Alabama's Nick Saban: CFB Is Not 'Sustainable' with Transfer Portal, NIL Contracts

So here's the thing.. I wasn't really even thinking in terms of giving another player a shot, though that would be kind of included by default. I'm thinking in much broader terms, of students in general. Kids that bust their ass in high school but somehow fall short of a scholarship or help otherwise just to get through college. Not necessarily athletes. In looking at it closer though since LSU's athletic department is isolated from the rest of the school's finances, it would probably be an accounting nightmare. I don't mind saying that I am diametrically opposed to these kids getting paid at all to play ball, or other sports; that was what the free ride and free education is for. We all know that the majority of kids don't make it in the pros or if they do it it is sort lived and they end up with nothing when their career is finished, hence the need for an education to fall back on.

That all being said, those same facts could be used to make the argument FOR NIL incentives and I get it. Add in the points you made about the corruption in the business and it gets even more difficult. At the very least maybe there should be a cap on what can be given, but then you still have the same issue of players getting it under the table like it has been done for so long. I really don't have an all inclusive answer, I just kind of threw that out there to see if it sticks or if anyone had anything to add to it. I do know that I preferred it to be like it was; i.e. - some things being better left unsaid.

 

I love the idea of it going to a general student, but with college football being such a cesspool, the likelihood of that ever occurring is, unfortunately, miniscule. It's so frustrating to me to see what college football has become and NIL is only going to make it worse. The reality is college football has nothing to do with college and everything to do with winning and making big money at any cost!

 

players shouldnt be punished for getting NIL, by losing their scholarship. what if they get a small NIL deal that doesnt pay enough? you want the NIL people like the local lawyer or car dealer to pay LSU directly? so now the player has to arrange for raining cane's or whoever to send a check for tuition?

the school shouldnt be involved or taking away scholarships from those have earned it

 

I get what you're saying and admittedly don't have the answer. You say taking the scholarship away is bad, and it may be. I say the whole NIL thing is bad because they already have access to $25k - $50k of free college tuition if offered a full ride.. I do recognize there is no one size fits all solution to this, and that I am just some guy on the internet. I don't know, claim to know, or really even want to know all of the ins and outs of the business. Just seems to me that the scholarship is looked upon as nothing when it comes to it being a reward for their talent, but if it's taken away (in whole or in part) in lieu of actual money then all of a sudden its got some tangible value, even if they're not going to use it most of the time.

I guess it really doesn't matter to me, high school kids will be drafted like in the NFL, play for a few years in college, and if lucky go pro, play for a few more years and either flourish or end up broke without 2 pennies to rub together.... Happens more than not. I dunno, like I said in another post, maybe cap the amount you can receive? But the you have the same under the table pay problem as before. I just think the kids should concentrate more on utilizing the education they can get AND play whatever sport. It can be done, and it should be encouraged more than it seemingly is.

 

You are not wrong.

 

you seem to be implying there is amount that is "too much". but they are earning massive amounts for thier schools and the NCAA. the basketball tournamemt for example is a billion dollars earned for the NCAA. who should get paid if not the players?

why? why limit how much people can earn? its not your money.

NIL money doesnt stop anyone from getting educated. in fact its the opposite i suspect it will keep kids in school instead of going pro earlier. if you are a marginal draft pick, unsure if you should try, getting paid in college is a great opportunity.

x pinson is a great example. he might not be good enough to make it in pro hoops. and he has a young daughter. with NIL he can hoop, get a degree and and education and get paid to support his family.

 

As far as the cap, I don't have an answer, though intuitively I find it would be a bit excessive if there were a kid out of highschool making pro-baller money... They have to mature physically before going to the NFL.. I would wager they need to mature mentally to handle that kind of pay as well. Hell NFL players have problems with it and they are supposedly "grown"...

Other than that I don't have any perfect solutions anymore than you do. We're having a discussion so I just threw those thoughts out there. Maybe I'm behind the times, maybe old fashioned.. I don't make any apologies for that. It's just what I think while I'm bored in a hospital room in New Orleans.

 

being highly paid athletes works fine for pros in other sports and overseas. like serena williams was probably a multimillionare in high school

 

The reality is NIL is only going to make college football more corrupt than it was before, which is saying a lot. I predict colleges will soon employ NIL recruiting teams that will go into a recruit's home and put on a presentation for the parents/guardians/so-called uncle/street agent and show them how much money they can put in his/her pocket if their son/daughter will agree to sign with them. It sounds outlandish, but anything goes in recruiting!

 

Sadly, you are probably correct. It won't just be football. Basketball and even college baseball will be the same. Just think at how much more under-the-table money will flow in the cesspool that is AAU basketball.

I expect that NIL $ will have a profound effect on the drafting of HS players by MBL teams. Paul Mainieri would always have these fabulous signing classes only to lose a significant number and the best to the pros. If NIL existed when he was here, I believe he would have won it all more than once.