Something has changed…

Blame the other conferences for forming an alliance. That means they are aligned on all major decisions rendering the SEC’s vote useless. They got upset because Texas and Oklahoma are coming and they missed out. Not the SEC’s fault that those teams want to join.
It's Sankey's fault he courted them. Just bad for the game. Awful.

Exactly why we need a powerful national office and votes to keep absurd power plays like this from happening. It's ruinous to the game.
 
One could make the argument that college football has become similarly structured to the NFL. Some high-profile players will sign contracts and look to go where the money is. Other players will be forced to go to whichever team will take them at the time. A major difference is a salary cap.
 
NIL and the portal have zero effect on the product on the field on a given day. Y'all are just in your feelings. I'd argue that the quality of the product is as good as it's ever been.
I still can't quite figure out what exactly they are upset about. CFB hasn't been a "for the love of the game" sport for a very long time, even before NIL.
 
Not pointing this directly at you but geez there's been a lot of these posts. The whining is getting nauseating . If a game made me this miserable I'd quit watching. No its not ending for the millionth time. Schools will adapt or get left behind.
If his posts are "this miserable" why not just "quit watching"??
 
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I agree pretty much with OP. That said, I believe our current situation is just a gender gap thing. I'm an old fart and remember when players came to play football for the Vols because of loyalty to state and the unIversity. They came from Dumpbucket, Tennessee or Slimey Creek, Tennessee to wear orange and compete against neighboring states. Along the way, they got a degree from a university and if they were very good, they might get looked at by professional teams but the chances were slim of that. Thus, they had an education to start making a living like 99% of us do day after day. I feel the times have indeed changed and we wont see the way things were anymore. All we can do is climb aboard the orange train and enjoy the ride! Go Vols!
 
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Been to those games "rumble on the river"
I played NAIA football, and we played for the love of the game. The sport was pure. There was actual love for teammates and camaraderie that was sacred. The idea of sitting out a game (letting my teammates down), transferring out because I am not getting my way...didn't happen. You put your head down, worked hard, worked out, improved and EARNED EVERYTHING YOU GOT. I was the first person in my family to go to college. It changed my life. In my mind, that is payment enough for the work I put in and what I got out of it.



If you were as good as Bryce Young, you’d be wanting $1M NIL deals. And you played NAIA where they don’t have billion dollar television contracts. If you had millions of people watching your games and your school was making $40M/year and you couldn’t make money off your name, you’d be thinking differently.
 
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I still can't quite figure out what exactly they are upset about. CFB hasn't been a "for the love of the game" sport for a very long time, even before NIL.
It seems to me there is a direct correlation between compensation and level of play. This "love of the game" ideal, while very naive as it pertains to CFB, also wouldn't seem to lead to the best product. Very anti-capitalistic thinking. If the NFL dropped all salaries to $1,000 next year, then I guess only those willing to sacrifice everything for their "love of the game" would stick around....and the entertainment value would be abysmal.

And as one of the conservative SCOTUS judges rightly pointed out, if you only enjoy football when knowing the players are playing the game for less or minimal cash compensation...that is something very perverse.
 
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It boggles my mind how many people on this board are pro capitalism/pro-choice, yet get mad when 18-22 year old people make decisions on money and what’s best for them.

The hypocrisy literally blows my mind
VN might be pro-capitalism, but remember VN is also conservative. Generally speaking conservatives (and I guess I mean this more in a cultural rather than political sense) don't like it when things change, especially when it is altering something about the game that they consider to be sacred.

What I've never understood is how the "for the love of the game" types only trot out that argument in connection with players getting paid. I don't hear them complaining that the coaches, the admin people, the TV networks, etc. get paid millions.
 
It boggles my mind how many people on this board are pro capitalism/pro-choice, yet get mad when 18-22 year old people make decisions on money and what’s best for them.

The hypocrisy literally blows my mind
Only when it pertains to "certain groups" you see. When it's adult coaches? Sure! Good for them!

But when young, successful...largely minority...kids make gains, then it's time to speak up...and PUNISH their success (take away their scholarships, drool and laugh over them having to pay taxes and having potential issues).

It's WEIRD.
 
Why should a player not have a shot at making what a market determines he can make? These players are the primary attraction in an enterprise that brings in hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The coaches, admin people, and the media make millions. What's the justification, other than "I don't like it," for barring players from making money while everybody else associated with the enterprise can? I've never heard anybody say that the media, coaches, or admin people making millions make the game "less pure."

How have you determined that a free education or $2400/year is "enough" for a player? Is there any other endeavor or business where we'd do that?
Is there any other area of an academic institution that provides for students the privileges that athletics does? No.

IMO as a fan athletics is losing its value. I agree with you that media, coaches, etc are way overvalued. It has taken me 50 years to come to this realization but I think many fans are going to re-evaluate the value of athletics in the near future.
 
Is there any other area of an academic institution that provides for students the privileges that athletics does? No.

IMO as a fan athletics is losing its value. I agree with you that media, coaches, etc are way overvalued. It has taken me 50 years to come to this realization but I think many fans are going to re-evaluate the value of athletics in the near future.
I don't follow. So because there isn't any other area that academic institutions give more to than athletics, that means athletes shouldn't be allowed to make cash money?

BTW, I'm not saying that media, coaches, etc. are overvalued. Hell, the good coaches are probably underpaid.
 
Is there any other area of an academic institution that provides for students the privileges that athletics does? No.

IMO as a fan athletics is losing its value. I agree with you that media, coaches, etc are way overvalued. It has taken me 50 years to come to this realization but I think many fans are going to re-evaluate the value of athletics in the near future.

Is streaming the university’s biology class bringing in $3B dollar television contracts?
 
Thanks for your example that sports is way over valued.

Go look at revenues and profits for sports teams and football athletics departments, along with live programming and that idea will change.

Also, that wasnt your initial complaint. Your complaint was “what other student gets the privileges of an athlete” and the reason for that is because they bring in tons of money more than anyone else
 
Only when it pertains to "certain groups" you see. When it's adult coaches? Sure! Good for them!

But when young, successful...largely minority...kids make gains, then it's time to speak up...and PUNISH their success (take away their scholarships, drool and laugh over them having to pay taxes and having potential issues).

It's WEIRD.
🎯
 
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Let’s play a little game. Let’s say, the total amount you get from UT for everything (tuition, books, nutrition, training, lodging, etc) of being a football player is 60K. Maybe a little aggressive/maybe a little conservative. Now let’s take 85 scholarships players (yes I know walk ons are not included) and times that by 60K. That’s $5.1M

Now, every pro league has a 50/50 split minimum for revenue and streaming. Now the $68M SEC schools being paid per year starting in 2024 will be used for the whole AD but for the sake of the argument let’s just look at the % of what these kids get for 60K…they get 7.5% of that television contracts…and that doesn’t include other revenue from tickets, merchandise, concessions, etc.

Even if you put 100K on each kid for 85 scholarships, that’s still only 12.5%…yet you people want to bitch about NIL and transfers? Come on.
 
IF that is going to happen, then we need to get some significant defensive help via the portal...

Yeah hope spring eternal. But people need realize we may get help in the portal but teams like Bama are too. The difference is they cherry pick. Bama, we need a big OT. OK have our man go out and throw some $$$ towards some of those bottom dwellers that have all conference OT . You know like last year when we raided that also ran of their LB Toto.
Rich will get richer. You will have to luck into a once in lifetime QB to get to the top with the Big Boys.
 
It's Sankey's fault he courted them. Just bad for the game. Awful.

Exactly why we need a powerful national office and votes to keep absurd power plays like this from happening. It's ruinous to the game.
All reports say those schools reached out to the SEC first. The SEC does not have to court anyone.
 
The game doesn’t feel authentic to me anymore. I am becoming more of an NFL fan because of it.

I used to like college football so much more than I do now. I used to feel the game was more passionate and the players play harder because they are trying to get to the league. I have always loved the pageantry and traditions of each school. It makes it special.

That has changed now with the portal and NIL. There are still student athletes but they share the field with professionals now. Once you get money that is what you are. Not every school has the same access to capital. The haves and have nots are even further solidified. The spectacle that is signing day, the selfish entitled behaviors, no loyalty, skipping bowls, using the portal as leverage to get a payout, it sucks.

I know the coaches leave, position for money all the time. It is their profession and they are paid to do it. That’s why it is different in my eyes. I am talking about the players right now.
stop giving kids scholarships. They get money, let them pay for it. It isn’t that big of a deal anyway is what they claim.

You definitely said the same thing when the forward pass was instituted. Here's a fact all you NIL whiners fail to realize: guys were ALWAYS getting paid, you just turned the other way and pretended it wasn't happening. Now that it's out in the open and legitimized you think it's "ruining the game." Also, you sound like an idiot saying that it's fine if a coach leaves bc "its his profession." I guarantee the guys that are playing D1 football have worked harder at their "profession" than you ever did yours.
 
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You definitely said the same thing when the forward pass was instituted. Here's a fact all you NIL whiners fail to realize: guys were ALWAYS getting paid, you just turned the other way and pretended it wasn't happening. Now that it's out in the open and legitimized you think it's "ruining the game." Also, you sound like an idiot saying that it's fine if a coach leaves bc "its his profession." I guarantee the guys that are playing D1 football have worked harder at their "profession" than you ever did yours.
That’s your opinion. I stated mine. The difference is I won’t attack you for stating yours on a message board. Neither of us are “right” because it is how we see it. That’s the point.
 
That’s easier said than done because so many people, especially alumni have very strong emotional and life experiences attached to (any) school. Anyone more than 30 years old falls into this category of having such strong ties to schools success.
I believe there will be another huge seismic shift or two in major college sports. 1) NIL impact and USFL or other pro league, and 2) separation of top level programs from everything else, including NCAA. I believe the SEC will maintain/be the de facto premier AAA of football because it already has fanbases, infrastructure, and marketing baked it: no need to create from scratch. I think the schools will figure out a way to totally throw away the old model and make the major sports programs quasi independent organizations, much like what Tennessee already did with its AD at one point before is was nuanced back into the university hierarchy. Basically the schools will finally cède to the duality of “amateurism” and semi pro and go full paid pro athletes with a payroll. Don’t they almost have to get a commissioner, salary cap and financial structure for everything to be sustainable? Which is why the NCAA was originally created but needs to be scrapped as obsolete.
Employees can unionize.... collectively bargin.......and strike.
 
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