Bowls are not the same as past decades

[Yogiman71]

I agree with JF there needs to be a college football commissioner or board that can review all the current issues like NIL, transfer portal, recruiting current players on other teams year around and during season. Players opting out is an issue, reference our game today where we were hurt bad by 2 CB’s and Chop out, or Ohio St QB in portal and Harrison sitting out. Major ground rules need to be set and enforced. Things are as a former coach would say “way outta whack”. Our number 1 defense was not out there today due to opt outs, if your best players sit out during a championship run then how will anyone ever win going forward ? Crazy days.

 

[GrimReaper]

Just what college football needs, oversight by another organization drawn from the same group that created this mess. Sometimes even college coaches talk above their pay grade.

 

[Nitt1300]

bowls are meaningless now

 

[Strick73]

I agree with JF there needs to be a college football commissioner or board that can review all the current issues like NIL, transfer portal, recruiting current players on other teams year around and during season. Players opting out is an issue, reference our game today where we were hurt bad by 2 CB’s and Chop out, or Ohio St QB in portal and Harrison sitting out. Major ground rules need to be set and enforced. Things are as a former coach would say “way outta whack”. Our number 1 defense was not out there today due to opt outs, if your best players sit out during a championship run then how will anyone ever win going forward ? Crazy days.

College football is broken and I don’t think it can be fixed at this point. Opt outs and transfer portal make watching these bowl games unwatchable.

 

[NittPicker]

Difficult solution for the opt outs. It not as though they can force someone to play. Maybe if they move to a pay to play model, there will be contracts which clarify a lot of the things which are now part of the steaming pile.

Or maybe CFB as we know it is gone forever.

 

[Yogiman71]

College football is broken and I don’t think it can be fixed at this point. Opt outs and transfer portal make watching these bowl games unwatchable.

I agree to see our Defense with one arm tied behind its back and watch us get picked apart was painful. Ohio State game was so bad I turned it off by the end of Q1.

 

[FrontierLion]

Difficult solution for the opt outs. It not as though they can force someone to play. Maybe if they move to a pay the play model, there will be contracts which clarify a lot of the things which are now part of the steaming pile.

Or maybe CFB as we know it is gone forever.

That is the solution. At this point, college football should look like minor league baseball without the affiliations with pro teams. Universities should pay players directly, forget the school part, and institute a salary cap. Contracts would have to require playing in bowl games unless injured, etc. or take forfeit some level of salary.

 

[Blair10]

There is an old and wise saying about life, it goes like this: “You play with the hand you are dealt”.

Head coaches who whine and make excuses are just a bad look.

Results are what matter.

 

[SleepyLion]

That is the solution. At this point, college football should look like minor league baseball without the affiliations with pro teams. Universities should pay players directly, forget the school part, and institute a salary cap. Contracts would have to require playing in bowl games unless injured, etc. or take forfeit some level of salary.

There would still be a "calculation" made. If I am a college player and make $5m for a season (I know that's a lot) and if I don't play in the bowl game I have to forfeit 50% of my payment (again, that is a high percentage), would a $2.5m penalty be enough if I am going to be a 1st round pick? 2nd round? 3rd round?

Direct payment will probably not solve this problem without long-term finacial security for the players.

2023 NFL Draft Pick contracts

 

[BUFFALO LION]

That is the solution. At this point, college football should look like minor league baseball without the affiliations with pro teams. Universities should pay players directly, forget the school part, and institute a salary cap. Contracts would have to require playing in bowl games unless injured, etc. or take forfeit some level of salary.

Ya. Let’s face it. Many players aren’t really “students” anymore. Just pay them, put them on contract, and get it over with. Either that or just junk the non-CFP Playoff Games altogether. It’s not fair to the fans (who pay the bills), the schools, or the unpaid players that have to play short handed due to their prima-donna opt-out “teammates”.

 

[FrontierLion]

There would still be a "calculation" made. If I am a college player and make $5m for a season (I know that's a lot) and if I don't play in the bowl game I have to forfeit 50% of my payment (again, that is a high percentage), would a $2.5m penalty be enough if I am going to be a 1st round pick? 2nd round? 3rd round?

Direct payment will probably not solve this problem without long-term finacial security for the players.

2023 NFL Draft Pick contracts

True, but it may cut down on mid-tier players opting out. Some of these guys might be 3rd-4th round and they’re opting out. If I’m Olu, I’m opting out regardless with a chance to be a top 5 pick. But if I’m somebody like Sam Hartman, I may think about it a bit more.

 

[OhioLion]

bowls are meaningless now

Agree

My son tells me Danny Kannel is suggesting all bowl games paired weekend of the last game of the season and played the first weekend after conference championship games.
Playoffs then set up to be played around this time of the year. But, honestly, does there need to be 5-6 weeks between your last game and a bowl?

OL

 

[SleepyLion]

True, but it may cut down on mid-tier players opting out. Some of these guys might be 3rd-4th round and they’re opting out. If I’m Olu, I’m opting out regardless with a chance to be a top 5 pick. But if I’m somebody like Sam Hartman, I may think about it a bit more.

4th round picks get $3.5m contracts and $800k signing bonus. So, my example of forfeiting 50% of your salary for missing one game would have to be the rule for the decision to be difficult.

 

[OaktonDave]

That is the solution. At this point, college football should look like minor league baseball without the affiliations with pro teams. Universities should pay players directly, forget the school part, and institute a salary cap. Contracts would have to require playing in bowl games unless injured, etc. or take forfeit some level of salary.

I think all of that is great, except I don't see any reason for schools to be involved. Unless we're convinced that football disconnected from the schools in everything but name is still going to draw student applications and alumni donations, I don't see the point. The increased costs of paying players may well significantly limit the revenue available for other things, such as non-revenue sports. At some point the question of why a college or university is running a professional sports franchise will have to be asked.

 

[SleepyLion]

Agree

My son tells me Danny Kannel is suggesting all bowl games paired weekend of the last game of the season and played the first weekend after conference championship games.
Playoffs then set up to be played around this time of the year. But, honestly, does there need to be 5-6 weeks between your last game and a bowl?

OL

How would this change the decision to opt out? Unless the bowl games would be part of determining who participates in the playoffs.

It would make it more difficult to spend a week watching football. So, TV ratings would suffer.

 

[FrontierLion]

Agree

My son tells me Danny Kannel is suggesting all bowl games paired weekend of the last game of the season and played the first weekend after conference championship games.
Playoffs then set up to be played around this time of the year. But, honestly, does there need to be 5-6 weeks between your last game and a bowl?

OL

Here’s another solution:

Do we really need 108 bowl games?

Had to look it up, but in 1970, there were 11 bowl games.

What if the top-25 (or I guess 26 to make it even) went to a bowl game, and each were included in the playoff? If you‘re not ranked at year end, sorry, try again next year.

In the Top 25? Great. You’re in the playoff and have a chance to get hot and win it all.

 

[PSUSignore]

Difficult solution for the opt outs. It not as though they can force someone to play. Maybe if they move to a pay to play model, there will be contracts which clarify a lot of the things which are now part of the steaming pile.

Or maybe CFB as we know it is gone forever.

Contracts for players are desperately needed for the sport to be successful long term. I do not blame the player actions and lawsuits to this point, they are trying to get their slice of the pie. But what it's done has created an unsustainable model for the sport and if left unchecked, things are going to fall apart and the sport as a whole will suffer unless governance is put into place.

 

[FrontierLion]

I think all of that is great, except I don't see any reason for schools to be involved. Unless we're convinced that football disconnected from the schools in everything but name is still going to draw student applications and alumni donations, I don't see the point. The increased costs of paying players may well significantly limit the revenue available for other things, such as non-revenue sports. At some point the question of why a college or university is running a professional sports franchise will have to be asked.

You’re spot on. But my answer to that would be that the infrastructure is already in place. For example, the universities own the stadiums, facilities, etc. so unless they would be bought out somehow (highly unlikely) the schools will have to remain a part.

 

[Midnighter]

Contracts for players are desperately needed for the sport to be successful long term. I do not blame the player actions and lawsuits to this point, they are trying to get their slice of the pie. But what it's done has created an unsustainable model for the sport and if left unchecked, things are going to fall apart and the sport as a whole will suffer unless governance is put into place.

Or go the other way - stop participating in NIL and paying millions a year in coaching salaries (and private planes, ridiculous facilities, etc) and just have college football - with students. Set up a D2 like playoff model for schools that want to participate and tell the top 150 HS players to find another place to hang out for three years.

 

[PSUSignore]

Or go the other way - stop participating in NIL and paying millions a year in coaching salaries (and private planes, ridiculous facilities, etc) and just have college football - with students. Set up a D2 like playoff model for schools that want to participate and tell the top 150 HS players to find another place to hang out for three years.

Either works, but that ship sailed long ago with FBS football.

 

[FrontierLion]

Or go the other way - stop participating in NIL and paying millions a year in coaching salaries (and private planes, ridiculous facilities, etc) and just have college football - with students. Set up a D2 like playoff model for schools that want to participate and tell the top 150 HS players to find another place to hang out for three years.

I was a proponent of this for a while too … until I watched the D-III championship. What a difference in talent level. I’d lose all interest. Probably end up watching the “other place to hang out” Instead of college football.

 

[NittPicker]

Or go the other way - stop participating in NIL and paying millions a year in coaching salaries (and private planes, ridiculous facilities, etc) and just have college football - with students. Set up a D2 like playoff model for schools that want to participate and tell the top 150 HS players to find another place to hang out for three years.

Or maybe the NFL will step to the plate and spend some of its billions on a D league for those players who don't really want to go to college. The players have to though because that's about the only road to the NFL. But the NFL currently has a free farm system and the league is greedy as hell. They won't spend money unless they're forced to.

 

[BUFFALO LION]

Or go the other way - stop participating in NIL and paying millions a year in coaching salaries (and private planes, ridiculous facilities, etc) and just have college football - with students. Set up a D2 like playoff model for schools that want to participate and tell the top 150 HS players to find another place to hang out for three years.

Love to do that if we could keep the lawyers out of it.

My guess is that schools like Penn State would still draw over 100,000 because they would be REAL Students and OUR guys. Not a bunch of prima-donna, overpaid mercenaries that don’t give a crap. You know. Kind of like the old days when Penn State was the closest thing to Camelot.

 

[Phlebitis]

I was a proponent of this for a while too … until I watched the D-III championship. What a difference in talent level. I’d lose all interest. Probably end up watching the “other place to hang out” Instead of college football.

Similarly, I’ll take in an Ivy game occasionally. Enjoyable, but they more closely resemble local high school games than P5. They are definitely not captivating and if it’s a sunny fall Saturday I’m doing something else.

 

[OaktonDave]

You’re spot on. But my answer to that would be that the infrastructure is already in place. For example, the universities own the stadiums, facilities, etc. so unless they would be bought out somehow (highly unlikely) the schools will have to remain a part.

The schools don't have to be involved if it isn't beneficial to them. If they are paying salaries and benefits to employees and paying to maintain facilities for a business entirely separate from their primary business, there needs to be some value for them. If the value consists of the leftover revenue that doesn't have to be plowed back into the operating expenses, it probably doesn't make sense. It's like having a funeral home with a sporting goods store attached; there's no reason for it unless the sporting goods store is really benefitting the funeral home.

 

[NittPicker]

It's like having a funeral home with a sporting goods store attached; there's no reason for it unless the sporting goods store is really benefitting the funeral home.

Sell some defective sporting goods and make money on both ends.

 

[OaktonDave]

Or go the other way - stop participating in NIL and paying millions a year in coaching salaries (and private planes, ridiculous facilities, etc) and just have college football - with students. Set up a D2 like playoff model for schools that want to participate and tell the top 150 HS players to find another place to hang out for three years.

What a crazy idea - college football that involves kids going to college. I'd be happy if it rolled back to something like FCS.

 

[psu31trap]

There are ways to fix this problem but it will be met with stiff opposition.

Think outside the box for a moment and compare what NIL and the Portal is doing to college football and what free agency did to MLB. College football players are now treating the portal like an auction. The school that’s willing to bid the highest gets their services. I would enjoy this year’s playoffs because this is the beginning to the end gentlemen. As the playoffs expand the games will mean less and less, like bowl games you will see players opting out and in less than 5 years your NC teams will be made up of 2nd and 3rd string players.

 

[Nitt1300]

The NFL offers better football and less hypocrisy.

 

[GrimReaper]

That is the solution. At this point, college football should look like minor league baseball without the affiliations with pro teams. Universities should pay players directly, forget the school part, and institute a salary cap. Contracts would have to require playing in bowl games unless injured, etc. or take forfeit some level of salary.

You need a players' union to do that.

 

[PSU73]

This problem is too big for the NCAA to solve and they are complicit in it coming to this. This is the newest made for TV movie/soap opera and the GA vs FSU game was the shocking premier (ala "who shot JR").