Questions About Stadium and NIL

[Husker.Wed.]

A lot of posters have gone on record expressing Nebraska should spend no money on stadium improvements and attempt to have boosters pump all that money into NIL.

So... I am interested in what thoughtful opinions are out there about this pro and con.

1. Assuming the stadium is not in danger of falling apart and killing somebody, should there be no improvements and all the money go to NIL?

2. If there is a "X" percent chance....say 10% that no stadium work is done and (pick a number) 100 people die, is it better they die and all the stadium refurb money goes to NIL?

3. Should the donations required to buy tickets in both the South Stadium and North Stadium be reduced or zeroed out since the facilities in North and South aren't good and making any improvements in those sections should be diverted to NIL?

4. Should a whole bunch of responders to the 2022 Stadium survey who identified the South Stadium as the pits be ignored and told it is what it is? Should younger respondents who want "common areas", "Internet cafes", and those things Trev wants to do with South Stadium be told the money has to go to NIL?

5. Should Nebraska ignore what is happening with stadiums across the country (craft beer, chefs decorating your cupcake with icing, 20 different food choices, golf carts driving you to your seat, daycare, swimming pools, etc. Or should we draw a hard line and expect all the money to NIL will cause Nebraska to win a lot of games and no one will care about a modern stadium or 12-inch seat width?

6. Should we mimic programs like Northwestern and build a new, smaller stadium between Omaha and Lincoln, and do a 50 year bond to finance it (guarantied by Nebraska tax money)?

I understand a $500 million stadium renovation is extreme and maybe we should try to divert a portion of that money to NIL. However, it is possible Memorial needs some improvements. So...for folks against the big ticket renovation instead of NIL, can you please share your vision about what should be done with the stadium and NIL? I haven't formed an opinion yet, so need more data.

 

[Charlie Marlow]

play on an abandoned dirt field on the edge of town and pump all money to NIL

 

[RedMyMind]

play on an abandoned dirt field on the edge of town and pump all money to NIL

walmart parking lot

 

[EmormousDouchebag]

How are we going to divert a portion of that 500 million to NIL, exactly?

 

[Charlie Marlow]

walmart parking lot

We can use some of the RV dudes as officials and pay them in runzas

 

[Landomatic]

2. If there is a "X" percent chance....say 10% that no stadium work is done and (pick a number) 100 people die, is it better they die and all the stadium refurb money goes to NIL?

Need a few more metrics to answer this hypothetical. What's the result of that money going to NIL? Conference Championships? I'd say 100 death threshold is too low. Probably somewhere in the 1,000s. National Championships? Easily 10,000 +/- deaths is acceptable.

 

[Huskers123456]

How about: should south stadium season ticket holders have to demolish and rebuild it themselves by hand to save money for NIL?

 

[Pennsyhusker]

They should just stop the nonsense of a $450 million renovation of the stadium. Unless they put a winning product on the field they won't be filling it anyway very soon and we will be lucky to get 60,000 to attend a game. We have the new $150 million in facilities and we have a stadium that is "good enough for the product". The sellout streak be damned. Who cares anyway? That "tradition" is going to die soon just like all the others anyway. Use the $450 million to bribe players to come here. Find the best high school QB in America and offer him $50 million. The find the five best offensive lineman and pay each one $10 million.

Of course I am being sarcastic because none of that will happen. Either Rhule's plan for a gradual rebuild is going to work or we are in for another five years of frustration. It is that simple.

 

[RedBaloneyPony]

They should just stop the nonsense of a $450 million renovation of the stadium. Unless they put a winning product on the field they won't be filling it anyway very soon and we will be lucky to get 60,000 to attend a game. We have the new $150 million in facilities and we have a stadium that is "good enough for the product". The sellout streak be damned. Who cares anyway? That "tradition" is going to die soon just like all the others anyway. Use the $450 million to bribe players to come here. Find the best high school QB in America and offer him $50 million. The find the five best offensive lineman and pay each one $10 million.

Of course I am being sarcastic because none of that will happen. Either Rhule's plan for a gradual rebuild his going to work or we are in for another five years of frustration. It is that simple.

Will an NU win on Friday turn that frown upside down for you, we all need some positivity but dang your recent posts are depressing. Not disagreeing with them just choosing the outlook of hope for 1 more game.

 

[schuele]

7. Just link the construction contracts to NIL donations. Win-win.

 

[shine003]

NIL comes from businesses and collectives. It can’t come from the athletic department…so the university can’t take money donated and earmarked for the stadium and pay players. That’s not nil. What is trev going to do? Give runza $100 million and tell them to put Dillon riola in an ad? Not an expert but I don’t think that’s allowed and is probably down right illegal.

 

[Pennsyhusker]

Will an NU win on Friday turn that frown upside down for you, we all need some positivity but dang your recent posts are depressing. Not disagreeing with them just choosing the outlook of hope for 1 more game.

I am not depressed or sour or in a bad mood. Very happy and content these days in my life actually. It is just that this season has dropped the rose colored scales off of my eyes about NU football. Our program really is shit. It really is dead and it may never be good again given the changed demographics and reality of modern college football. And we have been grossly mismanaged by a gaggle of overpaid nitwits ever since Osborne retired. One failed coach after another. And so far Rhule seems no different. His recruiting is just average and the staff he has hired, especially offense and special teams, look to be very mediocre as well. Hence why we cannot recruit shit to offense. What blue chip offensive player would want to play for these nobodies?

We had at one time this year a really good defense. I will give them that. But they are worn out and it shows. They cannot stop the other team when it counted and Rhule knows it which is why he played for overtime against Wisky. He was scared that if we left them any time on the clock they would score at the end, just like Maryland did when the knifed through our defense like shit through a goose. And our defense will continue to get worn down so long as this offensive staff is here.

We are obsessed with facilities and stadium and sell outs and using the stadium for things other than football, but do not seem to give a shit for actually bringing in a great coach AND, finally, a freaking staff who can recruit and coach. Instead we hire another NFL reject who had some moderate success at shit schools on the college level. And here we are in another year where we lose our opening game to a shit team, get absolutely annihilated by the only really good team on our schedule, lose by a wide margin to the shit team to the West ("We comin'!), then offer some hope by beating five shit teams, only to lose three straight to shit teams even if winning just one of those games means going to a bowl. We ended the losing streaks of MSU, Maryland, and Wisconsin. Before they played us they could not buy a win. But Rhule had his guys really prepared for those teams didn't he? Meanwhile, the Northwestern coach's team got better as the season wore on. We got worse.

This is year one of the "Rhule era". Maybe year two will be better. Maybe year three will be stellar. Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe.... Ugh. That is all we have heard for years now. "Hang on we are building something!" Kind of hard to believe that Rhule is the guy to do that when he obviously was too incompetent as a coach when evaluating the talent of Sims. Anyone's blind pet hamster could have seen that Sims had zero talent as a QB. But apparently Rhule and his genius staff could not. And I am not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here. In looking at our QB roster when he came in Rhule had to know that the success of the upcoming season absolutely depended on finding a good QB. Because there was not a P5 or even D1 QB on the roster. If they played for Michigan or Ohio State, Haarberg and Purdy would be on the scout team at best. And they certainly would not be on scholarship. So we needed a QB big time. And who did Rhule get?? A turnover machine who can't throw, can't run the option, and is only good as a straight ahead runner when you give him a five yard wide lane to run in. And God help him if a bird farts on him as he is running since he will cough it up on the spot.

Rhule has said that Raiola is just the kind of offensive line coach he wants. That means Rhule is also an incompetent when judging offensive line coaches. This is the worst two years of offensive line play I have ever seen at Nebraska. But hey... I guess that is the kind of line play Rhule wants. Can't run block. Can't pass block. Can't do shit. So by all means... keep Raiola around. I mean, he could not even convince his nephew to come here and he certainly has not brought in very many impressive offensive line recruits.

Sorry, but in my view, Nebraska football is something that had a nice 40 year run under two great coaches. But when the last of those two coaches left so did our chance to be great. Right now I think all we can realistically hope for is that we will be someday as good as Northwestern and Rutgers.

 

[king_kong_]

How are we going to divert a portion of that 500 million to NIL, exactly?

I was told trev has relationships with big money spenders

 

[Huskers123456]

I am not depressed or sour or in a bad mood. Very happy and content these days in my life actually. It is just that this season has dropped the rose colored scales off of my eyes about NU football. Our program really is shit. It really is dead and it may never be good again given the changed demographics and reality of modern college football. And we have been grossly mismanaged by a gaggle of overpaid nitwits ever since Osborne retired. One failed coach after another. And so far Rhule seems no different. His recruiting is just average and the staff he has hired, especially offense and special teams, look to be very mediocre as well. Hence why we cannot recruit shit to offense. What blue chip offensive player would want to play for these nobodies?

We had at one time this year a really good defense. I will give them that. But they are worn out and it shows. They cannot stop the other team when it counted and Rhule knows it which is why he played for overtime against Wisky. He was scared that if we left them any time on the clock they would score at the end, just like Maryland did when the knifed through our defense like shit through a goose. And our defense will continue to get worn down so long as this offensive staff is here.

We are obsessed with facilities and stadium and sell outs and using the stadium for things other than football, but do not seem to give a shit for actually bringing in a great coach AND, finally, a freaking staff who can recruit and coach. Instead we hire another NFL reject who had some moderate success at shit schools on the college level. And here we are in another year where we lose our opening game to a shit team, get absolutely annihilated by the only really good team on our schedule, lose by a wide margin to the shit team to the West ("We comin'!), then offer some hope by beating five shit teams, only to lose three straight to shit teams even if winning just one of those games means going to a bowl. We ended the losing streaks of MSU, Maryland, and Wisconsin. Before they played us they could not buy a win. But Rhule had his guys really prepared for those teams didn't he? Meanwhile, the Northwestern coach's team got better as the season wore on. We got worse.

This is year one of the "Rhule era". Maybe year two will be better. Maybe year three will be stellar. Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe.... Ugh. That is all we have heard for years now. "Hang on we are building something!" Kind of hard to believe that Rhule is the guy to do that when he obviously was too incompetent as a coach when evaluating the talent of Sims. Anyone's blind pet hamster could have seen that Sims had zero talent as a QB. But apparently Rhule and his genius staff could not. And I am not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here. In looking at our QB roster when he came in Rhule had to know that the success of the upcoming season absolutely depended on finding a good QB. Because there was not a P5 or even D1 QB on the roster. If they played for Michigan or Ohio State, Haarberg and Purdy would be on the scout team at best. And they certainly would not be on scholarship. So we needed a QB big time. And who did Rhule get?? A turnover machine who can't throw, can't run the option, and is only good as a straight ahead runner when you give him a five yard wide lane to run in. And God help him if a bird farts on him as he is running since he will cough it up on the spot.

Rhule has said that Raiola is just the kind of offensive line coach he wants. That means Rhule is also an incompetent when judging offensive line coaches. This is the worst two years of offensive line play I have ever seen at Nebraska. But hey... I guess that is the kind of line play Rhule wants. Can't run block. Can't pass block. Can't do shit. So by all means... keep Raiola around. I mean, he could not even convince his nephew to come here and he certainly has not brought in very many impressive offensive line recruits.

Sorry, but in my view, Nebraska football is something that had a nice 40 year run under two great coaches. But when the last of those two coaches left so did our chance to be great. Right now I think all we can realistically hope for is that we will be someday as good as Northwestern and Rutgers.

Read some of your post. What do you mean someday be as good as NW and Rutgers? Didn't we beat both of those teams last time we played? Let's not be dramatic.

 

[RedBaloneyPony]

I am not depressed or sour or in a bad mood. Very happy and content these days in my life actually. It is just that this season has dropped the rose colored scales off of my eyes about NU football. Our program really is shit. It really is dead and it may never be good again given the changed demographics and reality of modern college football. And we have been grossly mismanaged by a gaggle of overpaid nitwits ever since Osborne retired. One failed coach after another. And so far Rhule seems no different. His recruiting is just average and the staff he has hired, especially offense and special teams, look to be very mediocre as well. Hence why we cannot recruit shit to offense. What blue chip offensive player would want to play for these nobodies?

We had at one time this year a really good defense. I will give them that. But they are worn out and it shows. They cannot stop the other team when it counted and Rhule knows it which is why he played for overtime against Wisky. He was scared that if we left them any time on the clock they would score at the end, just like Maryland did when the knifed through our defense like shit through a goose. And our defense will continue to get worn down so long as this offensive staff is here.

We are obsessed with facilities and stadium and sell outs and using the stadium for things other than football, but do not seem to give a shit for actually bringing in a great coach AND, finally, a freaking staff who can recruit and coach. Instead we hire another NFL reject who had some moderate success at shit schools on the college level. And here we are in another year where we lose our opening game to a shit team, get absolutely annihilated by the only really good team on our schedule, lose by a wide margin to the shit team to the West ("We comin'!), then offer some hope by beating five shit teams, only to lose three straight to shit teams even if winning just one of those games means going to a bowl. We ended the losing streaks of MSU, Maryland, and Wisconsin. Before they played us they could not buy a win. But Rhule had his guys really prepared for those teams didn't he? Meanwhile, the Northwestern coach's team got better as the season wore on. We got worse.

This is year one of the "Rhule era". Maybe year two will be better. Maybe year three will be stellar. Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe.... Ugh. That is all we have heard for years now. "Hang on we are building something!" Kind of hard to believe that Rhule is the guy to do that when he obviously was too incompetent as a coach when evaluating the talent of Sims. Anyone's blind pet hamster could have seen that Sims had zero talent as a QB. But apparently Rhule and his genius staff could not. And I am not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here. In looking at our QB roster when he came in Rhule had to know that the success of the upcoming season absolutely depended on finding a good QB. Because there was not a P5 or even D1 QB on the roster. If they played for Michigan or Ohio State, Haarberg and Purdy would be on the scout team at best. And they certainly would not be on scholarship. So we needed a QB big time. And who did Rhule get?? A turnover machine who can't throw, can't run the option, and is only good as a straight ahead runner when you give him a five yard wide lane to run in. And God help him if a bird farts on him as he is running since he will cough it up on the spot.

Rhule has said that Raiola is just the kind of offensive line coach he wants. That means Rhule is also an incompetent when judging offensive line coaches. This is the worst two years of offensive line play I have ever seen at Nebraska. But hey... I guess that is the kind of line play Rhule wants. Can't run block. Can't pass block. Can't do shit. So by all means... keep Raiola around. I mean, he could not even convince his nephew to come here and he certainly has not brought in very many impressive offensive line recruits.

Sorry, but in my view, Nebraska football is something that had a nice 40 year run under two great coaches. But when the last of those two coaches left so did our chance to be great. Right now I think all we can realistically hope for is that we will be someday as good as Northwestern and Rutgers.

You've got more years on me as far as witnessing some great football, I can't even really remember watching those good teams. Which is sad that I feel the way I do about the Huskers, I expect us to fail more times than I expect us to succeed but for some reason I keep tuning in for the next game. It's been a long season full of doubt and turmoil but Im ready to chug some more Rhule Ade if we can muster up a win on Friday, beat them inbred mouth breathers and go bowling. Im hoping our guys can put together a complete game to give us fans another offseason of hope.

 

[pascal]

I am not depressed or sour or in a bad mood. Very happy and content these days in my life actually. It is just that this season has dropped the rose colored scales off of my eyes about NU football. Our program really is shit. It really is dead and it may never be good again given the changed demographics and reality of modern college football. And we have been grossly mismanaged by a gaggle of overpaid nitwits ever since Osborne retired. One failed coach after another. And so far Rhule seems no different. His recruiting is just average and the staff he has hired, especially offense and special teams, look to be very mediocre as well. Hence why we cannot recruit shit to offense. What blue chip offensive player would want to play for these nobodies?

We had at one time this year a really good defense. I will give them that. But they are worn out and it shows. They cannot stop the other team when it counted and Rhule knows it which is why he played for overtime against Wisky. He was scared that if we left them any time on the clock they would score at the end, just like Maryland did when the knifed through our defense like shit through a goose. And our defense will continue to get worn down so long as this offensive staff is here.

We are obsessed with facilities and stadium and sell outs and using the stadium for things other than football, but do not seem to give a shit for actually bringing in a great coach AND, finally, a freaking staff who can recruit and coach. Instead we hire another NFL reject who had some moderate success at shit schools on the college level. And here we are in another year where we lose our opening game to a shit team, get absolutely annihilated by the only really good team on our schedule, lose by a wide margin to the shit team to the West ("We comin'!), then offer some hope by beating five shit teams, only to lose three straight to shit teams even if winning just one of those games means going to a bowl. We ended the losing streaks of MSU, Maryland, and Wisconsin. Before they played us they could not buy a win. But Rhule had his guys really prepared for those teams didn't he? Meanwhile, the Northwestern coach's team got better as the season wore on. We got worse.

This is year one of the "Rhule era". Maybe year two will be better. Maybe year three will be stellar. Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe.... Ugh. That is all we have heard for years now. "Hang on we are building something!" Kind of hard to believe that Rhule is the guy to do that when he obviously was too incompetent as a coach when evaluating the talent of Sims. Anyone's blind pet hamster could have seen that Sims had zero talent as a QB. But apparently Rhule and his genius staff could not. And I am not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here. In looking at our QB roster when he came in Rhule had to know that the success of the upcoming season absolutely depended on finding a good QB. Because there was not a P5 or even D1 QB on the roster. If they played for Michigan or Ohio State, Haarberg and Purdy would be on the scout team at best. And they certainly would not be on scholarship. So we needed a QB big time. And who did Rhule get?? A turnover machine who can't throw, can't run the option, and is only good as a straight ahead runner when you give him a five yard wide lane to run in. And God help him if a bird farts on him as he is running since he will cough it up on the spot.

Rhule has said that Raiola is just the kind of offensive line coach he wants. That means Rhule is also an incompetent when judging offensive line coaches. This is the worst two years of offensive line play I have ever seen at Nebraska. But hey... I guess that is the kind of line play Rhule wants. Can't run block. Can't pass block. Can't do shit. So by all means... keep Raiola around. I mean, he could not even convince his nephew to come here and he certainly has not brought in very many impressive offensive line recruits.

Sorry, but in my view, Nebraska football is something that had a nice 40 year run under two great coaches. But when the last of those two coaches left so did our chance to be great. Right now I think all we can realistically hope for is that we will be someday as good as Northwestern and Rutgers.

While I don't agree 100 percent, especially that last part, you put into words what a lot of us long timers, made cynical, feel. Rhule seems like a great guy, very likeable but good lord I am tired of the promises then followed by poor choices. You really hit on it with the point of hiring assistant coaches, with obvious exceptions, that are from the amateur hour. Bo did it, Frost did it, (I have no memory of Mike Riley) and now all we need is a golf coach and an insurance man on our staff.

 

[Pennsyhusker]

Read some of your post. What do you mean someday be as good as NW and Rutgers? Didn't we beat both of those teams last time we played? Let's not be dramatic.

I am obviously pointing to the fact that these two historically awful programs are both bowl eligible and yet we are not. Sarcasm involved

 

[ShevinWiggins]

NIL has to be booster/donor funded

225 million dollars of the stadium funds were booster/donor generated

Booster/donor dollars are fungible (at least at NU). Money being donated for stadium projects or other fund raising comes out of the same pool as potential NIL donations.

Either boosters are being encouraged to fund athletic dept projects rather than NIL or boosters simply would rather not donate funds for player acquisition (or both)

 

[redfanusa]

Who spends half a bil on a stadium project and makes it smaller?

This reminds me of the Soldier Field project in Chicago, where they tried to make an old stadium function like a new stadium, and in the end it was ugly and everybody hated it. Now they are building another new stadium.

 

[Huskers123456]

Was at a school basketball meeting and it triggered the thought of maybe south stadium ticket holders should have to work concessions during a game to help pay for the improvements. Maybe every season ticket holder in a section that is being upgraded needs to pitch in. Bake cookies and sell them with proceeds going towards the renovation.

 

[GBR_Atlanta]

While I don't agree 100 percent, especially that last part, you put into words what a lot of us long timers, made cynical, feel. Rhule seems like a great guy, very likeable but good lord I am tired of the promises then followed by poor choices. You really hit on it with the point of hiring assistant coaches, with obvious exceptions, that are from the amateur hour. Bo did it, Frost did it, (I have no memory of Mike Riley) and now all we need is a golf coach and an insurance man on our staff.

And they all getting PAID. We had a huge pool for assistants and the idea of Marcus Satterfield getting 1.3 a year makes me want to vomit. I recognize that sounds dramatic, but I’m really pissed we may not make a bowl game this year. It freaking sucks and I’m tired of it.

 

[Sodakred]

Who spends half a bil on a stadium project and makes it smaller?

…

ASU and Stanford effectively gutted their massive old stadiums and replaced them on the existing sites with modern, comfortable venues where you can actually find your seat # without asking the entire row to move. In 2023 dollars the 2005 Stanford project cost would be about $150 mil and seats were reduced from 90,000 to 50,000. ASU cut a third of 75,000 seats for its $300 mil project in 2019. I have gone to several games in the “new” Sun Devil Stadium and it is really a great upgrade.

NU’s project cost does seem a bit inflated to say the least. But of course we will have a much bigger building than ASU or Stanford after the renovation.

 

[king_kong_]

ASU and Stanford effectively gutted their massive old stadiums and replaced them with modern, comfortable venues where you can actually find your seat # without asking the entire row to move. In 2023 dollars the Stanford project cost would be about $150 mil and seats were reduced from 90,000 to 50,000. They effectively built a new stadium within the old stadium footprint. ASU cut a third of seats for its $300 mil project in 2019.

NU’s project cost does seem a bit inflated to say the least.

This is hate speech and needs deleted

Trev’s uniquely qualified and his booster relationships make the world go ‘round

 

[moralvictories]

A lot of posters have gone on record expressing Nebraska should spend no money on stadium improvements and attempt to have boosters pump all that money into NIL.

So... I am interested in what thoughtful opinions are out there about this pro and con.

1. Assuming the stadium is not in danger of falling apart and killing somebody, should there be no improvements and all the money go to NIL?

2. If there is a "X" percent chance....say 10% that no stadium work is done and (pick a number) 100 people die, is it better they die and all the stadium refurb money goes to NIL?

3. Should the donations required to buy tickets in both the South Stadium and North Stadium be reduced or zeroed out since the facilities in North and South aren't good and making any improvements in those sections should be diverted to NIL?

4. Should a whole bunch of responders to the 2022 Stadium survey who identified the South Stadium as the pits be ignored and told it is what it is? Should younger respondents who want "common areas", "Internet cafes", and those things Trev wants to do with South Stadium be told the money has to go to NIL?

5. Should Nebraska ignore what is happening with stadiums across the country (craft beer, chefs decorating your cupcake with icing, 20 different food choices, golf carts driving you to your seat, daycare, swimming pools, etc. Or should we draw a hard line and expect all the money to NIL will cause Nebraska to win a lot of games and no one will care about a modern stadium or 12-inch seat width?

6. Should we mimic programs like Northwestern and build a new, smaller stadium between Omaha and Lincoln, and do a 50 year bond to finance it (guarantied by Nebraska tax money)?

I understand a $500 million stadium renovation is extreme and maybe we should try to divert a portion of that money to NIL. However, it is possible Memorial needs some improvements. So...for folks against the big ticket renovation instead of NIL, can you please share your vision about what should be done with the stadium and NIL? I haven't formed an opinion yet, so need more data.

I don't believe Memorial Stadium is in danger of collapsing. Put that money into NIL so we can get some of the best recruits.

 

[Sodakred]

This is hate speech and needs deleted

Trev’s uniquely qualified and his booster relationships make the world go ‘round

Slow day with HH no longer starting?😁

I was responding to the question whether any other school would have spent hundreds of millions of dollars and yet reduced capacity. Both ASU and Stanford did it but they don’t need the massive seating anymore. At one time ASU football was the only game in town just like NU football. Not anymore, obviously. And of course Stanford fan base is much smaller than NU’s.

I’m sure the NU project had competing bids. But it does seem Stanford got a smoking deal.

 

[Mack In Motion]

How are we going to divert a portion of that 500 million to NIL, exactly?

Whoever did that would probably do some hard time.

 

[Huskers123456]

Whoever did that would probably do some hard time.

I'm ok with that. Maybe the university just sets up the pardon ahead of time.

 

[pascal]

ASU and Stanford effectively gutted their massive old stadiums and replaced them on the existing sites with modern, comfortable venues where you can actually find your seat # without asking the entire row to move. In 2023 dollars the 2005 Stanford project cost would be about $150 mil and seats were reduced from 90,000 to 50,000. ASU cut a third of 75,000 seats for its $300 mil project in 2019. I have gone to several games in the “new” Sun Devil Stadium and it is really a great upgrade.

NU’s project cost does seem a bit inflated to say the least. But of course we will have a much bigger building than ASU or Stanford after the renovation.

Both those programs' teams are 3-8. Seems pathetic to spend bmillions to reduce stadium size to match interest.

 

[JOHNNY N]

How are we going to divert a portion of that 500 million to NIL, exactly?

 

[bigboxes]

They should just stop the nonsense of a $450 million renovation of the stadium. Unless they put a winning product on the field they won't be filling it anyway very soon and we will be lucky to get 60,000 to attend a game. We have the new $150 million in facilities and we have a stadium that is "good enough for the product". The sellout streak be damned. Who cares anyway? That "tradition" is going to die soon just like all the others anyway. Use the $450 million to bribe players to come here. Find the best high school QB in America and offer him $50 million. The find the five best offensive lineman and pay each one $10 million.

Of course I am being sarcastic because none of that will happen. Either Rhule's plan for a gradual rebuild is going to work or we are in for another five years of frustration. It is that simple.

Why are you getting yourself all worked up? You did know this was a total rebuild, right? It's only Year 1.

 

[Pennsyhusker]

Why are you getting yourself all worked up? You did know this was a total rebuild, right? It's only Year 1.

Because we have heard this “it’s a total rebuild so you need to wait five years” bullshit before. Saw enough very poor coaching decisions this year to doubt that this go around with our latest “greatest hire yet” coach will be any different.

Hate to be so damn cynical. I really do. But frick this is getting old. I am in total cynical wait and see mode at this point.

 

[bigboxes]

Because we have heard this “it’s a total rebuild so you need to wait five years” bullshit before. Saw enough very poor coaching decisions this year to doubt that this go around with our latest “greatest hire yet” coach will be any different.

Hate to be so damn cynical. I really do. But frick this is getting old. I am in total cynical wait and see mode at this point.

This is a new head coach. He gets more than half a season to get this righted. He wasn't here when Frost ran the program into the ground.

You are one of my favorites around here. I hate losing and want to win every game, so I get where you're coming from.

 

[pascal]

Every coach we hired came with a fabricated excuse to lose.
Solich, Callahan, Riley, Frost. Only Bo 'rebuilt' anything. He just hit his ceiling immediately.

 

[Tetonia]

NIL has to be booster/donor funded

225 million dollars of the stadium funds were booster/donor generated

Booster/donor dollars are fungible (at least at NU). Money being donated for stadium projects or other fund raising comes out of the same pool as potential NIL donations.

Either boosters are being encouraged to fund athletic dept projects rather than NIL or boosters simply would rather not donate funds for player acquisition (or both)

^^^^^

 

[moralvictories]

Every coach we hired came with a fabricated excuse to lose.
Solich, Callahan, Riley, Frost. Only Bo 'rebuilt' anything. He just hit his ceiling immediately.

Solich did have an excuse. He followed Tom Osborne when the program was at it's peak. The only way to go was down.

 

[rgrachek]

A lot of posters have gone on record expressing Nebraska should spend no money on stadium improvements and attempt to have boosters pump all that money into NIL.

So... I am interested in what thoughtful opinions are out there about this pro and con.

1. Assuming the stadium is not in danger of falling apart and killing somebody, should there be no improvements and all the money go to NIL?

2. If there is a "X" percent chance....say 10% that no stadium work is done and (pick a number) 100 people die, is it better they die and all the stadium refurb money goes to NIL?

3. Should the donations required to buy tickets in both the South Stadium and North Stadium be reduced or zeroed out since the facilities in North and South aren't good and making any improvements in those sections should be diverted to NIL?

4. Should a whole bunch of responders to the 2022 Stadium survey who identified the South Stadium as the pits be ignored and told it is what it is? Should younger respondents who want "common areas", "Internet cafes", and those things Trev wants to do with South Stadium be told the money has to go to NIL?

5. Should Nebraska ignore what is happening with stadiums across the country (craft beer, chefs decorating your cupcake with icing, 20 different food choices, golf carts driving you to your seat, daycare, swimming pools, etc. Or should we draw a hard line and expect all the money to NIL will cause Nebraska to win a lot of games and no one will care about a modern stadium or 12-inch seat width?

6. Should we mimic programs like Northwestern and build a new, smaller stadium between Omaha and Lincoln, and do a 50 year bond to finance it (guarantied by Nebraska tax money)?

I understand a $500 million stadium renovation is extreme and maybe we should try to divert a portion of that money to NIL. However, it is possible Memorial needs some improvements. So...for folks against the big ticket renovation instead of NIL, can you please share your vision about what should be done with the stadium and NIL? I haven't formed an opinion yet, so need more data.

I know theirs some sarcasm here, but you can't just divert money to NIL.

 

[rgrachek]

^^^^^

If I donate $1M to the stadium project, and then it's "diverted" to NIL, do I get the advertisement benefit from that? Are you saying that my money will go to pay for advertisements for some company I have nothing to do with? In what universe is that reasonable, or even legal?

 

[BrighteRed24]

NIL comes from businesses and collectives. It can’t come from the athletic department…so the university can’t take money donated and earmarked for the stadium and pay players. That’s not nil. What is trev going to do? Give runza $100 million and tell them to put Dillon riola in an ad? Not an expert but I don’t think that’s allowed and is probably down right illegal.

Which means that is exactly what SEC schools are likely doing

 

[Tetonia]

If I donate $1M to the stadium project, and then it's "diverted" to NIL, do I get the advertisement benefit from that? Are you saying that my money will go to pay for advertisements for some company I have nothing to do with? In what universe is that reasonable?

It’s a conundrum that needs fixing, badly. This seems like a river of bad cash opportunities…

Problem is our program is completely F*CKED until they (whoever that is, the NCAA?) do.

 

[HuskerJose]

Are you saying that my money will go to pay for advertisements for some company I have nothing to do with? In what universe is that reasonable?

in the universe where college football programs go to bowl games and compete for championships