It's not plausible to ask some of you guys who haven't been on this board the whole time to go back and read threads from the beginning, but it's also difficult to capture everything regarding the ATM situation in quick bullets and still do it justice. I'll do my best, but I also recommend reading the June-July pages for this thread, the ATM 2023 thread and the Texas 2023 thread if you want some additional context that is also entertaining.
-ATM boosters went all-in with Fisher after what they viewed as confirmation of his future prowess - the 2020 corona season. We foretold of this to the board in the UT 2022 thread in Jan/Feb of 21.
-ATM bought the bestest class ever after 8 and 4feit for the 2022 cycle.
-They went so far overboard with their bag game that they broke the rules of the game itself, thus infuriating the normal dark market participants and the neighbors like Texas. Bama, UGA, Ohio State, Clemson, LSU, etc., - they weren't ready at the same monetary levels.
-Meanwhile ATM is not only ignoring NIL, they're mocking it as fantasy compared to what they can do directly under the table when they talk to handlers/players/parents. They have therefore been totally blindsided by the size and scope of NIL across the recruiting landscape, and especially with Texas. Whoops.
-So everyone is running them over in recruiting. Everyone is building NIL engines. All during the 2023 cycle. ATM is lost at sea, cursing the winds.
-Then Saban baits the little man into public controversy. Fisher takes the bait. In doing so, he painted himself into a corner by staunchly denying using NIL ever, and relying on the wonderment of College Station as to why they signed the 2022 class.
-The ATM backers were somewhat fatigued on cash outlays after the 2022 class signed. ATM fell behind in recruiting. Fisher sells the backers on Hill being the silver bullet for winning a national title. They load up specifically on offers for a few players that no one could reasonably match. Hicks and Hill being the main examples. They lock them up in July/August.
-The mercenary program then flops magnificently. Transfers became the talk on the team. Hill visits in November and his future teammates tell him to not go there and that a bunch of them are leaving.
-Texas keeps pushing. NIL is indeed a part of the pitch, but not at the absolute absurd level as ATM.
-The ATM pitch now is that they've weeded out the problems. They're one big happy family. And Hill holds the key to their title hunt in 2023 if he'd just fucking sign on the dotted line and take their money, dammit.