Let's have an honest discussion on NIL and the portal
- Thread starter Matt Dossett
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I have to think college athletics will collapse at some point. Part of the fun of college sports is a connection people have with a team. The lived in the area, they went there, they grew up a fan, they played there, they met a player, whatever and you become a fan. Sometimes diehard for life. Those connections are getting lost because so many programs can’t keep a roster together more than a season. Those connections are gone. More and more bigger programs don’t have even a remote chance.
But as more and more “big” programs are getting pushed aside, you are alienating large groups of fans. Sorry, but Arkansas, Purdue, Washington State, etc. it’s over. You will never complete at a high level and if you do, it’s a fluke and your team will be gutted in the offseason. Those schools have large fan bases that will lose interest because they don’t have a chance and no connection to the program. It was okay when MT, Tulsa, and UNLV were getting screwed and didn’t have a chance because they didn’t have a big enough fan base. Now big teams are getting pushed aside to consolidate up. That’s a huge mistake. Large groups of fans are getting alienated. Do the powers that be think fans that follow Washington State will give up on their team and start following Notre Dame? Because that’s the way it’s being set up. You won’t be loyal to your school, you will become a fan of the top 10 programs with all the money. I don’t see that working too well.
But as more and more “big” programs are getting pushed aside, you are alienating large groups of fans. Sorry, but Arkansas, Purdue, Washington State, etc. it’s over. You will never complete at a high level and if you do, it’s a fluke and your team will be gutted in the offseason. Those schools have large fan bases that will lose interest because they don’t have a chance and no connection to the program. It was okay when MT, Tulsa, and UNLV were getting screwed and didn’t have a chance because they didn’t have a big enough fan base. Now big teams are getting pushed aside to consolidate up. That’s a huge mistake. Large groups of fans are getting alienated. Do the powers that be think fans that follow Washington State will give up on their team and start following Notre Dame? Because that’s the way it’s being set up. You won’t be loyal to your school, you will become a fan of the top 10 programs with all the money. I don’t see that working too well.
Great post.
I really think there is a place for schools like ours. Do I think a split will happen, yes I do. All that money and those big schools will do their own thing and the rest of us will be true college football.
Will we get ransacked after a good season, yup. But so will every other school. A lot of me wants that split to happen. At yhe same time we all are FBS. But, I'd rather compete with our true peers than the Ohio States and Florida States that we all know we aren't really competing with anyway.
Things will be a disaster for several years. Moreso than now. But once that split happens and things settle out below, I think college football really can be fun again.
And if the conferences don't get their roster act together and get the settlement approved, that split will happen sooner than later.
I completely agree with Sommy. NIL deals should be like the NFL, no pay in offseason and split the deal for the number of games they play, minus injury. I don't know...
I'd be ok with the split to be honest, if it brings true football to schools like ours.
Why did Nico's brother transfer, considering he never played a game? Think his dad wanted to make a point or just get him out of the SEC? I can totally see his dad screwing this deal up before it's over.
I'd be ok with the split to be honest, if it brings true football to schools like ours.
Why did Nico's brother transfer, considering he never played a game? Think his dad wanted to make a point or just get him out of the SEC? I can totally see his dad screwing this deal up before it's over.
Those of you with a sub to the Athletic - Dabo sees it coming:
www.nytimes.com
The only thing stopping it as of right now are the TV deals, but they will run out eventually and some entity will put together something like the Super League.
Here's an excerpt:
The two most powerful conferences, the Big Ten and the SEC, have shown no interest in these initiatives. Nonetheless, Swinney thinks “those dominoes are already in place” for a super league, which he thinks would include 40-50 teams. Asked whether he thinks a super league is something that will or should happen, he answered, “Both.”
“It’s not sustainable the way we are. It’s just a matter of time,” Swinney said Wednesday. “It’s one of those things even though for some of us it’s really clear to see, we’ve just gotta go through it to get there.”
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/58...ege-football-super-league-pitch-project-rudy/
One potential domino just fell into place at Swinney’s school: Clemson, along with Florida State, settled a series of lawsuits against the ACC over the league’s grant of rights, which will keep the two prestigious football brands in the conference until 2031 and will distribute more revenue to members that drive higher television viewership.
That means 2031 could kick off the next major round of realignment — perhaps including the Big Ten and SEC competing to gobble up the ACC’s biggest brands. But Swinney envisions those top 40-50 programs all joining forces, even the Big Ten and SEC, despite the fact that it would probably mean those two conferences ceding power and revenue.
“Eventually money’s going to win the day,” Swinney said. “I think other dynamics and factors will eventually come into play. I just think people are eventually going to see the business opportunity involved, and it’s going to come down to brands, and TV viewership, and all of that type of stuff. Moreso than a league (you’re in right now). Eventually that’s where it’ll get to. Who knows when we’ll get there. Probably sooner rather than later.”
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney predicts college football super league ‘sooner rather than later’
Swinney has been outspoken in recent years against what he sees as the professionalization of college sports.
www.nytimes.com
The only thing stopping it as of right now are the TV deals, but they will run out eventually and some entity will put together something like the Super League.
Here's an excerpt:
The two most powerful conferences, the Big Ten and the SEC, have shown no interest in these initiatives. Nonetheless, Swinney thinks “those dominoes are already in place” for a super league, which he thinks would include 40-50 teams. Asked whether he thinks a super league is something that will or should happen, he answered, “Both.”
“It’s not sustainable the way we are. It’s just a matter of time,” Swinney said Wednesday. “It’s one of those things even though for some of us it’s really clear to see, we’ve just gotta go through it to get there.”
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/58...ege-football-super-league-pitch-project-rudy/
One potential domino just fell into place at Swinney’s school: Clemson, along with Florida State, settled a series of lawsuits against the ACC over the league’s grant of rights, which will keep the two prestigious football brands in the conference until 2031 and will distribute more revenue to members that drive higher television viewership.
That means 2031 could kick off the next major round of realignment — perhaps including the Big Ten and SEC competing to gobble up the ACC’s biggest brands. But Swinney envisions those top 40-50 programs all joining forces, even the Big Ten and SEC, despite the fact that it would probably mean those two conferences ceding power and revenue.
“Eventually money’s going to win the day,” Swinney said. “I think other dynamics and factors will eventually come into play. I just think people are eventually going to see the business opportunity involved, and it’s going to come down to brands, and TV viewership, and all of that type of stuff. Moreso than a league (you’re in right now). Eventually that’s where it’ll get to. Who knows when we’ll get there. Probably sooner rather than later.”
Do the powers that be think fans that follow Washington State will give up on their team and start following Notre Dame?
Yes.
They're banking on the draw of a titanic Ohio State vs USC matchup on TV for free outweighing the draw of going to sit in the rain and pay for parking/travel/concessions/tickets to see your alma mater play UNLV.
And, looking at attendance trends even before - they're probably right. (We can also talk about societal trends and how younger folks are becoming less social, more introverted, more connected to screens, less into sports and how that plays into our traditional football go-see-your-team model - but that gets complex).
And eventually, as the younger generations grow up without a local college football team or a family link to a program, they'll essentially become NFL style fans, where you pick your team regardless of connection or geography.
And then you have the NFL-lite with it's TV money. That's the end game.
And all us leftovers will end up in some kind of middle ground between the super league and FCS.
Why did Nico's brother transfer, considering he never played a game? Think his dad wanted to make a point or just get him out of the SEC? I can totally see his dad screwing this deal up before it's over.
UCLA sold the handlers on sort of a package deal where Nico goes to the NFL next year and Madden takes over the job. We'll see about that (not convinced that Nico is all that great).
They signed at Arkansas in the first place on signing day last year, sight unseen and without ever visiting the place, just because Arky came in with a larger NIL figure at the last minute, not because of any interest in Arky or wanting to play in the program or football opportunity.
The fun thing is that supposedly Arky has some NIL contract language that allows them to go after a player for breach of contract. We'll see how that goes, but they're being aggressive with it.
I had no idea that was a sight unseen deal. I would think they would have at least visited Fayetteville before signing. I'd take a $100K less to go to campus I thought I would enjoy being at vs hating it.
There is a huge part of me that wants Arkansas to recoup that money.
I still think they are only paid based on number of games they play, nothing in the offseason. I don't know if that is feasible or not though. This is exactly where I think when a kid hits the portal, he is automatically disenrolled or has to pay his own way, especially in the spring.
Someone may can answer this, but when a kid hits the portal and classes still going on, do the kids finish the semester or typically bolt immediately? Are they obligated to pay back some monies they collected? If not, there should be.
I hope AR gets their money back, but I doubt it. No one has before. Everything I've seen says those contracts aren't enforceable, which makes zero sense to me.
I'm gonna laugh my butt off though when Aguilar does better than Iamaleava ever did at UT. Just wait until Nico is playing at Ohio St again in the November cold.
I tell ya though, the Razorbacks have money out the ying yang. My company has an office in Rogers and I work closely with several UA grads. Between Walmart, Tyson, and Jerry Jones, they should be in the top of the SEC every year. Whatever young gun replaces Pittman next year will have a huge pile to play with.
I'm gonna laugh my butt off though when Aguilar does better than Iamaleava ever did at UT. Just wait until Nico is playing at Ohio St again in the November cold.
I tell ya though, the Razorbacks have money out the ying yang. My company has an office in Rogers and I work closely with several UA grads. Between Walmart, Tyson, and Jerry Jones, they should be in the top of the SEC every year. Whatever young gun replaces Pittman next year will have a huge pile to play with.
Those of you with a sub to the Athletic - Dabo sees it coming:
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney predicts college football super league ‘sooner rather than later’
Swinney has been outspoken in recent years against what he sees as the professionalization of college sports.
The only thing stopping it as of right now are the TV deals, but they will run out eventually and some entity will put together something like the Super League.
Here's an excerpt:
The two most powerful conferences, the Big Ten and the SEC, have shown no interest in these initiatives. Nonetheless, Swinney thinks “those dominoes are already in place” for a super league, which he thinks would include 40-50 teams. Asked whether he thinks a super league is something that will or should happen, he answered, “Both.”
“It’s not sustainable the way we are. It’s just a matter of time,” Swinney said Wednesday. “It’s one of those things even though for some of us it’s really clear to see, we’ve just gotta go through it to get there.”
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/58...ege-football-super-league-pitch-project-rudy/
One potential domino just fell into place at Swinney’s school: Clemson, along with Florida State, settled a series of lawsuits against the ACC over the league’s grant of rights, which will keep the two prestigious football brands in the conference until 2031 and will distribute more revenue to members that drive higher television viewership.
That means 2031 could kick off the next major round of realignment — perhaps including the Big Ten and SEC competing to gobble up the ACC’s biggest brands. But Swinney envisions those top 40-50 programs all joining forces, even the Big Ten and SEC, despite the fact that it would probably mean those two conferences ceding power and revenue.
“Eventually money’s going to win the day,” Swinney said. “I think other dynamics and factors will eventually come into play. I just think people are eventually going to see the business opportunity involved, and it’s going to come down to brands, and TV viewership, and all of that type of stuff. Moreso than a league (you’re in right now). Eventually that’s where it’ll get to. Who knows when we’ll get there. Probably sooner rather than later.”
Glad to see someone in the sport and not just a media pundit say it.
That's exactly why I've said end of the decade. All within a 4yr window from 2030-2034, the B1G, B12, SEC, and CFP deals are up. And thanks to the FSU settlement, by 2031 schools will be able to afford to leave the ACC. And I dare say the P12 will make their deal end around then too.
Leading into that 4yr window is when things will begin to change.
After that will be messy part while the rest form a new division and it all gets sorted out (hopefully regionally).
We're not privy to the contract, but I wonder if there was a signing bonus? Or perhaps some contractual obligations that were already set up - i.e. "here's 50k, we're planning on having you on 5 Razorback Caravan stops this summer".
Then you could claim that you suffered damages from future obligations that the player committed to and received consideration for.
Either way, I'm pretty sure they have a basis for that 200k, and there will probably be some settlement.
I'm just glad that the schools are starting to protect themselves and go after this behavior.
You're dead on about Arkansas money. Arkansas is part of my adjuster territory, and I'd been all over the state (LR, Texarkana, Helena, Jacksonville, and Jonesboro) and it's kind of a dump. Then I went to Fayetteville in February for a couple of days work - that place could be Franklin or Brentwood with all the fancy housing and infrastructure. It was hard to believe I was in Arkansas.
"...... the new entity would allow the athletics department to undertake a variety of business development opportunities and to offer pay and benefit programs to employees – and potentially to athletes – that it cannot under current university policies or cannot do so in an efficient manner......"
Jacksonville... I went to C-130 Initial and Instructor school there, did flew with the C-130 Test Center for a while... Not kidding, Jacksonville is awful.
My eldest daughter has a friend on the Arkansas dance team and she seems to like it in Fayettville.
But doesn't this set them up as a profit and lose the non profit status?
All of them, no. But if the split is 40-50 teams like most are predicting, a few might. Keep in mind not all the ACC or B12 will make it either. So not all current P4 schools will split and even some current G5 will go. I could easily see USF going for example as they are AAU and have major money.
If the NFL can operate with non profit status, I imagine the P2 schools will be able to also.
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