Some Thoughts Post A&M

All's fair in today's world

 

Is it fair for players to steal NIL money by opting out?

 

Opting out of what?

 

It’s dumb to give NIL to players who opt out, but if you don’t someone else will. They’re not stealing money. People are willingly giving it to them.

 

I’m assuming bowl games, so it doesn’t apply to us anyway.

 

Exactly.

 

Playing when they are needed by their teammates. Not that they will be in high demand to use an extra year of eligibility.

 

I believe if they enter the portal they lose their NIL and scholarship benefits. Yes there are probably only a handful of players that could even draw that kind of attention in the portal. I just don’t think UF should ever hold a players eligibility hostage, especially if they’re are firing the coach.

 

I think it kind of depends on the circumstances. The conversations about redshirts are usually made before the season and coaches won't deviate from that unless the parents agree later. If the player and parents agreed, that got baked into the depth chart. Then when that player chooses to reverse the redshirt, it affects another player who might have gotten some type of assurances about his redshirt or pt. I seem to recall that happened with Braun mid-season, and there was a lot of talk of him quitting on the team to save eligibility for playing for Pittman. It might have been his best career choice, but it affected others.

 

You mean is it fair to the paid employees?

 

This is 20-25% of most of their college careers and I would think cause for second thoughts about the school if we let a doomed lame duck languish all season because it makes things harder for them to transfer.

Sometimes a show of good faith, like trying a new direction that even if it doesn't work out demonstrates that no season of theirs is meaningless, communicates to players on the fence that the overall program and school consider their interests too and could be trusted to make a better choice in the next coach. I think it may at least give enough pause to have kids wait and see rather than be so worn out and disgusted by a season long death march they can't wait to get away as soon as possible.

 

Fair? IDK. But it’s smart. There is no advantage whatsoever to move too quickly on this.