my hot take: this will contract the FBS, and Cal will fall out of it. I just don't see people being ok with us being in an arms race against the Ohio States and the Texas's of the college football world. The frustrating thing is our rivals will probably be in the thick of it
I hope I'm wrong and some rich alumni step up to it, but there's just too much resistance to it on and off campus for me to be confident that Cal will be able to mobilize itself to compete there.
It's already an arms race with the money going to the coaches and practice facilities. The new system will likely be like a sports league with a salary cap. A lot of guys will get the max, which to be fair, was kind of the case right now with the scholarships, but that maximum will merely be increased.
the salary cap won't really matter if they get sponsorship deals. Of course the NCAA can try to control that too but my guess is the courts won't like that either
True, but you would think that the sponsorship is more tied to guys already playing well in college than the hype before he/she gets there (I guess this is actually not for certain in the 2020's). There are only so many starring roles on each team. It would be a little bit harder to imagine all of the top guys flocking to USC again, but I could be wrong.
since sponsorship deals are going to be the name of the game I think it will actually incentivize more people to flock to the USC's for the exposure. I'd imagine third string running backs have a better chance of scoring a deal at USC than New Mexico State
I think this take only holds true if you assume the Ohio States and Texas's of the college football world actually currently follow all the rules... The infamous Bag Man indicates otherwise.
In other words, there's already money in college sports, and we've survived so far. Also, while we can only speculate what these changes will bring, I think it's the right thing to do and if that means the "elite" programs becomes formalized junior professional leagues, and schools like Cal remain closer to true "school" teams, then so be it.
if you bring sponsorships and public deals into it the money will explode exponentially as corporations are able to move much bigger amounts into these kids' pockets. Imagine how much stronger Maryland or Oregon would be if they could dangle sponsorship deals to 5 stars. I have no illusions about the current landscape but that is a game changer.
Maybe I'm getting too old and cynical, but I'm very skeptical that real changes will come that quickly for actually relatively fair compensations to the student-athletes since what is fair is highly debatable. NCAA had taken a hardline that any kind of compensation would be a slippery slope for everyone getting paid and the capitalistic market dominating the college sports landscape, but I think there will be a ton of regulations (many of them probably dumb and will quickly become antiquated) still. This also gives reasons/excuses for the NCAA to exist.
This has echos to me of many other fights for equality. Resisted, denigrated and later, maybe, accepted. I was slow to this twenty years ago, but I have found no argument in my own mind that wins against it. Having been a Cal student who paid my own way through, back when tuition was only $800 a semester in 1988, and had to work 20 hours a week to pay rent and life, I can begin to relate to the challenges student-athletes face. It's deeply right that since they are over 18, they are able to monetize their efforts. Universities should in no way be able to profit so greatly from the athletic success of students.
my hot take: this will contract the FBS, and Cal will fall out of it. I just don't see people being ok with us being in an arms race against the Ohio States and the Texas's of the college football world. The frustrating thing is our rivals will probably be in the thick of it
I hope I'm wrong and some rich alumni step up to it, but there's just too much resistance to it on and off campus for me to be confident that Cal will be able to mobilize itself to compete there.
It's already an arms race with the money going to the coaches and practice facilities. The new system will likely be like a sports league with a salary cap. A lot of guys will get the max, which to be fair, was kind of the case right now with the scholarships, but that maximum will merely be increased.
the salary cap won't really matter if they get sponsorship deals. Of course the NCAA can try to control that too but my guess is the courts won't like that either
True, but you would think that the sponsorship is more tied to guys already playing well in college than the hype before he/she gets there (I guess this is actually not for certain in the 2020's). There are only so many starring roles on each team. It would be a little bit harder to imagine all of the top guys flocking to USC again, but I could be wrong.
since sponsorship deals are going to be the name of the game I think it will actually incentivize more people to flock to the USC's for the exposure. I'd imagine third string running backs have a better chance of scoring a deal at USC than New Mexico State
I think this take only holds true if you assume the Ohio States and Texas's of the college football world actually currently follow all the rules... The infamous Bag Man indicates otherwise.
In other words, there's already money in college sports, and we've survived so far. Also, while we can only speculate what these changes will bring, I think it's the right thing to do and if that means the "elite" programs becomes formalized junior professional leagues, and schools like Cal remain closer to true "school" teams, then so be it.
if you bring sponsorships and public deals into it the money will explode exponentially as corporations are able to move much bigger amounts into these kids' pockets. Imagine how much stronger Maryland or Oregon would be if they could dangle sponsorship deals to 5 stars. I have no illusions about the current landscape but that is a game changer.
We'll just pool together our beer money and match them! lol.
You have valid points, I'm just more optimistic about what it could mean for college football but more importantly the student athletes.
Maybe I'm getting too old and cynical, but I'm very skeptical that real changes will come that quickly for actually relatively fair compensations to the student-athletes since what is fair is highly debatable. NCAA had taken a hardline that any kind of compensation would be a slippery slope for everyone getting paid and the capitalistic market dominating the college sports landscape, but I think there will be a ton of regulations (many of them probably dumb and will quickly become antiquated) still. This also gives reasons/excuses for the NCAA to exist.
This has echos to me of many other fights for equality. Resisted, denigrated and later, maybe, accepted. I was slow to this twenty years ago, but I have found no argument in my own mind that wins against it. Having been a Cal student who paid my own way through, back when tuition was only $800 a semester in 1988, and had to work 20 hours a week to pay rent and life, I can begin to relate to the challenges student-athletes face. It's deeply right that since they are over 18, they are able to monetize their efforts. Universities should in no way be able to profit so greatly from the athletic success of students.
I agree - the days of serfdom are over. Thanks for the article.