Amidst all the chaos, it's important to remember this: college football is a product

[18IsTheMan]

I see a lot of fans here and on Twitter and I read articles bemoaning the negative effects that NIL (with requisite tampering) and the portal are having on college football. Nevertheless, there are other voices, like I see on Twitter from Uva and Shurburtt, admonishing fans to just accept that the NIL and portal are here to stay. We don't have to like it, but we might as well get used to them because they aren't going anywhere. Further, don't dare say anything negative about NIL or the portal because that only hurts the team in recruiting. The overall sentiment is: the changes suck, but we don't have any choice but to support them, and we MUST, as fans, suport them. At all cost.

In all of this, it's important for fans to remember one thing: college football is a product. Some have blasted me in the past for pointing this out, but it's true.

ESPN, the NCAA and university athletic departments are desperately dependent on the fans' emotional investment in the sport. This has been the lifeblood of college football. Fans being emotionally invested in their hometown team and those players who chose to come play for that team is what has sustained college football for over 150 years. On top of the regional component, a significant portion of the fan base was comprised of students and alumni. It was easy to relate and be invested in the team when the players went to the same school as you did. For a long time, that emotional investment was cultivated and encouraged.

Now the emotional investment is being exploited. With all the changes going on, they NEED fans to remain emotionally invested, even as they work to undo everything about the game that got us emotionally invested in the first place.

Here's how bad it is: They need fans to be so emotionally invested that they are willing take their hard-earned money and give it to cooperatives so that they can buy players that the same fan then has to turn around and pay to watch play! And all this is being asked of the fans even as athletic departments rake in tens of millions of dollars annually, build $100 million facilities and pay coaches 7 and 8 figure salaries annually.

Fans should wake up and realize one startling reality: we are the only ones losing in all of this. NCAA, ESPN, Fox, universities, athletic departments, players coaches...they're all winning. Fans are literally the only ones coming up on the short end of the stick. But they push for more and more and more from the fans. And fans just go along with it because, hey, we're fans. It's our job. There is literally no other party involved in college football that has an emotional investment in the sport besides the fan. And the powers-that-be know that and desperately don't want fans to realize it. It's to got to be business for them. Emotional for us. Certainly, there is a sense in which college football has been a product for a long time but it was not the prominent feature and it was still easy to support.. All the changes have stripped it down to the point where the game is now nothing more than a box of crackers on the grocery store shelf.

Fans must come to the realization that football is just a product. Nothing more, nothing less. Just as we could stop buying a product that we had used for a long time but was changed and we no longer like it so we stopped buying it.

Learn a lesson from New Coke. Coca-Cola had been around for 93 years. It was the most iconic of all American brands. Then, in 1985, they decided they needed to mix things up and change the product. Behold, New Coke! People revolted. People loved Coke. Identified with the brand. Had grown up with Coke. But they hated the new product. Hated it so much that it was dumped after a grand total of 77 days. People didn't say "well, I don't like the new product, but I've grown up with Coke, so I'm just gonna keep buying it anyway." (side note: yes, I know it's alleged New Coke was just a clever marketing strategy to reignite interest in the brand and was never intended to last) But the analogy holds.

If you don't like a product, quit supporting it. Simple as that. It's a product and fans are consumers. And the consumers are the only ones who can force change. And they CAN force change.

 

[Viennacock]

I see a lot of fans here and on Twitter and I read articles bemoaning the negative effects that NIL (with requisite tampering) and the portal are having on college football. Nevertheless, there are other voices, like I see on Twitter from Uva and Shurburtt, admonishing fans to just accept that the NIL and portal are here to stay. We don't have to like it, but we might as well get used to them because they aren't going anywhere. Further, don't dare say anything negative about NIL or the portal because that only hurts the team in recruiting. The overall sentiment is: the changes suck, but we don't have any choice but to support them, and we MUST, as fans, suport them. At all cost.

In all of this, it's important for fans to remember one thing: college football is a product. Some have blasted me in the past for pointing this out, but it's true.

ESPN, the NCAA and university athletic departments are desperately dependent on the fans' emotional investment in the sport. This has been the lifeblood of college football. Fans being emotionally invested in their hometown team and those players who chose to come play for that team is what has sustained college football for over 150 years. On top of the regional component, a significant portion of the fan base was comprised of students and alumni. It was easy to relate and be invested in the team when the players went to the same school as you did. For a long time, that emotional investment was cultivated and encouraged.

Now the emotional investment is being exploited. With all the changes going on, they NEED fans to remain emotionally invested, even as they work to undo everything about the game that got us emotionally invested in the first place.

Here's how bad it is: They need fans to be so emotionally invested that they are willing take their hard-earned money and give it to cooperatives so that they can buy players that the same fan then has to turn around and pay to watch play! And all this is being asked of the fans even as athletic departments rake in tens of millions of dollars annually, build $100 million facilities and pay coaches 7 and 8 figure salaries annually.

Fans should wake up and realize one startling reality: we are the only ones losing in all of this. NCAA, ESPN, Fox, universities, athletic departments, players coaches...they're all winning. Fans are literally the only ones coming up on the short end of the stick. But they push for more and more and more from the fans. And fans just go along with it because, hey, we're fans. It's our job. There is literally no other party involved in college football that has an emotional investment in the sport besides the fan. And the powers-that-be know that and desperately don't want fans to realize it. It's to got to be business for them. Emotional for us. Certainly, there is a sense in which college football has been a product for a long time but it was not the prominent feature and it was still easy to support.. All the changes have stripped it down to the point where the game is now nothing more than a box of crackers on the grocery store shelf.

Fans must come to the realization that football is just a product. Nothing more, nothing less. Just as we could stop buying a product that we had used for a long time but was changed and we no longer like it so we stopped buying it.

Learn a lesson from New Coke. Coca-Cola had been around for 93 years. It was the most iconic of all American brands. Then, in 1985, they decided they needed to mix things up and change the product. Behold, New Coke! People revolted. People loved Coke. Identified with the brand. Had grown up with Coke. But they hated the new product. Hated it so much that it was dumped after a grand total of 77 days. People didn't say "well, I don't like the new product, but I've grown up with Coke, so I'm just gonna keep buying it anyway." (side note: yes, I know it's alleged New Coke was just a clever marketing strategy to reignite interest in the brand and was never intended to last) But the analogy holds.

If you don't like a product, quit supporting it. Simple as that. It's a product and fans are consumers. And the consumers are the only ones who can force change. And they CAN force change.

Blah, blah, blah. Quit watching if you don't like it.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Blah, blah, blah. Quit watching if you don't like it.

Yes, that is the point in a nutshell.

Thanks for the bump!

 

[Uscg1984]

It is entertainment, a pastime. It's only natural that if people no longer enjoy the product, or no longer enjoy it as much as they enjoy other pastimes, they move on to something else.

Of course, there are those who treat it like a charity and will continue to spend money on a pursuit that they no longer derive any tangible pleasure from. The charitable concept was a lot easier to sell 20 years ago, but it's going to become more and more difficult to push as the teams become professional.

 

[HillsToSea]

So well put

 

[Jonesz2]

Blah, blah, blah. Quit watching if you don't like it.

I have. I only watch our games and not many whole games. Days of wasting a whole day for a game are over!

 

[Viennacock]

I have. I only watch our games and not many whole games. Days of wasting a whole day for a game are over!

If we were wining big, would you be watching the entire game?

 

[1vagamecock]

I've always tried to watch the whole game but I feel ill be doing others things more often now.
It's turning into pro football so I'll watch the NFL if I feel like watching pro ball.

 

[Jonesz2]

If we were wining big, would you be watching the entire game?

Not really. I truly lost interest. I used to watch football all day long. Attended as many games as possible. Now I think the coaches are handcuffed. You can’t build anything because your players will bolt for the money. NFL lost me with the kneeling. Now college has lost me with transferring at will

 

[Viennacock]

Not really. I truly lost interest. I used to watch football all day long. Attended as many games as possible. Now I think the coaches are handcuffed. You can’t build anything because your players will bolt for the money. NFL lost me with the kneeling. Now college has lost me with transferring at will

Same here but with my kids, I simply don't have the time to spend the weekend watching football. My kids pull for the gamecocks so we'll watch most of their games and will attend several.

 

[18IsTheMan]

It is entertainment, a pastime. It's only natural that if people no longer enjoy the product, or no longer enjoy it as much as they enjoy other pastimes, they move on to something else.

Of course, there are those who treat it like a charity and will continue to spend money on a pursuit that they no longer derive any tangible pleasure from. The charitable concept was a lot easier to sell 20 years ago, but it's going to become more and more difficult to push as the teams become professional.

It truly has to be seen that way. But many fans do feel the tug at the heart strings. I see Shurburtt on Twitter imploring fans to give to garnet trust:



I just can't stand the obvious attempts at guilting fans into coughing up their hard-earned money..."0 championship level teams have failed to take care of their players." As if fans giving to NIL is the obstacle to us becoming a championship level team, lol. But I guess some fans are gullible enough to be conned into it. I don't see how fans don't see the absurdity. If your favorite pro team sent you a letter asking you to donate to help them play players, you'd laugh so hard, you'd get a hernia. But, somehow, since it's college ball, it makes perfect sense to fans.

Fans are the only party involved that has any sentimental/emotional attachment to the game, and it's being exploited to the hilt.

The only way to put the brakes on the madness is for the fans to say "ok, enough's enough." But many can't bring themselves to break away from the sentimental attachment and intentionally delude themselves into thinking it's still the game it used to be. Others legitimately like the new product, and that's fine. It's just not the same product.

 

[Deleted11512]

It truly has to be seen that way. But many fans do feel the tug at the heart strings. I see Shurburtt on Twitter imploring fans to give to garnet trust:



I just can't stand the obvious attempts at guilting fans into coughing up their hard-earned money..."0 championship level teams have failed to take care of their players." As if fans giving to NIL is the obstacle to us becoming a championship level team, lol. But I guess some fans are gullible enough to be conned into it. I don't see how fans don't see the absurdity. If your favorite pro team sent you a letter asking you to donate to help them play players, you'd laugh so hard, you'd get a hernia. But, somehow, since it's college ball, it makes perfect sense to fans.

Fans are the only party involved that has any sentimental/emotional attachment to the game, and it's being exploited to the hilt.

The only way to put the brakes on the madness is for the fans to say "ok, enough's enough." But many can't bring themselves to break away from the sentimental attachment and intentionally delude themselves into thinking it's still the game it used to be. Others legitimately like the new product, and that's fine. It's just not the same product.

It boggles my mind how many fans just went along with it.

 

[18IsTheMan]

It boggles my mind how many fans just went along with it.

I'm in the small minority of super old school fans and don't think players should be getting paid at all (but I also think it's absurd for coaches to be making high 7 figure and 8 figure salaries). That said, it just seems beyond the pale for a fan who makes $80,000/yr to be making contributions to pay players all while the athletic department is raking in tens of millions of dollars a year.

I've LOVED Gamecock football down through the years and college football in general. As far as that kind of stuff goes, college football was my one last pleasures in life. I'm not into any current TV shows at all. Not a movie or music buff. I soured on pro sports some time ago, just given the absurd nature of some of the salaries and the increasingly transient nature of players and other factors. I still moderately follow MLB whereas I used to rabidly follow it. So waiting for college football to start each year has been like waiting on Santa to come.

I know some fans genuinely like all the changes, and that's fine. I just can't get myself interested in watching teams increasingly composed of mercenaries. Part of the charm of CFB was watching your own guys develop from freshman to seniors and developing a "hatred" for the opposing teams players who you faced each year and rejoicing when they finally graduated.

 

[Deleted11512]

I'm in the small minority of super old school fans and don't think players should be getting paid at all (but I also think it's absurd for coaches to be making high 7 figure and 8 figure salaries). That said, it just seems beyond the pale for a fan who makes $80,000/yr to be making contributions to pay players all while the athletic department is raking in tens of millions of dollars a year.

I've LOVED Gamecock football down through the years and college football in general. As far as that kind of stuff goes, college football was my one last pleasures in life. I'm not into any current TV shows at all. Not a movie or music buff. I soured on pro sports some time ago, just given the absurd nature of some of the salaries and the increasingly transient nature of players and other factors. I still moderately follow MLB whereas I used to rabidly follow it. So waiting for college football to start each year has been like waiting on Santa to come.

I know some fans genuinely like all the changes, and that's fine. I just can't get myself interested in watching teams increasingly composed of mercenaries. Part of the charm of CFB was watching your own guys develop from freshman to seniors and developing a "hatred" for the opposing teams players who you faced each year and rejoicing when they finally graduated.

I get that. But when TV contracts started getting crazy and these school started raking in the $$ there was tremendous unrealized value these kids were creating. They've earned it. They should get it. Where it all went to crap was saying that the schools couldn't revenue share with the ones creating the revenue. Seriously considering trying to migrate more towards NFL next year. Never thought I'd say the NFL is less money centric than CFB.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I get that. But when TV contracts started getting crazy and these school started raking in the $$ there was tremendous unrealized value these kids were creating. They've earned it. They should get it. Where it all went to crap was saying that the schools couldn't revenue share with the ones creating the revenue. Seriously considering trying to migrate more towards NFL next year. Never thought I'd say the NFL is less money centric than CFB.

Well, yeah, I agree. The money started flowing in and everyone turned into greedy little piglets. I do think it's absurd for schools to be making the tens of millions they are making and for coaches to be making 8 figure salaries and for players not to get anything. But my solution is to get the money out of the game altogether. Knock the game back to the early 90s. It was doing fine then and thriving just fine.

I doubt I could ever get into the NFL again, but even the NFL has restraints. The current situation in college football is just chaos and it stands to get worse if the pending lawsuit is successful, which it probably will be.

 

[Deleted11512]

Well, yeah, I agree. The money started flowing in and everyone turned into greedy little piglets. I do think it's absurd for schools to be making the tens of millions they are making and for coaches to be making 8 figure salaries and for players not to get anything. But my solution is to get the money out of the game altogether. Knock the game back to the early 90s. It was doing fine then and thriving just fine.

I doubt I could ever get into the NFL again, but even the NFL has restraints. The current situation in college football is just chaos and it stands to get worse if the pending lawsuit is successful, which it probably will be.

We're going to start seeing more reductions in seating capacity in hopes of freeing up money in the middle class budgets to give to NIL. Reduce seats, add luxury seating, GC club stays whole, the average fan can now pay all that money they were paying for tix/parking/concessions on NIL. That will be the hope, at least.

 

[Statelinecock]

It may be here to stay. Doesn't mean all the fans and donors are here to stay however. I can't imagine a decade from now many people being excited watching the circus this has become year in and year out. Sure they'll be some but not nearly as many as now.

 

[18IsTheMan]

It may be here to stay. Doesn't mean all the fans and donors are here to stay however. I can't imagine a decade from now many people being excited watching the circus this has become year in and year out. Sure they'll be some but not nearly as many as now.

One can only hope. I'm not optimistic.

I think the only hope is that the whole thing just becomes too financially top heavy. Too many people trying to get a piece of the pie and the whole things just get so bloated that it explodes and crumbles like a house of cards. Right now the amount of money flowing into the game is like a runaway train. It can't keep going forever.

 

[Uscg1984]

If there are donors out there who will pony up the money to attract top recruits to Carolina, I wish them well and hope they are successful in doing so. But until I know that my own honors-student's education is squared away and paid for without him having any student loan debt, it seems pretty ludicrous for me to contribute to make somebody else's kid rich while he gets a full ride to attend "college." I don't wish them any ill-will and expect them to take full advantage of their God-given talents, but I'm not taking part in it.

 

[VZVZ]

The Garnet Trust matching deadline is coming soon. Quit beeching and get on board. You’re in the SEC. Suck it up.

 

[18IsTheMan]

The Garnet Trust matching deadline is coming soon. Quit beeching and get on board. You’re in the SEC. Suck it up.

lol, I could not imagine being a bigger fool than forking over money that I worked for so a 20 year old kid can get paid to get a free education, room and board and then turn around to pay more of my money to watch the kid who I helped to pay play football. I pay him to play then I pay to watch him play. What a deal!!!!!

There is only one word to describe a person who gives to collectives: fool.

 

[Deleted11512]

The Garnet Trust matching deadline is coming soon. Quit beeching and get on board. You’re in the SEC. Suck it up.

Buddy, most of the folks posting on this board refuse to pay $10/mth for TIF. Safe to say your plea is falling on deaf ears.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Buddy, most of the folks posting on this board refuse to pay $10/mth for TIF. Safe to say your plea is falling on deaf ears.

My wife and I have been sleeping in a queen size bed our whole marriage. I like it because when you go on vacation and stay somewhere with a king size bed, it feels luxurious. Once you sleep in a king size bed at home, there's nowhere to go but down. She has really wanted to get one for quite some time, and we can afford it, but it just hasn't felt urgent for me. As I tell my wife, once you're asleep, you're asleep.

I'm trying to imagine me telling my wife I'm giving money to USC football...errr...Garnet Trust...wink wink....so they can pay good players to come play for them while still dragging my feet on coughing up dough for a king size bed.

She would honestly think I have lost my mind, and I would not be able to blame her.

 

[gamecox4982]

What happens when people give all the available money for the team to be successful but the coaching staff and administrator's continue to be below par? All the money in the world want fix it.. Carolina regardless of the money will always be a middle of the road team and that's never going to change, Sure there may be a year or two where they win 9 or 10 games but on average its 6 wins or 7 at best. We will always be a recruiting ground for the better teams and that's a fact. Do these kids deserve some money? Absolutely they do but it needs to come from the conference not the fans.

 

[ToddFlanders]

It is a product, and I don't think it's changed at all. You go down to W-B and see USC students playing some other school's students. You tailgate with family and friends beforehand, and then talk about the game after. You reminisce about great plays and season of the past, and enjoy being a part of a group of fans that bond over their shared experiences. That's all sports are, and nothing has changed.

I don't believe for a second that 10 years ago (or even 3 years ago), college football fans were mostly fans of the sport because they knew the kids weren't making any money. "This is a wonderful sport, but mostly because the players don't get any money."

And it's not like the players of the past were playing for nothing because they valued education more back then, or just had that deep feeling in their hearts, and twinkle in their eyes for their dear alma mater. They played within the rules given to them. (Though I'd put money that every player drafted to the NFL in the last 40 years was taking money under the table - sorry to burst some bubbles.)

 

[VZVZ]

The dollar matching is a pretty good deal. We are in a situation where kids get paid. This isn’t terribly different than when things were below the table in terms of giving cash. No need to overanalyze. We all signed up to a school where athletics are important. I understand that there isn’t as much commitment on the athlete’s part, but I can’t change that in the short term. I do want to be competitive in football and basketball.

Again I’m an A&M grad, but my money flows to USC now. y’all have a great school and a good tribe. While I’m at a good earning potential, I’m going to give.

 

[18IsTheMan]

It is a product, and I don't think it's changed at all. You go down to W-B and see USC students playing some other school's students. You tailgate with family and friends beforehand, and then talk about the game after. You reminisce about great plays and season of the past, and enjoy being a part of a group of fans that bond over their shared experiences. That's all sports are, and nothing has changed.

I don't believe for a second that 10 years ago (or even 3 years ago), college football fans were mostly fans of the sport because they knew the kids weren't making any money. "This is a wonderful sport, but mostly because the players don't get any money."

And it's not like the players of the past were playing for nothing because they valued education more back then, or just had that deep feeling in their hearts, and twinkle in their eyes for their dear alma mater. They played within the rules given to them. (Though I'd put money that every player drafted to the NFL in the last 40 years was taking money under the table - sorry to burst some bubbles.)

That's a lot of speculation on what you think about the past. I can't directly address any of that.

What I can talk about are the present knowns. The point of the OP was to address the notion that fans have no choice but to support the current system. Indeed, one poster in another thread said "there's nothing we can do about it." The general sentiment I have picked up from forums, article and such is basically "hey, nobody likes the changes, but we don't have any choice but to get on board with it." If every fan of college football who didn't like the current changes stopped watching games and stopped going to games, The game would change in a season. The problem, of course, is getting people to act in concert. This again goes back to the emotional blackmail you see from those who push the cooperatives. It's presented as a moral obligation for a fan to contribute if you care about your team and the players, and college football fans have long had a much stronger emotional tie to the team and players than pro sports fans do for their teams. It's just hard for some to break away from that mindset.

And, as I've said, some people like and support the current changes, which is fine. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. I am merely speaking to those who don't like what's going on but feel that "hey, we don't have a choice but to go along with it because we're fans." It would take one season of not watching college football to affect change.

As a Gamecock fan, with the exception of a handful of seasons in our 130 year history, I could easily miss a year a probably not miss anything notable.

 

[Deleted11512]

For all the hand wringing, this has been one of the most entertaining CFB seasons I can remember. After all, the whole point of it is entertainment. Mission accomplished.