by Bob Sparrow
I can appreciate the fact that college-age kids must like what’s currently going on in college football. Recent changes have provided them with more choices as to where to play and, best of all, financial reward for playing. Let’s look at what’s happened over just the last few years . . .
The Portal – In 2018, the portal debuted as a compliance tool to manage college athletes’ transfers more transparently. The portal allowed student-athletes to change schools after playing at one school, but the athlete would have to sit out for a year before becoming eligible to play. In 2021 that rule changed allowing transfers to play immediately, which opened the flood gates. There are a number of examples of players playing for a different team each year of their college career: Eyabi Okie-Anoma played at five different four-year schools – Alabama, Houston, UT Martin, Michigan and Charlotte. Chandler Morris played at four schools – Oklahoma, TCU, North Texas and Virginia, and Robby Ashford played for Oregon, Auburn, South Carolina and Wake Forest.
I’m concerned that the next step might be to give the player more freedom (and money) and allow them to transfer during the season?
How has the portal affected this year’s college teams? Indiana University, this year’s #1 team, had a 3-9 record in 2023, and then hired Curt Cignetti. In his first year, 2024, they went 11-2 and this year they went 13-0. Don’t get me wrong, Cignetti is a great coach, but he knew he needed better players, so last year alone, Indiana added between 20-23 players to their roster through the portal. One of those players was quarterback and this years’ Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, who played two years at Cal, then was given $2.6 million (more on NIL in a moment) to play for Indiana this year. He still has one year of eligibility left, but he’ll be in the pros next year.
How the portal works today has dramatically changed college football . . . it may be better for a few select individuals, but, in my opinion, not for the game – the rich will get richer.
NIL – In 2019 California passed the first state law allowing athletes to get paid by the colleges for the use of their Name, Image and Likeness, now referred to as NIL. A year later, the state of Florida passed a similar bill. In 2021, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court affirmed that the NCAA violated antitrust laws by restricting student-athletes’ compensation for education-related benefits. So, paying a player for his/her NIL became legal, and is now being practiced in every state. Some payments are made all up front, others can be annual installments and still other can be for appearances or wearing certain athletic gear.
Some of today’s top NIL deals:
- Cooper Flagg – Duke basketball player, $28 million. He’s 18 years old
- Arch Manning, Texas quarterback – paid $5.3 million
- AJ Dybantsa, BYU basketball player – $4-$5 million. He’s 18 years old
- Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, wide receiver – $4.2 million
- Livvy Dunne, LSU, gymnast, $4 million
- Carson Beck, Miami quarterback – $3.1 million
There are plenty of other young ‘Million Dollar Athletes’ and there are many who are getting a mere $4-$500,000 to play.
Where does all this money come from you ask? It can come from several sources, such as third-party endorsements from apparel companies, social media promotions, appearances, autographs, boosters and businesses – I’m thinking mostly from school boosters/wealthy alumni and local businesses!
The other thing that is happening to college football is the lack of emphasis on bowl games, except for the national championship tournament. The national champion used to be determined by a vote by sports writers and football coaches, so every game was looked at, especially the bowl games where top teams were usually playing against other top teams. This year the national champion will be determined by a 12-team playoff. So a number of teams, who are not in the tournament, have decided not to play in a bowl games. Here’s a few: Notre Dame, Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor, Auburn, Florida State, UCF, Rutgers, and Temple. Why? Some because it’s not for the national championship, some because their coach has already left for another job, and some because too many players are opting out of the game and/or are looking to go to another school next year.
Even for the teams that are participating in a bowl, many of their 18 – 20-year-olds, who are making millions as a collegiate athlete, are deciding not to participate in a post-season bowl game, unless it’s for a chance to win the national championship. Why? Because the millions they are making as college athletes doesn’t compare to the millions they could make over their lifetime as a professional athlete, so they don’t want to risk an injury in a meaningless bowl game that could jeopardize a lucrative pro career.
The answer to the headline question: It turned pro.