RPI 2025 Off-Season: Help Is On the Way

[rpi82]

To the best of my knowledge, we have 9 returnees (5F, 3D, 1G), 10 players from the portal (6F, 3D, 1G).. My best guess is 7 freshmen (3F, 3D, 1G or 4F, 2D, 1G). We are just about done since I think we are limited to 26 players now. It will be interesting to see who Lang's first recruit for 2026 or later years is.

I don’t think that’s true for us. Schools opting into the new NIL and revenue sharing system system (the big boys with athletic departments “sharing” tens of millions in athletic revenues with athletes, i.e. professional college “students”) are limited to 26 but can give them all scholarships. Undoubtedly most of the revenue sharing will go to FB and BB rosters, but some will end up in hockey. I believe all other schools are under the old rules, which provided for unlimited roster sizes but only 18 scholarships. Yes, this whole thing is a mess…..

 

[fr. joe]

This brave new world (NIL, portals) favors the strong schools. The ice will be slanted.

But another factor to consider... Colleges and universities adjusting to new realities of a smaller pool of high school seniors, a much more challenging economy post-COVID for higher education, and now the impact of fewer to foreign students coming to US colleges

These things will hit ECAC schools harder, imo. What will this mean for RPI when it comes to competing, not just on the ice?

The Albany Times Union had an interesting article (behind a paywall) about Union a few days ago... how their freshman class will be smaller this year... how they had to give more financial aid to attract their class of 2029... and how they're facing the decline in applications from foreign students. And how this affects UC's finances.

Wonder what this means for RPI, competing on and off the ice?

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

All of what you wrote is true Padre. The issues are even more magnified in the northeast where populations have shrunk, the families that remain are having fewer children and of that pool of kids, many of them want to go to school somewhere other than the northeast. This trend started long before Covid (which of course only accelerated these issues) and is the primary reason why many of the small independent colleges in the region are struggling.

 

[Ralph Baer]

This brave new world (NIL, portals) favors the strong schools. The ice will be slanted.

But another factor to consider... Colleges and universities adjusting to new realities of a smaller pool of high school seniors, a much more challenging economy post-COVID for higher education, and now the impact of fewer to foreign students coming to US colleges

These things will hit ECAC schools harder, imo. What will this mean for RPI when it comes to competing, not just on the ice?

The Albany Times Union had an interesting article (behind a paywall) about Union a few days ago... how their freshman class will be smaller this year... how they had to give more financial aid to attract their class of 2029... and how they're facing the decline in applications from foreign students. And how this affects UC's finances.

Wonder what this means for RPI, competing on and off the ice?

On the other hand, CHL players increase the size of the talent pool.

 

[giwan]

There is another court ruling coming down the barrel. This next one will change NIL and monies drastically where all sports will be in the pot. Majority of funding still football and bball the remaining goes to all others is my understanding ie volleyball, gymnastics etc etc. I believe a new entity will govern this, not ncaa but who knows.
Really the wild west.
I believe the larger unis will essentially be minor pro teams and not care about academics. Essentially there now. For me no longer student-athlete just athlete and will be booed for a fumble. Many already that go to the pros are having to take "pay cuts". Something will give.