Ask Merckxe525 aka Dear Abby

[BuaConstrictor]

And his big game success, or lack thereof, has followed him to LSU.

He won two top 10 games his first year at LSU, including a win over Alabama.

If the argument is he needs to do it more consistently..of course...but he's shown the ability to do it.

 

[Kingbish01]

Last question and I won't add to the BK chatter any more. What would you all rank as his top 3 wins of his career. We can all agree beating #6 Bama is probably #1. But if he wants to be considered one of the greats (see below) I'm curious what his best 3 wins are. And I'm praying #12 Syracuse doesn't get brought up..lmao

Food for thought:

Kirby beat #4 Auburn (SECCG) and #2 Oklahoma in year two. And then went on to obviously dominate top 10 competition.

Saban beat #9 Clemson and #3 UGA in year two.

In year 1 at UF Urban beat Top 5 Tennessee and Georgia

In year two Stoops beat 5 top 10 teams and won a Natty.

And after BK won 2 top ten games in year 1. He went 2-7 against top 25 competition after those wins.

 

[NDLS_USMC]

I'm at a cheerleading competition and am getting bored AF

Good luck at your competition.

You have to be pyramid base, right? Can’t see you as a tumbler kinda guy (except pregame using a whiskey tumbler for ND playoff games).

 

[Kingbish01]

Good luck at your competition.

You have to be pyramid base, right? Can’t see you as a tumbler kinda guy (except pregame using a whiskey tumbler for ND playoff games).

Lmao..
I stay representing though!

 

[Kingbish01]

Merck/Bua....At the time, landing Eddie Vanderdoes was one of my favorite gets. I really thought he was a dog, and a huge signing day win. Can you share any insight as to what happen? Or was what was reported basically the truth? I can't remember exactly, but maybe a sick grandma he wanted to stay close to.

 

[Irish5Saint]

Merck/Bua,

What's the booster situation like for ND athletics?

1) Are boosters able to have sway over whether or not a coach gets fired?

2) Are they instrumental in the vision of the athletic department, or is that more dependent on the AD?

3) Relatedly, what schools would you say have better booster support than ND?

 

[BuaConstrictor]

I can't remember exactly, but maybe a sick grandma he wanted to stay close to.

Not the truth.

Just changed his mind. Made up a BS reason. NCAA bought it.

Fin.

 

[calvegas04]

- Standard donors have no sway.

- No.

- There is no other program in the country who has a higher level of donor support than ND. The money will always be there.

There are donors with sway, but there’s only a handful of them, and they donate 7-9 figures.

Speaking to your last point, how much money comes in from non ND alums?

 

[Irish5Saint]

The University as a whole? Specific departments? The program? NIL specifically?

Athletics I think

 

[Kingbish01]

I know you said ND uses their own grading scale so to speak. Who are some kids they tabbed as 5 stars that nobody else did? It would be easy for us fans to assume players that ended up ballin out like Leonard Moore. But it would be cool to hear who the staff tabbed as a 5* kid.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Yes, there are several prominent donors who never went to Notre Dame, who give large amounts of money to athletics.

That alone should shut the haters up that like to claim ND is the only school w/ a fanbase made up of non-alums.

 

[Irish5Saint]

- Standard donors have no sway.

- No.

- There is no other program in the country who has a higher level of donor support than ND. The money will always be there.

There are donors with sway, but there’s only a handful of them, and they donate 7-9 figures.

Wait we got 9 figure donors? Or was that a typo for 8?

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

That alone should shut the haters up that like to claim ND is the only school w/ a fanbase made up of non-alums.

Im confused what youre saying here as it relates to his comment?

 

[irishu]

Yo Merck

Who are the incoming freshman and rising sophomores who the staff believes have 1st round potential?

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Im confused what youre saying here as it relates to his comment?

That it doesn’t matter if an ND fan is an alum. Proof can’t get any better than a fan who isn’t an alum donating big money to the program. ND wouldn’t have a fanbase if only alums were allowed to be fans. That goes for most schools but especially ND which has a small enrollment.

 

[BuaConstrictor]

Wait we got 9 figure donors? Or was that a typo for 8?

It was not a typo.

 

[Irish5Saint]

It was not a typo.

That's got to be lifetime though. If it is, we're not spending that money very well imo.

 

[BuaConstrictor]

That's got to be lifetime though. If it is, we're not spending that money very well imo.

Of course some are. Some families have estates that continually donate on an annual basis to all parts of the university.

The University endowment is creeping towards $20 billion. That's not by happenstance or small donors.

 

[Irish5Saint]

Of course some are. Some families have estates that continually donate on an annual basis to all parts of the university.

The University endowment is creeping towards $20 billion. That's not by happenstance or small donors.

The majority of the highest level donors, are donating to the university as a whole, but those donors do influence decisions university wide, including athletics.

I don’t mean to come off rudely when I say this:

The football program has never been in better shape than it is at this moment. Money, as it applies to the program is not only not a problem, it’s lower level on why the program is once again a national championship contender.

There are no NIL concerns in terms of funding. There are also no concerns with any other program specific initiatives.

Look you and Bua obviously know more than I ever will about the university's inner workings. I'm not doubting what y'all say

And I'm not trying to be rude myself, but if there's that much money, there's a part of me that wants to see it in action a bit more.

I know you can't share specifics, but could either of y'all give an idea of how that will be put in action?

 

[BuaConstrictor]

there's a part of me that wants to see it in action a bit more.

I reject the premise of this statement and question.

but could either of y'all give an idea of how that will be put in action?

Freeman is one of the best paid coaches in the country. ND assistants are paid as well as anyone in the country. ND's NIL is paying as well as any in the country. We just paid a RB's coach over a million a year. We are building a $100+ million football facility. That price tag doesn't even include some of the actual tech/equipment that will be in the building.

Like...where is your question even coming from?

As fans you have to get beyond the idea that ND is cheap. It's not. ND is no longer self-imposing sanctions. They have chosen to become a financial Death Star.

 

[KPENN]

Notre Dame’s roster retention has been great, I expected to lose guys like Angeli and Junior for playing time elsewhere.

 

[BuaConstrictor]

Notre Dame’s roster retention has been great, I expected to lose guys like Angeli and Junior for playing time elsewhere.

That's due in (large) part to how much these players are making in NIL at ND.

 

[GreenGemsOmally]

I reject the premise of this statement and question.

Freeman is one of the best paid coaches in the country. ND assistants are paid as well as anyone in the country. ND's NIL is paying as well as any in the country. We just paid a RB's coach over a million a year. We are building a $100+ million football facility. That price tag doesn't even include some of the actual tech/equipment that will be in the building.

Like...where is your question even coming from?

As fans you have to get beyond the idea that ND is cheap. It's not. ND is no longer self-imposing sanctions. They have chosen to become a financial Death Star.

I'm just curious what the kind of extra tech/equipment that makes the facilities so much better are going to be? Do we have any idea yet?

 

[Irish5Saint]

Put in action in what way?

If you’re talking about the program:

- The new facility is now in excess of $200,000,000

- The indoor facility is among the top 3 in the country.

- The football program has no hard cap on spend.

- Salary levels are top 3.

- NIL across all collectives, has in excess of $30,000,000 on hand.

If you could be a bit more specific, I can provide further clarity.

I think maybe I'm referring to the athletics department as whole.

Football is certainly the main priority (as it should be) and probably is in great shape, but if you take a look at other sports like baseball, softball, golf, and volleyball, the budgets likely pale in comparison to SEC and ACC counterparts.

For example, baseball's assistant coaches were only getting offered $70k (per the most recent job opening I saw last summer).

 

[BuaConstrictor]

I'm just curious what the kind of extra tech/equipment that makes the facilities so much better are going to be? Do we have any idea yet?

A lot of it will be centered around sports science and nutrition.

That shit ain't cheap.

 

[GreenGemsOmally]

Recovery tech. A lot of it will be centered around sports science and nutrition.

omg training tables?

 

[BuaConstrictor]

omg training tables?

Bacta Tanks

 

[Irish5Saint]

Merck/Bua, the way i see it at least, I hope ND Athletics as a whole gets to a level like Texas or Tennessee, which are really "everything schools"; right now it seems to me as an ignorant outsider that we're focused on football, everything else be damned.

 

[JD Irish]

@Merckxe525 @BuaConstrictor

Thank you for all of the info.

I think to a large extent, the disbelief regarding what you are saying about money/NIL is that it has not been borne out with our recruiting results. If it's not money, what is preventing us from signing top classes?

Will we be playing BC in Rome soon?

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Merck. Why did Salmin pick Clemson over ND?