Has paying players legally changed your

[volsknx]

What is the over/under college football and Saturdays will be competing with NFL in 20 years.

(If) college level ever gets enough money from revenue, it will literally become a three/four year minor league system.

 

[901 Orange]

Excitement & desire to follow Tennessee football this coming season?

I'm all for reasonable amount given to athletes but the unlimited amount just ruins the feeling of college sports going forward. Turns it into who has the most money & best marketing programs for players

If thats the case, we should be fine. In fact we should thrive. We havent won double digit games in a decade, botched multiple coaching searches, have a pending NCAA investigation, and the UT brand is still pretty much what it has always been. There are only a handful of bigger brands in college sports but we have been right there with damn near anybody.

 

[UTvol1fn]

Four things come to mind (imo):

1. It will only make it more difficult for Tennessee (and 95% of schools) to crawl out of the gutter and college athletics, more so, continue to have just a few teams make the playoffs every year. (same trend but much worse)
2. Neyland will never be filled at 100% capacity again. This could be a completely separate issue, but ticket pricing will continue to rise and everyone will be watching from home. (same trend but much worse)
3. We will see an exorbitant increase in selfish/bonehead decisions forced upon 17/18 year old kids and the impending ******** that goes with it will make this old man (35) even less interested in the process.
4. Lower rated players will not see the field due to higher paid player being played because of that reason, you are now 'legally' invested more. So that's cool.

Side note: I'm fine with them getting paid/compensation over current conditions. One question that I haven't seen raised is when do the University's start issuing fines to 'student athletes' for breaking team/university violations?

 

[tennrich1]

My interest in college football has dwindled a bit since the late 90's when the BCS was started.College football used to be unique. Regional pride and winning your conference was #1 on the agenda each season. If your team made a Bowl, it was a big deal. Today, it's all or nothing. 8-9 wins gets coaches fired. NIL and paying players is just going to make everything worse.

My interest in college football has dwindled a bit since the late 90's when the BCS was started.College football used to be unique. Regional pride and winning your conference was #1 on the agenda each season. If your team made a Bowl, it was a big deal. Today, it's all or nothing. 8-9 wins gets coaches fired. NIL and paying players is just going to make everything worse.

I’m with you Peay. I was challenged recently when I posted the CLEAR viewership numbers for NBA and stated it’s getting close to critical numbers (viewership numbers are something I kinda keep up with). Now the MLB Sunday game has lost almost 50% of its viewership too. AND those professional league are keenly aware of those numbers. That’s almost exclusively why we’re seeing those leagues desperately trying to plant footings in the foreign market. There’s no growth to be found in the USA and the US numbers are MASSIVELY tanking. I say this to add the NCAA is on the exact same course if something doesn’t happen soon. I agree. This could spell a death blow to collegiate sports as we know it…and I’m not a pessimist at all…but a realist.

 

[Carl Pickens]

Just win some games

 

[Voltopia]

Four things come to mind (imo):

1. It will only make it more difficult for Tennessee (and 95% of schools) to crawl out of the gutter and college athletics, more so, continue to have just a few teams make the playoffs every year. (same trend but much worse)
2. Neyland will never be filled at 100% capacity again. This could be a completely separate issue, but ticket pricing will continue to rise and everyone will be watching from home. (same trend but much worse)
3. We will see an exorbitant increase in selfish/bonehead decisions forced upon 17/18 year old kids and the impending ******** that goes with it will make this old man (35) even less interested in the process.
4. Lower rated players will not see the field due to higher paid player being played because of that reason, you are now 'legally' invested more. So that's cool.

Side note: I'm fine with them getting paid/compensation over current conditions. One question that I haven't seen raised is when do the University's start issuing fines to 'student athletes' for breaking team/university violations?

Oh I think it should go further. If it's a job, it's a job. No leeway. You're an employee. That means you do your job. No special treatment. You have to operate by the same byzantine HR guidelines every state employee has to operate by. You punch in on time. Now, good news, you don't have to go to class anymore. None of that nonsense. No more Senior Days. No more Homecomings. None of that nonsense. After all, it's not about school, right? You're an employee doing a job. So it's not about school anymore.

No more recruiting crap, either. Just offers and negotiations. Take it or leave it. No more doofy hat ceremonies. No more signing hooplah. I suppose that's a benefit. For whoever will be watching then.

Also I agree about Neyland. I agree about all of it. If it isn't about cheering on young people who are working their way through school and representing Tennessee with pride, then what's the point? If you just want to watch pro football, then the NFL has better talent. Might as well watch that.

 

[NashVol11]

The NBA and NFL need to develop true minor league systems like MLB. Systems where guys can choose (if drafted) between college and the minors out of HS, many of the problems collegiate sports have today would go away.

The NBA has this already

 

[NashVol11]

This NIL is the final destruction of College Football. Money puts ESPN, CBS, etc. in more control (Who gets on TV gets the most exposure, right? Most Exposure most money?) Could CBS, ESPN etc influence recruiting?

And the point not even being mentioned is this: These player images that are so valuable, are only valuable because of the school they go to!! If the greatest player of all time was playing for a jr. college he would get very little in endorsements. Players going to the BIG 5 conferences and particular the Ohio ST. Notre DAme, Alabama, etc is why their image is worth anything. It's the school not the player that is worth the money.

If Zion Williamson went to North Carolina Central, he would still be worth a ton of money.

 

[Behr]

According to several here this has been going on for a long time.

So what's the big deal? Nothing is going to change. Everything is going to stay the same and be just fine.

 

[TNnative]

This def opens up Pandora’s box as to what college football will look like in 5 years it’s going to get real slimy and sleazy no doubt and anything goes. I expect the rich to get richer such as Bama, Ohio St, Clemson and the Georgia’s of the world.

So what? With targeting not going away anytime soon? It won't matter.

 

[VolArmy74]

Tennessee wins, no one will care what the pay stiff does. Tennessee stays in the gutter, excitement will be hard to find in these parts.

 

[VolDaddy61]

But now the amount they get will be made public.

I'm waiting for a star player, getting paid a lot of money, to get hurt. The back-up comes in and wins a couple of games, and then refuses to play until he is paid.
What happens in the situation like Salter? Does he have to repay the money he got since he can no longer fulfill his duties of representing the company that paid him?

I wonder if they will be taxed on that income ?! Can they still be considered amateur if they do ?! Will the 1%ers be capped at certain amount they can earn ?! This is going to be a mess for years to come. I'm not sure what the solution is.

 

[BigOrangeSky]

UT football hasn’t given us a single reason to be excited for years.

However I think this gives us a fair shot. Assuming the admin still cares about winning. I’m not 100% sure that is the case though.

Smart cookie.

 

[GulfCoasterVol]

Some articles have mentioned congress will continue working with the NCAA to still ensure they can keep a reasonable amount of rulemaking ability over the matter.

Whenever you hear "We are here to help ! " from the government.... be ready to to receive the exact opposite of what actual "Help" would be.

 

[sjt18]

Well, ya know, the main thing that makes the sport what it is, is in knowing the players are being severely undercompensated. That apparently makes a lot of people very happy.

Honestly, I just get the vibe of jealousy. As in...how dare these kids make much more than me! I won't support them now! Weird vibes all the way around tbh.

Prove they were undercompensated. Compensation is NEVER legitimately tied to revenues and you cannot tie program success to individual performance.

There's no "jealousy" involved. I make a very good salary and never worry or envy what someone else makes. It isn't worthwhile baggage to carry around. Frankly, I want people to be as prosperous as possible in every economic venture.

The reason this damages college sports is that it creates a chasm between the haves and have nots. IMHO, there's a good chance UT will be a "have". So "selfishly" I could look at this and see an opportunity for UT to buy its way back into the top tier. We have a rabid, and smart, fanbase that will see this opportunity for what it is. Ohio State will get a windfall maybe bigger than anyone- 3 or 4 major markets with no competition. It could actually hurt Bama who has national appeal but less of an instate commercial base plus Auburn will challenge in some areas.

Money was already a factor too large to call it "amateur"... this removes any question. That is not a "good" thing. We already have professional football.

PS- the players have been getting "paid". The value of the education and benefits they get is $50K per year or more.... roughly equal to the current median personal income in the US. It isn't far behind the median household income at just under $70K.

 

[jakeaaal]

Opening up not a can of worms but a 55 gallon drum of worms. Plenty to discuss this summer.

 

[midtnvol2]

There must be a collective bargaining agreement, whether it be national or conference wide, there has to be a protection against exactly what you stated.

Otherwise athletes who run track, play softball, or play soccer and devote an equal amount of their time to being an athlete as well as a student won’t be compensated fairly for their time. And yes, college soccer players should get more than the federal minimum wage - there is plenty money to go around for this.

Makes me think that sports programs have operated at such a profit because they weren’t paying athletes, and if it isn’t a tax-free profit then how will the funding and budgeting of athletic departments change due to this. All questions that are looking for answers in the near future.

TBH booster money will be forced into the AD because you now have legal bidding for players. Less money will be going to the academic side and I see the tuition costs for the Majority of the students taking massive increases.

 

[OrangeVolMan]

For me this is probably the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I had already suspended my donation to UT athletics this year. UT was spending money like it had a bottomless pit. I was not going to participate in that and told them so.
Now players are going to get NIL money and universities can also give them money above the benefits they already receive. They are no longer college students playing football ( or some other sport), they are minor league athletes.
For full disclosure, I retired early and have the funds to make donations. However, I’m not going to donate to a professional league, which it has become. I will watch but will definitely attend fewer games and not set my schedule based on games.

 

[ftsandersvol]

It hasn't changed my view at all of Tennessee football. What it will change is future coaching hires. Going forward, at least in the short term, almost all teams will be plucking coaches from the NFL. They are currently the only ones equipped to deal with million-dollar prima donnas.

 

[MAUSERWERKE]

These are all great questions I think there is a ton of unknowns right now with this and I’m not sure the people in charge know what the answers are. Once you go down this road there is no going back. College football will be forever changed and probaly not for the better.

I think under any scenario an athlete will have to be enrolled in the school and in good standing academically. Or the colleges just get out of the sports business (except for purely intramural type sports) and let pro/semi pro teams associate with the school. That's where I think this is ultimately ending up.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

Excitement & desire to follow Tennessee football this coming season?

I'm all for reasonable amount given to athletes but the unlimited amount just ruins the feeling of college sports going forward. Turns it into who has the most money & best marketing programs for players

Not if they use some of their NIL endorsement income to repay some of their scholarship grants.

 

[sjt18]

Opening up not a can of worms but a 55 gallon drum of worms. Plenty to discuss this summer.

I think there will be far more confusion than discussion.

I believe SCOTUS approved NLI which is the monster factor. I'm not sure what the status of increasing direct player payments is or if it has been resolved or if it will be any time soon.

Ultimately, many of the best players will be mercenaries. They will sign with the program that offers them the best commercial opportunity... and then will transfer if they see a better opportunity. What we see from coaches is bad. This will be worse.

 

[volfanbill]

There must be a collective bargaining agreement, whether it be national or conference wide, there has to be a protection against exactly what you stated.

Otherwise athletes who run track, play softball, or play soccer and devote an equal amount of their time to being an athlete as well as a student won’t be compensated fairly for their time. And yes, college soccer players should get more than the federal minimum wage - there is plenty money to go around for this.

Makes me think that sports programs have operated at such a profit because they weren’t paying athletes, and if it isn’t a tax-free profit then how will the funding and budgeting of athletic departments change due to this. All questions that are looking for answers in the near future.

There are lots in smaller, less than glorified sports making bank right now due to their social media presence

 

[Brave Volunteer]

I marvel at the denial that many seem to be in about this. Whether it’s creative Pell Grants or under the table, it’s been happening since at least the 80s and probably longer.

WAYYYYYYYY longer!

 

[GAVol]

WAYYYYYYYY longer!

I know. I'm trying not to sound too old lol.