I am beginning to have major concerns about Pittman

Football Insider Board
#1

This isn’t about the very underwhelming season. Those things happen, although the multiple no-shows are a concern.

I’m worried about the things he is saying and doing.

Together, NIL and the portal have been the best thing to happen to us for decades.

They have evened the playing field some for the mid-level P5 teams. Playing time and the ability to monetize their work are the most valuable things in the sport.

There’s a reason Saban complains about them. They dilute his stronghold on the sport and we have seen that on the field.

And, we have seen basketball use NIL (along with coaching, history, marketing, results) to go from being mediocre to a T10 program.

Yes, I agree it’s easier to do that with a 13-man roster as opposed to 85-man.

But, we have also seen how the portal allows us to get a consensus AA who was largely buried at Bama and an All-Sec CB who was headed that way at LSU.

So, all that said, coming off a bad 6-6 season, why on Earth would he say he doesn’t like NIL and buying players?

It is (for now) a HUGE part of the game. This is our window of opportunity (before it’s regulated—and it will be) to try to make a jump similar to basketball.it’s really important. Once you’re on the map, it easier to recruit and winZ winning opens a lot of doors.

Further, why would Coach Pittman drag his feet on a DC when signing day is soon? Because he doesn’t know how to announce it? Surely now, but that’s kinda what he said.

It’s very concerning not only that he believes these things, but that he’s going out and saying these things, publicly. He needs to get things going in a different direction.

These are major red flags.

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#2

Well said

#3

The NIL and portals may destroy collegiate sports.

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#4

It is a concern and very well said.

#5

I think that reminds to be seen. Yes, Arkansas has gotten some nice guys out of the portal, but so does everyone else.

You maybe proven right over time but the more wealthy fan bases have a definite edge on Arkansas NIL wise in my opinion. Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida schools and others have deeper pockets.

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#6

It is really sad! It is ruining college football as we know it. I get the logic behind it. Money is King now. However, It is truly no longer an amateur sport.

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#7

Aloha,
We’re not privy to all of the various NIL conversations among recruits, players, their inner circle and among other competing colleges. It must be maddening everyone feeling entitled with their hands out wanting more.
Secondly, there are several schools out there with deeper NIL resources than the UA. There are only so many slices you can cut from a pie. The football team requires many more slices than the basketball team.
For man with integrity like CSP, it must be very frustrating.
UA…Campus of Champions

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#8

The extra year for covid, the portal and NIL all coming down at once is what has so many fans disgruntled and concerned about the future of college sports.

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#9

Hey, our new DC may be coaching in a bowl game and doesn’t want any acknowledgement of changing programs……who really knows.

You’re right about the portal…right now many athletes no longer than any loyalty to the school, but only to the mighty dollar….yes we have to take advantage now.

#10

I have no doubt I’m right. I can’t imagine how anyone could look at the landscape before NIL and the portal and not see it as a positive for Arkansas.

Before NIL and the portal, all the schools you mention had an absolute strangle hold on recruiting.

They had the $ and they had the lack of conscience necessary to win at all costs.

Like politicians, they used their ruthlessness and lack of ethics to prey on the moral compasses of their competition (along with the power and money the system provided).

But, more importantly—the portal has taken away from their depth. Gone are the days of a Drew Sanders languishing on the bench for years because a perceived better player is ahead of them.

I railed on it for years. Guys like Tenpenny went and were 5th-string Bama players and could have come here and played huge minutes and had a chance to get drafted.

That’s what you’re ignoring. Playing time is worth its wait in gold and we have it to offer.

Before, the Bamas of the world could come here and grab and stash our best players for roster depth.

If they needed them, great. If not, they replaced them and they had to sit a year and re-establish themselves.

So, no, I see no way (especially with expanded playoffs) this is bad for Arkansas.

For 100 years, programs like Bama and Oklahoma manipulated a system set up and catered to them. They’ve always been spending way more money than everyone else.

Now, it’s just obvious and open, and they have a lot harder time buying and burying players for depth.

It’s amazing to me that anyone would disagree with that, especially someone who knows exactly how those programs cheated and thrived in recruiting forever before NIL and the portal.

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#11

They will continue to have a strangle hold on recruiting when it comes to high school recruiting. The high school kids will always be your base.

Arkansas will get a few guys in the portal wanting to be the next guy up instead of waiting in line. That won’t be enough to make up for the high school kids the other schools continue to land.

#12

I agree with alot of what you have stated. I will go further and say if the current system is not amended by this time next year, the horse will be long gone from the barn and college football as we know will mirror the major sports leagues. Less fan interest, best players get hugh contracts, and turnover in coaches and players will be like a revolving door. Only limiting factor is whether the future entertianment dollars( now tv) will continue to fund these sports.

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#13

That’s how I see it. Along with just being a realist; Arkansas is a poor state; our biggest football successes occurred when football was modestly amateurish; a long time ago.

#14

Under your theory, the blue bloods have always been good and dominant and always will be, so this new thing that gives the players some actual power is bad.

But, that’s not necessarily true.

Kids want to go where the teams are winning and putting players in the pros and it’s “cool” or whatever they call it now.

Over the last 20-30 years, we have seen blue bloods slip, and some of them go away (in terms of national dominance—See Miami, Nebraska, Colorado, FSU).

We have seen others slip and have to struggle like crazy to get somewhat back (Tennessee, ND).

We have seen that once you slip, it’s hard to come back.

Also, some fairly non-blue bloods have gamed the system to make a name for themselves or re-emerge after years of being down (OM, Clemson, Oregon).

So, I respectfully disagree with your premise-that the best will always be the best and you aren’t going to change it, so we might as well go back to the system that virtually ensured the best will remain the best.

If that’s the case, why even try? If the system is rigged as it was before and as it is now and we can’t have something that at least theoretically gives us a fighting chance, why not just do enough to make $ (ie stay in the SEC) and put everything you can into hoops and baseball.

Because what you’re seemingly saying is that blue blood dominance is inevitable.

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#15

NW Arkansas is not a poor state since it is ranked in top 5-10 places fastest and best places to live in country. The local Arkansas companies were small at one time but not so much now. Biggest issue is we have not won enough when we had the chance–this year is another example of that and it costs us every time we take that step backwards.

#16

They won’t, but if they got rid of the portal and NIL, how, exactly would that be a good thing for Arkansas, especially with the tube out of the toothpaste and everyone knowing there is no going back to the faux amateur model?

I guess I really don’t know what you’re saying. Are you saying that the old system was better for Arkansas than the current system or that it’s about the same? Really?

#17

I think the point that Coach Pittman was trying to make is he doesn’t want players that are only coming here for the money… they want players that want to be here and the money will come… he doesn’t want a dang A$M type situation with the roster….

#18

I’m saying even with the new system, Arkansas will have an uphill battle.

Can Arkansas become a new Clemson and recruit HS kids like the Tigers have since Dabo got there? Maybe, time will tell but history tells us no.

Arkansas will be able to plug some holes here or there with portal guys but will likely not have the base of high school kids that the top tier teams do.

#19

While I agree with your comments on NIL. It has greatly help us in football to add quality and experience to our roster, but it has also made the blue bloods even stronger. This paying top transfer millions of dollars is destroying college sports.

#20

I think that’s what Adam is saying! Arkansas finally has a better chance with the portal and NIL and Sam should embrace it.

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