Mike Rhoades says Penn State NIL support is at bottom of Big Ten
I thought we had wagon loads of new NIL money?
LOL
I thought we had wagon loads of new NIL money?
LOL
Does Pat know?
- Thread starter PSUFTG
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So what was PSU’s NIL budget for basketball in 2020 when PSU was somewhere around second place in the Big 10 as late as February and would’ve made the Tournament if it hadn’t been canceled, or in 2023 when PSU made the Big 10 Championship game and the NCAA Tournament and beat Texas A & M in the Tournament?
Regardless of PSU’s basketball NIL budget, Rhoades has done a lousy job. He actually had a team in the 24-25 season that was good enough to make the Tournament and absolutely did a terrible job with that team. Maybe if the program would show even the faintest pulse under Rhoades’ leadership, more people would be willing to pump money into that program.
Zero of course. It was a different landscape in 2020.
I expect Rhoades has reached the point where he knows, and doesn't care, that his marriage with Pat Kraft is pretty much over.
So long as he is here, this job here will pay him much more than what he could earn anywhere else - and another boatload of buyout $ even if he gets terminated - and I doubt he cares about the $ much anyway. And he has to be frustrated with Kraft and the situation wrt Basketball here.
Meanwhile: What are the chances that Kraft will ever hire a coach who will win a championship under his watch? Slim to none?
He inherited Cael, and aside from wrestling, the only other championship PSU won under his tenure was won by another coach he inherited - and tried to fire.
Hell, the next time a Kraft hire has even a winning conference record will be the first time - I expect that will be Campbell this year (who was about the only coach in the country who was NOT on Kraft's rolodex when he fired HCJF).
So long as he is here, this job here will pay him much more than what he could earn anywhere else - and another boatload of buyout $ even if he gets terminated - and I doubt he cares about the $ much anyway. And he has to be frustrated with Kraft and the situation wrt Basketball here.
Meanwhile: What are the chances that Kraft will ever hire a coach who will win a championship under his watch? Slim to none?
He inherited Cael, and aside from wrestling, the only other championship PSU won under his tenure was won by another coach he inherited - and tried to fire.
Hell, the next time a Kraft hire has even a winning conference record will be the first time - I expect that will be Campbell this year (who was about the only coach in the country who was NOT on Kraft's rolodex when he fired HCJF).
Penn State isn't a basketball school. Get over it.
I was getting ready to say, Penn State plays Basketball?? lol
PSU is likely somewhere 16-25 in the nation. I see some here celebrating #20. If that coincides with your expectations, then great. Perhaps blue chips will eschew cash compensation in return for luxury box accommodations for their families?
I don't like what has happened to "college football." But, the fantasy that PSU will take 3 stars (that are rising talents) and coach em up is silly. Especially when the very teams you need to beat take 4 and 5 stars and coach em up.
When it comes to the realities of this time and place in the NIL era, Pat Kraft failed to "read the room."
I don't like what has happened to "college football." But, the fantasy that PSU will take 3 stars (that are rising talents) and coach em up is silly. Especially when the very teams you need to beat take 4 and 5 stars and coach em up.
When it comes to the realities of this time and place in the NIL era, Pat Kraft failed to "read the room."
Everybody knew that basketball was near the bottom for basketball NIL money. This isn't a surprise.
It could be much better than it is but where does the money come from? Purdue prioritizes basketball and their football team suffers. I think PSU allocates less to basketball because they prioritize football.
Coaching matters. Rhoades doesn't seem to be the guy. Recruiting seems to have suffered under him. When you start bringing in a lot of international players is a sign to me that local/us based players don't want to play for you. Looking at past coaches Chambers and the guy who left for ND, they seemed to be able to recruit better players and do more with them. NIL has certainly changed the landscape but for a coach to start using that as an excuse is a sign that he needs to be replaced to me. Then I again I don't know enough about basketball and just a lazy person observation.
No He didn't.
Although I am sure that if he had, there would be a lot of people who might share your sentiment.
It’s apparently going to PSU leadership in the form of bonuses and private jet use.
I'm not sure why you say that. The $3 million wrestling gets could be transferred to the basketball program. That would buy a couple of good players.
I'm not proposing that. I'm just saying that there's a certain amount of money being split among programs. If one gets more the others get less. It would be nice if we could just increase the entire pot but that's easier said than done.
When I talked to a member of the staff last month, the numbers they gave me were either last or next to last in NIL in the conference. 3-4 million is less than half of what most teams spend and around 1/4 of what Michigan spends.
I still coach HS basketball in MD and one of my friends was coaching for Team Melo all summer on EYBL with a top 20 2028 player. The amount of money being thrown at players is way worse in basketball than football. Average joes are getting half a million and a car lease. PSU is trying to go with two less players just so they have a bit more to pay the others. It’s like Sun Belt money trying to compete with the big boys.
I still coach HS basketball in MD and one of my friends was coaching for Team Melo all summer on EYBL with a top 20 2028 player. The amount of money being thrown at players is way worse in basketball than football. Average joes are getting half a million and a car lease. PSU is trying to go with two less players just so they have a bit more to pay the others. It’s like Sun Belt money trying to compete with the big boys.
If only the basketball program had a sugar daddy like the hockey program does or did.
In all seriousness, when compared to almost every SEC school and probably most Big 10 schools, PSU, like OSU, has a bloated athletic program that probably needs to be downsized so that money can be pumped into the sports that really matter, and it hurts me to say that because I have taken pride that PSU historically has done well in a lot of the non-revenue sports. However, really tough decisions need to be made.
Agree but they will never drop a women’s sport. If you go by who loses the most $, I’m pretty sure it’s women’s basketball. (Barry can correct me if I’m wrong) thank goodness the swimming cathedral never got built or they’d be in worse shape.
PSU should stop playing basketball.
(Many would say what we do doesn’t resemble basketball, but you know what I mean.)
PSU is a historically bad basketball program and I don't think many folks care one way or the other about getting better, especially if the attempt is at a significant financial cost or at the expense of more niche sports that have solid followings. Football is and always will be king; most resources should go there.
I love soccer, but unless the new Taj Mahal soccer building mostly was financed privately, then that probably was misspent money. Also, the new field hockey field has a grandstand that is nicer than a lot of lower level football programs like Duquesne; again, that probably was misspent money.
Also, and it really hurts me to say this, but PSU really should assess the viability of the baseball program. I say this because even when that team went to the Big 10 Championship game in 2024 and made it to the semis in 2025, they had absolutely no shot at being selected to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team, as is the case with almost every other Midwestern and Northeastern Big 10 baseball program unless it wins the Big 10. This past season, I believe that Nebraska was the only non-West Coast Big 10 school that made the NCAA Tourament. Wisconsin doesn't even field a baseball team. This is probably a sport that could play at the club level.
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Well the idea that they can be consistently good is very far fetched at this point, NIL won’t allow it. To win consistently here, coaching has to be great (it’s ok, not great) the players have to really value the school and getting a PSU diploma so that they stay for 3-4 years and then they have to play at a different tempo or style and develop players for that style.PSU should stop playing basketball.
(Many would say what we do doesn’t resemble basketball, but you know what I mean.)
PC was able to get talent but couldn’t coach on game day. MS was a great game coach but thought the grass was greener. His recruiting was ok but was able to get gems in the portal and play to their strengths. MR brought his VCU guys but then hasn’t figured out what to do next. Euros seems to be a solid option but you need at least B level not C. I think MR did a decent job in the portal for the $ they had.
From a financial standpoint, they should have dropped Women's basketball decades ago. No doubt.
With as "competitive" as they have been in recent years, it is hard to find ANY reason to keep it going (and, no, it is not a Title IX issue, obviously)
Men's Hoops? Would not be prudent to drop it.
From a financial standpoint the prudent thing to do would be:
- Keep it
- Collect all the Men's Hoops welfare money
- Drastically cut spending - or at least drop it back to what it was before Kraft doubled the budget (Yep, that was money well spent
).- Take the profits and spend them wherever it might be most beneficial (which should not be "Drop a $1 Million bonus on Kraft" (which is coming next year) or hire a bunch more staff that have no idea what they are even supposed to be doing).
Of course, they WOULD spend the money on exactly those types of pure graft and waste purposes - but by running Men's Hoops solely for the purposes of collecting the welfare money, at least they would have a bit more cash to throw on the bonfire.
Baseball is bad, generally it’s been like that since the 2000 team. Lots of PA/NJ talent that they can’t keep.
Wisconsin does not have a team but has quite a few very good branch campuses playing at the D3 level.
I’m sad that we never got the Sandy Barbour Grand Cathedral of Aquatics. It would have looked good and hastened the inevitable demise of our athletic department. Win-Win. Then, the cathedral could have been used for geriatric swim therapy.
I think last I heard Clemson and Alabama each had 21 varsity sports(men's and women's). Its cool that Penn State has 31, more athletes, more opportunity, but you do wonder what the financials look like if we cut 10 sports. Especially considering how expansive the geography of the Big ten is now. For those concerned with the climate (Im not one), or just reasonable concerns about financial waste at all levels, not just university athletics.....how can you justify chartering a flight for the women's Field hockey team to California for 36 hours? The school is raising tuition currently, but flies these teams all over the country when they are already performing deeply in the red.
From a financial standpoint, they should have dropped Women's basketball decades ago. No doubt.
With as "competitive" as they have been in recent years, it is hard to find ANY reason to keep it going (and, no, it is not a Title IX issue, obviously)
Men's Hoops? Would not be prudent to drop it.
From a financial standpoint the prudent thing to do would be:
- Keep it
- Collect all the Men's Hoops welfare money
- Drastically cut spending - or at least drop it back to what it was before Kraft doubled the budget (Yep, that was money well spent
- Take the profits and spend them wherever it might be most beneficial (which should not be "Drop a $1 Million bonus on Kraft" (which is coming next year) or hire a bunch more staff that have no idea what they are even supposed to be doing).
Of course, they WOULD spend the money on exactly those types of pure graft and waste purposes - but by running Men's Hoops solely for the purposes of collecting the welfare money, at least they would have a bit more cash to throw on the bonfire.
For a while, I hoped that the $300 MM from Adidas would buoy our men’s hoops program.
Dropping the "bottom 10 sports", if you will, does almost nothing wrt the overall financials. Only Women's hoops would even move the needle, and that by only a tremor - relative to the financial issues facing PSU Athletics..
That does not mean that dropping sports is not going to happen - it will. If for no other reason than to kick the can of accountability for the fiscal FUBAR of college sports down the road a bit.
ie: It posiitons the propaganda machine to say "See, we just had to make these "tough decisions" (which break our collective hearts) in order to achieve fiscal responsibility"
Which will be BS, but it will sell to the masses. Obviously.
Flying soccer and field hockey teams, etc., to and from the West Coast cannot be justified. Sports like those, if they want to remain non-club, should be in regional leagues much like the NCAA hockey leagues like Hockey East. In reality, sports like those probably should be club sports.