Players getting paid...

[Eight_Banners]

Dumb argument. If a guy gets paid $3MM to come play here, and he plays like sh*t, everyone is going to hate on him and call him an overpaid bum, and rightfully so. What he's "worth" is immaterial to me. These players should have it engrained in them that when you get paid money like this, there is an expectation to deliver. Or the boosters' pockets may start running dry

I don't have to be happy for some punk kid "getting his bag" and then running off to the NBA at the earliest possible opportunity. Loser mentality

You didn't win the argument.

Calling someone an overpaid bum doesn't make it true, even if you yell it at the television screen. They just got paid what someone found them worthy to be paid.

It's not like Mark Pope and UK are paying kids $5mil who have no value. All the top athletes are being sought by several top schools, all vying for their skills on their roster. If Pope got Quaintance for $3mil and his market value was $2.9mil, or any other random amount, he paid $100k over the market value for JQ's services.

If JQ was a need on UK's roster versus that of Duke/KU/UNC/UL/etc., then Pope made a good investment. If JQ underperforms, that's not a mistake by Pope, that's just the way professional sports goes.

Think about how much money is in professional sports, and only one team wins each respective championship. That doesn't make ever other franchise incompetent, it just reveals the difficulty of balancing things for professional sports entities.

 

[FormerlyAnon954350]

"5. Don't even get me started on getting a guaranteed full sum of money before you do any work. No job in the world pays you a yearly salary if you underperform and are let go after 2 weeks. Which would essentially be like getting benched."

What is the difference between current college athletics and the pros? Professional athletes sign long-term contracts all the time without doing the work of their contract. Most of them have tons of guaranteed money written in.

Because I'm not going to bother arguing over actual pro sports. I don't care about the NBA. Kentucky is an academic university with students. And now you have 99% of students going 100K in debt while someone who sits at the end of the bench gets paid 500K AND has everything else provided and taken care of for them. Also, I don't agree with your premise that individual players drive revenue. Maybe a very, very select few of generational talents can spike revenue. But the vast majority of players, at the vast majority of programs do not. Kentucky's men's basketball revenue would look very similar year to year, regardless. Which is again why I said it's the program and the brand that drives revenue. Andrija Jelavic's NIL is worth almost nothing BUT Andrija Jelavic, the Kentucky player, wearing a Kentucky jersey is worth something. Which means the value that you keep talking about is the brand.

 

[Wildcat_in_DC]

I think if there is big reform that happens, one aspect should be tying TEAM performance to part of the payment. Just like pro contracts have built in escalators for various levels of success. Maybe even individually as well above a base salary but that of course could get tricky when you’re talking about 19 yr olds.

I’d be fine with everyone on the basketball team getting a bonus if we win the regular season SEC for example. Think it would fix a lot of the opt outs or players shitting it down early.

I’m sure there are problems with that but I’m not claiming to know all the answers, but performance should play a role. If college sports are professional now (which they obviously are) then treat all aspects like the pros with slight tweaks. Models are already there to draw from.

no one is signing those deals. folks here blame our JMI deal for everything yet what you are suggestion is a million times worse. this is the problem with fans and sports....their love for their team makes them completely irrational. #FireEveryone.

 

[Old Blue Fart]

If you found a stud employee for your maintenance company who increased your revenue by ten-fold, you would then be faced with two choices: pay him what he is worth or watch another company pay him more and play second fiddle to the maintenance company across town.

College basketball has become a professional sport. That's the bottom line. As much as I love the nostalgic Pitino teams who played for the name on the front of the jersey, we are in the days of playing for the university that wants to put the most money in your bank account. You can come up with whatever kind of idea for player salary parity, but there is no truth to the idea that Walker Horn is as valuable to the 2025-2026 Kentucky Wildcats basketball team as Otega Oweh, or Jayden Quaintance.

Should there be rules in place to govern everything that is taking place? Absolutely. It's like the wild west right now. However, players should be paid whatever someone is willing to pay them. Your value as an athlete is determined by what team wants to pay you what amount to play for them.

To your point about Rupp being sold out even for the Unforgettables, that's true. However, a new coach with passion and a team with grit may work for one year of 14-14, but UK would not have survived generating revenue year after year with those results. Kentucky was truly brought back to national prominence with a certain kid, last name Mashburn. Kentucky was on TV making money because they were good, and they were good, in large part because of Mashburn.

What was the most popular team in the early 90s, though? Who made the most money? I would guess Michigan, because of the players they had. Possibly Duke or UNC, but Michigan was everywhere on the television. Shouldn't the Fab Five have received portions of the money their name, image, likeness generated? Were there other players on the team? Yeah. Were they as valuable to the team on the court? Some nights, maybe. Were they responsible for driving up the revenue for the UM men's basketball team during those few years? No.

Point is, comparing athletes to industrial work is relatively unhelpful. Most folks know how to drive a truck. With a little help, most men can do a good job swinging a hammer and feeling their way around a job site. We're talking work valued in the $100ks, low millions at best. These collegiate level athletes are nearly professional, and would obliterate nearly every average Joe because they've given their entire childhood to their craft. If millions/billions are being generated by their skills, they deserve to benefit from it.

That's all.

I am not sure you have much experience in working a blue collar job.
If you have a top guy, yes, you pay him for that but if you have such a difference in pay between your men, you will have issues. You have a go to guy that you let him drive a company vehicle home each day and that alone goes a long way. Every company has a foreman/team lead/ point man that has earned that role thru loyalty and having a skill set.
Companies steal employees from others all the time. It is part of doing business really. But to think anyone can drive a truck is absurd when that truck may be pulling a backhoe, lift or something even larger. It takes a hell of a lot more skill than swinging a hammer to build a building and I would bet your best point guard could not read the blueprints to even start that building.

These players need a place to showcase their skills and some smuck off the street is not going to build that building for you. How many of those players who left early during Cal's years are still playing?
These kids who make it in the pros are like 1% of all those playing. What are the rest going to do when their time is up in college and there is no more NIL? They are going to need to know something besides living off their past reputations of a basketball player.

When you start off doing a labor job and learn a skill, then polish those skills to where you are in demand, you can start your own business and pave the way to a great future for your family.

Mashburn was the top player back in the early 90's and yet he got paid the same as the other players and it worked great. the ties he made playing here benefited him greatly when he finished his career. So there is a payday there for these kids. I am just against handing out money just because there is a bidding war between two teams needing a player.
If these kids are going to be paid, then why are they on scholarship?

 

[Nightwish]

OP sounds 101 years old still believing in his beloved NCAA and thinking they have the power to reign this in. The NCAA sat on their hands and did nothing to prevent the present and now you're throwing up the bat signal for them to save it? All I can do is laugh at that mindset.

Love it or hate it, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that what the NCAA had been doing for generations was illegal. Folks can disagree with the decision but they rarely rule completely against one side like that. The NCAA was wrong and was the system that took advantage of the athlete, making billions of their backs while athletes followed ridiculous rules, many of which made little sense as coaches signed deals for millions and could leave for another job at the drop of a hat. The NCAA had power. The coaches had power. The athletes (who we actually care about and are the reason we watch) did not have any power. What an amazing system!

End of the day, we're not going back to a time when the NCAA had the power and none of this would really matter here if UK was 8-4 in football and top 10 in basketball with a few studs coming in for '26. Programs need to get on board or get left behind. Our AD isn't a fan of any of this and stupidly thinks those in DC are going to save him and us. He's handed everything off to JMI and now guys we should probably already have still aren't committed and may not commit. Get on board or get left behind. We feel left behind so there are those in BBN now thinking the NCAA can just reverse this when they did nothing to begin with.

 

[Eight_Banners]

Because I'm not going to bother arguing over actual pro sports. I don't care about the NBA. Kentucky is an academic university with students. And now you have 99% of students going 100K in debt while someone who sits at the end of the bench gets paid 500K AND has everything else provided and taken care of for them. Also, I don't agree with your premise that individual players drive revenue. Maybe a very, very select few of generational talents can spike revenue. But the vast majority of players, at the vast majority of programs do not. Kentucky's men's basketball revenue would look very similar year to year, regardless. Which is again why I said it's the program and the brand that drives revenue. Andrija Jelavic's NIL is worth almost nothing BUT Andrija Jelavic, the Kentucky player, wearing a Kentucky jersey is worth something. Which means the value that you keep talking about is the brand.

Are you insane? You are arguing that Kentucky's basketball revenue would look similar year to year regardless of who the players are.

You are only saying that because we always have the best players!

How much would Kentucky be generating this year if the roster was composed of:

Michael James
Daniel Mayfield
Patrick Punch
Lamont Sams
Delkedric Holmes
Sam Murray
Mussa Mzein
Tyrone Iroghama
???

That roster has a current record of 1-13. Is Rupp still selling out? Kentucky might be on TV this season, but there would have to be major changes next season.

What would the major changes be? How about, better players!

You are right, Andrija Jelavic is worth more in a Kentucky uniform than by himself. Why? Because Kentucky is supposed to have star players. It's a little give and take.

Ryan McMahon (added to Yankees from Rockies at the trade deadline this year) was worth something out of the Yankees uniform, but he was worth far more in a Yankees uniform than in a Rockies uniform. I hate the Yankees but there is still a ton of value in the uniform. Why? Because they have always had great players.

The Wildcats legacy will always endure, and add value to the players they acquire, but only if they maintain greatness by continuing to have great players.

 

[Eight_Banners]

I am not sure you have much experience in working a blue collar job.
If you have a top guy, yes, you pay him for that but if you have such a difference in pay between your men, you will have issues. You have a go to guy that you let him drive a company vehicle home each day and that alone goes a long way. Every company has a foreman/team lead/ point man that has earned that role thru loyalty and having a skill set.
Companies steal employees from others all the time. It is part of doing business really. But to think anyone can drive a truck is absurd when that truck may be pulling a backhoe, lift or something even larger. It takes a hell of a lot more skill than swinging a hammer to build a building and I would bet your best point guard could not read the blueprints to even start that building.

These players need a place to showcase their skills and some smuck off the street is not going to build that building for you. How many of those players who left early during Cal's years are still playing?
These kids who make it in the pros are like 1% of all those playing. What are the rest going to do when their time is up in college and there is no more NIL? They are going to need to know something besides living off their past reputations of a basketball player.

When you start off doing a labor job and learn a skill, then polish those skills to where you are in demand, you can start your own business and pave the way to a great future for your family.

Mashburn was the top player back in the early 90's and yet he got paid the same as the other players and it worked great. the ties he made playing here benefited him greatly when he finished his career. So there is a payday there for these kids. I am just against handing out money just because there is a bidding war between two teams needing a player.
If these kids are going to be paid, then why are they on scholarship?

Again, comparing industrial work to professional sports is not a one to one. I couldn't name you one man who works in full-time blue collar work who has his own working boots line or commercial on TV.

In sports, the best players make the most money. The lower paid guys are role players. They deal with it or give their job to the next man up.

"It takes a hell of a lot more skill than swinging a hammer to build a building and I would bet your best point guard could not read the blueprints to even start that building."

I would bet it's a lot easier to teach a man to read blueprints and swing a hammer than to become a professional athlete. Part of that is nature, but most of these guys give up their childhoods to become the best.

"Mashburn was the top player back in the early 90's and yet he got paid the same as the other players and it worked great. the ties he made playing here benefited him greatly when he finished his career."

Think of how much more he could have made getting paid for his talents in college.

"I am just against handing out money just because there is a bidding war between two teams needing a player."

No one is forcing anyone to pay anybody.

 

[UK_BlueBlood]

I think the NBA’s one and done (and the NFL’s three and done) rule brought this issue to its breaking point.

If there had been no such rule and a viable and accepted minor league system in place (like there is in baseball), then you could fairly argue that nobody was forcing them to play college sports and, if they didn’t like it, they could just go the alternative route.

But the NBA and NFL rules made it look like basketball and football players essentially were being forced to play college ball so, jeez, shouldn’t they be getting a share of the enormous amount of revenue they help generate?

It pushed public sympathy squarely to the players’ side.

Except the NBA (and NFL, if it wanted to) drafts players who didn't play college basketball all the time. There is nothing that says you MUST play college basketball. The point it, if players didn't like the rules created by the NCAA, then they could go play somewhere else. There are literally countless basketball leagues all over the world besides playing NCAA college basketball.

 

[FormerlyAnon954350]

Are you insane? You are arguing that Kentucky's basketball revenue would look similar year to year regardless of who the players are.

You are only saying that because we always have the best players!

How much would Kentucky be generating this year if the roster was composed of:

Michael James
Daniel Mayfield
Patrick Punch
Lamont Sams
Delkedric Holmes
Sam Murray
Mussa Mzein
Tyrone Iroghama
???

That roster has a current record of 1-13. Is Rupp still selling out? Kentucky might be on TV this season, but there would have to be major changes next season.

What would the major changes be? How about, better players!

You are right, Andrija Jelavic is worth more in a Kentucky uniform than by himself. Why? Because Kentucky is supposed to have star players. It's a little give and take.

Ryan McMahon (added to Yankees from Rockies at the trade deadline this year) was worth something out of the Yankees uniform, but he was worth far more in a Yankees uniform than in a Rockies uniform. I hate the Yankees but there is still a ton of value in the uniform. Why? Because they have always had great players.

The Wildcats legacy will always endure, and add value to the players they acquire, but only if they maintain greatness by continuing to have great players.

The first part is a Straw man. My argument is more nuanced than that, especially given the current chaos of the rules. And I do not at all agree with the premise that formerly having great players means you pay a currently mediocre player at a premium. Brandon Garrison should not be paid at a premium because UK had Anthony Davis and KAT. The only hole in my argument is everyone has to play by the same rules for it to work. But in the unregulated, chaotic "structure" we currently have of course teams and programs are going to "panic buy" just to try and keep up. But that has nothing to do with the players individual financial value. Your also naming a team of nobodies but I could also name a team of mostly nobodies with no future NBA value who won titles or were great teams. If Kentucky had the 10 most expensive players in the transfer portal and we were ranked #15 in the country, the revenue wouldn't look much different than if Kentucky had cheap players who were well coached and the #10 team in the country. Again. I do not think this is in any way comparable to the free market or job market. Employees don't have agents hustling companies to try and panic hire them and pay them 10x more than the actual value they add to the company, all up front, guaranteed, without the ability to be fired and a hundred other examples.
Kentucky is what gives players their brand, not the players giving Kentucky it's brand. And pro sports are different. The brand doesn't have the same allegiance as college programs, and they are privately owned companies, owned by billionaires, with no other motive or purpose than profit. That's why major league sports are more player focused.

 

[Tim0808]

We are seeing players every year now that bypass college and get drafted with top picks. CBB needs great players and high end talent far more than they need it. They are coming back to CBB now because it's more profitable since NIL.

But the question is why is it more profitable? I believe because you cannot fill gyms in g league games. The T.V. exposure is not close to the same as college. You do not have to have the elite players in college, if all the schools stand together. The fans are not fans of players, they are fans of universities.

I get sick of everyone talking about how the players are being taken advantage of. That is B.S. No one is forcing them to play college ball. There are other avenues if it is so bad. Overseas is one.

 

[FormerlyAnon954350]

Again, comparing industrial work to professional sports is not a one to one. I couldn't name you one man who works in full-time blue collar work who has his own working boots line or commercial on TV.

In sports, the best players make the most money. The lower paid guys are role players. They deal with it or give their job to the next man up.

"It takes a hell of a lot more skill than swinging a hammer to build a building and I would bet your best point guard could not read the blueprints to even start that building."

I would bet it's a lot easier to teach a man to read blueprints and swing a hammer than to become a professional athlete. Part of that is nature, but most of these guys give up their childhoods to become the best.

"Mashburn was the top player back in the early 90's and yet he got paid the same as the other players and it worked great. the ties he made playing here benefited him greatly when he finished his career."

Think of how much more he could have made getting paid for his talents in college.

"I am just against handing out money just because there is a bidding war between two teams needing a player."

No one is forcing anyone to pay anybody.

I mean, come on. Do you really think Brandon Garrison, has any effect at all on Kentucky basketball's revenue? And that's at Kentucky! Imagine if his agent got him in a bidding war to go play basketball for the same price at Wyoming... He might even lose them revenue! And that brings up another point. What if you pay premium players but they suck so bad (22 million roster) that fans start booing and stop showing up to games? Do you get a refund since they actually negatively impacted your revenue and you actually just got hustled by some agents? Thus making the "Rev Share" fair? Like if we're going to talk economics, let's not half-*** it. Some players add value but the majority do not, especially at programs where it isn't even the dominant sport.

 

[Anony Moose]

But the question is why is it more profitable? I believe because you cannot fill gyms in g league games. The T.V. exposure is not close to the same as college. You do not have to have the elite players in college, if all the schools stand together. The fans are not fans of players, they are fans of universities.

I get sick of everyone talking about how the players are being taken advantage of. That is B.S. No one is forcing them to play college ball. There are other avenues if it is so bad. Overseas is one.

G league would be profitable if it created a better fan experience. Have a handful of teams with no ties to anything and a limited broadcasting makes it hard to follow. However, put the better product in the g-league and viewers will follow.

You must have the elite players, otherwise it's not worth watching. Otherwise, why aren't D1, D3 NAIA and so on doing better?

They are fans on the players at the University.

They aren’t anymore. They were before.

Having other options doesn't negate fairness.

 

[Wildcat_in_DC]

But the question is why is it more profitable? I believe because you cannot fill gyms in g league games. The T.V. exposure is not close to the same as college. You do not have to have the elite players in college, if all the schools stand together. The fans are not fans of players, they are fans of universities.

I get sick of everyone talking about how the players are being taken advantage of. That is B.S. No one is forcing them to play college ball. There are other avenues if it is so bad. Overseas is one.

as the kids say....cry more.

 

[Goingfor9]

The whole argument players were not getting rewarded for what they did on the court, field, etc. is crap. Players were getting a free education, housing, food, traveling around the country, training of their craft, access to state of the art facilities, and on and on. Yet, some people want to argue that these players are making schools millions and are not getting their fair share. Why do they deserve a share? They knew what they were signing up for.
When I got my first job and my boss paid me peanuts while the owner of the company made millions. I did not expect or deserve a share. I knew the owner took all the risk, and paid all the bills and I was thankful for a job. Colleges are the same way. They take all the risk, pay all the up keep, building facilities, advertising, refs, lights, heat, air, etc... And there is always someone looking to sue you for something. Yet, players act like they are equal partners.
The product is the game and not the players. Players come and go. The NCAA needs to get their crap together and unite as one, that is the only way it will get fixed. The fans love the schools, not some jimmy or joe that is going to be their one year.
We have really screwed this up.
That is my soap box for today.

Was what they were getting worth the millions a year they are responsible for revenue? I don’t like it either. The nba needed to take kids straight from hs. I agree the ncaa has problems one of which is the corruption of billions the nonprofit makes off of student athletes. People cheer Barney. “Oh he makes us so much money” but those people also want the ncaa to be amateur. Including Barney. How do you make billions from student athletes use them as a at to boost your profile like Barney has making money off of them. People loved it. Well that’s why we are where we are. It was so overt that ads were exploiting the players with nothing back to the players. Cbb players for the most part don’t give a crap about the student part of things. So no a scholarship isn’t much. I mean if they gave a crap they would go Ivy League on a free ride. Make no mistake though, Barney and ads like him who were being evaluated not on winning and losing but on revenue they made this nil hell. Barney definitely lives the money but he doesn’t want players to get theirs. He built this system to expose these players and then doesn’t want to follow through. Just another massive failure for that fup.

 

[bbnkat02]

So players , human beings in the capitalist united states shouldnt have rights to make money off their likeness?

Now I understand why you all have a problem with it, because we're struggling like hell in this era and that my friends is thanks to Barnhart and people at UK. Barnhart wants rules in place so badly that he's handcuffing us before there are any real rules. Pretty freaking hard to win when everyone is playing chess with NIL and we're playing mouse trap.

It’s like everything else these days. People claim to be this or that but when it’s applied to them it’s unfair.

 

[20MRoster]

The difference between your first job and these athletes is that your first employer had a top-dog making money from his own hard work while you made peanuts. You were not the one generating the revenue.

Now, imagine it's your skills, name, and image that was generating millions for your company and you were still making peanuts. I don't think you would feel the same way about your income and the way your company was handling your employment.

Why do they deserve their fair share? Really?

Because it's fair!

Now, they originally came to college on the deal set by the NCAA, that included scholarships, room, board, etc. In the strict sense of fairness, they weren't being cheated, because they knew what they were agreeing to. The question became, is it fair for them to come and play for a university earning around $200k (depending on the university) when their body in the school's uniform was generating millions.

Would you be okay with a $200k stipend when you are worth $1mil.+ in actual dollar bills? I don't think so.

It was unfair.

There is much more to be said, and you're not all wrong, but your sentiments are way off when talking about your first job versus an Otega Oweh, or an Anthony Davis-type player earning scholarship monies over what they could have made in cold, hard cash based on their values to the university.

Really? Otega Oweh and Anthony Davis in the same sentence? Nobody gives a crap about Otega fking Oweh, fans come to the games to watch the UK TEAM. Quanitance is the only person on this team someone may go out of their way to watch.

So what do you say about the models who are on ads and billboards and LITERALLY generate revenue for the company? Marketing people who made the content to get people to buy things over the competition? They make like 50k. The director of marketing / data science / etc may get 200k-300k (most of it not even in cash, mind you). CEO makes a few 100M. It's not "fair" in the real world.

You ever seen the Wire? In season 1, Wallace and D argue about McNuggets. Wallace is like "that guy must make bank for coming up with this idea". D is like "you crazy, they lock that dude up in the basement and make him come up with more money ideas". You're naive like Wallace, thinking the world works the way you think.

TLDR: F these overpaid players, they do not bring in nearly as much value as their "salaries" would dictate when compared against the same benchmarks in the real world.

 

[20MRoster]

Catching up with the other posts, I am glad most posters are calling out Eight Banners.

Eight Banners is those UF boosters that offered Jaden Rashada 12M.

Keep simping for the "poor underpaid players" you naive dipstick.

 

[Eight_Banners]

Really? Otega Oweh and Anthony Davis in the same sentence? Nobody gives a crap about Otega fking Oweh, fans come to the games to watch the UK TEAM. Quanitance is the only person on this team someone may go out of their way to watch.

So what do you say about the models who are on ads and billboards and LITERALLY generate revenue for the company? Marketing people who made the content to get people to buy things over the competition? They make like 50k. The director of marketing / data science / etc may get 200k-300k (most of it not even in cash, mind you). CEO makes a few 100M. It's not "fair" in the real world.

You ever seen the Wire? In season 1, Wallace and D argue about McNuggets. Wallace is like "that guy must make bank for coming up with this idea". D is like "you crazy, they lock that dude up in the basement and make him come up with more money ideas". You're naive like Wallace, thinking the world works the way you think.

TLDR: F these overpaid players, they do not bring in nearly as much value as their "salaries" would dictate when compared against the same benchmarks in the real world.

So, "it's not fair in the real world" means it shouldn't be fair for college athletes?

 

[Eight_Banners]

Catching up with the other posts, I am glad most posters are calling out Eight Banners.

Eight Banners is those UF boosters that offered Jaden Rashada 12M.

Keep simping for the "poor underpaid players" you naive dipstick.

Why is it not okay for the UF boosters to pay Jaden Rashada $12mil?

(I don't know who Jaden Rashada is)

Is it against the rules?

It may be a waste of money, according to your valuation of his skills, but it's not against the rules.

 

[kyjeff1]

If you guys knew just how hard these guys have to work to do what they do on the court, you wouldn't have an issue with them getting paid.

They are the reason the schools are generating billions. It is the hard work of those players that brings the money and they should be the first ones getting paid.

Let's also not forget that these aren't 14 year olds, these are 18-24 year old adults that are doing a job most people in this world can't come close to doing at that level. Let's not act like they're getting millions of dollars just to stand there.

Why should the school get billions and the players get nothing, when the money is being generated by the players? If you were the one busting your a$$ to earn that money, you would certainly want to get paid for your hard work. Don't be that old man that claims you worked for free after walking barefoot in the snow, uphill, both ways for a nickel. It ain't true and you can't do what these dudes do.

 

[JSquad0070]

Everyone has the choice to go to school and try and start a business. Granted, many of the top corporations were handed down but this country is made up of mom and pop businesses.
No one made me at 18 yrs old when I started working to put 20% back in a Fidelity account. Lucky for me my dad made me do that. 35 years later I had not only a retirement but a very nice 401 to retire and start my own business.

It is the politicians that made the laws that allow the rich to get richer. I had to work the first 3-4 months of every year just to put back enough to pay my taxes all because I had money from a retirement and a 401 coming in. But still, I clogged along making money but paying there my nose to get to do that.
It is still better than what one of my guys from Cuba described to me life there was.

You can either sit back and gripe that you are only getting a paycheck or try and make that paycheck work for you.
Your choice.

Yes I agree 100% But why defend billionaires and these monopolies? I will shop at a mom and pop store 10/10 in order to avoid corporations. Blackrock and Vanguard own probably 75% of the entire country if not more. Including real estate. How is a normal person wanting to buy a home outbid these companies who have unlimited funds? Then rent out these places at egregious prices. Corporations are making “record” profits each year but can’t seem to give tenured employees a decent raise. Capitalism is supposed to prevent monopolies. That’s not happening and it’s getting worse each year. The rich get richer, allowing them to control everything.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

The transfer portal is a much bigger problem than NIL. Fix that and go back to the old ways and NIL becomes manageable.

I agree some.

I am glad the players are getting paid. Long overdue.

I’m fine with limiting transfers. With certain exceptions. Like the coach leaving.

The real NIL problem is the schools trying to regulate it when they don’t know what they are doing.

This smacks of Title IX. Trying to equalize the money while getting part of it.

The schools should stay the hell out of it.

All NIL does is allow a player to make money on their name, image and likeness while maintaining college eligibility.

It’s no more than that. The bureaucrats are the ones making the problems.

Let each player negotiate their own NIL.

If they need an agent then fine, let them hire an agent and pay that agent themselves.

Let the person writing the check determine the value.

If that means only 1 or 2 players on a team get paid then only 1 or 2 get paid.

The others should do something to warrant an advertising wanting to pay them.

NIL is endorsements.

MJ made 3-4 times his salary in endorsements. No one was saying they had to pay the rest of the team too.

 

[travisbickle]

no one is signing those deals. folks here blame our JMI deal for everything yet what you are suggestion is a million times worse. this is the problem with fans and sports....their love for their team makes them completely irrational. #FireEveryone.

I’m not sure what deal you are referring to. Players wouldn’t sign a deal if they were able to get more money if their team does well, above what they are already guaranteed personally regardless of outcome?

And I don’t make any of these rules this is a message board. I’m only trying to have a rational conversation and you’re calling people irrational. You might’ve missed this but everything is irrational right now.

 

[MegaBlue05]

To your point about Rupp being sold out even for the Unforgettables, that's true. However, a new coach with passion and a team with grit may work for one year of 14-14, but UK would not have survived generating revenue year after year with those results. Kentucky was truly brought back to national prominence with a certain kid, last name Mashburn. Kentucky was on TV making money because they were good, and they were good, in large part because of Mashburn.

Thank you for mentioning Mashburn as it relates to the Unforgettables.

Take him off the 91 and 92 teams and they’re closer to 14-14 than regular season SEC champ/Elite 8 loss.

No disrespect intended towards the Kentucky kids, but Mashburn averaged more PPG in 1992 than his All-American season of 1993. There’s revisionist history among UK fans who are native Kentuckians who give more credit to the Kentucky kids than the leading scorer and rebounder on the 92 team.

 

[Bluegrass79]

Money should be taxed 90% over 1 million.

 

[Tim0808]

Was what they were getting worth the millions a year they are responsible for revenue? I don’t like it either. The nba needed to take kids straight from hs. I agree the ncaa has problems one of which is the corruption of billions the nonprofit makes off of student athletes. People cheer Barney. “Oh he makes us so much money” but those people also want the ncaa to be amateur. Including Barney. How do you make billions from student athletes use them as a at to boost your profile like Barney has making money off of them. People loved it. Well that’s why we are where we are. It was so overt that ads were exploiting the players with nothing back to the players. Cbb players for the most part don’t give a crap about the student part of things. So no a scholarship isn’t much. I mean if they gave a crap they would go Ivy League on a free ride. Make no mistake though, Barney and ads like him who were being evaluated not on winning and losing but on revenue they made this nil hell. Barney definitely lives the money but he doesn’t want players to get theirs. He built this system to expose these players and then doesn’t want to follow through. Just another massive failure for that fup.

I would agree with splitting the money with kids if everyone at the local park and played the games. But the kids do not deserve millions while the schools are paying for state of the art locker rooms, practice facilities, and gyms for them to play in. That is a continuous maintenance and upgrade cost.
In this case, the universities are exploiting the students working in the in the tutors office by showing them in advertisements as a great academic support system to potential incoming students. These student advertisements are attracting potential future income for universities. Why do they not get their share of enrollment money?
The player exploiting argument is crap no matter how you spin it. These kids are having the time of their lives playing for these universities.

 

[Tim0808]

G league would be profitable if it created a better fan experience. Have a handful of teams with no ties to anything and a limited broadcasting makes it hard to follow. However, put the better product in the g-league and viewers will follow.

You must have the elite players, otherwise it's not worth watching. Otherwise, why aren't D1, D3 NAIA and so on doing better?

They are fans on the players at the University.

They aren’t anymore. They were before.

Having other options doesn't negate fairness.

The state flagship universities will always have fan support. Exhibition A. Kentucky Football
It is not about win with this program.