Bill Fennelly

[IcSyU]

This is where I'm missing something. Can you (or someone) explain the article linked earlier that says we're not doing as much as our peer schools when it comes to non-University NIL payment?

It seems like ISU should be working hard to connect athletes with businesses who have marketing needs (like Audi and Fareway). I know Iowa is a small state with a limited economy. Is the issue that there are no takers or is it that we as an institution are just not doing this?

I would imagine many companies might be willing to pay for ads similar to what Fareway does (or US Cellular with the Iowa WBB team). Am I wrong?

AD has to be able to pay its bills before donors start going around the AD.

Example I used before with Fareway. Let's say their budget is $100,000 annually. That payment used to go to the AD. If that goes directly to Audi now ISU still has to fulfill its revenue sharing commitment but it just lost $100k that went directly to a player who is also going to be getting revenue sharing.

We are spending reserves to meet our obligations. We have deficits covered for a limited time. Until the budget is funded you can't have outside deals.

Or lets say TJ needs money to retain a player this year and goes to Steve Sukup and taps him out for his contributions to the whole AD. Now Rogers needs retention money as well. Rogers reaches out to Sukup and Sukup says I'm already tapped out.

I'm guessing its a coach feeding the media something because they're upset they don't get more NIL to use but when you have limited resources you probably don't have a lot of choice in the AD's shoes.

 

[DGC]

This is where I'm missing something. Can you (or someone) explain the article linked earlier that says we're not doing as much as our peer schools when it comes to non-University NIL payment?

It seems like ISU should be working hard to connect athletes with businesses who have marketing needs (like Audi and Fareway). I know Iowa is a small state with a limited economy. Is the issue that there are no takers or is it that we as an institution are just not doing this?

I would imagine many companies might be willing to pay for ads similar to what Fareway does (or US Cellular with the Iowa WBB team). Am I wrong?

As a fan I agree. I believe the AD does not because they don't want to tap out the companies they already sponsor ISU athletics when they need the money for the AD budget.

 

[cyclone13]

For coaching staff, the staff as a whole has mismanaged the season. The fact the team doesn’t know how to play press blows my mind. The fact that Reagan sat for so long. Kenzy having issues from 3 and not bringing in Harris or any of the other bench players blows my mind. How the offense has looked close to the same the last two years (throw it down low to Audi) with nothing else blows my mind. The fact that we are missing a defense and rebounding blows my mind.

the offense has been frustrating the past several years. Pass to Ashley Joens, pass to Bridget Carleton….

This is the most frustrating part of- it has been a one trick pony. Instead of making it a team effort, we have been relying on 1 player to score. I don’t know whether it’s chicken or egg first: that we don’t have enough shooters or we discourage other players to shoot because we need to feed Audi/Ashley/Bridget. Then you have players over dribbling and doing nothing because there was no Plan B.

 

[throwittoblythe]

AD has to be able to pay its bills before donors start going around the AD.

Example I used before with Fareway. Let's say their budget is $100,000 annually. That payment used to go to the AD. If that goes directly to Audi now ISU still has to fulfill its revenue sharing commitment but it just lost $100k that went directly to a player who is also going to be getting revenue sharing.

We are spending reserves to meet our obligations. We have deficits covered for a limited time. Until the budget is funded you can't have outside deals.

Or lets say TJ needs money to retain a player this year and goes to Steve Sukup and taps him out for his contributions to the whole AD. Now Rogers needs retention money as well. Rogers reaches out to Sukup and Sukup says I'm already tapped out.

I'm guessing its a coach feeding the media something because they're upset they don't get more NIL to use but when you have limited resources you probably don't have a lot of choice in the AD's shoes.

This makes a lot of sense. I see what you mean now. Thanks!

 

[CycloneSpinning]

A few thoughts. First on players.. Audi wanted to play close to family. Her picking ISU was a bit of surprise from a recruiting standpoint (same as Addy). Last year there were money offers for Audi to leave, but she stayed. She may not answer the question anymore because she has answered it over and over again. The bigger concern will be Addy leaving and a few other bit players. I don’t like all the folks saying that Audi needs to drop weight, instead I would prefer focusing on her condition. That being how abused she has gotten this year below the rim with so many no calls and the ability to get up and the court.

For coaching staff, the staff as a whole has mismanaged the season. The fact the team doesn’t know how to play press blows my mind. The fact that Reagan sat for so long. Kenzy having issues from 3 and not bringing in Harris or any of the other bench players blows my mind. How the offense has looked close to the same the last two years (throw it down low to Audi) with nothing else blows my mind. The fact that we are missing a defense and rebounding blows my mind.

No matter what we say on the boards won’t shift what JP decides or CBF chooses to do makes this a bit like being an armchair AD/coach. If they did, I would ask CBF to name one program where the nepotistic hire worked out in favor of the team/university. Also, with all of CBF passion, can he keep up with the other coaches/teams. I would ask JP if he is just gun shy after what the FB program just went through. After the drubbing he took from the decision on Gymnastics, he may be even less likely to force this decision. The last question for CBF, can he change his coaching, conditioning and game plans enough to have this great team host? Has what he has done in the last decade with the Joens sisters and this group of talent truly stood up enough to say that he coached them to the level that the talent showed, even with the injuries. If not, he has many records and accolades, perhaps it is time to hand up the whistle and maybe mentor the next head coach.

Can we have an honest conversation about the women’s game, because I don’t think you can look at it at all like men’s basketball. For one, the programs at the top are practically unbeatable. UConn comes into the tournament almost a sure thing to win it all. You never see anything like this in the men’s game. You don’t see the thrashing top 5 WBB teams consistently give other teams if you are looking at MBB.

Audi seems like a fantastic person, and she is a fantastic scorer near the basket, but you wouldn’t see such a one-dimensional player as an All-American in MBB. She doesn’t rebound outside of her cylinder and she has poor lateral movement on defense. She perhaps should spend all offseason only working on that.

If I were Bill, I might consider whether featuring Audi so much is the best answer. You have many games where she is practically unstoppable…and then some against the top talent where she is a liability.

But if you don’t stand a chance against the top-tier regardless…which seems true…what realistic goals are you able to achieve that you aren’t already, and is it worth a complete overhaul? ISU WBB has a good following, does fairly well money-wise…certainly compared to other WBB programs. Only the absolutely top tier are making money. The ISU program is at least very respected, has good ticket sales and viewership, and brings other positives to the university.

All that to say - it’s frustrating that we can’t be better, but I don’t know that there is a reasonable hope that we can honestly do much better. In MBB that would be super frustrating, but I think you almost have to just enjoy the women for what they are - great girls who are wonderful representatives for the university, compete reasonably well, and are coached by a loyal guy who also has built something for this university that few would have likely been able to.

 

[acoustimac]

Who is paying more than 750k to their WBB team? Certainly not most of the big 12.

Buts always poor Ole Iowa State nevermind Bill is one of the highest paid in the big 12.

Baylor…TCU…just my guess since they don’t have to report. Miles didn’t go to TCU for less than a million all by herself.

 

[WartburgClone]

FWIW, Jada stated she was coming back during the press conference. I understand people can change their mind.

After the Stanford tourney loss Jalynn Bristow said something like "you'll see us the next three years" then transferred out to Texas Tech.

 

[NWICY]

I'm not missing the point at all. Are you willing to walk into the FB or MBB offices and say their budget is being cut for a WBB player? Because that is what you're advocating for by pushing for outside NIL. The dollars aren't infinite. There isn't an above the cap when you aren't even fully funding the cap without spending reserves.

Hines is a no-talent ass clown. His whole shtick is trying to stir **** up out of nothing. He's making a ******** emotional plea on something that's extremely easy to understand with logic.

I'm a pretty solid wbb fan, let the players find what they can on their own. ISU's meager funds need to be spent on MBB & FB
NIL name image likeness let them sell but not pay for play on a spirt that loses money. If a individual donor want to subsidize a player let them.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Kinda of an aside on the NIL stuff, but I am bit tired of the media telling us all of our players are giving us sweetheart deals. (This includes FB, MBB, and WBB)

Like we don’t just happen to be the only school with players that just love us so much they’d give up on making double just to play here.

It plays into the narrative of poor ole Iowa State, which I imagine why it gets repeated so often.

NIL has replaced the "Everyone else cheats except us" mantra of a lot of our fans. I guess Crooks could leave but not sure to where. I don't see a school with bigger NIL support "buying" a player they have to change their entire system to accommodate. Teams with better resources are mostly teams that are just better programs and they just aren't going to do that. She is just not a just plugin and play or just add in type player. We turned the programs keys over to Crooks after she proved she could score as a freshman. ISU is still her team and her program. Yes, she could leave but I think if she does she had better have a deal with some school pretty much done first because it would be really risky and chances are she'd end up on a team not even as good as we were this year. Her vague answer about leaving was more, to me, just a reminder to everyone else involved that she's in charge and she holds all of the cards.

 

[StClone]

After the Stanford tourney loss Jalynn Bristow said something like "you'll see us the next three years" then transferred out to Texas Tech.

Bristow did say something to that effect and then was gone She was one player in which I saw so much promise and with her loss came the realization my investment in WBB had its limits. Volleyball had me too. Now these sports interest me and have my support, but I no longer believe I will see a Final Four out of WBB in my lifetime.

 

[Challenger06]

NIL has replaced the "Everyone else cheats except us" mantra of a lot of our fans. I guess Crooks could leave but not sure to where. I don't see a school with bigger NIL support "buying" a player they have to change their entire system to accommodate. Teams with better resources are mostly teams that are just better programs and they just aren't going to do that. She is just not a just plugin and play or just add in type player. We turned the programs keys over to Crooks after she proved she could score as a freshman. ISU is still her team and her program. Yes, she could leave but I think if she does she had better have a deal with some school pretty much done first because it would be really risky and chances are she'd end up on a team not even as good as we were this year. Her vague answer about leaving was more, to me, just a reminder to everyone else involved that she's in charge and she holds all of the cards.

The fact that she wouldn’t even say something like “that’s my plan, to return,” with her coach sitting a foot away, speaks volumes to me. A player can always remind a coach “who’s in charge” in private.
And I would imagine a second team all-American would collect a fair amount of interest in the transfer portal…

 

[motorcy90]

let him finish out next year at most and offer retirement. he has earned that at least.

 

[acoustimac]

Her vague answer about leaving was more, to me, just a reminder to everyone else involved that she's in charge and she holds all of the cards.

personally her answer wasn’t vague at all. She has always been a leader and team first. She simply spoke from the heart that there are more important things to be thinking about right now. Personally, I thought even asking the question right after a tough loss was incredibly insensitive and rude.

 

[FarmerCy1]

let him finish out next year at most and offer retirement. he has earned that at least.

If he wants to finish next year, then fine. But he needs to be told he’s done. If he wants to say he’s retiring, ok great but he needs to be told in no uncertain terms that next year is his last. He hasn’t done any recruiting for 27-28, so it’s going to be a rebuild anyways, but I want someone else doing the rebuilding.

 

[2speedy1]

Oh please. You have no idea if this is true. None of us know what coaches are out there at: smaller schools, or are assistants at successful programs, or winning coaches at schools with meager fan followings who might listen.
No one knew who Curt Cignetti was until two years ago…

AAAAaand you dont know its not true.

If you think its easy and common to go out and strike gold like Cignetti or TJ, you need to look into history a bit more.

Its possible sure, its also possible we hire an absolute loser too. Especially when talking about coaches, that we can afford, and no one else wants to pay more for. Going out and hiring some assistant with no head coach experience, going and grabbing some D3 coach etc has at least as good of chance of being worse as being any better and I would say that it is far more likely to be worse.

Hell we went out and hired a no name coach, with no HC experience for gymnastics a couple years ago... that worked out well didnt it.

 

[2speedy1]

This is still misunderstood by fans, alumna, and officials.

Yeah, I believe schools paying directly to student athletes would make them employees (more benefits) or independent contractors and is one of the legal points of future discussions to be refined.

From Bing:

NIL collectives are independent organizations that pool funds from boosters, alumni, and businesses to support college athletes in their name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities. They operate outside of universities and are essential for helping athletes earn money through various activities such as endorsements, social media promotions, and personal appearances.

• Operation: Collectives typically raise funds through donations, subscriptions, or partnerships with brands. They facilitate NIL deals and ensure compliance with NCAA regulations.
  
  2
• Impact: Since the NCAA's 2021 rule change, NIL collectives have become a significant player in college athletics, influencing recruitment and financial opportunities for athletes.
  
  2
• Future: As regulations evolve, the role of NIL collectives may diminish, but they remain crucial for athletes seeking to monetize their NIL rights.

Most of this changed this year, at least as how its all facilitated. The collectives were absorbed into the ADs, and are part of the rev share equation now. The ADs pay Rev Share of 20M. NIL deals exist outside that, with no cap etc.

ISU believes they need to go out and secure funds for the Rev Share first. Which we have not been able to fully fund, before going out and getting players above cap money through NIL. So if ISU is going out to Pioneer to get funds, they are getting funds to put towards their Rev Share, not going out and getting Lipsey a Pioneer seed deal above what his rev share is. At least not until they come up with the funds to fully fund the rev share.

So all of the complaints about not getting above cap deals at ISU etc are more about how it is all managed now and how that changed this year.

 

[cykadelic2]

Baylor…TCU…just my guess since they don’t have to report. Miles didn’t go to TCU for less than a million all by herself.

They have to report RevShare like everyone else.

And TCU’s WBB spending is going to be altered downward for 2026-27 by House. If it isn’t, it will be under the table.

 

[ema28]

But if we are being honest we have had a hard time retaining players on our WBB team well before NIL

 

[acoustimac]

But if we are being honest we have had a hard time retaining players on our WBB team well before NIL

Really? Usually those that leave are deep bench players who seek playing time at lesser schools. Yes, a key contributor has left once in a while, but most have happened in the last few in the NIL era with players like Donarski, M&M, and Fritz. Donarski is really the only huge loss we’ve suffered.

 

[NWICY]

Yes, no, maybe (in that order)

Edited to expand a bit: I think there’s a world in which Pollard/whoever the AD is gives Billy a shot and tells him to bring in new assistants too so he can save a few hundred thousand dollars on coach salaries. If it works it’s a feel good story and maybe more alums stay connected to the program, if it doesn’t then move on after 4-5 years (presumably under a new AD). I don’t think it’s a good idea, but it might be the smoothest option at the end of Pollard’s tenure. Idk.

I really don't like that plan but it would be easy, and Billy sure as hell shouldn't get the money Bill is making.