I Surrender

[WestTennesseeVol]

I have no problem with an athlete getting what he or she’s worth on the open market. I think theres a lot of $$ out there and they should have the opportunity to cash in. However, people (Jay Bilas) need to stop pretending that student athletes should be treated the same as every other student. They’re not the same . They live different lives, they get in to school under different circumstances than most students, it’s a completely different way to attend a school. They’re not the same as coaches either. If Pat Narduzzi is offered the USC job, he can accept it, but there’s going to be a large sum of $ that either Pat or someone from USC is going to have to pay Pitt to get him out of that contract. That doesn’t exist for the player. He can just up and leave without any sort of penalty. Like I said, by themselves the “NIL” or the portal can be a good thing, but combined I think they’re bad for the game.

That’s a good point, my only real argument would be that coaches can more than afford a buyout or just get the school to include bonuses to offset a buyout.

 

[ZZ13]

The pageantry of college football will not be the same with players “opting” into the portal without developing an allegiance to his current university. There will be loyalty by most but gone are the days where a player loves his school (Manning, Barnett, Grant Williams, Tebow, etc). That’s what makes college football special and unlike free agency in the NFL.

That hasn’t bothered Kentucky basketball fans during the Calipari era one bit. I have a whole slew of in-laws with UK degrees and they just roll with the every year full roster turnover.

 

[KnoxRealtorVOL]

I want to say at the outset that this is not a complaint about fairness. this isn't about winning or losing. This isn't about thinking that my school is now at an advantage or disadvantage.

I foresee a future where sometimes they're on top and sometimes they're not. And I'm ok with that. That's the way it's always been.

But, this NIL stuff. I surrender. The joy I had watching college football.....and I will still watch.....and I will still cheer......I'm not going to be one of those people who says they're through and you know damn well they're still watching. I'll be watching.

But, it's never going to be the same. And it sucks. It truly does.

It will not bring me the same level of joy it once did.

But, as you follow recruiting and the portal, it is utter madness. And one can say it's always been the case with recruits and money, but that's hogwash. It's never been close to this.

You've got portal numbers of anywhere from 10-20 players and recruiting classes of 20-25. Half the roster will be at the school for a year. You can't even get excited about recruiting because no one knows if the player is willing to wait two years to see the field.

It will never, ever be the same. Everyone will adapt because that's what you have to do to survive.

But, this isn't good.

While beneficial for our schedule next year, the Jordan Addison thing at Pitt seriously gives me cause for concern. Yikes.

I mean USC can straight up reach out to a player on another team and say “Huge NIL deal for you if you transfer to us”

That’s shady and dirty no matter how you spin it.

 

[Ratvol]

Gators suck and Bammers swallow.

Go VOLS

 

[Volfanstucknga]

100% agree 99

 

[IBlvNTmWrk]

I agree it’s ridiculous. NIL is ridiculous, sketchy McDonalds bags full of money is ridiculous, paying coaches millions of dollars is ridiculous, not allowing players to transfer when coaches leave in the middle of the night is/was ridiculous.

The point is, it’s already been happening, you can’t just fake ignorance and pretend they’re playing because they love UT so much.

It's been stated at least three times and you seem to keep missing the point. What part of having a "free pass" to transfer to any school of your choosing without sitting a year "has always existed"?

 

[GetYouSomeofThat]

This was not happening before NIL. Imagine if every player in the NFL were on a 1 year contract. That's what we have right now.

I don't know how anyone can argue that this was "already happening". This is not the same as what existed before.

NIL money was happening...just in the dark.


Portal is a new aspect that a coaching staff must embrace and perfect the utilization of to remain or become relevant


Other than timing they have nothing in common.

 

[WestTennesseeVol]

It's been stated at least three times and you seem to keep missing the point. What part of having a "free pass" to transfer to any school of your choosing without sitting a year "has always existed"?

The only point I’m missing is the point of your post.

 

[chattavol420]

How can some people come on here and complain about NIL when it (along with the transfer portal) has flat out allowed Tennessee an unbelievable opportunity to catch up to the powerhouses. This past decade has been the worst in college football history in terms of viewership etc. and it is because of the Saban effect. Nick Saban has stockpile talent simply by promising recruits (and using statistics to back it up) that they have the best chance to earn money by going to Bama. That’s what his entire recruiting pitch consists of and it works (obviously). A few years ago it looked like nothing would ever change the current landscape. But now along comes the transfer portal NIL. Suddenly, schools like Tennessee have an opportunity to make a counter to Saban’s pitch and effectively offer kids an opportunity to make money right now without having to wait on NFL money. It is a game changer. And it’s what’s allowing us to land kids like Nico. It’s great for the kids, great for historically good programs like Tennessee trying to get back to the top but facing a huge talent disparity compared to schools like bama, and it’s great for college football in general

 

[IBlvNTmWrk]

The only point I’m missing is the point of your post.

The point is quite simple... you keep claiming that "nothing has changed" but seem to only address the money issue and not the transfer portal, which didn't exist till 2018.

Prior to the portal's existence, of the 11,792 FBS football student athletes in all divisions, only 4.1 percent transferred from four year institutions to other four year institutions according to data from the NCAA. That number is now in the mid teens percentage wise and continues to grow. As others have stated it's somewhat of a free market, so please explain again how nothing has changed when the data says otherwise.

 

[Delmar]

I want to say at the outset that this is not a complaint about fairness. this isn't about winning or losing. This isn't about thinking that my school is now at an advantage or disadvantage.

I foresee a future where sometimes they're on top and sometimes they're not. And I'm ok with that. That's the way it's always been.

But, this NIL stuff. I surrender. The joy I had watching college football.....and I will still watch.....and I will still cheer......I'm not going to be one of those people who says they're through and you know damn well they're still watching. I'll be watching.

But, it's never going to be the same. And it sucks. It truly does.

It will not bring me the same level of joy it once did.

But, as you follow recruiting and the portal, it is utter madness. And one can say it's always been the case with recruits and money, but that's hogwash. It's never been close to this.

You've got portal numbers of anywhere from 10-20 players and recruiting classes of 20-25. Half the roster will be at the school for a year. You can't even get excited about recruiting because no one knows if the player is willing to wait two years to see the field.

It will never, ever be the same. Everyone will adapt because that's what you have to do to survive.

But, this isn't good.

Hate to say it but I absolutely agree with you. It is already out of hand. For all those that say: “Nothing different. Been going on for years. It’s just out in the open now.” That is true to some extent. New cars and the random new home or a job for dad were absolutely there. I’m fairly sure that Cam Newton’s family got some big bucks. Duke is rumored to have opened up the checkbook for Zion Williamson. But to think the money was consistently like what is going on with the NIL is absurd. If an average point guard like Nigel Pack commands $800,000 for 2 years plus a car, what do you think the studs are going to command? Bryce Young had a $1 million deal before he ever suited up. No, the old days were nowhere close to what we are about to see. Bidding wars for mercenaries is not going to increase interest in the game unless they figure out a way to get some control of it. I know it doesn’t interest me. You aren’t going to know half the roster from year to year. I absolutely think the players should share in the revenue but there has to be ways to hold them to the school once they sign. Maybe the contract should require them to pay back a prorated portion of what they receive if they transfer to another school after one or two years. I really don’t know what the solution is but it is already a mess and it’s going to get worse. Watch and see.

 

[WestTennesseeVol]

The point is quite simple... you keep claiming that "nothing has changed" but seem to only address the money issue and not the transfer portal, which didn't exist till 2018.

Prior to the portal's existence, of the 11,792 FBS football student athletes in all divisions, only 4.1 percent transferred from four year institutions to other four year institutions according to data from the NCAA. That number is now in the mid teens percentage wise and continues to grow. As others have stated it's somewhat of a free market, so please explain again how nothing has changed when the data says otherwise.

More players transfer when they’re given the opportunity to without sitting out a year, thanks for the insight.

My original point is that players are getting paid whether getting paid is legal or not. You can’t suddenly act surprised and upset by it while turning a blind eye to it.

As far as transferring, if a coach can leave to go to a different school, no reason a player shouldn’t be able to either. Life happens, things change, different opportunities arise.

I also never said “nothing has changed” when it comes to the topic of transferring.

 

[Will74]

Yeah, all those players were driving nice new cars and getting expensive items with the part time job they worked after classes and practice

Al wilson drove a little vw bug ..ŵas no glamour there ..think its easy to say al was a pretty high profile player

 

[Will74]

I want to say at the outset that this is not a complaint about fairness. this isn't about winning or losing. This isn't about thinking that my school is now at an advantage or disadvantage.

I foresee a future where sometimes they're on top and sometimes they're not. And I'm ok with that. That's the way it's always been.

But, this NIL stuff. I surrender. The joy I had watching college football.....and I will still watch.....and I will still cheer......I'm not going to be one of those people who says they're through and you know damn well they're still watching. I'll be watching.

But, it's never going to be the same. And it sucks. It truly does.

It will not bring me the same level of joy it once did.

But, as you follow recruiting and the portal, it is utter madness. And one can say it's always been the case with recruits and money, but that's hogwash. It's never been close to this.

You've got portal numbers of anywhere from 10-20 players and recruiting classes of 20-25. Half the roster will be at the school for a year. You can't even get excited about recruiting because no one knows if the player is willing to wait two years to see the field.

It will never, ever be the same. Everyone will adapt because that's what you have to do to survive.

But, this isn't good.

Plus the fact its killing high school recruiting.yea you will always have the studs..but why waste all your scholarships on a kid coming into college.when you can get a young man thats been in the system and is proven..

 

[WestTennesseeVol]

Al wilson drove a little vw bug ..ŵas no glamour there ..think its easy to say al was a pretty high profile player

No doubt.

All I can say is I lived next to some starters and had classes with some players during the Butch years and either they had parents who loved them very much, they had a well paying part time job, or…well, you can put two and two together.

Obviously I don’t know for sure, but we all knew what was going on.

 

[IBlvNTmWrk]

More players transfer when they’re given the opportunity to without sitting out a year, thanks for the insight.

My original point is that players are getting paid whether getting paid is legal or not. You can’t suddenly act surprised and upset by it while turning a blind eye to it.

That might have been "your" original point, but the OP's original point (that you replied to) was clearly that the combination of NIL "and" the transfer portal are game changers. He tried to point that out to you multiple times but you refused to acknowledge his point and kept claiming that nothing has changed, while continuing to ignore half of his post.

As far as transferring, if a coach can leave to go to a different school, no reason a player shouldn’t be able to either. Life happens, things change, different opportunities arise.

I also never said “nothing has changed” when it comes to the topic of transferring.

I'll just leave this here...

I agree it’s ridiculous. NIL is ridiculous, sketchy McDonalds bags full of money is ridiculous, paying coaches millions of dollars is ridiculous, not allowing players to transfer when coaches leave in the middle of the night is/was ridiculous.

The point is, it’s already been happening, you can’t just fake ignorance and pretend they’re playing because they love UT so much.

I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt as to whether you have reading comprehension issues, or you just like to argue and simply can't admit when you're mistaken. That doubt has been removed... I hope you have a good night.

 

[njvols]

I am not sure how NIL deals work, but it seems like they are local investors and marketing firms that want to pay athletes for advertisements. Like the deal here in Kingsport that Pal's has with John Fulkerson. I think this will slow down the transfers if the NIL deals are done right. Structure them in 3 year packages for instance.

I don't know the answer, but can you legally tie someone to a school thru NIL? Guess you could legally require them to make weekly appearances or something like that, which would be very difficult in another state.

 

[VAVol85]

I have to submit a dissenting view...

College football in recent years has been a 3-year sport for many of the top athletes. With that as a given, a player cannot really afford to move more than once during his college career and preserve any kind of continuity in training, integration with a team's philosophy, and relationships with teammates.

I just don't see the pay differential between big-time programs being very large. Thus, with really big money coming soon through an NFL contract, I think players are not going to risk jumping to a new situation every time they get an offer for a little more NIL money.

I do think it is going to be harder for teams like Bama and UGA to load up with 5-stars two-deep when other teams are offering NIL and playing time. So from that perspective, we might see a little more parity in talent at least among the nations top 15 or so programs....and that is a good thing.

 

[njvols]

How can some people come on here and complain about NIL when it (along with the transfer portal) has flat out allowed Tennessee an unbelievable opportunity to catch up to the powerhouses. This past decade has been the worst in college football history in terms of viewership etc. and it is because of the Saban effect. Nick Saban has stockpile talent simply by promising recruits (and using statistics to back it up) that they have the best chance to earn money by going to Bama. That’s what his entire recruiting pitch consists of and it works (obviously). A few years ago it looked like nothing would ever change the current landscape. But now along comes the transfer portal NIL. Suddenly, schools like Tennessee have an opportunity to make a counter to Saban’s pitch and effectively offer kids an opportunity to make money right now without having to wait on NFL money. It is a game changer. And it’s what’s allowing us to land kids like Nico. It’s great for the kids, great for historically good programs like Tennessee trying to get back to the top but facing a huge talent disparity compared to schools like bama, and it’s great for college football in general

I agree with this 100%...but still don't have to like it. It benefits UT b/c of our $$$ and we are a brand that can get attention. UT can leapfrog pretty fast if we get this right. Still can't have a clown as a coach for this to work...fortunately, it seems finally got the AD and coach correct.

 

[UTK]

It's a bit out of control but I don't care really. Mostly for selfish reasons because it looks like UT will be on of the major NIL schools atm. Whatever it takes at this point

 

[sjt18]

This was not happening before NIL. Imagine if every player in the NFL were on a 1 year contract. That's what we have right now.

No it isn't. The portal allows them to transfer once without sitting out.

I don't know how anyone can argue that this was "already happening". This is not the same as what existed before.

The portal? No. Before they had to automatically lose a year of eligibility if they realized they made a mistake or realized they were a talented player who would be buried on a deep depth chart.

NIL? I'm not sure what the extremes were but players have been paid for a long, long time. The NCAA has never done a good much less equitable job of enforcing the rules.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

The Biletnikoff winner was never a free agent on the open market going to the highest bidder. That's never happened.

That player may have been given a bag by who signed him, been given a bag by boosters taking care of him while in school, and was receiving a bag from a future sports agent.

But, that player being on the open market. Never

Also the likes of Samford wasn't signing one of the top blue chip recruits in the country.

 

[VolArmy74]

I will never understand how people will get less enjoyment out of football because the players are getting paid money that is reflective of their actual value. I don't even mind the transfer portal. It's always been an absolutely ridiculous concept that scholarships were a one way, one year street. Schools had to renew it annually and could move players on at their discretion, but players couldn't opt out without a penalty. The deck has been stacked against players for a hundred years now. I think it's great they have some power and are able to choose their own path more freely rather than being beholden to the whims of head coaches each year. None of that will change the fact that if they have a Vols jersey on, I will pull for them as much as humanly possible.

 

[butchna]

More or less. But, they can market themselves all the live long day wherever they happen to be.

I would be in favor of a system where someone accepts a 3 year contract from the University of Tennessee with whatever benefits that comes with and that player can't just jump ship in 5 seconds. That's just an example.

I haven't worked out all the details, but there's a reason the professional leagues don't have the entire labor market hit free agency all at once.

They have a minimum salary of $705,000.

 

[butchna]

It's been stated at least three times and you seem to keep missing the point. What part of having a "free pass" to transfer to any school of your choosing without sitting a year "has always existed"?

ONE time free pass. Eliminates the excuse of making bad choices in high school or signing with a school for a particular coach who then leaves a week or two later. They get a ONE TIME do over then it costs em. I think it’ll regulate itself and keep the coaches as accountable as possible for some BS they promise in recruiting. Can see why the law firm of Saban & Swinney detest the new rule.