Evolution of College Athletics

[longtimer]

Some of you probably don't remember The old days. In the Bud Wilkinson era of college football Oklahoma used to recruit all the good players and dominated college football. That continued after Bud was gone. I can remember when Fry came to Iowa and we went down to Oklahoma to play and he said he looked at their bench and saw all those great players on the bench. We played them tough but it was almost impossible to compete with teams that. In comes the scholarship limits and they could no longer hoard all the good players and all of a sudden the Iowas of the world had a chance to compete
Fast forward to the current state of the NIL. Now the (contributors) can buy the good players. And we are back to a totally unfair state of competition. Iowa has put some money in the football program but apparently doesn't have the ability to do much for basketball. I don't know if we have enough to challenge the big programs (Texas has a QB sitting on the bench making like 3 million in the NIL and it appears basketball is pretty much done in competing for the top players.
So what is the answer?
For fans like myself contributing to the Swarm in a very modest way doesn't seem to be a good decision. If I had millions maybe but I will probably continue to use my limited donation money to support the Food banks Red Cross and other charities rather than donate it to buy a point guard. Hopefully this out of control NIL will be resolved.

 

[Will C]

There is no reason the pros have to take players until they get a college degree. The NBA would do basketball in general a good turn if they changed their rules.

 

[eyekwah]

The problem is far greater than the NIL. You can't dismiss the transfer portal influencing competition. To go along with the aforementioned is conference realignment. Let's not forget how ineffective the NCAA is. In economic terms college revenue generating sports are under going "creative destruction". In the background is player unionization and the national labor relations board. We can speculate about what is going to happen, but drastic changes are required. People are too focused on the NCAA problems when it is a relic of th past.

First thing, you have to understand is realistically there are only about 20 colleges that can compete in both football and men's basketball at the championship level. It isn't hard to figure out who they are. Maybe 12 more would try. They end up as fringe members of a 32 member "American" College Athletic Association (ACAA). The ACAA replaces the NCAA for the higher echelon programs. You end up with two 16 team conferences.

Under the ACAA the universities act as sponsors of essentially AAA minor league teams in both revenue sports. There would be 32 AAA minor league teams that are members. The universities provide the academic requirements for the players, the facilities, and their naming rights in exchange for a share of the proceeds and TV revenue. The 32 AAA members of the ACAA determine which sports will have minor league teams. Some sports fall to club sports with no scholarships involved.

The ACAA establishes the rules and regulation and does the enforcement. Under those rules players become salaried employees of a minor league team. Players agree to specified dates in order to play for the minor league team. The player is ineligible for transfer until the term of his or her contract is met.

Second thing, you will never eliminate NIL. These "AAA minor league " players can make as much as they want from a sponsor or sponsors. They could be resticted on use of the sponsoring university's trade marks in commercials and publicity.

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that hate what the solution will be. It's coming because the power is in the hands of the players and their agents. {Maybe you're looking at a new career as a player rep.} The coaches are helpless to do anything about it. The presidents of the universities have more to worry about than the atheletic programs. They just want the revenue and as long as get a share they will be happy to out source revenue sports.

Amateur college sports is now history. The other 100 FBS teams devolve to AA or A level minor league teams and form there own associations and conferences.

 

[kicker22]

There is no reason the pros have to take players until they get a college degree. The NBA would do basketball in general a good turn if they changed their rules.

Not sure I agree. (1) This assumes most future pros are there for an education and value a degree. (2) The window of opportunity is only so long for athletes before they find themselves on the downward spiral. Is it fair to mandate those that are ready have to give up those years playing additional years simply to get a piece of paper.

I'm not saying I don't agree with you about it improving the sport, but feel it should be left up to the athletes.

 

[Teddy]

Not sure I agree. (1) This assumes most future pros are there for an education and value a degree. (2) The window of opportunity is only so long for athletes before they find themselves on the downward spiral. Is it fair to mandate those that are ready have to give up those years playing additional years simply to get a piece of paper.

I'm not saying I don't agree with you about it improving the sport but feel it should be left up to the athletes.

The students are probably the last people that should be making decisions that affect large institutions. They are the least mature, poorest educated, least worldly and experienced and most self centered group involved. They have interests to protect but they would be the least helpful voice in the room.

The solution is simple but political. Not political as in Dem/GOP partisanship just that the political branch, specifically Congress, has to act. I would think giving the NCAA and its member institutions anti-trust relief.​

 

[Fryowa]

There is no reason the pros have to take players until they get a college degree

Completely stupid idea.

Why should they do that? Why would they do that?

So you’re saying an entire industry (professional sports) should unnecessarily require a college degree because your demographic (elderly white male) feels entitled to force kids to keep playing a sport in the league you like? Not because there’s a genuine and valid reason, but because you want them to? Jesus Christ, man. Get over yourself.

So let’s say there are hundreds of young adults out there who are savants in the field of computer science and can code and develop software at an elite level without a college degree (there are plenty in reality). You’re saying that those young adults should not be allowed to be hired by Google or Oracle or Adobe because of an arbitrary, “because I said so” from you?? They can’t go on to lucrative careers without waiting four years—even if they have the talent already—because an elderly white guy in some flyover state who doesn’t know them and isn’t affected by them, says so??

God freakin lord.

 

[Teddy]

Completely stupid idea.

Why should they do that? Why would they do that?

So you’re saying an entire industry (professional sports) should unnecessarily require a college degree because your demographic (elderly white male) feels entitled to force kids to keep playing a sport in the league you like? Not because there’s a genuine and valid reason, but because you want them to? Jesus Christ, man. Get over yourself.

So let’s say there are hundreds of young adults out there who are savants in the field of computer science and can code and develop software at an elite level without a college degree (there are plenty in reality). You’re saying that those young adults should not be allowed to be hired by Google or Oracle or Adobe because of an arbitrary, “because I said so” from you?? They can’t go on to lucrative careers without waiting four years—even if they have the talent already—because an elderly white guy in some flyover state who doesn’t know them and isn’t affected by them, says so??

God freakin lord.

Capability is only one of the reasonable qualifications for a position. I mean who is most likely to F up upon becoming a millionaire than an 18-year-old millionaire. I think the major leagues for at least NBA/ABA/NHL/MLB would serve the players by setting an age limit of 21 on the date of the first game. It would give some time to grow up and bulk up.

Graduation doesn't seem to be a reasonable requirement. Every program would like 100% graduation rates but no one comes close. Some of these guys probably need help to remain eligible and some are just jerk-offs that do not care.

 

[kicker22]

The students are probably the last people that should be making decisions that affect large institutions. They are the least mature, poorest educated, least worldly and experienced and most self centered group involved. They have interests to protect but they would be the least helpful voice in the room.

The solution is simple but political. Not political as in Dem/GOP partisanship just that the political branch, specifically Congress, has to act. I would think giving the NCAA and its member institutions anti-trust relief.​

I agree that students should be the last people that should be making decisions affecting large institutions. However when it pertains to the student athlete they are the ones generating the revenue and IMO opinion are the largest player/entity involved in college athletics and whether we like it or not are in the drivers seat and the ones calling the shots. Let's not forget that the powers that be were the ones that were responsible for things getting to this point by looking the other way for years and failing to address the elephant in the room. So while I agree that students shouldn't be making decisions affecting large institutions I also feel that when it comes to athletics the institutions shouldn't be profiting off the athletes the way they had for years and now unfortunately they're on equal footing and have roughly the same amount of leverage.

 

[kicker22]

Capability is only one of the reasonable qualifications for a position. I mean who is most likely to F up upon becoming a millionaire than an 18-year-old millionaire. I think the major leagues for at least NBA/ABA/NHL/MLB would serve the players by setting an age limit of 21 on the date of the first game. It would give some time to grow up and bulk up.

Graduation doesn't seem to be a reasonable requirement. Every program would like 100% graduation rates but no one comes close. Some of these guys probably need help to remain eligible and some are just jerk-offs that do not care.

Agreed, but your missing the part that the university's don't care about these athletes they care about the profit those athletes are generating. IF programs truly cared about 100% graduation rates or who needs help remaining eligible or who doesn't care about grades they wouldn't offer them scholarships. It's a business and unfortunately there is no longer a "student" in "student athlete" and there hasn't been for quite some time. The universities care about generated revenue in their athletic departments and what the athletes bring in while they're there, they don't care about graduation rates and what happens to these athletes once they're gone. I think it's fair to say that the athletes are used by the university as much as the universities are being used by the athletes. Both entities are in it solely for themselves.

 

[kicker22]

Capability is only one of the reasonable qualifications for a position. I mean who is most likely to F up upon becoming a millionaire than an 18-year-old millionaire. I think the major leagues for at least NBA/ABA/NHL/MLB would serve the players by setting an age limit of 21 on the date of the first game. It would give some time to grow up and bulk up.

Graduation doesn't seem to be a reasonable requirement. Every program would like 100% graduation rates but no one comes close. Some of these guys probably need help to remain eligible and some are just jerk-offs that do not care.

I'll agree with you on the fact that 18 year olds are definitely likely to F up upon becoming a millionaire, but I don't see how it is anyone's place to tell them that because they may F up they shouldn't have the opportunity to do so.

 

[Teddy]

I'll agree with you on the fact that 18 year olds are definitely likely to F up upon becoming a millionaire, but I don't see how it is anyone's place to tell them that because they may F up they shouldn't have the opportunity to do so.

My personal belief is there should be a twostep emancipation bill, that kind of reflects modernity while providing a backstop of parental protection. Not sure if it's doable. Such a thorny issue that grates against my usual libertarian thought process.

The players have cognizable interests in choosing their own school and get paid for their name image and likeness. But is that right absolute? Do we measure the players rights against the obvious destruction of actual amateur athletics? The schools, the NCAA and the NIL donors also have rights that require some legal protection.

This is a thorny question, and thorny question make for bad law so we cannot look to the courts for clarity.

 

[Teddy]

Agreed, but your missing the part that the university's don't care about these athletes they care about the profit those athletes are generating. IF programs truly cared about 100% graduation rates or who needs help remaining eligible or who doesn't care about grades they wouldn't offer them scholarships. It's a business and unfortunately there is no longer a "student" in "student athlete" and there hasn't been for quite some time. The universities care about generated revenue in their athletic departments and what the athletes bring in while they're there, they don't care about graduation rates and what happens to these athletes once they're gone. I think it's fair to say that the athletes are used by the university as much as the universities are being used by the athletes. Both entities are in it solely for themselves.

Well I certainly do not agree with your attribution of entirely selfish motives to the schools. We've got a girl on a WBB medical scholly that may never play a minute of ball. I would say many of the players, if not all, are solely in it for themselves, for example, see that fat ass from SE Polk.

Maybe it's time we begin moving back toward putting the student back into the equation because the status quo will destroy the market. Unfortunately, athletics are not an open market so free market principles, that apply to almost if not every other industry do not apply in sports. The goal cannot be to drive competitors out of business and shrink the goods/services-which is exactly what most people fear about the status quo.

 

[Teddy]

I'll agree with you on the fact that 18 year olds are definitely likely to F up upon becoming a millionaire, but I don't see how it is anyone's place to tell them that because they may F up they shouldn't have the opportunity to do so.

I agree but I also think the rights of others to rely on the players word about commitment is a right to be protected. Perhaps enforcing those oral commitments as legal contracts-which they actually are-might slow the roll but then you have a pissy player you now don't want anyway.

The best realistic scenario, and not sure how realistic this might be anyway, is close the portal, end the NIL and have revenue sharing by the schools following a Congressional anti-trust waiver.