re: Husker coach Bo Pelini implies that Ole Miss has a "bagman"

Here is one more byproduct of the bagman system...it's made it harder for smaller schools to compete with the biggies.

To be an effective bagman, you have to be pretty well off financially to float the necessary money to your targeted recruits/players, be connected enough to get the needed ancillary benefits for these players, but willing to stay out of the spotlight and away from the school you love.

Smaller schools, like the SMU's and Tulane's, just do not have the alumni base to find a squad of 20-30 bagmen that the LSU's and Alabama's have. The small schools need their independently wealthy alums and supporters donating to the university to keep the athletic department afloat. Big schools can maintain their wealthy alum boosters while still have plenty of leftover rich supporters to be the team of bagmen.

One more thing...we can thank the SMU scandal for the widespreadedness of the bagman system. Prior to SMU, it was easier for schools to funnel money to their recruits through regular boosters. During SMU, the NCAA got tougher making bagmen much more important.