ADVERTISEMENT

KXNO interview with Swarm founder

Best of luck with collecting $10M.

There will end up being 2 divisions. This is unsustainable. When your team doesn't make the 12 team playoffs the fans will demand the coach be fired or NIL groups asking for more cash. Results will be total burnout of college sports to some fans. $%&!
Right, there is no way Iowa is going to be able to come up with 10 mil. a year for football and basketball and the way this nil is going is certainly repulsive to many fans.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IAHUNTER
I think in general the AD is used to moving at a glacial pace and adapting to change about as fast as most local municipal governments with all of their layers of bureaucracy. And KF and Fran have a real sense of urgency because they are losing out on recruits and evidently we have some players currently on the team with wandering eyes that need to be recruited just to stay on the team for next year.

I know some will blame the players for lack of loyalty but it’s not much different than any other job. If a competitor company offered all of my coworkers a big raise, I would imagine quite a few of them would be all ears.

Brad said in the interview that he is facing a pretty narrow window to talk to these players with what Iowa can offer them to come back for next year.
This is a great point,. And it’s also ironic that some of the loudest opponents of NIL are the same that will worship unregulated capitalism and the “free market" In political threads. Fvcking hypocrites, every single one.
 
I promise not to complain about getting guys in the portal. Ill still watch or attend every game. I won't burn my diploma from Iowa, move out of the state, or change my son's name from Nile to something not related to the University.

Can I still call myself a fan? Will I have to sit in a designated area of the stadium?

If not, let me know. There's plenty of other teams that I follow that won't blame me for not giving money to semi pro athletes.
Of course, i was trying to make a point but was a little over the top. You are going to do what is best for you. If nil isn't your thing then i don't have a problem with it. I apologize for being over the top. I don't follow other teams and nil and st judes is my thing. I truly dont expect you to turn in your fan card if you dont donate. Lol, you did make your point really well! I'd almost say it was due to taking rhetoric at the university, lol
 
This is a great point,. And it’s also ironic that some of the loudest opponents of NIL are the same that will worship unregulated capitalism and the “free market" In political threads. Fvcking hypocrites, every single one.
LMAO

Anyone who can't understand why an economic system might need to be different from a collegiate athletic system has their head in the sand.

The entire point behind athletics being organized is to provide a uniform set of rules and a fairly level playing field.
 
I am kind of torn….I do think the players deserved their share of the pie, I do believe what this has turned into….essentially fans crowd funding a team for using their “NIL” is completely absurd.

And ultimately I don’t think it’s gonna make much of a difference…I’d wager the majority of the next 10-15 titles are won by schools named: Georgia, Bama, LSU, Florida, Clemson, or OSU just like they have been for the past 15 or so years.
 
I am kind of torn….I do think the players deserved their share of the pie, I do believe what this has turned into….essentially fans crowd funding a team for using their “NIL” is completely absurd.

And ultimately I don’t think it’s gonna make much of a difference…I’d wager the majority of the next 10-15 titles are won by schools named: Georgia, Bama, LSU, Florida, Clemson, or OSU just like they have been for the past 15 or so years.
Agreed. The same teams that were able to succeed with under-the-table payments before will still thrive now...
 
Jon's a funny guy.
2003 vs 2006.
Bob vs Gary.
I'm beginning to realize Steve carried the load during their years together.
Gary said ‘never’ not ‘I have never’ or ‘during my time we have never’

Jon pointed out that difference and noted that it was Bob rather than Gary. And yes Steve carried the load. This release doesn’t really have anything to do with supporting that premise. He sent a factually accurate piece.
 
UNC only kept Maye because they raised a fat stack of cash to counter offer.

We didn't see it last year because NIL was brand new and most collectives weren't established yet. Once they were, it quickly became what many warned about. It's only going to get worse without regulation.

This is not sustainable or healthy for the sport.
I don’t think it has “quickly became what many warned about.” I agree there needs to be some tweaks to the system to add some guardrails. For example, a one time only transfer rule, strict no tampering rules, and specific timeframes for the portal (already starting to see this). However, I disagree that college football is doomed and NIL is ruining the game. This year there has been a small percentage of impactful starters leaving to go to another school solely because of NIL. Most of the kids in the portal are kids who left because of playing time, coaching change, or didn’t like/fit in the program.

I think the portal and NIL can be a good thing for college football because it can allow for schools to improve quickly. The days of 3-5 year rebuilds are over. It’s healthy that a school like Colorado can go from the worst power five this year to being competitive and maybe a bowl team next year. The Colorado fan base will be interested and engaged next season for the first time in years.

Additionally, NIL and the transfer portal could help to bring competitive balance to the sport. Schools like Alabama will not be able to stockpile talented kids. Many of the backups at Alabama are very good players and will leave to a midlevel P5 for more playing time. Hell Iowa’s already benefited from this with the Michigan transfers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ROHawk 44
I don’t think it has “quickly became what many warned about.” I agree there needs to be some tweaks to the system to add some guardrails. For example, a one time only transfer rule, strict no tampering rules, and specific timeframes for the portal (already starting to see this). However, I disagree that college football is doomed and NIL is ruining the game. This year there has been a small percentage of impactful starters leaving to go to another school solely because of NIL. Most of the kids in the portal are kids who left because of playing time, coaching change, or didn’t like/fit in the program.
None of those are remotely enforceable, either realistically or legally with the Supreme Court decision.

It's not a "small percentage of impactful starters" when you look at all levels of football, not just D1. DII/FCS teams now are losing starters left and right, which still isn't good when a large percentage of athletes who enter the portal never find a home.

And that might be the reasoning for most of them, but NIL becomes a catalyst for it. We know for a fact that Oregon offered Jestin Jacobs money just to visit.
I think the portal and NIL can be a good thing for college football because it can allow for schools to improve quickly. The days of 3-5 year rebuilds are over. It’s healthy that a school like Colorado can go from the worst power five this year to being competitive and maybe a bowl team next year. The Colorado fan base will be interested and engaged next season for the first time in years.
The counterpoint is that now schools have to re-recruit their entire rosters each year, which is a nightmare logistically and for building team culture/cohesion.

And for every USC transfer success story, there's a Nebraska that went nowhere.

Not sure any of the excitement around Colorado has to do with the transfer portal and more to the fact that Deion is a walking hype machine (whose actual coaching skills are still up for debate). And Colorado had some excitement before Tucker left them high and dry, as well as the peak of Mike McIntyre's tenure.
Additionally, NIL and the transfer portal could help to bring competitive balance to the sport. Schools like Alabama will not be able to stockpile talented kids. Many of the backups at Alabama are very good players and will leave to a midlevel P5 for more playing time. Hell Iowa’s already benefited from this with the Michigan transfers.
Absolutely not with this. Alabama has poached starters from in-conference blue-blood schools like LSU. Good players have never balked waiting at Bama before.

Just because Iowa has benefited from it doesn't mean I'm on board with it either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lumas Etima
None of those are remotely enforceable, either realistically or legally with the Supreme Court decision.
It's not a "small percentage of impactful starters" when you look at all levels of football, not just D1. DII/FCS teams now are losing starters left and right, which still isn't good when a large percentage of athletes who enter the portal never find a home.
And that might be the reasoning for most of them, but NIL becomes a catalyst for it. We know for a fact that Oregon offered Jestin Jacobs money just to visit.
The counterpoint is that now schools have to re-recruit their entire rosters each year, which is a nightmare logistically and for building team culture/cohesion.

And for every USC transfer success story, there's a Nebraska that went
Not sure any of the excitement around Colorado has to do with the transfer portal and more to the fact that Deion is a walking hype machine (whose actual coaching skills are still up for debate). And Colorado had some excitement before Tucker left them high and dry, as well as the peak of Mike McIntyre's tenure.
Absolutely not with this. Alabama has poached starters from in-conference blue-blood schools like LSU. Good players have never balked waiting at Bama before.

Just because Iowa has benefited from it doesn't mean I'm on board with it either.

NIL and the portal are here to stay, college football players will make lots money in the future, and it will continue to become a semipro or straight up professional league. In the future, there will be more structure to NIL, there’s way too much money on the line to not figure it out. Sounds like you don’t like the principle of players getting paid and player freedom so you may be in the small percentage of fans who stop watching college football.

The rest of us will continue to watch college football and the sport will remain extremely popular.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ROHawk 44
Of course, i was trying to make a point but was a little over the top. You are going to do what is best for you. If nil isn't your thing then i don't have a problem with it. I apologize for being over the top. I don't follow other teams and nil and st judes is my thing. I truly dont expect you to turn in your fan card if you dont donate. Lol, you did make your point really well! I'd almost say it was due to taking rhetoric at the university, lol
Jeez, I wasn't expecting that kind of a response. These message boards would be a lot better if this was what conversations were like. I understand your point of giving to the collective, even if I or others might feel like college football is quickly turning into the complete opposite of what it was.

I don't know if rhetoric taught me anything and it was 23 years ago since I took that class so I probably can't remember if it did or not.

After typing that I went to college 23 years ago, I'm depressed. Might have to have a couple drinks to cure my depression and make it through watching the Gophers game with my nephew who is a diehard rodent. Good news is that drunk shopping might turn into giving to the Swarm!

On Iowa!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mountain Man Hawk
NIL and the portal are here to stay, college football players will make lots money in the future, and it will continue to become a semipro or straight up professional league. In the future, there will be more structure to NIL, there’s way too much money on the line to not figure it out. Sounds like you don’t like the principle of players getting paid and player freedom so you may be in the small percentage of fans who stop watching college football.

The rest of us will continue to watch college football and the sport will remain extremely popular.
I like players getting paid reasonably. Not millions to buy their commitments under a thinly veiled pay-for-play scheme. Structure isn't happening because, again, the Supreme Court already ruled the NCAA (or whatever succeeds them) can't touch it. And since everyone wanted to be the first to satiate the frothing masses without regard for long-term consequences, poorly thought out NIL laws were rammed through state legislatures, leading to the mess we're in.

I also understand that they are, and still were before NIL, compensated EXTREMELY well in terms of tuition, housing, etc. Far better than the regular student. The idea that college athletes were scraping pennies together to pay for food was always a complete fabrication.

I just may stop watching D1 football, or at the very least with far less interest. If I wanted to watch teams that are bought and paid for, I'd watch the NFL. FCS, DII, DIII, and NAIA football are still great fun to watch.
 
I have on very good authority that Harbaugh and Howard informed the Michigan collective that a "base" of $40M is needed. They were basically advocating for an "endowment" which could grow and fund payments to UM athletes going forward.
makes you wonder if the blue bloods will have a harder time staying on top if they require that much cash to recruit players? But I do think as others have stated that this NIL thing needs to be regulated and soon.
It will ruin college sports if NIL remains unchecked
 
makes you wonder if the blue bloods will have a harder time staying on top if they require that much cash to recruit players? But I do think as others have stated that this NIL thing needs to be regulated and soon.
It will ruin college sports if NIL remains unchecked
I hear you. As for will ruin...many would argue it has already been ruined.
Cheers and GO HAWKS!
 
To be fair, Barta is responsible for compliance across programs so he has to make sure that the NIL efforts are within NCAA and legal guidelines. Blaming him for doing his job doesn't seem fair.
I think he's using that as an excuse.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: BBHawk
10 million a year?!!! This is absurd. I have no idea what Iowa athletics gets a year but to contribute 10 million just to retain and recruit players is out of control! this needs some serious tweeking by NCAA or congress. 10 mil. a year could be better served by charitable contributions.
It's not at all absurd. And Iowa Athletics is expected to have $129 million in revenue in 2023 and their take from the TV deal will jump by around $40 million in (2024?). Almost all of that revenue is generated by football.

Helping the people who actually generate that revenue by working their asses off and risking their bodies to get a small (less than 10%) piece of that is better characterized as "the least they can do."
 
I like players getting paid reasonably. Not millions to buy their commitments under a thinly veiled pay-for-play scheme. Structure isn't happening because, again, the Supreme Court already ruled the NCAA (or whatever succeeds them) can't touch it. And since everyone wanted to be the first to satiate the frothing masses without regard for long-term consequences, poorly thought out NIL laws were rammed through state legislatures, leading to the mess we're in.

I also understand that they are, and still were before NIL, compensated EXTREMELY well in terms of tuition, housing, etc. Far better than the regular student. The idea that college athletes were scraping pennies together to pay for food was always a complete fabrication.

I just may stop watching D1 football, or at the very least with far less interest. If I wanted to watch teams that are bought and paid for, I'd watch the NFL. FCS, DII, DIII, and NAIA football are still great fun to watch.
I respect the hell out you for watching DII, DIII, and NAIA football. You must really like intercollegiate athletics.

DI football is basically professional football, I’ve made peace with that and will not change my viewing habits. Props to you for changing.
 
I’m sure somebody will. You don’t have nearly as much leverage as you think you do.
Never said I did bro. There are many on here that don't go and don't donate who think they should be listened too. When and if it stops being fun then I look to something else fun to fill the time.
 
I respect the hell out you for watching DII, DIII, and NAIA football. You must really like intercollegiate athletics.

DI football is basically professional football, I’ve made peace with that and will not change my viewing habits. Props to you for changing.
Another common misunderstanding. Everyone hears the the tall tales of players not going to class, having tutors, getting McDonald's bags, etc.

Being a D1 athlete is tough, but they're still more than capable of being students. The aforementioned stories apply to maybe the top 0.5% of football players, but unfortunately that's exactly who all this change is geared towards helping rather than the rest of them.

I get so worked up about it because I and the many other college coaches I've spoken to at different levels fear the long-term side-effects not only for football, but for all collegiate sports.
 
Lol, you serious? If each fan at one Iowa game gave $150, we’ve already eclipsed 10 mil. ONE GAME. Look, I love Iowa football and don‘t want us to continue with this bullshit “awe shucks, we’re just Iowa“ attitude. Lets go get this money and get some big time players. Some of y’all acting like NIL will be the detriment of our program. I completely disagree and see it as leveling the field.
Do I also still have to buy tickets to attend? Everything related to college sports is already too damn expensive. Whoever wants to donate, great. Go for it. But let's not try and guilt people or draw a fan line in the sand for those of us who really can't see the benefit of what NIL is right now. I'll probably still root for the Hawks regardless of how this pay for play scheme ends but I'm not going to throw money at it so I can have a marginally more enjoyable Saturday afternoon.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hawkdiver
It's not at all absurd. And Iowa Athletics is expected to have $129 million in revenue in 2023 and their take from the TV deal will jump by around $40 million in (2024?). Almost all of that revenue is generated by football.

Helping the people who actually generate that revenue by working their asses off and risking their bodies to get a small (less than 10%) piece of that is better characterized as "the least they can do."
Agreed. While $10 million is a lot of money, you have to consider our coach makes $7m/yr. In the NFL, you would never expect the coach to make 70% of what the entire roster makes.

I do think they need to find a way to use TV money to pay the players given how much money is being generated from TV. Will be interesting to see who the real winners are in this. People mention Alabama, etc. but Bama, Clemson, and some of the current SEC schools are not rich like Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame and some others. I would think the Alabamas would also have trouble keeping up.
 
Do I also still have to buy tickets to attend? Everything related to college sports is already too damn expensive. Whoever wants to donate, great. Go for it. But let's not try and guilt people or draw a fan line in the sand for those of us who really can't see the benefit of what NIL is right now. I'll probably still root for the Hawks regardless of how this pay for play scheme ends but I'm not going to throw money at it so I can have a marginally more enjoyable Saturday afternoon.
I'm not all excited about this new NIL and transfer crap but I'm donating because I really, really enjpy those 12 Saturdays each fall. And if not me, then who?
 
So tell me this. If a kid comes to play for Iowa, say a 3 star recruit. He is given $15,000.00a year. He red shirts the 1st year, But still learning techniques and other tools. 2nd Year he gets a little playing and is still learning. 3rd year becomes a starter because the college coaches groomed him into what he is. After the 3rd year he decides to go to the portal to see how much he can get. Is that fair to the to the school and the coaches. Usually if you are in an apprenticeship program you are required to finish to be able to move on to the next level. You cant have your cake and eat it too.
 
Obviously that's a big issue. NIL isn't going away so the only way to alleviate the problem is to remove the free transfer and go back to a mandatory 1 year out.
 
So tell me this. If a kid comes to play for Iowa, say a 3 star recruit. He is given $15,000.00a year. He red shirts the 1st year, But still learning techniques and other tools. 2nd Year he gets a little playing and is still learning. 3rd year becomes a starter because the college coaches groomed him into what he is. After the 3rd year he decides to go to the portal to see how much he can get. Is that fair to the to the school and the coaches. Usually if you are in an apprenticeship program you are required to finish to be able to move on to the next level. You cant have your cake and eat it too.

This is why I think there needs to be some kind of contract between the player and the school,.. Developmental players like you describe might need to commit to a specified multi year term,... Where as a 5 star recruit, coming in ready to play, would be more likely to negotiate a one year deal..
 
LMAO

Anyone who can't understand why an economic system might need to be different from a collegiate athletic system has their head in the sand.

The entire point behind athletics being organized is to provide a uniform set of rules and a fairly level playing field.
LOFL, level playing field? Who has their head in the sand?
 
LOFL, level playing field? Who has their head in the sand?
Coincidentally you leave off the word directly before that statement. It's almost as if I never said things were completely level but you don't want to acknowledge that.

Your poor attempt at strawmanning aside, just because things weren't level before, doesn't mean they're not worse now.
 
Coincidentally you leave off the word directly before that statement. It's almost as if I never said things were completely level but you don't want to acknowledge that.

Your poor attempt at strawmanning aside, just because things weren't level before, doesn't mean they're not worse now.
That’s your opinion. Don’t like where the puck is going, fine, don’t watch. Iowa and college fb will find a way to go on.
 
That’s your opinion. Don’t like where the puck is going, fine, don’t watch. Iowa and college fb will find a way to go on.
Except where it inevitably begins to hurt all college athletics at all levels, which is exactly what many coaches fear right now.

I don't care if KF makes a million or two less per year. I do care if the small colleges that survive on athletics drawing students in begin to lose the funding they rely on to operate those teams.
 
Using doing his job as an excuse for doing his job? LOL!
Nice strawman, but I think my meaning was clear.

I don't think there is any realistic risk. And I don't think he is truly worried about legal ramifications. I think he just wants to protect the money his department gets from donors. I don't think he wants to share with the players.
 
Agreed. While $10 million is a lot of money, you have to consider our coach makes $7m/yr. In the NFL, you would never expect the coach to make 70% of what the entire roster makes.

I do think they need to find a way to use TV money to pay the players given how much money is being generated from TV. Will be interesting to see who the real winners are in this. People mention Alabama, etc. but Bama, Clemson, and some of the current SEC schools are not rich like Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame and some others. I would think the Alabamas would also have trouble keeping up.
I completely agree with that. My preference would be for players to unionize and collectively bargain for a piece of the overall revenue pie and then for universities to be banned from having any involvement with players marketing themselves.

But until that happens, I think this is the way it has to be, because it's complete bullshit for players to be completely cut out when they are the ones producing that value.

EDIT: *As a fan* the way I would want this to happen is for players to bargain with the conference. So, the conference makes 1 billion or whatever, a portion of that money is distributed evenly to all players in the conference (after all, their "likeness" is part of the TV product) or according to some system (maybe starters, 2 deep/rotational players get more) that enables players on every team to be paid equally, and the rest is distributed to the schools. That would encourage competitive balance within the conferences, at least. But at that point, Title IX concerns would probably be very real. There could be an argument that the players aren't being paid for playing, but for the TV revenue generated by their likenesses (revenue not generated by college golf or rowing, for example). But IDK how courts would see it, or even what my opinion would be.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Mountain Man Hawk
I completely agree with that. My preference would be for players to unionize and collectively bargain for a piece of the overall revenue pie and then for universities to be banned from having any involvement with players marketing themselves.
That was on the way to happening but state legislatures jumped the gun with their own NIL bills. And the bolded part is already true.

But until that happens, I think this is the way it has to be, because it's complete bullshit for players to be completely cut out when they are the ones producing that value.

I can't totally agree with this. What name on the jersey do you realistically think makes more money? The one on the front, or on the back?

I guarantee no-one would know who Spencer Petras was if he played at, say, Idaho instead of Iowa.
 
ADVERTISEMENT