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My son told me about this. Basically, it is an in season tournament in Las Vegas. Up to 2 million dollars in NIL money/deals for participating teams. It would be held over Thanksgiving weekend. Every team that participates is guaranteed 1 million in NIL deals. Winning team gets an additional 1 million dollars. Monies would be distributed to the collectives, boosters, or other NIL entities of the school. Teams in talks to participate are:

Alabama, Duke, Florida Atlantic, Houston, Kansas, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State, St. Johns, Syracuse, and Virginia.

Thoughts?

Initial thought: the whoring of college basketball. Very sad.

Why not do it. But like everything else, it will have massive P5 bias due to the need to draw eyes to pay itself and the prize money. I would also think the players would want the money split amongst themselves.

At first I thought this had to be a hoax. Then I googled it. Wow.

This seems like a great idea to me, to be honest.

(03-11-2024 08:36 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  This seems like a great idea to me, to be honest.

Except that its mid season invite only. Id prefer it be a post season tournament based upon regular season success like the NCAA or NIT is supposed to be. That way if a team doesn't get in one of those two tournaments, they have a chance to play to increase their NIL pool. Which could be an equalizer. Almost like a lottery pick, only for teams close to making the upper echelon. So for example, lets say App St falls in the SB tournament and they dont make the NIT. They play in this thing and get $1 mil for NIL. Imagine what they can do with that influx. Buy a few top players and keep improving. It could be a reward for great teams not in the privileged 5. But alas, this will mostly be the rich getting richer. Other than FAU and SDSU there isn't a team invited that can truly use $1 mil as a game changer. If it were all mid majors it would be awesome.

(03-11-2024 10:28 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 08:36 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  This seems like a great idea to me, to be honest.

Except that its mid season invite only. Id prefer it be a post season tournament based upon regular season success like the NCAA or NIT is supposed to be. That way if a team doesn't get in one of those two tournaments, they have a chance to play to increase their NIL pool. Which could be an equalizer. Almost like a lottery pick, only for teams close to making the upper echelon. So for example, lets say App St falls in the SB tournament and they dont make the NIT. They play in this thing and get $1 mil for NIL. Imagine what they can do with that influx. Buy a few top players and keep improving. It could be a reward for great teams not in the privileged 5. But alas, this will mostly be the rich getting richer. Other than FAU and SDSU there isn't a team invited that can truly use $1 mil as a game changer. If it were all mid majors it would be awesome.

I don't want it to be at the end of the season, that focus should be on the tournament.

To be honest, some kids would probably rather play in the NIL tourney than the NCAA tourney, not sure if that can of worms need to be opened as you described it.

(03-11-2024 10:28 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 08:36 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  This seems like a great idea to me, to be honest.

Except that its mid season invite only. Id prefer it be a post season tournament based upon regular season success like the NCAA or NIT is supposed to be. That way if a team doesn't get in one of those two tournaments, they have a chance to play to increase their NIL pool. Which could be an equalizer. Almost like a lottery pick, only for teams close to making the upper echelon. So for example, lets say App St falls in the SB tournament and they dont make the NIT. They play in this thing and get $1 mil for NIL. Imagine what they can do with that influx. Buy a few top players and keep improving. It could be a reward for great teams not in the privileged 5. But alas, this will mostly be the rich getting richer. Other than FAU and SDSU there isn't a team invited that can truly use $1 mil as a game changer. If it were all mid majors it would be awesome.

If this was a postseason tournament for teams who missed the NCAAs and NIT, it would last one season before they ran out of money.

To spend $9mil on just the NIL portion of things, you have to sign a lucrative TV deal and sell a ton of ads, seats and travel packages. And teams like that won’t justify that expense. But the blue bloods definitely can make this a possibility. And even then, it’s hard to see it being a long term success at the rates they are guaranteeing.

(03-11-2024 10:33 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 10:28 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 08:36 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  This seems like a great idea to me, to be honest.

Except that its mid season invite only. Id prefer it be a post season tournament based upon regular season success like the NCAA or NIT is supposed to be. That way if a team doesn't get in one of those two tournaments, they have a chance to play to increase their NIL pool. Which could be an equalizer. Almost like a lottery pick, only for teams close to making the upper echelon. So for example, lets say App St falls in the SB tournament and they dont make the NIT. They play in this thing and get $1 mil for NIL. Imagine what they can do with that influx. Buy a few top players and keep improving. It could be a reward for great teams not in the privileged 5. But alas, this will mostly be the rich getting richer. Other than FAU and SDSU there isn't a team invited that can truly use $1 mil as a game changer. If it were all mid majors it would be awesome.

I don't want it to be at the end of the season, that focus should be on the tournament.

To be honest, some kids would probably rather play in the NIL tourney than the NCAA tourney, not sure if that can of worms need to be opened as you described it.

Thats a good point if they can keep the money. Which I guess they could. But the pandoras box is opened. If UNC, UConn etc would rather pass on the NCAA so their guys have a chance to win $150k each then so be it. Money has already ruined college sports, so it may as well finish the job. At least there'd be more open NCAA spots for deserving teams.

Hsven't really thought this thru, but I'm wondering if a Mid major only NIL tourney would make sense?

(03-11-2024 03:38 PM)Old Dominion Wrote:  Hsven't really thought this thru, but I'm wondering if a Mid major only NIL tourney would make sense?

Maybe the P5 could sponsor it. It would be like the Hunger Games.

(03-11-2024 03:38 PM)Old Dominion Wrote:  Hsven't really thought this thru, but I'm wondering if a Mid major only NIL tourney would make sense?

With the payout being $14 per student athlete. :)

(03-11-2024 04:02 PM)Stat Geek Wrote:  

(03-11-2024 03:38 PM)Old Dominion Wrote:  Hsven't really thought this thru, but I'm wondering if a Mid major only NIL tourney would make sense?

With the payout being $14 per student athlete. :)

Approximately the value of a "Big" size sandwich from Potbelly. That would be fair compensation for their participation in the tournament. Damn good sandwiches.