Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (It's a put up or shut up NIL world)

[Ketchum]

TBH, this was my exact thought when I saw your tweet. Tech fans are just off-base, at best. But, that's always been the case. If Hudson truly is the caliber of player as he looks to be, why would he not want to go play with the best QB against the best competition with the most eyeballs watching him do his thing?? To me, it seems like an easy choice. But, family and girlfriend are hard things to argue against, so we shall see...

Lastly, I dig the not-so-subtle Bob Sugar reference

Texas needs to just bu the girl friend like she's Lala in He Got Game.

 

[AgaveHorn]

Texas athletes have always done this sort of thing. There have been countless reports of these activities over the years and decades. My real point here is that it appears that Texas Athletics is using “charitable work” and the popularity of that notion as a front to justify something that is actually really different from that. I get that they cannot come out and say just send us money to pay these kids. I just find it insulting that they play the charity card when using compensation to incentivize someone to do something eliminates charity from the equation.

@JesterW637, we need to do a better job communicating a lot of our work and not just saying "charitable". We have hundreds of traditional activities going on like Dell Children's visits and Pop Up Birthday celebrations for foster children but what we are doing unique is truly using our student-athletes image and likeness to amplify the fundraising of our partner non-profits in Central Texas. Including our SA's in non-profit's signature events and galas has resulted in almost all of them bringing in all time revenue for their programs. So there is the traditional charity appearances but also the new professional fundraising element that our Texas student-athletes are proving to be very influential and successful. The amount of work that has been required to create and coordinate just our events program for 500 plus student-athletes has been herculean. I really don't think you should feel insulted and if you have a non-profit that means a lot to you, I encourage you to reach out to us and get our kids involved and you will really see the difference they can make. And we could just state, "send us your money to pay these kids." but we chose the harder, much more difficult route that we believe is sustainable and reflects our University's character and the type of folks we are in Texas.

I also want to communicate a lot more with Longhorn Nation and we are working to figure out the correct balance of providing information that brings folks in with a sense of involvement and ownership, which has always been one of the main tenets we hope to accomplish.

Personally, I really want to spend more time getting the Texas business community more actively involved in traditional corporate endorsements or business opportunities in the NIL space. Our swimming program alone has multiple world champions that are going to be featured extensively next summer for the Paris Olympics, the Austin business community should be all over these athletes and creating marketing material and assets that would be vastly less expensive than having to go through the various USA channels. A dentist office spending $500 for world champion Dakota Luther to create an Instragram ad for their practice seems like that could be a strong investment now, especially if she wins gold next year. There is a million different ideas that are all simple and very easy to execute. The more traditional deals we create for our athletes, the less money the Texas One Fund has to raise.

 

[Ketchum]

@JesterW637, we need to do a better job communicating a lot of our work and not just saying "charitable". We have hundreds of traditional activities going on like Dell Children's visits and Pop Up Birthday celebrations for foster children but what we are doing unique is truly using our student-athletes image and likeness to amplify the fundraising of our partner non-profits in Central Texas. Including our SA's in non-profit's signature events and galas has resulted in almost all of them bringing in all time revenue for their programs. So there is the traditional charity appearances but also the new professional fundraising element that our Texas student-athletes are proving to be very influential and successful. The amount of work that has been required to create and coordinate just our events program for 500 plus student-athletes has been herculean. I really don't think you should feel insulted and if you have a non-profit that means a lot to you, I encourage you to reach out to us and get our kids involved and you will really see the difference they can make. And we could just state, "send us your money to pay these kids." but we chose the harder, much more difficult route that we believe is sustainable and reflects our University's character and the type of folks we are in Texas.

Personally, I really want to spend more time getting the Texas business community more actively involved in traditional corporate endorsements or business opportunities in the NIL space. Our swimming program alone has multiple world champions that are going to be featured extensively next summer for the Paris Olympics, the Austin business community should be all over these athletes and creating marketing material and assets that would be vastly less expensive than having to go through the various USA channels. A dentist office spending $500 for world champion Dakota Luther to create an Instragram ad for their practice seems like that could be a strong investment now, especially if she wins gold next year. There is a million different ideas that are all simple and very easy to execute. The more traditional deals we create for our athletes, the less money the Texas One Fund has to raise.

Good stuff. I hope some people read this. Might be worth i's own post. I'll pin it if you want to make it.

 

[Fansong77]

I have never heard anyone say In Dreams is his best song. 🤷‍♂️

Roy Orbison's 10 greatest songs, ranked​

Roy Orbison's 10 greatest songs, ranked

Roy Orbison was The Soul of Rock and Roll and The Caruso of Rock who knocked out a stunning run of '60s hits.

www.goldradiouk.com

Here you go. In Dreams has to be in any top 10 list imo.

 

[CutaneousHorn]

Inspired by Ketch, I signed up to give $16 per month.

 

[Ketchum]

Roy Orbison's 10 greatest songs, ranked​

Roy Orbison's 10 greatest songs, ranked

Roy Orbison was The Soul of Rock and Roll and The Caruso of Rock who knocked out a stunning run of '60s hits.

www.goldradiouk.com

Here you go. In Dreams has to be in any top 10 list imo.

I don't know how anyone can objectively say that song should be rated over Pretty Woman or Crying, but you did find a guy. Congrats!

 

[Ketchum]

Inspired by Ketch, I signed up to give $16 per month.

Every little bit helps.

 

[Big Stoop]

Will 10,000 fans pay $20/month, with a recession luming, so an 18 year can be paid $50,000 per year to be taught football skills to improve their odds of making it to the NFL and earning millions. Who will voluntarily pay this without any tangible reward/gift? Needs to be a loyalty program of some sorts. Hook’em

 

[Ketchum]

Will 10,000 fans pay $20/month, with a recession luming, so an 18 year can be paid $50,000 per year to be taught football skills to improve their odds of making it to the NFL and earning millions. Who will voluntarily pay this without any tangible reward/gift? Needs to be a loyalty program of some sorts. Hook’em

Is a tax write off in the name of your team winning not a tangible reward? Serious question.

 

[Gulf Coast Baller]

Is a tax write off in the name of your team winning not a tangible reward? Serious question.

The attitude of many in our fan base blows my mind. Have never seen such bitching and moaning about what should be a nominal amount (at the lower level) for any Texas grad.

 

[o5prey]

@Ketchum

You gave one example - but dunne definitely isn’t getting nil money based on her gymnastics prowess / she isn’t even competing in some meets as she’s an alternate

Not saying your example was wrong - but he wasn’t wrong either

 

[Standaddy88]

Sharing revenue would only happen over some dead bodies.

Well then….

 

[Standaddy88]

It's set up so that it can be a tax write off. I would claim the set up is pretty good.

So you are saying the deserve credit for making it into a 501c3? A lot of organizations around the world have accomplished this

 

[Standaddy88]

It seems like if a few thousand folks go out to lunch one less time per month and gives that to the TOF, it would help a lot.

No, it’s called an endowment. Endowment and planned gifts are the way to make things sustainable long term in the world of fundraising, not pledges or reoccurring gifts. That causes donor fatigue which is real.

 

[Ketchum]

So you are saying the deserve credit for making it into a 501c3? A lot of organizations around the world have accomplished this

No one in college athletics was doing this until Texas set it up and started doing it. They were the first to have approval.

 

[Ketchum]

No, it’s called an endowment. Endowment and planned gifts are the way to make things sustainable long term in the world of fundraising, not pledges or reoccurring gifts. That causes donor fatigue which is real.

Texas cannot use its endowment.

 

[Standaddy88]

No one in college athletics was doing this until Texas set it up and started doing it. They were the first to have approval.

I am glad they did, I am proud of my University. That said, any donation that goes to UT or any other college for that matter is typically always tax deductible. Apparently, that was just newly introduced to NIL world. Also, most people don’t itemize when filing taxes you are talking about your typical $20/month donor so it really doesn’t do much to help those. You have to give a couple of thousand plus per year if my memory serves me correctly to consider not filing with your standard deduction.

 

[Standaddy88]

Texas cannot use its endowment.

They start another endowment…. Endowments are just a vehicle that almost anyone can theoretically start a new one. I am not talking about THE endowment managed by UTIMCO (same investment group that manages the states PUF fund) but rather a separate endowment. Most all non profits of any substance have one.

 

[Ketchum]

They start another endowment…. Endowments are just a vehicle that almost anyone can theoretically start a new one. I am not talking about THE endowment but rather a separate endowment. Most all non profits of any substance have one.

The Texas One Fund is basically that, no?

 

[Standaddy88]

The Texas One Fund is basically that, no?

I have no idea how that is managed. From the sounds of it, it sounds like it is a current use fund where the donated funds go directly to a cause (or player in this case), rather than investment (endowment).

 

[Ketchum]

I have no idea how that is managed. From the sounds of it, it sounds like it is a current use fund where the donated funds go directly to a cause (or player in this case), rather than investment (endowment).

I would imagine it's a matter of having enough money come in to be able to do so.

 

[Oilfield]

What an unbelievable scam college sports has become. The universities take in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and get to simultaneously cry poor and convince their customers that they’re the ones that need to fund payroll to keep the business competitive, in exchange for 0% of the revenue.

I mean bravo.

I have to wonder how UT compares with others in regard to the “donations” required for the privilege of buying season tickets.

Maybe ease up on that a bit and encourage people to invest in Texas One Fund.

 

[Standaddy88]

I would imagine it's a matter of having enough money come in to be able to do so.

UT System BOR just changed its policy to increase all UT institution endowment minimums to $25k (many were at $10k)…. So I would hope they have been able to get at least that much.

 

[AgaveHorn]

UT System BOR just changed its policy to increase all UT institution endowment minimums to $25k (many were at $10k)…. So I would hope they have been able to get at least that much.

I am authorized to speak for the entire Texas One Fund board when I say that we would love to have an endowment.

 

[Standaddy88]

I am authorized to speak for the entire Texas One Fund board when I say that we would love to have an endowment.

May I ask what is preventing that?

 

[AgaveHorn]

May I ask what is preventing that?

There is no excess cash from operations, there is a shortfall of cash.

 

[ColladorUT]

There is no excess cash from operations, there is a shortfall of cash.

Hey boss,

I'm guessing you've read my stance on the current NIL world and really more how I believe CFB leadership has a history of failure in these areas.

I stated several times but want to be direct, I appreciate yours (and others) efforts into making lemonade out of the lemons. What you and your team are doing is far beyond what I, and many others, would even consider doing. I am NOT a fan of the overall system, but I am a fan of those who put great effort into making it a little better. Best of luck, hope it gets easier for you!

 

[Standaddy88]

There is no excess cash from operations, there is a shortfall of cash.

No excess for $25k at least? Have y'all researched what it would take to start one yet? If I were to let's say be able to garner enough to get $25k (I am a major gift officer for a prominent UT institution as a career) would you be able to apply that to an endowment without using it on operations for example?

BTW thank you for all that you, the Texas One board, and the donors have done to this point.

 

[AgaveHorn]

No excess for $25k at least? Have y'all researched what it would take to start one yet? If I were to let's say be able to garner enough people to get $25k (I am a major gift officer for a prominent UT institution as a career) would you be able to apply that to an endowment without using it on operations for example?

BTW thank you for all that you, the Texas One board, and the donors have done to this point.

No, we don't.

 

[Standaddy88]

No, we don't.

So, you could not start an endowment even if someone had the funds to specifically do so? Also, do you have any type of planned giving program in place?

I apologize for the questions. Just trying to see if I can help brainstorm.

 

[AgaveHorn]

Hey boss,

I'm guessing you've read my stance on the current NIL world and really more how I believe CFB leadership has a history of failure in these areas.

I stated several times but want to be direct, I appreciate yours (and others) efforts into making lemonade out of the lemons. What you and your team are doing is far beyond what I, and many others, would even consider doing. I am NOT a fan of the overall system, but I am a fan of those who put great effort into making it a little better. Best of luck, hope it gets easier for you!

It is a very common conversation we are having with a lot of folks that aren't comfortable with NIL for football, which makes it a very easy segway to ask them to get involved with our other sports that aren't full scholarship. Austin's cost is living is dramatically higher than our SEC competitors and most of the SEC states have state lotto programs and other ways to make their student-athletes fully whole financially. The SEC fanbases really, really care about collegiate sports.

 

[MB-HORNS]

The SEC fanbases really, really cares about collegiate sports.

Some Texas fans have no idea what world we just stepped into

 

[AgaveHorn]

So, you could not start an endowment even if someone had the funds to specifically do so? Also, do you have any type of planned giving program in place?

I apologize for the questions. Just trying to see if I can help brainstorm.

We could definitely start one if funds were available but folks giving 25k right now want it to go to winning on Saturdays. We need Elon to get some burnt orange in his blood stream or Michael Dell to kick us some allowance money.

 

[Standaddy88]

We could definitely start one if funds were available but folks giving 25k right now want it to go to winning on Saturdays. We need Elon to get some burnt orange in his blood stream or Michael Dell to kick us some allowance money.

I may be able to pledge $25k with the help of some other UT buddies I have if it went to starting the endowment. That said, I know you need that money yesterday particular for endowment purposes (usually takes 12-16 months before they begin spinning off usable funds once they meet 20% of endowment minimum). Do you have any major gift fundraisers or people with that type of experience helping to advise the group right now?

There are definitely major gift prospects of that level and much more out there for something like this. Happy to help if needed.

 

[McGuapo]

Some Texas fans have no idea what world we just stepped into

Well, everyone is now seeing what the culture of the Texas fan base is when the rubber hits the road. Not that’s it’s all bad, it’s not, but it presents unique challenges that they don’t have at places like Auburn. I worked in fund raising here for a number of years and learned a lot about the different fanbase cultures and how it impact’s financial decisions. It’s been bantered about forever that we are passive and a more wine and cheese crowd, and it’s fun to joke, but it isn’t all a joke. It’s just going to be a process, which they are figuring out and navigating now.