It’s Official… college football is over as we know it.

[upstater1]

Expenses are endogenous to revenue and benefits.

I am on faculty at an SEC school. I guarantee you the revenue and expenses generated would be a millionth of what they actually are if I was the starting linebacker alongside the rest of my department's faculty.... There may be demolition derby value but we would be cheap and no revenue.

USFL teams and G-League teams would beat these college teams, but no one watches them. The BRAND is what sells.

Do you have interest in semi-pro football if it weren't affiliated with a university?

I'm not watching the Birmingham Stallions on Sunday, nor am I watching the Maine Stone Crabs (I don't even know their name).

The point is: schools are losing a ton of money here. As for the SEC, Texas is losing money! Texas A&M too!

 

[TommyD4207]

If he's smart he'll take a couple mil from a non power-2 conference (like Texas Tech in the Big 12) to pump his stats and work his way back into the SEC for big money.

He's not nearly good enough for a team with limited NIL money to pay that kind of money for (like a Texas Tech). The only way you can hold out, is if you have some sort of handshake agreement somewhere else willing to pay. From what I've heard, he doesn't have that.

He's getting locked out.

Then he and his dad can cry about it in the media, and zero ****s will be given. Or get some ambulance chaser to file a lawsuit that will go nowhere.

 

[TommyD4207]

USFL teams and G-League teams would beat these college teams, but no one watches them. The BRAND is what sells.

Do you have interest in semi-pro football if it weren't affiliated with a university?

I'm not watching the Birmingham Stallions on Sunday, nor am I watching the Maine Stone Crabs (I don't even know their name).

The point is: schools are losing a ton of money here. As for the SEC, Texas is losing money! Texas A&M too!

*Public* schools are losing money. Yes.

And rightfully ****ing so. It's one thing when private schools can soak kids for tuition. It's another thing entirely when it's a Public university being funded by taxpayers.

SMU made the playoff the first year there was a fully open portal. That is not an accident.

 

[PatsfanTN]

Funny you say that since I had said Iamaleava overplayed his hand. I don't see him getting the money he wants elsewhere.

That’s what I meant. Nico and his father/agent overplayed it. He won’t get that money somewhere else nor should he

 

[upstater1]

*Public* schools are losing money. Yes.

And rightfully ****ing so. It's one thing when private schools can soak kids for tuition. It's another thing entirely when it's a Public university being funded by taxpayers.

SMU made the playoff the first year there was a fully open portal. That is not an accident.

I can't follow what you're saying here. Privates are losing even more money than the state schools.

Let me clarify again: schools are losing money on sports.

I'm not talking about "in general."

In general, schools have budgets so they can't actually lose any money. They just have to take from one place that has a surplus and use it to pay the deficit elsewhere. But thats a whole other discussion that doesn't have a place here.

 

[BTTA]

You can't talk politics here but since all but less than 10 programs are really in the red, the overall health of the financial picture at universities over the next few years is sure to impact this whole new world. You can't bleed like they're bleeding now forever.

You have 2 options:

1. The West Virginia way: get rid of math, science, and humanities at your university in order to support football
2. TOO OBVIOUS TO STATE

This is the only way to fully understand what's about to happen. It isn't politics, it is business analysis.
This is a Jenga pile with sports money as small blocks on top and research comprising several large bottom blocks. The top blocks get the attention but the bottom blocks determine the viability of the whole pile.
My conversations with science Deans (including one at UMass) indicate that they are grappling with the simple survival of their institutions. What does the SEC do under those circumstances? IDK.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

Good for the kids. College football is one of the biggest shams ever. Millions of dollars going to coaches, billions to stadiums, and I'm supposed to be upset the kids who put their bodies and brains on the line are finally getting paid?

And let's not act like the big programs weren't paying kids before now. Get real.

 

[ahmed]

First player hold out (Iamaleva) ended in transfer. AFTER getting $8M beginning in HS.

Flood gates are open.

This won’t end well.

That said, might be a net positive for Tennessee as honestly the kid kind of sucked.

@Ian I just thought of a good emoji to add. A yawn!

 

[DarrylS]

Coaches have no loyalty either so I don’t feel bad for them at all. Maryland’s coach was negotiating with Villanova during March Madness.

Anecedotal?? I do not disagree, but that does not discount the fact that the once revered loyalty to a school is no longer a factor.. have to wonder if it will effect the deep pockets of alumni who want their team to win.

 

[borisman]

I'm kind of glad this happened. It's a good barometer for future holdouts.
The timing of it a bit weird though as a lot of spring games are taking place at this time of year.

Edit:
News is that Tennessee is the one that got fed up with "I'm a leavin" and cut the cord on this "renegotiation". Kudos to them. I don't see the kid getting double per year for what he signed.

 

[borisman]

In the case of Malachi Nelson, how do you go from top 5 QB recruit at USC to a program like UTEP?

And good for Arch Manning for waiting 2 years for his turn (though he did get playing time this past season). He's likely a top 3 pick next draft if he comes out. Though his situation is much different than most of these kids, he still could have opted-out to a team where he could have started last year or even during his freshman season.

 

[XLIX]

And good for Arch Manning for waiting 2 years for his turn (though he did get playing time this past season). He's likely a top 3 pick next draft if he comes out.

Barring a catastrophic injury, Arch Manning is absolutely positively the #1 pick in the draft when he comes out whether it is '26 or '27 (probably '27).

 

[borisman]

Barring a catastrophic injury, Arch Manning is absolutely positively the #1 pick in the draft when he comes out whether it is '26 or '27 (probably '27).

I tend to agree but after having <100 pass attempts last year I’ll wait to see more of him this year before annotating him as absolutely positively #1, though I can’t think of anyone who’ll challenge him except the LT out of Miami. He did come in a bunch of short yardage situations and did his best Jalen Hurts impersonations. Also, he killed it in the spring game last year against a good first string defense. That may still be up on YouTube.

 

[XLIX]

This Iamaleava situation almost blew up far worse than what we are currently seeing. According to recent reports, he wanted more money to play in last year's playoff game.

These reports are vague on how Tennessee and Iamaleava resolved the situation. IOW, we don't know if TN kicked a little extra money his way or if he caved and played for nothing extra (for all the good it did TN). But man that would have been huge if he opted out of a playoff game.

 

[PatsfanTN]

This Iamaleava situation almost blew up far worse than what we are currently seeing. According to recent reports, he wanted more money to play in last year's playoff game.

These reports are vague on how Tennessee and Iamaleava resolved the situation. IOW, we don't know if TN kicked a little extra money his way or if he caved and played for nothing extra (for all the good it did TN). But man that would have been huge if he opted out of a playoff game.

This is also what I’m hearing. He flew out to CA yesterday with his Mother and two sisters. Good time to get out of town.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I don't care ...

 

[dliverey44]

Tennessee had to know this was going to happen. His name is Nico I am a leava. lol

I was reading that it was his father that reached out to other colleges and told his son not to go to spring practice. The article I read made it sound like it is his dad that is driving the thing. I feel kinda bad for the kid.

 

[dliverey44]

A guy named “I-am-a-leava” being the main character in a story about college players changing schools seems like something out of a bad movie.

I just posted something about his last name. LMAO

 

[Froob]

Anecedotal?? I do not disagree, but that does not discount the fact that the once revered loyalty to a school is no longer a factor.. have to wonder if it will effect the deep pockets of alumni who want their team to win.

I'm just saying, if you aren't holding coaches to that same standard, don't expect it from the players.

 

[1960Pats]

All the kid is doing is taking advantage of a system which was put in place to compensate collegiate athletes.

I take no issue with athletes trying to make as much money as possible.

As it is in the NFL, some players are more shrewd than others. Time will tell if he is being too shrewd.

That's it in a nutshell. Players were being used by the NCAA and now the shoe's on the other foot.