Will It Take A " College Football Czar " To (Hopefully ) Put Some Sanity Back Into The Game?

[BamaBoySince89]

It will never be the same, however viewership will probably remain simply because it’s Saturday in the South and people need their football. Sports as a whole has become unbearable to watch in the past few years. Sports betting and these TV networks have much to do with the product you see on the field more than anything IMO. Trying to place guardrails now when the opportunity existed to do so will get pushback and you’ll start seeing court cases by the hundreds if not thousands. It is what it is

 

[davefrat]

FWIW I just read an article quoting Saban that the way the players reacted to the MI loss was a contributing factor in his retirement. He said that the players showed little class in the way they handled the loss, throwing stuff around, griping about this and that, and he said that's just not the way it's supposed to be. He also mentioned that he'd told Byrne during the 2022 season that it was getting tougher and tougher to keep going and that they'd have to evaluate things on a year to year basis and that another factor was that in recruiting too many kids were more focused on getting paid and getting playing time right away than anything else.

The game didn't pass Saban by, the culture did.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

I don't understand what people think Saban could do as a CFB commissioner. He dreams of the days of old, before NIL but, there is no putting that back in the bottle. He doesn't have enough clout to step in and force 134 teams to turn back the clock. He doesn't like the current state of the game so I don't think he would like to be in charge of it either. Like @davefrat just said, they way Saban would want things done has culturally passed him by.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

The game didn't pass Saban by, the culture did.

Great line! I'm going to use that.

I don't understand what people think Saban could do as a CFB commissioner. He dreams of the days of old, before NIL but, there is no putting that back in the bottle. He doesn't have enough clout to step in and force 134 teams to turn back the clock. He doesn't like the current state of the game so I don't think he would like to be in charge of it either. Like @davefrat just said, they way Saban would want things done has culturally passed him by.

Nobody does. This is a legal issue, not one of collegiate governance. Even if all D1 schools were on the same page, the courts would never disallow NIL.

A collective bargaining agreement could do something about the portal, which I think is a bigger issue than NIL.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

I agree @4Q Basket Case. Saban retired, at least partially, because he did not want to deal with this new CFB world. I don't think he'd want to be commissioner over it as well. I also don't understand why some in the media think he would want the job and would actually be able to fix everything. What do they think he would change that would suddenly make everything wonderful again?

 

[BamaMoon]

FWIW I just read an article quoting Saban that the way the players reacted to the MI loss was a contributing factor in his retirement. He said that the players showed little class in the way they handled the loss, throwing stuff around, griping about this and that, and he said that's just not the way it's supposed to be. He also mentioned that he'd told Byrne during the 2022 season that it was getting tougher and tougher to keep going and that they'd have to evaluate things on a year to year basis and that another factor was that in recruiting too many kids were more focused on getting paid and getting playing time right away than anything else.

The game didn't pass Saban by, the culture did.

And to add to that, the straw that broke the camel's back is that almost every player who was to return the next year, when they met with CNS early the next week after the NC game, was reportedly more concerned about their NIL deals than losing to UM.

 

[colbysullivan]

FWIW I just read an article quoting Saban that the way the players reacted to the MI loss was a contributing factor in his retirement. He said that the players showed little class in the way they handled the loss, throwing stuff around, griping about this and that, and he said that's just not the way it's supposed to be. He also mentioned that he'd told Byrne during the 2022 season that it was getting tougher and tougher to keep going and that they'd have to evaluate things on a year to year basis and that another factor was that in recruiting too many kids were more focused on getting paid and getting playing time right away than anything else.

The game didn't pass Saban by, the culture did.

Honestly this doesn't surprise me at all. The players are entitled brats now. Look no further than Isaiah Bond. He became a Bama legend with Gravedigger, and then dipped out to Texas for grapes and a Lambo. The casuals are eating it up and think Saban was an old fogey. I don't know how long it will take for them to change their tune, but the smart ones will eventually realize how good they had it pre-2021.

It's kinda the same thing that's going on with Star Wars now. After the prequels, fans were ready to run George Lucas out of town. Now, they're BEGGING him to come back after what Disney has done to it.

 

[Alogan1983]

Nope. Schools join the NCAA by choice and are free to leave at any time. The NCAA is the Schools.

 

[alabama mike1]

Have you heard what they say about common sense? Common sense, it's not that common.

 

[LeBron47]

IMO if they want to fox this mess then they need to close the transfer portal to once a year at the end of the Spring practice. Allow no one to be evaluated for NIL until after their first full season. Penalize any player violating NIL rules by suspension. Or if they insist to allow NIL prior to first season then there should be a contract for each year with substantial financial penalties for those who break their contract for the term stated in the contract. Set NIL caps for each school.

 

[colbysullivan]

IMO if they want to fox this mess then they need to close the transfer portal to once a year at the end of the Spring practice. Allow no one to be evaluated for NIL until after their first full season. Penalize any player violating NIL rules by suspension. Or if they insist to allow NIL prior to first season then there should be a contract for each year with substantial financial penalties for those who break their contract for the term stated in the contract. Set NIL caps for each school.

Unfortunately none of that will work. The Supreme Court already ruled on it. There can't be any regulation on it. The NIL contracts aren't with the schools.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Great line! I'm going to use that.



Nobody does. This is a legal issue, not one of collegiate governance. Even if all D1 schools were on the same page, the courts would never disallow NIL.

A collective bargaining agreement could do something about the portal, which I think is a bigger issue than NIL.

I'm not sure if this could be done, or if anyone could be smooth enough to get all FBS schools to agree to it. However, changing the structure of the athletic scholarship to where it is structured in such a way that it indirectly impacted the NIL (for the good of the game and colleges) but not directly enough to lose a court battle over it. But I still say changing the transfer portal and putting some teeth back into transferring would help out A LOT.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

It's wayyy too late but this all might have been inevitable anyway. I'm not sure College Football was ever sustainable.

College Football as we know it is pretty much gone. I'm still hopeful I'll enjoy whatever comes next though

 

[colbysullivan]

It's wayyy too late but this all might have been inevitable anyway. I'm not sure College Football was ever sustainable.

College Football as we know it is pretty much gone. I'm still hopeful I'll enjoy whatever comes next though

College football’s sustainability was fine until we started paying players in the open and allowed them to transfer whenever they wanted with no penalty.

Before NIL and the portal, the main argument against college football was how unfair it was to the smaller schools, but no one REALLY cared. By contrast, it only took NIL 3 years to completely destroy college football.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I'm not sure if this could be done, or if anyone could be smooth enough to get all FBS schools to agree to it. However, changing the structure of the athletic scholarship to where it is structured in such a way that it indirectly impacted the NIL (for the good of the game and colleges) but not directly enough to lose a court battle over it. But I still say changing the transfer portal and putting some teeth back into transferring would help out A LOT.

I agree 1000% that the transfer portal is a bigger issue than pay-for-play. It's also something that a collective bargaining agreement could address.

The NFL has effective restrictions on a player moving amongst teams. In the context of negotiated union - management contracts, I don't see any reason colleges couldn't do the same thing and have it stand up in court.

First, obviously, there has to be a college players union -- which I think is coming.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

College football’s sustainability was fine until we started paying players in the open and allowed them to transfer whenever they wanted with no penalty.

Before NIL and the portal, the main argument against college football was how unfair it was to the smaller schools, but no one REALLY cared. By contrast, it only took NIL 3 years to completely destroy college football.

I don't think there is a world where players don't end up getting paid. That's why I think it wasn't sustainable. It was inevitable that players would eventually be paid.

 

[colbysullivan]

I don't think there is a world where players don't end up getting paid. That's why I think it wasn't sustainable. It was inevitable that players would eventually be paid.

Only because of the idiots in charge, but "college football" as an entity was fine until people started meddling with it. I do see what you mean though.

 

[BamaBuc]

I agree @4Q Basket Case. Saban retired, at least partially, because he did not want to deal with this new CFB world. I don't think he'd want to be commissioner over it as well. I also don't understand why some in the media think he would want the job and would actually be able to fix everything. What do they think he would change that would suddenly make everything wonderful again?

Nothing to do with all of that, they are just trying to get clicks and maybe sell some of the papers and mag's that are left, it's all click bait.......

 

[BamaBuc]

I agree 1000% that the transfer portal is a bigger issue than pay-for-play. It's also something that a collective bargaining agreement could address.

The NFL has effective restrictions on a player moving amongst teams. In the context of negotiated union - management contracts, I don't see any reason colleges couldn't do the same thing and have it stand up in court.

First, obviously, there has to be a college players union -- which I think is coming.

Well, if they're gonna pay them all this $$$$, I for one would like to see the ones making twice what their scholarship would be worth, take away that scholarship and use that money for a deserving student that really needs it....
I know the bleeding hearts would never allow such a common-sense approach take place...

 

[crimsonaudio]

They ruined CFB.

It is what it is.

Casual fans will love it, but the die hards will move on.

I'm already there. Don't even know how much CFB I'll watch this fall.

But boy, the ratings will be higher than ever, and that's all that matters any more. It's all about the dollars.