The OP mentioned Title IX. Does that factor into the equation when any NIL agreement is specifically between the athlete and sponsor? The school is precluded from the agreement, so Title IX is not relevant, correct?
Will you give $$ to fuel the "educational benefits" arms race?
- Thread starter bigsirspur
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Connected in no way, shape, form, or fashion.
USC and others that currently are in power 5 conferences must make a decision. Either you pay commensurate with other power 5 programs or you get out of the conference. It just switches from facilities to athletes. The administration must decide, and if the answer is we can't or don't want to pay then we need to join a much smaller conference like the Southern Conference. We must find a level we are able to compete on or we are doomed. At least we as Gamecocks are used to mediocrity and the sting won't be as bad for us as with some other schools. I had rather be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.
In other words, a new AD who will come up with a plan to pay more money to recruits? That's what we are going to need?
At first they were saying that college football's days were numbered due to excessive concussions and CTE. The powers that be could always spin around the health and safety of their student-athletes in order to make a buck or two, so I always doubted this unless Congress stepped in.
But there is no spinning around the Almighty Dollar. Smaller programs are just going to say the hell with it and either disband or drop down into D-II, and the opportunity for prospects will dwindle down to only a select few that are guaranteed moving on to the next level (NFL).
The vast majority of student-athletes saying "we should be paid" never realized they weren't exactly talking THEMSELVES, because only a pitiful few end up good enough to rate the next level. The vast majority of the rest of them only end up rating a college scholarship and then a real life job afterwards. They will soon see that opportunity dissolve away.
The next step will be this: the institutions all argued that giving athletic scholarships paid those athletes for their efforts. The argument will soon arise that if top players are going to be making major $$$ for their college efforts, then why give them free-ride scholarships?? Let them earn their way through college via their NIL powers.....
But there is no spinning around the Almighty Dollar. Smaller programs are just going to say the hell with it and either disband or drop down into D-II, and the opportunity for prospects will dwindle down to only a select few that are guaranteed moving on to the next level (NFL).
The vast majority of student-athletes saying "we should be paid" never realized they weren't exactly talking THEMSELVES, because only a pitiful few end up good enough to rate the next level. The vast majority of the rest of them only end up rating a college scholarship and then a real life job afterwards. They will soon see that opportunity dissolve away.
The next step will be this: the institutions all argued that giving athletic scholarships paid those athletes for their efforts. The argument will soon arise that if top players are going to be making major $$$ for their college efforts, then why give them free-ride scholarships?? Let them earn their way through college via their NIL powers.....
Do you honestly think our current AD will voluntarily choose to compete in this new paradigm? And yes, if Clemson et al, are using this to legally funnel money from businesses to the players, then we had better get in the game hard, or we will be left far behind.
Losing the smaller collegiate sports would be the death knell of all collegiate sports. The fact that the large majority of its athletes are truly amatuer has kept the USOC hanging on to its 501c3 status by a thread. So while you may not care, I guarantee the Universities do.
I think the real argument is going to become why go to college at all? If the top players are going to be paid in college, there will be a compelling argument for the NFL to just sign players right out of high school. In fact, this might be a blessing in disguise if it occurred. It would let the 5 star players go make their fortunes, while college football could go back to the old student/athlete model.
Correct me if I’m wrong but the NIL does not change the armature status. It may in some peoples opinions but legally it does not. At least that’s my understanding. Olympic athletes get NIL but are still considered amateur.
I am sure people thought the same about a school shutting down a men's track and field program. How much money does the University spend to promote each sport?
No they are not still considered amatuer. Some Olympic athletes get NIL deals, but the vast majority do not.
Because whether or not those players are 1-star or 5-star, there IS a degree of development at the collegiate level. Or even if there's NO development to any discernible degree, at the very least NFL teams gets to see these elite prospects play at the next level BELOW them, to determine if they are quality enough to play at THEIR level. In short, the NFL has always used the collegiate levels as their free-of-charge minor league system.
So now drafting kids straight out of high school, with no more development than what teenagers get while in the midst of puberty, means the NFL would have to go the MLB route, and establish and fund their own minor league system. Or just let their own level of football degrade substantially while they figure out if young men are ever going to develop into All-Pro level athletes.
The NFL has NEVER wanted to take that on. They still give zero respect to CFB, and have been able to survive that while CFB has been the ultimate popular collegiate sport, but they've still been able to sort of leech on the CFB ranks for their own successes.
It's already long established fact that the VAST majority of players that make up the NFL are NOT former 5-star blue chips, nor even 4-star elite talent. It's former 3-star prep prospects, and those level prospects are always in the hit-or-miss category. That's why there are so many of them. Even the prep talent evaluators like Rivals here sort of shrug their shoulders: maybe he'll be a bust, or maybe he'll be a dependable special-teams' player all his college career, or maybe he'll rise up to be a All-Conference star player for his college team, and end up as a 1st-Round NFL pick. Who knows???
That's an awful lot of dice rolling for the NFL to take on, at current NFL salary wages - they are more than happy to let the college ranks do that tossing, on their own dime.......
....and then there is still the other aspect that I touched on above, and your position even reinforces: IF - a big IF, but - IF the NFL did choose to take this on, and just start drafting kids right out of high school, that STILL takes away opportunity from student-athletes. 5-star "can't miss" kids out of high school miss all the time, while a ton of kids who NEEDED that college development into legit professional football players would start getting pushed out of making their own NFL dreams come true.
This whole thing about getting yours up front isn't always the best solution for everybody. I think a lot of student-athletes are about to start learning some hard life lessons.....
Sounds like a lib talking point more than a logic assessment of reality. The evil corporation sticking it to be little guy. The value is the association with the school. Drop these players from college and put them in a farm league, and their NIL would be almost nothing.
And college football will be "fine" for the folks with the big bucks. For everyone else, including us, it won't be so fine.
Conway Gamecock, thanks for the thoughtful replies. I do not necessarily disagree with you.
I was thinking more like an NBA type deal, where kids would play a year then be eligible, kind of killing two birds with one stone. I do not think college football will ever be the same at the power 5 levels. This will be interesting to watch unfold. I do not think we are well positioned to benefit from NIL.
I was thinking more like an NBA type deal, where kids would play a year then be eligible, kind of killing two birds with one stone. I do not think college football will ever be the same at the power 5 levels. This will be interesting to watch unfold. I do not think we are well positioned to benefit from NIL.
Until I see this flesh out in an unexpected way over time, I believe my response to the gentleman in Post #41, @Captain Weegie , will be proven correct. There is a chance I misunderstood the point he was asking about or the point you are making. In either case, I would appreciate further clarification.
All I am saying is that the law was intentionally written very broadly and, as a result, has been interpreted very broadly by the courts ever since it passed in the early 1970s. I wouldn't expect that to suddenly stop and for courts to begin narrowly defining it.
