Mar’Keise Irving enters the transfer portal

It doesn't matter if we are "in their league" the Big Ten is not going to allow the teams to divide up amongst divisions. You can take it to the bank.
In this whole fictional scenario those big schools are leaving the NCAA and therefore the Big Ten and other conferences behind. I don't see anything as imminent and it would probably take on an entirely different form but it just feels like we are moving in that kind of direction.

Over the past few years the Gophers have been very competitive with everyone on their schedule. As long as that continues the hand wringing and teeth gnashing over all the changes is pretty inconsequential. If we hit a point where the Gophers just can't compete with other teams due to NIL deals or whatever that will be a different story.
 

Yeah, that is the biggest sticking point of doing a new division "neatly" and with only mega schools/programs.

The base unit of college athletics is the conference. And at the top, schools just don't voluntarily leave, especially not when they're getting paid $$$$ just for being a member (regardless of the actual value they add). Nor do conferences kick schools out, would guess rarely.


The "way around" this could be a thing where it is made very clear that it just a special deal for football only. In other words, schools stay exactly in the conferences they're in now. But no conference "sponsors" football anymore. So football programs are "free" to reorganize into groups that make more sense.
 


Mar'Keise Irving is still on the Gophers' Spring Football Roster FYI.

Does that mean PJ Fleck is leaving the door open for him to rejoin the team?

Players need time to let reality sink in and figure out if that is what they want and the risks/rewards and hopefully see the merits in staying. I hope this is the case.

It is a crying shame when the team loses young players. The Gophers will move on with the tide and keep rowing the boat.
 

Mar'Keise Irving is still on the Gophers' Spring Football Roster FYI.

Does that mean PJ Fleck is leaving the door open to rejoin the team?

Players need time to let reality sink in and figure out if that is what they want and the risks/rewards and hopefully see the merits in staying. I hope this is the case.

It is a crying shame when the team loses young players. The Gophers will move on with the tide and keep rowing the boat.
Pretty sure we've had guys go into and out of the portal before.

I assume the staff is open to guys returning unless there are other circumstances.
 


Pretty sure we've had guys go into and out of the portal before.

I assume the staff is open to guys returning unless there are other circumstances.
Players carry the core values of the Gopher culture and know that they are treated well. Some players legitimately have to transfer to get playing time. The program and Coach Fleck are very fair and open.
 

Money only makes things better so we should expect better sports!
 

When some guys enter the portal they are immediately scrubbed from the roster (MD Anderson). Some other guys are not immediately removed (Dunlap, 1st time around). Hard to know if there is a message or if it is simply administrative delay or inadvertence. My guess is that the coaches are still trying to talk Bucky back from the ledge. I like how we look if Mo, Trey and Bryce are all healthy and can share 45 running snaps per game (maybe Bucky redshirts) ala Rodney, Shannon and Mo in 2019. But if Mo isn't quite what he once was, and Trey isn't ready to go, Bucky would be needed and see a lot of playing time. Unless this really is an NIL motivated move, it seems Bucky would be best off letting 2022 play out, either red-shirting or jumping into play after injuries. Either way, he'd be the leader of the RB group in 2023 and 2024. What's not to like?
 


Ky Thomas in his replies on twitter
This is about the shortest "goodbye" tweet from a player that I've seen. Maybe it was one of those snap decisions after having a bad practice and the coaching staff is hoping that with time he will change his mind. And maybe i'm just trying to be optimistic.....LOL
 




In this whole fictional scenario those big schools are leaving the NCAA and therefore the Big Ten and other conferences behind. I don't see anything as imminent and it would probably take on an entirely different form but it just feels like we are moving in that kind of direction.

Over the past few years the Gophers have been very competitive with everyone on their schedule. As long as that continues the hand wringing and teeth gnashing over all the changes is pretty inconsequential. If we hit a point where the Gophers just can't compete with other teams due to NIL deals or whatever that will be a different story.

I don't think any of this will happen...the whole idea is rather ridiculous. Sure I could see a lot of other conferences doing that but the Big Ten schools care about the academic aspect to the conference way too much. And no I dont mean that The Big Ten teams care about academics more, I mean the schools do. tOSU is not leaving behind that kind of research money to let their football team go semi-pro.

I mean, there is no way Michigan would do it and tOSU is not going to quit that game so right there the argument is dead anyways.

I think people are way overthinking this...but hey what else is there to do :)
 

Yeah, that is the biggest sticking point of doing a new division "neatly" and with only mega schools/programs.

The base unit of college athletics is the conference. And at the top, schools just don't voluntarily leave, especially not when they're getting paid $$$$ just for being a member (regardless of the actual value they add). Nor do conferences kick schools out, would guess rarely.


The "way around" this could be a thing where it is made very clear that it just a special deal for football only. In other words, schools stay exactly in the conferences they're in now. But no conference "sponsors" football anymore. So football programs are "free" to reorganize into groups that make more sense.

Some conferences may allow that, others won't. The Big Ten is way too egotistical to allow tOSU to do that.
 

I don't think any of this will happen...the whole idea is rather ridiculous. Sure I could see a lot of other conferences doing that but the Big Ten schools care about the academic aspect to the conference way too much. And no I dont mean that The Big Ten teams care about academics more, I mean the schools do. tOSU is not leaving behind that kind of research money to let their football team go semi-pro.

I mean, there is no way Michigan would do it and tOSU is not going to quit that game so right there the argument is dead anyways.

I think people are way overthinking this...but hey what else is there to do :)
Probably....I don't prescribe to the doom and gloom approach for college athletics the way some do but it does feel like a shift is happening.
 



I don't think introducing agents in between a HS player and their eventual landing spot in college is a way to un-muddy the waters.

If you read my post, I was talking about a person who helps the player with NIL deals after that player has enrolled at a school. Which, I believe is allowed under the current rules.

So, if Tanner Morgan wants to spend the afternoon at Frank's Used Car lot, signing autographs and posing for pictures, he can have a representative to help him line up those type of deals. that is what NIL is supposed to be about.

What I want is to somehow eliminate the "collectives" that are approaching players with pre-determined NIL packages.
 

If some of the rumors are true that this is NIL based (and maybe related to helping his mom move) I wonder if PJ is having the NIL specialists in the athletic department try to drum up some deals to get Irving what he wants? Maybe thats why they haven't taken him off the roster yet because he's not fully out the door yet and they might be able to keep him?
 

If some of the rumors are true that this is NIL based (and maybe related to helping his mom move) I wonder if PJ is having the NIL specialists in the athletic department try to drum up some deals to get Irving what he wants? Maybe thats why they haven't taken him off the roster yet because he's not fully out the door yet and they might be able to keep him?
There aren't "NIL specialists" in the athletic department and the schools are by rule not involved in "drumming up" NIL deals. There may be efforts to find Bucky some NIL money, but it's not an athletic department function.
 


When some guys enter the portal they are immediately scrubbed from the roster (MD Anderson). Some other guys are not immediately removed (Dunlap, 1st time around). Hard to know if there is a message or if it is simply administrative delay or inadvertence. My guess is that the coaches are still trying to talk Bucky back from the ledge. I like how we look if Mo, Trey and Bryce are all healthy and can share 45 running snaps per game (maybe Bucky redshirts) ala Rodney, Shannon and Mo in 2019. But if Mo isn't quite what he once was, and Trey isn't ready to go, Bucky would be needed and see a lot of playing time. Unless this really is an NIL motivated move, it seems Bucky would be best off letting 2022 play out, either red-shirting or jumping into play after injuries. Either way, he'd be the leader of the RB group in 2023 and 2024. What's not to like?

Or Zach Evans is simply better in practice and he sees himself getting buried.
 

We need to have a variety of running backs in the lineup. We'd like to see punishing backs mixed in with the finesse type of runners. Put those big bulky backs to punish the opposing defense in the second half.

Mo Ibrahim is 5'10" 210 lbs. and is a punisher, especially in the second half.

Zach Evans at 5'9" 200 lbs. is quite a load. Imagine what he will be like after a season of strength and conditioning.

Darrell Thompson at 6' 215 lbs. was quite a spectacle to watch.

There is plenty of room for Mar'Keise Irving.

I am not worried about players leaving the running back room. The Gophers are garnering a lot of attention from running backs. Wait until Mo gets drafted next season. That will get a lot of PR. Put them in the Pros, and you won't have a hard time recruiting.
 


We need to have a variety of running backs in the lineup. We'd like to see punishing backs mixed in with the finesse type of runners. Put those big bulky backs to punish the opposing defense in the second half.

Mo Ibrahim is 5'10" 210 lbs. and is a punisher, especially in the second half.

Zach Evans at 5'9" 200 lbs. is quite a load. Imagine what he will be like after a season of strength and conditioning.

Darrell Thompson at 6' 215 lbs. was quite a spectacle to watch.

There is plenty of room for Mar'Keise Irving.

I am not worried about players leaving the running back room. The Gophers are garnering a lot of attention from running backs. Wait until Mo gets drafted next season. That will get a lot of PR. Put them in the Pros, and you won't have a hard time recruiting.
And Bryce is 6’0” 215, with pretty decent speed.
 

Some conferences may allow that, others won't. The Big Ten is way too egotistical to allow tOSU to do that.
They (the conferences) wouldn't like to be cut out of the revenue, either.

Though frankly, they mostly just redistribute it to their members. Hence why schools like Minnesota, Maryland, Rutgers, Indiana get the same $5X million per year as Ohio St, Mich, Penn St.

Those three taking their football programs out into what would essentially be a new College Football Association, would let them keep more of their football revenues to themselves.
 

Would you not consider the team listed here as NIL Specialists? https://gophersports.com/sports/2021/9/7/MINdset.aspx
Nope, not in the sense that you suggested that they should be "drumming up" deals for Bucky or any SA. The U has programs in place to provide information and education for SAs. They are providing information on what is allowed and what the requirements are for SAs who elect to pursue NIL money. They are not soliciting NIL deals.
 

Many of you have stated “the conference wouldn’t let that happen”, but really does it care? It’s all about money, that’s it. If they can get more money with some kind of NIL deal with their teams they will do that. There is no moral obligation for anything, at least with what I have seen. That’s unfortunate, but I think the NCAA will realize that this isn’t turning out how they expected and they will figure out a way to reign it in. If legally they can’t then I could easily see a minor league aspect being attempted but I think it will fail. People are attached to their schools either because it’s their state or their an alum. If that connection goes away (which it would I assume if it becomes a minor league?) then I think it would end.
 

If you know anything about the history of the Big Ten or what it does outside of athletics you would understand why you are likely wrong. The Big Ten exists for more than just sports, and if sports disappeared tomorrow The Big Ten would still be around and quite rich regardless.
 

a full week of being in the portal and not a sniff of where Irving might be interested in going. Thats odd.
 

a full week of being in the portal and not a sniff of where Irving might be interested in going. Thats odd.
Not really....some guys are very vocal about who they are talking to and others are not. Irving may not be one to post every time he gets an offer from a school.

Have to believe he would draw plenty of interest although I really do think it is odd that he and Emilien are still listed on the roster.
 

Not really....some guys are very vocal about who they are talking to and others are not. Irving may not be one to post every time he gets an offer from a school.

Have to believe he would draw plenty of interest although I really do think it is odd that he and Emilien are still listed on the roster.
Fleck could have told them he wants them to stay at Minnesota because they are great in the program, but he understands the portal and NIL have created more opportunities. So take some time in the portal and see what comes your way. If in a few weeks, Minnesota is still your best option, your place on the team is still here.
 

This is about the shortest "goodbye" tweet from a player that I've seen. Maybe it was one of those snap decisions after having a bad practice and the coaching staff is hoping that with time he will change his mind. And maybe i'm just trying to be optimistic.....LOL
This is what scares me. Coach is attempting to break a bad habit or something and the guy gets upset.
 

This is what scares me. Coach is attempting to break a bad habit or something and the guy gets upset.
Daniel Faalele walked out of a practice once after PJ challenged him.

He came back, and PJ later said he just wanted to see how Dan would respond.

Sometimes different guy’s respond differently. We will see if that is this situation or something else.
 




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