While it's true that the simon-pure aspects of CF have been eroded over the years, there still exists a hearty portion of tradition, spirit and elements of amateurism in the sport. I prefer these motivations in my CF. Call it pining, but I still see a lot of student-athlete in our guys. To me this is what differentiates college sports from the pros. Some great stories of kids coming here and making a difference and developing as people. The pro side is necessarily a business. Not so much on the college side at the player level. I don't know...I'm drawn to it from my playground and school days. Wish it wasn't evaporating.
My larger point is that injecting the NIL dynamic into CF will create more of a free for all, money grab to a far greater extent than anything that goes on today - at least at the player level - and recruits will become ever more mercenary. At the coaches level it's already nuts.
PS: I find it a little strange when posters say DB is coaching for his job come the Ohio game. He may be, but it's a very soft landing with the golden-est of parachutes should our beloved coach get sacked.
CBS and Turner pay the NCAA over a billion dollars a year for the right to broadcast the men's basketball tournament. That's billion with a B.
The other major media companies pay the power 5 conferences multiple billions of dollars a year for the right to broadcast their football games. That's billions that ends in an S.
Head coaches in both sports make tens of millions of dollars between university salaries, booster payments, endorsements and other revenue streams. Administrators at universities make six, and seven, figure salaries.
The media executives that sign those deals also make six and seven figure salaries. As do those who work for the advertising agencies, marketing firms, sponsorship outlets, consumer goods and apparel corporations, and other businesses that profit wildly from the college sports space.
The college athletics system has been utterly awash in preposterous amounts of money for years. Precious little of it has gone to the people who actually play the games. They're going to get
slightly more, in the grand scheme of things, given the new rules.
I get the love of "amateurism", but that has been an illusion, almost forever. I mean, it's not like the Miami players of the 80s weren't soaked in money and drugs and women. Yet they were "amateurs" because it was all handed out under the table.
Players will still be coming to these schools as 18 years olds and developing as people, students and athletes. That's not going to radically change. Fans will still love the sports because the teams represent something that lives deep within us. It may be a little different, but that's OK. Change is good, even though it can be disruptive and messy.
It'll be OK, hang in there.
