courtside
-
Posts
6,643 -
Joined
-
Days Won
73
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by courtside
-
-
Announced today, an Ishbia family long term investment agreement with the Chicago White Sox:
https://x.com/jesserogersespn/status/1930671057792323828?s=46
Just get a little Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium going at SLU. (If you don’t know what is, it’s the baseball stadium at Michigan State)
-
30 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:
The big white elephant in the room is NIL money. What do you think a baseball player is more interested in? Nice/fancy locker rooms...upscale dugouts....nice seats in the stands...or a 5 figure NIL check? None of us have any idea how much, if any, NIL revenue sharing money baseball will receive at SLU. M hoops is obviously first on the $ pecking order, probably followed by M and W soccer. Women's hoops is somewhere on the list. Is M baseball and W softball on the list? W volleyball anyone?
All sports at SLU won't receive significant NIL revenue sharing money. CBS Sports reported that Oklahoma Texas A&M will be sharing NIL money for athletes in 6 sports. They don't list the sports, but you can guess.
SLU doesn't have unlimited financial resources (or resources of a P4 school). Yes, you can have both, but will a baseball player go where the money is higher or will he be just as satisfied with nicer facilities? Spend your money wisely.
Peers is the equalizer.
How and what is SLU doing vs its peers in each and every sport SLU offers. Not vs P4. Not vs big money non P4. Peers.
SLU is more competitive economically vs its peers in some sports vs others. That’s pretty clear. And SLU isn’t alone in that regard. Sometimes the better funded programs vs its peers, are programs that first have sustained success with less resources. Then resources improve over time.
Take Women’s Soccer for example. SLU has been able to better fund the Associate HC position to be more competitive attracting better assistant coaches. Chris Allen had to do more with less first. Hiring resources improved for Colleen Corbin and Meg Link. (and for the next one after Meg Link has success too). The program moved to 3 assistants from 2. Etc….the program does not have more competitive transfer portal money, which is something they are seeking. You may ask the HC if you wish, but she will tell you that SLU would be less competitive in recruiting without the 2 new athletic buildings. You have to have those things just to stay in the game.In Olympic programs at schools like SLU, NIL often occurs after a player is recruited to campus.
SLU of course is not going to compete in NIL against SEC baseball programs. No one is asking them to do that.
But in order to be more competitive with its peers, in more Olympic sports, SLU will need a combination of facilities, NIL, scholarship funding, etc…to the level of its better peer programs.
Is SLU Women’s Soccer going to fund 28 full athletic scholarships under the new format? They are not. Do they need to improve and increase their scholarship funding, have some NIL money, etc..under the new system to improve and to sustain their competitive level nationally? Yes.I don’t think anyone is asking for SLU’s baseball program to match the SEC in facilities. But maybe they can match the better A10 program facilities. Maybe they can match the more competitive Midwest regional mid major programs.
…………..The Texas A&M revenue sharing programs are expected to include Football, Men and Women’s Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Softball, and Baseball.
The Texas A&M Women’s Basketball HC has already publicly stated she needs more than 5% of $20.5 Million to be competitive in the SEC.
……………
-
I mentioned it another thread recently that the Women’s basketball head coaches at Richmond and Rhode Island make half a million dollars a year. Those programs averaged 1700 and 1100 fans a game this past season in those sports. We can of course do this elsewhere too.
I don’t think people are asking for the same resources as higher revenue sports. They are asking for resources to match their peers to be more competitive in that space.
The baseball head coach at SLU has been there 18 years. What year can people begin to say improving facilities and resources to more competitive peer standards, is not prioritizing those things, but instead, saying it’s playing catch up. Year 19? Year 29? Year 50?
-
Assistant Coach turnover is common. Lisa Stone, for example, had 11 different assistants in 10 seasons at SLU. She had 7 different video coordinators. Travis Ford had 10 different assistants in 8 seasons at SLU. He had 4 different video coordinators. In other sports, Katie Shields for example, has had 12 different assistants in 12 seasons as HC of SLU Women’s Soccer. (and they have had less staff)
SLU WBB hired Ka’lia Johnson six weeks ago as an assistant coach. She was previously an assistant at Towson for 2 years, Richmond a year, and Longwood, for 3 years with Tillett. She was also previously on staff at VCU. Ka’lia played at Duke and she played professionally in Europe before her coaching career.
10 days ago, SLU WBB assistant Kelsey Johnson was hired as Associate HC at Incarnate Word in Texas under new HC Jhasmin Player. She previously a top assistant at Oklahoma State.
Regarding WBB peers, $500k/yr HC at Richmond, Rhode Island, and Missouri State. $1.2 Million at UNLV. Big East $600k for the top few programs not named Connecticut. $450k for FGCU, Toledo. Bart Brooks made $664k at Belmont recently. That’s just HC compensation. Staff salary pools are also important. one Big East program had 11 assistant coaches in 5 seasons, under 1 HC. (not including other positions) That HC made 4 of 5 NCAA Tourneys, 1 WNIT $600k salary. And, she left for a HC position in the ACC.
I don’t usually read or post in the Men’s Basketball threads so I wouldn't know the reactions well. But if these are some of the reactions after 3 years of WBB, I would imagine they were pretty rough after 1 year of Schertz, or 1 to 3 years of Ford, etc…for a Men’s BB program that has been more competitively funded vs its peers going back quite a few years.
-
2 minutes ago, courtside said:
Katie Shields has had 12 different assistant coaches in 12 seasons. (and in some of those seasons they only had 2 assistants instead of 3) This doesn’t count graduate managers or director of operations.
I’m sure some have seen this graphic.
https://x.com/sluwsoccer/status/1927773958985633886?s=46
168-61-12
Record after 3 seasons?
22-29- 5.
-
1 hour ago, OkieBilliken said:
Does the soccer team have any stray assistants they can borrow?
Katie Shields has had 12 different assistant coaches in 12 seasons. (and in some of those seasons they only had 2 assistants instead of 3) This doesn’t count graduate managers or director of operations.
-
On 2/23/2025 at 10:30 AM, MusicCityBilliken said:
I was walking over to the Memorial Auditorium to catch Ole Miss-Vandy game yesterday afternoon. Right by the arena is Vandy's baseball field (very nice) and walking into the arena you can get nice view of the baseball field. They were playing St Mary's and #15 Vandy were disposing them.
Talking to some Vandy fans at the game they seemed very confident this baseball team is College World Series bound.
These Hawkins Field renovations will begin this Summer:
https://vucommodores.com/vandy-united-ushers-in-new-era-at-hawkins-field/
-
52 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:
I posted that I was concerned that paying 1 player massively more than then the existing market might not be great for the game. I don't care whether its Texas, Tech, Florida or anyone else. I brought up UF just because I have a small bit of knowledge about the program. I get it. You disagree.
A small group of athletic programs pay massively more than the existing market than other athletic programs. This is okay but it’s not for individual compensation?
-
7 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:
I'm not making moral judgements at all. I am just wondering if its good for the sport. Thats all. On the face of it, it seems like a really unhealthy disparity. Its one thing if its dueling multi-million dollar QBs playing against each other.
Is it good for college athletics that Florida spends $200 million on an annual operating budget, including several million dollars for its softball program? Is that healthy for college softball? On the face of it that seems like a really unhealthy disparity. See how that works?
If another team landed a multi million dollar QB in football that Florida wanted, it would he unhealthy for the sport. If the player landed at Florida, it would be happy hour time at The Top.
Florida softball is welcome any time to join the A10. Happy to have them.
-
2 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:
Understood but no one on the softball team is earning $1 million. A good portion of the team isn't earning anything.
So it’s okay for Florida to have a huge $$$ advantage over many others, but not okay if another team pays a player more than they choose to pay?
I have nothing against Florida. You support their athletic teams. That’s great. But let’s not pretend they aren’t what they are in college athletics. SLU Women’s Soccer recruits against them fairly often in soccer. (win some lose some) Probably a good sign for the local program that a player recently transferred out of SLU, to receive more playing time there.
As for Texas Tech, it’s competing with their peers at their own game, just as these other programs mentioned do as well.
-
5 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:
Neither are super appealing. I know a few people who have some pretty good insight into Univ of Florida's softball. They are an elite program and have made several trips to the WCWS. They were in disbelief that one player could earn significantly more than the budget for 99% of the teams that are playing D1 softball. Maybe its great for the sport. I honestly don't know.
Florida Athletics had a $200 million operating budget, for 19 teams, 500 athletes, including millions for its softball program.
-
On 5/30/2025 at 8:17 AM, courtside said:
This might be the first time someone has ever indirectly referred to Kevin O’ Sullivan as friendly and likable. Good coach? Sure. Warm and fuzzy? No. With their recent Women’s Soccer scandal, and some other things going on there, I’m not sure friendly and likable first come to mind. Good school, some good programs, with some good people, but they have their share of issues too.
As far as Athletic Scholarship funding, SLU isn’t expected to fully fund all increased scholarships in Olympic Sports, or, even cone close to it. But they will need to increase their budget and resources in some of the promising Olympic Sports, if they want to be or remain competitive long term with the better programs.https://x.com/allkindsweather/status/1929547388336623934?s=46
-
8 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:
According to Grok, Texas Tech has a $146 million dollar budget for 15 athletic teams. $1 million is a great deal of money to spend on 1 softball player.
So, $328 million, in 21 sports, for 558 student athletes, including millions for its softball program, is somehow…more appealing?
-
2 hours ago, OkieBilliken said:
So Texas Tech knocks off 4-time defending national champion Oklahoma and are on the cusp of a National Title. Texas Tech has a pitcher from Stanford that they paid $1 million for. Is this a good thing? I guess its nice that female athletes are getting paid. At least one. It would probably take about that much to get me to move to Lubbock. I am amazed that Texas Tech has that much money in their budget to pay for ONE softball player. She has pitched every inning of every tournament game so I guess they are getting their money's worth. This is such a brazen attempt to buy a championship I think I will have to root for UT.
Texas Athletics had a $328 million operating budget last year. They have the 2nd highest paid head coach in the country. They spend millions of dollars annually on their softball program.
-
On 5/29/2025 at 1:07 PM, courtside said:
Coaching carousel is heating up.
Lots of smoke regarding UVA’s Brian O’ Connor to Mississippi State to replace Chris Lemonis. Possibly bringing Corey Muscara (Wake Forest) as an assistant.
How competitive is the SEC?Lemonis won the National Championship just 4 years ago at Mississippi State. But he only had 3 good seasons out of 6. (Would have had 4/7 in 2020.) But he was let go later this season.
O’Connor in his 22 seasons at UVA, has a National Title, 7 CWS appearances, 18 out of 21 NCAA Tourney appearances.
Announced 1 hour after their season ended.
https://x.com/hailstatebb/status/1929362570990719251?s=46
…………..NCAA Baseball portal is now open and busy. Coaching Carousel is active. And there are a few Monday deciding Regional games
-
2 hours ago, OkieBilliken said:
If anyone was watching the NCAA Regionals this weekend it is absolutely beautiful carnage. #1 Vandy taken out by Wright State. #2 Texas eliminated by UTSA. #7 Georgia, #11 Clemson eliminated as regional hosts. #14 Tennessee and #6 LSU are facing elimination today. This is like what March Madness used to look like. And shocking when you consider the even more pronounced NIL advantages that the Power Conference schools have. The portal has so impacted college baseball that even players in regionals are shopping for better deals. Really fun baseball to watch
SLU opponent Saint Mary’s won their first ever NCAA Regional game, and had a nice run before being eliminated. Almost defeated USC.
A10 results: Rhode Island lost 6-2 to Dallas Baptist. And they lost 22-10 to Arkansa Little Rock to get eliminated.East Carolina defeated Florida twice, 11-6 and 11-4, before falling twice to Coastal Carolina.
Columbia had a nice win before being eliminated. Same for Cal Poly. UC Irvine almost made it out of the UCLA regional.
Much of the NIL depends on the school. Tennessee for example has 13 transfers. Texas has similar. LSU is similar with their spending. It’s a little bit different for the academic schools who basically add the Ivy league and Georgetown types. And some spend more than others.
Another thing to consider is the MLB draft. 108 high school players were drafted last year. That’s down slightly from each of the previous 2 seasons. Which ones will make it campus or not is part of roster construction. Some high level programs lose some commits to the MLB Draft. Offering immediate playing time helps. Certain positions are more likely to get drafted early such as big hitting shortstops. The SEC has generally moved away from starting Freshman pitchers on the weekends for example.
-
SLU is adding Laisha Lazu, a 6’1 Forward from Mt. San Jacinto CC, in San Jacinto California.
Laisha is a 6’1 Sophomore Forward who averaged 10 points, 12 rebounds per game over 27 games. She had a 50% FG percentage. Laisha was an IEAC All Conference First Team Player. She helped the Eagles to their 7th straight Inland Empire Conference title. A versatile player, Laisha can defend all 5 positions.
Laisha is from Winchester, CA, where she played for Vista Murrieta High School, in the California Southern Section. She played club ball with Evolution Elite in Murrieta, CA.- blue bodega and Alica
-
2
-
2 hours ago, OkieBilliken said:
I feel like I am the one who actually started with the negativity regarding adding the soccer player. To me its really a non-factor, it just reminded me of our current status. I am extremely worried about the construction of this roster in its current form. I think any of Lisa Stone's last seven or eight rosters would absolutely annihilate this group. Maybe I'm wrong. I guess it is whining and it isn't constructive, although I am not sure how constructive I can be. Like @Lord Elrond I will root like hell for them and I will probably put ridiculous miles on my car to go see them play. If we didnt lose our best possible returning players to conference rivals perhaps it wouldnt feel so hopeless, but here we are...
The replies keep coming and every one of them from different people has been about something other than the original post, even when it’s pointed out repeatedly. It’s a quick pivot to something that isn’t there.
…………………
Take one topic at a time. The portal. Understanding the portal Part 1.
Again, the more successful similar types of programs are usually less active in the portal, coming and going.
Example: Richmond has been the best team in the league the past few seasons. Their coach has been coach of the year in 2 different leagues. It takes him consistently about 4 years to get it going at multiple stops. Richmond added a 6’3 SR Forward from U of Louisiana, that averaged 6 & 7. That’s it. They lost 1 player in the portal, to Wofford. it was a 6’4 Sophomore Forward that averaged 1 ppg. That has been the extent of Richmond in the portal.
5 teams in the A10 landed a P4 player in the portal, including SLU. (Dayton 2, La Salle, Saint Joe’s, VCU 2) Those players averaged 0, 2, 1, 3, 3, 2, 9, points per game. 4 were Freshman. 1 Sophomore. 2 Seniors. One of the Seniors was the one averaging 9 points.
The A10 added 27 portal players over 12 teams including SLU. It lost 55 players including SLU, over 12 teams. (I didn't count UMass). Other A10 teams that lost impact players:Duquesne 2. Fordham 2. George Mason 2. La Salle 1. Loyola 2. Rhode Island 2. Saint Joe’s 1. Bonnies 5. VCU 3.
There were 3 players total that transferred to the A10 that averaged double figure points a game. That’s out of 28. 21 non P4 players, plus 7 P4 players.The good mid major programs seem to find 1 or 2 solid additions with either potential or production. That can be more specifically explored as well.
And the portal still has 500 players in it.
-
11 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said:
And you keep missing my point. 8 players were honored at senior night. So everyone who looked at it knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, starting at the beginning of last season and maybe earlier, that we needed a large number of players to replace them. It just simple math, no more complicated than what the Count on Sesame Street teaches “One, two, three,…”. Yet knowing that, we were only able to recruit 3 incoming freshman. So we put ourselves in a position where, as you say the portal is only complimentary, but we needed the portal to produce lots of players. Yet the situation became worse with additional departures, putting us in an even worse place. And when we caught a seeming break in that court case that gave JUCO players more eligibility, we weren’t able to re-recruit Simon or Shavers to stay for another year (Gray, who still had a year of eligibility left, chose to leave as well). Add it up and we have 4 returning players, 3 incoming freshman. 80% of or scoring is gone, we have plenty of potential playing time to potentially offer anyone. We desperately needed help in the portal. This was even acknowledged by Coach Tillett, who went on the record to say we needed some impact players in the portal, and was quoted as saying how they had set up a war room to get those players. Yet what have we gotten from the portal? One player who couldn’t win a starting position on a team that was ranked 340th in the nation last year, another who was injured, got a chance at a P4 school, but barely got of the bench, another who sat out last year and is now coming in as a grad transfer, another freshman from Canada, and a converted soccer player who hasn’t played organized basketball in 3 years.
Again, we put ourselves in a position where we had to DEPEND on the portal to produce some results, not to complement our roster (which you say is the what the portal is for, complementing the roster). This would not have been as big of an issue if we could have retained some players, but we didn’t do a great job there either, now did we?
Prove me wrong on the court with results next season. PLEASE! I never did anything but shout encouragement as loud as I could at every game I could possibly be at last season, and I have no intention of doing anything else this season as I plan to attend every game I possibly can. I do see huge potential in the incoming freshmen, especially Alyssa Korkenmeier. Heck I thought Marilena Tryantifylli had huge potential last year (and still think she does). Hannah Wallace was fantastic to watch play, and I sure want to see more of Mia Bergstrom hitting more 3’s. But as we now enter summer practice time, I sure don’t think we helped ourselves to compensate anywhere near what we lost to players who ran out of eligibility and just decided to leave.
There is no more time to talk about it, we probably have the team we have at this point. So prove me wrong with great results in the fall.
There are fewer things less productive than complaint without change.
How am I missing your point when you replied to my post which I had nothing to do with what you discussed? None of this has anything to do with what I posted. A simple, “Hey that’s great for Ellie to joint the team as a practice player. She was a decorated local high school hooper. Good for her,” would have sufficed. Or thanks for the info. Or nothing at all.
With regard to the rest, even with that you are being disingenuous. Why give one team’s ranking, while not pointing out that the other’s was top 15 in the country, which what West Virginia was this past year? Obviously Nugent’s HC thought enough of her all conference performance in the WAC, to bring her with him to WV on a top 15 team.
When I recently mentioned the value in learning what other more successful A10/Mid Major programs are doing, (and all less successful SLU programs can do this, Men’s Basketball etc…) your response was that you didn’t care what they were doing. But I suppose it’s a lot easier to keep repeating prove me wrong, prove me wrong and keep returning back to the same place. Unproductive, but easier.
-
58 minutes ago, Pistol said:
Is a walk-on from the soccer team what this is in reference to, or is there another scholarship player coming?
No it isn’t.
-
20 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said:
The truth of the matter is that SLU greatly overestimated its ability to land players in the portal, and as a result failed to place sufficient value on retaining bench players and did not get enough freshman/juco commitments to get the number of players they needed when they knew over half the team was running out of eligibility. This needs to be a “lesson learned” that SLU takes to heart.
As to Ellie Paloucek, there is no doubt in my mind from everything I read about her when she was recruited to the WSOC team that she is a highly intelligent and extremely high quality person. She is the type of person every coach would want on their team, regardless of the sport. Look for her to do great things wherever her career takes her after college. But @OkieBilliken has a valid point, she’s many years removed from playing basketball in an organized way, and now she’s on a D1 team with only 5 months of practice before showtime. This is not any kind of high impact player announcement.
As for the portal, around 70% of the players who entered in it are now with new teams. The 30% remaining are not the highest ranked and regarded of all the players who entered the portal. The highest ranked incoming freshmen/JUCO players have already committed to the schools they want to attend. I’m sure we can find bodies to fill out the roster, by an open tryout among SLU students if no other way, but will they be high quality players who make an impact at the D1 level? 25 losses is looking more probable than not right now.
You mention quite a few things, none of which have anything to do with my post. No one said this was a “high impact player announcement.” And, using that post to whine about the roster is certainly a choice.
I’d ask you to list the schools with 15 impact players on its roster. I would also let you know that there are quite a few players that have sat out a season and have transferred to P4 teams and teams in leagues better than the A10.
I literally just listed a few of the more sought after players in the portal that are just now committing to a new schools. It varies widely. And there are quite a few still in it. At least 2 P4 players SLU has reached out to are still in it among many. A few others are productive mid major players. They’re still there. At least half a dozen players.
Regarding SLU’s roster, I have been on record multiple times saying that the primary way for SLU, (and similar programs) to build rosters, is through high school players. It is not the portal. It is not anything else.
Portal=complementary. Juco=complementary. Other=complementary.
Few coaches are going to say, well, we really don’t have 6 figure money to get the best portal players.
Men’s Basketball is unique and it’s unlike any other program at SLU when it comes to resources, and regarding the way it currently builds a roster.I will use another example. The (successful) SLU Women’s Soccer team contacted two Spring portal players. One picked UCLA. The other picked USC. Neither considered SLU. And that’s fine. The Men’s Soccer team has added zero Spring transfers. They lost one Winter transfer that lasted a semester. That makes 2 total incoming transfers for the year. Complementary.
A few of SLU’s outgoing WBB transfers were graduate transfers. It’s common for graduating players to play an additional season elsewhere as opposed to their current school.The SLU Men’s Basketball team has a “new” coach. He was a late arrival. There was some learning to do regarding the portal this past season. But people are not understanding how it all works if they think even SLU Men’s Basketball will be primarily building its roster through the portal annually. That isn’t going to work long term as a strategy. A base of multi-year players is what will work at a program like SLU over time. And those players arrive in a variety of ways.
As for the Women’s BB team, I know that much of the recent emphasis has been on 2026 players and scout/eval/lists for 2027 as well.
Again using a positive or even neutral thing about a current Billiken to whine about something else is a certainly a choice.
A more productive thing would be to learn what are other long term successful mid major programs doing to be successful, beyond paying their coaches half a million dollars a year. I am happy to provide a list of examples of these programs and what they are doing regarding recruiting, player development, staff, etc…but some people seem less interested in solutions.
-
On 5/23/2025 at 1:20 PM, courtside said:
SLU alum Max Floriani played all 120 minutes helping to lead San Jose to a 1-0 shutout win over Portland, and, a place in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals in July.
Max has started 4 of the last 7 games for San Jose, playing at a high level in his rookie season. He is mostly playing right back next to St. Louisan Daniel Munie in a 3-4-3 formation.
Max had the opportunity to play with Lionel Messi. Pretty fun. (from his youth club coach Srgjan Smileski)
https://x.com/fc1974glsa/status/1923110880318808332?s=46
Max also had the opportunity to start snd play the full 90 against former Billiken teammate Patrick Schulte:
https://x.com/slumenssoccer/status/1916640678873825784?s=46
Max has come a long way. And, he’s just getting started at the professional level. SLU wasn’t recruiting Max. They were recruiting his high school classmate (Warren Township) and friend, Anthony Parker. They played on different club teams. Max rose up the ranks in high school ball, and at FC 1974 Libertyville. He was the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year that also played some midfield.
Max was another redshirt success story at SLU. He developed into an elite level center back and outside back during his college career. He then became the 2nd overall MLS draft pick in the 1st round.As for Warren Township, FC Libertyville, etc….the SLU Women’s Soccer team is keeping that train going with 3 players. Sarah Sarnowski played for the same coaches at FC Libertyville. 2025 SLU player Addison Stanciak broke the school record for goals in a season this year at Warren Township. And 2025 Sydney Dulak has helped lead her Libertyville High School team to a deep playoff run this season in Illinois Class 3A.
It took Max 2 months to become the majority starter at right back for San Jose in a 3 back system which is what they often play when he plays. (They have also used a 4 back system.) Rodrigues has played there 2 full seasons and part of a 3rd season. Max had a big gash under his eye in a game last week. But he is fine and he’s ready to go.
- blue bodega, slufanskip, Zink and 1 other
-
4
-
On 5/28/2025 at 3:48 PM, OkieBilliken said:
My hope is that the spending continues to explode for football players, so much so that the Power 5 has to reduce costs in other areas of their Athletic Department. There is only so much revenue they can get from their alumni. Not to mention that television rating for the expanded playoffs where extremely disappointing. I don't think they will be able to rely on ever-increasing TV revenue as part of their budgets. I hope they continue to throw everything they can at their football teams to the point of neglecting everything else. If some school signs an $8 million dollar QB, then the next 5* will cost $8.5. If any school allows private equity to take over their AD I am pretty sure it will end very badly. I hope it happens. Private equity is usually the worst thing that can happen to the end-user experience.
My favorite college team other than SLU is the Univ of Florida. I buy tickets to several of their sports and generally root for them. Their gameday environment is excellent and their staff/athletes are pretty friendly and likeable. I would never donate to that organization any more that I would donate to the St. Louis Cardinals. Its a professional enterprise.
You cant really count on the Power Conference leaders to make thoughtful decisions. These are the same people who send their volleyball team from Palo Alto to a midweek conference game in Miami with no shame. It seems like the NCAA is single-handedly keeping the airlines in business.
I just pray it ends well for SLU.
This might be the first time someone has ever indirectly referred to Kevin O’ Sullivan as friendly and likable. Good coach? Sure. Warm and fuzzy? No. With their recent Women’s Soccer scandal, and some other things going on there, I’m not sure friendly and likable first come to mind. Good school, some good programs, with some good people, but they have their share of issues too.
As far as Athletic Scholarship funding, SLU isn’t expected to fully fund all increased scholarships in Olympic Sports, or, even cone close to it. But they will need to increase their budget and resources in some of the promising Olympic Sports, if they want to be or remain competitive long term with the better programs. -
15 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:
Trying not to be negative but this seems like a joke. Did they really need the portal war room to find a senior soccer player who, no matter how good she was in high school, hasn't played for several years? There is nothing about this current roster that makes me think we are not headed to a 25+ loss team. Hope I am wrong.
It’s not a joke. it doesn’t have anything to do with the portal or another recent commitment. Many teams don’t have 15 roster players.
There are still more than 500 hundred players in the portal. All conferences and levels.
An Ohio State player “entered” the portal as recently as yesterday. (no restrictions for entry for grad transfers) Vandy scooped a Texas transfer yesterday. A week ago, National Champion Connecticut, and, Notre Dame both picked up two of the more sought after players in the portal. And, also remember that portal numbers don’t include juco, and some other situations.
2025 SLU Baseball
in Billikens.com Main Board
Posted
No one expects SLU to match or compete with P4 programs. It does help to take a look at what they are doing. Because, you have to have a minimum spend level to stay in the game. The Athletic Director and the School President also have to recruit additional, new, out of town donors, in addition to going back to the same half to dozen donors.
……………
Duke and UCLA for example have been playing Super Regional Baseball in older but renovated 2k seat facilities. UCLA plays at Jackie Robinson Stadium, on the old Sawtelle Field. Duke is playing in a 1931 built on campus stadium. SLU needs a permanent press box, chair back seats, permanent restrooms, full turf field etc…and they can take a look a peer improvements elsewhere. The permanent restroom facility can be shared with Hermann Stadium. There are soccer fans who won’t use the restroom because there is only one in the West side, tiny, dated, one way in/out. Very crowded and. time consuming. Also the new locker room building doesn’t contain dedicated space for visiting team and officials locker rooms. Many opponents just stay on the field.
……………..
Previously mentioned SLU Women’s Soccer will play national power Penn State for the 3rd straight season. Penn State has played in the last 8 Sweet 16’s. Also previously mentioned, the PSU budget is 5 times higher than SLU’s, not counting NIL, and facilities projects. Speaking of Penn State, their $21.25 soccer renovation, which is connected to an additional $45 million renovation, will probably not be finished for SLU’s September game there.
Indoor soccer practice facility bubble is $10 million. Stadium renovations. Parking, restrooms, concessions, $5.2 million locker room renovations. It’s connected to the $32 million athletic training table space, athletic training, etc…
Again, no one is expecting SLU to match P4 schools. But this is common at P4 programs. Unlike other SLU sports, soccer competes with other top 25 programs. They can’t match budgets or spending, but a minimum can keep them in the game.
The 2 most recent Associate Head Coaches for SLU Women’s Soccer have taken their new programs on International playing and touring trips to Italy in just their first year’s as head coaches. (International trips are common in soccer at a variety of program spend levels) And their schools are not in higher spend tiers.
https://x.com/coachallenstl/status/1901291363083158007?s=46
……………..
SLU Baseball just needs a long overdue update to its facilities. Be creative, forward thinking, budget conscious.
…………….
The MVC has had 3 different programs make Super Regionals the past 3 years. (Murray State, Evansville, Indiana State). Murray State is plying for the CWS tonight.
……………