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Stephen Thompson's Pitt chat: 01.06.26
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Stephen Thompson
1:00
Good afternoon and welcome to another Pitt sports live chat. It's been a while since we did one of these and there's been plenty worth talking about in the realm of Pitt athletics since we did. So let's jump into questions now.
SJT
1:00
More of a comment than question but I can’t wait till this era of college football is over. Transfer portal, NIL, awful calendar, conferences that are too big. It’s really taking away the enjoyment of the sport, at least for me. Makes it hard to care which is a shame.
Stephen Thompson
1:03
From a professional standpoint, I can't say I enjoy having to be parked next to my phone 24/7 keeping up with transfer news and coaching staff changes. But I watched every bit of the playoff games and plenty of bowl action over the holidays, so I can't say it's affected my enjoyment of the actual games. I'll concede the calendar needs some work (though I think some of these problems are unavoidable). But at the end of the day, college football's saving grace will always be that the games are wildly entertaining.
Mr Ed
1:04
I just read recently that among major college football programs, Pitt has the 14th largest endowment funds,  $1billion more than Penn State, $2 billion more than Indiana. So clearly they have a wealthy donor base to draw from. Given the never ending 5 loss seasons in football, is there any other conclusion to draw other than the university administration and donor base just doesn’t place a high priority on being a major player on the national stage? Related question, what positive impact if any has Allen Greene had in the fund raising area? By his own words that is what he said was a top priority. Seems to me Pitt  could be an Indiana story if they wanted to be.
Stephen Thompson
1:15
I do not have close relationships with the Pitt board of trustees, nor the chancellor. So I cannot speak to their specific notions of whether they want Pitt to be great at revenue sports like football and basketball. But there might be some truth to the fact that Pitt sees an opportunity to generate significant revenue from those programs without spending the same kind of money as a Texas or Ohio State, for example.

As for what Allen Greene is doing, I have seen some signs that Pitt is investing more in it's athletic program, though it hasn't come in the form of massive sums for head coaches or players like it has at other universities. I see Pitt establishing and looking for ways to build more sustainable revenue for the long term which can open the door for bigger investments in on-field or on-court talent somewhere down the road.

Be careful about invoking Indiana. That is a college sports story which may never be replicated.
Phil
1:15
Don't know a nice way to ask, but has Capel's time run out at Pitt? Pitt basketball is tough to watch.
Stephen Thompson
1:19
If you forced me to make a prediction, I'd say Jeff Capel is back next fall for a true make-or-break year. He'll have his top-10 recruiting class and a full offseason with a general manager to rebuild the roster. I know folks take issue with his in-game coaching, and he's not perfect, but I still think he is capable of reaching another NCAA Tournament with a more talented team. He has done it at Pitt before, after all.

My best guess is that it would take a serious bottoming out for Capel to not return for next year.
Brewme Brewu
1:20
Pitt FB has managed to been fortunate to avoid meaningful mass portal exodus, until this year.  What is your feeling on the evident change for the worse?  Are guys simply and understandably opting to look for the fast cash or is there an underlying dissatisfaction with the program or culture?
Stephen Thompson
1:26
I am not in these players' heads so I can't speak specifically to their motivations. And each one is different.

Zion Fowler-El and Juelz Goff were probably looking for places to get on the field as their college careers get closer to ending. Kenny Johnson had been threatening to transfer for years and, given his demands for a raise last offseason and that he was at Texas Tech this week, a bigger payday being on his wishlist isn't far fetched. Rasheem Biles lost his position coach and, at this point, wasn't considered more than a day three draft pick. So this is an opportunity to capitalize on his final year with coaches he chooses while getting more exposure and probably some more money.

I have no reason to believe there is an issue with program culture. And I can't say for sure things have changed for the worse before Pitt ties up its own transfer class (remember when it was disastrous that Pitt lost Solomon DeShields and Bangally Kamara?). We can circle back to this once more transfers commit to Pitt.
JR
1:27
Has the coaching staff been asked and responded to a question about the  lackluster performance in the bowl game?
Stephen Thompson
1:29
Pat Narduzzi and a few players did after the game, though their answers weren't particularly enlightening. Other assistants haven't been made available. Narduzzi did say he'll reevaluate how the team prepares for the postseason given his 2-6 record in bowl games, but that was it.

That said, I think the way the coaching staff turned over and volume of players who entered the transfer portal following the Military Bowl, I can't completely discount the idea that some players' minds might have been elsewhere.
JR
1:30
Do you ever have an opportunity to meet with the new AD? If so any information regarding his thoughts on FB and BB?
Stephen Thompson
1:31
I have had a couple of chances to speak with Greene since he took over and he has a lot of thoughts about Pitt's flagship programs. Some positive, some negative. But I would need something more specific to go off of before I can answer your question, JR.
Bruce
1:31
I see Pat Narduzzi has made a few changes to his staff. During his tenure at Pitt he has shown a willingness to make changes. Jeff Capel, however, has not. How much say does the AD have in these decisions?
Stephen Thompson
1:34
Allen Greene (or Heather Lyke in the case of Narduzzi's changes following the 2023 season) can probably make some suggestions but an athletic director has serious problems if they don't trust their head coaches to make their own hires.

I'd also point out that none of the coaching staff changes Narduzzi made this offseason were really his choice. Randy Bates, Ryan Manalac and Jacob Bronowski all made their own decisions to leave Pitt.
Mr Ed
1:34
I’ve been a long time college football fan forever and I still love the fall Saturdays and switching from game to game. Even with NIL and transfer portal and super teams being assembled, there  still are those upset specials built into a 12 game season.  Conversely, I have less interest in the post season and playoffs than ever. Every one of 8 quarter finalists last two years are big spenders. If you don’t spend, you’re shut off.Do you see this concentration of power among say 15 schools eventually result in a dramatic drop off in attendance and interest among the fan bases of lower half of power 4 conferences?
Stephen Thompson
1:40
To be frank, Mr. Ed what you've described has been happening in college sports for as long as I've been alive and far longer. When's the last time you saw a national title contender in football that didn't spend absurd amounts of money on its team and program?

This year's College Football Playoff quarterfinals averaged 14% more viewers than last year, according to ESPN PR. Alabama-Oklahoma and Miami-Texas A&M were the two most-watched first round games ever.

I can appreciate your perspective -- the money is much more in your face than it ever has been and that's deflating if you're not one of the ultra-wealthy. But clearly interest in the sport isn't waning on a grander scale.
oldpantherfan61
1:40
Fans are quick to fire capel but i have watched all their games and they are not a bad time. From my observation one  it took a while for the team to jell  and two the biggest problem  is  capel put all his stock in jackson without a big  center back up and that's what's hurting them. Also defection and players going pro early has been a set back to one of the worst teams in ncaa history prior to capel's  arrival.  What do you think?
Stephen Thompson
1:44
I agree with your assessment of Jackson's importance to this team, oldpantherfan61. Their two biggest issues are interior defense and rebounding, things Jackson excelled at.

I see a few good players and a couple more who can be good in smaller roles on a better team on this roster. But it is abundantly clear, and the players and coaches have admitted it themselves at times, that there has been a disconnect between what's reviewed in practice and game planning and what they put on the court, which is extremely concerning.

This is not as bad a team as the Kevin Stallings group which went winless in the ACC, though they will have to start proving that soon. A home game against Syracuse on Saturday is a good opportunity for that.
steelstu
1:44
I hope Abby's procedure went well and I look forward to her covering volleyball again. Frankly, this is the only program at Pitt that matches high-end coaching with elite talent soccer I guess has to be included as well. Do you have any updated information on who Pitt is looking at in the football transfer portal.
Stephen Thompson
1:47
I'll give you a couple names to keep an eye out for, steelstu. Former Texas Tech defensive end Braylon Rigsby is talented and fits a need. Maryland cornerback La'Khi Roland and Memphis linebacker DeMarco Ward are both visiting Pitt this week. Young UCF tight end Kylan Fox visited last week and could help after losing Malachi Thomas. But perhaps my favorite player Pitt is pursuing is Slippery Rock cornerback Kanye Thompson. He is lightning fast and a turnover machine. Pitt was in on him very early.
JuniataKid
1:48
Any word on which potential transfer linemen are in Pitt’s sights? Having watched some of the FBS playoffs (championship game was the best game I’ve seen all year), there seem to be a lot of big boys in the Montanas and Dakotas.
Stephen Thompson
1:50
Pitt landed a commitment from one on Sunday in Netinho Olivieri, a three-year starter at left tackle for Penn. He allowed 6 sacks in more than 1,000 pass blocking snaps over those three years, and only two sacks over the last two. Seems like a good player Pitt will plug in as a starter right away.
Iup404
1:56
Pro football games end regularly in 3 hours, college particularly Pitt games border on 4 hours! Why? I know some rules are different, but it’s getting worse. Is it the refs managing the games or selling too much advertising? It’s not baseball yet but…
Stephen Thompson
1:58
The proliferation of video review certainly plays a part, but advertising is a much bigger reason. You'll notice Pitt played a couple of games on ABC in November and those are always the worst for extended commercial breaks. The bigger the stage, the more valuable the advertising spots are and the more television companies try to squeeze ad space into their broadcasts.
1:59
I am out of time on this week's live chat. As always, I appreciate you participating. Try not to lose your head in the transfer portal. It can drive you mad this time of year.
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