NIL has changed me as a college sports fan...and it ain't for the better

[FreakTalksAboutSU]

I think we are spreading ourselves too thin. Our collective’s are trying to win at basketball, football and lacrosse. Where is school like Yukon or Gtown will be able to keep their basketball players more easily because they only focus on basketball.

I have no desire to be Georgetown. We are in a Conference of schools that compete across major sports. If anything, we are lacking in having no baseball.

 

[OttoMets]

It would be difficult to find a more passionate and supportive fan than me, but I am experiencing the same. The only thing I would change from your words is that it is not NIL that has changed the world for me.
Paying a basketball or lacrosse player a few hundred bucks to get up early on a fall Saturday to spend a couple of hours mingling with fans at a tailgate, or even a few thousand for the use of his name, image and likeness on tailgate banners, T shirts and autographed photos has been nothing but a positive for everyone involved.
It’s the abuse of the spirit of the concept, and more importantly the failure to police those abuses effectively, that has destroyed something that we have all loved for years. The NCAA punted on third down and proved to be exactly the feckless organization that they are.

Eh, the NCAA = the schools. If they wanted structure, they'd make it happen.

Agree with the rest, obviously.

 

[BVille44]

Years ago, pro sports became all about the laundry. I stopped caring about individual players whose only loyalty was (justifiably) to their own bottom lines. College sports used to be different. Players used to be every bit as invested in a school as fans. I'd see a kid on campus and high five him knowing he was every bit as invested in being on that campus as I was.

It was special.

NIL has changed that. With the exception of a very small number of truly elite level schools with deeper than deep pockets, everyone else will always be at risk that after 1, 2, 3, even 4 years a player will just vanish in search of a better offer.

This is not a judgement. Repeat for the back of the room. I am not BLAMING PLAYERS ...These players have every right to do what they need to for their own interests. I am merely stating how it has impacted me as a fan. NIL has absolutely has changed for the worse the passion and loyalty I have for individual Syracuse players.

It's all a business, right?

I agree 100%. My level of interest for SU Athletics has dropped significantly since NIL. I really liked the idea of paying an athlete a royalty for his or her name/likeness on a jersey or video game but what is happening now is destroying college sports. It’s basically a free agency with no oversight by the NCAA.

My level of interest in SU football and basketball is at an all-time low. I missed one SU home football game from 1990-2021 but last season it did not bother me missing two home games and not attending the bowl game. I used to be a die hard fan who never wanted to miss a game but NIL has changed that desire for me.

 

[Sbucketball]

I wonder if fandom will significantly wane over the next couple decades, which in turn would drive the market for college sports down, and which would also drive down NIL opportunities. I'm guessing college sports will be totally different in a couple decades, but this probably isn't sustainable. College athletes are hitting big now, but I could see it falling off a cliff at some point in the future.

 

[samspann1]

He is who some of us thought that he was

 

[zjscuse]

He is who some of us thought that he was

Did you even read the story? He was told he wasn’t wanted, we pushed away our biggest booster . Nothing is more syracuse then that lol.

 

[samspann1]

Did you even read the story? He was told he wasn’t wanted, we pushed away our biggest booster . Nothing is more syracuse than that lol.

Yes, I did.

“From what I understand, hearing it from sources at the university, he did not like the high-profile nature of the celebrities coming to games and the way I was going about NIL, discussing it with the media,” Weitsman told syracuse.com.

Maybe ask for a PRIVATE meeting with Syverud to see if the whispers are accurate, and to see if common ground can be reached? I think that’s what a mature adult would do.

 

[Brooky03]

He is who some of us thought that he was

My 2 pennies: The university is making a mistake. Trying to distance itself from one of the few donors with the resources to make a real NIL impact is questionable. Fear of the NCAA cracking down on us isn’t a good enough reason. Make the necessary enhancements to compliance, sit down the with donor and clearly define what can and can’t be done and how.

This is professional athletics now, not amateur. Treat it as such or lose.

 

[orlandoorange]

My 2 pennies: The university is making a mistake. Trying to distance itself from one of the few donors with the resources to make a real NIL impact is questionable. Fear of the NCAA cracking down on us isn’t a good enough reason. Make the necessary enhancements to compliance, sit down the with donor and clearly define what can and can’t be done and how.

This is professional athletics now, not amateur. Treat it as such or lose.

It is. As much as I wish we were living in a world before the SEC/BIG TV deals, we don't. We can either chose to compete or become irrelevant and continue to cash the ACC paychecks until they fade away.

 

[Cuseregular]

Did you even read the story? He was told he wasn’t wanted, we pushed away our biggest booster . Nothing is more syracuse then that lol.

My 2 pennies: The university is making a mistake. Trying to distance itself from one of the few donors with the resources to make a real NIL impact is questionable. Fear of the NCAA cracking down on us isn’t a good enough reason. Make the necessary enhancements to compliance, sit down the with donor and clearly define what can and can’t be done and how.

This is professional athletics now, not amateur. Treat it as such or lose.

yeah, think I'm done. With all of it. Gonna give it a day to ponder it, but, yeah, think I'm done. This after a lifetime of support, tailgating, seasons tix for the majors, spending way too much time on here pissing off the wife....,etc.

We're gonna continue to lose our best players in football and basketball to greener pa$ture$, and now with all the usual obstacles to overcome, they push away a billionare supporter because he's too flashy for their Ivy league wanna be misperceptions of themselves?! Are they effin kidding me?!

If they're not going to do what it takes to compete at the highest level in the new landscape of whatever college sports is now, and not understand that no matter ones personal feeling on Weitsman, folks like him don't grow on trees.

Really, they pushed him to the side, especially with underlings it sounds like as the big guys wouldn't take the time to meet with him and work something out? Again are you friggin kidding me?! Smart businessmen there.

Well if so this sends a message about syracuse sports that they won't do what it takes to compete and are so dumb and blind not to see that even though none of us, or at least most of us, don't like it, don't like it at all this is what college sports is all about now ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$).

Hate it, sucks, but the very real big $ I spend on high end seats, club 44, etc. just isn't worth it, at least I don't think so. Gotta think this over, but, yeah, think after almost 50 years personally, many more as a family I'm done. Think my alma mater (Hamilton) just got a bunch more $ from me as well as game attendance.

 

[Consigliere]

Keep thinking back to Pearl answering a question about why he wasn’t able to replicate his collegiate success in the NBA. Pearl referenced the business aspect and replied “ I lost the love of the game.” Those words are ringing true for many of us today.

 

[Brooky03]

It is. As much as I wish we were living in a world before the SEC/BIG TV deals, we don't. We can either chose to compete or become irrelevant and continue to cash the ACC paychecks until they fade away.

One problem is that the success of athletics programs isn’t really part of a Chancellor’s performance assessment. An NCAA investigation and negative publicity for the university is a part of their assessment. Syverud is incentivized to avoid any and all risks at the expense of athletic success. That seems to be what’s playing out.

There’s also the possibility Weitsman is being dramatic and/or playing an angle. Either way, sports lose.

 

[normaliswear]

The state of college sports is really sad for me. Syracuse athletics has been one of the joys of my life. I used to be a pretty regular poster here. This is my first post in at least a year or two. It's hard to care as much about recruits who very easily may be gone before ever making an impact. It's hard to care as much about players on their third team in three years. Like some have said... at least with pro sports you know how long a guy is signed for before he will be a free agent. I don't blame the players, who wouldn't get what you could? But this system sucks for fans. And it really sucks for fans of any program that isn't a huge school with lots of donors. Personally I'd rather have schools with no scholarships at all. Just every year have open tryouts from the student body at large and every school makes the best teams they can. Like a high school. Let the truly elite players play G league straight from high school and college sports be among student athletes again.

 

[Brooky03]

NIL is low hanging fruit. The real blame is the money machine college sports has become. I can't blame kids for wanting a piece of the pie. Nobody was complaining when the coaches were getting million dollar deals, but now when it's the actual kids who play the games turn, now it's a problem?

The problem isn’t with kids getting paid. I think most of us are on board with that. It’s with the way it’s been implemented.

NCAA athletics: No salary (NIL) cap, the best players go to the highest bidder, no barriers to switching teams immediately.

Professional athletics: Salary cap (ignore baseball; it’s dumb), teams can buy players but to a limit, there are barriers to players jumping from team to team year after year.

Half of most team’s rotation players jumping ship every year is not the way things should be. I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t know how to fix inflation. But I know it needs to be fixed.

 

[M2MPrinciples]

The problem isn’t with kids getting paid. I think most of us are on board with that. It’s with the way it’s been implemented.

NCAA athletics: No salary (NIL) cap, the best players go to the highest bidder, no barriers to switching teams immediately.

Professional athletics: Salary cap (ignore baseball; it’s dumb), teams can buy players but to a limit, there are barriers to players jumping from team to team year after year.

Half of most team’s rotation players jumping ship every year is not the way things should be. I don’t know how to fix it. I don’t know how to fix inflation. But I know it needs to be fixed.

Even though the NCAA argued its case in court and even though it's become a complete cluster, I think ultimately the schools are happy that NIL is around because it keeps them from being the ones to have to pay players.

It also takes the public pressure off of them and redirects it to the booster collectives and local business communities. Meanwhile the schools get to keep laughing all the way to the bank as they always have.

 

[Brooky03]

Even though the NCAA argued its case in court and even though it's become a complete cluster, I think the schools are ultimately happy that NIL is the mechanism because it keeps them from being the ones to have to pay players. It also takes the public pressure off of them and redirects it to the booster collectives and local business communities. They get to keep laughing all the way to the bank.

Agreed. After all, the concept of amateurism was established so organizers could profit from free labor.

 

[oldpinepoint]

I actually sleep better now, before losing a game would bother me, now I just don’t give a $$$t. College athletics has some big problems coming down the road.

 

[Brooky03]

The NBA going back to drafting high schoolers would help a lot.

 

[Brooky03]

I actually sleep better now, before losing a game would bother me, now I just don’t give a $$$t. College athletics has some big problems coming down the road.

I used to find enjoyment in watching players progress in our system. I’d get attached to them and those guys were what made the team the team. When there’s a revolving door of guns for hire, it’s a lot easier to just not care.

I think the UConn’s of the world are going to become much more common in college hoops. Years of pooping their pants, then title!, then back to pooping their pants again, then title! Not my cup of tea

 

[texascpa]

Need for the NCAA to restructure scholarships to counteract the NIL impact and create a more level playing field. Flagship State schools in major conferences can no longer offer scholarships. Private schools in major conferences can have up to 8. Public schools in smaller conferences can offer 6. Private schools in small conferences can offer full allotment of 12.

lol, that will absolutely never fly.

 

[orlandoorange]

Even though the NCAA argued its case in court and even though it's become a complete cluster, I think ultimately the schools are happy that NIL is around because it keeps them from being the ones to have to pay players.

It also takes the public pressure off of them and redirects it to the booster collectives and local business communities. Meanwhile the schools get to keep laughing all the way to the bank as they always have.

What's in it for the collectives & Weitsman's? How long can you keep ponying up without a return?

 

[Sherman20]

Did you even read the story? He was told he wasn’t wanted, we pushed away our biggest booster . Nothing is more syracuse then that lol.

He says he’s never even met the chancellor or talked to him about any of this. He apparently acted solely on what he “heard” through the grapevine. I don’t think AW or Kent come away from this smelling like roses. There’s blame to go all around.

 

[Cuse181]

Did you even read the story? He was told he wasn’t wanted, we pushed away our biggest booster . Nothing is more syracuse then that lol.

but he was doing it for the community right?

 

[Cuseregular]

He says he’s never even met the chancellor or talked to him about any of this. He apparently acted solely on what he “heard” through the grapevine. I don’t think AW or Kent come away from this smelling like roses. There’s blame to go all around.

Lol do you really think this is happening Because of what he “heard through the grapevine“! Lol.

The big players up there didn’t have the stones or intelligence to speak with him directly and let who knows who do the dirty work for them. Nice real smart

 

[Sherman20]

Lol do you really think this is happening Because of what he “heard through the grapevine“! Lol.

The big players up there didn’t have the stones or intelligence to speak with him directly and let who knows who do the dirty work for them. Nice real smart

My point was: if there’s an issue, why aren’t they speaking directly with each other? I didn’t really mean the grapevine/rumors. But if Adam is being asked to do certain things or not do certain things, why isn’t there a dialogue about that?