Message to our non-subscribers that frequent the site.

[IU_Hickory]

I didn't miss it, I think you missed mine. Any ad revenue that comes from any of the boards is negligible, no matter where it goes. Rivals is not based on eyes or clicks, but on subscribers. With that in mind, please explain to me how a "busy forum" will magically bring in more subscribers when most of those that are there now are not subscribed. Stores do charge a "cover charge" because pretty much every person that walks into a store goes in with the probable intention of making a purchase. I am sure there are people who either have the time or just like to go to stores just to walk around, but I am not one of those, nor do I know any. Personally, I cannot remember a time I went into a store without the need or intent to make a purchase.

a busy forum brings more eyes, more eyes is more opportunities for getting people to subscribe.

a busy forum is better than a ghost town if you are wanting to draw people in. Closing down the free forums would not have the effect you seem to envision.

 

[Jim Coyle]

a busy forum brings more eyes, more eyes is more opportunities for getting people to subscribe.

a busy forum is better than a ghost town if you are wanting to draw people in. Closing down the free forums would not have the effect you seem to envision.

In the immortal words of Mike Woodson, "well, again," those boards are far from a "ghost town" now, but those that are using the free boards now are not subscribing, just responding as to how "important" the free side is to gaining subs. So, that argument carries no water.

 

[IU_Hickory]

In the immortal words of Mike Woodson, "well, again," those boards are far from a "ghost town" now, but those that are using the free boards now are not subscribing, just responding as to how "important" the free side is to gaining subs. So, that argument carries no water.

Just because you fail to understand the point doesn't mean it carries no water.

A lot of subscribers likely started out as just members of the free board. And if you really believe that doesn't happen, you wouldn't have wasted time trying to guilt trip people on the free forums

 

[YOTHN]

With that in mind, please explain to me how a "busy forum" will magically bring in more subscribers when most of those that are there now are not subscribed. Stores do charge a "cover charge" because pretty much every person that walks into a store goes in with the probable intention of making a purchase. I am sure there are people who either have the time or just like to go to stores just to walk around, but I am not one of those, nor do I know any. Personally, I cannot remember a time I went into a store without the need or intent to make a purchase.

Are you saying its not based on traffic?

Traffic absolutely creates subscribers. For example, counting upkeep of the pumps and amenities (paper towels, washer fluid...etc.), gas stations make almost nothing on selling gas. All of their profit is often purely based on driving traffic to their gas station store so consumers go in and purchase things inside. If the gas was marked up, they'd have less traffic and sell less products in the store. The same with a free forum and memberships. It's not a guarantee but is 100% a driving force.

 

[YOTHN]

Just because you fail to understand the point doesn't mean it carries no water.

A lot of subscribers likely started out as just members of the free board. And if you really believe that doesn't happen, you wouldn't have wasted time trying to guilt trip people on the free forums

Each time I was a member it was because I was here on the free board.

@Jim Coyle , you can't use a snapshot of the current environment and use that as your logic. If I was a member again, I wouldn't be on the free board.....so then I would be another stat on your behalf?

 

[Davehack]

So I can only assume that apparently there is no player/coach discontent on the free side? The boards are meant for discussion, not constant agreement. And if you're getting your news from or comparing us or any site like it to Facebook, I have no words for that.

Whatever is on the free site I don't pay for so I don't care.
Lots of good stuff on Facebook sites. Some of it perhaps lifted from the Premie or other such sites.

 

[Ty Webb iu]

I guess we should go ahead and shut the site down now then? I do not recall ever mentioning HS recruiting as THE reason to support the site. There are a multitude of reasons and not all of them are for everyone. But we provide them all, including the "free" places where you and other people dwell. Those "free" places still take up space on the servers, they are not any more complaint free than the premium side, which means time, which means money, etc. You're either going to support the site or you are not.

I get that this is important, but you aren’t coming across very well, imo. You seem a bit emotional and unprofessional. I guess desperate times and all. I hope this all works out for you. Sincerely.

 

[DANC]

I get that this is important, but you aren’t coming across very well, imo. You seem a bit emotional and unprofessional. I guess desperate times and all. I hope this all works out for you. Sincerely.

It's his financial ass on the line. Easy to sit back and take pot shots when you have no skin in the game.

He's against freeloaders. Is that such a radical position?

 

[BobbyKnightsGhost]

It's his financial ass on the line. Easy to sit back and take pot shots when you have no skin in the game.

He's against freeloaders. Is that such a radical position?

Yes. It’s a really dumb radical position. Everybody is getting squeezed by the trash economy and coming on to the free board an acting entitled to their $10 a month is not a good look, when their are MANY other outlets covering the same stuff for free.

‘I work every day’ that’s pretty great and I respect it but the reality is that if I worked on my great American Novel everyday, Jim, I’m going to guess you won’t sign up to pay me $10 a month to read it. You got to be working on stuff that people are willing to pay for. Becuase they work for their money too.

‘It’s not making me money!’ Delete it, but it’s a mistake. Even if 5% of the posters end up subbing that’s 5% of 100 instead of 0. If you paywall the website you’ll just send everyone over to crimson quarry or ITH, or TDh, or PEEGS, or athletic, or On3, or Twitter, or Reddit.

It’s a competitive field and it’s covering two pathetically awful programs. Nobody wants to pay to read about ‘unfazed baze’ or Liam McNeelys favorite movie. Because everyone is used to things turning out the way they always turn out for this school.
Unfortunately, Brian Evans saying what everyone is thinking is far far more interesting than puff pieces about Tom Allen hosting a BBQ.

Really you want subs you need these programs to be worth caring about. Should get the podcasters and blogger boys together and stick up for yourselves. You could put Dolsons feet to the fire if you wanted to and you all stuck together.

 

[DANC]

Yes. It’s a really dumb radical position. Everybody is getting squeezed by the trash economy and coming on to the free board an acting entitled to their $10 a month is not a good look, when their are MANY other outlets covering the same stuff for free.

‘I work every day’ that’s pretty great and I respect it but the reality is that if I worked on my great American Novel everyday, Jim, I’m going to guess you won’t sign up to pay me $10 a month to read it. You got to be working on stuff that people are willing to pay for. Becuase they work for their money too.

‘It’s not making me money!’ Delete it, but it’s a mistake. Even if 5% of the posters end up subbing that’s 5% of 100 instead of 0. If you paywall the website you’ll just send everyone over to crimson quarry or ITH, or TDh, or PEEGS, or athletic, or On3, or Twitter, or Reddit.

It’s a competitive field and it’s covering two pathetically awful programs. Nobody wants to pay to read about ‘unfazed baze’ or Liam McNeelys favorite movie. Because everyone is used to things turning out the way they always turn out for this school.
Unfortunately, Brian Evans saying what everyone is thinking is far far more interesting than puff pieces about Tom Allen hosting a BBQ.

Really you want subs you need these programs to be worth caring about. Should get the podcasters and blogger boys together and stick up for yourselves. You could put Dolsons feet to the fire if you wanted to and you all stuck together.

Sorry, I can't even read through your post. You addressed nothing in my post - you just go on a tirade.

Jim is the one whose financial as is on the line. Don't subscribe if you don't want to, but know you're a freeloader. If you don't like it, go post on another free site.

 

[HoosierAlum07]

 

[YOTHN]

Sorry, I can't even read

Makes sense

 

[redrocker5]

Shut it down baby! 90% of the readers here contribute zero to their communities these days and complain about entitlement of millennial generation and they are acting in same manner. Hypocrisy and say as I do not as I act lol.
Bored redundant "fans"

Shut ur down Jimmy!!!

 

[Ty Webb iu]

Sorry, I can't even read through your post. You addressed nothing in my post - you just go on a tirade.

Jim is the one whose financial as is on the line. Don't subscribe if you don't want to, but know you're a freeloader. If you don't like it, go post on another free site.

Nah. I’ll just post on this free site. Thanks. Usually is the dems trying to tell me what to do. Disappointing DANC. I’m a proud freeloader here.

 

[IUCrazy2]

Nah. I’ll just post on this free site. Thanks. Usually is the dems trying to tell me what to do. Disappointing DANC. I’m a proud freeloader here.

So I get it, this is a site intended to make the people running it money. If Mr. Coyle feels the free boards are not worth the squeeze or are too much of a headache then he is obviously fully within his rights to shut them down to try and convince people to subscribe so they can make money. As an inveterate freeloader, I would probably move on from a site that I started following when it was Peegs.com and not a part of Rivals at all. With that, I would miss some of the online friends and frenemies made over the past 20 some odd years I have been visiting the site.

I feel for people in this market because this is a really hard sell right now. There are a host of free options available for people to get Indiana content that don't cost any money whatsoever. There are several sites dedicated to Indiana coverage that are free of charge. I can think of at least two free forums based sites that are pretty active. There are Reddit pages and Twitter also available to discuss IU. Recruiting tidbits is what these sites used to butter their bread with, but that game has changed so much that you are usually being fed info about kids who are never going to come to Indiana. We have become a heavy portal recruiter and most of the major recruits we have landed recently have been last minute add ons. Selling people on giving a crap about kids who are less likely than ever to end up at Indiana is a really hard sell. And if you want to do analysis of the games, that content is really easy to find for free. Finally, Premium content only stays premium for about the 5 minutes (or less) it takes for someone to open a new tab and share it on any of the aforementioned free platforms.

So like I said, tough market to be in....

 

[Pryght]

It's his financial ass on the line. Easy to sit back and take pot shots when you have no skin in the game.

He's against freeloaders. Is that such a radical position?

It is obtuse to believe that the only way to provide value to this site is through a subscription. Open your mind and look at the big picture.

 

[YOTHN]

Shut it down baby! 90% of the readers here contribute zero to their communities these days and complain about entitlement of millennial generation and they are acting in same manner. Hypocrisy and say as I do not as I act lol.
Bored redundant "fans"

Shut ur down Jimmy!!!

Aren't you the PU scrub who just posted this the other day?

"Love it. Don't ever change IU fans! We will keep you nimrods in rearview mirror like we have the last two decades.
Nice season again this year BTW"

Seems like you're one of those entitled freeloaders. 😏

 

[Cavanagh]

My Bahamas footage was worth $10 bucks a month. Probably $20. Was phenomenal journalism and videography.

 

[benhyoung14]

I was a member for a while but then paid forum wasn't much different than the free one. Better content and more exclusives might get me back.

 

[ButHerEmails]

To me, it’s two fold. I joined the platform in 2012 and was a premium subscriber for years. I wound up leaving for two main reasons. The most prominent being I got tired of the constant turnover of staff. My experience in the premium board is it’s a bunch of dudes who joined in the early 2000’s and engage heavily with one another but not so much with those who joined later such as I. All good. But, I frankly find the free board more engaging and entertaining. At the end of the day $10 won’t change my life, but it’s somewhat of a principle issue. Why pay for something that provides little to no value, regardless of the cost?

You don’t want to pay to get recruiting news 10 minutes before everyone else? Hell a lot of top recruits make a huge deal of their decisions and stream it anyway.

Also, there are a million free podcasts out there that talk recruiting and interview players.

I left for a long time after Peegs screwed everyone over years ago. Even now I’ve gotten to where a check a couple times a day to see if there’s any news, but that’s about it. It wouldn’t break my heart if it was all paid content and I couldn’t see anything at all. I have plenty to keep myself occupied.

 

[82hoosier]

Realizing more and more I enjoy college sports a lot more when it was an extra-curricular activity. It used to be a competition among students. Then student-athletes. Now it’s mostly athletes. And, yes I do wonder what a sports marketing major is.

Not just Indiana but I wonder how many NIL athletes actually sit in a classroom. Or even share a meal with a regular student any more.

 

[kurt cloverdales]

give people the power to banish people, say 50 dollars a ban, I'd probably spend a few 100 a month.

 

[Davehack]

Realizing more and more I enjoy college sports a lot more when it was an extra-curricular activity. It used to be a competition among students. Then student-athletes. Now it’s mostly athletes. And, yes I do wonder what a sports marketing major is.

Not just Indiana but I wonder how many NIL athletes actually sit in a classroom. Or even share a meal with a regular student any more.

Funny that you never hear any more about athletes being disciplined for grades.

 

[VanPastorMan]

Shut it down baby! 90% of the readers here contribute zero to their communities these days and complain about entitlement of millennial generation and they are acting in same manner. Hypocrisy and say as I do not as I act lol.
Bored redundant "fans"

Shut ur down Jimmy!!!

I disagree. We talk about serious issues.

 

[Southside Hoosier Fan]

Mr. Coyle, re-upped and was charged an additional $7+ dollars for fees owed...from a pay once account + the additional I year fee of $99.99....PROBLEM IS I DONT HAVE THE PREMIUM STUFF...So really hard to recommend people Re-up with you, as I did today, then pay Extra and not get the premium boards....

 

[ulrey]

Best thing you could do to get subs is collect some former players across the decades and have them post here during games. Maybe pay them instead of an analyst tbh. You’d get way more eyeballs wanting to see.

I do think the content here is some of the best but $120 is too rich for my wallet at the moment. I’m open to it but I’d also rather see is an entry level option and a discord TBQH.

Woodson’s feelings would get hurt..

 

[DANC]

I'm a lying asshole

No argument from me

 

[DANC]

Nah. I’ll just post on this free site. Thanks. Usually is the dems trying to tell me what to do. Disappointing DANC. I’m a proud freeloader here.

Well, I'm a free marketer, so.....

Doesn't bother me in the least if people pay or don't pay. I just don't like people trashing the owner when he's the one taking the financial risk.

 

[DANC]

Funny that you never hear any more about athletes being disciplined for grades.

Whut? Who plays to get a degree anymore?

 

[Ty Webb iu]

Well, I'm a free marketer, so.....

Doesn't bother me in the least if people pay or don't pay. I just don't like people trashing the owner when he's the one taking the financial risk.

Then the owner should choose his words more carefully. He could have conveyed his message with a different tone. He chose what he chose, and some of the responses reflected that tone.