EWU is dealing with more problems than can be counted. Eastern needs to rebuild a football identity. Honestly, the whole university needs a rethink on how they market themselves to the region. I think fundraising has improved a little bit under the new leadership, but every project - no matter how important - seems to get shelved. In the modern world, having a few bucks to throw your football players makes the process a lot easier. Eastern used to compete well in recruiting versus the Montana schools and Idaho. But without the ability to drop cash on players, it hurts a LOT. There's no way Eastern can keep top players for more than a couple of seasons.
Frankly, I don't blame players for chasing the money. While Montana may only give out peanuts compared to the power conferences, the difference in giving someone $10k or nothing is still a big one.
I'm not sure how to handle it. There's nothing you can do on the recruiting trail or schematically to overcome these obstacles. I saw the federal gov't is trying to find a path legally to at least create some barriers and rules. Part of the problem now is that there are virtually no limits what can and can't be done to secure talent.
One simple fix is using a transfer system similar to what pro soccer does. A player who signs for Eastern effectively is on contract for 5 years. If another school wants that player, they have to arrange a transfer payment with Eastern. For a school like Oregon to, say, secure a player like Vernon Adams, dropping a cool $1mm might seem like an easy way. Oregon gets the player; Eastern gets the money. That model is the only way I can think of to create some sort of equality out of this unregulated mess.
