UK offers Caleb Wilson over a million bucks

[UKWildcats1987]

This multi-million dollar NIL BS will crash and burn with in the next few years unless the funding model is changed! The top 2-3 donors each major program has will cut funding when this becomes a “rinse and repeat” cycle! These ultra rich donors are ultra rich because they don’t waste millions per year on a unproven (at the college level) commodity that yields them ZERO return on investment.

There isn't any ROI for fans and never has been. It's mindless entertainment and an obsessive hobby. Nothing more.

Even if your team wins the title the net impact to your life is minimal and fleeting, if any.

 

[TFCats11]

There isn't any ROI for fans and never has been. It's mindless entertainment and an obsessive hobby. Nothing more.

Even if your team wins the title the net impact to your life is minimal and fleeting, if any.

ROI for the big money donors paying for these unproven freshmen ever year.

 

[Fox2monk]

With the market I guess that’s the price now, but I have watched multiple games of Wilson, he isn’t a throw a mil at type of player. Good player, who can help you win, but if his asking price is a mil, then the plot has been lost with NIL. Jasper Johnson is good to, but in no world is he worth what Kentucky paid for him.

Of course he is, he’s a legitimate top 10 player. That is their value and this is a good class.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

There was a narrative that Pope might not be able to recruit elite talent. Is UK overpaying for recruits for optics? Probably not but unless they’re Anthony Davis, Julius Randle, John Wall type game changers I’d rather get solid multi-year prospects. At least we shouldn’t be completely dependent on those freshmen.

I think the best formula is get one maybe 2 good freshman ready to produce year one, and get 1-2 multiple year freshman, and have the rest be portal guys and stack the roster up that way

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Of course he is, he’s a legitimate top 10 player. That is their value and this is a good class.

Maybe, when I watch Wilson’s game I just don’t see the value or the asking price. But I for sure want him here, and if pope gets it done, it would have been a good recruiting job

 

[DraftCat]

That's a lot of money for an unknown at the college level.

I know my poor a** is just yelling from the clouds as it isn't my money. However I can't imagine that donors and uber rich people would continue to pay for players for years to come.

Eventually you will have situations where a player is paid millions and the player pulls a Sharpe and refuses to play. Does he have to pay that money back? Or donors are sick of paying money to a team that doesn't gel and misses the tournament.

Just a lot of scenarios in my opinion where they money dries up. They need to be made employees and get $100K a year from the University with a stipulation that any money received elsewhere they'd be fired.

 

[westerncat]

If any kid gets a Million dollars to play for any school they should sign a contract for 4 years and the money be put in a trust fund and if they leave before the 4 years are up they only get part of the money. I know that will never happen but changes have to be made .

 

[Bluesnky]

I wouldn’t be too worried about guys being overpaid in a scenario where everyone is essentially on a one year deal. This isn’t like pro contracts where you are counting on the front end of the deal being good value and the back end is likely to be crap.

Kentucky basketball is very well positioned right now. Maybe down the road a school like Texas will be outbidding everyone like the Steinbrenner Yankees, but that isn’t happening now. For now we are one of only a few Yankees. It’s a good place to be.

 

[CELTICAT]

Back in my day you could get an Anthony Davis for $250k and he came with a ring.

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

 

[Runnin'Ramel]

Sounds to me like an unrealistic asking price type lie his guys are putting out to drive up the price.

Well, the Mormon church has billions and billions .... they could build a basketball team overnight if they really wanted to just to see how it goes for their flagship university.

 

[IowaMuse]

We supposedly paid JJ over 1 million.

You pay these 2 that much they better come in and dominate and start as freshmen next year.

Anyone else alienated by all of this? It certainly has made me less passionate and intense as a sports fan. This all feels like inconsequential and somewhat absurd theater. Like it doesn’t really matter or deserve any serious attention or investment.

 

[KyCatFan]

Anyone else alienated by all of this? It certainly has made me less passionate and intense as a sports fan. This all feels like inconsequential and somewhat absurd theater. Like it doesn’t really matter or deserve any serious attention or investment.

I'm barely hanging on. The new hire of Pope is just barely keeping me invested.

 

[KAB Cats]

It’s good news if you ask me

 

[fabcat]

If they’re going to get paid like pros then treat them like pros. No more kid gloves. So when they don’t perform night in and night out Burn them at the stake. And no one should come to their defense and say they’re just college kids. Bullshit

 

[ck-2]

I'm barely hanging on. The new hire of Pope is just barely keeping me invested.

I’m hoping the Pope hire will keep us competing in the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Unlike his predecessor for the last several years.
I prefer that to recruiting championships.

 

[KAB Cats]

You can’t be for bringing in top talent AND be against NIL in 2024. It’s literally the same thing

 

[UKBlueBlood]

I’m hoping the Pope hire will keep us competing in the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Unlike his predecessor for the last several years.
I prefer that to recruiting championships.

The real strain on fans will come when many of them have either voluntarily, or to some extent involuntarily, “ponied up” in this new era of professional college basketball, and the newly minted millionaire 18-19 year olds on the team struggle with the transition to college basketball, and the team is just so-so, at best.

 

[Fox2monk]

Maybe, when I watch Wilson’s game I just don’t see the value or the asking price. But I for sure want him here, and if pope gets it done, it would have been a good recruiting job

He’s pretty versatile and you put 20-30 pounds on his frame and he’s gonna crush. Very skilled for a big man.

 

[Fox2monk]

That's a lot of money for an unknown at the college level.

I know my poor a** is just yelling from the clouds as it isn't my money. However I can't imagine that donors and uber rich people would continue to pay for players for years to come.

Eventually you will have situations where a player is paid millions and the player pulls a Sharpe and refuses to play. Does he have to pay that money back? Or donors are sick of paying money to a team that doesn't gel and misses the tournament.

Just a lot of scenarios in my opinion where they money dries up. They need to be made employees and get $100K a year from the University with a stipulation that any money received elsewhere they'd be fired.

I think contacts are a necessity now. So much money means both parties need protection. It’s a pro sport model now.

 

[gharding07]

The numbers thrown around are ridiculous. Don't believe any of that BS. Nobody really knows whatsoever.

 

[bnewt]

I wouldn’t be too worried about guys being overpaid in a scenario where everyone is essentially on a one year deal. This isn’t like pro contracts where you are counting on the front end of the deal being good value and the back end is likely to be crap.

Kentucky basketball is very well positioned right now. Maybe down the road a school like Texas will be outbidding everyone like the Steinbrenner Yankees, but that isn’t happening now. For now we are one of only a few Yankees. It’s a good place to be.

not to doubt you, but how does the average fan know how UK stacks up against other schools in regard to NIL funding?
there is no way that UK can compete with states that have major industries or corporate headquarters in their back yard.

All this NIL crap is going to do is knock out the grass root fans that have supported UK for years. These fans have grown up following UK on the radio, then tv, because they don't have the $ to see a game in person. Just like the blue white game. This used to be a sold out event for years. Compare that to this years fiasco. Many people are just trying to survive since covid. Everything, especially food, has basically doubled since then. Everything except the salaries.

 

[jrpross]

If any kid gets a Million dollars to play for any school they should sign a contract for 4 years and the money be put in a trust fund and if they leave before the 4 years are up they only get part of the money. I know that will never happen but changes have to be made .

That itself won’t happen but that’s an intriguing idea about multi-year contracts. If a top 20-30 kid looks like a 2-year player for example, could they offer him like 1.2 million over 2 years and he’d have to pay back the 1st 600k if he enters the draft or transfers after 1?

 

[Bluesnky]

not to doubt you, but how does the average fan know how UK stacks up against other schools in regard to NIL funding?
there is no way that UK can compete with states that have major industries or corporate headquarters in their back yard.

All this NIL crap is going to do is knock out the grass root fans that have supported UK for years. These fans have grown up following UK on the radio, then tv, because they don't have the $ to see a game in person. Just like the blue white game. This used to be a sold out event for years. Compare that to this years fiasco. Many people are just trying to survive since covid. Everything, especially food, has basically doubled since then. Everything except the salaries.

We just raised $750K in a single event that most of us think was a spectacular failure. I have no idea why anyone would be po’mouthing UK basketball’s ability to raise NIL funds. We may be screwed in football, but in basketball we have an advantage in that we care about it more than pretty much anyone.

 

[sambowieshin]

I miss the days of hookers and 100 dollar handshakes. Seems more wholesome in retrospect.

 

[Fox2monk]

That itself won’t happen but that’s an intriguing idea about multi-year contracts. If a top 20-30 kid looks like a 2-year player for example, could they offer him like 1.2 million over 2 years and he’d have to pay back the 1st 600k if he enters the draft or transfers after 1?

Something like that would be perfect. Or just make the checks payable at certain intervals over the 2 years. If he leaves he cuts off his “employment” basically.

 

[TFCats11]

Remember, these million dollar offers Coach Pope is throwing around all started in the late 80’s when that bogus package of $1500 (15 HUNDRED 😩) “popped open” at that DSL facility that was addressed to Chris Mills!

No Chris Mills, no Eddie Sutton leaving.
No Eddie Sutton leaving, no Rick Pitino.
No Rick Pitino, no NC Capt. Mark Pope, and the rest as they say, is history 😂

 

[NociHTTP]

That's a lot of money for an unknown at the college level.

I know my poor a** is just yelling from the clouds as it isn't my money. However I can't imagine that donors and uber rich people would continue to pay for players for years to come.

Eventually you will have situations where a player is paid millions and the player pulls a Sharpe and refuses to play. Does he have to pay that money back? Or donors are sick of paying money to a team that doesn't gel and misses the tournament.

Just a lot of scenarios in my opinion where they money dries up. They need to be made employees and get $100K a year from the University with a stipulation that any money received elsewhere they'd be fired.

If one doesn't pay you take them to court for theft.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

I'm hoping it all burns to the ground and they are forced to rebuild college sports in a way more like it was. Offer more pro leagues to go to if they want huge money. If you go to college, everyone gets a set amount. If they won't do that then maybe bankroll money for them the longer they stay. Then they can cash out when they leave.

Has to cause major morale issues when some players are getting chicken feed and other teammates are getting millions and driving around in luxury/sports cars while wearing a bunch of bling. Keep them all the same until they announce they are leaving. Doesn't cost them any money.

In fact, it gains interest and keeps them from blowing it all as soon as they get it. You know a teenager that gets handed a huge check will blow it. Heck, even pro athletes tend to blow their money. If my money was treated that way in the Air Force, I'd have gotten out with probably $20k in the bank instead of being broke from trying to pay off all my debts before I left.

It's a pretty similar situation. We got our housing and food (plus other things) paid for and really didn't have much we had to spend money on. The same for the players. We were all driving around in mostly used cars with some being old and rusted (me raising my hand). Something has to change or fans will get fed up with it as prices keep going up and there won't be any sports for the players anymore. Just colleges for education.

Well it cant go back to the old way, its deemed unconstitutional. and honestly it was. if you want it to change, the only way is to have the players get considered employees and have them form a union where these things can be negotiated like in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL ...

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

We're going to see a lot more coaches get canned far quicker than in the past including proven coaches like how title winning coaches are pushed out in football like 3 years after winning titles. Instead of just big boosters being furious over wasting money helping out the coach, it will be all the fans giving NIL . Then the next coach will come in and with optimism and hope the people will NIL players for that coach and the cycle continues.

 

[bnewt]

We just raised $750K in a single event that most of us think was a spectacular failure. I have no idea why anyone would be po’mouthing UK basketball’s ability to raise NIL funds. We may be screwed in football, but in basketball we have an advantage in that we care about it more than pretty much anyone.

The blue white game raised $750,000!!!!!
Holy crap, I guess I have to eat my words
that is unbelievable

 

[WeWant9]

I still don’t see how this current model is sustainable, but it’s the state of affairs for college sports. I wonder when we’ll get our first college lockout where teams refuse to play.

 

[bowfreak]

I still don’t see how this current model is sustainable, but it’s the state of affairs for college sports. I wonder when we’ll get our first college lockout where teams refuse to play.

It is hard not to quickly sour on this new era. I am all for this kids making money off their their name, image or likeness. I do however hate what this has quickly become and that is just outright paying players a salary.