If you didn't know, there's a new professional football league starting up the week after the Superbowl called The Alliance of American Football (AAF). It will run from the beginning of February through the end of April and will bridge the gap between the Superbowl and the NFL draft. It will initially have 8 teams. Also in 2020 the XFL will start up again, play during the spring, and initially have 10 teams. Assuming these leagues last more than one season and begin to thrive, I predict that we will see more and more juniors declaring for the NFL each year and then using these two leagues as a soft landing if they don't make it. We are already starting to see juniors sitting out bowl games. I think this trend will start to impact the regular season as well. There may be some juniors who decide to sit out all of November if their team is no longer in the running for a championship. When there's money to be made in the professional leagues, then why keep playing for free in college? What do you guys think? Are any of you excited for the new leagues? One of the AAF teams is here in Orlandeaux and I'm already planning on going to two of the games. I like the idea of football in the spring.
It's just a form of natural selection if you will. If colleges continue to rake in billions and give nothing to the athletes that put their blood, sweat and tears into making them rich, then they will wither away as they should.
Without investing much thought, I like it. Free market. NCAA will have to adjust if these other leagues catch on. I can’t imagine there will be a ton of interest, though. NCAA brands are well established. I’m not really going to give a damn about the BR River Dogs.
I'm predicting the new leagues don't last long and will have little if any impact on player's decisions. They won't be able to compete with the NFL for the top players and they won't be able to offer megamillion dollar contracts to anybody. If some slightly better than average sophomore or junior was going to be enticed to sit out for the money the new leagues can pay they would already be headed for the arena and Canadian leagues.
I'm starting to think let them go pro right out of high school if they want, they can serve hamburgers after they wash out. The college game will be just as much fun without the prima donna's,.. everybody feels sorry for the star players, the 3%, people think we should change a hundred years of tradition just for them,.. that's ridiculous. College football is giving the other 97% a college education, and that's enough,.. and they are all we need to enjoy football. Change the scholarship contract, make it two way, if the kid leaves the team without just cause, make them pay back all the scholarship benefits. Nobodies forcing them to sign a five year contract, make it binding. Even without the superstars, we'll still like the college game best, because we love our schools.
take a look at the way the AAF is set up with regional selection, etc. will have built in support. hope they’re successful
My solution is if you are on scholarship and bail early before the last game of your team, you reimburse the university for four years . . . tuition, room, board, books . . . everything. Simple.
So we really don’t know what will happen. Times have changed so much since the last attempts at spring leagues. Even with the cable of the time there were limited avenues to market so income was restricted it was hard for the league to succeed. Today there is more need for content than there is content especially quality content. The cost of production is down. There may be a place and financial path for them. Also the AAF has some fairly well known names for coaches. It could attract players from colleges who think the league can better prepare them for the NFL and pay them. It could be a threat to the college game.
