2025 Portal Season

[Patriotsince81]

If I just accept it all as purely transactional—treating college sports like a business deal instead of something emotional—then what’s the point?

I love sports because of the feeling you get when your team, the one you’ve invested so much time, hope, and energy into, finally breaks through. In college, that feeling hits even harder because it feels personal. The team’s success feels like my success. That connection is what makes it special—not the money, not the deals, but the shared belief that it means something. And if we lose that, I’m not sure what we’re cheering for anymore.

This times 1,000! Very well said....

 

[hoops10]

I would say that we have to treat these players just like any other worker for a company, they are employees.
To think of them as student athletes is gone. So as an employee you are most often looking to improve your standard of living. Walk into the office and tell your boss I am moving on for a better opportunity. To me it really is sad. It is like the rest of what is happening in the world, its changing.

 

[gmujim92]

Not telling anyone else how to do it, but I root for whoever takes the floor in a Mason uniform. If that changes from year to year, so be it — as long as we’re winning and not creating too many ridiculously negative headlines off the court, I can live with not having 4-year players anymore.

 

[Masonfan3]

Not telling anyone else how to do it, but I root for whoever takes the floor in a Mason uniform. If that changes from year to year, so be it — as long as we’re winning and not creating too many ridiculously negative headlines off the court, I can live with not having 4-year players anymore.

4 year players? If we have 2 year players it’s a miracle.

 

[NewPatriot]

Any word on the Elijah Strong visit set for this weekend???

 

[mkaufman1]

I get the environment college sports operate in now—money talks, and if you want to compete, you have to play the game. That means fee increases, NIL deals, transfers, and big spending. I understand it, and in some ways I even support it, because I want my school to win. But part of me wrestles with what we lose in the process. If I just accept it all as purely transactional—treating college sports like a business deal instead of something emotional—then what’s the point?

I love sports because of the feeling you get when your team, the one you’ve invested so much time, hope, and energy into, finally breaks through. In college, that feeling hits even harder because it feels personal. The team’s success feels like my success. That connection is what makes it special—not the money, not the deals, but the shared belief that it means something. And if we lose that, I’m not sure what we’re cheering for anymore.

I can completely agree with this too. Knowing that the kids we root for on the court went to the same places for 4 years (or now, any period of time) is much more personal. But there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that it makes it harder to connect. Its definitely a down aspect of this new world.

Not telling anyone else how to do it, but I root for whoever takes the floor in a Mason uniform. If that changes from year to year, so be it — as long as we’re winning and not creating too many ridiculously negative headlines off the court, I can live with not having 4-year players anymore.

I also can appreciate this too. Even if there isn't a personal connection like there used to be, they still are representing the school we all are connected with as alum.

 

[tblack33]

let's say Cincy has $5M in NIL Money
Haynes gets his asking price of $1M
then 13 other scholarship players must split the remaining $4M
each getting about $225k
everyone is getting paid but is everyone happy?

now start dropping that $5M total budget down and keeping Haynes at $1M
this math ain't mathing
the key question is
for a given total team NIL budget
how much does Haynes' $1M request have to drop to meet his needs and keep harmony on the team?

I don’t know much about NIL allocations but tend to think it’s probably actually pretty close to what you are describing. 3-5 players take the vast bulk of it, everyone else is getting Pennie’s in comparison.

 

[Patriot8]

Any word on the Elijah Strong visit set for this weekend???

Canceled. He’s at South Carolina.

 

[Falco]

I can completely agree with this too. Knowing that the kids we root for on the court went to the same places for 4 years (or now, any period of time) is much more personal. But there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that it makes it harder to connect. Its definitely a down aspect of this new world.


I also can appreciate this too. Even if there isn't a personal connection like there used to be, they still are representing the school we all are connected with as alum.

Also. Im never going to stop rooting for Mason. Honestly it’s a sickness.

 

[mkaufman1]

Also. Im never going to stop rooting for Mason. Honestly it’s a sickness.

 

[Falco]

The current NIL transfer era hits diehard fans the hardest, as casual fans often don’t even know the roster.

 

[2011WinOverVillanova]

 

[GMUgemini]

No more redshirts for anything but season ending injuries going forward. Haynes has this year because we let him sit out last season even after he became eligible. We sacrificed depth at the 5 so he can leave and get paid at Cincy this year.

We potentially sacrificed our shooting depth this last season (especially during that part of the year when Billups, Newton, Anderson, and KD were all struggling from 3) so Ball could preserve a year and use it somewhere else.

I don’t care if you’re getting into 10-15 games for 9 mpg.

 

[Pablo]

Transfer Forward Commits To Bearcats Basketball Team

A big boost to the frontcourt.

www.si.com

"He's an immediate starting candidate in a UC frontcourt with just Halvine Dzellat and Tyler McKinley in the fold as of this writing. Cincinnati sorely missed a player with his strength around the rim and now they have it."

 

[gmuballer14]

Congrats to Haynes for getting his money. "All part of his vision", means a new team to root against.

 

[NewPatriot]

I don't hold anything against Haynes looking to get his. No disputing that he was the reason for this season but he and the offense could have been so much better if he kicked out the basketball quicker in double and triple teams.. too much hero, crappy foul shooting and unnecessarily falling out of Bounds on layups which took him out of the play on the defensive end of the floor.

the offense will be better running thru Adebayo.

 

[p8triotfan4life]

Can confirm, Haynes got at least a Mil...if not more...

 

[FreeGunston12]

Can confirm, Haynes got at least a Mil...if not more...

Good for him. Come to Mason, boogie, earn a huge payday!

Now if we can replace him with a big that doesn’t flop on every play, even better!

 

[GSII]

I hope the money doesn't ruin him. lots of nfl guys aren't the same after big pay days.

 

[Jack Strop]

I got no beef with Jalen. If someone handed me $1M+ to play a season of basketball, I'd more than likely do it.

Do I like this new environment... NO. However, I can only control what I do, not the NCAA, ADs, NIL backers, players, coaches, attorneys, and federal judges.

Jalen was a key player for Mason this season. At least Jalen played hard every game and never left his teammates hanging, like some busted-ankle we all know and luv. Sure he wasn't perfect, but with Haynes we were one shot and a free-throw or two away from making the NCAAT.

Thanks Jalen!!