Moneyball at Sam Houston: How the Bearkats are thriving despite the 'least amount of NIL' in the FBS

[FirefightnRick]

I still feel it was a mistake for Sam to leave FCS, but I've always felt K.C. Keeler was a special coach regardless of his age and would thrive.  Check out how he's handled the jump to FBS and the NIL mess.  Hat tip to @SUMG for the article.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/moneyball-at-sam-houston-how-the-bearkats-are-thriving-despite-the-least-amount-of-nil-in-the-fbs/
 

 

Rick

Edited October 4 by FirefightnRick

[Big Z]

45 minutes ago, FirefightnRick said:

I still feel it was a mistake for Sam to leave FCS, but I've always felt K.C. Keeler was a special coach regardless of his age and would thrive.  Check out how he's handled the jump to FBS and the NIL mess.  Hat tip to @SUMG for the article.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/moneyball-at-sam-houston-how-the-bearkats-are-thriving-despite-the-least-amount-of-nil-in-the-fbs/
 

 

Rick

I already posted this article this morning 

[DeepGreen]

Great article.

[Coffee and TV]

They play in the worst FBS conference so it's easier to win? 

[FirefightnRick]

1 hour ago, Coffee and TV said:

They play in the worst FBS conference so it's easier to win? 

Right, easier,…..easier until they have to play Liberty, who finished ranked 23rd last year, in only Sam’s 2nd year removed from FCS?

 

 

Rick

[Coffee and TV]

1 minute ago, FirefightnRick said:

Right, easier,…..easier until they have to play Liberty, who finished ranked 23rd last year, in only Sam’s 2nd year removed from FCS?

 

 

Rick

Yes, easier until Liberty with teams like UTEP and Kennesaw State. They ain't played nobody, Pawwwwwwlllll. 

[Big Z]

The point of this article is that they are doing this with hardly any NIL money at all. 

[Mean Green 93-98]

1 hour ago, Coffee and TV said:

Yes, easier until Liberty with teams like UTEP and Kennesaw State. They ain't played nobody, Pawwwwwwlllll. 

They beat a solid Texas State team.

Again, the point being made is that they have the lowest revenue in their conference, and, speculatively, "the least amount of NIL money in the country," and yet they are still winning.  They have to go against every one of their opponents with a financial disadvantage.

Edited October 4 by Mean Green 93-98

[BillySee58]

Feels like there’s still just not all that much money going around at G5 schools. Maybe some QBs but outside of that it still seems like good HS recruiting plus landing the right portal and JUCO guys is still more relevant than being able to money whip other G5/FCS schools for all the spots up and down your roster.

As long as there’s a scholarship limit at the P4 schools I just see that remaining the case at the G5 level. 

[aztecskin]

7 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

Feels like there’s still just not all that much money going around at G5 schools. Maybe some QBs but outside of that it still seems like good HS recruiting plus landing the right portal and JUCO guys is still more relevant than being able to money whip other G5/FCS schools for all the spots up and down your roster.

As long as there’s a scholarship limit at the P4 schools I just see that remaining the case at the G5 level. 

Yeah agreed. 

Also, I feel like early days NIL is like early days in start ups where lots of different business models will be thrown around. Eventually some data is captured, analyzed and the numbers are predictable. Right now, we can guesstimate what a starting QB at a p4 is worth, but there will eventually be a good dollar amount on it.

I know in the basketball transfer portal, teams have services that look at transfers and they can give you a good estimate whether a guy from a lower league will translate to a higher one --"SWAC guys don't translate to ACC, but Sun Belt guys do" etc.

That will help determine how many G5 Qbs, Rbs, Wrs, get poached and for how much. 

[BillySee58]

54 minutes ago, aztecskin said:

Yeah agreed. 

Also, I feel like early days NIL is like early days in start ups where lots of different business models will be thrown around. Eventually some data is captured, analyzed and the numbers are predictable. Right now, we can guesstimate what a starting QB at a p4 is worth, but there will eventually be a good dollar amount on it.

I know in the basketball transfer portal, teams have services that look at transfers and they can give you a good estimate whether a guy from a lower league will translate to a higher one --"SWAC guys don't translate to ACC, but Sun Belt guys do" etc.

That will help determine how many G5 Qbs, Rbs, Wrs, get poached and for how much. 

Yeah, definitely had that “bubble” feel to it early. SMU NIL saying they’d pay their entire scholarship roster like $40k per year, Duke using NIL to poach our guard commit from Angelo State just to be a depth guy over there, etc.

Feels like early on there was an approach of “hey, we have the money to spend it on these guys so let’s do it” and has shifted towards a more prudent approach. Definitely normalizing to be more of an exact science and it doesn’t feel to have thrown the competitive balance very far off from where it was pre NIL.

[UNTcrazy727]

Sam Houston has impressed this year, but I still don’t think they’re very good. They’d probably be the 9th or 10th best team in the AAC. 

[NT80]

4 hours ago, Big Z said:

The point of this article is that they are doing this with hardly any NIL money at all. 

How does anybody really know what NIL transactions have transpired or are being offered?  There is no accounting required and no transparency to fans or potential donors.

[El Paso Eagle]

6 hours ago, FirefightnRick said:

Right, easier,…..easier until they have to play Liberty, who finished ranked 23rd last year, in only Sam’s 2nd year removed from FCS?

 

 

Rick

The need for so many on this board to constantly try to belittle and cut down other teams is amazing. It's like they would fall over and pass out if they actually had to compliment someone for doing something well.

[Big Z]

13 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

The need for so many on this board to constantly try to belittle and cut down other teams is amazing. It's like they would fall over and pass out if they actually had to compliment someone for doing something well.

We haven't really beaten anybody as well..

[SilverEagle]

Sam Houston 41-21 UTEP (4 Oct, 2024) Game Recap - ESPN (IN)

[FirefightnRick]

On 10/4/2024 at 1:58 PM, Coffee and TV said:

Yes, easier until Liberty with teams like UTEP and Kennesaw State. They ain't played nobody, Pawwwwwwlllll. 

 

We’re in no position to look down on bad teams in other conferences.
 

Tulane 71 UAB 13 currently in the 4th

Army 49 Tulsa 7

And then there’s Rice , who is off today but lost to Sam Houston by 20 back on August 31st.

 

Rick

Edited October 5 by FirefightnRick

[NM Green]

I like Sam. They had a rough first year up but kept the faith. Now Sam, UNT and SMU are three surprise teams in the State of Texas. 

Props for wins and good records. 

GMG