If these players become employees of the universities I'm out... I already don't even watch the NFL anymore. I can find something else to to invest my time in... of that I'm sure.
Except that if it goes to paying players with contracts it will be just like the NFL with a "trade deadline" and window for that.
The NFL undoubtedly has a better system. One that would be nearly impossible to implement in college. One, as long as the athletes are forced to go to college, we are not having a draft. That idea is just absurd. Two, the third party money is too much a part of college ball. Its not just going to go away. A few years ago, you may have been able to somewhat work around it. Now, with all these collectives fully setup and operational, that system is here to stay. So any cap is easily bypassed with “endorsement” money. The NFL doesn’t limit it and they never had to deal with what we have in college. That’s two integral parts of the NFL model I see no way around for college ball. There’s a lot more than that, but those two alone are a big enough deal it makes the rest not even worth talking about.
It’s a mess never seen before but there are folks much smarter and more educated than I that can help this situation. They are too busy raking in the cash .
People that are wealthy enough to stroke million dollar checks generally got that way by writing checks with some sanity. Sure, they might buy frivolous toys, but it is hard to imagine folks writing tens of millions in checks every year to 18-22 year olds when they have no ownership or pecuniary benefit. An NFL owner writes huge salary checks but gets the gate, TV right money, and profit when the franchise sells. I know for a fact that some major UF donors are already weary of getting told "this kid needs $500k and we got him" only to be later told that he needs "$750k". I could be wrong but even for the Bama/UGAs, I do not think that level of out of pocket spending with no return is sustainable. Some NIL deals look to return capital through future player income, perhaps making a system of alumni support sustainable. Some premier college athletes face option to exchange NIL riches for portion of future earnings Our very own German Dexter signed with BLA and is fighting them in court now. The Ever-changing NIL Landscape: Athlete Investment Contracts Disguised as NIL Contracts - McLane Middleton I find the above very concerning - an 18 year old pledging income for 25 years? Wanton third party contracts with whomever walks in the door also seems like a ticket to lawsuits between players/sponsors and uncontrolled competitive landscape (no salary caps). I get the angst with having student athletes as University employees but a negotiated labor agreement brings far more certitude to the game, the athletes, and the schools than the current wild west. It is also the only way to tackle the portal issue due to the necessity of a negotiated agreement between players/schools to limiting transfers. And finally, it brings insurance and health care into play, which certainly should be provided (remember the small texas university linebacker who was from a poor family and was paralyzed in a game? Sued and lost and Mom was saying he/her would be homeless due to medical cost and not being able to work).
There’s a ton of issues that can be addressed. I’ll never feel sorry for the guys holding 100 or 200 or $300,000,000
Protecting or feeling “sorry” for rich guys was never mentioned in my post. The observation was that folks with that kind of money generally don’t continue writing huge checks with highly suspect value or a return. Maybe the market takes care of NIL as Funders go “F this?” The concern I expressed was for 18 year olds signing deals that committed a percentage of their earnings for 25 years to a third party for less than $500k (like Dexter).
And the money I was referring to is what the schools are making every year. Dexter should be paid for what he did at UF but if you sign a contract, shouldn’t that be the end of the discussion unless the contract is deemed illegal. Not paying the players is crazy when they help generate so many millions every year. I like other sports too but if my daughter wants to play an unprofitable sport, I better get out my wallet. Football shouldn’t be forced to support others. Why should Dexter pay for his counterpart? He earned it, don’t give it to some kid playing archery.
This is what some want, as they think UF is throwing a ton of money away just playing stupid football games. I am afraid many schools are going to be left in the dust, because they're falling behind in the NIL race! Will schools like Vanderbilt ultimately abandon their football programs?
The mess is over money, and I only see that problem worsening. Someone once said, "The love of money is the root of all evil!"
They can’t. They’re forced to stay in the current model in order to service the debt on bloated facilities.
Vandy will never abandon their football program as long as we’re giving them free money for not doing shit
They may not be doing what you expect of them, but they pay buyouts and fire coaches just like the rest of us. If they just simply didn't care, they would have just let Mason roam the sideline for eternity.