It could have been us

[Gocatsgo2003]

Facilities might not have the game changing impact in recruiting but they do have an effect. If nothing else overcome the negative of bad facilities. Imagine the difference of the players having to do their training in the basement of Patten Gym as they had to in the past, Do they need to go to the over the top facilities that we have gone to? Maybe not, but upgrades were needed

Facilities are table stakes nowadays. NU’s were so bad they were a negative, now we’re at least not in a situation where we will be open to negative recruiting.

The hope has to be that the big ticket donors continue finding ways to support the program once the facilities are done, such as NIL, supplementing coaching salaries, etc.

 

[hdhntr1]

That’s not true about grad students in relation to them not being admitted without football. It’s always easier to transfer to NU - regardless of why - when you have an undergraduate degree. I know this from personal experience bc I had several friends who went to NU for grad who couldn’t get in out of high school.

In general, there are a lot of players that likely would not be admitted without FB and that includes grad students.

 

[wildcatpn]

We really do not know what is going on behind the scenes

Some do more than others.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Facilities might not have the game changing impact in recruiting but they do have an effect. If nothing else overcome the negative of bad facilities. Imagine the difference of the players having to do their training in the basement of Patten Gym as they had to in the past, Do they need to go to the over the top facilities that we have gone to? Maybe not, but upgrades were needed

No one is saying the facilities didn't need improvement. I'm saying they are low priority enough that the practice facility and stadium could have been done for, say, 75% less (again, see Vandy Tulane Duke stadiums). They spent over a billion on 2 facilities , and we can't afford a QB or a top 50 coaching staff. Bad decisions.

Kids don't sign with CCC because of WRA. They do because he's a good coach.

According to AI, Indy spent 86M combined for their 2009/18 renovations.

Meanwhile, by my napkin math, ticket holders collecttively will pay 40~50M per season more than the old stadium. But at least most of that will be paid by visitors.

Hindsight? Sure. But Id prefer they just find somewhere else for the field hockey team and make the lakefront permanent with 20k seats

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Clearly they aren’t dead last in the conference. However, they are not close to being the most “talented” team in the Nation or the conference. I don’t care for Cig personally, but there is no denying he has been a magician with what he has been able to accomplish at IU.

They are extremely talented. Those lists are based on Hs star rankings from several years before all those transfers were brought to campus. Silly rankings, highly talented and highly productive team. Cot is highly on the record in prioritizing proven production in his transfers.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

No one is saying the facilities didn't need improvement. I'm saying they are low priority enough that the practice facility and stadium could have been done for, say, 75% less (again, see Vandy Tulane Duke stadiums). They spent over a billion on 2 facilities , and we can't afford a QB or a top 50 coaching staff. Bad decisions.

Kids don't sign with CCC because of WRA. They do because he's a good coach.

According to AI, Indy spent 86M combined for their 2009/18 renovations.

Meanwhile, by my napkin math, ticket holders collecttively will pay 40~50M per season more than the old stadium. But at least most of that will be paid by visitors.

Hindsight? Sure. But Id prefer they just find somewhere else for the field hockey team and make the lakefront permanent with 20k seats

People who seriously think the facilities were money well spent w/r/t player development just don’t get it. Off by at least a full order of magnitude, maybe two.

 

[JustGary]

So, I think we keep dancing around the subject but let’s try to put this all together.

Ryan decides where his money goes and arguing over money that he already donated to a stadium seems pointless. However, it doesn’t mean he is done contributing or that others cannot contribute to a NIL fund.

Fitz did recruit a competitive team for 2023. We finished 8-5 even with some key transfer after Fitz was fired. That team may have even been better with all the players and with Fitz and recruiting could have been better in the last two years. Fitz was well liked by high school coaches and had a track record of developing players and built his reputation over 17 years. Braun does not yet have the same draw, but can eventually get there.

There was a coaching search. Braun won the job because of performance. To me, Braun has shown that he can develop players and be competitive despite having less talent than most B1G teams. In any case, the GM is now part of the evaluation process and it is not just Braun involved in obtaining talent from the portal.

Every program in the nation is looking at Indiana and trying to figure out how they did it. It is the biggest Cinderella story ever in college football to turn the team that has the worse overall record of any FBS school to become number 1 in the nation. They managed to pass every program without spending a ton for players.

We need to learn from the programs that are doing well with limited NIL resources. However, we benefit from having a large revenue source and name recognition from the Big Ten. If done right, we should be building a successful recruiting system that goes way beyond the head coach. Again, I’m pointing to the GM office.

We cannot complain about coaching, facility, NIL, and the portal without talking about what really holds our teams back, and that is the fact that we self-limit ourselves based on admission requirements that not only limit our pool of high school students but also limits who we can get from the portal. So the question should be, If Cignetti had come to NU two years ago, could he have put together a team that would be in the CFP? He would not have been able to bring most of his JMU transfer and would not have gotten the same players from the portal. So, unless we are willing to change our requirements along with raising NIL funding, don’t expect to field a Big Ten champion soon.

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

So, I think we keep dancing around the subject but let’s try to put this all together.

Ryan decides where his money goes and arguing over money that he already donated to a stadium seems pointless. However, it doesn’t mean he is done contributing or that others cannot contribute to a NIL fund.

Fitz did recruit a competitive team for 2023. We finished 8-5 even with some key transfer after Fitz was fired. That team may have even been better with all the players and with Fitz and recruiting could have been better in the last two years. Fitz was well liked by high school coaches and had a track record of developing players and built his reputation over 17 years. Braun does not yet have the same draw, but can eventually get there.

There was a coaching search. Braun won the job because of performance. To me, Braun has shown that he can develop players and be competitive despite having less talent than most B1G teams. In any case, the GM is now part of the evaluation process and it is not just Braun involved in obtaining talent from the portal.

Every program in the nation is looking at Indiana and trying to figure out how they did it. It is the biggest Cinderella story ever in college football to turn the team that has the worse overall record of any FBS school to become number 1 in the nation. They managed to pass every program without spending a ton for players.

We need to learn from the programs that are doing well with limited NIL resources. However, we benefit from having a large revenue source and name recognition from the Big Ten. If done right, we should be building a successful recruiting system that goes way beyond the head coach. Again, I’m pointing to the GM office.

We cannot complain about coaching, facility, NIL, and the portal without talking about what really holds our teams back, and that is the fact that we self-limit ourselves based on admission requirements that not only limit our pool of high school students but also limits who we can get from the portal. So the question should be, If Cignetti had come to NU two years ago, could he have put together a team that would be in the CFP? He would not have been able to bring most if his JMU transfer and would not have gotten the same players from the portal. So, unless we are willing to change our requirements along with raising NIL funding, don’t expect to field a Big Ten champion soon.

Not entirely… Braun won the job because there weren’t any other legitimate candidates interested outside Bronco Mendenhall, who had been out of football since being fired by Virginia after the 2021 season. Sure Braun’s performance as interim provided “air cover,” but it was closer to getting the job by default than it was a full-blown “coaching search.”

I’ve long thought of Braun as a “toolsy 3-star” head coach prospect… has the tools to be a good one, but has to put it together. We’re still learning whether or not he can actually do that, hopefully more/better institutional support will accelerate his development.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

How about saying people want more wins and under the current rules that requires more NIL and relaxed admissions

Did I stutter?

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

So, I think we keep dancing around the subject but let’s try to put this all together.

Ryan decides where his money goes and arguing over money that he already donated to a stadium seems pointless. However, it doesn’t mean he is done contributing or that others cannot contribute to a NIL fund.

Fitz did recruit a competitive team for 2023. We finished 8-5 even with some key transfer after Fitz was fired. That team may have even been better with all the players and with Fitz and recruiting could have been better in the last two years. Fitz was well liked by high school coaches and had a track record of developing players and built his reputation over 17 years. Braun does not yet have the same draw, but can eventually get there.

There was a coaching search. Braun won the job because of performance. To me, Braun has shown that he can develop players and be competitive despite having less talent than most B1G teams. In any case, the GM is now part of the evaluation process and it is not just Braun involved in obtaining talent from the portal.

Every program in the nation is looking at Indiana and trying to figure out how they did it. It is the biggest Cinderella story ever in college football to turn the team that has the worse overall record of any FBS school to become number 1 in the nation. They managed to pass every program without spending a ton for players.

We need to learn from the programs that are doing well with limited NIL resources. However, we benefit from having a large revenue source and name recognition from the Big Ten. If done right, we should be building a successful recruiting system that goes way beyond the head coach. Again, I’m pointing to the GM office.

We cannot complain about coaching, facility, NIL, and the portal without talking about what really holds our teams back, and that is the fact that we self-limit ourselves based on admission requirements that not only limit our pool of high school students but also limits who we can get from the portal. So the question should be, If Cignetti had come to NU two years ago, could he have put together a team that would be in the CFP? He would not have been able to bring most of his JMU transfer and would not have gotten the same players from the portal. So, unless we are willing to change our requirements along with raising NIL funding, don’t expect to field a Big Ten champion soon.

If I could like this 10x, I would. People that think our 1920 stadium and crappy practice facilities a mile away from campus were not factors in recruiting are delusional.

We have a GM and have to spend wisely. A top 200 recruit is unlikely to come here over Ohio State even if we exceed their monetary offer. Fight in your weight class and build a team that can compete with the big boys. Some act like Indiana is paying more for players than Penn State or USC. Why, because that’s the easiest explanation that can come up to justify an incredible turn around.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

If I could like this 10x, I would. People that think our 1920 stadium and crappy practice facilities a mile away from campus were not factors in recruiting are delusional.

We have a GM and have to spend wisely. A top 200 recruit is unlikely to come here over Ohio State even if we exceed their monetary offer. Fight in your weight class and build a team that can compete with the big boys. Some act like Indiana is paying more for players than Penn State or USC. Why, because that’s the easiest explanation that can come up to justify an incredible turn around.

Your assumptions are incorrect and your general understanding is years out of date

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Your assumptions are incorrect and your general understanding is years out of date

Thanks for the tips, I’ll be sure to consult with you before posting next time.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

So, I think we keep dancing around the subject but let’s try to put this all together.

Ryan decides where his money goes and arguing over money that he already donated to a stadium seems pointless. However, it doesn’t mean he is done contributing or that others cannot contribute to a NIL fund.

Fitz did recruit a competitive team for 2023. We finished 8-5 even with some key transfer after Fitz was fired. That team may have even been better with all the players and with Fitz and recruiting could have been better in the last two years. Fitz was well liked by high school coaches and had a track record of developing players and built his reputation over 17 years. Braun does not yet have the same draw, but can eventually get there.

There was a coaching search. Braun won the job because of performance. To me, Braun has shown that he can develop players and be competitive despite having less talent than most B1G teams. In any case, the GM is now part of the evaluation process and it is not just Braun involved in obtaining talent from the portal.

Every program in the nation is looking at Indiana and trying to figure out how they did it. It is the biggest Cinderella story ever in college football to turn the team that has the worse overall record of any FBS school to become number 1 in the nation. They managed to pass every program without spending a ton for players.

We need to learn from the programs that are doing well with limited NIL resources. However, we benefit from having a large revenue source and name recognition from the Big Ten. If done right, we should be building a successful recruiting system that goes way beyond the head coach. Again, I’m pointing to the GM office.

We cannot complain about coaching, facility, NIL, and the portal without talking about what really holds our teams back, and that is the fact that we self-limit ourselves based on admission requirements that not only limit our pool of high school students but also limits who we can get from the portal. So the question should be, If Cignetti had come to NU two years ago, could he have put together a team that would be in the CFP? He would not have been able to bring most of his JMU transfer and would not have gotten the same players from the portal. So, unless we are willing to change our requirements along with raising NIL funding, don’t expect to field a Big Ten champion soon.

3 comments

1. NOT INDIANA. That's not a fair comparison. I'm talking about Duke, Tulane and Vandy, who are doing it with coaching and QBs. Throw GA Tech in if you want.

2. It makes me sick when people give Pat Paterno credit for 2023 when a ton of "his players" bailed when he was canned. What Braun and the players did was amazing.

3. What is this "NIL Fund" you speak of? You realize that it was closed this year, and that, previously, Jacob Schmidt was piecing it together with food stamps and soda can deposits, and further, we had to be egalitarian and give money to non revenue sports.

 

[Catmandoo78]

If I could like this 10x, I would. People that think our 1920 stadium and crappy practice facilities a mile away from campus were not factors in recruiting are delusional.

We have a GM and have to spend wisely. A top 200 recruit is unlikely to come here over Ohio State even if we exceed their monetary offer. Fight in your weight class and build a team that can compete with the big boys. Some act like Indiana is paying more for players than Penn State or USC. Why, because that’s the easiest explanation that can come up to justify an incredible turn around.

But they… are…

Indiana has made massive investments into NIL for football. Mark Cuban got on board after last season. Rumored to be upwards of $20M. Mendoza alone is reported to have a $4M deal.

And as for admissions and NIL… NU could have gotten Mendoza if we had the money. There’s no reason we couldn’t have, we just didn’t because we couldn’t pay to get in the sweepstakes. And oh by the way, it certainly looks like he would’ve been able to get past NU admissions. https://www.businessinsider.com/fer...man-business-school-grad-finance-nerd-2025-12

 

[JustGary]

But they… are…

Indiana has made massive investments into NIL for football. Mark Cuban got on board after last season. Rumored to be upwards of $20M. Mendoza alone is reported to have a $4M deal.

And as for admissions and NIL… NU could have gotten Mendoza if we had the money. There’s no reason we couldn’t have, we just didn’t because we couldn’t pay to get in the sweepstakes. And oh by the way, it certainly looks like he would’ve been able to get past NU admissions. https://www.businessinsider.com/fer...man-business-school-grad-finance-nerd-2025-12

I hope by now that our coaches realize that spending money on a high level QB is well worth the expense. Unfortunately what I heard Braun say didn’t match that. I believe he said we were looking for someone to “compete” for the starting position. I believe that is a fatal mistake. We really need to go after the best QB that we can get. Im not saying get the best QB in the portal, but there are a lot of really good proven and talented QBs that are expected in this portal. I hope they try for one of them.

 

[Catmandoo78]

I hope by now that our coaches realize that spending money on a high level QB is well worth the expense. Unfortunately what I heard Braun say didn’t match that. I believe he said we were looking for someone to “compete” for the starting position. I believe that is a fatal mistake. We really need to go after the best QB that we can get. Im not saying get the best QB in the portal, but there are a lot of really good proven and talented QBs that are expected in this portal. I hope they try for one of them.

He knows what he needs. But he also knows he won’t have the money to get it (unless he finds a diamond in the rough. Which is possible but harder)

 

[hdhntr1]

If I could like this 10x, I would. People that think our 1920 stadium and crappy practice facilities a mile away from campus were not factors in recruiting are delusional.

We have a GM and have to spend wisely. A top 200 recruit is unlikely to come here over Ohio State even if we exceed their monetary offer. Fight in your weight class and build a team that can compete with the big boys. Some act like Indiana is paying more for players than Penn State or USC. Why, because that’s the easiest explanation that can come up to justify an incredible turn around.

How old is the dOSU stadium (1922)? How about Mich (1927) or ND 1930)? Dyke (1926) Those programs don't have a problem with older stadiums. And a mile off campus? Give me a break. As far as being a mile off campus (and the new stadium will be as well) Heck most campuses are so big that Ryan Field is actually closer than most on campus stadiums. Just saying there are a lot of factors and older stadium and distance, while not nothing are also not everything. either.

 

[hdhntr1]

I hope by now that our coaches realize that spending money on a high level QB is well worth the expense. Unfortunately what I heard Braun say didn’t match that. I believe he said we were looking for someone to “compete” for the starting position. I believe that is a fatal mistake. We really need to go after the best QB that we can get. Im not saying get the best QB in the portal, but there are a lot of really good proven and talented QBs that are expected in this portal. I hope they try for one of them.

Sometimes people say the things they have to. And having a great QB doesn't help as much if you don't have OL, WRs etc

 

[hdhntr1]

But they… are…

Indiana has made massive investments into NIL for football. Mark Cuban got on board after last season. Rumored to be upwards of $20M. Mendoza alone is reported to have a $4M deal.

And as for admissions and NIL… NU could have gotten Mendoza if we had the money. There’s no reason we couldn’t have, we just didn’t because we couldn’t pay to get in the sweepstakes. And oh by the way, it certainly looks like he would’ve been able to get past NU admissions. https://www.businessinsider.com/fer...man-business-school-grad-finance-nerd-2025-12

Reality is we were still reeling from the fallout from the Fitz firing and the way it was done, We were not ready to reeling compete in NIL market. Going forward maybe we are but at that point were were just scrambling to shore up the program

 

[hdhntr1]

No one is saying the facilities didn't need improvement. I'm saying they are low priority enough that the practice facility and stadium could have been done for, say, 75% less (again, see Vandy Tulane Duke stadiums). They spent over a billion on 2 facilities , and we can't afford a QB or a top 50 coaching staff. Bad decisions.

Kids don't sign with CCC because of WRA. They do because he's a good coach.

According to AI, Indy spent 86M combined for their 2009/18 renovations.

Meanwhile, by my napkin math, ticket holders collecttively will pay 40~50M per season more than the old stadium. But at least most of that will be paid by visitors.

Hindsight? Sure. But Id prefer they just find somewhere else for the field hockey team and make the lakefront permanent with 20k seats

Harder to get the job done in Chicago for what it can be done for in those locations, Partly weather and partly other issues making Chicago area one of the more expensive areas to build. One of our biggest issues is we just do not have the land. And when the land being use for the practice facility was some of the most valuable in Chicago area hard to cut the cost by 75%

Unfortunately most of the cost will be paid by the ST holders

I was fine with the old stadium, It could use some upgrades such as more bathrooms and even theater seating if you wanted but overall it was a pretty good place to watch a ball game. And those upgrades would not have come close to the $1B figure

 

[hdhntr1]

But they… are…

Indiana has made massive investments into NIL for football. Mark Cuban got on board after last season. Rumored to be upwards of $20M. Mendoza alone is reported to have a $4M deal.

And as for admissions and NIL… NU could have gotten Mendoza if we had the money. There’s no reason we couldn’t have, we just didn’t because we couldn’t pay to get in the sweepstakes. And oh by the way, it certainly looks like he would’ve been able to get past NU admissions. https://www.businessinsider.com/fer...man-business-school-grad-finance-nerd-2025-12

Not with all the disfunction we were still trying to work ourselves out of. Had to stabilize before we were ready to go after guys like that

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

But they… are…

Indiana has made massive investments into NIL for football. Mark Cuban got on board after last season. Rumored to be upwards of $20M. Mendoza alone is reported to have a $4M deal.

And as for admissions and NIL… NU could have gotten Mendoza if we had the money. There’s no reason we couldn’t have, we just didn’t because we couldn’t pay to get in the sweepstakes. And oh by the way, it certainly looks like he would’ve been able to get past NU admissions. https://www.businessinsider.com/fer...man-business-school-grad-finance-nerd-2025-12

Here we go again. I have asked on this free board numerous times what the Total outlay is for compensation for NU or its conference peers. The same people jump my *** saying “it’s common knowledge”, anyone that reads anything is aware” “Coach Joe Blow says he can’t compete with ABC because of what they spend” or some linked article like the one on Mendoza showing he is a serious student. I don’t doubt Mendoza gets $4M a year, I don’t doubt Indiana spends more than NU. I do question that indiana spend more than PSU or USC as you have somehow concluded. I do question that Rutgers spends more than NU.

There is a thread on the Rock right now about this. It is the consensus that most of the published player salaries are guesses and click bait. Certainly no one knows team spending even if they think they do. I am not trying to slam you or other people who take these positions and run with them, but many of the people making comments over there have been in the arena and still have connections to the program or college athletics. None of them can show college player payments because there isn’t a source.

I could just as easily represent the On3 database showing NIL average payment in this recruiting class for USC if $160K a player compared to Indiana’s $24K as evidence that 6x as much money as Indiana on HS recruits. ON3 same data in the transfer portal ranks Indiana as having the 14th best upgrade of a roster from their previous season. You know how many of the 13 teams above them had a lower average rating for their incoming players ( this is rating the player as a transfer not what they were rated coming out of HS) ZERO. Maybe just maybe, Cig knows how to identify and develop players and scheme to their strengths better than anyone else.

Money matters, but it doesn’t guarantee success. NU needs to be competitive in offers with its peer group. Not USC, OSU, LSU or any other blue blood that we won’t get a recruit no matter what we pay! Tired of the statements that’s it’s “obvious” or “you are out of touch” when they provide no other evidence to support their positions. Please anyone show me what USC, Indiana, NU, Iowa State, or Tulane actually spend on players! Money is a convenient excuse for fan bases to justify why their team stinks. It’s not always true.

 

[katatonic2]

You’re 100% correct on Braun. He’s in over his head and we’re going to keep slipping as the Fitz guys graduate out and have to be replaced with his terrible recruits.

HOWEVER, you’ve overly simplified Cignetti’s success in my opinion. One thing you’ve missed is IU’s investment in football. They paid their QB $4M in NIL. Their roster is paid nearly $20M. He’s an excellent coach, but his success is enabled by the talent he’s been able to procure. He wouldn’t have the same financial support here. Allegedly we paid our terrible QB 1/5th of what Mendoza got from IU.

Mendoza, wasn't getting anywhere near $4 mil when he signed with IU, unlike Dook's QB, who signed a 2-yr/$8 mil deal (the highest in the country).

And a chunk of Mendoza's NIL $ has come during the success of this season, such as his recent deal with Adidas.

Also haven't seen the $20 mil figure you cite for their roster.

At the time a stadium was the best way to spend a ton on the program. Now there is a different way. Give it a chance.

Everyday/practice/meeting/weight-room facilities are more important than a stadium, where players will see the inside of 5-6 times a year (maybe 7 if hosting a PO game).


That being said, RF was a dump and something needed to be done.

Now, it would be a bit pound foolish on the Ryans to have spent all that $ on shiny new facilities without much to show in the way of success on the field/court, so being the successful business people that they are, they likely will start investing in acquiring talent once the stadium is finished.

Also, let's not forget that a new, modern stadium can be a $-generator in itself, hosting other sporting and entertainment events.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of the biggest football clubs when it comes to revenue due to their London stadium holding concerts, not to mention NFL games despite their relative lack of success on the pitch.

 

[Baz = Heisman]

In general, there are a lot of players that likely would not be admitted without FB and that includes grad students.

This is not correct. Very few students have no “intangibles” (sports star, music star, etc.) where they just get in on aggregate test scores. You didn’t mention that. Our floor is much, much, much higher than any other school in FBS. The only school that compares is Stanford. And we should never bend on that otherwise we join these gross factories with no standards.

 

[Baz = Heisman]

So, I think we keep dancing around the subject but let’s try to put this all together.

Ryan decides where his money goes and arguing over money that he already donated to a stadium seems pointless. However, it doesn’t mean he is done contributing or that others cannot contribute to a NIL fund.

Fitz did recruit a competitive team for 2023. We finished 8-5 even with some key transfer after Fitz was fired. That team may have even been better with all the players and with Fitz and recruiting could have been better in the last two years. Fitz was well liked by high school coaches and had a track record of developing players and built his reputation over 17 years. Braun does not yet have the same draw, but can eventually get there.

There was a coaching search. Braun won the job because of performance. To me, Braun has shown that he can develop players and be competitive despite having less talent than most B1G teams. In any case, the GM is now part of the evaluation process and it is not just Braun involved in obtaining talent from the portal.

Every program in the nation is looking at Indiana and trying to figure out how they did it. It is the biggest Cinderella story ever in college football to turn the team that has the worse overall record of any FBS school to become number 1 in the nation. They managed to pass every program without spending a ton for players.

We need to learn from the programs that are doing well with limited NIL resources. However, we benefit from having a large revenue source and name recognition from the Big Ten. If done right, we should be building a successful recruiting system that goes way beyond the head coach. Again, I’m pointing to the GM office.

We cannot complain about coaching, facility, NIL, and the portal without talking about what really holds our teams back, and that is the fact that we self-limit ourselves based on admission requirements that not only limit our pool of high school students but also limits who we can get from the portal. So the question should be, If Cignetti had come to NU two years ago, could he have put together a team that would be in the CFP? He would not have been able to bring most of his JMU transfer and would not have gotten the same players from the portal. So, unless we are willing to change our requirements along with raising NIL funding, don’t expect to field a Big Ten champion soon.

Go root for a diploma factory if you want to lower our standards. Having real standards and doing things the right way still has tremendous value in this ridiculous era.

 

[Gatabowl]

This is not correct. Very few students have no “intangibles” (sports star, music star, etc.) where they just get in on aggregate test scores. You didn’t mention that. Our floor is much, much, much higher than any other school in FBS. The only school that compares is Stanford. And we should never bend on that otherwise we join these gross factories with no standards.

It’s absolutely true. NU is grade inflated af and most guys take the easiest majors yet the team average GPA is fairly low. The 25th percentile ACT score for admitted students is 33. The football team’s average is likely below that. And EVERYONE has a ton of impressive extracurriculars, volunteering, etc. these days.

That’s not to say that our football players aren’t smart or that they can’t be high achievers (in particular, we have had some exceptionally high academic achieving OL over the years) — but many likely aren’t getting into NU if they didn’t have B1G football talent… even though our bar for athletes is still higher than Duke et al.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Go root for a diploma factory if you want to lower our standards. Having real standards and doing things the right way still has tremendous value in this ridiculous era.

See Duke for a dissenting vote. Letting in a half.dozen basketball players a year put them on equal footing with NU.

 

[hdhntr1]

This is not correct. Very few students have no “intangibles” (sports star, music star, etc.) where they just get in on aggregate test scores. You didn’t mention that. Our floor is much, much, much higher than any other school in FBS. The only school that compares is Stanford. And we should never bend on that otherwise we join these gross factories with no standards.

There are a lot of players whose grads SAT ACT scores compared to the average NU student would not get them into NU. The fact that they play FB means that admissions uses a different set of standards

 

[katatonic2]

If you’re looking at rankings that think IU is dead last in talent then you’re looking at rankings your should disregard completely

Last when it comes to talent based on recruiting rankings.

And even when it comes to higher profile transfers (i.e. - not from JMU), it's from schools like Cal and not 'Bama, dOSU, UGA....

"He (with the proper funding) just needs to find the right QB,"

Oh, is that all?

And I, with the proper funding, could have retired 10 years ago.

CFB success is critically dependent on the HC and QB. Braun doesn't control the funding but he controls who he chooses to pursue. He swung and missed on Wright with limited choices (and gave up way too early with nothing behind Wright) and swung and missed on Stone with actual modest funding. Stone had one good B1G game (MN), piled up stats vs WIU and ULM, and was otherwise bad. He had the 15th best QBR in the B1G and had 16 yards rushing.

I like Braun. I badly want him to succeed. He is a good guy, cares very much about the players, who love him, and is inspiring. But I hope we can agree that one of his weaknesses is judgment, maybe due to experience, but he's 3 years in now and still puzzling. Do we trust his judgment to get a QB on the level with Duke Tulane Vandy, even if funding materializes? Notice I don't mention IU, but the others are better than us. Duke has been for a decade. Why? Coaching and QBs.

I'm not saying it's easy, but when half the G5/6 programs have better QBs than us, there's a big problem.

Time was of the essence when it came to Wright and wouldn't say Stone was a miss (while not a hit, somewhere in between).

Think we can give Braun a little more of a run considering all the misses Fitz had made in the latter part of his tenure, especially as an improving O-line situation puts the QB, whomever it is, in a better position to be successful.

While it may be harder to do at NU, would like to see a transfer with 2 years of eligibility left like what Vandy and Dook have been able to do.

Like I stated earlier, the start of Lea's tenure at Vandy was underwhelming (2 wins in the SEC over 3 seasons) and even last season with Pavia, but for the upset of Bama, had only an OK season, so it wasn't until his 5th season for Vandy to break through and for Lea to become a hot commodity (which I would be a bit wary of b/c there is no track record of Lea having any sort of success without Pavia).

Plus Braun is dealing with a tougher environment with the demise of the B1GW, the additions of largely the best of the PAC and downtrodden programs like IU and UI having turned it around.

Also, Braun has only has 2 seasons with the OC of his choosing and while Lujan is a work in progress, we, at the very least, are seeing some progress as it took some time for Lujan to get his feet wet - so, I'm willing to give Braun another year, maybe 2 (if the QB of the future is a recruit).

Really? With Gragg and Schill and with what the did to Fitz, the only guy with any experience (not just HC experience) that would even return a call was Mendenhall. There was no option other than Braun.

That was more a function of timing than anything else, not dissimilar to when Fitz got the job without a proper search due to the untimely passing of Walker.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

There are a lot of players whose grads SAT ACT scores compared to the average NU student would not get them into NU. The fact that they play FB means that admissions uses a different set of standards

Anyone that thinks our football players Test scores and GPA is anywhere near the G Pop is a total fool. Yet, they manage to get their parchment in almost all cases.

 

[Baz = Heisman]

It’s absolutely true. NU is grade inflated af and most guys take the easiest majors yet the team average GPA is fairly low. The 25th percentile ACT score for admitted students is 33. The football team’s average is likely below that. And EVERYONE has a ton of impressive extracurriculars, volunteering, etc. these days.

That’s not to say that our football players aren’t smart or that they can’t be high achievers (in particular, we have had some exceptionally high academic achieving OL over the years) — but many likely aren’t getting into NU if they didn’t have B1G football talent… even though our bar for athletes is still higher than Duke et al.

1) The last reported team GPA was 3.4. That’s “low”? What planet do you live on?

2) Not “everyone” does extracurriculars, volunteering, etc. Far from it. If that were the case then college admissions nationwide wouldn’t look at it for admissions - yet they do.

 

[Baz = Heisman]

See Duke for a dissenting vote. Letting in a half.dozen basketball players a year put them on equal footing with NU.

People clown Duke all the time for many of their “one and dones” like Zion, Kyrie, Okafor, etc. I don’t want to win that badly where people know you are defrauding the system. But maybe I’m too noble in this era of disgusting college athletics.

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

Anyone that thinks our football players Test scores and GPA is anywhere near the G Pop is a total fool. Yet, they manage to get their parchment in almost all cases.

Near general population, no. A lot higher than NCAA minimums (and 99% of all other FBS football programs), yes.

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

1) The last reported team GPA was 3.4. That’s “low”? What planet do you live on? View attachment 1070505

2) Not “everyone” does extracurriculars, volunteering, etc. Far from it. If that were the case then college admissions nationwide wouldn’t look at it for admissions - yet they do.

That’s the team’s GPA at NU, not in high school.

 

[Gatabowl]

1) The last reported team GPA was 3.4. That’s “low”? What planet do you live on? View attachment 1070505

2) Not “everyone” does extracurriculars, volunteering, etc. Far from it. If that were the case then college admissions nationwide wouldn’t look at it for admissions - yet they do.

Yes, that is a low average at northwestern in 2025, especially in a group that over indexes on guys in SESP and School of Comms. The team’s average GPA has crept up over time. The guys didn’t suddenly become substantially smarter. The grades have become more inflated overall.

and you’re dead wrong on 2. Everyone who gets into northwestern has exceptional extracurriculars. When the median ACT is 34 out of 36, you need differentiation. Admissions are a lot different than they were in the past.

Again, our football team is far ahead of other schools, but they cannot be compared to the rest of NU undergrads the way you’re saying.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Last when it comes to talent based on recruiting rankings.

Again, if you think that metric applied to upperclassmen transfers has any value then you should just stay silent instead of opening your mouth and eliminating all doubt of your foolishness.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

1) The last reported team GPA was 3.4. That’s “low”? What planet do you live on?

Our 3.4 team GPA is proof positive our players are doing very well in the classroom - especially given they're in "real" majors and classes and not completely fake programs like other schools use - and we could easily relax the standards and continue to have a team full of players who are getting through SESP perfectly fine. Excellent data to illustrate that, thanks.

 

[Baz = Heisman]

That’s the team’s GPA at NU, not in high school.

Yes. I’m aware. That’s what was being discussed in that earlier comment.

 

[Baz = Heisman]

Yes, that is a low average at northwestern in 2025, especially in a group that over indexes on guys in SESP and School of Comms. The team’s average GPA has crept up over time. The guys didn’t suddenly become substantially smarter. The grades have become more inflated overall.

and you’re dead wrong on 2. Everyone who gets into northwestern has exceptional extracurriculars. When the median ACT is 34 out of 36, you need differentiation. Admissions are a lot different than they were in the past.

Again, our football team is far ahead of other schools, but they cannot be compared to the rest of NU undergrads the way you’re saying.

1) Grade inflation is a thing everywhere now so a rising tide lives all boats and sets a new high watermark.

2) How do I know #2 I’m not wrong about? Look at many of the foreign students. Those countries don’t have the “after school” structure we do and yet they still get into schools all over the place which plays to my point that not everyone is doing extracurriculars as you claimed earlier.

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

1) Grade inflation is a thing everywhere now so a rising tide lives all boats and sets a new high watermark.

2) How do I know #2 I’m not wrong about? Look at many of the foreign students. Those countries don’t have the “after school” structure we do and yet they still get into schools all over the place which plays to my point that not everyone is doing extracurriculars as you claimed earlier.

You’re arguing in circles.