I exchanged messages with a bboster who had dealt with the NIL folks at ASU, and I got to say that what he did share with me were some disturbing details.
He met with the individuals who run the ASU NIL Collective. When he asked them what their NIL goals were for this school year, they replied: "We don't have any goals at this time."
When he asked if the collective was able to raise $5 million to help not only football but other sports, their reply was, "No, closer to a couple million, but the collective isn't even on track for that."
He added that he felt as if the NIL leaders are administrators and not hardcore fundraisers. A high degree of turnover in the Athletic Department under Ray Anderson doesn't help, nor does the fact that Anderson has stopped having fundraiser meetings and making public appearances with Athletic alumni groups.
When Kenny Dillingham talks about Nap Lawrence's $1MM donation being so crucial, now you know why since that accounts for roughly 50% of the NIL budget. And the fundraisers in the department trying to get donations for football have had one hell of a time getting any sort of donations. And yes, as we mentioned here, some of the great disdain boosters have for Anderson has made it very hard to fundraise. Granted, once Anderson is gone, it's likely those boosters will open their wallets, but that still leaves the collective right here, right now, in a tough spot.
If NIL dollars for ASU football don't grow rapidly, how can Dillingham or any head coach attract and retain talent? Dillingham talked about needing a few years to build a winner, but with the turnstile that is the transfer portal, how much harder will it be to stay within that timeline when your NIL funds are limited?
The words of this booster didn't shock me, but still portray a picture that, if not improving in the next few years, can put ASU at a competitive disadvantage.
He met with the individuals who run the ASU NIL Collective. When he asked them what their NIL goals were for this school year, they replied: "We don't have any goals at this time."
When he asked if the collective was able to raise $5 million to help not only football but other sports, their reply was, "No, closer to a couple million, but the collective isn't even on track for that."
He added that he felt as if the NIL leaders are administrators and not hardcore fundraisers. A high degree of turnover in the Athletic Department under Ray Anderson doesn't help, nor does the fact that Anderson has stopped having fundraiser meetings and making public appearances with Athletic alumni groups.
When Kenny Dillingham talks about Nap Lawrence's $1MM donation being so crucial, now you know why since that accounts for roughly 50% of the NIL budget. And the fundraisers in the department trying to get donations for football have had one hell of a time getting any sort of donations. And yes, as we mentioned here, some of the great disdain boosters have for Anderson has made it very hard to fundraise. Granted, once Anderson is gone, it's likely those boosters will open their wallets, but that still leaves the collective right here, right now, in a tough spot.
If NIL dollars for ASU football don't grow rapidly, how can Dillingham or any head coach attract and retain talent? Dillingham talked about needing a few years to build a winner, but with the turnstile that is the transfer portal, how much harder will it be to stay within that timeline when your NIL funds are limited?
The words of this booster didn't shock me, but still portray a picture that, if not improving in the next few years, can put ASU at a competitive disadvantage.
