It is a subscriber only article but it’s fairly enlightening, particularly in terms of the leadership @ the U of M & the feelings towards the NIL.
Five ambassadors weigh in on the future of Memphis athletics
Ambassador B: “They sent us a letter asking for the ambassadors to donate $2,000 a month. And we looked at each other and said,’Uh uh, not happening.’”
Ambassador D: “The fundraising for NIL seems mismanaged. We were told in writing that we would begin to lose athletes unless we became proactive in contributing to the NIL fund. If that’s the case, the U of M will never be competitive. The pitch was so uninspiring it was comical. Ambassadors don’t fault players for transferring in and out, seeking NIL money or being part of a generation that communicates through devices rather than in person. That’s the real world. The issue is, how is the AD merging the old and new?
Ambassador E: “Ryan didn’t have one NIL dollar a year and a half ago. Every player he gets is because they want to come here. Every player in high school he recruits has to want to come here. Not for NIL money. It’s difficult. There’s not one major football donor. It’s all basketball, and people just put together money for football. From an ROI perspective, football is outperforming.”
Ambassador B: “I think their outreach could be much better. I’ve yet to meet the president. His box is on the same level as our football suite. He has yet to come in and introduce himself. With that being said, it wouldn’t change my mind about giving them any money. But it didn’t take me very long to decide. I’m not real interested in doing much more.”
Ambassador D: “Why was a letter sent out asking for support? Is it possible that the leaders of the athletic department have been unable to create meaningful relationships with a group of people that have made contributions far in excess of the minimum $500,000? When Tubby Smith took over, the connections we had to the department came to a screeching halt. It’s become more distant every year since. I don’t fault the coach, but the athletic department should know that without that personal connection, many donors become distant as well.”
Ambassador E: “You feel like it’s futile. You’ve got the football side, which has done a lot. It’s really delivered. Look at it since Justin Fuente. It’s basketball that’s letting us down. The way it’s perceived outside is the opposite. It just seems futile and exhausting. You don’t have the right decision-makers. (Former president) David Rudd was good, but he overstepped his boundaries. Laird is a good guy. He’s a really good guy. But he’s not the person who’s gonna get us there. The president isn’t engaged as he probably should be yet. We’re not in great shape in a lot of ways, but the leadership is a challenge. That’s nothing against them as individuals. But if we got into a new conference, we’d all be surprised.”