Oh for sure could be. Do they have the money? It could be a major bidding war
Here’s a hypothetical, not necessarily related to any current NCAA athlete.
Consider a D1 female distance runner who has excelled in the 1500, 5000, 10000 and XC on the Nat’l collegiate stage. It is now June 2024 and, having just completed her fourth year of college, she has worked herself onto the US Olympic team with PBs in two events, 4:01.34 and 15:05.11. Regardless of what happens in the Games, the athlete has made it crystal that she wants to focus on the 15/5, rather than the 5/10, in the next 2-3 years and that her specific, #1 goal is to run 3:55 or better in LA 2028--or sooner.
Which coach should she trust to get her there?
Razcko? Ritz? Henes?
id go with coach henes
coach henes dropped katelyn's 1500m pr of 4:12 to 4:06 in just less than 2 months if im not mistaken, katelyn is just 20 ... in the past 13 years only 2 collegians ran 2:06, thats jessica hull and sinclair johnshon, they are both 1500m runners, katelyn is a 5000m runner - coach henes is doing so well developing katelyn, nobody thought she could run a 4:06 as a sophomore, what more running a wire to wire 4:06 too easily.
I think $25k for her is just 2 or 3 speaking gigs. The average student-athletes now earn up to $1,200 just for attending an event, and Tuohy ranks as one of the most marketable runner in the NCAA.
I think I saw someone on this thread post she had only 85k in followers. She isn’t making 25k in a couple speaking gigs haha. That’s ridiculous. Shed make a little from her social media but nowhere near that. The only way she’s making 25k is if there is a very rich NC state alum that is absolutely crazy for women’s distance running. Does she have a deal with a dealership in town? That seems to be the first thing everyone gets. She driving a new GWagon that she’ll have to give back if she goes pro?
Gotta wonder if Steelman joining OAC, and continuing to train with Henes in N.C., suddenly makes an OAC signing for Tuohy much more likely. She'd share training stable with Steelman and competitive stable with Steelman and Monson.
nc state athletes with 3k-10k followers gets 1,200 dollars for just attending a local event, how much more for katelyn tuohy with 82k followers flying out to alabama to speak for a professional track club's running camp that costs almost 800 dollars per kid .. idk how much she earns exactly on speaking gigs but she can surely earn 25k on her own, if she signs with a nil deal with adidas, 25k is basically just coins compared to what shes gonna get from them
what if your college runner is better (mentally, emotionally, tactically) than your pro runner? how will the training look? will the pro runner do the same workout as the college runner?