We've talked a lot about NIL - it seems like $2.5 million to $3 million per year is necessary to fund a regularly competitive program in the Big East. Are those the kind of figures that you've been seeing or hearing in your conversations with coaches and programs?
I don't really agree with that. I think the number you cited is the number that seems like the median Big East NIL war chest - that's probably true. Seton Hall's piers in the upper two-thirds of the league are probably in the $2.5-$3 million range. I don't think you have to be there to compete. One thing I'll say about NIL and Sha, would he like to have $3 million - of course ... but the factor that never gets properly understood with this is fit, a three-letter word, fit. A really important word. Kentucky or Memphis or whoever, Memphis is a good example, they can go out and buy all the players they want with their unlimited FedEx funds and whatnot, but at the end of the day you can make it work on a lesser payroll, so to speak, if you have the right fit and the right attitude and the right coaching. Look at Florida Atlantic, look at San Diego State. I'm not saying they're poor, but they're not playing in that $3 million pool and they're in the damn Final Four, and I think there's always going to be a place for that team.
Look at Princeton, Princeton's got no NIL and they're in the Sweet 16. Now, granted, Princeton is a little different because they, like St Peter's, they didn't have to survive the Big East regular season. But, you know, San Diego State or Florida Atlantic was good enough to win in the Big East and they don't have $3 million rosters.
I feel like it can be done. It's just harder. You've got to make a lot of right decisions and you got to coach your ass off, but I don't think Seton Hall needs $3 million a year, I don't think they're going to get to $3 million a year. If $3 million a year is the price of admission to compete in the Big East then Seton Hall is not going to get there. It's just not going to happen. The money's not there. The alumni engagement is just not there. They can have every fundraiser known to man but unless the billionaire [George Kurtz] is going to suddenly get religion and start supporting his alma mater's basketball team, they're not going to get there. I do think, whatever they had this past year - and again, these numbers are a little shadowy and not transparent - whatever six-figure number they had this past year is not enough. There's got to be a middle ground between $3 million a year and $5/$6 or $700,000 where people can get to and do more with less. And that's why you hire Shaheen Holloway, because he's shown he can do that. He's shown he can do more with less. And he did a good job of it as Willard's right-hand man. He recruited a lot of under the radar guys, brought them into the fold and they became really impactful players. And he coached a lot of those guys up as an associate head coach. He's done it at the Big East level. He did it obviously at St Peter's.
So I do dispute that they need $3 million a year. They're never going to get there, and I don't think they need to. Now is Seton Hall going to be a perennial Big East title contender at, let's say, $1.5 million a year, half of what their peers in the league have? No, but was Seton Hall ever a perennial title contender other than those glamorous five or six years under P.J. when, let's be honest, you had some very high roller boosters ... and also, P.J., you know, a great coach, but also was ahead of the curve with recruiting international talent, and so there were some different circumstances. I just don't know that they're going to perennially contend for Big East titles. But can you ... on $1.5 million, which I think is attainable for Seton Hall NIL-wise ... can you on $1.5 million do the right things every few years and get the stars to line up for a potentially big run? Yeah, I think it's doable. And I think that's the way it's going to be. You're not a blueblood. You're not going to be a blueblood, but get your act together, get the right people in here, get a base level of support, build the culture and make a run. I think that is doable.
