• You do not need to register if you are not going to pay the yearly fee to post. If you register please click here or log in go to "settings" then "my account" then "User Upgrades" and you can renew.

HuskerMax readers can save 50% on  Omaha Steaks .

Florida NIL Problem

  • Thread starter Deleted member 9019
  • Start date
Nebraska will have to go down that same road eventually if they want to compete for the National Championhip.

Very sad what it has become.
 
I will say if true and this is going to be how this works, this is kind of a gut punch for me. I like football and I would probably watch some even if I hadn't grown up in Nebraska. But perhaps like some and unlike others here I might not live and die with the success of my team like I do or even have sought out a message board like huskermax to talk about it, if I had grown up in a place that never much won.

I suspect growing up in Lincoln and being an impressionable 10 year old when Nebraska first won an NC, then watching Osborne take years tuning and improving until finally achieving a pinnacle combined with some of my own particular views on what makes a worthy quest, formed in me (and some others clearly), a perhaps excessive, almost existential identification with the huskers.

I've moved around a lot but never could become anything near as big a fan of any other team in any sport, college or pro. My feeling of fanness is so attached to the huskers and wrapped up in things like being an alum and also in the Nebraska diaspora and also how my life and those of my close and extended families and friends have played out that I don't think anyone else has much of a chance to get anywhere with me.

There was always some small part of it that was mercenary, of course. It's not like good players were going there without at least a scholarship, and it's not like all of them were from Nebraska. It was never completely representative of the state. But those things were already built in when I bought in, so to speak, so I weaved rationalizations of the virtue of them into my feelings. (Less fortunate young men get an education! All of them are enriched by having friends from other states! Etc.)

But here now we're elevating the mercenary component way higher than ever before. Of course, as Weatherman points out, they deserve it like we all deserve what the market will bear. But it's hard to square it with the foundations of my fandom.

Combined with the transfer portal allowing the team to be turned over significantly from year to year, this makes the whole thing almost indistiguishable from pros, maybe even more itinerant in fact, given that no players can stay longer than 5 or years, barring unusual circumstances.

So why exactly should I be a "fan" of the huskers anymore, if the players are mostly here because the money is good, and the roster is new each year?

I guess I could just stay a fan because I have always been one, or because lots of people I know are, or because I like the color red. But I've typically at least tried to be more examined than that in other things, to make meaningful choices with awareness and intent. Shouldn't I do so here too?

Maybe instead I should become a free agent fan and pick a team to follow that's doing well? Or become just a fan of the game, and cheer on good plays no matter who makes them?

Not sure I could actually do either of those things. Being a husker fan has been so important to me.

I'm not suggesting there's value in just stomping off angry or otherwise being overly dramatic. I'll likely remain a fan at least in some form and keep up with them for sure.

But I had a great, historic love affair with husker football all my life. I've kept the candle burning even in the lean years. And now the whole sport is changing so much that I feel like I've been stubbornly staying true to something that might not actually be there anymore.

Maybe it will soon be time to say that I knew and loved it when it was the very best thing in the world and then kind of walk away rather than sully the memory further. I don't know. I haven't decided anything yet. But it staggers my belief that I can even imagine it.
 
Last edited:



He was supposed to enroll for this semester. Instead he went home.

He is the first college training camp holdout.
It will be interesting to see if the NCAA let's him out of his commitment. Florida didn't do anything wrong since they can't be directly connected to any NIL deal. So the problem is between the kid and whoever is handling the NIL deal, which is not really something the NCAA gets involved in.
 
What could possibly go wrong with having a bunch of 17,18 and 19 year olds running around with their pockets bulging full of Benjis? :Stirthepot: Guess we're about to find out.

We have a long history of high school baseball players being drafted and earning millions as teenagers -- a large percentage without any college education. It happens in basketball. Happens in hockey. I believe that opportunity has existed for every major team sport -- except football -- for a long time. Most do just fine. Some fail to handle it well. I expect the same now in college football.
 
When this, give the players some money started, I don’t think it was meant for 18-19 year olds to be millionaires the day they arrived. It’s gotten out of hand is the problem. If they’d have just addressed this years ago, this problem wouldn’t be happening now. 5-10k per semester is plenty of walking around money, which is what people were bitching about years ago. The cry was, I can’t even afford a simple date, a coke, a burger. Now it’s, I need this house, this 75k car yada yada. Huge can of worms with no rules. What could possibly go wrong? Lol
 



We have a long history of high school baseball players being drafted and earning millions as teenagers -- a large percentage without any college education. It happens in basketball. Happens in hockey. I believe that opportunity has existed for every major team sport -- except football -- for a long time. Most do just fine. Some fail to handle it well. I expect the same now in college football.
I do not believe the numbers of college football players getting NIL money versus young kids going into professional baseball are remotely close. In 2022 there were approximately 100 HS kids in the MLB draft. As you know that doesn't mean everyone of them is going to act on going to the minor leagues upon leaving HS. Most opt for college baseball which frankly is the better choice imo. Yea there are some kids that will get a nice contract but that's not the majority. Only 27 drafted players have ever went directly to majors and skipped playing in the minors. All I'm suggesting is there's going to a lot more rich young football players in the near future. Perhaps that will work out great but I have my doubts.
 
I do not believe the numbers of college football players getting NIL money versus young kids going into professional baseball are remotely close. In 2022 there were approximately 100 HS kids in the MLB draft. As you know that doesn't mean everyone of them is going to act on going to the minor leagues upon leaving HS. Most opt for college baseball which frankly is the better choice imo. Yea there are some kids that will get a nice contract but that's not the majority. Only 27 drafted players have ever went directly to majors and skipped playing in the minors. All I'm suggesting is there's going to a lot more rich young football players in the near future. Perhaps that will work out great but I have my doubts.
Wow, I would not have thought 27 drafted players went straight to the big leagues. I was thinking 5-10. So few.

The thing with football is, giving these guys so much money before ever having done anything. Rumors are, around here, that Spencer Sanders made $400,000 in Stillwater this past season. He then, demanded more for a Covid return year. He wasn’t getting it, so he left to go join Mississippi’s crowded QB room. Jaxon Dart is still there, along with the kid from LSU, former 5*. Why? I’m sure they fetched him more money. Now, Spencer Sanders may not even play at Mississippi, I don’t know. He should have stayed in Stillwater and cemented his legacy. It’s tarnished now because of money. Tell me how this is good for an ‘amateur’ sport? I won’t even get into him crapping all over his former teammates and leaving OSU, who treated him very well, in a huge bind. He wasn’t roughing it. He wouldn’t have had this stage without college football. It’s just ridiculous where this garbage is.
 
It will be interesting to see if the NCAA let's him out of his commitment. Florida didn't do anything wrong since they can't be directly connected to any NIL deal. So the problem is between the kid and whoever is handling the NIL deal, which is not really something the NCAA gets involved in.

The NCAA actually doesn't have anything to do with any of this. The scholarship offer/commitment is with UF. UF just let Rashada out of his scholarship. Legally, UF could have probably said no, but why would a staff want a kid who doesn't want to be there? That's a recipe for locker room chaos.

The really stupid thing about all of this? The NCAA and the schools caused this problem, and they continue to let it fester.
The entire reason this problem exists is the NCAA and the schools continue to insist on an "amateurism" model in P5 football that hasn't been the truth since the 1980s, if even then.

According to NCAA rules, because college sports are still supposed to be amateur, individual colleges and their coaches cannot have any direct involvement in the "collectives" that have been created to support NIL deals at individual schools. In Rashada's case, the Gator Collective offered him a reported $13 million deal to sign with Florida, so he did. After he signed, the Gator Collective apparently failed to come through on any part of that $13 million deal.

It appears that the Gator Collective sold Rashada and his family a bill of goods. In other words, the collective may have committed fraud to entice Rashada to sign a contract with UF.

The NCAA, and specifically P5 schools, could end this mess if they would finally admit that amateurism no longer exists at their level and the athletes are employees. It's really not too far fetched for me to believe the UF coaches are probably more angry about this than anybody else. They thought they were getting a QB, and then the whole thing falls apart because a booster created and controlled "collective" failed to come through on what they promised.
 
Last edited:
Wow, I would not have thought 27 drafted players went straight to the big leagues. I was thinking 5-10. So few.

The thing with football is, giving these guys so much money before ever having done anything. Rumors are, around here, that Spencer Sanders made $400,000 in Stillwater this past season. He then, demanded more for a Covid return year. He wasn’t getting it, so he left to go join Mississippi’s crowded QB room. Jaxon Dart is still there, along with the kid from LSU, former 5*. Why? I’m sure they fetched him more money. Now, Spencer Sanders may not even play at Mississippi, I don’t know. He should have stayed in Stillwater and cemented his legacy. It’s tarnished now because of money. Tell me how this is good for an ‘amateur’ sport? I won’t even get into him crapping all over his former teammates and leaving OSU, who treated him very well, in a huge bind. He wasn’t roughing it. He wouldn’t have had this stage without college football. It’s just ridiculous where this garbage is.

$400K is very good money, but it's not necessarily multi-generational, family changing, money. Football is a collision sport, and careers are ended in practice and in games every week from spring ball to the bowl season. If somebody offered me a raise from $400K to whatever the boosters at an SEC school could come up with, I'm out the door so fast it would make heads spin.

Every single one of these kids is in college because they want a career in the NFL/NBA/NHL/WNBA. (No, it doesn't matter if they're the 12th person on a 12 person basketball bench and have no realistic prospect of sniffing an NBA/WNBA/international basketball contract). To paraphrase Tony Kornheiser, "that's it, that's the reason."

Because there are so many "cautionary tales" of athletes who end up bankrupt after short pro careers, colleges increasingly have helped their athletes realize that their career could be over in an instant, and money/wealth management is important. Sanders isn't stupid. I have no doubt that he wants to get drafted and have a long career in the NFL. But the chance of that is very small. It simply makes sense to maximize his value as a college QB, and he did that by transferring to Mississippi.

Obviously the money involved is different, but to me it's not all that different than a "regular" student transferring to a bigger school with more opportunities that will help them make more $$ after they graduate.
 
Last edited:



When this, give the players some money started, I don’t think it was meant for 18-19 year olds to be millionaires the day they arrived. It’s gotten out of hand is the problem. If they’d have just addressed this years ago, this problem wouldn’t be happening now. 5-10k per semester is plenty of walking around money, which is what people were bitching about years ago. The cry was, I can’t even afford a simple date, a coke, a burger. Now it’s, I need this house, this 75k car yada yada. Huge can of worms with no rules. What could possibly go wrong? Lol

"They," being P5 schools and the NCAA, didn't address this problem years ago for the same reason they're not addressing it now. Schools do not want to legally admit athletes are employees.

The major reason they don't want to admit this now is because it would force P5 schools to share some of the revenue "pie" that they currently control. They've allowed these "collectives" to spring up because they're booster-created and booster-controlled. According to NCAA rules, schools and their coaches aren't permitted to have any involvement. The collectives and the boosters are responsible for coming up with the $$ they offer to athletes. If they fail to do so (as in Rashada's case) the school isn't legally responsible and can't get sued for the money.

If P5 schools admitted athletes are employees, they'd have to come up with the $$ out of what they already make from TV deals, sponsorship sales, etc. Another large part of it is it gets the P5 schools into having to collectively bargain with players unions on things like medical treatment, practice time/rules, etc.
 
Last edited:
$400K is very good money, but it's not necessarily multi-generational, family changing, money. Football is a collision sport, and careers are ended in practice and in games every week from spring ball to the bowl season. If somebody offered me a raise from $400K to whatever the boosters at an SEC school could come up with, I'm out the door so fast it would make heads spin.

Every single one of these kids is in college because they want a career in the NFL/NBA/NHL/WNBA. (No, it doesn't matter if they're the 12th person on a 12 person basketball bench and have no realistic prospect of sniffing an NBA/WNBA/international basketball contract). To paraphrase Tony Kornheiser, "that's it, that's the reason."

Because there are so many "cautionary tales" of athletes who end up bankrupt after short pro careers, colleges increasingly have helped their athletes realize that their career could be over in an instant, and money/wealth management is important. Sanders isn't stupid. I have no doubt that he wants to get drafted and have a long career in the NFL. But the chance of that is very small. It simply makes sense to maximize his value as a college QB, and he did that by transferring to Mississippi.

Obviously the money involved is different, but to me it's not all that different than a "regular" student transferring to a bigger school with more opportunities that will help them make more $$ after they graduate.
100% of kids do NOT think they will play in the NFL. I’d hope, most want to play because it’s fun, and they want to compete and win. Few make the pros. Also, 90% of Americans will never make $400,000 in one year. Probably not a lot of dudes in college football making much more than that. Personally, I think what he did was awful. He had a true legacy there. He blew it. Good riddance.
 

I will say if true and this is going to be how this works, this is kind of a gut punch for me. I like football and I would probably watch some even if I hadn't grown up in Nebraska. But perhaps like some and unlike others here I might not live and die with the success of my team like I do or even have sought out a message board like huskermax to talk about it, if I had grown up in a place that never much won.

I suspect growing up in Lincoln and being an impressionable 10 year old when Nebraska first won an NC, then watching Osborne take years tuning and improving until finally achieving a pinnacle combined with some of my own particular views on what makes a worthy quest, formed in me (and some others clearly), a perhaps excessive, almost existential identification with the huskers.

I've moved around a lot but never could become anything near as big a fan of any other team in any sport, college or pro. My feeling of fanness is so attached to the huskers and wrapped up in things like being an alum and also in the Nebraska diaspora and also how my life and those of my close and extended families and friends have played out that I don't think anyone else has much of a chance to get anywhere with me.

There was always some small part of it that was mercenary, of course. It's not like good players were going there without at least a scholarship, and it's not like all of them were from Nebraska. It was never completely representative of the state. But those things were already built in when I bought in, so to speak, so I weaved rationalizations of the virtue of them into my feelings. (Less fortunate young men get an education! All of them are enriched by having friends from other states! Etc.)

But here now we're elevating the mercenary component way higher than ever before. Of course, as Weatherman points out, they deserve it like we all deserve what the market will bear. But it's hard to square it with the foundations of my fandom.

Combined with the transfer portal allowing the team to be turned over significantly from year to year, this makes the whole thing almost indistiguishable from pros, maybe even more itinerant in fact, given that no players can stay longer than 5 or years, barring unusual circumstances.

So why exactly should I be a "fan" of the huskers anymore, if the players are mostly here because the money is good, and the roster is new each year?

I guess I could just stay a fan because I have always been one, or because lots of people I know are, or because I like the color red. But I've typically at least tried to be more examined than that in other things, to make meaningful choices with awareness and intent. Shouldn't I do so here too?

Maybe instead I should become a free agent fan and pick a team to follow that's doing well? Or become just a fan of the game, and cheer on good plays no matter who makes them?

Not sure I could actually do either of those things. Being a husker fan has been so important to me.

I'm not suggesting there's value in just stomping off angry or otherwise being overly dramatic. I'll likely remain a fan at least in some form and keep up with them for sure.

But I had a great, historic love affair with husker football all my life. I've kept the candle burning even in the lean years. And now the whole sport is changing so much that I feel like I've been stubbornly staying true to something that might not actually be there anymore.

Maybe it will soon be time to say that I knew and loved it when it was the very best thing in the world and then kind of walk away rather than sully the memory further. I don't know. I haven't decided anything yet. But it staggers my belief that I can even imagine it.

Just saw this post.

c54650b7278f88a3eeaa7aa7d5fce4f7.jpg
 

GET TICKETS


Get 50% off on Omaha Steaks

Back
Top