I'm fine with the opt outs or when people leave their current employers for better opportunities. Just help pack their bags by the start of the new quarter/semester so they can move on gracefully. Think about it this way. Maybe coaches will think more about playing and developing younger players so their roster isn't so dependent on just a select few number of players.
Of course the coach wants his players to play as his bonus is on the line in these games and he’s gotta coach either way. If these NFL draft prospects get hurt in the process, is the coach gonna reimburse them for lost pay? If it were my son, I’d probably tell him to seriously consider opting out if he has already proven what he can do on the field. If he wants to play because it’s his last time out with his friends, then he needs to be aware of the risks and be okay with the potential negative consequences of getting hurt and hurting his draft status. One meaningless game isn’t going affect his draft status much. He still has the combine and pro day to show out. It’ll be interesting to potentially see players that are in the championship or playoff hunt opting out moving forward. Imagine not having your MVP in the most important game of the season because dude opted out.
And I would add if I sponsor a dude to market my beef jerky and that dude gets talked up in the draft, it ultimately helps my jerky sales.
Well these guys get recruited from all areas of the country and some even in high school at these football farms. There’s not a lot of built in loyalty all around especially with all the money thrown around. The Rudys of the world (guys with no NFL expectations) are the ones that are the most loyal.
20-30 years ago fans thought the same way about players leaving after their junior season to go pro. Now that seems to be close to universally accepted.
9 years at Clemson......12 at Oklahoma........5 at Kansas State. Now back at Oklahoma. So in 26 years of coaching - going to 3 different schools is what you consider "jumping around"? LOL......
Can’t argue with this, although I still firmly believe there’s no such thing as a “meaningless game”. If there were, then we wouldn’t have taken such satisfaction from beating the crap out of Michigan a few years back, or still be talking about that embarrassing loss to Oklahoma 2 years ago. I also respect that the game may be relatively meaningless to a kid bound for the NFL draft, but it does matter to his teammates playing in the bowl and his coaches trying to sustain the program. Really tough call
I guess all games are meaningless if you’re not playing a rival or for a championship. That’s why Billy is building a culture of guys playing for one another.
Maybe it's me but it always seems like whoever we get to go up against never has any opt outs and are at full regular season strength and takes it seriously. I would like for our culture to be like that and we would be the ones to take on an Oregon team that has a lot of opt outs.
96... I am not disagreeing with you at all. Yes, the system was tilted toward the schools. But my post was about the attitude that college players have now days regarding NIL and all the insane money being tossed at them. YES they need to be compensated but those days of Dameon Pierce are sadly over... THAT connectivity, that attachment to your school is what draws us to college sports. It is very natural to feel an affinity toward your State University. All of us that attended the University of Florida feel that. That lack of attachment is why I don't watch the NFL. I have not watched an NFL game in over seven years.
