Seems weird to build up a program to be a perennial top 20 team, win a Natty, and bail for another program. How often does that happen? I don't think very often which is why I don't see Drew leaving Baylor. Seems like he has a good thing going and he can be there as long as he wants with limited pressure from fans/AD/UP.
This is true but Baylor is arguably the "lowest profile" school to win a championship in recent memory. Villanova is probably the closest comparison?
Not sure school's profile matters anymore if you have NIL support + fan/AD/UP support. I think this is why we have seen some hall of fame coaches retire in the last couple years. I don't think Kentucky/KU/UCLA/Duke/Michigan State/North Carolina names will continue to hold the weight they used to. The "name" is no longer needed to bring in great players and contend for titles. The last two years represent the new NIL landscape, and I don't think many of us would have predicted not a single Blue Blood (UCONN is now BB though) making the FF.
2024 FF Teams:
Bama, Purdue, NC State, and UCONN
2023 FF Teams:
SDST, Miami, FIU, and UCONN
I think long term, NIL support will be more closely related to profile. Higher profile/blue bloods will win in the NIL/Portal era.
NIL money will be king, program pedigree will be down the list of priorities for top recruits. What WILL be a deciding factor is the number of players the program that land in the NBA. McDonalds All-Americans don't go to Lawrentucky because of it's atmosphere or tradition, they go to KU because KU have a lot of players that make it to the NBA. When the number of players KU puts in the NBA declines, so will recruiting.
I don't disagree with anything you're saying, I just expect that in the long term NIL money and program pedigree will be more closely related than they might be now.
I think the big money doners that were paying the under the counter money to players probably have a little sticker shock, now that NIL is increasing exponentially, compared to what they used to pay for players