Pay the players to play in the bowl games—then open the portal after January 1. The stars will still not play, but if enough $$, the “others” might.
Or pay only the winning team—that might coerce some to play to help out their teammates who usually don’t get a big pay day.
What’s the old saw? Even a blind fat sow occasionally finds an acorn. But it’s a terrible standard for saving a ship that’s sinking as fast as this sport.
So only 16 teams participate in post-season, which likely means 5 or 6 from both the Big10 and SEC and 4-6 others. I don’t think most of us understand the physical toll football takes on players. We saw that with the Utes this past year, but unlike the NFL, schools cannot just go out and sign players to replace the injured.
What we saw this past year were players announcing their intention to enter the portal in October and November even though the portal did not open until early December. I don’t see how moving the official date changes that. I think the portal would change significantly if the NCAA simply reinstated the rule only allowing 25 initials per year and prohibiting schools from taking scholarships away except for academic or criminal issues.
I don’t see how making them employees eliminates NIL. Professional players are employees but can still have endorsements.
Paying the players to play in bowl games? The vast majority of bowl games are already a financial loser for the schools. Any tickets a school does not sell from its allotment is reduced from its payout.
The bottom line as I see it is that fanbases that want to see their teams succeed are will need to pony up more money to pay the players. The schools have built facilities and entered contracts with coaches and those things still need to be paid for so I don’t see the schools ponying up more money. I think there will be increasing efforts to eliminate general fund and student fees from athletic department budgets and make them succeed or fail on their own.
College football and basketball are becoming AAA, AA, A baseball depending on the level and the D league in basketball. I think some fanbases will be willing to keep paying more and more and more. I’m not sure Utah is one of those fanbases. How many of us are willing to double the amount we “contribute” to the Crimson Club" to fund NIL and/or player employment? I know that I am not. It will be interesting to see how season ticket renewals go this year. If it gets to the point that supply outpaces demand, we will see something similar to what happened with Utah basketball.
It seems to me it’s the combination of the Portal and NIL that is wreaking havoc the most. Those two factors exacerbate each other.
The Portal emerged in 2018, NIL appeared in 2021.
Since NIL was based on the O’Bannon lawsuit, if the Portal went back to the previous rule that players had to sit out a year, it might slow down the erosion. Extend a transferee’s eligibility a year, if need be, but tightening up the rules might help stabilize CFB.
Guys sitting out to prep for the NFL draft is outside the purview of college athletics. The NFL requiring 3 years out of HS is actually a stabilizing factor.
Given that a court just eliminated the two transfer rule, I can’t imagine it going back.
Well, now Jonah Ellis is headed to the NFL. Unless changes are made, this is where college football (or maybe we should call it major university football) is going. Coaches will need to rebuild their programs annually and much more fundamentally because their stars will head off to the NFL as soon as they can. In reality, that is no different than what men’s basketball is now, but that hasn’t been good for basketball and it’s not good for football.
And get off my lawn!
I just talked to one of my neighbors and he said that he isn’t renewing his season tix because he is tired of the BS with NIL and the portal. I wonder how many more are out there?
Jocelyn Malaska is from Oklahoma and transferred to OU as areferrrd walkon
I’m renewing (so we keep the seats), but I’m strongly considering selling the seats next season. My college football interest continues to wane through conference shuffling, portal insanity, NIL, etc, etc.
I’m also getting to the point where I honestly kinda prefer to watch the game on the big screen at home instead of having to coordinate an entire day to attend in person.
I understand. But this is my “hobby”. I don’t golf. I don’t hunt. Tailgating and attending football games is what I do. I always block out the entire day for games. That’s why I get peeved when the game is at noon. That cuts out great tailgating time. People who think that a couple of hours tailgating is ample, just don’t understand tailgating.
Totally get it, and I’m certainly not casting any judgement on those who make game day an experience. I wish I still had the energy and time to do that, but it’s getting harder and harder as the kids get into more and more activities (and as I get older).
The last couple seasons have usually ended up with me going to the game with friends while Mrs. SkinyUte hauls the kids around to games, performances, etc… That’s not very fair to her.
Noon? I’m sure 10 am games are coming with our new overlords
I’m keeping our season tickets because I can make a ton of money off them.
The thought has entered my mind.
This is by far my biggest complaint, but I’m not ready to check out yet…
Finally some good portal news.
Well sh!t…