With the NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) dictating the landscape of college sports, it is indeed tough to plan ahead and predict the future of any program.
On the football field, as it is in every other sport that is played in colleges and universities across the nation, the task has not only come down to recruiting future classes but to make sure that everyone on your current roster will stay around from year to year.
As we have said in the past, nobody is against student/athletes making money from a sport where they fully contribute to the financial success, but what is coming under fire by the majority is there are no rules – and it is the proverbial tail wagging the dog. The athletes and NIL make their own rules.
While Nick Saban recently made his points in Washington D.C., he is correct when he talks about guidelines and equality. Most believe that there should be some rules in place, but nobody, including the NCAA, who currently does not mandate reasonable guardrails governing the relationship between colleges, their coaches and scholarship players, the result will be a permanently uneven playing field favoring even more exclusively the most gifted athletes and wealthiest programs. The virus will continue to spread and eviscerate one of America’s treasures — competitive collegiate athletics.
The supposed bodyguard of “amateur” collegiate athletics, the NCAA, so far has done little to fight back. It’s bad enough that the most successful coaches and players are lured away from their schools by staggering offers that are impossible to resist. What’s worse is they can leave abruptly and without meaningful restrictions, not even staying long enough to coach or play in coveted post-season tournaments and bowl games. Coaches who eventually jump ship are also free to entice players from their former programs to come with them, leaving behind loyal teammates and fans to a stunning and cruel fate.
Corporate America, the NFL and the NBA have anti-tampering and poaching rules that restrict access to executives, coaches, and athletes while under contract. The NCAA has no such rules. In the new world of major college sports, when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent, it’s now basically an annual bidding war and everyone is a free agent. For student athletes, the honor of playing your heart out to earn a no-cost degree, and maybe a shot at the pros, is being replaced by the lust for earning big bucks before you even graduate.
With that said, and much of the current 2024 class already set to make an impact this coming season, the Class of 2025 comes into focus.
At the University of Miami the football program recently landed its fourth commitment for the 2025 class. Some nine months before they can sign these athletes are pledging that they will attend Miami. But unlike the past when you figured to have an athlete for a minimum of three years – sometimes four – the guarantee is only for one season.
With the NIL very much in play, the second year may very well be spent somewhere else that is paying out more money.
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For the past 54 years, we have spent plenty of time on football fields than anyone in the country. From games to practices, camps, combines and 7-on-7 events, we get to as many events as possible to see the athletes LIVE. Follow us on Facebook (Larry Blustein) Instagram (@OurBoyBlu) and Twitter (@larryblustein). Contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..