Now that we have free agency (portal), paid players (NIL) and an NCAA proposal to allow for universities to directly pay players the next shoe to drop is the requirement for 'student athletes' to attend classes/take tests/pass classes etc.

The guise of 'student athlete' will be abandoned. Sure, I guess that some walk-ons and some scholarship guys who really care about academics will be able to enroll and take advantage of attending a university but it won't be a requirement to play a major sport.

The 'college' teams will morph into essentially professional teams for teenagers/young adults that are aligned to a college. The university's will get the revenues they negotiate and pay the staffs and build the stadiums etc.

I think we'll be at this scenario in 12 years or less.

I hope not. It needs to be different than the NFL. Making kids go to school is a good way to do that.

The NFL needs to form farm teams like minor league baseball.
Then players have 2 paths to the NFL. Drafted to a farm team straight out of high school or college where all you get is a full ride scholarship. Then people have a choice and STUDENT athletes can quit complaining about not being compensated. NIL is ruining college football.

Paying players is fine.

Free transfer is the problem. Has been from the start. But it's actually not that bad bc the majority of players that transfer do it for the right reasons. Looking to play.

What should come next is the end of athletic scholarships.

misterguinness said:

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What should come next is the end of athletic scholarships.

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Actually, that's a good point.

If you're getting paid a nice salary, isn't a scholarship double-dipping?

I think the next step will involve changing the rules about being enrolled full-time at the START of the semester, and allowing eight-week or even six-week classes to count, and then we'll have in-season trades.

--but AM I joking?

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The NFL needs to form farm teams like minor league baseball.

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Yep. I think the NFL missed the mark with the AAF and is missing the mark with the XFL. Instead of each team having a minor league club, have a regional team that is the minor league team for a few different teams. For example, the current San Antonio Brahmas are the minor league team for the Texans, Cowboys, and Saints. Each team could have a player at each position on that team they could pull from if needed, or just be able to pull any player from that team when needed, but have a certain number of designated "untouchable" players that are under contract with a certain team, so only that team could call them up.

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Now that we have free agency (portal), paid players (NIL) and an NCAA proposal to allow for universities to directly pay players the next shoe to drop is the requirement for 'student athletes' to attend classes/take tests/pass classes etc.

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I think the next step is for there to be actual contracts where a player is committed to a team for at least 3 years (unless a coaching change). After that, they can transfer if they want or go to the draft if they're good enough.

Really no reason to take classes unless you want to get a degree.

Also revenue share on media revenue.

These kids are employees with one job - play a game.

I have no issue with universities paying players since that is consistent with academic programs paying student workers or grad assistants for services rendered.


The legislation I would favor is either requiring better transparency in how much student fees will support athletics or a rule that no student fees go to athletics if athletes are being paid.

This would put an end to so many of those Sun Belt and MAC schools trying to compete in D1, but there is no justification for a regular student to add a couple thousand over 4 years to their debt or student bill. And no president has the spine to stop it because it immediately kills their athletic program.

Direct payments to players is step one to a salary cap (probably including NIL deals which will need to be administered through the schools and an NCAA clearance house)

Then we can get back to the days of "fairness", and of less favored schools always being under the threat of probation.

Can't wait for Scholarship swaps and the Admissions assembly where top schools gather to offer letters to the top players available

Seamaster said:

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Now that we have free agency (portal), paid players (NIL) and an NCAA proposal to allow for universities to directly pay players the next shoe to drop is the requirement for 'student athletes' to attend classes/take tests/pass classes etc.

The guise of 'student athlete' will be abandoned. Sure, I guess that some walk-ons and some scholarship guys who really care about academics will be able to enroll and take advantage of attending a university but it won't be a requirement to play a major sport.

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Who cares? Not my issue, or yours. Going to class / getting a degree is an athlete's choice, just like it was your choice. The athlete should decide if their future is on the field, or in an office. If the athlete makes a bad choice, that's their problem.

amercer said:

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Direct payments to players is step one to a salary cap (probably including NIL deals which will need to be administered through the schools and an NCAA clearance house)

Then we can get back to the days of "fairness", and of less favored schools always being under the threat of probation.

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I see where you are going there.

NIL is the genie that cannot be put back in the bottle. I don't think that would survive an anti-trust challenge, even with a collective bargaining agreement. You don't see limits on pro player outside earnings in their collective bargaining agreements.

The other reason some folks are pushing this is that they want female athletes to make the same as male, and that won't happen as long as NIL is done between 3rd parties and the athletes (taking it outside Title IX).

I'm doubtful that we are going to go down the road where athletes are deemed straight up university employees. There are too many other non-athletic scholarship recipients who could make a similar case, and that would open up a huge can of worms.

I feel sorry for the poors!


We are all laughing.

RoadkillBBQ said:

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The NFL needs to form farm teams like minor league baseball.
Then players have 2 paths to the NFL. Drafted to a farm team straight out of high school or college where all you get is a full ride scholarship. Then people have a choice and STUDENT athletes can quit complaining about not being compensated. NIL is ruining college football.

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Its the NBA and MLB model and it works just fine, and you don't get the whining and complaining about player pay. I say go for it.

Who's helping these kids with financial planning and tax advice?

Not that interested in minor league football. All of these changes will eventually kill what made college football great. They've opened the door and it can't be closed. The current model is probably not sustainable, so they better figure something out fast.

More than a few football players and many basketball players have not been the student part in student-athlete for a long time.

Buford T. Justice said:

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Who's helping these kids with financial planning and tax advice?

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Parents should step up like they should (and likely do) for those students working while attending college and in summer jobs. The numbers are bigger, but the responsibility is the same. Plus they have the money to hire help if needed.

You wanna be paid like a business… I'm all for it…

We'll do term contracts… Can't just up and leave when the moment suits you…

You sign a contract for a specific period of time…

Locked in…

maroonthrunthru said:

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You wanna be paid like a business… I'm all for it…

We'll do term contracts… Can't just up and leave when the moment suits you…

You sign a contract for a specific period of time…

Locked in…

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This is the crux of the issue. NFL players can't leave whenever they want, why should these kids be able to? There are no more amateurs in college football.

I think Leach (RIP) had the best idea of giving these kids contracts to retain their rights. This would also allow the coach to trade or cut players, as necessary. Seems like the best solution to me.

I look forward to the future culling of the FBS Even at 70 current Power Teams, that's too big. We need to cull this down to 56 programs that can pay salaries like NFL-lite programs. Make 4 Divisions of 14, each team playing 13 games against their division, then playing the opposite divisions' same finish as you, i.e. 3rd place team plays the third place team in the other divisions. That's 16 regular season games. ALL OOC games occur in the beginning of the season. Each division champion is in automatically and get a bye, then the 8 highest ranked non-winners get in as wild cards.

Western Division:
Washington, Oregon, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, USCw, Arizona, ASU, Colorado, Utah, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State, and Texas Tech

Upper Midwest Division:
Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Indiana, Penn State, Purdue, and Illinois

Southern Division:
Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, OSU, Arkansas, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss State, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida

Coastal Division:
Miami, FSU, Georgia Tech, Clemson, USCe, UNC, Duke, NC State, Louisville, Virginia, Va Tech, WVU, Pitt, and Maryland

maroonthrunthru said:

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You wanna be paid like a business… I'm all for it…

We'll do term contracts… Can't just up and leave when the moment suits you…

You sign a contract for a specific period of time…

Locked in…

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This is the way. Set the term & set the compensation for a set period of time. And it needs to be done through the school, not through some random side hustle collective. This is how businesses handle compensation for limited pool participants ( see professional athletes, coaches, executives, etc.). The player does better than expected, then he/she can renegotiate the contract and the school can add to the term for additional compensation. It is the only way any of this makes any sense going forward.

Seamaster said:

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misterguinness said:

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What should come next is the end of athletic scholarships.

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Actually, that's a good point.

If you're getting paid a nice salary, isn't a scholarship double-dipping?

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Absolutely. My niece is in her freshman year and is part of the TAMU Archery Team. She finished 4th in her first tournament this year. Maybe give a little more than 2K to those students for scholarship and all other student athletes if FB and BB kids are getting NIL money.

We haven't had student athletes in decades.

What makes it tricky is that its not all football.

Football, basketball (basketball is easy because they can just go the NBA if they are that good...NFL...college players at 18 just aren't good/big/strong enough), might as well just not require them to be students. And honestly, who really cares? While I find it sad that we are away from the student athletethat is just where we are...so...with that acceptance...Who cares? Go get paid...Don't have to be a student. Win football games for the school so they get more doner money.

Schools can now eliminate football scholarships and a like number of female sport scholarships and save a fortune.