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Effect of the portal that Alabama may benefit from
Posted on 1/14/26 at 4:31 pm
Posted on 1/14/26 at 4:31 pm
Greg Byrne and the administration has Californified Alabama in recent years to the point the student body isn’t even mostly in state tuition.
However, one thing I noticed is a lot of portal guys lately have been either home grown Alabama dudes that never got the chance because of no offers or guys who Alabama was their favorite team growing up and they were from another state.
Probably more intentional than coincidental by the staff but nevertheless, I’ve always been a fan of a core of in state guys that understand the environment around the program that have the drive to play for the script A rather than transcendent talents thrown together and told to go ball.
These dudes don’t have lots of stars by their names but hearing how excited some of them are to play for Alabama brings me back to the old days of 2008 when it was just 90% true southeast guys from Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Georgia. Since Tua came along Alabama has this strong presence in Southern California that will be there for a generation or so before it fizzles out or USC gets a lockdown coach like Pete again.
However, one thing I noticed is a lot of portal guys lately have been either home grown Alabama dudes that never got the chance because of no offers or guys who Alabama was their favorite team growing up and they were from another state.
Probably more intentional than coincidental by the staff but nevertheless, I’ve always been a fan of a core of in state guys that understand the environment around the program that have the drive to play for the script A rather than transcendent talents thrown together and told to go ball.
These dudes don’t have lots of stars by their names but hearing how excited some of them are to play for Alabama brings me back to the old days of 2008 when it was just 90% true southeast guys from Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Georgia. Since Tua came along Alabama has this strong presence in Southern California that will be there for a generation or so before it fizzles out or USC gets a lockdown coach like Pete again.
7
Posted on 1/14/26 at 4:45 pm to Vulcan Materials
AJ McCaron has said that DeBoer is going after people who bleed crimson and understand what it means to wear the jersey. So, yeah. Your observations seem to be dead on.
Posted on 1/14/26 at 5:28 pm to LovetheLord
Ty Simpson was that guy.
Edit: is they guy.
Edit: is they guy.
This post was edited on 1/14/26 at 6:02 pm
Posted on 1/14/26 at 5:59 pm to Vulcan Materials
In the age of NIL, the state of Alabama is too small to have 2 major SEC schools. If auburn didn't exist, Bama would have a better chance to pool its NIL money to support one school. Just another reason auburn existing is a problem.
LSU is very lucky in this respect. All their money and focus goes to 1 major school. Wish we had this luxury.
LSU is very lucky in this respect. All their money and focus goes to 1 major school. Wish we had this luxury.
Posted on 1/14/26 at 7:12 pm to Shocco
quote:
Not sure what you define as 'kill'
End their charter as a state university. Cobalt bomb Auburn, Alabama. Concentration camps for any Auburn fans survivors remaining in the state.
Posted on 1/14/26 at 7:16 pm to Diego Ricardo
Barn to acc is the move.
Posted on 1/14/26 at 7:44 pm to Vulcan Materials
We have lost 7 players from the state of Alabama to the portal and gained 1 from Alabama. I’m not trying to be negative, but I’m not seeing the point.
Posted on 1/14/26 at 7:52 pm to Diego Ricardo
quote:
End their charter as a state university. Cobalt bomb Auburn, Alabama. Concentration camps for any Auburn fans survivors remaining in the state.
Love it
Posted on 1/14/26 at 9:16 pm to Vulcan Materials
I know times change but I miss when our roster was comprised of guys who grew up loving Alabama.
Posted on 1/14/26 at 10:01 pm to Vulcan Materials
California is a massive state with tons of good players.
When there is so much money in the sport now, it's got nothing to do with fandom.
It's purely business
When there is so much money in the sport now, it's got nothing to do with fandom.
It's purely business
Posted on 1/15/26 at 6:39 am to Vulcan Materials
quote:
Greg Byrne and the administration has Californified Alabama in recent years to the point the student body isn’t even mostly in state tuition.
Define “recent”, the university student body has been tilted to out of state students for at least 10-15 years. The university even overhauled the merit scholarship tiers to strongly favor in-state students. The problem as I see it is that the state's population and high school curriculum doesn’t produce enough college bound students to keep the university afloat.
Posted on 1/15/26 at 6:45 am to Silverback
West Virginia University prioritizes serving their in-state students and it just serves to have everyone lambast them for being a bad university. Damned if you, damned if you don't.
Posted on 1/15/26 at 7:48 am to Shocco
quote:
Just another reason auburn existing is a problem.
Where’s Harvey when you need him…
Posted on 1/15/26 at 8:40 am to FairhopeTider
My reference to Batman The Dark Knight's Joker - "its simple: kill the batman" - got deleted because I think their lurkers believed I actually wanted to kill the plainsman.
somehow suggesting that we cobalt bomb Auburn, Alabama and put all their fans in a concentration camp survived.
somehow suggesting that we cobalt bomb Auburn, Alabama and put all their fans in a concentration camp survived.
This post was edited on 1/15/26 at 8:42 am
Posted on 1/15/26 at 11:54 am to Diego Ricardo
what is the purpose of a state school if half the students are out of state?
Posted on 1/15/26 at 12:05 pm to stewieie
The reason it is half out of state is to fund the institution so the other half can go to college and receive a high quality education in state.
We use to have a UA for Alabamians but it was when our state did more to fund the operations. The decision to pivot to out of state enrollment was a response to post dot-com bubble proration of the state government budget. It happened all over the nation in the aughts. Cost were passed to the consumer in higher education so K12 education (that everyone uses) wouldn’t have a noticeable and politically untenable degradation. This is also why Biden, a finance sector machine senator, championed making student loans exempt from bankruptcy in 2005. Everyone could see debt for college was going to explode, so it could no longer be protected in the way it could when tuition was something you could afford while working a job and usually only need small amounts of loans to supplement costs.
We use to have a UA for Alabamians but it was when our state did more to fund the operations. The decision to pivot to out of state enrollment was a response to post dot-com bubble proration of the state government budget. It happened all over the nation in the aughts. Cost were passed to the consumer in higher education so K12 education (that everyone uses) wouldn’t have a noticeable and politically untenable degradation. This is also why Biden, a finance sector machine senator, championed making student loans exempt from bankruptcy in 2005. Everyone could see debt for college was going to explode, so it could no longer be protected in the way it could when tuition was something you could afford while working a job and usually only need small amounts of loans to supplement costs.
This post was edited on 1/15/26 at 12:32 pm
Posted on 1/15/26 at 12:50 pm to Diego Ricardo
Also, I would add that Alabama Polytechnic Institute's ability to out-maneuver the University of Alabama for the land-grant university status in the late 19th century likely makes the actual flagship university in this state more dependent on tuition revenue because Auburn University is getting additional federal monies due to their land-grant status.
This post was edited on 1/15/26 at 12:51 pm
Posted on 1/15/26 at 4:52 pm to Diego Ricardo
quote:
We use to have a UA for Alabamians but it was when our state did more to fund the operations. The decision to pivot to out of state enrollment was a response to post dot-com bubble proration of the state government budget. It happened all over the nation in the aughts. Cost were passed to the consumer in higher education so K12 education (that everyone uses) wouldn’t have a noticeable and politically untenable degradation. This is also why Biden, a finance sector machine senator, championed making student loans exempt from bankruptcy in 2005. Everyone could see debt for college was going to explode, so it could no longer be protected in the way it could when tuition was something you could afford while working a job and usually only need small amounts of loans to supplement costs.
So you’re saying it’s a minor coincidence that Alabama just so happened to become an ultra national brand late 2000s while enrollment dispersal was quietly being overhauled by that walking corpse
Posted on 1/15/26 at 5:13 pm to Vulcan Materials
quote:
So you’re saying it’s a minor coincidence that Alabama just so happened to become an ultra national brand late 2000s while enrollment dispersal was quietly being overhauled by that walking corpse
Athletics has become so important precisely because “student life” is a big marketing angle for getting enrollment outside your home state. This is why you see university’s operating football at a loss because the gains on the recruitment end are so great.
I would say Nick Saban being hired was hitting big time on that strategy.
Posted on 1/15/26 at 6:02 pm to Vulcan Materials
quote:
Greg Byrne and the administration has Californified Alabama in recent years to the point the student body isn’t even mostly in state tuition.
One effect you haven't considered is that Alabama having a huge out of state student population will help NIL. You don't send your kid to an out of state school unless you're wealthy or it's an elite school.
They're mostly coming here over their local schools because they want to be at a football school (and probably partying). So in the future, I expect to see even more of a national reach than we already have. And they'll be able to afford some donations.
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