NIL and gambling destroying CFB

[Tidewater]

NIL is holding schools and fans hostage. Either pay the ransom or so and so players will go somewhere else. Even after paying they still might. These same Bama players who ran like scalded dogs as soon as Saban announced his retirement may have bolted at some point anyway, even if Saban hadn't retired

school loyalty and/or education are DEAD

One of the charms of college football was the amateur status, which got chipped away gradually, but in Coach Bryant's day, a student committed to a university, and honored that commitment, and stayed there for his entire college career. He would never get as big or fast or skilled as his NFL counterparts, but he loved his university and his university loved him. You loved him when he failed and you loved him when he triumphed.

If I wanted to watch a pro football league, I'd watch the NFL. They are all bigger, faster, and vastly more skilled than their college counterparts. And more mercenary. They will transfer teams for money. Not blaming them, but the reciprocal love is not there.

 

[Isaiah 63:1]

I don't disagree with the loss of interest. I was slipping on that before Saban retired.

The Basket Case household just renewed football season tickets and Tide Pride for 2024. But it was Mrs. Basket Case that wanted to do it more than I did.

Which leads to a question I haven't seen addressed: A lot of universities, in no way limited to Alabama, have a bunch of debt used to upgrade facilities, renovate stadiums, etc., etc.

What happens to that debt if overall fan engagement slips to the point that Tide Pride and its analogues at other schools start to see donations dip and have unsold seat licenses?

Right now, there's still a waiting list for Tide Pride. I wonder if the average length of time spent on the waiting list has changed in recent years? I don't know, and Greg Byrne certainly isn't saying. But I'm deadly curious.

Based on the demographic profile and media consumption habits of the US population and its component generations, there's very little doubt in my mind that we're past "peak CFB," meaning a decline in attendance and viewership is, all other things being equal, almost unavoidable. When that starts to affect revenue streams, it will stress conferences and schools to varying degrees, but none will be unscathed...

 

[Alogan1983]

NIL is holding schools and fans hostage. Either pay the ransom or so and so players will go somewhere else. Even after paying they still might. These same Bama players who ran like scalded dogs as soon as Saban announced his retirement may have bolted at some point anyway, even if Saban hadn't retired

school loyalty and/or education are DEAD

Well a lot of them came to play for Saban. They didn't come to play for Shula when he was the coach. They saw Saban as a ticket to the NFL and that was a good business decision for a lot of them. College is to prepare you for your future and it's the same with College football.

 

[CrimsonCleanse]

Well a lot of them came to play for Saban. They didn't come to play for Shula when he was the coach. They saw Saban as a ticket to the NFL and that was a good business decision for a lot of them. College is to prepare you for your future and it's the same with College football.

Yeah, they came to play for Saban. BUT....they knew his age going in. It's not like he mislead them on that. He had to retire sometime and it had to happen during somebody's playing days. Unfortunately, it was them that that happened to. It's a chance they took when they signed on with a 72 year old coach. Granted, they probably thought they could just kick that can down the road to the next wave of recruits, but that can can only be kicked so far and 2023 was the end of that road

 

[Alogan1983]

I mean, history majors, biology majors all those people transfer every day, especially if the professor they came to study under leaves. I'm not going to hold a player to a different standard of loyalty than any other student. It is what it is, you look out for yourself first. That's the real world.

 

[CB4]

So the NFL’s tv contract with various networks is making something like $12-13 billion a year for through 2032 I believe. The advertising revenue generated by CBS on the Super Bowl Sunday night was estimated $650 million +. For one single game

College football is already in the express lane of this highway. The last thing to be given consideration in this will be fans such as the ones here; people that are knowledgeable about the sport, and love it. CFB connects on a different level for most of his here.

The PTB driving this care only about the entertainment value, not the sport itself. To hell is what is “good for the game”. It is about what is good for the pocketbook. Why else would private equity even been considering delving into it?

 

[CrimsonCleanse]

I mean, history majors, biology majors all those people transfer every day, especially if the professor they came to study under leaves. I'm not going to hold a player to a different standard of loyalty than any other student. It is what it is, you look out for yourself first. That's the real world.

Biology and history majors would uproot and change schools because a professor retired? I suppose to each their own, but I would at least trust that the university has a competent replacement before I made such a big decision

 

[Con]

Biology and history majors would uproot and change schools because a professor retired? I suppose to each their own, but I would at least trust that the university has a competent replacement before I made such a big decision

I had a professor have a heart attack and I stayed loyal to the University. I wasn’t going anywhere.

 

[Cruiser]

So the NFL’s tv contract with various networks is making something like $12-13 billion a year for through 2032 I believe. The advertising revenue generated by CBS on the Super Bowl Sunday night was estimated $650 million +. For one single game

College football is already in the express lane of this highway. The last thing to be given consideration in this will be fans such as the ones here; people that are knowledgeable about the sport, and love it. CFB connects on a different level for most of his here.

The PTB driving this care only about the entertainment value, not the sport itself. To hell is what is “good for the game”. It is about what is good for the pocketbook. Why else would private equity even been considering delving into it?

Private equity firms invest for growth and flip; that's the formula.

 

[CB4]

Private equity firms invest for growth and flip; that's the formula.

Exactly. I worked for a company owned by various private equity firms over the twelve years I was there.

 

[Alogan1983]

Well, maybe we shouldn't put football players up on a pedestal to begin with. They are, after all, people. Because they run up and down a field and catch a ball and tackle other people doesn't set them apart in any sort of way.

 

[twofbyc]

What integrity? Was there ever any? Coaching is a job like any other. Players are playing becoming rich professional players. Conferences are negotiating their own TV contracts, have their own TV networks and holding their own playoff and the NCAA is powerless to do anything about any of it.

The NCAA itself is nothing but a collection of Universities that was created by those Universities in the first place. The NCAA can dissolve or watch conferences leave voluntarily.

As far as integrity...there was never any. Players have been getting paid forever. Bear Bryant admitted some of his players were paid at Texas A&M, in the good ole wholesome 50s. It's always been a dirty business, because people love money and power and that will never, ever change.

The sport is enjoyable. But when the cameras are off and coaches are at work, you better believe a whole lot of shady stuff happens every single day. There's too much money involved for it not to be a shady business.

FIFY

 

[B1GTide]

Well, maybe we shouldn't put football players up on a pedestal to begin with. They are, after all, people. Because they run up and down a field and catch a ball and tackle other people doesn't set them apart in any sort of way.

I don't put any human beings up on pedestals.

 

[Redwood Forrest]

I really don't watch much Alabama (or any) football anymore, since most games of interest are either at difficult times or behind some kind of paywall, SEC Network, ESPN etc. I follow along with apps and Tidefans a lot. I don't care for cable or paying many hundreds of dollars a year to watch 7-9 more games on someone else's schedule. I doubt I'm alone in this.

My solution is a Straight talk wifi box ($99 cost) and $45 per month. I own the box. It can be moved anywhere in the house, taken to a motel or anywhere there is an AC outlet. Of course you must have Straight talk coverage. I have an antenna for local stations and my smart TV has hundreds of channels plus Tubi and Pluto. As to football I can buy Sling ($45 per month) with all the ESPN cable football channels plus FS! and etc. Total cost is $45 + $45 (5 months of football) = $745 per year. far, far cheaper than anything else i have found.

 

[Tidewater]

I mean, history majors, biology majors all those people transfer every day, especially if the professor they came to study under leaves. I'm not going to hold a player to a different standard of loyalty than any other student.

True, but for the history major and the biology major there are rules.
At most schools, you must take the majority of your credit hours at the school that awards the degree.
If I were Commissioner of College Football, the rules would there are two transfer windows per year: mid-December to mid-January and mid-May to mid-June and a student could transfer once per college career and retain eligibility to compete. Academically, I suppose a student could transfer schools as often as the academic system would allow, but if you play one down of football for School 1, transfer and play one down of football at School 2, you can no longer transfer and play at School 3, so choose wisely.

If you do not like playing by those rules, go play in the UFL.

 

[Redwood Forrest]

Too much unregulated money creating the Wild West. Can you trust anything from your roster to the integrity of the game itself with that much money involved? It is becoming as corrupt as the government.

I think it seems like there used to be integrity because buying and tampering was kept hidden (until someone got caught) instead of being legalized.

 

[Cruiser]

I mean, history majors, biology majors all those people transfer every day, especially if the professor they came to study under leaves. I'm not going to hold a player to a different standard of loyalty than any other student. It is what it is, you look out for yourself first. That's the real world.

But; they are not part of a "TEAM" ; if that matters anymore?

 

[CrimsonCleanse]

I have ZERO sympathy for these players who "came to play for Saban". They think they have it tough because a legendary coach retired before their playing days were over? Umm....ask the guys from 21 years ago who were told to "hold the rope". Ask them what that was like. No wonder Saban got out of this crap show

 

[Isaiah 63:1]

I don't put any human beings up on pedestals.

Does Mrs. B1GTide read Tidefans???

 

[Alogan1983]

Whomever face palmed my first post in this thread would you please explain where the integrity in college football has ever been? You need only to go back to SMU in the 80s, Pat Dyes final years, Mike Dubose and we can go much farther back if you want to. College football is corrupt. The games are somewhat enjoyable, beyond that it's close to the worse you'll ever get, and it's never been a secret.

Don't hide behind a screen and post emojis...talk.