How do stats like these affect recruiting and retention? Curious what our more knowledgeable contributors think

Two wild Hawaiian monk seals, an endangered species, have become the first of their kind to receive vaccines for bird flu, part of a new effort to protect the animals from a virus that has been ravaging marine mammal populations around the world.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/science/hawaii-bird-flu-h5n1-monk-seals.html?

The vaccine will kill them, just as measles vaccines and others have been killing billions of humans every year.

Quote from: Zog from Margo on November 30, 2025, 09:36:20 PMWhen players play for a paycheck instead of a school, it's not the same game to me.

When you see that UK has a roster receiving over $20 million (https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/mens-basketball/2025/10/16/kentucky-wildcats-basketball-roster-cost-20-million/86732570007/), what is your expectation for MU? Shouldn't one's expectations be commensurate with the team's payroll?

I just root for the team and don't concern myself at all with their compensation.

Quote from: JWags85 on November 30, 2025, 08:55:20 PMConvenient to go the last 4 years instead of a normal 5 cause that cuts out a year they went 8-1 in the B10 and Fitz won COY.

And yes his last 2 years were really bad but he won national COY in the 2020 going 7-2 (6-1).

The hazing situation, regardless of his legal absolution, is an understandable black cloud to the hiring.  But chalking him up as another "white retread" because of those last 2 years (when any other 3-4 year snapshot of his time at NW captures really good results for the job) is an absurd underselling of the coaching he did at one of the most unwinnable jobs in the country historically.

And of course MSU fans are mad.  They are delusional about their place in the B10/CFB world and have been since Saban left.  They weren't happy when Dantonio was hired either.

Incorrect, they were happy because of Dantonio's ties to MSU and Saban. Many preferred him over the other finalist, Bo Pelini.

Also, Dantonio led them to the CFP, multiple Big Ten title games, a Rose Bowl victory (first since 1987), a Cotton Bowl victory, four top ten rankings, six ten-win seasons, and an 8-5 record against Michigan. They were a top-tier Big Ten program. He just stuck around too long.

Fitz also led NW to not only their first bowl wins in program history but 5 wins - 5-5 record in bowl games, and two Big Ten title games, and played the most competitive conference game against OSU all season, actually leading at the half (the only team to do that other than Alabama in the national title game). His last two seasons coincided with the start of NIL and players not having to sit out after a transfer.

But, he is joining a different Big Ten with Oregon, USC and Washington. I think the realistic expectations for Sparty should be a 7-9 wins max with Fitz as the HC.

Quote from: YoungMUFan4 on November 30, 2025, 08:50:08 PMYikes

lol. Show us the budget.

Quote from: Bahama on Today at 08:44:57 AMI was at the Spirit Shop after the CMU game (20% discount for season ticket holders) and the RGV stuff was overwhelming and front and center once you walk in, it had the prime real-estate that historically had some of the coolest merch.

No one was buying it - the shelves were more full than any other section.

They definitely had a bunch of the other knick knacks like shot glasses/mugs with the logo in-person as well.

Well, then they will figure out quickly that it doesn't have that much of a demand.

Really strange that they would go with something so niche.

If MU is dropping 6 large on NIL can't say we are getting our money's worth

Quote from: WellsstreetWanderer on Today at 08:21:19 AMBack in Al's day we were.

Not really. We may have had similar success, but we never had their resources.

I guess Michigan has it going pretty well ...

No. 7 Michigan dominated the Players Era Festival with blowout victories over No. 21 Auburn (102-72) and No. 12 Gonzaga (101-61), making the Wolverines the first team in AP poll history (since 1948) to post consecutive 30-point wins against ranked opponents.

Just popped in to say that it is worse than we probably all even thought.

NET Rankings dropped this morning and we are 167 !!!!!

https://x.com/ButlerGuru/status/1995497335636590879?t=SA7qHmilrVXEhJZ1qvrHcQ&s=19