Topic: Post Spring Game

[HerdEcon]

After the spring game there is normally a some optimism and talk here on the board and other places about players, team, or upcoming season.  Doesn't seem to be as much after this spring game.  May be a good indication what effect NIL, the transfer portal, and a 6-7 season (3-5 Conference) is having on fan interest and support. 

I think fan interest in college football is falling.  It may still be strong for the "haves" and the teams getting buzz about conference realignment but for the "have nots" of the college football world it appears to be dropping. 

Is my read correct, or is it only the 7-6 (5-3), 9-4 (5-3), and 6-7 (3-5) records (22-17 overall) since Huff's arrival?

[overherd1]

You may be correct, interest is lower maybe due to several factors.  Last years poor season, continual portal departure, unsure or not optimistic about the upcoming season.  Unfortunately, many factors may lead to some apathy.  We did pickup some players in the portal, and hopefully will pick up a few more with the recent departure of some players. 

[Garbanjo]

We moved on from No Nuts Punts A lot to get better.

That hasn't happened, and Fluff clearly isn't the guy.

The only reason he still has a job is because of his buyout or he would have been gone.

Spears better be ready to make a great hire, as this is Fluff's last season.

He gone 😂

Go Herd!

[herd2win]

I believe it has a lot to do with the portal.  We don't know who is going to be on our team.  We lost some defensive guys that looked to be difference makers this upcoming season.  It is an adjustment as a fan.

I see Spring games going away in the next 3 years u less changes occur.  Going to be interesting with guys joining a union like all of UABs team.  We are staring at revenue sharing and players being employees.

[Flat Tire 2]

The whole idea of a "student athlete" seems to be disappearing. I don't see how you can get a degree if you are changing schools every year. Maybe it is time to let the athletes become employees and they don't have to attend classes and just pay them? Of course the major schools can do it, but not the smaller programs.

I am sure we all know former players who wouldn't have the chance to attend college without an athletic scholarship. Those people improved their lives, some were the first in their family to go to college. I guess the day of improving your life by getting a degree is disappearing? I also remember athletes who were not going to get degrees, they were just interested in playing sports.

After the above rant, I think the portal is causing a lot of us to lose interest in college sports.

[BigJimslade]

Part of the apathy problem is that we have no star players per se?
Nobody that creates a significant amount of fan interest
Also contributes to losing and mediocrity
Spring Games also suck

[s1uggo]

We moved on from No Nuts Punts A lot to get better.

That hasn't happened, and Fluff clearly isn't the guy.

The only reason he still has a job is because of his buyout or he would have been gone.

Spears better be ready to make a great hire, as this is Fluff's last season.

He gone 😂

Go Herd!

Do you really think they?ll allow CS to hire the new FB coach?? My God please no other than a WBB Coach who fell in his lap, he?s made terrible hires

[marshallmark]

Do you really think they?ll allow CS to hire the new FB coach?? My God please no other than a WBB Coach who fell in his lap, he?s made terrible hires

Really?  Like who?

Corny? Jury is way out on that one
Beals?  Crazy we were even in the running for him
Simoes? Again, jury is way out but his recruits look amazing
Zerkle?  C'mon... she's doing well so far.  Just needs some pitching
Roberts?  Most successful spring season for T&F in years. 

Not sure what your complaining about. 

[svherd]

Portal and NIL killing college football with the exception of the top 10-20 programs.
Much turnover on staff
Poor 2023 season
Likely Huff's last year, one way or another.
As said, not stars that stand out.

Be interesting to see how this fall goes. Frankly, unless we get miracle play from the QB and OL, I see 6-6 at best.

[HoPPy785]

Part of the apathy problem is that we have no star players per se?
Nobody that creates a significant amount of fan interest
Also contributes to losing and mediocrity
Spring Games also suck

It would be a huge boost to fan interest if somehow Cole Pennington became a bonafide stud. No idea if that can happen or not, but it would be great.

[s1uggo]

Really?  Like who?

Corny? Jury is way out on that one
Beals?  Crazy we were even in the running for him
Simoes? Again, jury is way out but his recruits look amazing
Zerkle?  C'mon... she's doing well so far.  Just needs some pitching
Roberts?  Most successful spring season for T&F in years. 

Not sure what your complaining about.

The only thing keeping TF going is the distance runners who r coached by the same guy
Beals please? Aren?t we in the top 99.5% in D1 in batting average?? How many times have they been mercy ruled or whatever it?s called
Zerkle? What?s their record besides CS didn?t hire her Beatuce did

[svherd]

#bringbackmhdocandwags!

[gochneaur645]

The whole idea of a "student athlete" seems to be disappearing. I don't see how you can get a degree if you are changing schools every year. Maybe it is time to let the athletes become employees and they don't have to attend classes and just pay them? Of course the major schools can do it, but not the smaller programs.

I am sure we all know former players who wouldn't have the chance to attend college without an athletic scholarship. Those people improved their lives, some were the first in their family to go to college. I guess the day of improving your life by getting a degree is disappearing? I also remember athletes who were not going to get degrees, they were just interested in playing sports.

After the above rant, I think the portal is causing a lot of us to lose interest in college sports.

Why can't you get a degree with multiple transfers? It's not that hard to transfer credits provided your major isn't that specialized. And let's be honest, the vast majority of college athletes have never majored in those types of things with or without NIL.

Academics are the one thing the NCAA actually should enforce. I don't give a damn how much a player gets paid, but they should actually be taking classes at the school they're playing for. Give the death penalty to the UNC's of the world that have massive academic fraud scandals.

[marshallmark]

The only thing keeping TF going is the distance runners who r coached by the same guy
Beals please? Aren?t we in the top 99.5% in D1 in batting average?? How many times have they been mercy ruled or whatever it?s called
Zerkle? What?s their record besides CS didn?t hire her Beatuce did

More broad than a discussion of the coach hires, but do you think its easy to get men's sprinters to come to Marshall?  Other than FB players, who are limited in their availability, the coaches are by necessity going to have to focus on distance. 

Give Beals a couple more years.  The hitting is fine, but he needs about 3-4 more decent arms.  If you watch his recruiting, he seems to be doing alright in that dept.  As an aside, and I've posted this on here before, but I talked to the parents of a local kid that played for him at OSU.  Those parents absolutely love the guy and told me there's no doubt he'll be successful b/c he coaches the players the right way.  I trust them - they're sports people and know their way around a field/pitch/court/course. 

I know how the AD works.  Beatrice does hire, technically, all of the Olympic sports coaches but you don't think CS signed off on Morgan?  You've complained about his hiring failures - Morgan counts and if she gets a Nester-type arm for next year, the SunBelt better watch out. 

[mubowhunter]

Really?  Like who?

Corny? Jury is way out on that one
Beals?  Crazy we were even in the running for him
Simoes? Again, jury is way out but his recruits look amazing
Zerkle?  C'mon... she's doing well so far.  Just needs some pitching
Roberts?  Most successful spring season for T&F in years. 

Not sure what your complaining about.

Just curious but are you Perkins on HN👀?

[s1uggo]

More broad than a discussion of the coach hires, but do you think its easy to get men's sprinters to come to Marshall?  Other than FB players, who are limited in their availability, the coaches are by necessity going to have to focus on distance. 

Give Beals a couple more years.  The hitting is fine, but he needs about 3-4 more decent arms.  If you watch his recruiting, he seems to be doing alright in that dept.  As an aside, and I've posted this on here before, but I talked to the parents of a local kid that played for him at OSU.  Those parents absolutely love the guy and told me there's no doubt he'll be successful b/c he coaches the players the right way.  I trust them - they're sports people and know their way around a field/pitch/court/course. 

I know how the AD works.  Beatrice does hire, technically, all of the Olympic sports coaches but you don't think CS signed off on Morgan?  You've complained about his hiring failures - Morgan counts and if she gets a Nester-type arm for next year, the SunBelt better watch out.

Actually the first 2 coaches for WSoftball laughed at Spears and turned him down. Beatrice had to save him
The same thing happened w TF
But hey wait 3-4 yrs we?ll have a great ?..
but in the meantime why did you destroy the lives of the guys already getting the job done

[GoHerd35]

Actually the first 2 coaches for WSoftball laughed at Spears and turned him down. Beatrice had to save him
The same thing happened w TF
But hey wait 3-4 yrs we?ll have a great ?..
but in the meantime why did you destroy the lives of the guys already getting the job done

Who were the two softball coaches and the track and field coach/es?

[herdman22]

The portal and NIL are ruining college athletics. I used to be at every home game and a few road games a year. Honestly, I don't really care much anymore. I'll watch the games mostly but it's not a priority like it used to be. It's tough when you know if a player is good at all they'll be leaving. I really hate it and miss the days when college athletes were fun to watch and to watch grow during their time at the school.


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[MicDrass1]

More broad than a discussion of the coach hires, but do you think its easy to get men's sprinters to come to Marshall?  Other than FB players, who are limited in their availability, the coaches are by necessity going to have to focus on distance. 

Give Beals a couple more years.  The hitting is fine, but he needs about 3-4 more decent arms.  If you watch his recruiting, he seems to be doing alright in that dept.  As an aside, and I've posted this on here before, but I talked to the parents of a local kid that played for him at OSU.  Those parents absolutely love the guy and told me there's no doubt he'll be successful b/c he coaches the players the right way.  I trust them - they're sports people and know their way around a field/pitch/court/course. 

I know how the AD works.  Beatrice does hire, technically, all of the Olympic sports coaches but you don't think CS signed off on Morgan?  You've complained about his hiring failures - Morgan counts and if she gets a Nester-type arm for next year, the SunBelt better watch out.

Why would it be hard to get good sprinters/hurdlers/jumpers to MU with a 300m indoor track to train in?  I?d think MU has a major advantage to get sprinters/hurdlers/jumpers. 

Baseball should take off now and has support

Softball has a nice play to play and has support

[JeremyBlake23]

The portal and NIL are ruining college athletics. I used to be at every home game and a few road games a year. Honestly, I don't really care much anymore. I'll watch the games mostly but it's not a priority like it used to be. It's tough when you know if a player is good at all they'll be leaving. I really hate it and miss the days when college athletes were fun to watch and to watch grow during their time at the school.


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Sums up my thoughts. I went from not missing a home game from 1992 to 2008, to not even realizing I missed a game until it's over sometimes now. The transfer portal and NIL are the biggest reasons for me. Sucking year in and year out doesn't help either.

[s1uggo]

Who were the two softball coaches and the track and field coach/es?

TnF was an asst from AZ state I don?t remember the other guy. The guy we got was third choice
Softball was the gal at the D2 school in Indianapolis, the other one iirc was one of ours that is some place else
The Gal that left really wanted to stay but needed more money and support. Seeing how CS didn?t bother going to the SBC tournament she saw the writing on the wall for his support

[Herdiowa]

The portal and NIL are ruining college athletics. I used to be at every home game and a few road games a year. Honestly, I don't really care much anymore. I'll watch the games mostly but it's not a priority like it used to be. It's tough when you know if a player is good at all they'll be leaving. I really hate it and miss the days when college athletes were fun to watch and to watch grow during their time at the school.


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NIL is definitely hurting most if not all G5 schools.  Still think the G5 needs their own playoff etc.  Very rarely do you get to watch a player develop any longer.  Dont play as a freshman or sophomore transfer, not getting enough $ transfer.  Death knell in college sports.  I still believe it?s going to blow up.

[marshallmark]

TnF was an asst from AZ state I don?t remember the other guy. The guy we got was third choice
Softball was the gal at the D2 school in Indianapolis, the other one iirc was one of ours that is some place else
The Gal that left really wanted to stay but needed more money and support. Seeing how CS didn?t bother going to the SBC tournament she saw the writing on the wall for his support

The "gal" that left took a P5 job in the ACC that is her alma mater and that's an hour drive from her parents.  You're full of crap.

[marshallmark]

Just curious but are you Perkins on HN👀?

No.  Haven't been on HerdNation for years.

[bbcard1]

No.  Haven't been on HerdNation for years.

Sadly, there was a period of a few months there last season when Herdnation was more civil than Herdfans.