All that's left is for a kid to want out twice, and to sue for it. No way the courts allow the current "one freebie" to stand. Then you'll see players moving every day. The only defense I can think of is making a specific transfer window.
Not the end of the world. No more stocking up 3 five stars and keeping two on the bench. Plan ahead and recruit the right guy. Then recruit the right backup. Nobody ever said a 9 million dollar salary was supposed to be easy.
I saw Arch Manning in a HS game this year and I came away thinking what all the talk about? He didn’t look like he was great in that day.
Rumors are that Georgia has a 2M NIL deal on the table for OU Qb Caleb Williams. Also that A&M interests arranged 25 - 30M dollars worth of NIL deals for their top ranked recruiting class. Longhorns are loading up on NIL for recruiting as well with 2 different groups having been formed for the purpose of guaranteed NIL deals for Longhorn players. Also of the top 100 recruits on 247, half are committed to 4 schools. A&M, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.
The first thing the NCAA should consider is changing the name from "College" football to something more descriptive of this business enterprise we are watching now. Academics are rarely if ever mentioned any more in broadcasts or on graphics. These are not student athletes, these are mercenaries who at 17-18 years old are holding adults hostage in exchange for a couple of years of their time. Kyle Hamilton is a good example; he retired halfway through his Jr year because an agent convinced him that no degree he could earn at Notre Dame could enable him to earn in a lifetime what he will get as a signing bonus to go the NFL. School pride, academics, loyalty to team mates? Those qualities only exist in black and white movies. I'm not picking on Hamilton; I'm just more familiar with him than the hundreds of others making the same decisions. Of course, as with all things "entertainment" the consumer holds the key to this scheme. How much will people be willing to pay to fund this extravagance while struggling to pay their own bills? Sky high ticket prices, concessions, travel and lodging, streaming service subscriptions to watch a game at home. Everybody has their own pain threshold.
I agree with everything you said but you left out a couple of participants in this situation. Coaching staff and support staff costs tens of millions a year at many schools but they are worth it to the schools because of the income they generate and the publicity they provide. The NCAA also enables and benefits from the billions of dollars generated in this "industry". Television networks are probably the ones that originated this golden goose. The audience (which is us) they provide to the advertisers make most of this gluttony possible. The players just finally figured out that they could get more than just a free education.
Charlie Batch and TJ Lang are former Eastern Michigan players who had long NFL careers. Here is there Twitter pitch to Caleb Williams:
One way to slow down this madness is for the NFL to pare down the money paid to draftees who have never played a down of professional football. They allocate too much of their salary expenses to untried players some of whom will be busts. Additionally if rookie salaries came with bonus money for 3 and 4 years of college prep more kids might stay in school. All to the detriment of those poor agents who can’t wait to disrupt a player’s education.
Just got back from visiting our son and his family. Managed to get exposed to Covid and are on day 4 and so far no illness. We have all three shots so are hopeful to not get sick. Anyway I agree with this comment, we are in a totally different environment and money is flowing. Not sure if there is any such thing as a amateur any longer. Thought many of the old rules were bad but don’t think I like the new ways either. Oh well will enjoy watching the game Monday night.
I'm leaning in that direction as well. I have been off the NFL ands NBA for over five years because of their continuing anti-cop rhetoric and Woke marketing. This could be the next to go.
College football is officially no longer an amateur sport. This story puts an exclamation point behind that statement. Texas A&M Boosters Spent Unfathomable Amount Of Money To Land No. 1 Recruiting Class, Per Report - BroBible
I wish things were different, but they aren't, but nevertheless I am still a big college football fan.
I have to assume that the separation between the haves and the have-nots will be greater as the alumni and boosters organize to be come a consistent force in recruiting.
I hope you guys do understand the likely inaccuracy of quoting Brobible as a source? Especially when they are then using a bbs poster as their main "insider"... I have no doubt there has been coordinated NIL money with the recruiting but the crazy numbers being thrown around have already been refuted.
All the same I think Notre Dame should start courting Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. Ask them to speak at a commencement. Name a building after them. Speak to the team. Get them involved.