Amateur Athletics is Officially Over

will110

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I agree. It will never be as meaningful to me as it used to be.

Years ago, college football was the centerpiece of fall for me. Now, ironically, the fact that fall is such a great time of year makes it easier for me to pull away. In the south, especially, fall is the only time of year when outdoors activities like camping and golfing are enjoyable at any time of the day.
Is this because of the sport itself or life changes?

I'm not a big fan of the unlimited transfers or the NIL collectives, but when games kickoff on Saturday I still love college football.

Yet, like you, I'm not as big of a fan as I once was. That's because now I'm married with a job and 3 kids at 3 and under. I just don't have the time I once did to commit to all-day college football watching.
 
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18IsTheMan

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Once they are employees, do they need to go to classes at all? Do the lunch ladies take classes?

It used to be ludicrous to think otherwise, but there hasn't been one change in college athletics that has been made with the student athlete in mind. Even while they have said they are making changes to benefit the student athlete, every change has de-emphasized, or even penalized, the student athlete model.

I am convinced it's a matter of time before that goes by the wayside.
 

Uscg1984

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Is this because of the sport itself or life changes?

I'm not a big fan of the unlimited transfers or the NIL collectives, but when games kickoff on Saturday I still love college football.

Yet, like you, I'm not as big of a fan as I once was. That's because now I'm married with a job and 3 kids at 3 and under. I just don't have the time I once did to commit to all-day college football watching.
It's both. Yes, life happens and it has happened to me. I sill watch plenty of college football on TV, but I watch less of it than I used to. On the other hand, I spend more hours hunting and playing golf than I used to, so it's not that I'm watching less college football because my leisure time has shrunk.

Of course, that's just me, and others have different experiences. But life has always happened to us collectively and college football did just fine. For the most part, I think college football was compelling enough in the past that as "life happened" to people, most of them continued to buy their season tickets and incorporated their fall college football rituals into that new dynamic. But I strongly suspect that will be diminished in the future - not for every fan, and not all the time, of course, but enough to make a difference. We'll see if the trend of shrinking college stadiums continues.
 
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Uscg1984

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I suspect that is the sentiment of everyone over 45. I know it's mine.
I'm also in that category. lol

That makes me think about how we all used to complain about those old decades-long Gamecock Club members who used to take up those seats in the west lower sections and sit on their hands while all of us younger people were screaming our lungs out in the corners of the upper deck. And, indeed, those sections had a lot of folks in their 50s, 60s, and 70s who showed up to every game. Why? Because it's what they'd always done. I think that's what's going to change.
 
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Rogue Cock

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It used to be ludicrous to think otherwise, but there hasn't been one change in college athletics that has been made with the student athlete in mind. Even while they have said they are making changes to benefit the student athlete, every change has de-emphasized, or even penalized, the student athlete model.

I am convinced it's a matter of time before that goes by the wayside.
Yep....that's what the SCOTUS majority opinion in the Alston decision pointed out.
 

vacock

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If they were really employees, then they could move from team to team (employers) during the season and school classes be damned.
 

1vagamecock

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I guess this is why I will never be a club member anymore or even consider giving to the Garnet trust or NIL.
 
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Rogue Cock

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If they were really employees, then they could move from team to team (employers) during the season and school classes be damned.
Who knows at this point? This is a tangled ball of yarn....no one knows all the impacts of this. Not even sure in a university setting how the IRS limit on employers paying for educational benefits of employees will apply or whether universities will have to start paying taxes on the media contract money they recieve due to the fact that it may no longer be for an exempt purpose. Moreover, in SC (at least) we will have to deal with worker's compensation requirements.
 
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18IsTheMan

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One thing that could restore some semblance of order is contracts. College sports now has almost everything from the pro sports model, except contracts.
 
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Rogue Cock

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One thing that could restore some semblance of order is contracts. College sports now has almost everything from the pro sports model, except contracts.
That's not a cure-all. There is a reason that most businesses try to avoid contractual relationships with employees. Through collective bargaining, I could see student-athletes demanding them also.
 

18IsTheMan

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That's not a cure-all. There is a reason that most businesses try to avoid contractual relationships with employees. Through collective bargaining, I could see student-athletes demanding them also.
Oh, no, definitely not a cure-all, and it would come with its own issues. But at least locking these kids into some actual commitment would be something.
 
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atl-cock

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I don't like it. I don't like what college athletics has evolved to: NIL, Transfer Portal and now this. But I'm not surprised. We can all "thank" the unelected, lifetime appointed Supreme Court. This is a 40-year story. It began on June 27, 1984 when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Oklahoma and Georgia, saying that institutions owned their television rights and that the NCAA's television contracts violated federal antitrust laws. All of us know about the gigantic television contracts awarded to the SEC and the BIG. There's a reason that Florida State and Clemson want out of the ACC. Thus this agreement by the NCAA and the conferences is a 40-year story in the making. I'm not surprised by the outcome. They obviously concluded that an academic scholarship does not come anywhere near close to compensating athletes for the revenue they generate.

I don't know what all that will do to ticket prices. It does not matter to me because I attend only one game per year. But make no mistake about it. What it costs sponsors to pay the networks for televising games is passed on to consumers.
I have no sympathy for F$U and Clemron. They signed on to this thing, and don't want to honour their agreement because it no longer suits them.

Does this apply to all NCAA Divisions or just D-1?
 
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atl-cock

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I agree. It will never be as meaningful to me as it used to be.

Years ago, college football was the centerpiece of fall for me. Now, ironically, the fact that fall is such a great time of year makes it easier for me to pull away. In the south, especially, fall is the only time of year when outdoors activities like camping and golfing are enjoyable at any time of the day.
What times of the year work for outdoor activities in Montana?
 

atl-cock

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One thing that could restore some semblance of order is contracts. College sports now has almost everything from the pro sports model, except contracts.
Doesn't an "athlete" have to sign an agreement/contract for scholarship money?
 

18IsTheMan

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Doesn't an "athlete" have to sign an agreement/contract for scholarship money?
Probably. But nothing to obligate them to more than a year. And with NIL, players can just jump around from one deal to the next one. Multi-year contracts is what I had in mind. As noted, that carries its own issues and pitfalls, but at least it offers some stability.
 
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Rogue Cock

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I have no sympathy for F$U and Clemron. They signed on to this thing, and don't want to honour their agreement because it no longer suits them.

Does this apply to all NCAA Divisions or just D-1?
Not sure....but I suspect it is for the P5 conferences only. NCAA has a proposal to seperate those schools from the remainder with the P5 schools creating their own adminstrative model with their own rules and regulations.
 

Uscg1984

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What times of the year work for outdoor activities in Montana?
Depends on the activity. LOL! If you are into skiing and snowmobiling, December through March works best. For me, hunting is the most direct competitor to my college football watching in the fall, but that is true for a lot of folks in the south as well.

I'm booked for several rounds of golf when I visit SC in June/July. I'm bracing myself for getting reacquainted with the blistering heat and humidity.
 

atl-cock

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Probably. But nothing to obligate them to more than a year. And with NIL, players can just jump around from one deal to the next one. Multi-year contracts is what I had in mind. As noted, that carries its own issues and pitfalls, but at least it offers some stability.
Bobby Dodd was probably a rarity because when he recruited a kid, barring academic difficulties or egregious behaviour, he felt honour-bound to renew the scholarship for all four years.
 

atl-cock

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Not sure....but I suspect it is for the P5 conferences only. NCAA has a proposal to seperate those schools from the remainder with the P5 schools creating their own adminstrative model with their own rules and regulations.
Probably better to create a separate division anyway.
 
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As a small school guy(The Citadel) I honestly don’t know what the future holds for schools of our ilk.Since the portal opened up and NIL came about we’ve had a tough go of things.Wasn’t easy before but damn near impossible now.
 

Patriot321

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Not me. If it's all pro sports now, I'd rather watch the NFL. They're a lot better. It's likely I've attended my last game at W-B.
I quit watching pro football years ago, and as hard as it is, I'm pretty much there with college now. I graduated from USC, supported them my entire life both in the seats and with my checkbook, but others will have to fill the voids now, I feel confident they will if they like pro sports. Once they start paying them it will be soon be contracts, agents involved, lawyers, on and on, including Congress now involved. For me, sports is entertainment to get me away from the craziness in the world, relax, no dealing with politics, player strikes, contracts, NIL nonsense, transfer portal, on and on. But times have changed and we have to let the new generation support what they will.
 

Patriot321

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Per one site, USC has 716 student athletes. $20 million distributed among them equally would mean $27,932/student. Is a member of the swimming team really gonna get $28 grand? Crazy.
They will have to share equally, otherwise lawsuits, that's all it is now, one lawsuit after the other. Imagine Dawn if her girls don't receive equal payment, all insanity.
 

Patriot321

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I have been advocating doing away with scholarships and requiring them to pay their own tuition, room and board, etc.
lol, well, we are headed in the complete opposite direction from that, free everything, plus a big salary. The schools will have to cut back on something and prices will go up. Anybody for a $200 single ticket and a $20 beer?
 

Patriot321

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The best thing that could happen, but won't happen, is for the whole system to just implode and then start over again from scratch.

The problem is, there are a good number of "fans" who will watch no matter what. Even if it got to point, which no longer seems absurd, where players aren't even enrolled at the school for which they play, many would still tune in, pay up and cheer on the team.

The real ones in control here are the fans. I've said it all along, and I've been mocked for it on here. All of these seismic changes being made are being made under the assumption that they can take the fans' support for granted. They fully believe, and probably rightly so, that they can make whatever changes they want and fans will still tune in and show up for games. They count on, and fully expect, fans to continue mindlessly and dutifully supporting college athletics.
That's what needs to happen, just have a separate semi-pro league and let the Panthers have a team in Cola, why should we pay for this? And who is going to want to pay more for 5 -6 win seasons. Of course it isn't just football, WBB that so many seem to love will have to pay more for tickets and refreshments too. Who will be able to afford to take a family of 4 or 5 to any major sports event?
 
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Patriot321

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And you can really thank a probation office. Much of this was kicked off with Ed O'Bannon's lawsuit. His pro career tanked so he pitched a tantrum and sued the NCAA.

To your latter statement: Increased costs of doing business are always passed onto the consumer. Always. In this case, the consumer is the fan.
It all began in California when they decided athletes should be paid
 

Patriot321

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I am there somewhat. One some level, I still love college football...or at least what used to be college football. But I can also take it or leave it in many cases now.
I've found replacement entertainment, and it actually is much more relaxing, who needs the chaos surrounding college athletics. I occasionally watch a game on TV, but no more $ to the Gamecock Club for sure.
 

Rogue Cock

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As a small school guy(The Citadel) I honestly don’t know what the future holds for schools of our ilk.Since the portal opened up and NIL came about we’ve had a tough go of things.Wasn’t easy before but damn near impossible now,
The NCAA is obviously trying to separate those schools from the P5 schools with both groups having their own representative entity, each with their own rules and regulations, and each with their own playoffs, tournamets, etc. IMO the NCAA (representing the non P-5 schools) will probably try to fight back on some of these changes that resulted from several court opinions by going back to their original amateur status (before it completely blows up and they don't have much time IMO). If the NCAA can save/recover their ameteur status for those non P-5 schools they may go back to court to challenge the rulings and hopefully get anti-trust exemption or be more successful in Congress in getting an anti-trust exemption. The only way they could limit and protect themselves from the transfer portal is to get that anti-trust exemption. There is almost no way the courts or Congress will give it to the large money making schools.....they are their own enemy.
 
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vacock

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Just a hunch but I’m betting that the judges making schools pay really don’t care for football or college athletics. IMHO
 

Rogue Cock

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Just a hunch but I’m betting that the judges making schools pay really don’t care for football or college athletics. IMHO
I've said before they were probably prep-school schoolboys who were the last to be picked for any athletic team.
 
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Yard_Pimps

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The NCAA could legally do something like do away with full scholarships, right? Or the universities? Band together and only offer partial scholarships for football and basketball? Ok, maybe with all the money they rake in they have some moral obligation to share it with the students, but not so for scholarships. Many student athletes are already only on partial scholarship. Call it revenue sharing if you want, but it's basically a salary and they are now employees. Why should they get a salary on top of a full scholarship with room, board and tuition? I don't think they could be legally forced to offer full scholarships could they?
Most employees do get benefits how is it any different.
 

Patriot321

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What a mess this whole thing is:

"Though college athletes are not yet considered employees, LeRoy and Konidaris said a legal argument could be made that direct school-to-athlete payments push athletes to the brink of being employees and that Title VII could apply.

“They’re going to have in the settlement the idea (that) this isn’t employment,” LeRoy said. “Then what you’re doing is saying a multibillion-dollar industry called NCAA Athletics is going to be treated differently than any other business in America. You cannot have separate pay.”"

And...

"Another New York civil rights attorney, Christina Stylianou, said her first instinct is that Title IX would not apply because athletes would be essentially be selling their media rights to their school. That said, Stylianou expects the Title IX question to be heavily litigated."

And...

"If the schools opt to not handle payments in-house and leave athlete compensation to booster-backed collectives eager to connect athletes and sponsorship money, that could be a way to get around Title IX regulations."


This decision really only creates about 100 more problems that now have to be figured out.
You are right about this 18, but after several years of NIL and transfer portal and complete chaos all around, it just got even worse. I am just numb. College (amateur) sports was once my favorite past time or at least in my top 3. It has always been a way to relax, get away from the craziness and chaos of life, enjoy competition, enjoy a family outing or outing with friends, tailgate and eat chicken, pull for my alma mater, on and on; but as you stated 18, "it is a mess". Who wants to hear all this crap?? Who wants to spend their time hearing about contracts, salaries, NIL, portals, player loyalty, Congress making laws, lawsuits, prima donnas, universities begging for more $, cancelling non-revenue making sports, Title IX, paying every beach volleyball player 30K a year plus healthcare.... on and on and on. Ik I'm the minority, ik I'm old school, and ik times change, but wth is fun and relaxing and enjoyable about all this nonsense and chaos? I realize it is time to move on, time to quit complaining and accept reality, after all it's just a game right.
 

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