Gophers on a Friday night

Ah the state of Gopher sports. I think it’s time for some honest reflections on whats really attainable and where should those NIL dollars go.

Football, lost cause, the Gophers will never compete for a Big 10 Title forget about a national title. So the gophers feel a need to pay Fleck an acceptable salary, problably middle of the pack compared to other Big 10 coaches. So he’s being paid to keep the kids in class and out of prison. He’s done a pretty good job of that. You can triple the amount of NIL money and it won’t matter. It’s a middle of the pack program and no amount of NIL is going to change that. Accept what the program is and has mostly been and just move on. Is Fleck where you want to spend your coaching allowance to finish in the middle or maybe take a bunch and dedicate it to a basketball coach.

Basketball. The great savior Ben Johnson who was going to sew up the borders got himself fired after another miserable season. I believe I heard they paid him 2 million a year and just gave him 3 million to go away. Again not much heard about jail time for the kids so thats a plus. My thoughts are basketball as much as I dislike the sport might be the one place they can get to the top of the conference. Thats where I think the NIL money should go. You only need to buy and retain a handfull of kids every year compared to football. Hire a name coach, pour big NIL money in, get a tutor to write the papers and get after it.

Hockey. I’m confused what goes on over there. They get talented players every year, some go and some come. Yet no recent titles. Maybe they need to use NIL money to keep a few kids from turning pro and stack a few year classes. Do they have the right coach?

Title IX …….. I don’t pay much attention to the womens side.

Friday night thoughts on the program, coaches and NIL money?

If the men’s hockey bomb out in round 1, or even round 2 if it involves laying another egg, I think motzko is gone. He’s had more than enough time and talent to get it done and just doesn’t in big games.

Agree with you on football. Transfer portal rules, NIL, and the expansion of the big 10 all killed the gophers hopes of competing for a b10 title. They’ll get their wins, always have a game they throw away that they have no business in doing so, and will always get pounded by the powerhouses.

Junior transfer rules will do plenty to change the landscape of college hockey.
The U has plenty of other issues to worry about besides sports. Doubt many big time companies donors want to touch the NIL with the U with a ten foot pole. NIL makes college football and Basketball not nearly as fun to follow.