Fire Burman

[Douglaspoke]

Hey Cup--good to see you here! I was good at GWG, but my $$$ allocations for anything UW ath had to be trimmed back--just didn't see the ppoint anymore. I hope I am proved wrong at some future date!

 

[LawPoke]

They don’t even need to be creative to raise NIL money. They just need to try a little bit.

It’s not that Burman and his crew are unable to raise funds for rev share and NIL, it’s that they have actively avoided it because they feel like the state won’t culturally accept it. There are VERY simple things being done around the country like surcharges on season tickets and concessions that we could have been doing several years ago.

We suck at NIL because Burman, Seidel and the trustees decided the consequences of sucking at NIL were less toxic for them than the consequences of admitting their facilities-first fundraising model of the past 20 years was wrong

Fact is, others have embraced or at least reconciled with the realities of running modern athletics departments. Wyoming just can't. We can bark about our craptastic programs, but we WILL NOT compete unless we go all in on NIL. I don't make the rules/reality, but we can't and won't change them. IT is very clear that Burman, Seidel, the Legislature and many on this board hate this new era (the half-hearted, ill fated, and uncreative push for state funded NIL notwithstanding). I'm not loving it to be honest. But if we don't change our thinking, we will continue in our death spiral. In 5 years or less, we will have either elevated our NIL game and become competitive in the MWC and region or we will be bloodied and lifeless on the doorstep of FCS.

 

[TheRealUW]

Fact is, others have embraced or at least reconciled with the realities of running modern athletics departments. Wyoming just can't. We can bark about our craptastic programs, but we WILL NOT compete unless we go all in on NIL. I don't make the rules/reality, but we can't and won't change them. IT is very clear that Burman, Seidel, the Legislature and many on this board hate this new era (the half-hearted, ill fated, and uncreative push for state funded NIL notwithstanding). I'm not loving it to be honest. But if we don't change our thinking, we will continue in our death spiral. In 5 years or less, we will have either elevated our NIL game and become competitive in the MWC and region or we will be bloodied and lifeless on the doorstep of FCS.

I think you are mostly right barring a major change in the way college athletes are compensated. That change is eventually coming, but it probably won't be in time to save programs like Wyoming.

The short-term reality to choosing not to heavily invest in the current NIL model is depressing. It means watching a program you love get passed up by peer institutions that we used to be on the same level with. It's painful to see. As you pointed out, it also means several years of really poor performances amongst the flagship sports (football and men's basketball).

All that being said, I still find myself leaning away from wanting Wyoming to play the NIL game. I think in the long run, I'd be happier as a fan if Wyoming were in a conference with regional like minded peer schools than I would with Wyoming being in a conference with a team in the Chicago suburbs and spending millions of dollars a year to try to field a competitive team that changes personnel year in and year out.

It would be a big change, and change is really hard to accept in the moment, but I'm starting to feel like it's ultimately for the better. I'm sure others strongly disagree with this take, but that's just my two cents.

 

[rocket city poke]

I think you are mostly right barring a major change in the way college athletes are compensated. That change is eventually coming, but it probably won't be in time to save programs like Wyoming.

The short-term reality to choosing not to heavily invest in the current NIL model is depressing. It means watching a program you love get passed up by peer institutions that we used to be on the same level with. It's painful to see. As you pointed out, it also means several years of really poor performances amongst the flagship sports (football and men's basketball).

All that being said, I still find myself leaning away from wanting Wyoming to play the NIL game. I think in the long run, I'd be happier as a fan if Wyoming were in a conference with regional like minded peer schools than I would with Wyoming being in a conference with a team in the Chicago suburbs and spending millions of dollars a year to try to field a competitive team that changes personnel year in and year out.

It would be a big change, and change is really hard to accept in the moment, but I'm starting to feel like it's ultimately for the better. I'm sure others strongly disagree with this take, but that's just my two cents.

No me, i wholeheartedly agree. I want the legislature to pull the NIL money and make the programs go this route. The legislature will just be throwing away more money. UW just has not shown an ability to compete in the evolving world of college athletics. Another $6 million isn't going to change that.

 

[Wyolie Coyote]

No me, i wholeheartedly agree. I want the legislature to pull the NIL money and make the programs go this route. The legislature will just be throwing away more money. UW just has not shown an ability to compete in the evolving world of college athletics. Another $6 million isn't going to change that.

Nothing will change no matter how we approach it with the current Athletic Director. Until Burman is gone, none of it matters. Expect the same results as we have had for 20 years under his leadership.