Peace Out

[Delmar]

So you'll just ignore the millions and millions of people watching on TV for hours every Saturday?

And the billions in TV revenue at stake for the schools in media deals?

If you think you're going to see that kind of business fail overnight, I suggest you look at NASCAR which is getting less popular but it's a relatively slow death spiral. PBA bowling, which used to be a reasonable TV sport, disintegrated into a clown show but it's taking several years to die and it was a comparably low rent business.

College football and basketball are massive revenue businesses that will evolve (read: be told by the courts that the players are, in fact, employees) long before they crash.

Agreed. It will take time to collapse or evolve. And it depends on what it evolves into as to who sticks around to watch it.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

I don’t know about that. Depends if they get control of this mess or not. If it continues unbridled, I’ll wager the situation will get worse and more fans will bail. Might take a few years to trail off but I believe it will happen. Have to wait and see.

All that really matters is the product on the field and aside from our disappointing season, college football in 2025 was awesome! The actual on field product has never been better! Parity has never been better! All this behind the scenes stuff only matters to the die-hards, which make up a fraction of the fanbase.

NASCAR is not a good comparison because even at the height of it's popularity, it was always a niche sport. Most people don't give a damn about watching guys in cars go in circles.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Agreed. It will take time to collapse or evolve. And it depends on what it evolves into as to who sticks around to watch it.

The courts will "kill" it with the employee lawsuits, IMO. At that point the schools have to let it go pro separately or pay all the school's athletes.

Saying a tennis player who puts in hard work for the school's team isn't an employee while a football player who puts in similar work is an employee likely won't fly legally. Even if a business, ie., the tennis team, isn't financially successful, you still have to pay the employees.

ASAP the schools should divest the high revenue sports, lease the facilities, logo, etc and keep some of the money, at least, so perhaps the courts will let non revenue sports avoid getting lumped into the "employee-employer" lawsuits.

Far more college athletes, real college athletes playing non revenue sports, will be harmed if colleges don't spin off the revenue sports.

 

[Delmar]

All that really matters is the product on the field and aside from our disappointing season, college football in 2025 was awesome! The actual on field product has never been better! Parity has never been better! All this behind the scenes stuff only matters to the die-hards, which make up a fraction of the fanbase.

NASCAR is not a good comparison because even at the height of it's popularity, it was always a niche sport. Most people don't give a damn about watching guys in cars go in circles.

Will have to agree on that point. Professional football is very popular.

 

[The Original Fade]

NFL is where it’s at

 

[S.C. OrangeMan]

I don’t know about that. Depends if they get control of this mess or not. If it continues unbridled, I’ll wager the situation will get worse and more fans will bail. Might take a few years to trail off but I believe it will happen. Have to wait and see.

We've been hearing that B.S. since 2019. The facts show that CFB is better than ever by any objective measure.

 

[S.C. OrangeMan]

Which is why I have repeatedly said stars beside a name do not matter anymore. It's about what you do on film in college.

They did buy a championship and that will be the new normal. You take Mark Cuban money away and they are still a 3 win team. Indiania isn't paying Cignetti 9 million a year and 30+ million roster without his money, let's be real. Cuban donated millions they buy a coaching staff and a team and they became a championship team overnight. Literally overnight. There's a reason NFL put a salary cap in place. This is only the beginning. I think you'll see $100+ million teams before long.

Bogus claim. They won every game they played. That's how you win championships.

This isn't the NFL.

Tell me how you don't understand that a team salary cap like the NFL has has nothing to do with college football NIL.

NIL can't be capped except nlbt whoever is paying it. Ask Patrick Mahomes and State Farm. The NFL can't interfere in their business relationship.

 

[sjt18]

Mick Tinglehoff played center for the Vikings at about 235 lbs. I doubt many college OL were above that by much, huge guys were likely in the 260 range. That is genetics and school-year weight room training. Today's 370lb lineman is the result of genetics, weight room, nutrition, and CONSTANT work. College football became professional long before we acknowledged it.

Genetics? Explain. Agree on diet, S&C, and becoming pretty much their full time occupation instead of just a "sport". But today's athletes are coming out of the same gene pool as those 260 lb Nebraska guys with no neck.

Oddly, a lot of steroids were involved in getting guys that big back in the day.

 

[sjt18]

It was NEVER supposed to generate over $200M in revenue for the school either and that's what caused all this.

The schools turned it into big business.

No. The truth is that WE caused it.

Not sure how old you are but I remember when ESPN was created and started carrying extra games. Before that, viewers pretty much got whatever ABC decided to carry. They usually carried highly ranked teams so I saw more of OU than UT or other close schools. People consumed and paid for it.... and showed they were willing to view and pay a lot. Then we got ESPN2 and Thursday night games. We ate it up.

There was a time not that long ago that if you wanted to see your team play you had to go to the stadium. Now I see UT play from Missouri with all but one game being carried by one network or another. I watch the other one on youtube. One of the "real tests" of how it has changed/corrupted is the clock rule changes. Just like Snickers and Moon Pies... we were willing to pay more (commercial ad slots) for LESS product (football). It shortened the games... but the broadcasts still last the same.

We as fans demanded it. There was little planning or discipline in the transition from an amateur sport to a commercial product. Colleges and media answered a demand... and found millions of addicts.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

No. The truth is that WE caused it.

Not sure how old you are but I remember when ESPN was created and started carrying extra games. Before that, viewers pretty much got whatever ABC decided to carry. They usually carried highly ranked teams so I saw more of OU than UT or other close schools. People consumed and paid for it.... and showed they were willing to view and pay a lot. Then we got ESPN2 and Thursday night games. We ate it up.

There was a time not that long ago that if you wanted to see your team play you had to go to the stadium. Now I see UT play from Missouri with all but one game being carried by one network or another. I watch the other one on youtube. One of the "real tests" of how it has changed/corrupted is the clock rule changes. Just like Snickers and Moon Pies... we were willing to pay more (commercial ad slots) for LESS product (football). It shortened the games... but the broadcasts still last the same.

We as fans demanded it. There was little planning or discipline in the transition from an amateur sport to a commercial product. Colleges and media answered a demand... and found millions of addicts.

At the core, it is the demand and the 80s lawsuit when schools sued the NCAA to make their own media deals.

Fans wanted it. Schools sued for it. And here we are.

As for the game clock and longer commercial breaks, I think TV shows, even news shows, get the same treatment. More ads, less show. I've adjusted. I'm old, I pee more than I used to anyway.

I get disgusted by it sometimes but I'll be back. I'll celebrate when Fingers gives us a glimpse in the Spring and I'll be ready to hit someone myself by Sept, as always.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

I think most schools including Tn just need to adjust to the new reality, perhaps lower our expectations a bit because winning a NC is now on par with winning the Powerball jack pot. . What we should do is set our sights on beating a rival like Florida or Bama and if that happens, be happy about it. Maybe have a winning season.

Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.

 

[lawgator1]

All that really matters is the product on the field and aside from our disappointing season, college football in 2025 was awesome! The actual on field product has never been better! Parity has never been better! All this behind the scenes stuff only matters to the die-hards, which make up a fraction of the fanbase.

NASCAR is not a good comparison because even at the height of it's popularity, it was always a niche sport. Most people don't give a damn about watching guys in cars go in circles.

The end of this season was excellent in that respect and the playoff games were indeed thrilling !!

I think the issue becomes whether it is sustainable for teams that don't make the playoffs for very long stretches of time.

How long will UF or UT boosters pay tens of millions of dollars year in and year out, for no return to themselves at all, to be paid to 19 year olds who will merrily take off for the next shiny new deal, and especially when their team does not make the playoffs for 10+ years?

I just don't see that paradigm lasting long, at all.

 

[thehardknoxlife]

Bogus claim. They won every game they played. That's how you win championships.

This isn't the NFL.

Tell me how you don't understand that a team salary cap like the NFL has has nothing to do with college football NIL.

NIL can't be capped except nlbt whoever is paying it. Ask Patrick Mahomes and State Farm. The NFL can't interfere in their business relationship.

What's bogus?

Answer this, if you take Mark Cuban out of the picture, does Indiana still win the championship? He's literally the only person that can't be replaced.

The comparison is that NFL has agents and pays players and college has agents and pays players.

I don't know the answer, but it's going to have to be capped somehow. Its already getting out of hand, just wait. Billionaire like Cuban will just buy teams. That's why they have caps.

 

[S.C. OrangeMan]

What's bogus?

Answer this, if you take Mark Cuban out of the picture, does Indiana still win the championship? He's literally the only person that can't be replaced.

The comparison is that NFL has agents and pays players and college has agents and pays players.

I don't know the answer, but it's going to have to be capped somehow. Its already getting out of hand, just wait. Billionaire like Cuban will just buy teams. That's why they have caps.

Any claim that Indians bought the natty last season is bogus. They won it in the field. Plenty of billionaires are alumni or fans of a bunch of teams.

"It" doesn't have to be capped at all. That's bogus, too.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

What's bogus?

Answer this, if you take Mark Cuban out of the picture, does Indiana still win the championship? He's literally the only person that can't be replaced.

The comparison is that NFL has agents and pays players and college has agents and pays players.

I don't know the answer, but it's going to have to be capped somehow. Its already getting out of hand, just wait. Billionaire like Cuban will just buy teams. That's why they have caps.

Take the Haslams out of the picture. Where are we? Our NIL "war chest" isn't being filled solely by the talent fee.

 

[S.C. OrangeMan]

The end of this season was excellent in that respect and the playoff games were indeed thrilling !!

I think the issue becomes whether it is sustainable for teams that don't make the playoffs for very long stretches of time.

How long will UF or UT boosters pay tens of millions of dollars year in and year out, for no return to themselves at all, to be paid to 19 year olds who will merrily take off for the next shiny new deal, and especially when their team does not make the playoffs for 10+ years?

I just don't see that paradigm lasting long, at all.

We've been hearing that for years, yet CFB is better than ever by every objective measure.

 

[lawgator1]

We've been hearing that for years, yet CFB is better than ever by every objective measure.

Respectfully disagree it is better "by every objective measure." And in any event I am really speaking to what I view as an inevitable reality as this is not sustainable.

 

[BigOrangeShark]

College football may be over as we know it, evolving into some sort of Frankenstein minor league paying 18-20 yr olds more money than I may ever make in my life...

...but I will still be tuning in every Saturday to watch the Volunteers put up 65 on some small FCS team or come short of a major season by 2 missed fields goals and an interception. And then one day, one day, we will be back. And it will all be worth it.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Respectfully disagree it is better "by every objective measure." And in any event I am really speaking to what I view as an inevitable reality as this is not sustainable.

I would've thought a few years ago that a buyout like Malzahn got would have changed coaching salary contracts because that's surely unsustainable.

Kelly and Franklin and Stoops and probably others I just can't recall this year.

College football money is out there when it's needed, apparently.

 

[lawgator1]

I would've thought a few years ago that a buyout like Malzahn got would have changed coaching salary contracts because that's surely unsustainable.

Kelly and Franklin and Stoops and probably others I just can't recall this year.

College football money is out there when it's needed, apparently.

Sure, but is it sustainable?

I will make the point I made elsewhere here on this.

When NFL teams pay players its with the expectation that the investment will return money to the team. As far as I know, they are all profitable. So, there is a return for the investment of paying the players.

When a college NIL collective forks out say, $20 million a year, those putting up that money get what? A cozy seat in the stadium? A dinner with the players? They don't get money back.

And then those players they paid to come there leave, where the next deal is better.

Flash forward ten years of that with no playoff appearance at a UF or a UT. Or an FSU, or a Georgia Tech, or UCLA....

The guys putting up the money, with no return, will grow tired of that real quick.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Sure, but is it sustainable?

I will make the point I made elsewhere here on this.

When NFL teams pay players its with the expectation that the investment will return money to the team. As far as I know, they are all profitable. So, there is a return for the investment of paying the players.

When a college NIL collective forks out say, $20 million a year, those putting up that money get what? A cozy seat in the stadium? A dinner with the players? They don't get money back.

And then those players they paid to come there leave, where the next deal is better.

Flash forward ten years of that with no playoff appearance at a UF or a UT. Or an FSU, or a Georgia Tech, or UCLA....

The guys putting up the money, with no return, will grow tired of that real quick.

I understand but LSU not only fired Kelly for $55M but also hired Kiffin promising a ton of money, providing a near #1 portal class, and a bunch of assistant money.

Penn State similarly spent a ton to get rid of Franklin and still has a strong portal class.

Even KY has a decent portal class.

Is it sustainable for 10yrs like that? Probably not, but is the NCAA likely to survive with this format for 10yrs? Probably not.

Checks national debt...... sustainable is a very, very forgotten concept in America.

 

[Delmar]

Respectfully disagree it is better "by every objective measure." And in any event I am really speaking to what I view as an inevitable reality as this is not sustainable.

The teams with the biggest donors and most money will be able to sustain. Not sure about the rest. We don’t have a Knight or a Cuban and have to rely on smaller investors. How long can that go on without a ROI?

 

[thehardknoxlife]

Take the Haslams out of the picture. Where are we? Our NIL "war chest" isn't being filled solely by the talent fee.

Answer a question with a question. Classic deflection tactic.

Take away the money from everyone, teams like UT have facilities, tradition, location, atmosphere, pro player development, and tribalism that would get players on campus. The answer is yes, Tennessee could and has done it without agents paying players. Indiania can't claim one of those nor could they get players without a billionaire. They have something like 30ish winning seasons compared to over 100 for UT. The only miracle is Cubans willingness to give tens of millions to a historically doormat school. It was impressive, he bought two really good teams. He's spent most of his life buying players, it makes sense he can do it well in football too. They went from 3-9 to champions after he started buying coaches and players.

 

[thehardknoxlife]

Any claim that Indians bought the natty last season is bogus. They won it in the field. Plenty of billionaires are alumni or fans of a bunch of teams.

"It" doesn't have to be capped at all. That's bogus, too.

You didn't answer the question.

If Mark Cuban was out of the picture, could Indiana have still won the national championship?

 

[Boston Vol]

What's bogus?

Answer this, if you take Mark Cuban out of the picture, does Indiana still win the championship? He's literally the only person that can't be replaced.

The comparison is that NFL has agents and pays players and college has agents and pays players.

I don't know the answer, but it's going to have to be capped somehow. Its already getting out of hand, just wait. Billionaire like Cuban will just buy teams. That's why they have caps.

What has to be capped? If you’re referring to NIL, there’s not a chance in hell the courts will ever allow it to be capped. And no players union would ever agree to a cap on NIL. Revenue sharing is already capped for about the next decade.