Speaking of NIL Collectives

[HFO]

I sniff around and nowhere have I heard a wrestler getting around $200k. The most common NIL are car lease deals and something short of $50,000 from anyone business. I am not hearing anything from anyone at other programs where athletes are stacking multiple contracts with businesses.

The money is not that deep for all kinds of deals anywhere in wrestling. Unlike basketball and football where some elite athletes make the equivalent of a rookie contract while still in college.

Michigan-Ann Arbor is its own calling card being in the Big 10, academically elite and college campus atmosphere, plus it is an elite program year in and year out. The guys they land might be getting some money, but nowhere near $200k. They are going there because of academics. Just look at the athletes and their majors and the schools they came from. So far the early bird winners are Oklahoma State and Michigan. After that it is very quite. Nothing from Penn State, Cornell, Iowa State, Iowa, Arizona State, Ohio State, Nebraska.

Again, for the elites available, you have to ready Day 1 of Transfer Portal for grad admissions and whatever package your institution can put together. After the first 4-5 athletes, the interest dwindles fast or the schools have to scramble to get them through the grad admissions process which I believe is the case. Michigan and Oklahoma State must have some expedited process to ensure they know they can get these athletes into some grad program and sign them in 2-4 days after they entered the portal. A competitive advantage of reaction time if that is the case.

My point is that wrestling has evolved and teams that want to be Top 10 have to be agile to the rules and opportunities of the game. Not enough coaches have mastered it yet. Seems Bormet and John Smith have as they try to close the gap on trying to get to 80 pts at NCAA. LEHIGH finished with 36.5 points and needs to be pushing consistently to 50 points year in and year out.

Tools of the profession. No matter your filed. You use what is needed and available. If you are scrambling with unavailable and not the optimal tools then you are positioning yourself for challenges.