The reason NIL deals are important and are good for the game

[Brave Volunteer]

The biggest way I think NIL and transfer portal are going to negatively impact college football is it's going to make it hard for fans to endear themselves to any one player because "one and done" is going to be much more prevalent. Just look at Alabama's Heisman Trophy QB. He's currently in the transfer portal. That would've been unheard of in years past. But this is what the transfer portal allows. Much like the way "one and done" has negatively impacted college basketball. Chandler is gone. I feel like I barely saw the guy play and in 20 years will anyone really talk about him?

 

[CoolVolEli]

I'm sure this will be a well organized and completely ruly thread.

 

[Rickyvol77]

I'm sure this will be a well organized and completely ruly thread.

Any thread with Woods becomes a jumbled incoherent cartoon mess

 

[Carp]

The biggest way I think NIL and transfer portal are going to negatively impact college football is it's going to make it hard for fans to endear themselves to any one player because "one and done" is going to be much more prevalent. Just look at Alabama's Heisman Trophy QB. He's currently in the transfer portal. That would've been unheard of in years past. But this is what the transfer portal allows. Much like the way "one and done" has negatively impacted college basketball. Chandler is gone. I feel like I barely saw the guy play and in 20 years will anyone really talk about him?

Agree with your overall point, but Bryce Young entering the portal was an April Fool's joke.

 

[WoodsmanVol]

NILs are just endorsement deals. So they are the same. On a smaller level obviously, but they are endorsement deals nonetheless.
Aaron, in fact, does not get paid more by his sponsors for MVPs and TDs. Aaron Rodger's ability to make from sponsorships is directly tied to how marketable he is. Now sure, him being good at football is why he gets those deals, but at this point, he has already built his brand. It won't matter if he throws for 100 tds or 100 ints next year. His endorsement deals will remain the same. That's why Peyton continues to gain/maintain endorsement deals despite being retired for 7 years.

To a major extent, you're right. However, pros do renegotiate endorsement deals when they have exceptional on field success. It isn't always directly translated into cash. It can be the number of business products they hype, increased compensation for agreeing to not do other endorsements, especially a competitor. Plus, I guess you could call loyalty bonuses. I doubt it happens often, but's there. So I'm right too. Warp drives and impulse drives really are different. But, who really care? I, for one, don't. I'm just happy to see exploited young men getting a slice, however thin, of the pie.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Agree with your overall point, but Bryce Young entering the portal was an April Fool's joke.

Ahh i missed that. I just saw the headline and kept going. Lol.

 

[ClearwaterVol]

Let's say I was a college player. If I could go through 4 years of UT, get a degree, maybe I get a graduate degree, and in the process, I manage to get my name marketed some (helping my prospects of landing a job), and make some connections, and perhaps, I'm even so lucky to get $100,000 a year over 5 years.....

Then at the very worst, I've graduated with a masters that is paid for, a bachelors that is paid for, people in the city likely know my name, and I have earned enough money to buy myself a decent house.

That's better than most college students end out with. Most end up with $100k+ in debt, and can't afford a house until their 30's (and in this market, that's tough).

So now they get a free education and a few million bucks?

 

[volzfanupnorth]

That's not really relevant if your argument is that the education itself is what is valuable. They can still get the same education without a scholarship.

I think the point is they were already being paid in the form of around $100K for 4 years by getting a scholarship. Trust me, the kid who is busting his/her ass going to class, working a job, doing everything they can to get the same education would take the free education that those players were already receiving in a second. I think the NIL situation should be seriously reevaluated. If you want to take the NIL money, ok, take it. But your scholarship should be redistributed to other students on a dollar by dollar basis up to the amount of one year of tuition and fees for whatever marketing money you receive while attending school. Oh, and in some cases, welcome to your new tax bracket. I hope you have an excellent accountant.

 

[Carp]

I think the point is they were already being paid in the form of around $100K for 4 years by getting a scholarship. Trust me, the kid who is busting his/her ass going to class, working a job, doing everything they can to get the same education would take the free education that those players were already receiving in a second. I think the NIL situation should be seriously reevaluated. If you want to take the NIL money, ok, take it. But your scholarship should be redistributed to other students on a dollar by dollar basis up to the amount of one year of tuition and fees for whatever marketing money you receive while attending school. Oh, and in some cases, welcome to your new tax bracket. I hope you have an excellent accountant.

The problem with that is that the schools aren't involved in the NIL (at least not legally anyways). NIL is strictly a route in which players can capitalize on their individual popularity. You can possibly try to police it better. But that opens up another can of worms. In the end, popular players, playing at popular schools, are going to be very marketable and will have a lot of businesses willing to have that player represent them.

 

[EverythingOrange]

Because that isn't how NILs work. Aaron Rodgers doesn't get paid any more money by State Farm by how many TDs he throws or MVPs he wins.

AFL teams pay for individual TOUCHDOWNS (rushing or passing); SACKS; Tackles for Loss; Field-Goals; & Interceptions. It doesn’t hurt to inspire an entire TEAM Effort!

 

[The_Big_Orange]

willingness is the glaring one missing. You need some sort of virtue that others would value, some way to meet the need of others. Education has to do with that one. You need opportunity to practice, and you need willingness. All the ones you listed have to do with opportunity.

Everything tends to get measured in money, and as we all know some things don't get measured out exactly right in money. A lot of really important work has to be done for low pay or in some cases even zero.

Unless you were raised by a single mom or grandmother who was rarely around then I’m sorry but you can’t compare yourself/ideals to most of these kids. Trust me I’m as far from a liberal as there is but unless you’ve come up like these kids with absolutely no one investing in your life’s betterment outside of a sport it’s hard to relate. These guys getting paid for the entertainment they bring us is more than fair.

 

[Devo182]

Free education is worth more in the long run...but that's just my opinion.

How much is the kid getting paid?

I mean if they have to take out a loan - 13k/year in state. Add in 5% interest and looking at about 61k by graduation. Of course now they can work to pay it partly down in the meantime.

That's the cost, which is what matters in the analysis. The long-term value can be had for that 61k if they weren't playing ball.

Jmo but plenty of kids are making over 13k/year.

 

[Devo182]

Not against people getting paid but this system will destroy or has destroyed college football. Soon people will wonder why these huge payroll machines are attached to our universities with budgets higher than the schools. This is minor league ball, just a matter fo time until universities sell their franchises.

Strange nobody was asking this with $10mm head coaches 😒

And they aren't being paid by the school, so a serious moot point. According to free markets, the roster is worth 25x-30x the HC.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

What commodities do high school superstars (say, high 3-stars and above) look for when picking a place to land in college? I can think of six or seven dominant considerations. And I'm not going to just say "chance to get to the NFL" as one of them, because that is too nebulous; can break it down into its component parts, which are included here:

• Playing time -- have to be seen and make a name for one's self to attract NFL scouts and coaches
• Opportunity to learn the craft of the position from a real guru (so, a widely respected coaching staff, particularly for one's position)
• Chance to win championships (so, a program with potential to win big, in conference and nationwide)
• Scholarship and NIL $$$ (scholarship used to be the big monetary draw; it will probably fade in importance as NIL deals balloon)
• Childhood loyalties -- this one doesn't apply to many, but for some, the Jack Jones' of the world, it is still the #1 consideration
• Playing with brothers and friends -- again, doesn't happen for many, but some are absolutely pulled by a friend or sibling ... very similar to this but a bit different is going where mama (or dad) says...it happens from time to time.

So where do Bama, Ohio State, and Clemson have an edge? Surprisingly, only in about half those considerations. Championships? Absolutely. NIL $$ yep, for sure. Guru coaching staffs? Yes.

But not playing time. Every team in the FBS gets exactly the same amount of that to share out. And that, along with the lesser considerations like childhood loyalties or joining a brother/friend, are why NIL can not destroy college football.

Sure, there will be haves and have nots. As there are already. As there were 50 years ago. Or 100 years ago. Recruiting will never be a fair and level playing field. Just as it has never been.

That doesn't mean the game is doomed. It's gonna be fine. And I have a pretty strong feeling Tennessee is going to be one of the haves in just about every category a recruit might consider, soon.

Go Vols!

 

[VolunteerNut]

NIL has to re-looked at, I personally think it;s bad for the game but hey that's me. You bring a kid in at say 400-500 thousand dollars and doesn't pan out or gets hurt and can never play what have you accomplished? Sorry JMHO

 

[VolunteerNut]

NIL good for the game? I disagree! plain and simple.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

I think there should be NIL for academics as well

 

[CAVPUT]

Free education is worth more in the long run...but that's just my opinion.

Not sure I can agree with that. In a way, the education is something you can and will use for a lifetime. Having said that, I've got my doctorate and have worked in my field for 40 years. I've done very well and will retire comfortably, but Nico will bank 8 mil before he's 22. I haven't done the math but if he has any kind of NFL career, he'll bank more than this old man before he's much past 25. With any common sense and guidance, he's living comfortably. One can make the argument that without purpose and education that a kid will squander it and wander thru life aimlessly. Still, that kind of money gets you off to a terrific start and smart ones will get the education along the way to go along with it.

 

[ZZ13]

I think there should be NIL for academics as well

Always has been. Students can hold any job and make money anyway they want.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

Always has been. Students can hold any job and make money anyway they want.

I dont remember any Computer Science majors I went to school with making $100 an autograph or $8 million to come on campus.....

 

[SGMVols]

The only way to put an end to the NIL/portal chaos that will survive judicial review is to make the players contract employees just like the coaches. That’s probably the direction it’s headed anyway.

 

[happy-go_vol]

Free education is worth more in the long run...but that's just my opinion.

It depends on the degree, many students, athletes or not, get horrible degrees which are useless. I'd say a free education that's useful in the real world is better in the long run.

 

[FLVOL_79]

Not sure I can agree with that. In a way, the education is something you can and will use for a lifetime. Having said that, I've got my doctorate and have worked in my field for 40 years. I've done very well and will retire comfortably, but Nico will bank 8 mil before he's 22. I haven't done the math but if he has any kind of NFL career, he'll bank more than this old man before he's much past 25. With any common sense and guidance, he's living comfortably. One can make the argument that without purpose and education that a kid will squander it and wander thru life aimlessly. Still, that kind of money gets you off to a terrific start and smart ones will get the education along the way to go along with it.

And that is what I meant when I said worth more.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I dont remember any Computer Science majors I went to school with making $100 an autograph or $8 million to come on campus.....

You clearly didn't go to school with Emma Watson or Eva Longoria.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

You clearly didn't go to school with Emma Watson or Eva Longoria.

If I had, I could regale a tale or two......