Most Improved for 2024

[rowing]

If I remember he brought in transfers at the semester, but didn’t bring athletes from Cal.

Irrelevant who he brought.....who did he kick to the curb?

[Mandolorian]

Difference is O'Neill left Cal in a good place so Acosta could just pick up where he left off. It s like Cupini, is basically blowing up SMU as she walks out the door leaving very little for Graham to come in and build upon.

[rowing]

That's another angle for sure.

But I'm more curious about steamrolling *individual* athletes whose only apparent mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They committed. They signed. They made plans.

Will they get the opportunity to prove they are worth the promises that were extended by the institution under previous representation, or are they screwed without recourse in someone's cutthroat pursuit of 13th to 18th place at 2024 NCAA ????

For the record, "ends justify the means" is usually applied when there are actual ENDS to reflect upon. We seem to be jumping the gun a bit. Or a lot.

For all of the personal faith in "proving it on the water" that rowers seem to have as cultural DNA, I find it amusing so many are keen to accept authoritarian selection (and pre-selection) simply out of a desire to skip the very struggle that forges champions, and replace it with "well, all of that just wastes time, so let's hire some badass pirate!"

[rowingusa]

I would think Tennessee has potential to improve their rowing program and to be a consistent NCAA program. Their athletic facilities are too notch and the new AD has them rolling in every sport. Football won new year’s day bowl, both basketball teams made the sweet 16, and both baseball and softball made it the College World Series last year. Rowing has a nice boathouse on the river right on campus, which is a short walk from the athletic dorms. The racing venue in Oak Ridge is a short 30 minute drive from campus. Nice climate for rowing. I’m curious to see their roster this season and see how high Cupini can take them.

[Norm]

What if a previously recruited and funded TN athlete says, "fcuk you Kim, I'm going to beat your SMU tagalongs in every erg test and seat race!" ?

Do they get to keep their scholarship then?

Nope. Cupini has complete and final decision on who gets a scholarship and who doesn’t. What’s even more interesting is that she has to make the decisions so that she has no more than 20 scholarship athletes on the roster by the start of the academic calendar. So she can’t wait until they start practicing and see how the Tennessee kids compare to her SMU kids. She has to decide before she has even had a chance to watch the Tenn kids.

Kids who were 7th at NCAAs vs kids who didn’t get a bid.

Let’s recall that the Tennessee 2v was NCAA caliber and was posting faster times than the 1v regularly. They were coached by different people. The 1v had some good kids in it.

[rowing]

I would think Tennessee has potential to improve their rowing program and to be a consistent NCAA program. Their athletic facilities are too notch and the new AD has them rolling in every sport. Football won new year’s day bowl, both basketball teams made the sweet 16, and both baseball and softball made it the College World Series last year. Rowing has a nice boathouse on the river right on campus, which is a short walk from the athletic dorms. The racing venue in Oak Ridge is a short 30 minute drive from campus. Nice climate for rowing. I’m curious to see their roster this season and see how high Cupini can take them.

Enough with the window dressing. Add real people.

[Mandolorian]

That's another angle for sure.

But I'm more curious about steamrolling *individual* athletes whose only apparent mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They committed. They signed. They made plans.

Will they get the opportunity to prove they are worth the promises that were extended by the institution under previous representation, or are they screwed without recourse in someone's cutthroat pursuit of 13th to 18th place at 2024 NCAA ????

For the record, "ends justify the means" is usually applied when there are actual ENDS to reflect upon. We seem to be jumping the gun a bit. Or a lot.

For all of the personal faith in "proving it on the water" that rowers seem to have as cultural DNA, I find it amusing so many are keen to accept authoritarian selection (and pre-selection) simply out of a desire to skip the very struggle that forges champions, and replace it with "well, all of that just wastes time, so let's hire some badass pirate!"

This is the real issue I have with all of this - the Tennessee kids don't even get a chance to prove themselves against the SMU kids.

And as Norm says, the Tenn 2V was a legit NCAA caliber crew, and even in the V8 there were some good kids. So what is the fair way to decide who gets to stay and keep their scholarship, and who goes? I have heard that Kim is using erg scores from this past year to decide which scholarship athletes she will keep on the roster and who she will cut.

[rowing]

Is there a GoFundMe for the lawsuits yet?

I got a Benji burning a hole in me pocket!

[lt.wolf]

Let’s take it down a level , all is being run through compliance.

[TheNatureBoy]

Difference is O'Neill left Cal in a good place so Acosta could just pick up where he left off. It s like Cupini, is basically blowing up SMU as she walks out the door leaving very little for Graham to come in and build upon.

Transfer rules were a lot different 10 years ago when Dave left Cal; athletes still had to sit out and lose a year of eligibility. I’m sure Dave would have loved to take some of his athletes with him.

[SQUAREdown]

Transfer rules were a lot different 10 years ago when Dave left Cal; athletes still had to sit out and lose a year of eligibility. I’m sure Dave would have loved to take some of his athletes with him.

Exceptions were allowed for athletes when the head coach turned over.

[crewu]

And as Norm says, the Tenn 2V was a legit NCAA caliber crew, and even in the V8 there were some good kids.

Now the Tenn V8 will be a legit 2V.

[rowingusa]

Tennessee's 2023-24 roster is on their website and there appears to be 15 SMU transfers listed, including lots of 1v8 SMU rowers. All of Tennessee's returning rowers are back as well, I only noticed one who didn't return. 4 out of the 6 Tennessee signees are also listed, only a Freshman international signee and a graduate transfer didn't appear on the roster.

[Slim]

That’s a tough situation for Coach Graham to walk into at SMU.

[fullmetal]

That’s a tough situation for Coach Graham to walk into at SMU.

Not only that, but SMU will be joining the ACC with Cal, Virginia, Syracuse, Duke, and Stanford next year (NCAA qualifiers). There will be 12 women's rowing teams in the ACC.