OT: NIL and the Transfer Portal...How do you fix it?

[Eric K]

Maybe this is a topic that has been posted before, but what is the fix? I don't see NIL itself as the problem, but rather NIL coupled with the transfer portal, where everyone is a free agent all of the time, with no binding obligation to even play a full year. (Think the UNLV QB, which is the tip of the iceberg)

Is it contracts? Players as employees? Restricting times one can transfer (though I believe the courts have shot this down)? Share your thoughts.

Maybe I'm old, but I miss the days when Josh Boone, Denham Brown, Rashad Anderson, and Hilton Armstrong stayed at the same school for FOUR YEARS and developed into NBA lotto picks from nothing (see Hilton in particular). Today, SJ will be the anomally in the sport. I'll always love Cam, but he was a one-year hired gun after time at two other schools.

People have historically liked college sports because it was not the pros, and going to a school to play was not a "business decision". These were once 18 yr olds trying to develop a skill to eventually use professionally. It is no longer that. I'm all for NIL, do not doubt that, as schools reaping the financial benefit while preserving "amateurism" was BS for decades. But what will separate college sports from the pros? Nothing seems to right now (except the college game is more of the wild west compared to the pros). Will interest eventually wane because of full roster turnover year after year?

Football is getting tampered with (as I'm sure many are being enticed by the B10/SEC). MBB has generally been spared the transfer portal exodus (but for Naheim)--though after a few non-championship seasons (if that occurs), hard to not see them experiencing the same fate.

There needs to be a solution. Guys should not play for 4 schools in 4 years. That's the pro-game, not the college game. I used to like the once a husky, always a husky...so long as you didn't transfer out. Just my musings, and opening this up for others to opine...

 

[uconnric]

You won't be able to get that genie back in the bottle. You won't be able to really regulate the portal or NIL.

 

[upstater]

Go pro; turn every program into a pro program. Collective contracts, 50% of the revenues go to the players.

 

[mauconnfan]

One transfer without sitting out a year. Want to go to a 3rd you’re sitting a year out. 3 different programs the max.

 

[ec33]

One transfer without sitting out a year. Want to go to a 3rd you’re sitting a year out. 3 different programs the max.

While I agree with you (note the "like"), I suspect the courts will rule against it as some sort of restraint on trade.

That Diego Pavia gets another year because a judge ruled that community college shouldn't court as it restricted earning potential is ridiculous. Next comes limiting players to 4-years also restricts earning potential -- so players should be eligible through multiple doctorates.

Between the NCAA being weak and the courts now viewing playing amateur athletics as a profession, it is going to get worse from here, not better.

 

[giddyup]

Tax it at 90% over the miniimum wage for hours worked and it goes away

 

[metsfan2323]

I hope it stays, Hurley dominates the current landscape. No championships without Newton and Spencer.

 

[TRest]

WNBA pay scale for all players. No benefit in changing schools for $ unless earned by a true commercial endeavor such as sponsorship/endorsements.

 

[Conndog]

Put a cap on team NIL. one super expensive player will eat up most of what’s available, which prevents deep pocket schools from buying multiple stars. Also, make it a rule that NIL money is split by everyone on the team. Re-instate the one year transfer wait to play again except for coaching changes.

 

[uconnfan68]

Put a cap on team NIL. one super expensive player will eat up most of what’s available, which prevents deep pocket schools from buying multiple stars. Also, make it a rule that NIL money is split by everyone on the team. Re-instate the one year transfer wait to play again except for coaching changes.

I’m not sure the cap is doable. Too many cheats.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

There will need to be a union and likely Congressional action to enable collective bargaining, for starters. Once that happens, there should be some type of salary cap and restrictions regarding transfers, at least to no more than once a year.

If college sports does nothing, the enterprise will collapse, pretty soon most likely. Few fans are going to be interested in investing time and money into a sport where the gap between leagues and within leagues is going to become massive. Schools, which have their own problems beyond sports with declining national enrollment, are not going to bother investing millions just to get destroyed and be non-competitive against schools that can invest hundreds of millions. As schools start to drop out of the highest level, there will be fewer scholarships available for players, which will reduce the incentive for players to invest in themselves through youth and high school. A doom loop for college sports becomes very realistic. If you think that can’t happen, take a look at the economic model of a small college right now and tell me how even half of these schools exist independently 10 years from now.

In the short term, I think players throwing games or at least not giving full effort because of the current warped incentives is already regularly happening, especially in football where the injury risk is so great. It is a matter of time before a major scandal erupts, likely because an emotional coach or player gives an interview blasting their own team. This will be very bad for the sport. Why should fans care about a sport where the players are not trying?

Personally, I think there is less than a 50% chance college sports is saved in a format that most fans of the sport today would be interested in following in any meaningful way. I think the problems are too big and complex, and the will and organization to solve them too weak. My recommendation is to enjoy college sports while we have it, because I don’t think it will be around long.

 

[Waquoit]

What are we trying to fix? What's the problem, players making too much money?

Congressional action? You think this Congress is capable of fixing anything?

 

[husky8273]

Bleeding Blue for Good folding. NIL transitioning to the AD pending House settlement.

Bleeding Blue for Good

 

[Zonepress]

What are we trying to fix? What's the problem, players making too much money?

Congressional action? You think this Congress is capable of fixing anything?

Apparently “players making too much money”
Is the problem””
No indignation about coaches salaries overblown
Athletic departments etc
I’m amazed that folks have so much to say about
A private transaction (nil) between two parties that
Is essentially none of their business

 

[SubbaBub]

Shorten the season so the last game is before finals.

End the student athlete charade.

 

[QDOG5]

NCAA President Charlie Baker talked with Pat McAfee...​

Facebook · ESPN
140+ reactions · 1 week ago




NCAA President Charlie Baker talked with Pat McAfee Show on the possibility of students having NIL deals with their schools through " ...

 

[Deleted at users request]

There will need to be a union and likely Congressional action to enable collective bargaining, for starters. Once that happens, there should be some type of salary cap and restrictions regarding transfers, at least to no more than once a year.

This is the likeliest fix. Something Dartmouth players are working on.

Hopefully they succeed because something has to be done about this to bring some normalcy back to college athletics.

If there’s at least transfer portal restrictions again it’ll help at least incentivize players to make more long term decisions about the placed they go.

 

[QDOG5]

I don't know if what I posted can be viewed. If not, try to youtube the pat mcafee show where Charlie Baker is interviewed. It's possible the schools will regain authority over the NIL as soon as next season. Baker also discusses other NCAA issues. It was an informative conversation and Baker seems to be more than competent compared to his recent predecessors.

 

[superjohn]

Lolz

 

[ctchamps]

From a personal standpoint I want this situation to continue for several more years. There is so much churn in the transfer portal I believe that the ultimate outcome will be a watered down college football product.

Integration of talent in football to develop a good team takes far more time than basketball. Given that the number of games in a season in football is significantly less than basketball there will be greater uncertainty from inflow and outflow of players in this sport. Even though the power football programs are still getting the best talent they are cannibalizing each others players in the same way we see in basketball. You can integrate a Nembhard on Gonzaga far quicker than a star quarterback in football. Yet we see that many basketball programs struggle in this endeavor.

The upshot is a watered down football product. That should impact football ratings which in turn should impact media payments for that product. I would love to see the P2 and media take a hit.

The only real solution is that universities eliminate athletic departments and sports return to an intramural format. That won’t happen and personally I have had so much positive entertainment from college sports I wouldn’t want it to happen.

I don’t see how you can restrict athlete transfers if you have no restrictions on coaches or other students. I can’t see how you can restrict athletic donations and how a donor prefers they are used if you don’t restrict donations for other departments.

The only solution is to drop athletics from a university. Good luck with that.

 

[Waquoit]

NCAA President Charlie Baker talked with Pat McAfee...​

A serious person isn't talking with Pat McAfee

 

[brihman]

A serious person isn't talking with Pat McAfee

Like it or not he’s the biggest voice in sports right now. How could you not go on his show if you want your message to be heard

 

[6Nattys4Us]

This is the likeliest fix. Something Dartmouth players are working on.

Hopefully they succeed because something has to be done about this to bring some normalcy back to college athletics.

If there’s at least transfer portal restrictions again it’ll help at least incentivize players to make more long term decisions about the placed they go.

Dartmouth gave up the union ghost and really, how do any college athletes get classified as employees? They are student-athletes paying to go to school but if they get a scholly that is not payment, it's a needs-based, merit-based, or non-needs based award and if used for education is non taxable so without employment there is no labor union.

 

[Waquoit]

Like it or not he’s the biggest voice in sports right now. How could you not go on his show if you want your message to be heard

What's his message? Besides whining because he's in so over his he wants to go back to politics.

 

[JesusAllen11]

Whatever keeps players at a school for 2 years

 

[F101Voodoo]

You won't be able to get that genie back in the bottle. You won't be able to really regulate the portal or NIL.

True…Welcome to college professional sports the new reality of the college athletic
world for good or for bad.

 

[F101Voodoo]

Whatever keeps players at a school for 2 years

Hey colleges are the minor leagues for the NBA and HFL And to some degree of NHL.

 

[mussels]

This is the likeliest fix. Something Dartmouth players are working on.

Dartmouth players withdrew their request.

Dartmouth basketball players end their unionization attempt in anticipation of shifting NLRB

The Dartmouth men’s basketball team is dropping its attempt to form a union.

apnews.com

 

[Deleted at users request]

Dartmouth players withdrew their request.

Dartmouth basketball players end their unionization attempt in anticipation of shifting NLRB

The Dartmouth men’s basketball team is dropping its attempt to form a union.

apnews.com

They’re looking to open it up to more athletes.

 

[temery]

Return to sit a year if you transfer.