SEC Needs a Draft

[99gator]

But the point is one should not have to get into bidding wars with another Universities to recruit any football player. The best coaches are paid the highest money. Why should they be allowed to stack the deck also? We as fans are the big losers unless we are one of the top paying Universities and have one of the top 3-4 coaches. Lets level the playing field just a little bit to retain some interest in all sports in our Universities. Everyone is better with a level playing field. I would rather pay through the noe for a really good coach than pay through the nose for 85 football players. The the quality of coaching determine who has the best teams.

So, we're going to force kids to go to a college?

Hey, I'm an athiest from Florida and want to be close to home and study Marine Biology.

Well, sucks to be you kid. You've been drafted by Brigham Young University.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

But the point is one should not have to get into bidding wars with another Universities to recruit any football player. The best coaches are paid the highest money. Why should they be allowed to stack the deck also? We as fans are the big losers unless we are one of the top paying Universities and have one of the top 3-4 coaches. Lets level the playing field just a little bit to retain some interest in all sports in our Universities. Everyone is better with a level playing field. I would rather pay through the noe for a really good coach than pay through the nose for 85 football players. The the quality of coaching determine who has the best teams.

Wait...... why shouldn't Heupel or Saban or Smart coach for peanuts, ya know, for the love and pride and tradition of TN, AL, GA football...... ya know, like the players should?

Because that's not what this is. It's a business for the schools, it's a business for the coaches, it's a business for the NCAA, it's a business for ESPN, it's a business for the advertisers, it's a business for everyone....... but damn those kids!!!!! Why can't they just play for pride, tradition, and the school????

 

[99gator]

Wait...... why shouldn't Heupel or Saban or Smart coach for peanuts, ya know, for the love and pride and tradition of TN, AL, GA football...... ya know, like the players should?

Because that's not what this is. It's a business for the schools, it's a business for the coaches, it's a business for the NCAA, it's a business for ESPN, it's a business for the advertisers, it's a business for everyone....... but damn those kids!!!!! Why can't they just play for pride, tradition, and the school????

I think a future solution, which would really tick some people off, is to operate football and men's basketball as the businesses they truly are.

Outside of that, the other non-revenue sports operate as they did when we traditionally thought of college athletics.

That will never happen. I know that.

 

[99gator]

Sorry, to add to the previous post.

One of the issues is that "business" isn't truly being operated as one and it creates chaos.

The business is technically the athletic department. But, the athletic department has two profitable divisions (football and men's basketball) and 18 losing divisions (the non-revenue sports). In a normal "business", you would maximize profit by eliminating the losing divisions and keeping only the profitable ones.

So, the colleges don't really operate as a "business". It's a robbing Peter (the profitbale sports) to pay Paul (fund the non-revenue sports) enterprise.

Anyone with any business sense would have cut non-revenue sports a long time ago.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I think a future solution, which would really tick some people off, is to operate football and men's basketball as the businesses they truly are.

Outside of that, the other non-revenue sports operate as they did when we traditionally thought of college athletics.

That will never happen. I know that.

The schools need to get out of the sports business. There's too much Federal money on the academic side and Federal regulations to make it work well. I'll hate it personally but there's really no way to deny the business needs of running big-time football and basketball aren't compatible with the academic mission of schools.

Smaller schools need to return to the older model, the traditional college game with some minor NIL money hitting students (because they won't be great players) and "old school" traditional football/basketball.

Elite schools need to license the name, facilities, etc and walk off with their money and let the business be what it is without all the pearl clutching about "bbbbbbut they're amateurs!" No, no they're not. They're still Vols but they're not students and they're not amateurs.

And let's play football and basketball at an elite level in Knoxville HONESTLY.

 

[golfballs]

When college football is teetering on collapse and they strike a restructuring where programs become affiliates of NFL teams and players no longer have to be students, then it will work like a real farm system and players will be drafted.

 

[99gator]

When college football is teetering on collapse and they strike a restructuring where programs become affiliates of NFL teams and players no longer have to be students, then it will work like a real farm system and players will be drafted.

I'm not sure how Canadian Junior Hockey works, but at best, it may be something similar to that.

But, I believe a top Junior Canadian prospect from Ontario is part of a team in Ontario. They don't ship that player to Alberta.

 

[Toujours Pret]

NIL has completely changed the landscape and my concern is Tennessee could be left behind. It's absurd because Tennessee would be number 1 or 2 in terms of revenue in most conferences, but in the SEC we are middle of the pack. Not going to be able to compete with paying players like what TAM, bama, and uga can do. Texas will add to the difficulties and programs like Tennessee, Auburn, Oklahoma, historically strong programs with deep pockets will be middle of the road.

I don't really think a draft is right, but perhaps the conference can limit signees by star rating. Maybe max 3 five stars and max 15 four stars? At a conference level there may be the opportunity to maintain parity and reward coaching. Even Kirby said great coaching didn't win their championship its simply having the best players.

Think about if the NFL had the current CFB system. Cowboys and Giants would win every year, maybe even Washington since Snyder loves to overpay players. Instead look at the parity, Titans are the largest AFC media market remaining and Nashville ranks 25th. Modern CFB is rewarding recruiting over coaching and hard work, its given us a boring system where only 2-3 teams have a chance to win the title every year. What is the fix?

Congrats on making Message Board Idiots on Twitter.

 

[Fullfillmer]

Our boosters have as much if not more than most programs in the sec. The AD’s revenue doesn’t have a damn thing to do with NIL money. You’ve got an NFL owner as a booster with a net worth of about 4 billion. Tennessee needs to get all their boosters on the right page and get some corporate money behind the NIL. We’re losing every head to head recruiting battle bc of a few factors but NIL is definitely one we could do better at. Are you correlating recruiting budget with our struggles?

If I own an NFL team - that's probably going to be my focus - certainly a much better return than throwing away money with NIL. Also, our boosters don't have as much or more than most programs in the SEC. As a matter of fact it's not even close. The AD only receives 20 M annually in donations and they solicit 24/7. Donations are down something like $4 M annually, the recruiting budget was cut pretty dramatically - I would assume donations to the University at large are also down - Tennessee has historically had more of a blue collar fan base and not many mega rich donors. I don't think that is a bad thing, it is actually one of the things I love about UT, but that doesn't allow for you to compete with Texas and Texas A and M who's boosters actually do have more money than the other programs in the SEC. imho.

 

[Fullfillmer]

Sorry, to add to the previous post.

One of the issues is that "business" isn't truly being operated as one and it creates chaos.

The business is technically the athletic department. But, the athletic department has two profitable divisions (football and men's basketball) and 18 losing divisions (the non-revenue sports). In a normal "business", you would maximize profit by eliminating the losing divisions and keeping only the profitable ones.

So, the colleges don't really operate as a "business". It's a robbing Peter (the profitbale sports) to pay Paul (fund the non-revenue sports) enterprise.

Anyone with any business sense would have cut non-revenue sports a long time ago.

You would also have to cut all the woman's programs - all of them would have to go - none are profitable.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

TN used to have boosters that could pony up the big $ anytime it was needed. Is that not the case anymore?

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

You would also have to cut all the woman's programs - all of them would have to go - none are profitable.

This is what tells me college athletics is a long way from the mission of a university.

Can you imagine saying, "We need to get rid of the Chemistry Dept...... it's losing money."

College athletics should never be in the position of having to be profitable because, like the other departments, it shouldn't be a business but part of the college experience.

Football and basketball (and other sports in some places) have "jumped the shark" when it comes being businesses and that's not the idea of a college athletic experience.

We can't have it both ways. It can't be a huge business on one end and still a "college experience" on the other. They can't coexist. As the money involved increases, it's more business..... less college experience, as we've seen.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Wait...... why shouldn't Heupel or Saban or Smart coach for peanuts, ya know, for the love and pride and tradition of TN, AL, GA football...... ya know, like the players should?

Because that's not what this is. It's a business for the schools, it's a business for the coaches, it's a business for the NCAA, it's a business for ESPN, it's a business for the advertisers, it's a business for everyone....... but damn those kids!!!!! Why can't they just play for pride, tradition, and the school????

The difference with your statement is that everyone you mentioned have contracts which are paired for a certain prescribed level of performance. If they don’t meet that level, they can be fired and if the coach decides to leave, he has a buy out payment. I am not saying awnwhere that NIL is not a good thing, but I am saying that there has to be some guidelines set to define what actions the players and Universities are required to do to prevent either of them to take unfair advantage of each other. As it now stands, a player can enter the portal the day of a game and hold the University, coach’s, and other players at hostage for that day’s game. They would in f@ct be killing the goose that gave them the golden egg.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

The difference with your statement is that everyone you mentioned have contracts which are paired for a certain prescribed level of performance. If they don’t meet that level, they can be fired and if the coach decides to leave, he has a buy out payment. I am not saying awnwhere that NIL is not a good thing, but I am saying that there has to be some guidelines set to define what actions the players and Universities are required to do to prevent either of them to take unfair advantage of each other. As it now stands, a player can enter the portal the day of a game and hold the University, coach’s, and other players at hostage for that day’s game. They would in f@ct be killing the goose that gave them the golden egg.

NOW.....NOW, after decades of players being unpaid and recruited over and told to leave, after players being lied to by coaches about their roles, after athletes getting injured and just dropped by the program........ NOW we're suddenly worried about people "being taken advantage of."

That's truly noble.

 

[GVol1966]

Who were those head to head battles with?

Auburn, Fl st ? Does it matter?
You think we gonna win battles against Bama and Georgia one year removed from a 3 win season, coming off a 15 year streak of mediocre AT Best?

 

[VOLINVONORE]

So, we're going to force kids to go to a college?

Hey, I'm an athiest from Florida and want to be close to home and study Marine Biology.

Well, sucks to be you kid. You've been drafted by Brigham Young University.

Nope. If you don’t want to go to college, don’t go to college or you can get your dad or someone establish a college and a football team and draft you. You chose to be an atheist that is your decision. I or no one else I know cares what you believe. You make your decisions and live wi wha those decisions bring you.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

NOW.....NOW, after decades of players being unpaid and recruited over and told to leave, after players being lied to by coaches about their roles, after athletes getting injured and just dropped by the program........ NOW we're suddenly worried about people "being taken advantage of."

That's truly noble.

I know a lot of players who have been injured and the schools have taken care of their expenses, and found them jobs. Most of them are better off than if they had not played foot ball or some other sport in college.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I know a lot of players who have been injured and the schools have taken care of their expenses, and found them jobs. Most of them are better off than if they had not played foot ball or some other sport in college.

But we NEVER worried about players being taken advantage of, told to leave, etc. NEVER.

All of a sudden when the schools are on the other end of being dropped by the portal or a player getting a better offer or a player at a lesser school having a great year and leaving for a better school......... now, when the schools are not in control....... it's a problem that "people are being taken advantage of."

You know that's BS. This is all about the schools losing control of the players.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Nope. If you don’t want to go to college, don’t go to college or you can get your dad or someone establish a college and a football team and draft you. You chose to be an atheist that is your decision. I or no one else I know cares what you believe. You make your decisions and live wi wha those decisions bring you.

Look at it this way: I'm a TN fan, lucky enough to be born in TN, blessed enough to have played my HS ball and been All-State in TN, my Dad attended UT, and my granddad and grandma believe Johnny Majors was the man........

I'm drafted by GA. My playing rights are: go to GA or don't play in the SEC.

Sounds reasonable to you?

 

[99gator]

Nope. If you don’t want to go to college, don’t go to college or you can get your dad or someone establish a college and a football team and draft you. You chose to be an atheist that is your decision. I or no one else I know cares what you believe. You make your decisions and live wi wha those decisions bring you.

So, you're telling me you would advocate for a system where I get drafted by Tennessee and Derek Dooley and I have to go. I have no choice in the matter.

Is that what you are saying?

So, Peyton Manning's son wants to go to Tennessee and follow in his father's footsteps, but he's drafted by Alabama and has to go to Alabama.

You're cool with that?

 

[Voltopia]

I think a future solution, which would really tick some people off, is to operate football and men's basketball as the businesses they truly are.

Outside of that, the other non-revenue sports operate as they did when we traditionally thought of college athletics.

That will never happen. I know that.

I'm with you as long as the teams are no longer affiliated with the schools, cannot use the school facilities, and must operate completely on their own. A person playing for the Ohio State football company is not a student at Ohio State and should not be treated as such. No senior day stuff, no communications, no support from the school. They're not students anymore, so no more of that. And alongside that, the school investments and facilities remain with the schools, to use for the benefit of students. Those facilities were built with donations, fundraisers, and (later on) television money. The television money part is regrettable, as it really did ruin the whole thing for everyone, but that gets written off as a cost. Trade all that in, take these newly minted semi-professional minor league football teams, and go. In turn, I will not care one bit about them of course, but that's part of the tradeoff. I'm not about to care about the NFL, and a mini-NFL won't be any different.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I'm with you as long as the teams are no longer affiliated with the schools, cannot use the school facilities, and must operate completely on their own. A person playing for the Ohio State football company is not a student at Ohio State and should not be treated as such. No senior day stuff, no communications, no support from the school. They're not students anymore, so no more of that. And alongside that, the school investments and facilities remain with the schools, to use for the benefit of students. Those facilities were built with donations, fundraisers, and (later on) television money. The television money part is regrettable, as it really did ruin the whole thing for everyone, but that gets written off as a cost. Trade all that in, take these newly minted semi-professional minor league football teams, and go. In turn, I will not care one bit about them of course, but that's part of the tradeoff. I'm not about to care about the NFL, and a mini-NFL won't be any different.

Ohio State, like TN, would never want, nor be willing to maintain a big stadium that never gets used. You'd eventually see Neyland torn down to make room for academics.

IF the schools license the Buckeyes and Vols, they will still keep the facilities, still keep the tradition of Saturday football, still keep a portion of the TV money and concession revenue, etc.

Why be bitter because the "student athlete" model eventually changed? Why not make the best of it?

 

[rocky top buzz]

Congrats on making Message Board Idiots on Twitter.

Thanks for sharing. Glad to see so many tweets agreeing with me.

 

[rocky top buzz]

Ohio State, like TN, would never want, nor be willing to maintain a big stadium that never gets used. You'd eventually see Neyland torn down to make room for academics.

IF the schools license the Buckeyes and Vols, they will still keep the facilities, still keep the tradition of Saturday football, still keep a portion of the TV money and concession revenue, etc.

Why be bitter because the "student athlete" model eventually changed? Why not make the best of it?

I definitely see this as a possibility of the future of big time college football.

 

[BlinghamptonVol]

Is this a new development?

There are several people saying that it's always been done, it's just out in the open now. It may not have been a payment to a kid, but it's an amazing car loan or a family member getting a great new job, etc.

Tennessee has the ability to get in the game and compete.

Do they choose to and if so, do they do it better than their competition?

Lol players have been getting paid in college football and basketball since the 1920s

We literally just busted ourselves for paying players, and other posters are acting like only A&M, bama, and uga are doing it, and wondering if UT will take part. SMH. (Not saying the quoted posters said this, just quoted them to stay on topic.)

Also, why do people think the NCAA is dissolving in the next few years? They’re making millions and millions of dollars. Doubt they are in trouble any time soon.