I’ve digested the fact that things change. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse. College football is experiencing a lot of change, and it’s like keeping up with the Kardashians.
The benefit that the athletes (and their likenesses) are bringing to their universities should put them in a position to capitalize, and NIL is designed to fix that. I don’t believe the reported numbers that some of the kids are getting ($2M+), but I’m sure it’s significant, especially for the top 1-2% (Arch Manning, etc.).
The transfer portal is now as open as Waffle House, without any real restrictions or penalties for hopping around. To me, this completely negates any argument about kids and a ‘free education’. It’s clear it’s all about personal gain.
What we’re watching is free agency infecting college football. For those of us old enough: we saw what it did to baseball, and it’s hard to argue that it helped anything. It made everything more expensive, and the cost gets passed on to the customer…have you seen what tickets cost to a baseball game now??
But what does this all MEAN? What impact will this have on us – the fans?
I had a conversation with a UGA alumni who went to school when Dooley was there. He’s a hardcore Dawg fan. He won’t wear yellow… old-school stuff. He was complaining (as crotchety old men do) about the players making all this money and skipping around to different schools. I get it. And in large part, I agree with him. However, I feel like there’s a point that he was missing:
With the financial opportunities presented to players, the days of program loyalty are over.
Think about it: D1 college football players are elite athletes. Playing football is what they are best at – that’s why they are playing at an SEC/ACC/B10/etc. school. Their motivation is driven by making as much money as possible doing what they know and love because it can end in an instant. If it means that a Florida Gator running back transfers to rival Georgia, and puts on the silver britches in nine months, then so be it. I’m sure his NIL opportunities are outstanding at UGA, and I don’t fault him for capitalizing. However, this would have been frowned upon some short ten years ago…
Other thoughts:
- We’ll see a pullback on the transfer portal and NIL restrictions. Otherwise, they’ll have to legalize agents. In large part, Dabo’s original feelings about NIL and the portal are accurate, but that’s not the current environment. I think we land in the middle.
- Other than the playoffs, the bowl games are worthless. However, the 12-team bracket is going to be incredible (I continue to blame Auburn for all of the 4-team playoff issues this year. 4th and 31.)
- Conference alignment is a mess. Outside of the SEC, they are all a complete sh!tshow. And I’m 100% behind FSU suing the pants off the ACC. But where do they go?
- I enjoyed watching Primetime this year. His passion and motivation are infectious, and it’s good for the game. I do question how long he’ll stick around after his kids are gone.
- Gameday might be at rock bottom. It’s almost unwatchable. Respect to Corso, but it’s time dude. And Pat McAfee? Over Pollock? I’ve never trusted guys who wear tank tops all the time, but when fake redneck/annoying is your schtick? I’ll pass. ESPN: please revamp and cater to college football fans.
Thoughts?
Transfer portal needs more rules and regulations IMO. Having players transfer from one school to another, just to transfer again the following year is obnoxious. They try to follow NIL money, then hope for playing time the next go-round. Its not instilling much besides chase what benefits them immediately financially, then they realize they need to get film and playing time to make it to the next level so they leave again. I am cool with them making money off NIL, but the way they hop around and the “what can you do for me” attitude are poor for sports.
Agree 100% on Game Day. It’s an odd bunch of misfits, I only watch Marty & McGee and SEC Nation now on Saturday AM. Collectives are messy, it’s turned into “pay to sign” not even “pay for play”. Got to change that just like the NFL did with massive rookie contracts. I’m all about one free transfer, but then there must be consequences on number two. Sport is trash right now…hurts coming from a diehard lifelong college football fan.
We are clearly at a point where the SEC, BIG10, Big 12 and ACC need to break away and have their own division of football with a commissioner. It would essentially be minor league NFL football, but that may be the only way for the overall environment to be regulated in a way to cut down on the tampering and portal activity. This is likely coming at some point, and sooner than later, because the current environment is not really sustainable. If I were a college coach and had an NFL opportunity, it would be hard to pass up given that you now have to re-recruit your ENTIRE roster every winter and summer. That’s exhausting.
Since you mentioned ETN, I may as well say that, as a Florida alum and season ticket holder, it really chapped my ass that he transferred to UGA (ANYWHERE BUT UGA MAN), but I get it. That’s the state of play right now and really good players are well positioned to capitalize.
You wont get away from tampering, not even in the NFL. If anything have two Conferences like the NFL and go from there. Not all will like it, not all need to be a part of it (Independents) but its what work for the Pros and what would make more sense for the ones who whine in the NCAA about SOS, records, being left out, etc.
Barn Cheatin!
WDE!
Show me on the doll where Dylan Raiola hurt you.
Why only focus on the athletes regarding supposed absence of loyalty? no mention of the coaches who have jumped at the highest bidder for decades?
typically enjoy your perspective on things but this is very “old man yells at the clouds”-ish. If you’re agreeing with dabo you’re behind the times.
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The coach perspective is a good one. Jimbo’s buy out, Harbaugh’s ‘no NFL talk’ clause, etc. are all very interesting…and speak to the zero loyalty coaches have as well.
I worked for an awful employer early in my career (Big 4 accounting firm), and couldn’t wait to leave. I blossomed in a new environment with a change of scenery, and I’m glad these kids have the opportunity to do the same. Look at Bo Nix, who became an afterthought at Auburn and went on to be a Heisman candidate at Oregon. Look at Michael Penix, who left Indiana and is now in the playoffs with Washington. I do tend to focus more on the benefits of playing time than money. But money was always involved in the past (cough – Cam Newton – cough), it’s just out in the open now.
I hate where CFB is as much as anyone but it’s on the shoulders of the NCAA for keeping their head in the sand (or elsewhere) for so long. Coaches can change schools and schools can conference hop as much as they want but the players are the ones who need to be ‘loyal’? A education was a fair trade when 30-40 years ago but with schools making hundreds of millions and unwilling to share with the most important part of the product has led to our current situation. If anything transfer regs will be further loosened with several court cases v the NCAA in the hopper. Shark has been jumped now and we can only wait for the minor league football league known as college football 2.0 (or can we)
Living on Tobacco Road my entire life, I’ve always been more of a ACC/ NCAA basketball fan, and I hate to see the state of NCAA conferences. I hate how football has overshadowed basketball in the ACC and how natural and traditional rivalries within the conference have in large part, been undermined by conference expansion.
I think the fans are largely upset because NCAA has lost its purity. We’d like to think that college athletes are just like us-growing up as fans, and wanting to play for their favorite team. That still rings true for some athletes I’m sure, but for some college players the NCAA is just a steppingstone to the pros, and who they play for is an afterthought.
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The NCAA is as bad/worse than current PGA leadership. Both sports would be better off if all leadership disappeared.
At the end of the day, the NCAA has to take a stand for sports (and not just the players). It’s probably too late for the PGA, but the NCAA could turn this around.
Possible solutions- Allow high school players to enter NFL draft and allow NFL to develop a farm system or D league.
It’s hard to fault the players for going somewhere they can get paid, but the beauty of college football is cheering for guys who chose to represent your school. I show up to Clemson 7 Saturdays every fall because I love every part of it, not just the football. I don’t want to see college football become NFL Lite, there is a reason I plan my fall around certain Saturdays and golf or take a nap during Falcon games.
It’s time for universities to spin-off football and basketball into what they actually are: age-restricted professional leagues.
Schools should focus on teaching and spin-off and monetize their non-core athletics, life science research, asset management, and political organizing businesses .
I’ve always been a CFB over nfl guy but the gap has narrowed a lot in recent years. I’m from what used to be big 12 country, Texas, and it was so fun. Aggies playing Texas, bedlam, OU Nebraska, k-state upsetting OU. I’m an OSU grad and still into it and think the big 12 but it’s not the same and hasn’t been for a while. I wish we had management like the sec did but what am I gonna do. Sucks but we carry on. The playoff system is a mess and 12 teams will help but a committee choosing is still kinda a joke to me.
A few thoughts from an ancient Longhorn:
* The vast majority of players who enter the portal are looking for playing time. They’re often 4-stars who didn’t pan out or are buried down on the depth chart. They often end up transferring to smaller directional state schools. This is especially true of QB’s. There are really only a few guys moving for the money. However, I am not nominating any of them for sainthood. I also think some coaches coax or even shove players to enter the portal so he can free up a scholarship for a position of need.
* Once a wall goes down, it rarely gets rebuilt. It’s unlikely there will be new rules to limit the craziness. It’s more likely that the old system will continue to fall apart in staggering ways.
* Players will soon be able to hire agents. If they can earn money from their image, why can’t they have an agent help them get the best deal? The AD’s will fight this because it will break down their control over the deals the players make.
* Because of the loss of AD control, I believe the teams will legally detach from their parent universities, freeing athletic departments from pesky state laws regarding purchasing, media contracts, profits etc. They will still be non-profits so big donors can still get the tax breaks.
* Down the road, I believe the 30-4o biggest revenue schools will break away from an archaic, feckless and toothless NCAA run by college presidents instead of professionals. The multi-year investigations that lead to slaps on the wrist while ruling that the rape culture at Baylor wasn’t a violation were cruel jokes.
* Finally, those 30-4o biggest teams will acknowledge that they’ve essentially become a AAA minor league for the NFL. The remaining schools will become part of AA and single A systems.
Hang on. This rodeo is just getting started.
You sound like a bitter dawg fan….blaming the barners, espn, Fsu suing, Pollack getting canned etc. Did you ever think that Pollack was too much of a homer and that may have had something to do with him getting canned? Not to mention his stupid takes and don’t you think if Auburn could have gotten it done, then they would have. Bama beating Uga in Bryant-Denny East pretty much sealed the fate of Uga and Fsu….maybe if Fsu wouldn’t have blocked the playoff expansion last year then they wouldn’t be crying this year. It really is embarrassing. They should be blaming themselves but then they could always claim a natty like UCF did…The lesson here is don’t play in the All Children’s Conference.
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“You sound like a bitter dawg fan” – Damn right.
Few things:
1. The NCAA stinks. Legit one of the worst ran orgs in the nation.
2. NIL, as stated above, has both pros and cons. Paying the players is a good thing. It is supposed to (and somewhat has already) bring more parity/variety to the football world. Bama and UGA will “always” be good. However, we SHOULD see more teams take that next step to being good/great. IMO it is more enjoyable seeing other schools playing meaningful football (NY6/CFP).
3. Conference realignment DOES stink. However, the SEC when it has come to realignment has made actual sense. Teams being geographically close to other schools. The Big10, 12 and ACC are a joke with going coast to coast.
4. Scrap it all and start over. Go to two mega conferences, create pods/divisions (like the NFL) and go from there. I understand the reason why so many people enjoy the NCAA is that it is different from the NFL. I also agree with that statement. Yet, it will ALWAYS be different from the NFL. More people have legitimate ties to these schools compared to NFL teams. Keep it reasonable with the divisions/pods and keep some tradition with it.
5. Most importantly…MIZ