Pac 12 athletic union ?

[RedStones]

To the bold I wonder if it really will change all that much. I mean the "business" of college sports is definitely different today than it was in the 70s or 80s or even 90s. But once toe meets leather...as a fan do we really care? When it's 4th and goal late in the 4th Q are we really concerned with the fact that the coach is making a crap-ton of cash or that the RB might have a closet full of Adidas gear? Am I going to be mad if they are successful in negotiating extended medical care?

I'm all about capitalism but as far as college sports is concerned I'm hopeful that it takes a more socialistic look. I hope it doesn't become a bidding war for the 5* QB. I'd like to see all the players reap the benefits equally to some degree. But as a capitalist it's hard to argue against it. Just about everyone else is able to sell their services to the "highest bidder". Maybe it's inevitable. And we may not like the result. But who can we be mad at if/when it goes that way? It's the American way, right?

Maybe it's fear more than anything else. Fear that money will ruin a good thing. Money has obviously been changing the game for years but over time money has a tendency corrupt things.

Right or wrong I think it would be a shame if other sports had to die because football players demand a big slice of the revenue they generate. I don't really want to see those athletes get deprived of opportunities that might have come from participating in those other sports.

I'd also hate to see smaller programs go away because they don't have the big money to compete. That would likely have trickle down effects that haven't even been considered.

Then there will be those schools that have deep pockets. They'll become even more powerful. They'll be able to afford the best players which is great for them but when the other teams can't field competitive teams it won't be as much fun for the fans.

And of course the costs will get passed on to the fans. Prices in the NFL and MLB have gotten so high a lot of people can't even afford to go to games anymore. I'd hate to see that get worse in college football because I'd like kids to still be able to got to games with their dads like I did without it breaking the bank.

Change is inevitable but I guess fear of change goes along with it.

 

[bilsker]

Maybe it's fear more than anything else. Fear that money will ruin a good thing. Money has obviously been changing the game for years but over time money has a tendency corrupt things.

Right or wrong I think it would be a shame if other sports had to die because football players demand a big slice of the revenue they generate. I don't really want to see those athletes get deprived of opportunities that might have come from participating in those other sports.

I'd also hate to see smaller programs go away because they don't have the big money to compete. That would likely have trickle down effects that haven't even been considered.

Then there will be those schools that have deep pockets. They'll become even more powerful. They'll be able to afford the best players which is great for them but when the other teams can't field competitive teams it won't be as much fun for the fans.

And of course the costs will get passed on to the fans. Prices in the NFL and MLB have gotten so high a lot of people can't even afford to go to games anymore. I'd hate to see that get worse in college football because I'd like kids to still be able to got to games with their dads like I did without it breaking the bank.

Change is inevitable but I guess fear of change goes along with it.

I would just as soon things remain mostly unchanged as well.

A couple points....re: smaller programs. They already can't compete. One of the things about college football that is interesting is that fully half of the participants have exactly zero shot to compete for the national title. As far as I know it's the only sport you can say that about. In basketball there is a path for Southern Illinois to compete for the title. It would take a whole lot of things lining up but they get to compete for it. Before the season even starts Miami (OH) knows that no matter how good they are they won't get a shot. They are cannon fodder to fill up the schedules for the Nebraskas of the world before being given a check and sent back to their little corner of the sports world where the best they can even dream of is a conference title. They can't compete NOW. So if Nebraska and Bama are able to pay some $ to their players it's not like Miami (OH) is losing recruits...the guys that go there go there because they can't cut it at Bama in the first place. They will still go there....ironically, their ADs will serve them up to Nebraska and Bama a couple times a year for a beating for.....MONEY!

So the same players will essentially end up where they are today...generally speaking...same conferences anyway. And the 2* kid nobody wants will still have a place at Akron.

The non-revenue sports are the ones at more risk than the low level football programs. The money will come from somewhere and it's not going to be Nick Saban's or Scott Frost's pocket.

 

[Stuck in the South]

For football, colleges need the athletes, but the athletes also need the colleges. Until the NFL decides to create a minor league, there is no real path from high school to professional. In fact, even aside from professional ambitions, there is nowhere else to even play football after high school. Colleges should realize that they have pretty good leverage here.

Basketball and baseball are different stories when it comes to elite high school players, as those sports offer other paths to become a professional. Of course, baseball is a revenue-losing sport for the vast majority of colleges that field teams.

And NFL is too wise to spend trillions to create a minor league when they have a free one in the NCAA.

 

[huskernut]

And NFL is too wise to spend trillions to create a minor league when they have a free one in the NCAA.

Trillions? Really? Heck for a share of that kind of money even I'll dust off my cleats.

 

[Farmer Jake]

The whole concept of student/athlete was much simpler in the 1960s & 1970s. Back then, college athletics were still sports. Now it is all a business. But large sums of money screwed the whole system.

This is out of hand. These are college kids asking for well over double what I'm making... in addition to full ride schollies, free apparel, lavish digs, etc. And full health care for 6 years AFTER they leave. Idiotic.

I am tempted to go along with their demand to void the Covid waivers. But then again, maybe not. Sure, it's wrong to put all the risk on the players. But "kids these days" need to understand that every potential reward comes with a risk. They already have a free pass if they want to sit out due to Covid.

These players are entitled children who don't appreciate the PRIVILEGE that they have been granted as elite athletes, and I have no sympathy for their petulant demands. This is coming from a guy who walked on to a D1 team, with no access to the training table. So after practice, since the dorm cafeterias were closed, I'd have to run down to McDonald's on O St. just to get any sustenance -- on my own dime. Then a few years later, I was working full time as a truck mechanic while completing my engineering degree.

These texasers get no sympathy from me. If they don't appreciate what they have, can 'em. I don't need to watch them steal my hard earned money.

It is very rare that I disagree with you. But now I do.

Years ago a friend pointed out to me when I was making the same argument that you are now making. You chose to walk on the team. You knew what you were getting into. You could have walked away any time with no repercussions. The scholarship student/athletes had to be there to maintain the opportunity for an education.

Having said that, I think you got a raw deal. From what I understand, walkons do as much work and put in as much time as the scholarship players. And you had to pay your own way for the extra work and time involved. My opinion is that anyone on the team that takes on the responsibility of the team deserves the benefits of the team. You should have had access to the training table and education support that the rest of the team had. I don't know if the system is still the same as when you were there. If so, it needs to change.

As for working full time while finishing up your degree, I worked at least part time for almost all the time I was in school. Usually I worked full time. If I worked fewer hours, I just had less money to spend with the same real life living expenses. For the most part, I encourage everyone to have job in the same arena as what you are going to school because what you learn in a book/classroom isn't necessarily the way the real world works. For those going for something like a medical degree, you probably won't be working in surgery, but working in a hospital will better prepare you to be in a chosen field.

 

[Elwood von Kiowa]

The whole concept of student/athlete was much simpler in the 1960s & 1970s. Back then, college athletics were still sports. Now it is all a business. But large sums of money screwed the whole system.




It is very rare that I disagree with you. But now I do.

Years ago a friend pointed out to me when I was making the same argument that you are now making. You chose to walk on the team. You knew what you were getting into. You could have walked away any time with no repercussions. The scholarship student/athletes had to be there to maintain the opportunity for an education.

Having said that, I think you got a raw deal. From what I understand, walkons do as much work and put in as much time as the scholarship players. And you had to pay your own way for the extra work and time involved. My opinion is that anyone on the team that takes on the responsibility of the team deserves the benefits of the team. You should have had access to the training table and education support that the rest of the team had. I don't know if the system is still the same as when you were there. If so, it needs to change.

As for working full time while finishing up your degree, I worked at least part time for almost all the time I was in school. Usually I worked full time. If I worked fewer hours, I just had less money to spend with the same real life living expenses. For the most part, I encourage everyone to have job in the same arena as what you are going to school because what you learn in a book/classroom isn't necessarily the way the real world works. For those going for something like a medical degree, you probably won't be working in surgery, but working in a hospital will better prepare you to be in a chosen field.

One life lesson that everybody needs to learn is that
"It ain't fair".

 

[Farmer Jake]

Let them sit...at home. No school without a paid tuition or scholarship waiver. No online classes, no face to face, enjoy life as just another kid trying to get an education. This lack of entertainment as some suggest should point out how fragile this little gift is for these athletes. We as fans may want it, but it can go away with the snap of a finger, and with it, the opportunity for a free education, accolades from fans and students, and a status few get to enjoy as an 18-22 year old.

And just to be clear, since I was injured when playing college sports, will my surgically repaired wrist which is now arthritic qualify? How about my hips or knees that will likely need replacing from the years of impact of running on a hard surface? And let's not forget the back, that's not going to heal itself. Knowing dozens of friends who have all gone through these types of medical challenges, are we all going to be able to claim we need healthcare assistance?

That's what the extended insurance should cover. But if everything involved with college athletics is getting too expensive down the road to cover, maybe it is time to disband all college athletics. Who knows, we may get to see an example of that this fall season.

 

[Farmer Jake]

One life lesson that everybody needs to learn is that
"It ain't fair".

I agree. But that doesn't mean we can't keep trying to make it fair.

 

[Beareye]

And NFL is too wise to spend trillions to create a minor league when they have a free one in the NCAA.

Exactly. From a fan and TV standpoint, there would be minimal interest in minor league football. So the NFL wants no part of it.

 

[LarstheRed]

That's what the extended insurance should cover. But if everything involved with college athletics is getting too expensive down the road to cover, maybe it is time to disband all college athletics. Who knows, we may get to see an example of that this fall season.

And this is a good example of why schools would do all they could to not get into this position. Think about precedent. If schools agree that they are responsible for care from injuries incurred while participating in the activity, and that goes beyond the time they are in school, then I would think that opens a huge can of worms.

I don't want to see college athletics disappear, but I wouldn't mind seeing the creation of a TRUE amateur participation. If you want money, you can't have your school paid for by the school. *** had a good analogy on this, and I agree that people shouldn't expect to have their cake and eat it too.

 

[Stuck in the South]

Trillions? Really? Heck for a share of that kind of money even I'll dust off my cleats.

And I wasted my time running cross country.

 

[dparks]

What?

i could of sworn they dropped hockey. But obviously I’m wrong, as it was football. I don’t know why I thought it was hockey.

 

[Blue Howl]

i could of sworn they dropped hockey. But obviously I’m wrong, as it was football. I don’t know why I thought it was hockey.

I thought maybe you did it just to annoy @Pops , the hockey fanatic.

 

[dparks]

I thought maybe you did it just to annoy @Pops , the hockey fanatic.

No, for some reason I was thinking they cut hockey and wrestling. I should of known it was football and wrestling as I typed it but I just brain-farted. But it was still due to $$, though an ESPN investigative story said the $$ figures were inaccurate and both were making $, and not losing it as they said. Oh well.

 

[Rho Indi]

First it was a Stipend then it was Name Image and Likeness now this. Where will it end? At what point does it just become Minor league Football and the Colleges go back to educating or what ever they do these days.

It changed with the first big TV contacts.

If you don't like it let's go back to no games being on TV.

I’m okay with the scholarships, stipends, NIL, and I can agree with some type of extended health care benefits. They could set it up to cover health problems associated with playing football, sort of similar to line of duty benefits in the military. That all seems reasonable to me, not because they demand it, but because it’s the right thing to do for these young people who put so much on the line and certainly contribute to the value of the product.

Anything beyond that, let them boycott. See how far that gets them. See how much value 99% of them have when their name isn’t attached to a college program. Nobody cares about you if you’re not associated with a university. That’s just the reality. You want to play in arena league football 2.0? Knock yourself out. You want to play where millions of fans adore you? Then play college football. The choice is yours. Nobody is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to play CFB. It’s a privilege. Don’t forget that.

"It's a privilege..."

I just don't get this attitude.

College football is a big business and a farm league for the NFL.

How about Congress step in and take the profit out of it. No games on TV no giant coaching salaries. Make it amateur again.