NCAA considering change to 5 years of eligibility

The simplest way to look at it is that the more the NIL numbers creep up and eligibility is extended, the more the NCAA is now in direct competition with the NFL for talent. That’s the exact opposite of how it was pre-NIL.

 

The NFL does not want 18 and 19 year olds.

 

I’m confused. As a professor at a state university JUCO class credits can transfer, but now that time as a player doesn’t transfer regarding eligibility? Some may say athletes don’t care about a degree but there are plenty of examples of athletes that came back and finished their degree. Also, Most universities have a rule where course credits are no longer valid after about say seven years.

 

I’m not talking about the 19 year old. I’m talking about the third (or fourth I’m this new plan) year guy who might be a second or third round pick and decides to stay in school because he makes as much or more by staying. Or the 23 year old who can play another year in college and make more than he would make as a late round pick/UFA. Or the potential second round guy who has made several million in college and has bad knees or concussions, his value prop for going pro at all changes drastically. Same with the high end guy out of HS who made 10 million or more like the UM QB will, and is a second or third round grade after 4 years, his incentive to go pro at all comes into question.
And at a more basic level, the longer kids are in school as the NCAA eligibility expands, the less talent that is available for the ncaa. The first round guys will still come out early, it’s everyone else they potentially lose.
And no, I don’t see a crisis for the nfl today on it, but let’s see where we are in a few years as this all evens out and the first of the trust fund babies make it through years four and five.

 

... plus adding up to four playoff games to a season.

 

All this will do is push NFL wages up for rookie contracts if that is the case.

 

Could be, but the vets won’t be happy if it comes out of their pockets, so the CBA may have to up the player revenue percentage, and owners lose profit. Probably still less than the cost of actually creating a minor league though.
When I first posted it above it was more a musing, I don’t think anyone knows the ultimate impact, just that the paradigm between the NFL and NCAA has changed and it will be really interesting to watch.

 

The military academies are the closest to purity in this regard, but even they have started letting graduates postpone their military careers to play professional sports. I guess the flip side of that is who wants to be a 30 year old second lieutenant.

 

They also give them a chance to jump in the transfer portal after their plebe year but before their junior year.
This year 2 Army, 1 Navy and 6 Air Force jumped in the portal.

 

After several million, id chance it