This is as close to being an actual student as these "Student Athletes" can get. They can transfer whenever they want for whatever reason they can list. The only difference is they make money for the school and for themselves while wearing the schools logos and colors all while not being considered an actual employee. It is a weird dynamic but one we have grown accustomed to in recent years.

Unfortunately, until they designate these kids as employees nothing will change. Essentially the schools would need to band together to create a for-profit league with contracts to control the flow of players which would need to be structured similarly to either the soccer leagues in Europe where teams are independent but in lower tiered leagues or similar to a minor league system here in the states where teams are essentially farm teams for the pro teams.

No way the NFL teams partner up with universities to fund these teams. So I feel the only option is really the European style. So you take the top 30/32 teams whether that is just by best programs, most valuable, or most viewed teams for television/streaming purposes and create a tiered system where those teams play each other and structure it like the NFL with a salary cap and all.

This way it saves the Universities can spend their allotted dollars on the teams and possibly turn a profit from the sale of tickets, merchandise and other ways. They'd have a hard cap on spending, could still promote the school and its activities, and a certain percentage of the profit would need to be directed back to the schools athletic program.

Haven't thought this through TOTALLY because I got to get back to being "productive" today but just an idea.

Then fix the system. Make them employees, establish a union, put together contracts and set a salary cap.

College Football, right now, is working the way the economy works for most of America. If I ca find a better spot and more $ I move. If some manager lies to me and I move that sucks but it is what it is.

The NFL/NBA/MLB are all unionized. That's the only way to make something like this work.

That doesn't work because you would only be addressing half the issue.

As mentioned, you can't hold players to standards actual employees (coaches, admin, etc.) don't have to follow? NIL only means they get paid for where they are now. They are basically independent contractors. And in no way are independent contractors barred from working for someone else in the future. So unless you want to formalize everything and make it the NFL minor league, your angst is in the wrong place.

Why are you mad at the people being used by the system and not the people who are pulling the strings?

Fear not. The big reset is coming. Since college football has become NFL-lite, interest in it will wane and the TV contracts will begin to shrink instead of increasing. Once the money dries up, all the madness ends.

Jawn Dough's solution is the best. Unfortunately it would take an organized boycott and that will not happen. It would sure bring them to their knees in one season.

Any school would be insane to give out a multi year contract w/ guaranteed money upfront.

It would be unenforceable. If you dared sue, nobody coming to your school...

It has become a bore.

Emilio Fantastico said:

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Fear not. The big reset is coming. Since college football has become NFL-lite, interest in it will wane and the TV contracts will begin to shrink instead of increasing. Once the money dries up, all the madness ends.

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NFL lite is bigger than anything other than the NFL. As posters have stated, speak with your pockets. I wouldn't give a dime to anything associated with NIL

lol at griping about the horse being out of the barn.

If you haven't pivoted to other forms of fall entertainment, personal pursuits or more rewarding experiences outside of the sucker's bet that is Aggie football, the joke is squarely on you.

Aggie football is now the bass tournament or golf tournament of the weekend: it's cool to watch for a bit on Saturday but I'll switch it off with ease and do something more rewarding.

I still enjoy game watch parties with friends but it's more about catching up and checking in on people than praying to the false idols of the Kyle field mercenaries.

Quote:

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I'm starting to go down that road of becoming just a casual fan. Will see if I can stick with it. I don't know if I can cut it off completely.

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Been there for years. It's a much happier place than getting all pissed off over a blown 2nd half lead that has zero impact on the coaches' or players' income.

Doesn't stop me from being able to enjoy watching football.

The whole thing, coupled with the Aggies inability ever win anything meaningful, has driven me from super fan to casual fan. I just don't care anymore nearly as much as I used to care.

I used to follow a players development year over year. I used to be able to pretty closely predict the three deep rosters before the season. Now? I can maybe name 10 guys on the roster and I wouldn't be sure if those 10 guys had "entered the portal'' or whatever.

Its become a really bad product and seriously needs some fixing.

It comes with age and kids. I used to be a fanatic about A&M football. Over the years a lot less with 3 boys, one at A&M, one graduating high school and a 15-year-old, who plays football. Now, if he gets a ship to A&M or another school, I hit the reset button for a few years. I still have season tix but do not give more to the U. I donate through my season tix and century club. If I'm not there in person, I usually don't watch them on tv.

Jawn Dough said:

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If you want it to end, speak with your pocketbook. Stop going to the games. Stop watching the games on
TV. Don't buy merch. Don't engage with anything that has to do with college football.

I'm starting to go down that road of becoming just a casual fan. Will see if I can stick with it. I don't know if I can cut it off completely.

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I've definitely been trending this way. I liked college sports a lot more when it was more about the team than the individuals. I will always support A&M sports in some capacity, but my attention to a given sport and / or season will only be extended when we are doing well. Call me a bandwagon fan or whatever you want, but my time (and hard-earned money) is valuable. I am now to the point where I have no problem eliminating sports from schedule. It started with professional sports many, many years ago and is now extending to collegiate sports with the way everything has unfolded over the past several years.

It's still college football and I still enjoy watching it. Whatever.

You guys complaining the most will be the first to buy season tix…

Right now, like most programs, we are being reactive. We are counter-punching. Some program, and I would like it to be us, needs to have some balls. Someone needs to make a stand, be a trailblazer, and set the standard. There is one thing we need to do to establish us as the dominant force in college football. We need to file a lawsuit against a certian player who is pingponging around and treating us like dirt.

Jawn Dough said:

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If you want it to end, speak with your pocketbook. Stop going to the games. Stop watching the games on
TV. Don't buy merch. Don't engage with anything that has to do with college football.

I'm starting to go down that road of becoming just a casual fan. Will see if I can stick with it. I don't know if I can cut it off completely.

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I knew this was what was coming as soon as they allowed it. I didn't expect complete conference collapses, though.

I also see a future where they put limitations on leaving. I also know that we'd all be better off if we just had minor league football and amateur college football. It would be far more like college baseball.

I say keep the madness going. Destroy the sport. Watch it burn.

So end it. You are the all powerful OZ…umm…I meant…OP!!!

Jawn Dough said:

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If you want it to end, speak with your pocketbook. Stop going to the games. Stop watching the games on
TV. Don't buy merch. Don't engage with anything that has to do with college football.

I'm starting to go down that road of becoming just a casual fan. Will see if I can stick with it. I don't know if I can cut it off completely.

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yeah, make A&M suck even worse. Lmao

Change the rules.......After signing at a school, a mandatory 2 year stay !
and a redshirt year won't count toward the two year stay
No transferring, No NFL signing

BrotherChad2 said:

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There's no loyalty to any school.

Players are at a school for 1-year, then transfer immediately again and again.

I'm fine (but am I?) with players having more of a say where and how long they play. But ffs at least give them 2-3 year contracts before they ditch a school and are off to another.

We're seeing instances of guys playing at 4-5 different schools in 4-5 years.

It has to end.

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"There's no loyalty to any school."

We just had some seniors graduate and guys who spent their careers here are moving on to the NFL so factually incorrect.

"Players are at a school for 1-year, then transfer immediately again and again."

Per above should I name the guys on our team who have spent their careers here or is this just hyperbole? If you want to trash guys who left at least acknowledge the guys who stay

"We're seeing instances of guys playing at 4-5 different schools in 4-5 years."

OK. Sure. There are also guys who were stuck on the bench that transferred and won Heisman trophies. How about them?

"It has to end."

No, not really.

rootube said:

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BrotherChad2 said:

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There's no loyalty to any school.

Players are at a school for 1-year, then transfer immediately again and again.

I'm fine (but am I?) with players having more of a say where and how long they play. But ffs at least give them 2-3 year contracts before they ditch a school and are off to another.

We're seeing instances of guys playing at 4-5 different schools in 4-5 years.

It has to end.

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"There's no loyalty to any school."

We just had some seniors graduate and guys who spent their careers here are moving on to the NFL so factually incorrect.

"Players are at a school for 1-year, then transfer immediately again and again."

Per above should I name the guys on our team who have spent their careers here or is this just hyperbole? If you want to trash guys who left at least acknowledge the guys who stay

"We're seeing instances of guys playing at 4-5 different schools in 4-5 years."

OK. Sure. There are also guys who were stuck on the bench that transferred and won Heisman trophies. How about them?

"It has to end."

No, not really.

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NIL has gotten in the way of loyalty. Green is the preferred color these days.

OP - you're going to just have to accept that the college football you once knew will never return. It's now a professional league with no contracts. Sucks, but that's the reality. The NCAA, or whoever, has no power to do anything.

It's a pile of garbage, and that's why I really could not care less if the team that plays in Kyle Field wins or loses. They're only Aggies on their uniform. Yeah, it sucks, and it won't change; I am just glad I had the chance to say I was around when the connection to A&M was real and not purely financial.

When exactly did we cross the line of kids being grateful for a college opportunity that they either couldn't afford or didn't qualify by volunteering to represent the college in a sport… to kids who don't want a college education that feel entitled to more while being accountable to no one?

Yeah, let's get rid of the one way we can use to almost instantly put ourselves in contention to win a title. While we've demonstrated ourselves to be not very good at the NIL game, other schools (e.g., Texas) have used it to pull themselves out of a ditch and contend for titles. If we'd actually win something for once in 100 years, there'd be a lot less complaining about the system.