Is college free agency here now?

[HooahVol]

The NCAA just ruled Ohio State QB Tate Martell can play immediately at Miami next season. Generally players could transfer without penalty if they had a "hardship." Whatever that means. Tate Martell has not claimed any hardship other than the fact Justin Fields was allowed to transfer to Ohio State with no penalty. To be fair he said "lack of playing time" but is that really a hardship? Couldn't any player unhappy with his team make this claim? I truly think this decision is going to open the floodgates and now the NCAA will be unable to stop anyone who wants to transfer. College free agency is here to stay.

Do I think this is good for the game? Tough question to answer. If Tennessee picks up a great player I will probably love it. If we lose one I will probably hate it. I do think for too long the NCAA has profited greatly on the backs of athletes and I suppose at the end of the day am a fan of giving athletes a little more control over their destiny. That being said if our two new five star offensive linemen announce they are transferring to Florida tomorrow I might lose my mind.

 

[CAVPUT]

Look for the NCAA to take a stand and slam those floodgates shut about the time our transfer cases come up in the queue.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

No, this is not good for the game. Next thing they will want to be paid, and that is when I will be done with college sports.

 

[05_never_again]

No, this is not good for the game. Next thing they will want to be paid, and that is when I will be done with college sports.

Why exactly would that upset you so much if they were paid? Not being a smart ass - serious question.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Why exactly would that upset you so much if they were paid? Not being a smart ass - serious question.

Because I think it would scuttle what little parity there is in college athletics. And there are still a few, although not many, athletes out there that love the university they play for, and all that. That's one reason. The second is that the schools with the deep pockets will be the ones to benefit the most - if they want to -. Can you imagine the $$ Vandy can afford to pay out? Or Harvard?

But mostly I don't want to 'Boo' an 18 year old that is on the big stage. If he is getting paid, he better damned well produce. It takes the fun out of it.... for me. I guess it is one reason I don't watch pro anything anymore. They are all mercenaries with zero loyalties to their fans and those that 'love' them.

 

[05_never_again]

Because I think it would scuttle what little parity there is in college athletics. And there are still a few, although not many, athletes out there that love the university they play for, and all that. That's one reason. The second is that the schools with the deep pockets will be the ones to benefit the most - if they want to -. Can you imagine the $$ Vandy can afford to pay out? Or Harvard?

But mostly I don't want to 'Boo' an 18 year old that is on the big stage. If he is getting paid, he better damned well produce. It takes the fun out of it.... for me. I guess it is one reason I don't watch pro anything anymore. They are all mercenaries with zero loyalties to their fans and those that 'love' them.

If they end up getting paid someday, it won't be through a model where the schools themselves, or the conferences, or the NCAA is the one paying them. Exactly for the reason you described. What's funny is that the people screeching the loudest at the unfairness of the current system would be those screeching the loudest if the schools/conferences/NCAA did pay. It would then be "unfair" that Alabama pays more than Vandy, or that the football player makes more than the water polo player.

Personally though, I'm not sure how much longer they can continue to claim that they aren't allowed to sell their likeness. That seems like the most "fair" way to do it. You appear in school/SEC/NCAA promotional material? You get some cash. Doesn't matter what school you attend or what sport you play; the more marketable you are, the more money you stand to make. Yes, that does benefit the higher profile schools, but they already have massive benefits smaller schools don't have (better facilities, more fans, more visibility, etc.). It ain't fair, and it isn't supposed to be.

Of course, then there'd have to be a whole new compliance program that covers that, and it doesn't stop money coming in from under the table at all.

 

[USMC-TNVOL]

Schools already pay stipends... what is it going to hurt if they get paid more?

 

[GAVol]

No, this is not good for the game. Next thing they will want to be paid, and that is when I will be done with college sports.

They already get Pell Grants and some get "special" compensation. Purity left the sport 40 years ago.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

Schools already pay stipends... what is it going to hurt if they get paid more?

It’s going to hurt the egos and feelings of fans who don’t think players should get a bigger stipend.

 

[wmcovol]

It will never be enough. Even $50-100k Per Year will be pittance compared to income and coaches salaries. Does every kid get the same amount? Then stars like Zion, etc will be getting screwed then, right? Do 5 star kids get more? What if they really end up not being worth the money? Do schools have a salary cap? And what about the millions schools already spend on their academic tudors, medical professionals, strength and conditioning trainers, nutritionists, etc?

I don't like these new transfer rules and now, transfer non-rules. No one makes you sign a LOi. You do it knowing what's involved and included in exchange for you to play. In addition, most players get the best care they ever got, eat better than they ever have, have access to better training and development than they would have even as a professional (pro teams don't make you work out, you work out or they find someone else who will) and get best educational programs than they ever received.

 

[HooahVol]

You guys are making some solid points here. I sincerely have not made up my mind on both the new non transfer rules as wmcovol called it and paying players. I had not considered the point by SpaceCoastVol that we would suddenly demand more from paid players and treat them like the spoiled professionals. I actually think that is a solid point. That being said I also agree with 05-Never-again that players should be able to profit off of their likeness. This is not the school paying them so technically they are still amateur athletes, just the ability for a player to profit on their abilities. I pay a student at UT to teach my daughter the violin. He is on a full music scholarship on UT. There is nothing illegal about this. So if a full athletic scholarship students chooses to make money in the off season tutoring students, running camps, giving autographs, selling their likeness to EA Sports, etc I have no problem with that.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

The extent to how fans treat college players differently if they are paid versus if they aren’t paid speaks to the insecurity and jealousy of those particular fans more than anything else.

 

[USMC-TNVOL]

The extent to how fans treat college players differently if they are paid versus if they aren’t paid speaks to the insecurity and jealousy of those particular fans more than anything else.

I think you can almost relate it to the military regarding compensation and tuition for college.

They sacrifice their body for college tuition in college ball but you may get injuries that last a lifetime. I think more of a stipend would be one thing they could do at the very least, especially if that school makes a lot of revenue from it.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

I think you can almost relate it to the military regarding compensation and tuition for college.

They sacrifice their body for college tuition in college ball but you may get injuries that last a lifetime. I think more of a stipend would be one thing they could do at the very least, especially if that school makes a lot of revenue from it.

True, but the mindset in each case...fans in the case of athletes and private citizens in the case of the military...can be polar opposites at times.

There’s a nobility and pride that comes with serving your country, and anyone with half a brain realizes the sacrifices that are made. If a soldier makes a mistake on the battle field costing him or a fellow soldier his/her life, they are still treated with respect.

Fans are fickle, subjective, spoiled and not always rational. If Zion Williamson was pulling down $250K for his time at Duke, and he missed a buzzer beater to win March Madness, rest assured there would be an idiot fan complaining about how much he was getting paid.

 

[volfanbill]

If you’re in favor of schools paying higher stipends, straight up paying big players, how do you fund the gymnastics program? Or T&F? What do you tell those athletes about getting paid?

 

[volfanbill]

True, but the mindset in each case...fans in the case of athletes and private citizens in the case of the military...can be polar opposites at times.

There’s a nobility and pride that comes with serving your country, and anyone with half a brain realizes the sacrifices that are made. If a soldier makes a mistake on the battle field costing him or a fellow soldier his/her life, they are still treated with respect.

Fans are fickle, subjective, spoiled and not always rational. If Zion Williamson was pulling down $250K for his time at Duke, and he missed a buzzer beater to win March Madness, rest assured there would be an idiot fan complaining about how much he was getting paid.

He’s gonna get ripped by a large number of people anyway, not sure it’s drastically different.

And in someone like Zion’s case, crazy haters are going to do crazy things whether he wins or loses.

 

[USMC-TNVOL]

True, but the mindset in each case...fans in the case of athletes and private citizens in the case of the military...can be polar opposites at times.

There’s a nobility and pride that comes with serving your country, and anyone with half a brain realizes the sacrifices that are made. If a soldier makes a mistake on the battle field costing him or a fellow soldier his/her life, they are still treated with respect.

Fans are fickle, subjective, spoiled and not always rational. If Zion Williamson was pulling down $250K for his time at Duke, and he missed a buzzer beater to win March Madness, rest assured there would be an idiot fan complaining about how much he was getting paid.

I would think a flat rate across a school or conference would be the best way to go about it.

 

[Lawrence Wright]

If you’re in favor of schools paying higher stipends, straight up paying big players, how do you fund the gymnastics program? Or T&F? What do you tell those athletes about getting paid?

I’m in favor of schools paying higher stipends across the board for athletes in all sports.

The emergence of TV networks for conferences justifies it in my opinion.

The SEC gymnastics tournament is on TV now thanks to the SEC Network...ditto for track and field, softball and several other sports.

 

[XknoxvolsX]

No, this is not good for the game. Next thing they will want to be paid, and that is when I will be done with college sports.

I agree. That is why I don't care about the NFL except for the Super Bowl!

 

[NEO]

Because I think it would scuttle what little parity there is in college athletics. And there are still a few, although not many, athletes out there that love the university they play for, and all that. That's one reason. The second is that the schools with the deep pockets will be the ones to benefit the most - if they want to -. Can you imagine the $$ Vandy can afford to pay out? Or Harvard?

But mostly I don't want to 'Boo' an 18 year old that is on the big stage. If he is getting paid, he better damned well produce. It takes the fun out of it.... for me. I guess it is one reason I don't watch pro anything anymore. They are all mercenaries with zero loyalties to their fans and those that 'love' them.

You hard cap what players can make and give a hard cap bonus for games started. This way they are paid but the guy at TN makes the same as the guy at Texas tech.

 

[volfanbill]

You hard cap what players can make and give a hard cap bonus for games started. This way they are paid but the guy at TN makes the same as the guy at Texas tech.

What about the guy at Middle Tennessee State or North Texas?

Who’s funding this money?

 

[05_never_again]

What about the guy at Middle Tennessee State or North Texas?

Who’s funding this money?

The point your question brings up is exactly why a model where the individual schools, the conferences, or the NCAA can't work. Ironically, the people screeching the loudest at the unfairness of the current system would be screeching the loudest at that system, because it'd be "unfair" too. The Alabama football player would make more than the MTSU golfer, male athletes generally would make more than women athletes, etc., and a lot of people wouldn't like that. The money isn't there to pay them all "the same."

The only workable solution, as I see it, is to allow players to sell their likeness. You can sell autographs. You get a cut of the apparel sold with your number on it. You are compensated for the use of your likeness in a promo for your school, conference, or the NCAA. The current system is a great deal for the typical, rank-and-file student-athlete anyway. IMO, the only ones who aren't fairly compensated are the superstars, who are massive outliers.

 

[NEO]

What about the guy at Middle Tennessee State or North Texas?

Who’s funding this money?

Middle TN doesn’t compete with d 1 recruiting.

These guys are 99.9 not pro bound and not generating millions in revenue.

No real need to pay this players as they aren’t being held out from the nfl due to a hand shake deal between the nfl and college.

So honestly....I view these guys as true student athletes.

 

[Remy]

You hard cap what players can make and give a hard cap bonus for games started. This way they are paid but the guy at TN makes the same as the guy at Texas tech.

It can't work like that. Why? Because gas in Cali is $3 or $4 & change a gallon and it's $2 & change in Tennessee. Those sort of disparities due to regional cost differentials would have to be worked out. It's more expensive to be a player in Fresno than it is Knoxville for instance, there's a world of difference between Fresno St. and UT competitively though.

 

[NEO]

It can't work like that. Why? Because gas in Cali is $3 or $4 & change a gallon and it's $2 & change in Tennessee. Those sort of disparities due to regional cost differentials would have to be worked out. It's more expensive to be a player in Fresno than it is Knoxville for instance, there's a world of difference between Fresno St. and UT competitively though.

Yet federal minimum wage is the same in all states.

But they didn’t take into account liberals killing a state and neither should the ncaa.

Just like your federal taxes now.