Transfer portal

[LUEngineer]

We don’t want the NIL only guys & will succeed without them.

There are enough others looking for a Lehigh type unique experience.

[Oracle]

Agree we don’t want NIL only guys …… but we want ‘some’ NIL guys because when you are talking about “enough to succeed” — no, there aren’t enough that want the unique Lehigh experience.

It sounds good. It makes everyone feel good. But it hasn’t been working as well as it has for our opponents. Even if Rylan Rogers signs.

[LUEngineer]

Pat hasn’t had NIL in his tool chest until a few weeks ago so my point is we won’t be the highest $ bidders but we at least are in the game.

The highest bidder type NIL guy is not our guy IMO & I believe the opinion of the coaches & staff & wrestlers on the current team. It’s still about the right culture.

[mh1]

Thanks LUE, nice to hear that South Mountain Way has gotten in the game and is under way. Hopefully the money can pour in and will not be encumbered by any one in Lehigh administration. Sad to say that is the game now.

[LUEngineer]

The unanticipated benefit of NIL is that Lehigh does not control this entity. That is why it can be wrestling only vs having to deal with Title 9 kind of stuff.

Same with Hotel as no one can tell us we have to do every sport at Lehigh. We are Wrestling focused & so now we have a chance collectively to separate wrestling from all other sports with your support going directly to benefit wrestling.

[Justafan]

The unanticipated benefit of NIL is that Lehigh does not control this entity. That is why it can be wrestling only vs having to deal with Title 9 kind of stuff.

Same with Hotel as no one can tell us we have to do every sport at Lehigh. We are Wrestling focused & so now we have a chance collectively to separate wrestling from all other sports with your support going directly to benefit wrestling.

You have Pat's ear more than I do but I suspect that a big bidding war for AAs may not be the best use of the NIL money. As you have said often, they are looking for select individuals that want the kind of culture provides. I think Barraclough and perhaps Rogers are the best fits so far.

The other element that Pat has hinted at is that we have been in the top 3 for several elite recruits and lost them to NIL. I think that may be the ideal use of what limited funds are available thus far.

[LUEngineer]

Agree with Justafan assessment of best use of funds & trust Pat who now has some tools he did not have.

Those are both great prospects & 3 years with Rogers would be nice. 2 Idaho kids coming in at same time would be ironic with Skellenger.

[HFO]

If I were looking to leverage money and outcomes, I would go for Alirez. National Champion at 141. Allows for a training partner for Crookham and Stanich. Stanich then for sure redshirts and Hines if he wants to make the lineup moves up to 149. Then you have potential for back-to-back National Champions and another one potentially in the pipeline the following year. Now that makes for great marketing and landing the best of the best out of college, if they can be admitted to Lehigh under the current Lehigh admissions process.

[HFO]

My guess (in order)
* Quality of work-out room partners and coaches at future destination
* Quality of conference competition to prepare for NCAAs
* NIL package
* Grad program

Justafan, in my view, is a good guy who does not see the playing field here like some others of us do. No harm in that.

As ASU is about to lose 4 top 5 guys, primarily NIL-related, I am going with...

1. NIL



2. everything else.

I thought it had more to do with loss of Sunkist Wrestling.
If you look at Flow portal transfer, there are not a lot of names being snatched up so there cannot be that much money out there. We shall see where some of these guys end up.

The landscape for sure has now changed. You have to be ready when portal hits twice per year so that means potentially holding back 2 scholarships instead of brining in the extra high schoolers and some type of NIL kicker even if it working out a lease from Penske Automotive for a one year car lease and a cash payment of $2000 per month while they come for their 1 year. It will have to be something that ways Lehigh will use the portal to improve the team for a weight class that needs immediate help while we develop younger wrestlers. Then if we are lucky, we recruit guys who are elite freestyle and they stay on as resident athletes at LVWC.

What Chance Marsteller is doing with high schoolers is pretty amazing down at Alvernia College on weekends with his Steller Trained Wresting Club. Teaching freestyle and a number of local guys have greatly improved under his tutelage and making it to podium in age class wrestling for USA Wrestling.

The ecosystem cluster of wrestling in Lehigh Valley continues to improve. The next big jump which I now am fully onboard that it is a reality is building an NIL that you can at least land one true elite per year in graduate transfer and get them for a year at Lehigh and then a cycle to try to make a US National Team or Olympic Team.

[1/2NELSON]

Can't argue with O's CRITERIA for attracting the Free-Agent:

* Quality of work-out room partners and coaches at future destination
* Quality of conference competition to prepare for NCAAs
* NIL package
* Grad program

For lack of a better expression I'll refer to all of the above as,..ACCOMODATIONS! And no one meets that criteria better than PENN STATE, followed closely by Michigan, Iowa, and Ohio State.

PERSPECTIVE gentlemen,..perspective. No-way-in-hell is that little University on a hill in the Lehigh Valley,..that private enterprise with the distinctive culture and outstanding WRESTLING pedigree/legacy,..gonna compete successfully year in/out with the afore-mentioned football/wrestling factories. But on occasion, we will LOCK-UP with them,..and kick their ass! Unfortunately we aren't able to garner the BLUE-CHIPPER as frequently as we'd like, but have been known to turn a few diamonds-in-the-rough into NCAA Champions,.. or at least into All-Americans, and that's good enough for this old-timer!