was listening to a podcast and it was "suggested" that NIL played a significant role in the final decision.
that is not an excuse. it's just a fact of life in college sports.
yes, there will be some recruits for whom money is not the deciding factor, and they would consider MN even if there is less NIL involved. but there will be other recruits where, if it's a 50/50 call, they're going to go with the school that offers more money. and that is not going to be MN.
that does not mean that the Gophers cannot be competitive. it just means that they have to approach things from a different perspective - get the players they can get and make the best of it.