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Crystal balling the future of college football
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Posts: 10,473 admin
Crystal balling the future of college football
A 12-team playoff, no more Nick Saban — college football is at a turning point.
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Great job Bill
Really a deep dive into the mess currently called the CFB. I have followed the course of events for several years but learned much from your writing. There even seems to be a glimmer of light here and there concerning some of the proposals. I will note the the CFB has already divided itself several times in the last 100 years and it did not stop the march away from amateur athletics.
I also strongly agree Kirby Smart is shown he is a realist and has and will "adapt" his program. That said, I thought his comments following the Orange Bowl will have a major impact on all of this. He truly is the greatest DGD!
If I could wave my magic wand and change things (current state)….I would say make the HS kids eligible for the pro draft at 18 and not wait until 21…..just like baseball.
Let the pros worry about whether they are ready to make a roster or not. They can then worry about all of the overhead that goes with it….a “minor” league or whatever.
CF needs to make a stand….it is slowly unraveling.
Seems like they (pros) are benefiting the most with the way CF is going. One thing is for sure, college football can’t keep straddling the fence the way they currently are.
Unfortunately, the cat has already been let out of the bag for CF (NIL) and there is no turning back IMO.
If it keeps going in the direction it looks to be, thinks I would rather watch walkons who love their university……the passion of the CF game, is rapidly disappearing.
Great article Bill. Well done. There’s so much to meditate on and consider it’s hard for me to wrap my head around.
With no sarcasm involved but a reality, it’s getting harder and harder for me to reconcile the term “student-athlete”. Because like as discussed in the article it’s rapidly becoming “university employee-athlete” or “booster club-athlete”. SemiCommercial-athlete ??
I’m already 🤪 and all this just pushes me even further !! But as one of my fellow Dawgs fans noted, we better Really enjoy these next Maybe two years, as our grandchildren will never know the version of CFB we enjoyed. I think he’s so right.
At the heart of it all the usual suspect shows up, $$$. But the end of the road Might not be what the money changers had hoped for. This might be the Not So gradual death of CFB. P.S. I don’t watch the NFL. I stopped watching that circus when people started disrespecting our National Anthem.
This is one of your best articles, Bill.
This stuff needs to be talked about. A barrier in that conversation is the lack of specific reporting. I'm certainly not suggesting you do this, Bill, but why wouldn't some professional journalist dig into these topics, report their findings in depth, and thus allow their investigation to make all of this mess as transparent as possible.
I'm not overwhelming interested in all aspects of the NIL world or the portal. If I can think of a slew of unanswered questions concerning NIL and the portal, so can you, and so can any reporter. Drag it into the open and shine a light on it.
Your article is a terrific step in the right direction. I hope millions read it.
Go, Dawgs!
Good comments Bro. Looks like you and I stepped on some toes calling out the $$ of all this, as we were both down voted Lol !! Not that I really care, it Is what it Is.
Good comments Jim. The more exposure to the public the more awareness and educated on these issues we will be. And thus better armed to lobby for stronger guidelines and regulations regarding them. CFB is a national treasure that shouldn’t be allowed to die because of greed.
Excellent article Bill! I don't think I have read an article on these complex issues that was clearer and more concise.
College football is certainly changing, and I am led to ask if these changes are making the game better:
-Is it reasonable to ask the players to go to class, train, practice, and play a 16 (or 17) game schedule?
-Is it reasonable to ask players to start play on Labor Day weekend and play until almost February (as the current schedule is configured)?
-Longer seasons will inevitably result in an increase in injuries. Will games be better if more backups are playing? I get that developing depth is a big part of a coach's job, but this task takes time. The task of developing quality depth is made infinitely harder when players that Kirby has invested time in hit the Portal. Does the Portal make the game better?
-Do super conferences make the game better? Are configuring schedules so we play Oklahoma and Texas more frequently (and Auburn less frequently) yield a better product. I get that Auburn has been down, but aren't rivalries one of the elements that make College football unique?
-The Transfer Portal is good for players to seek more playing time. All college players aspire to play in the NFL, and more playing time may enable guys to reach their goal. The average NFL career is a little over 3 years. Is a player utilizing the Portal multiple times less likely to complete a degree that prepares him for life after the NFL?
-Bowl trips are some of the best memories for longtime UGA fans. These trips are increasingly more expensive, and many supporters are less likely to experience them. Some years may include 3 or 4 such trips. How many can realistically juggle jobs and finances to go?
-The current schedule for college coaches is untenable. Burnout is a real thing. I know our coaches are well compensated, but inevitably the workload can impact a coach's health and quality of life in negative ways. Job performance can also suffer.
Sorry my reply to this article wasn't so concise. I love college football and I am very concerned about its future. Thank you Bill for stirring these feelings to the point I wanted to reply.
With all the money that being thrown at the student athletes that has made its way down to the highschool level, a bigger transformation of College Football than we ever though possible is looming if action isn't taken now.The rich teams get richer and CFB becomes so top heavy the foundation collapses, which I believe is inevitable.
There's no NIL, just funneling money straight to players and family in a Pay to Play recruitment tool or to sway a player into the portal nefariously. This to me is the most pressing issue that must be dealt with immediately.
Great article Bill. I love hearing about other people's ideas. The bottom line is: The NCAA or some entity that has power needs to take action asap to put up some kind of guardrails and rules regarding both NIL and the portal. The timing of early signing period, the portal, the bowl games, the playoffs - all of those things need to be re-analyzed and the timing needs to change to make December less chaotic for football programs. We all know the future of college football will be much different than today, but right now we've got to get hold of what's happening currently in the sport - NIL and portal.
The problem with all these NIL Collectives is that the most powerful ones are at the biggest and best football schools. It's not fair to the other schools that don't have the financial means or alumni/collective backing to offer big time contracts to players. So, even with the portal, guys might still choose the higher NIL deal schools which leaves many schools out from being able to land some of the better players. And if you can't recruit with the elite schools and cannot get the higher quality portal players because you can't offer the best NIL deals then there is only so much parity that is going to end up coming to college football. And wasn't that the main reason for all this portal stuff - to try and bring more parity to the game when many schools just can't recruit as well as the big boys??? But, as it stands currently, the elite football schools are still going to corner the market on players in regards to both the portal and the NIL. Maybe there needs to be minimum and maximum NIL deal $$ that allows all schools to reasonably compete on a more level playing field.
And as was suggested in the article and also by Kirby, there needs to be at least a 2 year "commitment" from players before they are allowed to transfer. It's at least some way to try and manage your roster.
***And on a side note speaking of rosters....Bama WR Isaiah Bond transferring to Texas. I honestly think Texas is going to be the team that challenges the Dawgs in the SEC - not Bama. ***
@navydawg:
Honestly, I don’t have any issue with kids getting paid…..just make the pros do it. They can draft them at 18 rather than 21 if they are good enough.
Change the rule.
The way CF is now, some kids are chasing the best deal (highest bidder)…and I can’t say that I blame them. It will just eventually get worse and run off the fans unless they put some teeth into it. It is changing the game I love most-CF.
Pretty sure that I’m not the only one.
Again, if this is where it is going, Start all over, I’d rather watch the walkons and scholarship players.
Won’t watch the pros, I quit watching them back in the 90’s after a couple of strikes.
CF is the greatest game on earth, but may not be if it continues down its current path. If it does, reboot and go back to the way it was with scholarships & walkons…the fan base will be there imo.
The idea of 20 years in the courts sound too long. This train is rolling really fast.
as for as NIL, Portal, and pay for play, they are all intertwined. If the powers try to fix one without addressing all, the game will continue to suffer.
as for as various levels of college football. We have had that for years, developing more layers isn’t the answer, just need consistent rules and boundaries for all teams and players.
and administrative folks should not be doing the decision making in a vacuum. Need coaches and former players at the table.
Great article. Enlightening.
"No wonder ESPN owns 17 of the bowls."_____Bill King
They own 17 Bowls...because they own CFB....and the CFP Committee. Crooked. Get ESPN out of the sport or the corruption will get worse. They probably own several on-field and replay Officials, as well.
Somebody has to be the setup man for which Teams represent which Bowls. Lol....can't leave that to "chance & competition".
IMO....It all begins with....which Teams have the largest "following". That would explain Notre Dame's appearance in the top 10, every year. Start em out in the top ten....and, there's a better chance they finish with a New Year's Bowl...even with 3 losses.
Wait till Saban has his say. Provided he doesn't go to work for ESPN, that is. If he does that....they'll shut him up.
It's simple, you set up a minor league of professional football for those in it for the money and restore college football to where it was before NIL and the portal. College football will thrive like it always has even with less talented players. Those in it for the money will be happy cause they are getting paid to play football.
Mark from Canton
Lol....there's no such thing as "Investigative Reporting" anymore.
Today....the act of "Investigative Reporting"....means, you checked Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok for the latest rumor....I mean "news". Whatever's "trending"....must be true and accurate, right?.
Lol....Reporting in today's media amounts to an "ask the audience" cheat, on that gameshow...."Who Wants to Be a Millionaire".
Otherwise....we would've gotten an honest take, on why UGA was eliminated from CFP Contention. I guarantee you, it had nothing to do with "who the best 4 teams" were. And, more to do with leaving FSU "out" and putting Texas and Bama "in"....in hopes of a rematch in the Natty Game.
Also....Saban's farewell....thanks to...ESPN's hype machine. For DIV1 CFB to survive...ESPN must be neutralized.
IMO....You can't place CFB on an island with respect to all the other sports....team & individual.
I guarantee you...gymnasts, Basketball Players, Hockey Players, swimmers, etc.....all, train equally hard...attend classes...worry about money and travel. All the things, football players worry about....are concerns of every Student-Athlete.
If you pay Football Players [student-athletes]....then, EVERYBODY should get paid.
Consider this.....there are thousands of High School Football players, seeking College homes, every year. Most, just want an education and are paying for it with a skill set. Great for them.
Only a minute, infinitesimal number of players will move on to have successful NFL Careers. Why pay the rest? If you don't want to play "cause it's fun"....then, DON'T PLAY. Get a job!....and, pay for school...like everybody else. That's the way I see it.
Like when the USFL Stole Walker from Dooley with a lot of fast talk and big money.
Lol....we need a USFL for some of these Prima Donna's. Kids will do the darned'est things, when you wave a stack of "$100" bills under their nose....Lol.