Unfortunately in these NIL days I wouldn't get too excited about future
roster projections, at least until fall semester starts. If CKB and the MBB team has taught us anything ... money talks. Their are no loyalties anymore if someone is paying enough. PSU, the oranges, Michigan, and many others have higher budgets than us for NIL. If they want someone on our team, and that person is listening, then they are gone. It is unfortunate and inevitably it will be the down fall of college sports, but I can't blame them for chasing the money, especially in wrestling. They can make more in their 4-5 years in college than they can make in the years after wrestling if they choose to stay in the sport. Hopefully they have good role models to help them make the best decisions for their futures, including considerations for what college degrees and their future careers look like.
To be clear I have no first or second hand knowledge on any of our guys. I just think it is inevitable. It personally seems that Caleb Henson is happy here... but what if the Oranges reached out and offered him $500K/ year? Their have been some strong rumors stating that those types of numbers have been thrown out for other wrestlers in the past, not of his caliber. And there are teams that have that kind of money. That would be a hard thing to pass up... imagine what you could do with a cool million over two years... Heck even half of that would be amazing.
To be clear I am not trying to be a downer or NATT... quite the opposite, I am a RATT. I just wanted to note it so hopefully we as passionate Hokie fans don't disrespect any wrestlers or their families if they do decide for other opportunities. I will of course be crushed, but unfortunately that is the world we live in now. If you want to help give the tools to our coaches to keep our wrestlers here please donate to SERTC.
Link:
SERTC
24 Replies
2y
Iowa was rumored to spend over $1 million on NIl last season. They had one finalist and he lost. The Ferrari investment seems to be back firing already in their wrestling room. The coach is moving onto the hot seat and they are further away from Penn state than they were pre NIL.
Michigan seems to be up next with the spending spree. But I don’t think they are getting past Penn state any time soon.
So I think folks will start to wonder what all this spending is for. Is it worth $1 million a year to not even place in the top three? I’m not sure what justifies it all.
I know several folks that have been good size NIL funders, mostly at Clemson and South Carolina. The luster of their “investment” doesn’t seem to last long. I think getting folks to continually fund investment with not a lot of correlation to success is going to wear thin.
Wrestling has usually had one or two dominant schools at the top. That goes back to Iowa in the 80s. Until someone figures out how to get Sanderson out of the Penn state program it will be hard to beat them even with a lot of nil.
(In response to this post by larhokie)
2y
that schools can "buy championships." NIL or not, there's only one champion a year. Sports are zero sum...the only way someone wins is for someone else to lose. I think NIL contributors will tire of "investing" money and not seeing the return they hoped for. NIL is not going away or anything, but it's only going to be shiny and new for so long.
(In response to this post by GreenvilleVT)
D
donjfs3
2y
It's the same problem with football. People will just stop paying eventually.
(In response to this post by GreenvilleVT)
2y
Oregon with Phil Knight for track, OK State with T Boone Pickens in football. VT needs a billionaire alumnus who loves wrestling.
(In response to this post by donjfs3)
E
emhokie
2y
I’d suspect many will regret their choice if it’s mostly about $.
If an athlete has a year or two of success and gets an overinflated impression of their worth, and starts testing the waters for better nil deals, let them go and help them pack. They have underlying issues or are being given bad advice by friends and family.
We have a great program and develop guys into awesome wrestlers and men.
(In response to this post by UpperQuad)
2y
NIL is a factor in today’s climate, but it’s not always about money. It’s about fit, it’s about having trust between the coach and athlete etc. So many things go on in these wrestling rooms and the outside don’t know, then when a kid moves on that’s all you hear. If TJ decides to leave VT it will never be about money, because his parents do well. 🤷🏾
(In response to this post by emhokie)
2y
I met many of my best friends in life in Blacksburg over 40 years ago
(In response to this post by Stewcrew6)
N
Nafeikoh
2y
Or, and stick with me on this...
Maybe the money will pay off their parents' house. And maybe some medical bills. And maybe they won't have student loans.
I hate seeing people make chasing money out to be a bad thing. These kids are doing what's best for them. They're the ones putting in the work. They're the ones to live with the decisions they make.
Some of y'all have never had to choose between food and a house payment and it shows.
(In response to this post by emhokie)
E
emhokie
2y
That’s a lot of maybe’s and speculations on your part.
Read further down for a certain person’s post. I’m of the camp it has nothing or very little to do with what you referred to.
Let him chase the $ and good riddance.
Not sure how you know anyone’s financial standing growing up or now for that matter by reading a wrestling forum.
(In response to this post by Nafeikoh)
E
emhokie
2y
(In response to this post by dallasvt)
D
dallasvt
2y
makes me optimistic that TJ will be back because I think he is in a great room with great coaching and teammates and getting a great education. I look forward to seeing TJ in orange and maroon next year. I think the next stop for TJ is a national championship, and there is no better place to get it done than at Virginia Tech.
In the meantime, I think we should let the coaches do their jobs and try not make it harder on them. People have to do what is best for them, and Virginia Tech is what is best for a lot of people (but not for everyone).
This is all in my opinion of course.
(In response to this post by emhokie)
E
emhokie
2y
Re-read the second sentence in the body of his response. Sounds it’s a done deal and that is okay.
VT wrestling will prevail with or without him
(In response to this post by dallasvt)
Agreed... he's been transparent for a couple months
(In response to this post by emhokie)
D
dallasvt
2y
go TJ. Let's go Tech.
(In response to this post by emhokie)
E
emhokie
2y
private between the wrestler and the coaches.
It’s needless drama created for a purpose and it’s not in the best interest of the program.
(In response to this post by dallasvt)
D
donjfs3
2y
and we told them to kick rocks.
(In response to this post by emhokie)
N
Nafeikoh
2y
HAHAHA! WE WIN!
But we are all dying?
Who cares?! WE WIN!
(In response to this post by dallasvt)
2y
over the longer-term than the near-term $ from NIL.
(In response to this post by emhokie)
2y
what you call a WIN, WIN, WIN.
(In response to this post by UpperQuad)
D
donjfs3
2y
No we can't spend 500k to go grab somebody but I think our top guys get enough that the difference isn't worth leaving blacksburg and fitting into a new room with new coaches and all that. We have yet to lose an AA so I wouldn't worry until that starts happening.
(In response to this post by larhokie)
2y
of teams that money doesn't matter. While we are in the top 15 in recent history in funds for NIL type stuff. There are talks that we are wanting to keep BA and ML on as SERTC athletes. Last year we didn't have to pay out that kind of money to resident athletes, so we had more money to work with. That money comes out of the pool of NIL money for our roster, and does impact us a bit.
Overall I agree with you. To be clear I am not worrying about it, as it will do no good. I think that it will end up happening, maybe not this year, but it definitely will happen. If we all think it is not possible, then I think that is when we are crushed even more and maybe we don't respond so kindly to the wrestler.
(In response to this post by donjfs3)
D
donjfs3
2y
Luckily we do have SERTC for NIL funding or we'd be losing guys left and right with the school's focus on football (which is the smart decision for the school IMO). Basketball is losing guys who scored like 9 points a game for NIL opportunities.
(In response to this post by larhokie)