NIL And The Portal-Has College Football Jumped The Shark?

[WEDWDW]

Kadyn Proctor,5 Star Freshman at Alabama,went into the Portal when Nick Saban retired in January and transferred to Iowa.

He has now announced he will be reentering the Portal when it reopens in April and coming BACK to Alabama!

The rumor is that Isaiah Bond,the star receiver for Alabama who made the miraculous game winning catch against Auburn,demanded more money to play in the Rose Bowl ON THE PLANE TO LA!

He has now transferred to Texas calling it a Business decision.

Will College Football Fans eventually tire of seeing Players who helped their Team win this year being on Teams trying to beat their Team next year?

Or will Fans just accept that College Football is now a "mini NFL" with no more "School Pride" and continue to support it as always?

 

[Praying Colonel]

For decades schools kept the players "down on the farm" in a way that was immoral at the least and violated anti-trust laws at the worst.

Any college student was free to make money on the open market--except athletes.

Coaches could move around like ants chasing a crumb from a picnic basket--but not athletes.

I have no sympathy for the argument that players should be the only ones who are restricted in their movement and the money they can make. It's always been a business. Millions and billions of dollars were being made by the schools. Now the players get their chance.

 

[soccerdad72]

I miss the good 'ol days when all the money was done under the table between athletes and boosters

 

[dcassetta]

Any college student was free to make money on the open market--except athletes.

Student-athletes, like all students, could choose to have jobs. The NCAA just mandated that they be real jobs like any other students and not made-up "booster" jobs. Now, whether they had time for a job, especially during their season is debatable.

 

[hopemax]

While I generally agree that players should have more control over their NIL and profit from their labor when others are making millions from it, this free-for-all is having a consequence that I care less and less about college sports. Every action has consequences. I compare it to British TV shows, that change their cast every couple seasons. Don't expect me to be invested in a character when I know the character is only here a short time. So your big, emotional storyline... it doesn't matter... just give me "story of the week."

I'm a University of Washington alum, so our reward this season for 2nd place in the football National Championship was losing our coach, most of the players, and as of yesterday, the AD. Which is just all sorts of messed up when an entity expects loyalty and open wallets from their alums in terms of merchandise and ticket sales, donations, etc.

 

[spewey]

It's chaos at the moment. Which I lay squarely at the feet of the NCAA, who refused for years to even consider the slightest change to what was clearly a grossly unfair system.

Coaches have always had NIL and the transfer portal. They would make millions of dollars a year (at the big programs) - heck, they'd have SHOE contracts that'd pay them more than most people ever see. College football (and basketball) are money-making machines, with everyone - school administrators, stadium crews, broadcasters, concession staff, etc etc, getting their cut. The only people that by rule were not allowed a dime were the actual individuals people were paying to see - the players.

I always used Reggie Bush as an example. He'd run into the Coliseum with 100,000 people in attendance, many wearing jerseys with his name on the back. How much did those cost? Who made money off them? Not him. Of course it did it come out that he had taken considerations under the table - money and (gasp) a ride to the Heisman Trophy ceremony - and he was forced to return said trophy, and USC removed all evidence that he had ever attended the school. But, of course as well, they didn't return any of the millions they made off his name, did they.

That's the justification for NIL. As to transfers - it used to be if a player wanted to move schools they'd have to sit out a year, no exceptions. Even if, say - and this happened all the time - they were recruited by a coach with the usual "You're my boy! You're gonna start right away! Gonna build our offense around you!" and then after committing they read that said coach has just jumped to the NFL, or signed with another college for twice the money. New guy comes in, says "Sorry, son, we're going in another direction. Don't like it? Too bad. Sit your butt down. Not gonna play for me. Transfer at the end of the season if you want, and sit out another year. Who's gonna want you?"

The old ways were brutal and unfair. Now you have the Wild West. They're reaping what they sowed for 100 years.

 

[jimmymc]

I will always support allowing NIL because it's what's best for the players. For the top talent coming out of high school, college football was never about pride for your school; it was always a steppingstone to the NFL. You did it because you had to. The walk-ons were doing it for pride. Every other major professional sport has an alternative to college if you want to go from high school to professional. Baseball players get millions in signing bonuses right out of high school, NHL players can enter the league at 18, and the NBA has developmental leagues you can do your one gap year in. The NCAA and NFL created this chaos by relying on colleges to develop their players while pulling in massive profits and not sharing those with players, so I definitely don't feel bad for them.

College administrations will adjust. You'll start seeing athletic departments hire dedicated staff to organize NIL offers so coaches can just coach, and eventually the work will be more balanced, so head coaches don't need to act as the owner, GM, and coach all in one. Right now, they're just going through growing pains.

What I think has had a larger impact is the lessened transfer rules. It started with the NCAA granting waivers for guys who had the right lawyers and ended up with letting them play for different schools every year. I do think they went a bit too far with this one. Let guys transfer when one of their official coaches leaves or they graduate, but a lot of guys are transferring because they want to start at another school, and that's a pretty weak reason to me.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

For decades schools kept the players "down on the farm" in a way that was immoral at the least and violated anti-trust laws at the worst.

Any college student was free to make money on the open market--except athletes.

Coaches could move around like ants chasing a crumb from a picnic basket--but not athletes.

I have no sympathy for the argument that players should be the only ones who are restricted in their movement and the money they can make. It's always been a business. Millions and billions of dollars were being made by the schools. Now the players get their chance.

I never get the coaches argument. Coaches sign contracts. They can't change teams yearly without penalty. I'm good with players collecting NIL. We all know a few football schools have been paying players for decades. All schools should be playing by the same rules. That said, allowing the players to negotiate payment, but also transfer yearly, isn't an equivalent comparison to what coaches can do.

 

[jimmymc]

I never get the coaches argument. Coaches sign contracts. They can't change teams yearly without penalty. I'm good with players collecting NIL. We all know a few football schools have been paying players for decades. All schools should be playing by the same rules. That said, allowing the players to negotiate payment, but also transfer yearly, isn't an equivalent comparison to what coaches can do.

Coaches can easily get contracts at larger schools without penalties. A larger school will offer them a higher salary and pay their buyout. They can leave during the middle of the season, skip bowl games, and leave their current team with no direction. There is no downside for a coach taking a bigger offer.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Coaches can easily get contracts at larger schools without penalties. A larger school will offer them a higher salary and pay their buyout. They can leave during the middle of the season, skip bowl games, and leave their current team with no direction. There is no downside for a coach taking a bigger offer.

Exactly! My point is, if we want to use the coaches argument, players would need to sign contracts. They would then need to pay the buyout or find another school willing to pay them more & pay the buyout in order to get out of the contract. The coaches argument isn't an accurate comparison, unless the players are required to sign a contract with transfer stipulations.

 

[jimmymc]

Exactly! My point is, if we want to use the coaches argument, players would need to sign contracts. They would then need to pay the buyout or find another school willing to pay them more & pay the buyout in order to get out of the contract. The coaches argument isn't an accurate comparison, unless the players are required to sign a contract with transfer stipulations.

I see what you're saying. I do generally agree that transfer rules are too relaxed. Things like a major coach leaving or grad transferring make sense, but playing for 5 or 6 teams is a lot.

 

[HopperFan]

.

Will College Football Fans eventually tire of seeing Players who helped their Team win this year being on Teams trying to beat their Team next year?

Or will Fans just accept that College Football is now a "mini NFL" with no more "School Pride" and continue to support it as always?

Already have zero interest in watching this mess. NCAA has made a mess of it all.

There is a reason Saban walked out the door and many will follow.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I never get the coaches argument. Coaches sign contracts. They can't change teams yearly without penalty. I'm good with players collecting NIL. We all know a few football schools have been paying players for decades. All schools should be playing by the same rules. That said, allowing the players to negotiate payment, but also transfer yearly, isn't an equivalent comparison to what coaches can do.

The argument is that coaches could contract for what movement they could exercise and under what circumstances. Some coaches have no buyout and can move at will, others have buyouts--but can still move, subject to the buyout being paid (usually by their new employer). Players' freedom of contract and freedom of movement, however, was wrongfully withheld from them. So I'm not exactly going to cry a river for the NCAA and the schools now that they've reaped the whirlwind.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Student-athletes, like all students, could choose to have jobs. The NCAA just mandated that they be real jobs like any other students and not made-up "booster" jobs. Now, whether they had time for a job, especially during their season is debatable.

College student Joe Snuffy could make money off his image. Before the NIL rules, however, college athlete Joe Snuffy was prohibited from doing so, no matter what the market was willing to pay for the use of his image. Only he NCAA and the schools could make money off the image!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

The argument is that coaches could contract for what movement they could exercise and under what circumstances. Some coaches have no buyout and can move at will, others have buyouts--but can still move, subject to the buyout being paid (usually by their new employer). Players' freedom of contract and freedom of movement, however, was wrongfully withheld from them. So I'm not exactly going to cry a river for the NCAA and the schools now that they've reaped the whirlwind.

I agree with most of what you've posted, but don't think the situations will be equivalent, until the players are required to sign contracts. Let them negotiate the way the coaches do.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I agree with most of what you've posted, but don't think the situations will be equivalent, until the players are required to sign contracts. Let them negotiate the way the coaches do.

I think it's happening now. You even have players threatening to transfer to get their NIL deals renegotiated, like coaches will flirt with universities in order to get an extension.

What I think will be interesting is the litigation that may ensue over NIL breach of contract. Acme University QB Bubba Snuffy transfers at the semester break, or quits the team, or gets arrested for something sketchy. The local car dealership that paid him now wants to sue him to get their $ back. It's a brave new world.

 

[Praying Colonel]

BTW, the origin and use of the term "student-athlete" by the NCAA is problematic:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1761050633677734180

 

[tarheelmjfan]

@Praying Colonel, I'm not ignoring you. I'm currently preoccupied with March Madness. I'll get back to you, when I have more time to think about your posts.

 

[Praying Colonel]

@tarheelmjfan, I'm with you--I've got the quad game feature on YouTube TV working hard. Congrats to your Tar Heels. My Wildcats play at 7.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I think it's happening now. You even have players threatening to transfer to get their NIL deals renegotiated, like coaches will flirt with universities in order to get an extension.

What I think will be interesting is the litigation that may ensue over NIL breach of contract. Acme University QB Bubba Snuffy transfers at the semester break, or quits the team, or gets arrested for something sketchy. The local car dealership that paid him now wants to sue him to get their $ back. It's a brave new world.

The whole idea of NIL wasn't well thought out, which isn't surprising for the NCAA. Supposedly, the schools & boosters couldn't be involved. No random business is going to take that chance, unless they have a personal investment in the school. (The post season commercials are truly NIL, but that's about it.) I expect they'll drop the whole pretense of what is now NIL & allow the schools to manage sponsorship going forward. I also think legal contracts are coming soon. Selfishly, I hope they'll still expect the players to go to school, while they're there.

BTW, the origin and use of the term "student-athlete" by the NCAA is problematic:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1761050633677734180

Sorry, I don't have time to read this now & watch the video. March Madness & all that. I'll try to get to it later. One & done killed the whole student-athlete idea in basketball. It hasn't been true for some teams in football for decades.

@tarheelmjfan, I'm with you--I've got the quad game feature on YouTube TV working hard. Congrats to your Tar Heels. My Wildcats play at 7.

You're better at focusing than I am. I tried the split screen, but couldn't concentrate on any single game. I've spent the day flipping channels.

Thanks for the congrats. I know you probably won't be checking in here for the next couple hours, but good luck to Kentucky.