The "evolution" of College Amatuer Football is breathtaking. Only problem is I am scuba diving in Ginny Springs and it ain't good losing breath!!!! Seriously - Where o where will our beloved game wind up? I don't think the scumbags will ruin it to the point of the sport not being played, but however it "shakes out" I will follow kicking and screaming. I don't like any of this at all. Not that anyone gives 2 shits about what I think, perhaps at 65 I am just a fossil that can't accept change. All I know is that the conference I used to follow is rapidly changing and expected to expand to 20 or more teams. East and West divisions have been terminated. No more CBS and SEC, traditional rivalries are being eliminated. Non playoff bowls don't mean anything anymore. Prices are going up. Saban quit over all these changes. Recruiting is now "an auction", rules are difficult to follow and understand because they are either ill defined or there are no rules. All this with the threat of an NCAA hammer hovering around, ready to make someone the "poster boy" for not understanding the rules and getting 'hung" for that lack of understanding. Gee, when do we kick off against Miami? Keeping up with NIL is like keeping up with NY Corporate tax laws.
You studying on that too? I am thinking about pulling the trigger but I have logistical issues that may prevent me from going.
Not only that, there will be fights within Athletic Departments between athletes that are generating the bulk of the revenue vs. ones that whose sports are being funded by the big 2 sports. Everyone on the Swimming and Diving and the Track teams should be worried whether their sport will even exist as a college scholarship sport in the future.
If anything, I believe this assures the NCAA's ultimate demise. They've sold their souls to the Devil for the right to exist a few more years, but he'll be back around to collect in the very near future. I doubt they last even 10 more years.
We know that the Washington politicians couldn't do anything but turn this into a FUBAR. You're right, though, it could only get a little more F'd up than it is now.
I’ve been a season ticket holder (2 seats) since 1990. This is the first year I considered not renewing. I did renew, but mostly for my two sons, who have been coming to games with me for as long as I’ve had the tickets. I drive to the games from Atlanta. The total cost of these annual pilgrimages to the Promised Land (aka: The Swamp), has gotten pretty expensive. The fact is, I could watch the Gators from the comfort of my home each week, and with the $ I’d save, I could get tickets to watch the Falcons play home games. Now, it would be a matter of simply moving my $ from one pro team to another.
I doubt there's more than a handful of Athletic Departments operating in the black....there's about to be a lot of dramatic cuts in the non-revenue sports. A $20M hole in your already in the red budget won't be easily filled. Teams like LSU won't blink an eye though, they'll just steal some more charitable donations to a local children's hospital to make up the difference.
Your situation sounds exactly like mine. I've been a season ticket holder since 1990. I was planning not to renew this year because of the NIL pay for play charade. My son-in-law convinced me to keep my seats, and he and my son funded them. Next year I will be transferring my rights to him if he wants or can afford them because I know the Booster fee will skyrocket. I have no problem with folks that like pro sports and want to fund them, but I don't like pro sports and have no intention of funding them at any level. Maybe I'll give money that I used to pay for tickets to help fund an engineering scholarship now.
Well there might be one good thing out of all of this and that is it probably puts the Swamp "renovations" on ice for at least a few more years. I think if I was the UAA right now, I would pause every construction/renovation plan, including the proposed new golf course West of town.
It's already in my grandson's travel teams/leagues in both football and baseball. He's 11. I'm sure it's in basketball travel team leagues too.
Very similar to me. Season tix since 1991. Even though I have a long drive, I usually made most home games and a few away games each year. I had already started cutting back to the bigger games due to the drive and the cost. Now, with all the nil and pay to play bs, and prices likely to increase, I likely will be giving up the season tix in the near future.
The only model we have is the NFL don’t the players get a little less than 60 percent of the revenue. The values of the teams keep going up.
They won’t miss us either. A large portion of nfl fans gave it up and they are more financially viable than ever.
Those fans who like pro sports will adapt. For the rest of us just, face the facts. If you post on this forum you love drama. Gators are you soap opera and you need your daily (hourly?) fix. You'll get used to Pro CFB with teams "sponsored" by colleges.
Learn to home brew some beer. It’s a fun hobby that becomes an all day task. Plus it’s cheaper per beer than buying it at a grocery store.
