aTm already dispelled the notion that NIL alone can produce a natty.
They signed the highest rated recruiting class in history thanks to NIL, and, as it turns out, it completely flopped. Money may buy you the highest rated recruits, but in many cases, those may be OVERrated, and not worth the money that they demanded and got.
That said, Indiana wasn’t devoid of NIL. They had the money, thanks to Cuban and others, to add a Heisman Trophy winning QB and pay him a $2 million salary, and pay the former starting center at Notre Dame, Pat Coogan, to transfer in and be Indiana’s starter at that position. Coogan, incidentally, was the Rose Bowl MVP…an award that an Offensive Lineman had NEVER received in the history of that bowl award. So obviously, NIL did indeed help to make this team what it was.
Indiana’s recruits may not have had the overall “star” numbers that other top teams have, but in some cases, they were comparably paid, following their recruitment (sometimes through the transfer portal). And as it turns out, they were simply BETTER players, when all was said and done, than players ranked ahead of them by the recruiting services.
In the end, it’s as much about having an eye for the talent (based on their actual talent; not based upon what the recruiting services say their talent level is) paying what it’s worth to get that talent, and then developing/coaching said talent up properly.
That’s mostly on Cignetti, and to his credit, but the paying that talent what it’s worth part comes from Cuban and other sugar daddies, as I’ve said before.
As @OldtimeCoog pointed out, Indiana has a BIGGER NIL budget than Tech.
So don’t anyone dare say that NIL money from sugar daddies like Cuban DIDN’T contribute to Indiana’s success this year.
It most certainly did. I said that in another string, and people responded belligerently to me for that…even though I was 100% CORRECT.
Still waiting for my naysayers on that string to step forward and stand corrected.
