NIL impact from Saban

[rucoe89]

and not in a way fans may ultimately like.

From Nick Saban in part on why he retired: "I thought we could have a hell of a team next year, and then maybe 70 or 80 percent of the players you talk to, all they want to know is two things: What assurances do I have that I’m going to play because they’re thinking about transferring, and how much are you going to pay me?”

He's not saying its bad, but he's not going to be part of it.

With the Dartmouth development too regarding athletes unionizing and pushing to be employees, I don't think the model is sustainable by colleges.

This is not going to end well

 

[Brisket and Bourbon]

The not end well part you alluded to will be spectacular. Then congress will get involved, facocking it some more…then any pretense that the amateur athlete and student athletes still exist will have been truly put to rest.

After that a select set of schools will compete and it will be wholly unsatisfying because what made college sport great…especially football will be D*E*A*D!!!

Lucky for Saban…he was out of f***s to give and things to prove…now he can just sit back and enjoy his many millions

 

[ashokan]

As Rome declined the barbarians raised heck.
College sports are going down a storm drain and pirates are everywhere "looking for a bag" as Deion says.
CFB crazier than NFL

 

[Brisket and Bourbon]

And that’s the most successful coach in history at the bluest of blue blood programs…and he still said, I’m out. I certainly see a future where 32 to 64 programs say “bye!” and play among themselves and while I may be excoriated for saying this, I don’t think RU would be in that number. Of course just conjecture on my part, but does it really seem that far fetched?

 

[WhoRU?]

I don’t think the Dartmouth case makes any sense. Exactly how much revenue does the Men’s basketball team earn for Dartmouth? The Ivy League is D1 FCS. Are Iona and Monmouth supposed to pay their athletes? Which teams? A whole lot of small schools are going to drop sports or go D2 if this vote/ruling stands.

Even though the old guard doesn’t like NIL, it is a way of rewarding the athletes in prominent programs. NIL without the portal would work. The combination of the two is what is wreaking havoc on college sports.

 

[ashokan]

And that’s the most successful coach in history at the bluest of blue blood programs…and he still said, I’m out. I certainly see a future where 32 to 64 programs say “bye!” and play among themselves and while I may be excoriated for saying this, I don’t think RU would be in that number. Of course just conjecture on my part, but does it really seem that far fetched?

He also cited things like players with a lack of class.

"Saban, 72, offered a particularly pointed comment on how he did not feel like his players lost with “class” when Michigan defeated Alabama, 27-20, in an overtime thriller at Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

“I want to be clear that wasn’t the reason, but some of those events certainly contributed,” Saban told ESPN. “I was really disappointed in the way that the players acted after the game. You gotta win with class. You gotta lose with class. We had our opportunities to win the game and we didn’t do it, and then showing your a– and being frustrated and throwing helmets and doing that stuff … that’s not who we are and what we’ve promoted in our program.”

Saban also believes that shifting factors in college football have made players more out for themselves as opposed to pursuing team goals."

Alabama reaction to Michigan loss ‘contributed’ to Nick Saban’s retirement

Nick Saban did not like how his Alabama squad handled its loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

nypost.com

 

[RutgHoops]

I don't recall but did Coach Saban have so sit a year when he left Michigan State for LSU? Is Kalen Deboeur sitting a year in leaving Washington for Alabama? Has he or other college HCs advocated for a cap on salaries for coaches?

I think Coach Saban was a terrific HC. Quite possibly the best college HC ever. But until he and others in college athletics start advocating coaches, ADs, etc are bound by the same restrictions they advocate that the players should be bound I cannot take anything they say on the topic seriously.

 

[rucoe89]

I don’t think the Dartmouth case makes any sense. Exactly how much revenue does the Men’s basketball team earn for Dartmouth? The Ivy League is D1 FCS. Are Iona and Monmouth supposed to pay their athletes? Which teams? A whole lot of small schools are going to drop sports or go D2 if this vote/ruling stands.

Even though the old guard doesn’t like NIL, it was a way of rewarding the athletes in prominent programs. NIL without the portal would work. The combination of the two is what is wreaking havoc on college sports.

The issues will get more complicated if they ultimately are seen as employees. Now you are talking things that include minimum wages, benefits, pensions, etc. If I am a university CFO I have to raise the issue of whether having such programs is core to the mission, and if not, I have to look at what to keep or cut taking into consideration Title IX. I need to consider the cost of what is left/kept and infrastructure necessary to support what remains. Finally, see where the revenue comes from and if costs, which now include athlete compensation, are covered. If all this does not pan out, I would have to consider recommending to the board dropping most, if not all the programs, if I can't get the numbers to work. Just economic reality.

 

[rucoe89]

He also cited things like players with a lack of class.

"Saban, 72, offered a particularly pointed comment on how he did not feel like his players lost with “class” when Michigan defeated Alabama, 27-20, in an overtime thriller at Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

“I want to be clear that wasn’t the reason, but some of those events certainly contributed,” Saban told ESPN. “I was really disappointed in the way that the players acted after the game. You gotta win with class. You gotta lose with class. We had our opportunities to win the game and we didn’t do it, and then showing your a– and being frustrated and throwing helmets and doing that stuff … that’s not who we are and what we’ve promoted in our program.”

Saban also believes that shifting factors in college football have made players more out for themselves as opposed to pursuing team goals."

Alabama reaction to Michigan loss ‘contributed’ to Nick Saban’s retirement

Nick Saban did not like how his Alabama squad handled its loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

nypost.com

Have to wonder how much of the class-less behavior across sports is fueled by social media and the attention it drives. My guess is a lot.

 

[charliem24]

I don’t think the Dartmouth case makes any sense. Exactly how much revenue does the Men’s basketball team earn for Dartmouth? The Ivy League is D1 FCS. Are Iona and Monmouth supposed to pay their athletes? Which teams? A whole lot of small schools are going to drop sports or go D2 if this vote/ruling stands.

Even though the old guard doesn’t like NIL, it is a way of rewarding the athletes in prominent programs. NIL without the portal would work. The combination of the two is what is wreaking havoc on college sports.

If the program operates at a deficit, do the players have to kick in?

 

[Plum Street]

I don't recall but did Coach Saban have so sit a year when he left Michigan State for LSU? Is Kalen Deboeur sitting a year in leaving Washington for Alabama? Has he or other college HCs advocated for a cap on salaries for coaches?

I think Coach Saban was a terrific HC. Quite possibly the best college HC ever. But until he and others in college athletics start advocating coaches, ADs, etc are bound by the same restrictions they advocate that the players should be bound I cannot take anything they say on the topic seriously.

No. But coaches contracts and buyouts .

This just needs to be further professionalized with some parameters

 

[RUTGERS95]

The issues will get more complicated if they ultimately are seen as employees. Now you are talking things that include minimum wages, benefits, pensions, etc. If I am a university CFO I have to raise the issue of whether having such programs is core to the mission, and if not, I have to look at what to keep or cut taking into consideration Title IX. I need to consider the cost of what is left/kept and infrastructure necessary to support what remains. Finally, see where the revenue comes from and if costs, which now include athlete compensation, are covered. If all this does not pan out, I would have to consider recommending to the board dropping most, if not all the programs, if I can't get the numbers to work. Just economic reality.

exactly

a lot of programs will move down to d2 or lower or cut all together. Lost is the view that the education is the payment, the opportunity is the payment and most of these kids would be at Walmart or pumping gas without the schollie

then of course are they paying for their tuition etc now? Kids getting NIL ought to pay their way

 

[ashokan]

Have to wonder how much of the class-less behavior across sports is fueled by social media and the attention it drives. My guess is a lot.

I think its more the NIL influence.
Players now know they can have the upper hand.
Players can just walk away.

 

[Brisket and Bourbon]

exactly

a lot of programs will move down to d2 or lower or cut all together. Lost is the view that the education is the payment, the opportunity is the payment and most of these kids would be at Walmart or pumping gas without the schollie
Kids getting NIL ought to pay their way

Exactly…all that NIL money some of these kids make and many non NILworthy athletes completely miss out…

 

[NickRU714]

Coach who was infamous for cheating and paying players “buying recruits” gets mad when said recruits now look for payments………

Guess he was fine with talking to players about payments only when it wasn’t allowed?

 

[RU-AGK]

exactly

a lot of programs will move down to d2 or lower or cut all together. Lost is the view that the education is the payment, the opportunity is the payment and most of these kids would be at Walmart or pumping gas without the schollie

then of course are they paying for their tuition etc now? Kids getting NIL ought to pay their way

We were told straight up, by one of our own, that the scholarship is worthless. Looked straight into the webcam and said the thing 99.99% of people struggle with as far as education debt was in essence a joke to today's college athlete. The idea that playing to and sometimes beyond their abilities opened doors to untold generational wealth and celebrity at absolute best, and regular person making an above average living with their degree (that not all will have) at worst was a fool's way to look at all their hard work. As if others didn't bust their ass simply for 'opportunity'.

Many of the blind in here cheered.

 

[rucoe89]

I don't know how this ultimately plays out, but on the front on NIL, it is getting clearer to me that no person has the right to blame another person to not pony up for NIL in a way that makes it sound like "if you don't pony up you are not a fan." That is just wrong. Many already have their own struggles with financial means that extend to supporting their own familial or life structures. Great if you have the means, but folks shouldn't be lulled into thinking there are large numbers of folks out there that have those or even if they do consider it to be a wise use of their dollars.

 

[RutgHoops]

We were told straight up, by one of our own, that the scholarship is worthless. Looked straight into the webcam and said the thing 99.99% of people struggle with as far as education debt was in essence a joke to today's college athlete. The idea that playing to and sometimes beyond their abilities opened doors to untold generational wealth and celebrity at absolute best, and regular person making an above average living with their degree (that not all will have) at worst was a fool's way to look at all their hard work. As if others didn't bust their ass simply for 'opportunity'.

Many of the blind in here cheered.

Compensation is a major factor in the career decisions 99.9% of people make. If a kid is worth $500k-$1M the idea he/she should accept $70k (the equivalent of a college scholarship) is ridiculous. There is not one person making the argument against NIL who would make that trade. Not one.

 

[RUskoolie]

I don't recall but did Coach Saban have so sit a year when he left Michigan State for LSU? Is Kalen Deboeur sitting a year in leaving Washington for Alabama? Has he or other college HCs advocated for a cap on salaries for coaches?

I think Coach Saban was a terrific HC. Quite possibly the best college HC ever. But until he and others in college athletics start advocating coaches, ADs, etc are bound by the same restrictions they advocate that the players should be bound I cannot take anything they say on the topic seriously.

Jesus I bet you are the type of person who cries how much more the CEO makes than the cleaning lady.

 

[KK1827]

I don't recall but did Coach Saban have so sit a year when he left Michigan State for LSU? Is Kalen Deboeur sitting a year in leaving Washington for Alabama? Has he or other college HCs advocated for a cap on salaries for coaches?

I think Coach Saban was a terrific HC. Quite possibly the best college HC ever. But until he and others in college athletics start advocating coaches, ADs, etc are bound by the same restrictions they advocate that the players should be bound I cannot take anything they say on the topic seriously.

People who roll with that narrative act like these coaches didnt put in far far far far more sacrifice and time to get to the point where theyre able to change jobs than these kids ever have.

Lets look at Saban for example

1) first in his family to go to college.

2) ages 12-22 His father owner a gas station in a coal mining town in west virginia and nick pumped gas growing up and on college break

2) 18-22 he goes to kent state and plays ball

3) first two years after college hes a GA eating shit sandwiches and living off a modest below minimum wage stipend

4) next two years now around age 25-26, hes an assistant LB coach at kent state earning a modest salary

5) age 27 hes at syracuse as the assistant OLB coach making a very modest salary

6) age 28-29 he goes home to WV and is the DB coach there

7) age 30-31 he becomes db coach at OSU and for the first time makes an above average wage

8) gets let go at OSU and takes a step back and goes to Navy as db coach and back to a modest wage

9) michigan state- his first big job, hes a co-dc and db coach in his mid 30’s

anyway ill skip to his first big job, at the age of 40 he becomes the DC of the cleveland browns

Anyway, this guy has earned the right to speak. Hes been in the players shoes. He lives like a bum til he was 30 chasing his dream.

 

[rucoe89]

Exactly…all that NIL money some of these kids make and many non NILworthy athletes completely miss out…

I think that could be a compromise as to where this ends up if athletes ultimately shift to be employees. A school like Rutgers may do an analysis of the 28 (or whatever the current number is) program and conclude that it is too many programs to support. It may decide that it can drop to 10 wiht whatever combination satisfies Title IX (assuming it remains). Of course Football, M Basketball and W Basketball remain as they are part of B1G Media package. The B1G Media check may be able to pay for these three and maybe 7 more programs, coaches and facilities. All else just may not be financially justified. That means kids that otherwise would have been on scholarship for the other 18 sports now have to pay for college in other means where before it was paid for. Multiply that across the country and you actually have an overall net negative effect on a huge population of kids.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

Multiply that across the country and you actually have an overall net negative effect on a huge population of kids.

I said that on the day the Supreme Court made its ruling and was told by the intelligentsia here (including one with a very lucrative t-shirt business) that I had no idea what I was talking about. It's common sense and it was blatantly obvious this was where its heading from the moment the lawsuits started.

 

[retired711]

I think that could be a compromise as to where this ends up. A school like Rutgers may do an analysis of the 28 (or whatever the current number is) program and conclude that it is too many programs to support. It may decide that it can drop to 10 wiht whatever combination satisfies Title IX (assuming it remains). Of course Football, M Basketball and W Basketball remain as they are part of B1G Media package. The B1G Media check may be able to pay for these three and maybe 7 more programs, coaches and facilities. All else just may not be financially justified. That means kids that otherwise would have been on scholarship for the other 18 sports now have to pay for college in other means where before it was paid for. Multiply that across the country and you actually have an overall net negative effect on a huge population of kids.

Remember that schools don't pay for NIL: outside companies and "collectives" of boosters do. So NIL isn't relevant to a program's financial health. The bigger issue is compensating athletes, which would come out of a school's pocket. But college sports generate a lot of money for schools, which can be seen, for instance, in the salaries that coaches get and in the schools' ability to engage in an arms race to see who will have the best facilities. Surely it wouldn't be the end of the world for some of that money to make its way down to the athletes whose ability is the product that the schools are selling to TV.

I doubt NIL is a big problem for Saban: surely his alumni are willing to pony up whatever he thinks he needs to attract kids. I think the problems that Saban cites are more a product of the transfer portal. Kids want to play and they will gravitate to schools that promise them playing time. That's not good for the Sabans of this world who want to stock-pile talent. But it has the potential to be good for schools that can promise Saban's second-stringers, "hey, you have a better chance to start here than at 'Bama." Even Saban's boosters can't promise that.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

Remember that schools don't pay for NIL: outside companies and "collectives" of boosters do.

I believe this is now incorrect. The recent injunction in the Tennessee v NCAA case may have put the nail in the coffin of the NCAA having any rules regarding NIL (including prohibitions on the schools paying players directly).

The bigger issue is compensating athletes, which would come out of a school's pocket. But college sports generate a lot of money for schools, which can be seen, for instance, in the salaries that coaches get and in the schools' ability to engage in an arms race to see who will have the best facilities. Surely it wouldn't be the end of the world for some of that money to make its way down to the athletes whose ability is the product that the schools are selling to TV.

College sports don't generate a lot of money for schools. Football (and to a much lesser extent mens basketball) generates a lot of money for schools. Everything else costs the schools money. And football and mens basketball don't generate a lot of money for every school; just the big ones. Which begs the question ... if college sports is a for-profit big business industry for universities, why even pay to have any sports programs other than football and mens basketball? And further, why go through the charade of propping up women's sports (aside from obvious Title IX implications)?

 

[retired711]

It is unclear, to say the least, whether the Tennessee court decision (which I've described as home cooking for a suit brought by the Tennessee attorney general) is going to be upheld. So far as I know, no school is relying on the decision to begin to participate directly in NIL.

The answer is revenue-sharing by the schools that are making money to pay athletes. That would have the advantage of taking pressure off fans to pay athletes through NIL>

 

[LETSGORU91]

Saban is pissed because NIL is leveling the playing field he was used to dominating by his recruiting ability and/or Alabama's powers of exploitation. He flew the coop at the right time in his life.

 

[RUTGERS95]

I said that on the day the Supreme Court made its ruling and was told be the intelligentsia here (including one with a very lucrative t-shirt business) that I had no idea what I was talking about. It's common sense and it was blatantly obvious this was where its heading from the moment the lawsuits started.

your first mistake was thinking 'intelligentsia' and this board

 

[rucoe89]

Remember that schools don't pay for NIL: outside companies and "collectives" of boosters do. So NIL isn't relevant to a program's financial health. The bigger issue is compensating athletes, which would come out of a school's pocket. But college sports generate a lot of money for schools, which can be seen, for instance, in the salaries that coaches get and in the schools' ability to engage in an arms race to see who will have the best facilities. Surely it wouldn't be the end of the world for some of that money to make its way down to the athletes whose ability is the product that the schools are selling to TV.

I doubt NIL is a big problem for Saban: surely his alumni are willing to pony up whatever he thinks he needs to attract kids. I think the problems that Saban cites are more a product of the transfer portal. Kids want to play and they will gravitate to schools that promise them playing time. That's not good for the Sabans of this world who want to stock-pile talent. But it has the potential to be good for schools that can promise Saban's second-stringers, "hey, you have a better chance to start here than at 'Bama." Even Saban's boosters can't promise that.

Yes, today NIL is not "paid" by the school. What you have are outside folks being quasi-owners bankrolling players. That goes to my point above that the model I don't this is sustainable because unless you are well to do folks will start questioning what exactly are they paying for (i just bankrolled player John or Jane Doe and now they are transferring just as they developed because school X NIL will pay them more? No thanks). I realize that is not what was intended, but here is where we are at.

But I don't think the issue ends here. The evolution of this will be the players become employees of the school. Now the equation changes fast for school financial involvement. That will be the next step for which the unintended consequences will be massive.

 

[NickRU714]

Yes, today NIL is not "paid" by the school. What you have are outside folks being quasi-owners bankrolling players. That goes to my point above that the model I don't this is sustainable because unless you are well to do folks will start questioning what exactly are they paying for (i just bankrolled player John or Jane Doe and now they are transferring just as they developed because school X NIL will pay them more? No thanks). I realize that is not what was intended, but here is where we are at.

But I don't think the issue ends here. The evolution of this will be the players become employees of the school. Now the equation changes fast for school financial involvement. That will be the next step for which the unintended consequences will be massive.

Changed it slightly:

What you have are outside folks being quasi-owners bankrolling the Athletic Departments.

This is where I don’t understand the disconnect.
Every argument against “fans paying for players” applies to every other part of college sports.
“Why do fans have to pay for the weight room? Why do fans have to pay for the scholarships? Why do fans have to pay for the coaches buyout?”

College athletics is literally built on “outsiders paying for stuff so the AD doesn’t have to”.
And it’s not even willingly. It’s through MANDATORY “donations”.

People complain about Ticketmaster fees while college athletics is built on hidden fees.

 

[rucoe89]

Changed it slightly:

What you have are outside folks being quasi-owners bankrolling the Athletic Departments.

This is where I don’t understand the disconnect.
Every argument against “fans paying for players” applies to every other part of college sports.
“Why do fans have to pay for the weight room? Why do fans have to pay for the scholarships? Why do fans have to pay for the coaches buyout?”

College athletics is literally built on “outsiders paying for stuff so the AD doesn’t have to”.
And it’s not even willingly. It’s through MANDATORY “donations”.

People complain about Ticketmaster fees while college athletics is built on hidden fees.

The change you note is a fair assessment IMHO and essentially where we are at when you have coaches and ADs pleading with the community to pony up to support teams of their favorite school. Its novel and may work for a while but at some point it becomes financially numbing to continue doing it or a financial shock causes supporters to cut off support. Again, I don't think this is what was intended with NIL as being a "salary", but it has evolved to it.

As for the rest, I thought about the capital contributions. Many argue that those monies would be better spent on players. Short term maybe, but longer term I think the capital contributions enables more longer term investment in multiple generations of players and may actually be a better investment. If Jane and John Doe have better facilities to keep care of their bodies, be nourished (make food regularly available to them), have a quite place to study while still engaging in sport, that may make them and more of their peers successful in society post graduation than the one time check directly to them.

 

[Ray6232010]

and not in a way fans may ultimately like.

From Nick Saban in part on why he retired: "I thought we could have a hell of a team next year, and then maybe 70 or 80 percent of the players you talk to, all they want to know is two things: What assurances do I have that I’m going to play because they’re thinking about transferring, and how much are you going to pay me?”

He's not saying its bad, but he's not going to be part of it.

With the Dartmouth development too regarding athletes unionizing and pushing to be employees, I don't think the model is sustainable by colleges.

This is not going to end well

Why is he crying?He's been doing this for years now.It's an even playing field. No, he doesn't want to play.

 

[RUaMoose]

Why is he crying?He's been doing this for years now.It's an even playing field. No, he doesn't want to play.

I don’t see any crying. He’s arguably the goat. He’s always stayed within the legal lines as far as I know. Has he ever been accused of anything illegal?

 

[retired711]

The change you note is a fair assessment IMHO and essentially where we are at when you have coaches and ADs pleading with the community to pony up to support teams of their favorite school. Its novel and may work for a while but at some point it becomes financially numbing to continue doing it or a financial shock causes supporters to cut off support. Again, I don't think this is what was intended with NIL as being a "salary", but it has evolved to it.

As for the rest, I thought about the capital contributions. Many argue that those monies would be better spent on players. Short term maybe, but longer term I think the capital contributions enables more longer term investment in multiple generations of players and may actually be a better investment. If Jane and John Doe have better facilities to keep care of their bodies, be nourished (make food regularly available to them), have a quite place to study while still engaging in sport, that may make them and more of their peers successful in society post graduation than the one time check directly to them.

Businesses (which, after all, do have to pay salaries) make capital investments, too. A lot of the investment that a business makes is to ensure it can attract the kind of employee it wants (through having better facilities). Schools now build athletic centers precisely to attract recruits and that can be expected to continue so long as schools think that winning is important. So it's not clear to me that paying athletes salaries would have a big effect on what schools spend on facilities.

 

[rucoe89]

Businesses (which, after all, do have to pay salaries) make capital investments, too. A lot of the investment that a business makes is to ensure it can attract the kind of employee it wants (through having better facilities). Schools now build athletic centers precisely to attract recruits and that can be expected to continue so long as schools think that winning is important. So it's not clear to me that paying athletes salaries would have a big effect on what schools spend on facilities.

We know businesses make such capital expenditures, but the good ones select where to make the investments. When monies are tight the focus is on it core areas. Education specific capex makes sense but do athletics? A lot of schools will be running those numbers and deciding.

 

[retired711]

We know businesses make such capital expenditures, but the good ones select where to make the investments. When monies are tight the focus is on it core areas. Education specific capex makes sense but do athletics? A lot of schools will be running those numbers and deciding.

Well, schools have had no reluctance to make those investments in athletics. It's part of the arms race that's been going on for years. I would be surprised if there's a big change overall. Schools perceive winning athletics as a good investment and I see no reason that will change.

 

[rucoe89]

Well, schools have had no reluctance to make those investments in athletics. It's part of the arms race that's been going on for years. I would be surprised if there's a big change overall. Schools perceive winning athletics as a good investment and I see no reason that will change.

True, but that rate at which costs are rising, it won't change for some, but will change for many.

 

[retired711]

True, but that rate at which costs are rising, it won't change for some, but will change for many.

We'll have to see how much it costs to pay athletes and whether the distribution of TV revenues changes and how. There's been talk of some kind of revenue-sharing that might benefit the have-nots. In general, though, I think we have a long way to go before we know what will happen and what its effects will be. To put it differently, I think it's too early to say that the sky is falling or is going to fall.

 

[Ridge 22]

Bottom line is this. The current situation is an unsustainable mess. You have players getting paid, yet they are free to transfer at will and there are no limits on NIL spending on behalf of a school. And add to that, no one is in charge. It would be like the NFL if it had no commissioner or owners and there was no salary cap and players were free to choose at will who they wanted to play for. At any point and time they wanted to. What could go wrong? It's so stupid. It's just about players getting paid and sadly, has virtually zero to do with true NIL. The players will continue to get paid. That much is clear. But rules and limits must be enacted to more effectively govern the process - similar to pro leagues. After all, that's what this is.

 

[retired711]

[snip[ The players will continue to get paid. That much is clear. But rules and limits must be enacted to more effectively govern the process - similar to pro leagues. After all, that's what this is.

The problem is that rules and limits could well be challenged successfully in court as violations of the antitrust laws. There are two ways of getting around this. One way would be for Congress to pass a law that exempts those rules and limits from the antitrust laws. Maybe that will happen, but it hasn't so far.

Another would be for rules and limits to be established through a collective bargaining agreement between the schools/conferences and a union representing the athletes. That works because the courts have long held that measures that would normally violate the antitrust laws (such as a salary cap) are okay if they are part of a collective bargaining agreement. So it might actually be advantageous for college athletes to be allowed to unionize so that there could be a collective bargaining agreement setting out the rules and limits.

 

[LotusAggressor]

I don’t see any crying. He’s arguably the goat. He’s always stayed within the legal lines as far as I know. Has he ever been accused of anything illegal?

He was accused by Jimbo Fisher, if that means anything.