Big 4 Hoops Blogger

I can tell you the amount UB hopes to raise annually in NIL once it's announced and it's six figures as well.

It won't be a league for the next few seasons but there's a good chance that several Mountain West teams will either climb over or they'll merge with the two "PAC-2" schools and keep the "PAC" naming rights for branding purposes.

I had heard that Long was connected to Cage about a month ago. Thought there was a chance he would come to UB. Now it makes complete sense why he transferred to Hampton.

Just mentioned this in the QB1 thread but Ogbonna looked solid on Saturday. He was whipping the ball around and connected on multiple deep balls to Taji Johnson for 50+ yard touchdowns. He also threw a TD to Victor Snow. It's clear they're testing his arm out during the spring.

I've been to two spring practices so far. It appears that CJ Ogbonna has a solid lead over Gunnar Gray. Ogbonna had three touchdown passes during their scrimmage on Saturday including two BOMBS to Taji Johnson who had himself a day! Gray really hasn't really stood out too much. Can't wait for the Spring Game to see how they play in front of a crowd!

I've been to two spring practices and can already see a huge difference between how things are run under Lembo compared to Mo. Practices have been upbeat and he enjoys being a teacher and letting his coaches coach. He's going to get UB football back on track. Btw, CJ Ogbonna looked really good during their scrimmage on Saturday and appears to be leading the QB battle.

Right now, Canisius is in the beginning stages of their NIL. They're not really sure what to expect but their number one goal is aimed at player retention. Niagara also has an NIL collective launching as well. Stay tuned regarding UB!

I was at the Jim Christian press conference today and spoke with him afterwards. I'm going to increase my college basketball coverage next season. With me being back with Trainwreck Sports, I will be credentialed with UB, Canisius and Niagara so I look forward to providing additional content in the future.

Nate Oats ends the speculation by tweeting that he's staying at Alabama. Good for him!

Calipari is heading to an Arkansas program that's giving him a $5 million/year NIL budget and leaving Kentucky where he was feeling the heat. He was also looking into the Ohio State vacancy a little while back according to reports. The Blue Blood jobs are still alluring but you're right that some coaches don't want the added pressure at those type of schools.

Your top point is significant. The question is whether or not Oats truly cares about that. We know he says he does but he also discussed turning UB into the Gonzaga of the east and that was all talk. Oats is good enough to win a title at Alabama which would make him a God down there. At Kentucky, they'd get upset if he didn't eventually win one. The difference is that it's fairly easy to have UK in contention every year. It's not that simple to do that at Bama even though he's had them in the NCAA Tournament four consecutive years. He could absolutely stay at Alabama and would continue to succeed. Will be interesting how everything plays out.

Kentucky basketball is the equivalent of Alabama football. We're talking about a school that's potentially willing to pay an $18 million buyout and possibly give Oats a substantial raise over what's already an incredible contract. Oats is an amazing coach and recruiter at a school like Bama. Imagine would he could do at a Blue Blood. I'm not exaggerating when I say this... He could be one of the best head coaches of this generation if he takes the Kentucky job. I'm talking about someone that could win multiple National Championships and be remembered as an all-time great among the likes of Roy Williams, Coach K and Rick Pitino. There isn't even a comparison between Kentucky and Alabama outside of resources. The question is whether Oats wants to stay with the project he built or be the star coach at probably the top job in the nation. Kentucky vs. Alabama: 17 Final Fours to 1 8 National Championships to none Blue Blood vs. solid SEC program

Those are the two big questions right now. I think Oats could become one of the best coaches of this generation if he goes to Kentucky. Knowing how much he cares about winning, it's hard for me to see him turning down that type of opportunity.

If Kentucky is willing to pay his MASSIVE buyout, I think Oats would bolt to Kentucky in a second. It's a true blue blood with unlimited resources and a ton of history. Perfect timing coming off a Final Four appearance. Could get interesting soon.