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Replies: 25
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National Champion [7543]
TigerPulse: 100%
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The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With.
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:05 AM
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Been digging into NIL and direct school payments this morning with the AI, and I generated a chart ranking the top 25 programs by total athlete compensation. It breaks down the $20.5 million cap schools are allowed to spend across all sports—not just football.
Clemson appears to allocate around $17–18 million to football, with the remainder spread across other sports. That puts us at No. 14 nationally, but there’s a noticeable gap between the top 10 and the rest. Among ACC schools, only FSU and Miami are outspending Clemson.
Not trying to make a judgment—just tossing this out for discussion. I’ve got more questions than answers.
Yes, Dabo can pull portal players. But can he “buy” the top-tier difference-makers that shift a season?
The question keeps surfacing: could Dabo get hired by another big-name program? And if he had LSU-level resources—assuming they’re in the market—would he have more success?
I know coaching changes are coming. But is Dabo fighting a financial battle he simply can’t win? And if so, would a new coach facing the same constraints do any better?
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Orange Blooded [2557]
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Re: The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With.
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:09 AM
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If you look at the chart he should be able to do better than some of the teams that really phit the portal and use less NIL. Vandy....fricking Vanderbit comes out of nowhere.
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Ring of Honor [22104]
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Re: The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With.
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:12 AM
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Revenue sharing has absolutely nothing to do with NIL. Revenue share is straight pay to play. That is the $20mil cap per school per year. NIL (finally) has to go through the national clearinghouse and MUST be a real endorsement of a product. Which left a big bag of cash in collectives hands with nowhere to spend it. Clemson isn’t facing an uphill battle with cash. Top 20 in NIL contributions before the changes to make it a real endorsement of a product. It’s never was a money issue, it was a spending money issue. Clemson ranked as one of the lowest on NIL dollars spent. The playing field is pretty even now. The top 50 universities have no problem with $20mil going to players directly. The NIL deals are up to the player and how good they are and their marketability. The University cannot veto or control NIL deals signed by student athletes. As long as the clearinghouse says it’s a true endorsement.
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National Champion [7543]
TigerPulse: 100%
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Here's the NIL Only Chart
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:22 AM
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If there is better data please share. If this Chart is correct, we're not in the top 25 in NIL.
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Valley Legend [12915]
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Re: Here's the NIL Only Chart
Nov 4, 2025, 10:48 AM
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both Duke and Syracuse must be below us. We lost to them, didnt we? It's not all about the money.
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National Champion [8013]
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it's less about losing to Duke and Syracuse, then it is about competing for a NC***
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:51 AM
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Standout [236]
TigerPulse: 95%
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Re: Here's the NIL Only Chart
Nov 4, 2025, 10:52 AM
[ in reply to Here's the NIL Only Chart ] |
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Thats what is spent, not what is available though...
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Clemson Conqueror [11147]
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Re: The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With.
Nov 4, 2025, 10:25 AM
[ in reply to Re: The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With. ] |
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Thanks for explaining and thanks to the OP for posting the research. I have never pretended to fully understand the $20M cap per school. If I understand what you are saying, each school now has a $20M cap that goes straight to the players and can be allotted to the players in any sport as the school sees fit? So where is the rest of the money coming from for programs like Oregon, Ohio State etc that is causing the big gap? Is that NIL collectives? But I thought those do not go to the schools? That is a huge gap between us and those teams in the top 10 if those numbers indicate how much they are spending in total on football talent versus us.
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National Champion [7543]
TigerPulse: 100%
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Correct-NIL and direct school payments are now two distinct
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:31 AM
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and legally separate compensation streams for college athletes.
Also, schools have full discretion over how they distribute their direct pay pool under the House v. NCAA settlement, as long as they stay within the $20.5 million annual cap and comply with federal laws like Title IX.
So the NIL has no cap which means a guy like Phil Knight who is the Nike Kingpin can use an unlimited amount of money to load up Oregon for example
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Paw Warrior [5056]
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Re: The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With.
Nov 4, 2025, 10:47 AM
[ in reply to Re: The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With. ] |
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Great post, so many people totally misunderstand the financial landscape that started with rev share and the clearinghouse. It’s not a valid excuse going forward
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1st Rounder [629]
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BUT BUT Clemson has money, NIL doesn't matter...clowns still don't understand***
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:14 AM
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Tiger Spirit [9427]
TigerPulse: 98%
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I think the lack of understanding is on your side, lil man
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:19 AM
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Show me on that chart where Syracuse, Duke, GT, and SMU are. Ill wait. Some of you act like we are just getting beat by teams that out spend us or have more talent.
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National Champion [7543]
TigerPulse: 100%
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Any Team Can have an uptick but can they sustain it?
Nov 4, 2025, 10:25 AM
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That's the real question..
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Clemson Conqueror [11147]
TigerPulse: 100%
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Re: I think the lack of understanding is on your side, lil man
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:35 AM
[ in reply to I think the lack of understanding is on your side, lil man ] |
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Agree, we should be beating those teams. No doubt.
But to get back to elite status on par with the Ohio State, UGA, Bamas Etc., based on what I am seeing here, will take a lot more money than we currently have...
Am I looking at this wrong?
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National Champion [8013]
TigerPulse: 100%
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You are right, people focusing on the teams we've been losing to aren't looking
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:53 AM
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at the bigger picture.
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Tiger Spirit [9427]
TigerPulse: 98%
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I fully understand the bigger picture but its moot when you cant even beat Duke
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Nov 4, 2025, 12:32 PM
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There are far bigger problems in this program than just money. Thats the point.
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Ring of Honor [23123]
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Joined: 2010
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IMHO the real value bang-for-the-buck is in recruiting O-Line
Nov 4, 2025, 10:17 AM
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The program's struggled in this effort against the UGA's. Bama's, Ohio State's, Notre Dame's, Michigan's, and Iowa's who have proven NFL pipelines. Clemson's also struggled in O-line recruiting against average programs who have nothing close to Clemson's stature through the Swinney era.
Hopefully, Luke can put in the underpinnings of recruiting and development to change this.
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Oculus Spirit [41068]
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Joined: 2003
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I Don't See Most of Our Losses On There
Nov 4, 2025, 10:25 AM
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So this logic is flawed.
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Athletic Dir [1168]
TigerPulse: 94%
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Re: The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With.
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:26 AM
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I dont think it really matters asking the question about whether Dabo would perform if he went to another program. Firstly, his stock could not be any lower. This will be his worst season ever while leading a program clearly on a downward trend over the past 5 years. Secondly, even if Dabo went to a more resource rich program, I dont believe his philosophy shifts. Dabos want to do it his way trumps all. Finally, lets not forget that for Dabo to leave he has to be fired with cause or voluntarily walk away from 60 million. Unless a good lawyer can make the argument that his job performance and lack of of philosophical adapting in in contradiction to the betterment of the program. Big picture, we're stuck with both him and his philosophy.
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All-Time Great [92008]
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Posts: 41130
Joined: 2003
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Hmm, the old "One of these things is not like the others" game is easy to play
Nov 4, 2025, 10:43 AM
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with this graph. Clemson is SIGNIFICANTLY below everybody else in NIL spending. Most seem to think that is bad.
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All-Pro [723]
TigerPulse: 100%
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Re: Hmm, the old "One of these things is not like the others" game is easy to play
Nov 4, 2025, 11:53 AM
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It's the coaching or lack of experienced coaching combined
with players that aren't responding for whatever reasoning
to be the best they can be. It's a dysfunctional mess from
pass coaching hiring/failure for ex. Thomas Austin never should
have been O-line Coach period. He did not have the expertise
or experience. Same with the rest of coaching staff minus
Matt Luke, Tom Allen, Mike Reed, possibly Garrett Riley.
Clemson went from one of the most experienced/talented
Coaching Staffs to one of the most inexperienced/less talented
Coaching staffs and that is on the HC Dabo Swinney.
Point being NIL has not affected Ole Miss or Notre Dame
from winning ball games. Clemson is not wisely using all
the current resources in experienced coaching personnel
and NIL money to compete for CFB Championships be it ACC
or National Playoffs.
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Game Changer [1707]
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Re: The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With.
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Nov 4, 2025, 10:48 AM
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My problem is Dabo hasn't tired to use the portal to make this team better.
You look at NFL teams and they are made up iof all college players, not just the high profile ones. You have to go out and find the diamonds in the rough.
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Solid Orange [1326]
TigerPulse: 100%
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sorry I'm slow
Nov 4, 2025, 11:05 AM
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if the cap is at 20.5 million then how are teams above that threshold?
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Orange Beast [6432]
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Re: The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With.
Nov 4, 2025, 12:35 PM
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$$$ isn't the issue, its how we allocate it.
When you are paying third stringer who hardly plays ± $400K a year but won't pay an incoming five star more money than a non-producing third year kid who hardly plays...that's a problem. Admirable desire...but doesn't work in todays environment.
Continuing to expect results that don't align with reality will always leave you disappointed.
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Varsity [122]
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Re: The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With.
Nov 4, 2025, 12:37 PM
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So shouldn’t we be a top 15 team and not 3-5
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Orange Beast [6544]
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Re: The Financial Hill Dabo Has To Compete With.
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Nov 4, 2025, 12:43 PM
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IMO, Clemson has done a terrible job with NIL. Tough to blame the admin too much as they were taking their HOF coaches lead.
Dabo gave one press conference like 6 months ago where he started Clemson has as much money as anybody. In this presser I do believe he made a pitch for fans to donate to NIL. That is literally a the only time I have seen Dabo or high ups in the administration ask for NIL donations publicly.
You also see all the deals that other programs are entering into with corporate sponsors to boost their NIL funds. Like the CAT deal SCAR has or Tennessee adding a $10-$15 NIL addition to all tickets.
I think Clemson fans would step up big, BUT YOU HAVE TO ASK AND GIVE YOUR FANS CONFIDENCE THAT YOU ARE GOING ALL OUT TO BOOST NIL. Signing 3 meaningful portal players in 5 years doesn't give one confidence. Losing like 10-15 recruits over the last few years mostly because of NIL is also not a confidence booster.
Hoping to see a total overhaul of everything this off season. If that doesn't happen I have little confidence we will get back to the top. Hoping for he best.
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Replies: 25
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