I found the college football news this morning interesting. First, Chip Kelly, head coach of UCLA from 2018-2023, some 6 years, is interviewing in the NFL. But NOT as a head coach. But as an OC. He interviewed with LV Raiders and is supposedly on track to sign with the Washington Con-Men. Hmmm. The Chipper is 60 years old, still spry enough to dance in the locker room with 18-22 year old guys. He led UCLA to an 8-5 season, an improvement, albeit slowly, and a bowl win. In 2024 UCLA will jump to the bigger panties league, BIG10. Second, then we have Boston College. The alma matre of old Doug Flutie. They won a bowl game in 2023 and took fsu to the brink of defeat. Their head coach, Jeff Hafely (or is it Half-fly) to a 7-6 season, again improvement from prior years. He supposedly claimed that the "current state" of college football was the reason, as in recruiting high school money motivated players, re-recruiting on team players, NIL or not referring players to BC NIL, money raising from BC alums who earn over $50,000, and last, but not least, actually coaching football. To remind everyone, Nick Saban retired. Do you think he chose a year he did not win a NC as the reason? No, Nick is not a quitter. In my crazed psyche, I thought back to Thanksgivings at Nick's house and remembered over hearing him telling his wife Babs, "Babsie, if I ever have to re-recruit my own players, if I ever get out bid for a player with under the table money by Auburn, or if some punk like Wilbur Napier or Kirby Smuck get a recruit from me for money, I'm quitting." Football coaches coach because they love the game and the coaching of it. It is like military generals of old (not the over medalled and ribboned douche bags in DC) like to plan tactics "in case" of war. Do you think they'd enjoy recruiting their own staff year after year or fund raising for grenades and MREs or even being held hostage by NCOs? Nope. But that is what the Jabba the Hut bloated NCAA has produced: A self sinking ship bloated with gold from the deep jungles of ESPN.
I just want to note that 3 anecdotes is not representative sample. College football has changed and will need better regulation. However, there are probably 500 coaches alive today that are fully ready to jump right into a HC role in the current state of CFB. There are 133 D1 programs and a majority of them have retained their head coach. There is not a mass exodus. On top of that, the 12 team playoff is starting this year. CFB is going to have the highest ratings and make the most money ever, by a lot. I'm not saying it's perfect, but cmon. You're taking a few examples to vent about your feelings about the sport. The ship is not sinking, it just needs repairs.
However, there is no contract after this year, no guarantee that the 12 team format will remain. Furthermore, those that pay for all of this have stated if college football doesn't fix their issues, they'll take their advertising money elsewhere. They absolutely do not like one year contracts and the opt outs really pissed off those who paid a lot of money to have their name in the bowl title. Imagine if said advertisers decided enough is enough, and they pull their money out of all of the bowls? No more bowls.
Oh its definitely sinking, viewership has steadily risen in average age, so new passionate fans aren't being created at the the rate they are dying off. Will the pivot to becoming a professional sport correct this, possibly, but it also might run off fans of the old format. We can't say for sure that the ship is doomed yet, but it has definitely taken on a lot of water.
I hate to be pessimistic, but I can certainly imagine them doing exactly that. I would be pissed if I were them, and coaches should have absolutely clamped down on opt outs. That is complete BS. This new, over the top, entitlement of players combined with NIL and the portal, is wrecking the sport.
Average fan age for all traditional sports is increasing, not just college football. I guess you’d have to go to MMA or eSports to see increasing numbers. Having said that, the dollars generated from college football continue to rise. We haven’t seen it peak yet IMO.
This has me wondering. How many players on the current Gator roster have committed to the Gators for next season? And do they count as part of the 2024 recruiting class? If so, we are way, way over the limit. But I guess every school is in the same boat. To penalize one school for overreruiting, the NCAA would have to penalize them all. No bowl games for anybody!
I agree with you sentiment here. I also said, several time before... if you are an underclassman and you "op-out" of a bowl game that should serve as self-termination from the football team, and you should NOT be allowed to even be on campus let alone go with the team to the bowl game too.
OP doesn’t know that coaches have been eating the most off the players’ work for decades? I definitely understand the distaste for what college sports has become, but the coaches are the last ones I would feel sorry for. They leave to the pros or take bigger jobs whenever they want and have ridiculous buyouts if fired. As far as the dig at military generals, all of the ones I’ve met personally have been exceptional officers. Some better than others, but to make it to that level you have to be pretty good. Not sure how you could make a blanket statement about hatchery are over-medaled.
If they are students in good standing they are legally entitled to be on campus. Frankly, unless someone is barred by a court order anyone they can be on campus
Every other professional league with second tier athletes has failed. Only difference is this one has the resources and hijacked fan base to flounder for decades first. As you noted the average age of a viewer has increased by about 5 years over the last decade. Interesting to see how this pans out between fans aging, current students apathetic to sports and the rise of online class where students have a loose association with the school anyway.
In American Football, alternate leagues have come and gone but soccer leagues around the world have 2nd, 3rd, 4th and more tiers and have been surviving for decades. The difference is that participation in the higher classes is results based. The standings and the end of the season determine which teams remain in the top tier. Losers are relegated to lower leagues and the top teams from lower leagues move up. This keeps it interesting for fans. In addition to the end of the year relegation, they also play FA Cup games throughout the season with theoretically all levels of competition (top 4 in reality because the teams must have a suitable stadium to play their FA matches in).
