This describes what has happened to college football perfectly.

[hUTch2002]

You're thinking too small. It won't be a minor league system. With the revenue college football is generating and will continue to generate, eventually college players could earn huge salaries and it could actually compete with the NFL. If "student" athletes eventually become contract employees of the university, then all bets are off! They won't be beholden to meeting academic standards and they won't be limited to 4 years of eligibility. It's conceivable that we see a future where certain players could have long-term careers as athletes playing for a university beyond 4 years, just like NFL players do. It's conceivable that major college football will become, not a farm system for the NFL, but an alternative career path and a true competitor!

Now that’s interesting. It’s out there but I like the thinking. Greed rules all and that’s the ultimate greed move. Then we really would have VFLs!

 

[hUTch2002]

Because you seem to forget: The players are SUPPOSED to be students. Big difference.

The 2 big things that caused a lot of issues for the NCAA are:
1. What you said. Student-athlete vs athlete. They kept trying to hang onto this idea that academics matter in the world of big time college football but the truth is the academics don’t matter.
2. Even bigger to me has been how to treat revenue-generating sports vs the other sports. The NCAA wanted the same rules for everyone but it just doesn’t work. Football players can’t be treated the same as lacrosse players. Every athlete got a monthly allowance and it was a big number to schools because it was for every single athlete. They should’ve had some kind of scales to help revenue-generating sports get a bigger share but they didn’t want to go that route and here we are.

 

[Mccage]

You're thinking too small. It won't be a minor league system. With the revenue college football is generating and will continue to generate, eventually college players could earn huge salaries and it could actually compete with the NFL. If "student" athletes eventually become contract employees of the university, then all bets are off! They won't be beholden to meeting academic standards and they won't be limited to 4 years of eligibility. It's conceivable that we see a future where certain players could have long-term careers as athletes playing for a university beyond 4 years, just like NFL players do. It's conceivable that major college football will become, not a farm system for the NFL, but an alternative career path and a true competitor!

So a 18 year old could play peewee ball?

 

[Brave Volunteer]

So a 18 year old could play peewee ball?

?? I have no idea what you mean by that.

 

[PalmettoStateVol]

You're thinking too small. It won't be a minor league system. With the revenue college football is generating and will continue to generate, eventually college players could earn huge salaries and it could actually compete with the NFL. If "student" athletes eventually become contract employees of the university, then all bets are off! They won't be beholden to meeting academic standards and they won't be limited to 4 years of eligibility. It's conceivable that we see a future where certain players could have long-term careers as athletes playing for a university beyond 4 years, just like NFL players do. It's conceivable that major college football will become, not a farm system for the NFL, but an alternative career path and a true competitor!

It's already there. There were two dudes this year (Northern Illinois linebacker Kyle Pugh and North Carolina State wide receiver Bradley Rozner) that were playing in their 8th year of eligibility! Really? 8 years? College football is a clown show right now!!!!

 

[orangegrass]

Who determines the "worth" of a player?

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

The 2 big things that caused a lot of issues for the NCAA are:
1. What you said. Student-athlete vs athlete. They kept trying to hang onto this idea that academics matter in the world of big time college football but the truth is the academics don’t matter.
2. Even bigger to me has been how to treat revenue-generating sports vs the other sports. The NCAA wanted the same rules for everyone but it just doesn’t work. Football players can’t be treated the same as lacrosse players. Every athlete got a monthly allowance and it was a big number to schools because it was for every single athlete. They should’ve had some kind of scales to help revenue-generating sports get a bigger share but they didn’t want to go that route and here we are.

Correct on #1.

On #2, I think the schools worried about Title IX issues and similar lawsuits. It's extremely difficult to try to claim "we're running an amateur athletics program" while you're compensating revenue generating athletes more than non-revenue generating athletes. Does a college lacrosse player not put the same effort in as a college football player? It's pretty obvious the schools would've been compensating based on revenue generation and that's not amateur sports.

 

[hUTch2002]

Correct on #1.

On #2, I think the schools worried about Title IX issues and similar lawsuits. It's extremely difficult to try to claim "we're running an amateur athletics program" while you're compensating revenue generating athletes more than non-revenue generating athletes. Does a college lacrosse player not put the same effort in as a college football player? It's pretty obvious the schools would've been compensating based on revenue generation and that's not amateur sports.

I agree on number 2 but that was the only way to potentially stave off what we have now. I don’t know how much a lacrosse player practices, trains and plays but it’s not about that. I put forth twice as much effort as a co-worker. Do I get paid twice as much? Nope. That’s life. I can choose to go elsewhere of course but the point is that sometime things aren’t fair. Schools can’t afford to pay every athlete in every sport a substantial amount of money but revenue sports like FB and BKB were never going to accept an amount that would be affordable is paid to everyone. The only answer before we got to where we are now would have been to have some kid of a pay scale. Yes you still pay other athletes but not as much as those in FB or BKB. Too late now!

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I agree on number 2 but that was the only way to potentially stave off what we have now. I don’t know how much a lacrosse player practices, trains and plays but it’s not about that. I put forth twice as much effort as a co-worker. Do I get paid twice as much? Nope. That’s life. I can choose to go elsewhere of course but the point is that sometime things aren’t fair. Schools can’t afford to pay every athlete in every sport a substantial amount of money but revenue sports like FB and BKB were never going to accept an amount that would be affordable is paid to everyone. The only answer before we got to where we are now would have been to have some kid of a pay scale. Yes you still pay other athletes but not as much as those in FB or BKB. Too late now!

Schools have to bristle at compensation for athletes that can't be seen as "educational" because if you're paying someone to play a sport, you're creating a pro athlete relationship. Why are you compensating them beyond educational benefits if they aren't employees?

People can argue all day that players aren't currently employees but Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh in the 9-0 Alston decision STRONGLY hinted that they are in the eyes of the SCOTUS and that the NCAA is in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

NIL and the open portal might look like a disaster but that's what the NCAA decided to do INSTEAD of directly compensating players. It was an attempt to delay the "players are employees" nightmare that's coming.

Employee status means: collective bargaining, a player's union, a draft or some kind of "who gets who" mechanism to keep heavily funded schools from snatching all the players, etc.

That's the real nightmare. In comparison, the NCAA bought a little time for us with NIL and the open portal.

 

[kcvols1]

You "preserve the college game by not paying players" people lost the war. It will never go back to be players having to own access to their NIL being removed and no they cannot "cap it."

Grown ass men on here still crying about athletes making money. Unless you have a Delorean powered by Ukraine uranium traveling at 77MPH you are SOL. Put your big boy pants on and move on.

Wasn’t it the Libyans’ uranium?

RIP Emmitt Brown.

 

[GAVol]

Who determines the "worth" of a player?

It’s the same way we determine everybody’s worth . . . whatever somebody is willing to pay.

 

[hUTch2002]

Schools have to bristle at compensation for athletes that can't be seen as "educational" because if you're paying someone to play a sport, you're creating a pro athlete relationship. Why are you compensating them beyond educational benefits if they aren't employees?

People can argue all day that players aren't currently employees but Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh in the 9-0 Alston decision STRONGLY hinted that they are in the eyes of the SCOTUS and that the NCAA is in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

NIL and the open portal might look like a disaster but that's what the NCAA decided to do INSTEAD of directly compensating players. It was an attempt to delay the "players are employees" nightmare that's coming.

Employee status means: collective bargaining, a player's union, a draft or some kind of "who gets who" mechanism to keep heavily funded schools from snatching all the players, etc.

That's the real nightmare. In comparison, the NCAA bought a little time for us with NIL and the open portal.

They’ll eventually become employees or independent contractors. There’s a lot of control to not be employees.

 

[tbh]

It's already there. There were two dudes this year (Northern Illinois linebacker Kyle Pugh and North Carolina State wide receiver Bradley Rozner) that were playing in their 8th year of eligibility! Really? 8 years? College football is a clown show right now!!!!

8 years?! They're on the Blutarski plan, perhaps.

 

[Remy]

Who determines the "worth" of a player?

The market.

 

[Devo182]

Two cartoons that capture the current zeitgeist of NIL, "Amateur athletes", coaches and administrators.

View attachment 601471
View attachment 601472

Bottom picture is 100% backwards. Kids are just now being paid near their market values. THAT is ethical.

Surprising how many anti-market people are on here.

 

[Devo182]

They kept trying to hang onto this idea that academics matter in the world of big time college football but the truth is the academics don’t matter.

Oh so wrong.

SAs also graduate at far higher rates than non-student athletes.

Also tell that to Minnesota.

 

[hUTch2002]

Oh so wrong.

SAs also graduate at far higher rates than non-student athletes.

Also tell that to Minnesota.

So at the top 10-type football programs you’re telling me they prioritize academics over athletics? Sorry, I don’t buy that a bit. Graduation rates don’t mean anything and Minnesota isn’t exactly big-time football but they’re at least Power 5 and I bet they’d make an exception academically for a stud QB just like any other P5 program.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

First cartoon is missing the truckloads of money being made by coaches, conferences, and broadcasters. Wonder why that’s not a problem.

Because that’s not a problem. Players getting truckloads of cash are.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

It's already there. There were two dudes this year (Northern Illinois linebacker Kyle Pugh and North Carolina State wide receiver Bradley Rozner) that were playing in their 8th year of eligibility! Really? 8 years? College football is a clown show right now!!!!

And it’s only gonna get worse. Pay to play is here.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

I wish big money meant big results.

We'll see. Spyre is one of the deepest pocket out there.

 

[sami]

You're thinking too small. It won't be a minor league system. With the revenue college football is generating and will continue to generate, eventually college players could earn huge salaries and it could actually compete with the NFL. If "student" athletes eventually become contract employees of the university, then all bets are off! They won't be beholden to meeting academic standards and they won't be limited to 4 years of eligibility. It's conceivable that we see a future where certain players could have long-term careers as athletes playing for a university beyond 4 years, just like NFL players do. It's conceivable that major college football will become, not a farm system for the NFL, but an alternative career path and a true competitor!

That seems kind of far fetched, but who knows? If that was to become reality, there isn't enough big time talent to support both the NFL and CFB at an elite level, so the question is which entities would be more valuable and will draw more fans, NFL teams or universities?

 

[irish1485]

People just don’t seem to be able to take a step back and realize how absurd some of these statements are about restricting people’s ability to make money. Amazing how socialist our attitudes get as long as we’re being entertained.

100% this... this sums it all up.

 

[Remy]

The BIG10 historically used to claim their conference did better for educating their student athletes with no cheating than did the SEC with runaway cheating.

The last time they tried to push this message on a national level with the media Ohio State's starting QB got caught selling jersies and stuff along with a couple of their other players red handed. That ended that message from blatant use by the media but the undertones remain IMO.

 

[Fightmaker]

The only problem I have with NIL, is that’s not what it is at all. Nico isn’t making $2 million a year off jersey sales or car dealership commercials. He is making that money because we have a group of people who collected money to pay him to play football at Tennessee. The NIL aspect is the equivalent of the mob owning a waste management business. I have zero problem with him or any other athlete making all the money they can, by signing autographs, merchandise, whatever. I do occasionally see a player’s name on a burger on the menu of a local restaurant, things like that from time to time. That’s the purpose of NIL. But let’s get real, that’s not writing those checks. Everybody knows this. They are free agents, pure and simple.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

The only problem I have with NIL, is that’s not what it is at all. Nico isn’t making $2 million a year off jersey sales or car dealership commercials. He is making that money because we have a group of people who collected money to pay him to play football at Tennessee. The NIL aspect is the equivalent of the mob owning a waste management business. I have zero problem with him or any other athlete making all the money they can, by signing autographs, merchandise, whatever. I do occasionally see a player’s name on a burger on the menu of a local restaurant, things like that from time to time. That’s the purpose of NIL. But let’s get real, that’s not writing those checks. Everybody knows this. They are free agents, pure and simple.

None of the money players have ever been paid in college has been for anything but playing the sport.

The problem is the entire "student athlete" model is built on them not getting paid as athletes and the entire business collapses if they don't do this "backdoor" payment system.

For years it was just under the table, but no less a "free agent, pay to play" situation. Out in the open, it's called NIL but it's still the same system.

It's the business model that's broken. Big money should've never come into college sports but the schools wanted that big TV revenue. That made the athletes valuable to the school and caused boosters to pay them.

Athletes and school athletics should always have been a service to the students, an enrichment to the educational process of a school, and a break even, at best, financial endeavor of the school.

That ship has sailed for several schools and they're the ones paying big NIL deals. Those schools, which includes UT, are the problem. They monetized amateur sports.