Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins (Post 11311963)

I ****ing hate the 3-4.

Originally Posted by KChiefs1 (Post 11311964)

I'm hearing the 2016 class of Missouri HS kids is very weak. Glad Pinkel has made inroads into Georgia & Florida for talent.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho (Post 11312084)

Here's my take on the recruiting class:

The Stars:

I think there are two players in this class with the potential to be really elite college players.



The WRs

Help is needed in 2015, and this group offers a nice combination of size, speed, upside and Day 1 readiness.



The RBs
Really deep group with a lot of versatility. Starting to see Mizzou recruit some bigger backs for the offense.



DLINE ZOU

This is the team's bread and butter on D. I think this is the best group Missouri has recruited in a single class. Counting Beckner, Missouri signed 5 DL who ALL have the potential to be high-round NFL picks.


LBs
Just two in this class, but I really like the size, athleticism and blend of readiness and long-term upside here.


OL
Helping make sure Taylor Chappell is not the best option at LT in 2015. They took two JUCO Ts in this class, which means they're looking for some immediate help next year.


The Athletes (can help in multiple areas)

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla (Post 11336638)

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colle...3466d6fd4.html



COLUMBIA, Mo. • The University of Missouri’s first two years in the Southeastern Conference proved to be lucrative for the school’s athletics department, to the tune of nearly $10 million in operating budget surplus.



That’s the good news for Mizzou. Even better, MU and member schools have yet to cash in on the expected windfall from the SEC Network.



Missouri athletics generated an operating surplus of $3,488,408 for the 2013-14 fiscal year, according to data submitted to the NCAA and obtained by the Post-Dispatch through an open records request. For the 2012-13 fiscal year, Mizzou’s first year collecting SEC revenue, athletics took in an operating surplus of $6,030,874.



The 2013-14 fiscal year, which included Mizzou’s first of two consecutive SEC East Division football titles, generated school-record athletics revenue of $83,718,587, an increase of 9.7 percent from 2013. Mizzou athletics spent $80,230,179 in 2013-14, a 14.2 percent increase from the previous year.



“That was obviously a great year for football and that drove a lot of things to exceed our expectations,” executive associate athletics director Tim Hickman said. “We’re still riding off the excitement of moving to the SEC. Donations were up and a lot of things hit right for this year.”



“Any school at our level or any level that can operate at a surplus is a huge benefit,” he added. “We take a lot of pride in that.”



In 2012, Missouri had to borrow from the university’s coffers while operating at a deficit of nearly $18 million during its first year in the SEC. That’s because the Big 12 withheld from Mizzou $12.41 million in league revenue as part of the school’s exit fee.



For the 2014 fiscal year, which ended last June 30, Missouri’s largest source of revenue came from ticket sales, $24,235,754, an increase of 7.5 percent from the previous year. The football team led the way with $17,554,536 in ticket sales revenue for the 2013 season, a 17.2 percent jump despite Memorial Stadium’s decreased capacity caused by renovations on the east side.



MU took in $21,836,870 from SEC and NCAA distribution, which includes conference bowl revenue for the 2013 season and conference revenue from the SEC’s TV package. This figure is expected to rise significantly this year when SEC Network revenue is distributed to league members. Mizzou didn’t budget for an increase in TV revenue, but Hickman said MU’s SEC Network payout could be between $2-5 million. Also, Mizzou budgeted for a $2.5 million increase in bowl revenue based on the new College Football Playoff and SEC bowl structure, Hickman said.



Revenue from donor contributions increased 26.6 percent to $20,113,654, partly the result, Hickman said, of several major gifts donated around the time Mizzou joined the SEC that are spread out over eight to 10 years.



Missouri’s athletics revenue for 2012-13 ranked 11th among the 13 public schools in the SEC and 35th nationally, according to USA Today’s annual survey. MU ranked ahead of Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Vanderbilt, a private school, is not required to submit financial data. MU ranked 12th in athletics expenses, ahead of only Mississippi State.



Hickman expects Missouri to rank in the same range this year.



“The SEC Network is great and will give us an infusion of capital,” he said. “But it’s doing that for everybody (in the league.) All boats have risen there with the tide. For us to close the gap we’ll have to do it other ways.”



That starts with expanding the Tigers Scholarship Fund. Missouri has around 8,000 current members who donate money that goes toward athlete scholarships, facility projects and the department’s endowment.



“That’s the thing that sticks out to us compared to the rest of the league,” Hickman said. “We’re not last, but we’re probably in the bottom quartile. You see some schools, Florida, for example, with 30,000 members in their annual fund.



“A lot of people think, ‘If I can’t give you $1,000 or $5,000 it’s not worth it.’ No, that’s not the case. If you look at our average gift per member it’s higher than most because a lot of people think that. I think we want to re-educate a lot of our folks, because you can be a member at $50. And if we can get a couple thousand people doing that, that’s a big deal.”



As for expenses, Mizzou spent the most on coaches’ salaries ($16,211,134) and support staff and administration salaries ($15,055,996), increases of 12.5 and 5.4 percent, respectively. Team travel expenses climbed 40.9 percent to $6,647,984. Hickman cited Mizzou’s trip to Atlanta for the 2013 SEC football championship game and the 2014 Cotton Bowl as major factors for the increase. Hickman expects that figure to rise with MU’s 2014-15 expenses after another SEC football championship game trip and the 2015 Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., plus general increases in travel costs for all MU teams.



Mizzou also spent a bigger chunk on facilities maintenance, a 59.4 percent jump to $11,406,559, most of which was spent on building an SEC Network production room at Mizzou Arena.



Also, MU athletics received $1,515,000 from the university as direct institutional support but also gave back $2,179,583 to the school.

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla (Post 11338203)

Mitch Morse (yes, that Mitch Morse) is having a solid combine so far.

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla (Post 11338203)

Mitch Morse (yes, that Mitch Morse) is having a solid combine so far.