On the heels of Saban’s appointment to a Presidential NIL Commission, some people aren’t taking it so well.
That’s to be expected from the Vowels fanbase. On the other hand, some are offering their two cents on what needs to be fixed with college football, too.
I like many of the suggestions that Jon put out there, but also thought it would be a good idea for a Friday Fodder post.
What’s your ideas? Have at it in the comments.
Hadn’t heard about the commission. If Saban being on it pisses off the butt-chuggers, then I’m fine with that.
As for Jon’s ideas, I agree with almost all of them. I don’t care if 5-7 teams play in a bowl, though. As he says, it’s just an exhibition. More CFB is a good thing to me.
His top ideas (for me) are having the championship game on Saturday, and stopping these idiotic conference moves.
I’d add fix the clock rules so that there are LESS commercial breaks so the broadcast is shorter, not the actual game.
Finally, an injured player has to sit out the remainder of the possession. It’s a player safety issue.
Fewer commercial breaks aren’t going to happen. Micky has got to have the cheese.
Fewer breaks, but charge more for them. Make them “special”.
Envy and jealousy, thy name is Vol.
Abolish the NCAA and create a new governing organization with sub-orgs for each sport headed by a commissioner for each.
Make athletes students again. Tighten, require and uniformly enforce academic standards for admission, transfers and graduation progress.
Increase COA stipends and manage NIL with caps and luxury tax, plus place all funds in an independently managed trust that is a tax-qualified plan (like a 401k) so there are heavy restrictions on withdrawals, loans and distributions until age 25. Permit the account to then be eligibility for an IRA rollover so that the financial benefits of long-term savings and investments outweigh the tax cost and penalties of buying a Lamborghini at age 18.
Top athletes who want ca$h vs education will find a developmental path to the pros. The kids that do play in college will be true SA’s again, earning valuable degrees and being setup financially for their efforts as the vast majority will never be pro athlete anyway.
I agree with having the athletes be students, but schools should offer degrees in football, basketball, whatever. Teach them everything that goes into the industry of that sport. And it is most definitely an industry.
I used to write this on the senator’s posts. A lot of the problems are because there isn’t a degree program for the sports. If there’s a degree program then the regents control it, which is probably why it will never happen. But, it opens a pathway for students/players to get a stipend from the university.
Who knew that Phat Phil Fulmer had so many On3 burner accounts. I wonder if he’s still avoiding travel to AL on account of the subpoenas.
The righteous indignation from the Vol faithful is something to behold. Hate to break it to them but they were pretty notorious for skirting the rules when it came to recruiting talent and keeping them eligible. Let’s not forget that Fulmer ratted Bama out in exchange for immunity from the NCAA in the Albert Means case. There was also the Linda Bensel-Meyers fiasco with accusations of the grades of Football players being changed so that they could remain eligible. Tennessee mastered the art of stonewalling and outright lying to the NCAA in the late 90’s and early 00’s. Auburn and Tennessee were the dirtiest players in the game back then. Roy Adams and Jimmy Halsam kept the cash flowing under the table back in the day.
https://www.espn.com/ncf/s/tenn000420.html
I would ask Jon Tweets Sports who the hell prevents the AP from publishing whatever it wants to publish when it comes to ratings? The AP has the same right to publish what it chooses as Jon Tweets Sports does.
As for the “Tear down the NCAA and replace it” argument, who is going to tear it down? Who is going to replace it? If universities pick representatives ro vote on policy isn’t that what the NCAA is?
Until the University presidents humble themselves and share revenue as well as collectively bargain, ain’t nothing happening and the courts have already shown that. This “agreement” ($21 million) is already teetering because players weren’t involved.
I’m not a lawyer, but don’t antitrust laws prevent limiting a player’s ability to transfer?
Yes. Imagine all the retailers in the United States entering into an agreement that once they hire sales clerks those sales clerks could only work for that employer and no retailer would hire a sales clerk who had worked as a sales clerk at another retailer.
Anyone have any doubt that such an agreement is in restraint of the sales clerks’ ability to sell their services? Just change the noun “retailers” to
“universities” and “sales clerks” to “players” and you have your answer.
If you are going to get paid like a professional you should have to sign a contract that binds you to the team for whatever period you both agree. Giving some kid 4 million dollars and he plays one year then skips is not going to work. Covenants Not to Compete are a real thing.
Sure. That restraint is just between the buyer of the services and the seller of the services and is not subject to anti-trust laws. By contrast the universities agreeing to not accept transfers is an agreement between buyers only to restrict the sellers from selling their services.