Topic: Question for all, would you consider donating a nominal amount directly to NIL?

[Johnnyherd]

Say $5 or $10 per game to NiL in an effort to bring in athletes to our University?  Yes/No and your thoughts?

I think we may have an advantage against many of the Sunbelt teams if we had our fanbase making small donations.

[chris88]

Hell no. I'm already contributing to a bribery/fraud scheme with my tax money.

[MUonium]

if during the game ticket purchasing i assume you mean as an option?  i wouldn't make it a mandatory increase in ticket prices.

anyway, whichever is the cheapest way while also being the most effective and i'm sure the fans with marketing edu can tell us how.  maybe an annual or twice-yearly lottery/raffle style (including Marshall event tickets and products as well as other non-Marshall products) set up by volunteers, if not a marketing company.  and perhaps the marketing aspect paid for by the $bags who are currently, already providing NIL$ to select players?? 

[whf]

I'm thinking this should be done exactly as it currently is, for a while. You can call and make as small a gift as you'd like; they have both a "general fund", and otherwise.  I guarantee if you can get them a few bucks, they'd appreciate it.  Great guy  heading it up as well, Tyler Hutchinson, right in downtown Huntington.

[carolinaherdfan]

NO...

This is Bullcrap...

[ru4mu2]

We have a Sophomore at MU and a HS senior that will be making her college choice soon.  They get all of my NIL money.......

[wesnky]

Hell No!

[bighat]

Why not?  If we want are programs to grow little chunks can add up to big chunks.

[BigJimslade]

No ?. I gave several thousand dollars for the IPF fund years ago. Never again. Granted this is different per se? but NO

[jsbowen]

Privately run NIL funds have become an option for most major universities...some even receiving 501(c)(3) non-profit status. 

[herdorbust2]

Personally I think this should mainly come from successful business owners that are big Marshall fans. Cars, free food, rental housing etc,,,

[chris88]

As i've said before, my prediction is that at the end of the day it won't make hardly any difference in wins and losses because a team's coach won't get better with or without NIL. Georgia won natl title last year and they won it this year. The top programs are still the top programs.  The G5 is still the G5 and nobody is going to jump into another level because they were able to bribe a few players to come hear vs somewhere as good or better. And then you have to worry about some other school doing the same thing.

I am all for the big donors to provide ability for a player like Kinsey etc to stay here over summer etc. Leasing cars and the other stuff is silly imo.

[forphase1]

No.  I hate the NIL and transfer portal crap and certainly will not donate more to perpetuate the nonsense.  Honestly my love for college sports is starting to be killed.  What made college sports different than pro is being lost and what made it special to me is disappearing.  Makes me sad, but it is what it is at this point.

[goherd24]

No. In my heart, I know NIL is/was, the beginning of the end of college sports. I'm trying to hang on, as I love Marshall and college sports far more than professional. But, I already give generously to our university, endowed a scholarship, and have advertising deals that basically provide $0 in ROI. No way a player is going to convince any customer ever to buy or go anywhere to shop or purchase a service, so the ROI isn't there. Only so much one can give, especially when it is something you whole heartedly disagree with, like NIL. Even if that us the future of college sports, it's one i want no part of and probably leads to apathy from me in regards to college sports all together at some point in the future.

[herdorbust2]

No.  I hate the NIL and transfer portal crap and certainly will not donate more to perpetuate the nonsense.  Honestly my love for college sports is starting to be killed.  What made college sports different than pro is being lost and what made it special to me is disappearing.  Makes me sad, but it is what it is at this point.

Same way I feel. Like 24 said I'm trying to hang on. For me what is killing it, is you can't stay passionate about your team because you have no idea who will even be on your team from one year to the next. For example in basketball. Typically a person could be so excited about the future knowing we have a 7'1" freshman that looks to be one of the best centers in the country going forward with 2 more very talent 6'9" freshman coming up with him. But it's hard to stay excited if you don't even know they will be here. Yes you can go to the portal but that is hit and Miss and you may get a good one and you may not. I personally like to see and know what the future looks like to stay engaged and not be guessing when the season starts.

[BerkshireHerdFan]

NO

[svherd]

My wife is retiring after this year. We'll hold steady where we are. Gotta cut back on other things.

[ThunderValley]

HELL NO

[whf]

NIL is just another change in "how" we compete for athletes.  You (meaning MU) either join in and strive to win in that front, or you don't and you don't win on the field.  This is new and now. And it will be a chore for MU to catch up and stay competitive in this realm.

I don't hope for it, or really want to see it, but this may very well be the element that drives college sports back to college sports, leaving that select group of college-sponsored, semi-pro programs separate from the rest of us. 

Right or wrong, the greatest games are played against similar competition, no matter how great the players are.  Would you be a Marshall fan if we were NAIA, NCAA DIII, etc.? 

Those who lose the NIL battle will certainly be playing with kids who choose that school, and a free education, soon enough.

[andy31]

I actually think this is a good idea.  I know a lot of you don't like NIL, but we can't stick our head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist.  If we want to be competitive, we've got to do the best we can to be attractive to prospective players.  We'll never match the big boys, but every little bit helps.  Thunder Trust has a place where you can make a donation as small as $10 on their website. 

https://www.thethundertrust.com/

[herdorbust2]

I actually think this is a good idea.  I know a lot of you don't like NIL, but we can't stick our head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist.  If we want to be competitive, we've got to do the best we can to be attractive to prospective players.  We'll never match the big boys, but every little bit helps.  Thunder Trust has a place where you can make a donation as small as $10 on their website. 

https://www.thethundertrust.com/

Well when Marshall sports finally becomes unwatchable because we don't have enough money to BUY players, I just hope the fans aren't blamed for not giving more and more. Instead blame the politicians, NCAA etc for killing collegiate sports.

[marshall fanatic]

NIL money should come from local WV business that support the Herd.

[Johnnyherd]

I sort of think of NIL along the lines of the Big Green.  It's just playing for players to live and go to school.  I don't think we are gonna make any of these kids rich while playing at Marshall.  More than likely we'll just play for some clothes, headphones and enough to take their girlfriends to the movies. 

I m not worried about out bidding Ohio State, but if we dont at least match or get in the neighborhood of our conference mates the best we can hope for is to be bridesmaids year in and year out. 

[bbcard1]

Sure, I'd kick in a few bucks.

[herdfan129]

I?m definitely open to it. As others have said we can?t outbid Ohio State but we can def be competitive in this area.