College sports settlement means NCAA schools can directly pay players I could go all smarmy with a reference to Ghostbusters and "dogs and cats living together, etc" but, while this was inevitable (at least eventually and not the actual path taken), it marks the moment where the fantasy of what was college athletics is now officially gone. It was fun while it lasted. I feel sorry for you youngsters who never got to experience the fandom in the most sincerest way. It won't come back. Some of you will still believe in the family farm and that gondolas are THE method of transportation in Venice, Italy. It is quaint and less traumatic, but it will all be a fantasy. I am not sure which will come next, players' unions, a national commissioner for each sport and level - there WILL be a Big 2, Little 3, Etc - , or rampant gambling outlets. But make no mistake, all of them WILL manifest. And I imagine that, besides universities "sponsoring" these sports, there WILL be rampant corporate sponsoring, and likely national in interest and not "Billy Bob's Landscaping". And, like NASCAR, when a coach or player is being interviewed, they will slip in "I thank God and State Farm Insurance for this opportunity" nonsense. For some of you, a "silver lining" to this mess will be beer sales throughout the stadiums and arenas. If you can't live with reality, you can at least medicate yourself. Question, will there be spirits sales also? Bourbon and Coke would make a KILLING! Are we having any fun yet? Me?, I will just hold my nose for the remaining 2025/2026 season(s) while I stock up on my alcohol of choice. At least until my sanity HAS to be accommodated. And then, time to say goodbye to an era...and sports fan forums. Once you get divorced, you should not want to "remain friends". Over means over. Cry some and then back to your life.
Uncertain whether or not a bigger mess of college athletics was just created or not. One article I read stated 75% of revenue will be allocated to football. How long until a basketball or track athlete sues for a bigger share of revenue? How does UF continue to be an everything school with great athletes across all sports, if other schools allocate their money differently? I’ve got more questions than answers. Tegator, you’re right, the dream has died. Just a matter of time until we hear a QB in a post game interview say, “I’d like to thank Wilber’s roto rooter & sewer service for helping me throw that TD pass.”
It really isn't about the bigger mess or not (IMO), it is merely a coronation. It is real, just not about solving problems. However, I expect it to be packaged as "solutions" or "righting wrongs." It is who we are, a bunch of gullible rubes.
One of my big concerns about all this is who made the final decision on what is going to happen. Neither group has a great reputation for actually fixing things. IMNSHO, all this has done is drive the little schools out of the athletic programs, While I like some of the new schollies, giving Div 1 125football schollies will cause some other things to happen.1- we will go back the Bear Bryant plan of stacking kids to keep them from going to their rivals and 2 the fall out for TitleIX. Div 1 football needs to leave the ncaa and install a leader who has the authority to actually make decisions and who has the balls to actually punish schools who violate the rules. Once they have that established then they should add other sports.
The little guys play the game too. Kirby complains all the time about lesser teams being able to pay more for his two’s and three’s than he can. Bear lived in a world before social media and the transfer portal. He was able to stockpile talent because they didn’t know who else was being recruited until it was too late. Once they were signed, they were kind of stuck. Today, these kids aren’t willing to sit behind 5 other guys and they can see who’s being recruited, who’s committed, who’s signed, etc. they also aren’t stuck even if they do sign. There are no more LOI’s and they weren’t worth the paper they were written on anyway. If you don’t enroll, you can move freely. Even if you do enroll, it’s still easy to transfer.
It think it is left up to the schools to allocate as they wish. I wonder if the first Title IX suit has dropped yet.
It appears to me that the BIG and SEC have been meeting plotting just that, at least for football anyway.
Its been pretty apparent, however, that the schools are going to try to use this settlement and contracts to limit movement. The Wisconsin/UM issue over the player that didn't enter the portal but transferred to UM anyway and the threats of lawsuits that followed indicates that.
How long do you think the SEC and Big10 “power 2” break away and form the super conference I keep hearing about? At this point just rip the bandage off and do everything now, not these little pieces along the way kind of thing.
Its not much different to me to thank roto rooter or" insert booster name." Ive always believed it was dirty. I grew up watching all the teams cheating and getting sanctioned. Ive never thought any different. My first game was Wes in jax and there wasnt big money in the nfl even. By the time SOS got here, there was big money involved. Nobody won anything playing by tge rules in my adult life. I prefer at least acknowledging reality.
The schools are doing whatever they can to keep as much money as possible and lock down players anyway possible. There are many professional sports that have already ironed out the legal ways to run a league and college football is trying to reinvent the wheel. Courts already have set precedent and we pretty much know how this can go legally, its already been tried. Boosters willing to pay unequal payrolls is where we are right now. Its legal but maybe the worst system of all professional sports to date.
They’re trying, but haven’t been successful. Not that I’ve seen anyway. Someone will likely figure out some contract language that will hold up, but seems like the kids are still winning all the ‘suits right now. I think me and you are in agreement with our opinion that the quasi cba they’ve tried to negotiate in the house settlement is going to mostly get shredded.
Yeah but I mean even more. I’d imagine the schools themselves don’t generate money…aside from boosters donating money. So tuition money is going to be funding the paying of players? Or is there an angle that I’m not seeing
UF isn’t going to be donating money to the UAA. I think you can rest easy on that front. Can’t speak for the bama’s and ga’s, but UF’s academic side isn’t going to be funding the athletic dept any time soon.
Football makes plenty of money and can take care of itself. Its all tge money drain sports that are the problem.
If I had to make a guess, the powers that be don't want a stampede of folks following other folks out the door. This is all about preserving finances while building a different model. What good is waking up the masses?
Title IX may just go away now. If these are employees of the schools, I’m paying more to the employees/ departments that make me the most money. And I may just eliminate dept that aren’t profitable. I don’t like this.
They still haven’t breached the employment walls. This is just allowing the schools to pay directly for NIL deals. They’re not offering employment contracts…yet.
