 

[Legs94]

NTSA
How do you think iowa got guys like jackson, castro, higgins, etc to return last year.
This year Graves, dunker, and a couple others could go portal and get major $$$. Swarm will hopefully keep them at iowa.

Dunker will never leave Iowa for NIL money. This I can promise you.

 

[DogBoyRy]

Dunker will never leave Iowa for NIL money. This I can promise you.

Got it. Didn't realize he wasn't getting a single $$.

 

[Spoco2011]

Got it. Didn't realize he wasn't getting a single $$.

I think he means Dunker won't leave for more than what he's already making, not that he doesn't get a check now

 

[DogBoyRy]

That's def not what he said

Why waste a dollar if he won’t leave over nil? Save it for other players.
Just sayin.

 

[HawksRule73]

KF, Barnes and the head of the Swarm are all on record stating that they prioritize Swarm dollars first for roster retention and then will use remainder for portal acquisition.

Also, I don't take Bell's comments signaling anything regarding what the Swarm has for resources. Bell has always been an introspective guy and has been maybe the most vocal guy on staff regarding what it takes to play for Iowa and the importance Iowa places on fit and other factors more than most other schools do. This is Bell's way of saying that if you're looking to come to Iowa just for a payday, it's best to look elsewhere.

 

[kentadel]

Once next August rolls around and the revenue sharing goes into effect the playing field will even a bit for most. It is a game of musical chairs right now.

 

[ItsAllBallBearingsNowadays]

Why waste a dollar if he won’t leave over nil? Save it for other players.
Just sayin.

I imagine they’re just trying to do the right thing. Whether they need the money to keep him or not, it plays into the total culture you’re trying to build.

 

[DogBoyRy]

I imagine they’re just trying to do the right thing. Whether they need the money to keep him or not, it plays into the total culture you’re trying to build.

Agree 100%.
Just saying that if we didn’t have the nil we’d have a harder time retaining some of our players.

 

[Max_Rebo]

As others have stated, Iowa has used significant money to retain proven players, rather than recruiting potentially strong players. I think it's a pretty good strategy -- when evaluating portal success, it's as important to consider who you didn't lose as it is who you gained.

I think it's also worth remembering that the Iowa Swarm spends a considerable amount of money creating a base "salary" for all players who participate. This is the money players get in return for doing community service work with local organizations. Almost all the money donated by individual fans goes toward this, and it allows all players to earn the same amount, whether they are the starting QB or the third-team long-snapper. I don't think the Swarm has ever disclosed how much money is spent this way, but it's probably well over a million.

The big-dollar packages used to recruit and retain players come via the Swarm Inc. side, which involves endorsement deals with (and paid-for by) area companies.

At least this is how I understood the Swarm to be operating. If something has changed, I welcome the correction.

 

[Scott559]

FWIW, Brad Heinrich the leader of Swarm said the numbers are not accurate. He said Iowa is not close to having the amount of money listed in the article. He said while the numbers may be close for the top programs listed that he feels the accuracy of numbers listed on down the line are basically made up.

 

[squeezebox]

I don't think it signals Iowa is struggling with money, if it were there would be starters transferring out.

I think it signals that Iowa won't throw a bag at a kid just because they're in the portal, especially if they're moving up in competition.

What schools have a plethora of starters transferring out? Marshall maybe?

 

[squeezebox]

Once next August rolls around and the revenue sharing goes into effect the playing field will even a bit for most. It is a game of musical chairs right now.

It's going to be interesting to see how it works, but I think the gap is going to be further widened. Is a school like Iowa going to pay student athletes 22 million when the athletic department is indebted to the university? Further, nearly any institution is going to spend most of that on the football team with the remainder going to the other money producing sports.

 

[Dauminator]

I see it as us fans look at other teams getting better players (or so we think they are) but Iowa coaches are looking at how players FIT into the scheme of the way Iowa wants to play football. Most fans think we can just pick up a 4–5-star player and everything will fit together.
Never been a coach but we all scrutinize things we do in life just like coaches do in putting together a team.
fans may think this or that player might be a good fit when the coaches have more info about a player and pass on them.
Sometimes it's not about NIL.

It's a massively overlooked part of sports. The idea is to build the best TEAM you can, not just gather the best players. I'm in no way saying that talent doesn't matter. But culture, chemistry, and scheme matter too, not just stars. A great example are national teams for sports like soccer. Powers like Brazil and England often stumble at the highest stages because they have major star players but not necessarily a cohesive team. Knowing who we are and what we're trying to do is what has enabled Iowa to achieve consistent success despite being at a talent deficit a lot of the time.

Why waste a dollar if he won’t leave over nil? Save it for other players.
Just sayin.

That's not the Iowa way.

To answer OP, I think a number of factors are in play. For one, I don't buy the numbers being thrown around, for us or for others. I just don't think it's publicly known how much money teams actually have. Transfer talent is a wide pool but shallow. Iowa would rather focus on retention vs acquiring a big splash. Plus let's be honest, the big money transfers are likely not cultural fits.

 

[ItsAllBallBearingsNowadays]

FWIW, Brad Heinrich the leader of Swarm said the numbers are not accurate. He said Iowa is not close to having the amount of money listed in the article. He said while the numbers may be close for the top programs listed that he feels the accuracy of numbers listed on down the line are basically made up.

I suspect the money Oregon, Texas and Ohio State would cause a public outcry if they were validated. I’d guess they have a much higher figure than everyone else.

 

[Arbor1]

I'm not swimming in these waters under any circumstances. You are all going to have to say NO sooner or later. Its a reality that is here right now and agreeing to compete is folly beyond belief. RIP college football.

https://x.com/__whatley__/status/1868767206450118862?s=61&t=--MLf5BxkuD1rv_EWjjebg

 

[HawkeyeGenius]

I'll add it's called a collective for a reason. There's what, 3K or so of us mostly donating $20, $100, or $250 a month. We need probably double or triple the numbers doing that. Iowa also lacks those one or two donors that have zero issues cutting a $5 or $10 million check yearly for football or basketball or whatever. That is as big of a problem as the number of small donors. I'd like to think Iowa would have more members than they do.

 

[HawkeyeGenius]

I suspect the money Oregon, Texas and Ohio State would cause a public outcry if they were validated. I’d guess they have a much higher figure than everyone else.

Oregon has Phil Knight. They literally need nothing else. You add in smaller donors to that. It makes their NIL that much more powerful.

 

[Niko13]

Good convo, guys. Lots of interesting information in here. Thanks

 

[HawkeyeGenius]

I've posted this article before, but it gives an idea of what Oregon has. Potential shoe deals in addition to money for players?!

Phil Knight spares no NIL deal in thirst for Oregon national title: 'He's gonna help me make my shoe'

Most people assume the Nike co-founder's involvement in Oregon's recruiting operation, but the level of specificity uncovered Wednesday is noteworthy

www.cbssports.com

 

[squeezebox]

I've posted this article before, but it gives an idea of what Oregon has. Potential shoe deals in addition to money for players?!

Phil Knight spares no NIL deal in thirst for Oregon national title: 'He's gonna help me make my shoe'

Most people assume the Nike co-founder's involvement in Oregon's recruiting operation, but the level of specificity uncovered Wednesday is noteworthy

www.cbssports.com

We can all hope they win it this year, he will continue to throw money at it, but his interest will decrease.

 

[HawkeyeGenius]

We can all hope they win it this year, he will continue to throw money at it, but his interest will decrease.

I personally hope they don't win it. The type of money they're throwing around has ruined college athletics.

 

[Spoco2011]

What schools have a plethora of starters transferring out? Marshall maybe?

Usually only ones who's coaches leave or they're trying to go up in competition.

Most of the kids in the portal are buried on their own depth chart due to not being good enough to start and a lot of them won't find a school to take them.

 

[squeezebox]

I personally hope they don't win it. The type of money they're throwing around has ruined college athletics.

if it was just Oregon buying championships, I would agree. I actually find it to be quite funny that a school like Texas A&M throws ~20 million at a recruiting class just to watch all of them transfer.

 

[HawkeyeGenius]

if it was just Oregon buying championships, I would agree. I actually find it to be quite funny that a school like Texas A&M throws ~20 million at a recruiting class just to watch all of them transfer.

Yes, or Ohio State's "$20 million roster", and they can't even make the conference title game. They did make the CFP though.

 

[squeezebox]

Yes, or Ohio State's "$20 million roster", and they can't even make the conference title game. They did make the CFP though.

Now watch them win it all. However, I would love to take a flyer on Air Noland.

 

[Greenway4Prez]

Now watch them win it all. However, I would love to take a flyer on Air Noland.

One can only hope that he would really take off at Iowa.

 

[stanzithemanzi12]

I think the best use of NIL money, by far, is to keep a proven player for their final year.

Either A, keep them from transferring out their final year for $$$
Or B, keep them from leaving to the NFL a year ealy.