Indiana has changed College Football – Culture matters
Recently when the NCAA allowed NIL there was a shift. Dieon Sanders took advantage and re-built Colorado from money and celebrity status. And since then… chaos. 18 year olds getting multi-million dollar contracts before stepping on the field. Kids and Parents were even charging money for visitations. Even in the past weeks, a student signed a lucrative contract with a school only to try to rescind it day after for a higher offer.
Enter Indiana FOOTBALL! If you’ve paid attention after their Penn State scare, or even only in the playoffs, it is clear – this team is built different. The have absolutely dominated top programs – more history, much more money, and even higher “rated” talent. Teams like Ohio State, Alabaman and Oregon are no slouches, but watching the games, it was clearly Men vs Boys. And it’s only 2 years ago the idea of Hoosier Football was laughable.
So, what’s the sauce? He got the environment right.
- The football staff is on the same page.
- The don’t throw money at potential, but proven ability
- They focus on the mature and the hungry
- They take players that fit their program
- They take development seriously
Doesn’t sound like a change? It really isn’t – it’s the similar model used by programs like – Boise State, Utah, TCU, JMU, they just didn’t get the national exposure.
But now that everyone is talking about it, here is where change will happen, if competing programs are smart:
- The money to unproven adolescents will start to rescind and shift to portal players.
- The noted High School ratings will take a back seat to demonstrated work ethic.
- High School ratings will take a backseat to Learning Skills (Yes, of course there’s a Teaching Towards Tomorrow tie-in! 🙂 )
Overall, it’s a leadership model that all organizations should emulate, not just football.
