Auburn Mediocrity

[JuscAUse! 1,410]

I understand that everyone wants to be better than 8-4. So do I. I don't understand people hating a coach that has been here a little over a year, and never failing to lump him in with the last 5- however many years of AU football being irrelevant. In his only season here, I've seen some good things and things I didn't like. The bad is obvious. Bowl game, NM State game, the offense. On the plus side, we have more OTs on the team and committed to the team than we've had at any time in recent history, which shows he knows where the weaknesses are. Also tackles can slide inside easily and play guard. If we can keep them healthy, we should see an upgrade at receiver. Probably the second most neglected position on the O. 

Many sports pundits nationally thought, and still think, that it's a total rebuild for AU to get over the hump, and that it can't happen in a year in football today. 

I'm willing to let it play out some. 

[SCTiger2011 1,278]

2 hours ago, DAG said:

Well yes because that would mean it was a successful season, isn’t that part of the point? 

Somewhat, but not the entire point.  The point I'm trying to make is if sports at Auburn are a weighted average of how people feel about the athletic program, then football makes up 95% of the sentiment.  If Auburn football is consistently top 10, the other sports don't get near the level of scrutiny they are now.  And flip side, they don't get half the credit they deserve when football is doing well.  But, when football is bad, people start micro-analyzing and diminishing the accomplishments of the other programs and letting the football sentiment bleed over into a blanket statement of "Auburn athletics is happy with mediocrity."  Case in point: baseball catching strays when if someone with any knowledge of the sport/program realizes 2 CWS appearances in 5 years is a borderline elite program since 2019.

Edited April 6 by SCTiger2011

[NCTiger1982 171]



I agree with the OP. 

 

1) First I’ll say our fan base is one of the most loyal in college. It’s part of what makes Auburn unique and also why we get abused by poor leadership. I grew up in AL and after Auburn I lived in FL twice, LA, TX (Dallas/Houston) and now NC. I’ve yet to meet a fan base that rivals ours. I’ve heard So Car is much like us and TAM has great people but are not on our level loyalty wise. 

 

2) Fan Base Problem - While we are loyal we have far too many in our base OK with 8 & 5 FB seasons and similar results in other sports. I love all my Auburn brothers & sisters but the ones always talking about being “realistic” and that make excuses for mediocrity drive me bat s*** crazy. FSU & Miami were once homecoming opponents. Expectations can be achieved but have to start somewhere and requires a major commitment. We are our own worse enemy. Bama, LSU, GA and FL expect to consistently compete for championships and will NOT live with what we’ve had. Hell, even Ole Miss is demanding more and trying to do something about it while we are circling the drain. 

 

3) Leadership- Cole Cublic said our BOT would rather have 8&5 seasons and be able to walk the sidelines than stay in their box seats and win NCs. I understand wanting to have a say in some things when giving millions of dollars but their money is not worth the cost in results on the field, court, track, in the pool, etc. When Lowder was around he did have too much power but I never doubted he was committed to winning. Did not like all of his hires but can’t see him sitting on his hands allowing this level of mediocrity. Once Lowder was ousted these other BOT members got their opp to “lead” and they have consistently failed and miserably. We need new blood and we can be just as mediocre without their millions and egos. Current leadership takes advantage of our loyalty continuously making bad decisions and expecting the fan base to suck it up and take it. At some point if they don’t make better decisions and do what is in Auburn’s best interest, eventually there are going to be plenty of empty seats. 

 

Sent from my iPhone

[WarDamnDoc 390]

42 minutes ago, AUx said:

It is time for a marketing campaign to focus Auburn on exceptional achievement. We just need a catchy slogan or acronym. How about Make Auburn Great Again (MAGA)?! I can envision orange trucker hats with white M A G A on the front. I'll bet it catches on and garners tons of positive national press. 

Happy to offer this inspired, original idea.

This is the worst idea I've heard since the Cox Cat.

[TuscaloosaTiger 284]

On 4/5/2024 at 1:38 PM, ertrader said:

Just to attach some numbers to mediocrity and nuthin

Last year Auburn finished 36th in the Directors Cup (a more or less overall ranking of a school's athletic teams performances)

That was 10th in the SEC (Texas and Oklahoma finished higher than us too if you are looking to the future)

2 Texas

5 Florida

6 Tennessee

7 Georgia

9 LSU

12 Alabama

13 Arkansas

18 Kentucky

23 Oklahoma

24 Texas A&M

33 South Carolina

36 Auburn

39 Ole Miss

50 Missouri

56 Vanderbilt

57 Mississippi State

 

It is a bit disheartening to see that we have Miss State's former AD. 

[AU9377 4,935]

This is part of the problem that the current NIL joke of a system magnifies. 

[au701948 998]

On 4/6/2024 at 11:31 PM, WarDamnDoc said:

This is the worst idea I've heard since the Cox Cat.

Bad idea!

[Chaotic_zx 1,044]

While I was young, I didn't get to see Pat Dye's successes and failures. I watched some of the teams play but didn't think too far into it. Now that I am older, I see the reverence that Auburn fans show him. I cannot understand those that hold him in such high regard yet miss out on his second most important message. 

I feel his most important message was that Auburn is different. Auburn is family. Auburn is a special place and should be loved/cherished. For what it's worth, Auburn fans know this. 

Quote

“Alabama fans love Alabama football. Auburn fans love Auburn.” — Pat Dye

His second most important message is one that I feel is lost on the Auburn fans. The message is that Auburn should expect to excel and demand respect. Take the respect if necessary. Had he felt the same as some in the Auburn fandom, Bama would have never played a football game in Auburn. You know, because Auburn and Bama had always played at Legion Field. If he felt as some do, Auburn should never expect to beat Bama/Georgia in football. You know, because they always have gotten the better of Auburn. He didn't accept what Auburn was competitively at the time. He made Auburn his vision of what Auburn should be. 

Quote

“When I saw Coach Bryant when I first got to Auburn, the first thing he said to me, very first thing, he said, ‘Well, I guess you’re going to want to take that game to Auburn,’” Dye recalled last week. “I said, ‘We’re going to take it to Auburn.’ “He said, ‘Well, we’ve got a contract through (19)88. … I said, ‘Well, we’ll play ’89 in Auburn.’” 

Quote

“I played at Georgia, I coached at Alabama. I know how to beat both of them.” — Pat Dye

Quote

Reporter: “how long will it take you to beat Alabama?” Pat Dye: “60 minutes”

Quote

Coach Bryant, before you start hugging me, you ought to know that my boys are fixing to get after y'all's ass. - Pat Dye

It is ok for Auburn fans/Alumni to both love Auburn University and hold it to a higher standard athletically. Outside of Swimming/Diving, Equestrian, and Aubie, Auburn hasn't had sustained success. It is ok to hold the decision maker's feet to the fire.  It's ok to demand more from a University that we all have given time, effort, and some money to. It is ok to tell an AD, coach, or player that they aren't good enough to get the team where it needs to be.  You know, I believe football and basketball coaches when they say Auburn fans are some of the best. I believe the announcers when they say Jordan Hare Stadium and Neville Arena are some of the toughest places to play in the nation. You know what isn't ok? It isn't ok for the Auburn University decision makers to take Auburn fans for granted. I feel that they are and the product on the playing surfaces show it. Isn't it time for the product on the playing surface to match the words of the Creed that they proclaim?

 

Quote

I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.

 

 

[aucom96 1,618]

Does it really matter in this era of college athletics? 

You are what you can pay. We can buy middle of the pack in football and maybe slightly better in basketball. There's always been some element of this, but I feel like the ceilings are fixed, now. 

I was in Auburn the past few days and it's a different town. The pickups are now Landrovers. The pizza joints and college dives are now high end restaurants and lounges. The small town charm is now stuffed with condos, the tailgates are purchased at top dollar and so are the seats to games. We aren't mediocre, we're just a defined product, now. Being a fan at any level for a college team is going to be more difficult for everyone without letting go of a lot of how we're used to perceiving the game. That's just the way it is. 

[HabitualChiller 110]

Yeah, I'm not sure how Auburn having very limited success in 5-10% of their athletics negates being mid in the other 90-95%.

 

With the amount of revenue that the entire department brings in, you'd think we'd be near the top of the SEC across the board, not near the bottom with other schools that earn significantly less than what Auburn does. 

Edited April 13 by HabitualChiller

[Auburn93 540]

On 4/6/2024 at 1:56 PM, NCTiger1982 said:



I agree with the OP. 

 

1) First I’ll say our fan base is one of the most loyal in college. It’s part of what makes Auburn unique and also why we get abused by poor leadership. I grew up in AL and after Auburn I lived in FL twice, LA, TX (Dallas/Houston) and now NC. I’ve yet to meet a fan base that rivals ours. I’ve heard So Car is much like us and TAM has great people but are not on our level loyalty wise. 

 

2) Fan Base Problem - While we are loyal we have far too many in our base OK with 8 & 5 FB seasons and similar results in other sports. I love all my Auburn brothers & sisters but the ones always talking about being “realistic” and that make excuses for mediocrity drive me bat s*** crazy. FSU & Miami were once homecoming opponents. Expectations can be achieved but have to start somewhere and requires a major commitment. We are our own worse enemy. Bama, LSU, GA and FL expect to consistently compete for championships and will NOT live with what we’ve had. Hell, even Ole Miss is demanding more and trying to do something about it while we are circling the drain. 

 

3) Leadership- Cole Cublic said our BOT would rather have 8&5 seasons and be able to walk the sidelines than stay in their box seats and win NCs. I understand wanting to have a say in some things when giving millions of dollars but their money is not worth the cost in results on the field, court, track, in the pool, etc. When Lowder was around he did have too much power but I never doubted he was committed to winning. Did not like all of his hires but can’t see him sitting on his hands allowing this level of mediocrity. Once Lowder was ousted these other BOT members got their opp to “lead” and they have consistently failed and miserably. We need new blood and we can be just as mediocre without their millions and egos. Current leadership takes advantage of our loyalty continuously making bad decisions and expecting the fan base to suck it up and take it. At some point if they don’t make better decisions and do what is in Auburn’s best interest, eventually there are going to be plenty of empty seats. 

 

Sent from my iPhone

Cole is living in the Tuberville years. He works for ESPN. He doesn't know what is going on at Auburn. 

Edited April 14 by Auburn93

[TripleDegreeTiger 51]

On 4/5/2024 at 12:38 PM, ertrader said:

Just to attach some numbers to mediocrity and nuthin

Last year Auburn finished 36th in the Directors Cup (a more or less overall ranking of a school's athletic teams performances)

That was 10th in the SEC (Texas and Oklahoma finished higher than us too if you are looking to the future)

2 Texas

5 Florida

6 Tennessee

7 Georgia

9 LSU

12 Alabama

13 Arkansas

18 Kentucky

23 Oklahoma

24 Texas A&M

33 South Carolina

36 Auburn

39 Ole Miss

50 Missouri

56 Vanderbilt

57 Mississippi State

 

I wouldn't worry about the Directors Cup that much. There is a reason that Stanford has won it something like 26 out of the last 28 years. That is because they have 36 NCAA sponsored teams that can be counted in the scoring.

Scoring Breakdown:

https://nacda.com/sports/2018/7/17/directorscup-nacda-directorscup-scoring-html.aspx

There are SEC schools with sports we don't have. UK's Men's soccer went to the second round of the NCAA's. UF's women's lacrosse is currently 14 and 2. Those are points Auburn doesn't have access to. We are missing sports that other universities have. Auburn relies on the main sports (football/basketball/baseball).

Then if you look at it through revenue generation, Auburn is just outside the top 10 at 11, but 7 of our direct opponents are in the top 10. This in the age of NIL and facilities.

 

This is how Stanford won last years Cup (notice the sports they could of got points in but didn't need):

https://nacda.com/news/2023/6/28/directorscup-stanford-captures-learfield-directors-cup.aspx

Quote

CLEVELAND – The Stanford Cardinal secured its 26^th overall LEARFIELD Directors' Cup back on June 13 and finished 2022-23 with 1412.00 total points after the College World Series.

Stanford claimed three national titles – men's gymnastics, women's rowing and women's water polo - while also tallying five top-3 finishes (women's swimming and diving, women's golf, softball, women's tennis, and men's outdoor track and field). Overall, Stanford scored in 3 of 4 countable sports, along with 15 additional total sports. The following scores were removed – women's cross country and soccer, women's gymnastics, men's indoor track and field, wrestling, women's outdoor track and field, and fencing - due to the maximum additional sports to be counted is 15.

I would like to see Auburn do well in all athletics, but I think the NIL/transfer portal is going to push fans and alumni away from donations. I know I've found myself drifting to more interest in Dallas professional teams over Auburn since the NIL. Least I know who is coming and going at the end of seasons vs college.

So far the OP goes. For me at least the combination of the NIL and the transfer portal make me not care as much about Auburn athletics. I'd rather my money go to someone like Miro Heiskanen for the Stars through 2028 vs a Aden Holloway for 1 year at Auburn.

Edited Wednesday at 07:31 AM by TripleDegreeTiger
Forgot Link

[Hank2020 3,202]

On 4/6/2024 at 7:58 AM, JuscAUse! said:

I understand that everyone wants to be better than 8-4. So do I. I don't understand people hating a coach that has been here a little over a year, and never failing to lump him in with the last 5- however many years of AU football being irrelevant. In his only season here, I've seen some good things and things I didn't like. The bad is obvious. Bowl game, NM State game, the offense. On the plus side, we have more OTs on the team and committed to the team than we've had at any time in recent history, which shows he knows where the weaknesses are. Also tackles can slide inside easily and play guard. If we can keep them healthy, we should see an upgrade at receiver. Probably the second most neglected position on the O. 

Many sports pundits nationally thought, and still think, that it's a total rebuild for AU to get over the hump, and that it can't happen in a year in football today. 

I'm willing to let it play out some. 

I agree, but would add that QB has to be addressed. We need to land another standout to follow up White. Understand that you can bring someone in with a great deal of potential but they don’t work out.

[JuscAUse! 1,410]

1 hour ago, Hank2020 said:

I agree, but would add that QB has to be addressed. We need to land another standout to follow up White. Understand that you can bring someone in with a great deal of potential but they don’t work out.

I understand that. And he may not work out. The NFL spends millions of dollars to evaluate QBs in the draft. Their success rate hovers around 50%. So a first rate QB is a priority every cycle.

HF actually had one ready to commit in the last few days. Then A&M upped the ante on the QB and gave a scholarship to his brother. We've had one quality QB since Stidham, and he was a lifelong AU fan and his Dad played here. Our current coaching staff seems to recognize the problems  and try and  recruit to solve them. FWIW, if a coach thinks there are only two QBs worth having and they commit elsewhere, it's really easy to tell your current QB that you won't recruit anyone this cycle to compete with him. 😁 

Edited Wednesday at 03:07 PM by JuscAUse!

[jluvah 665]

On 4/12/2024 at 8:34 AM, aucom96 said:

Does it really matter in this era of college athletics? 

You are what you can pay. We can buy middle of the pack in football and maybe slightly better in basketball. There's always been some element of this, but I feel like the ceilings are fixed, now. 

I was in Auburn the past few days and it's a different town. The pickups are now Landrovers. The pizza joints and college dives are now high end restaurants and lounges. The small town charm is now stuffed with condos, the tailgates are purchased at top dollar and so are the seats to games. We aren't mediocre, we're just a defined product, now. Being a fan at any level for a college team is going to be more difficult for everyone without letting go of a lot of how we're used to perceiving the game. That's just the way it is. 

I agree with all of this post, except the sentence that we aren’t mediocre. We are,sadly,and the people that matter don’t really care. As long as we put our butts in the seats, it will continue to not matter to them

Edited Thursday at 12:48 AM by jluvah

[AURex 2,000]

I'll reiterate that I am really tired of Auburn mediocrity. Auburn pulls in revenue from sports that is in the top few schools nationally. Auburn has LOTS of money for athletics.

Where does that money go?

Football? Where are the wins?

Basketball? NCAA nuthin in recent years. Women's BB? Why ask?

Baseball -- um, is the team still alive?

Gymnastics -- Suni please come home because ..... we got nuthin'

Equestrian -- Great in SEC but then? .... zip

Track & Field, wrestling, swimming & diving, soccer, etc ????

It's not just Directors Cup, it is the majority of Auburn sports. Auburn is in the bottom of the SEC in most sports. Auburn competes with Vandy! for the SEC Bottom Cup.

Of course, most fans don't care, because most fans are football with some mens basketball. As long as Auburn FB has a 500+ season and Auburn BB is pretty good in the SEC, welp, that swems to be good enough for most Auburn fans.

As for us here in AUF, well, plenty seem to be happy and plenty not so much.

 

 

[TripleDegreeTiger 51]

2 hours ago, AURex said:

I'll reiterate that I am really tired of Auburn mediocrity. Auburn pulls in revenue from sports that is in the top few schools nationally. Auburn has LOTS of money for athletics.

Where does that money go?

Football? Where are the wins?

Basketball? NCAA nuthin in recent years. Women's BB? Why ask?

Baseball -- um, is the team still alive?

Gymnastics -- Suni please come home because ..... we got nuthin'

Equestrian -- Great in SEC but then? .... zip

Track & Field, wrestling, swimming & diving, soccer, etc ????

It's not just Directors Cup, it is the majority of Auburn sports. Auburn is in the bottom of the SEC in most sports. Auburn competes with Vandy! for the SEC Bottom Cup.

Of course, most fans don't care, because most fans are football with some mens basketball. As long as Auburn FB has a 500+ season and Auburn BB is pretty good in the SEC, welp, that swems to be good enough for most Auburn fans.

As for us here in AUF, well, plenty seem to be happy and plenty not so much.

 

 

You can facepalm me all you want. It isn't going to change the fact that many of the universities that Auburn competes directly against have more money than Auburn for athletics right now.

It also isn't going to change the fact that as a fan I enjoy having consistent players to root for on my teams. The NIL/Transfer portal have now made that unstable vs the pro sports. It is not enjoyable to me.

I also believe that all student athletes regardless of sport should receive full tuition, books/supplies, university housing, utilities, and dining. If you wear the Orange and Blue you should be able to leave with a degree debt free. $192 million and only 10% goes to Athletic Student Aid.

So where does the money go?

https://knightnewhousedata.org/fbs/sec/auburn-university

Edit: If you go to the website you can hover for more details. The following is for other expenses:

Quote

Expenses related to the following categories: Sports equipment, uniforms and supplies, fundraising, marketing and promotion, sports camps, spirit groups, direct overhead and administrative expenses, indirect institutional support, membership and dues, student-athlete meals, and, other operating expenses.

Edited Thursday at 06:14 AM by TripleDegreeTiger
Added info about the website.

[Mikey 16,605]

7 hours ago, TripleDegreeTiger said:

t also isn't going to change the fact that as a fan I enjoy having consistent players to root for on my teams. The NIL/Transfer portal have now made that unstable vs the pro sports. It is not enjoyable to me.

I also believe that all student athletes regardless of sport should receive full tuition, books/supplies, university housing, utilities, and dining. If you wear the Orange and Blue you should be able to leave with a degree debt free. $192 million and only 10% goes to Athletic Student Aid.

Two excellent points!

[aubaseball 2,619]

8 hours ago, TripleDegreeTiger said:

You can facepalm me all you want. It isn't going to change the fact that many of the universities that Auburn competes directly against have more money than Auburn for athletics right now.

It also isn't going to change the fact that as a fan I enjoy having consistent players to root for on my teams. The NIL/Transfer portal have now made that unstable vs the pro sports. It is not enjoyable to me.

I also believe that all student athletes regardless of sport should receive full tuition, books/supplies, university housing, utilities, and dining. If you wear the Orange and Blue you should be able to leave with a degree debt free. $192 million and only 10% goes to Athletic Student Aid.

So where does the money go?

https://knightnewhousedata.org/fbs/sec/auburn-university

Edit: If you go to the website you can hover for more details. The following is for other expenses:

Don’t go spewing facts on here….some will get mad

[fishepa 1,904]

The golf team is good.

[AURex 2,000]

On 4/6/2024 at 3:56 PM, NCTiger1982 said:



I agree with the OP. 

 

1) First I’ll say our fan base is one of the most loyal in college. It’s part of what makes Auburn unique and also why we get abused by poor leadership. I grew up in AL and after Auburn I lived in FL twice, LA, TX (Dallas/Houston) and now NC. I’ve yet to meet a fan base that rivals ours. I’ve heard So Car is much like us and TAM has great people but are not on our level loyalty wise. 

 

2) Fan Base Problem - While we are loyal we have far too many in our base OK with 8 & 5 FB seasons and similar results in other sports. I love all my Auburn brothers & sisters but the ones always talking about being “realistic” and that make excuses for mediocrity drive me bat s*** crazy. FSU & Miami were once homecoming opponents. Expectations can be achieved but have to start somewhere and requires a major commitment. We are our own worse enemy. Bama, LSU, GA and FL expect to consistently compete for championships and will NOT live with what we’ve had. Hell, even Ole Miss is demanding more and trying to do something about it while we are circling the drain. 

 

3) Leadership- Cole Cublic said our BOT would rather have 8&5 seasons and be able to walk the sidelines than stay in their box seats and win NCs. I understand wanting to have a say in some things when giving millions of dollars but their money is not worth the cost in results on the field, court, track, in the pool, etc. When Lowder was around he did have too much power but I never doubted he was committed to winning. Did not like all of his hires but can’t see him sitting on his hands allowing this level of mediocrity. Once Lowder was ousted these other BOT members got their opp to “lead” and they have consistently failed and miserably. We need new blood and we can be just as mediocre without their millions and egos. Current leadership takes advantage of our loyalty continuously making bad decisions and expecting the fan base to suck it up and take it. At some point if they don’t make better decisions and do what is in Auburn’s best interest, eventually there are going to be plenty of empty seats. 

 

Sent from my iPhone

 

That wasn't the OP, but whatever.

 

 

[AURex 2,000]

Thanks for the graphic, aubaseball. So, most of the money goes to Athletic Dept staff and paying off previous coaches, paying current coaches, and facilities. NOT recruiting, player support, actual competition, etc.

And fact is, Auburn's NIL for most sports is pitiful. I was looking today at NIL for gymnasts. Almost all of the gymnasts at LSU, Utah, Florida, Oklahoma are receiving decent NIL. Auburn? Nope. And look at the teams that were competing for the national championship. LSU, Utah, Florida and Cal. Oklahoma is usually in that mix.

Swimming and Diving? Auburn once was a national powerhouse. Now?

WBB? Auburn used to have a good team. Now?

Track & Field? Harvey, where are you?

Yes, college athletics has changed with NIL and easy transfers. But that applies to ALL universities, ALL of our competitors.

I haven't seen official numbers, but just from the posts on this board and other Auburn fan sites, it seems like Auburn NIL is mostly going to football and some but less to Basketball. As for other sports .... ???

We got traditional rivals Bama and UGA, incoming Texas and Oklahoma, and A&M -- all with truckloads of primary athletic funding and bank loads of NIL. Tennessee and Florida outspending Auburn by a lot.

But it is not all about money. CBP has done a fantastic job without the kind of NIL that other schools have. And to some extent, NIL follows success. But Ole Miss has built an excellent FB team with less resources than Auburn has. Tennessee has made a comeback. Missouri is now competitive. Arkansas will be a nightmare with Calipari.

As I said in my OP, I'm just tired of Auburn being middle to bottom of the SEC in most sports (yes, a couple of exceptions). With all the money flowing into Auburn athletics (among the top in the nation), I expect more. Not just want more.

Yes, I expect MORE!

 

[TripleDegreeTiger 51]

7 hours ago, AURex said:

Thanks for the graphic, aubaseball. So, most of the money goes to Athletic Dept staff and paying off previous coaches, paying current coaches, and facilities. NOT recruiting, player support, actual competition, etc.

And fact is, Auburn's NIL for most sports is pitiful. I was looking today at NIL for gymnasts. Almost all of the gymnasts at LSU, Utah, Florida, Oklahoma are receiving decent NIL. Auburn? Nope. And look at the teams that were competing for the national championship. LSU, Utah, Florida and Cal. Oklahoma is usually in that mix.

Swimming and Diving? Auburn once was a national powerhouse. Now?

WBB? Auburn used to have a good team. Now?

Track & Field? Harvey, where are you?

Yes, college athletics has changed with NIL and easy transfers. But that applies to ALL universities, ALL of our competitors.

I haven't seen official numbers, but just from the posts on this board and other Auburn fan sites, it seems like Auburn NIL is mostly going to football and some but less to Basketball. As for other sports .... ???

We got traditional rivals Bama and UGA, incoming Texas and Oklahoma, and A&M -- all with truckloads of primary athletic funding and bank loads of NIL. Tennessee and Florida outspending Auburn by a lot.

But it is not all about money. CBP has done a fantastic job without the kind of NIL that other schools have. And to some extent, NIL follows success. But Ole Miss has built an excellent FB team with less resources than Auburn has. Tennessee has made a comeback. Missouri is now competitive. Arkansas will be a nightmare with Calipari.

As I said in my OP, I'm just tired of Auburn being middle to bottom of the SEC in most sports (yes, a couple of exceptions). With all the money flowing into Auburn athletics (among the top in the nation), I expect more. Not just want more.

Yes, I expect MORE!

 

Estimated NIL numbers, not 100 percent accurate as NIL is private and does not have to report publicly. Website provides their methods.

https://nil-ncaa.com/

Yes, in the Power 5 90% of the NIL money goes to Football and basketball. So Auburn spends like the rest.

Not sure about the rest (though all those gymnastic teams except LSU are blue bloods with multiple NC's before NIL), but it helps your NIL when Olivia Dunn uses her partnerships with companies to specifically fund her teammates and get them deals. She does this for all women athletes at LSU. Angel Reese is working with her fund also.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/sports/olivia-dunnes-livvy-fund-partnership-accelerator-active-energy-deliver-nil-deals-teammates

There is also this about gymnast:

Quote

Year one data from INFLCR, the content platform hundreds of universities utilize to manage their student-athlete NIL activity, shows that women’s gymnastics had the third-most reported NIL transactions of any sport amongst Power Five conference schools. That falls short of only football and men’s basketball. Gymnastics tops that same list amongst exclusively women’s sports, and also pulls in a massive average transaction value of over $7,000. For comparison, football’s average is just under $3,400.

“I told our administration and anyone who would listen over the last few years as NIL opened up that gymnasts are going to be active in this space,” said Auburn head coach Jeff Graba. “Gymnasts are active on social media, they know how to market themselves, and they’re savvy in that situation. They’re not waiting for people to come to them, they’re going out and getting things done. That’s the mentality and gymnastics mindset.”

https://collegegymnews.com/2022/08/10/nil-and-gymnastics-one-year-later/

With the NIL, has to do with the leaders. Ole Miss and Arkansas are both considered some of the best led and most ambitious organizations atm by some. Reach out to OTV, sure they can answer your questions.

https://www.si.com/college/olemiss/football/ole-miss-rebels-grove-collective-top-20-most-ambitious-nil-funds

You do know that Men's swimming and Diving finished ranked 9th in the nation? The women 19th I think.

And no it isn't all about money. It is also about putting the right person, in the right place, at the right time.

 

[AURex 2,000]

Problem is, although gymnastics might be 3rd in NIL overall, it sure is not getting much NIL at Auburn compared to schools like LSU, Utah. Florida and Oklahoma. In comparison, Auburn girls are getting naught.

Track and Field -- nuthin.
Swimming & Diving - nuthin
WBB - nuthin

It goes on and on. Other schools allocate money to all sports. Auburn pulls in gigantic revenue, but it all goes to football and some to MBB.

And yet ... Auburn FB is embarrassingly mediocre and Auburn BB is just kinda sorta good.

I love CBP and I have high hopes for CHF, but right now none of Auburn sports are where they should be (with exception of golf and equestrian).

And with the gazillion dollars Auburn pulls in annually, we gotta ask whether the $$$$$$$$$ are being well spent.

 

[TigerOne 1,143]

Cmon suckers, keep giving money to the nil. Got to do it constantly now otherwise some player you don’t know or may or may not pan out will go elsewhere. 
Coaches and fans are seeing the stupidity of the whole thing and will just stop participating.