A year ago now, college athletes have changed. July 1, 2021, marks the beginning of a name, image and era of similarity, and it sets the stage for what has become the most transformative 12 months in the history of college sports.
This week, CBS Sports recognized the anniversary as a jumping off point for a three -part series to take a more intensive look at the state of college football and the future of the game.
Part I: Leaders need to be found to deal with an uncertain, unregulated future
Part II: Players are empowered to influence the future of the sport
“I think we all know that something like this is going to happen,” said TCU coach Sonny Dykes. “For so long, we’ve been turning a blind eye to what I thought was right in college athletics. We filled this stadium, put 50,000-100,000 people in this stadium, made tens of millions on television contracts. It’s like, well, I’m not going to share this to those shown by fans?
“This is a day of reckoning and something that I thought was long overdue.”
NIL is simply the latest crack in the facade of college football for decades with more important changes to come.
The NCAA’s lack of preparation for time-setting issues has set the stage for what can be a truly transformative moment in athletes.
“In theory, could there have been [NCAA] legislation? Yes,” Miami megabooster John Ruiz said of NIL. “In fact, maybe we’re in a better place now than we would have been if we had legislation [from the NCAA].”
With that in mind, CBS Sports breaks down a handful of the biggest issues that need to be solved as a form of College Football 2.0. The future of college football depends on the balance entering this uncertain new era with government, postseason structures and programs with different financial conditions being a pivotal factor.
Who (or what) will run college football?
Now, it’s the SEC and the Big Ten. With the shocking news that USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten, the two conferences have the best collection of college football brands in history.
That means, one day later, they will be dictated – a lot – and seem to also hold their own playoffs. This may interest you : 3 sports keep PA Kel Busby grinding. In that scenario, do you care if an undefeated Cincinnati is left out? At least two of those conferences will pool money, talent, coaches and a television window.
Can anyone tell commissioners Greg Sankey (SEC) and Kevin Warren (Big Ten) what to do? The NCAA will be out. That’s all but assured as detailed in this series.
Ultimately, who runs the game will be the same who runs it now: the conference commissioner and the university president. The difference is that FBS – either all or most of the 130 teams – will avoid the NCAA and create its own entity.
The days won’t change, but new entities may be responsible for tasks previously left to the NCAA: rule enforcement, health, officiating, etc. The NCAA was formed 117 years ago because the sport is too violent, but college football has grown to such a degree as not can no longer manage to manage it.
A major question is stewardship. Anyone who took over college football will obviously have a lot on their plate. In the event of a breakaway, the new entity will be responsible for the welfare of athletes, including mental health and post-graduate healthcare. It’s always the responsibility of the NCAA. If the new entity does not assume this responsibility, why would it at least contribute to the medical care fund?
The entity would be better off hiring someone who has significant experience in sports law and administration. That means someone who is less such as the current CFP executive director Bill Hancock and more such a CEO or czar who will answer to the commissioner and president.
Diversity must be addressed at the highest level in a sport that is run by older white men. That’s one of the many reasons why someone such as NFL executive Dawn Aponte seems suitable for that job. The anti Mark Emmert, if you will.
However, legal liability should be reduced. At the last inspection, the NCAA faced 30 lawsuits about the health of the player alone.
Complicating situation? Four of the Power Five conferences have changed leadership since 2020. Three of the four were taking over the league without prior college experience. The Big Ten’s Kevin Warren came from the NFL. Pac-12’s George Kliavkoff is making his bones in the entertainment world in Las Vegas. The Big 12’s Brett Yormark want to take over and experience from the NBA and Roc Nation.
There is no guarantee these stakeholders will see eye-to-eye with college stalwarts such as Sankey and Jim Phillips ACC at this critical time. But others, everywhere must make decisions – and lead.
Will money go directly to the players?
True, and much more. When playing college football separately, there will be opportunities to pay players that are defined as “stipends” – the same as attendance fees and Alston money. To see also : Rams Pride non-profit shop window: Foundation for Sports Equality.
Is $ 30,000 for each player in the form of dividends that will be offered collectively. (If the stakeholders try to cover that number, they will go straight to court for antitrust violations.) If the parties collectively bid, say, two years placed by the player-thus providing roster stability-in exchange for that money, that can walk. Lawyers have told CBS Sports that this approach can work. Working conditions can be negotiated collectively without forming a union or employee-employer relationship.
“I think that’s where we’re going,” antitrust attorney Jeffrey Kessler told CBS Sports. “It’s really just a question of how fast it gets there. We’re going to head to a world where the NCAA doesn’t have any regulations at all or authorities about athlete compensation and benefits.”
There will be pressure for the revenue windfall created by an expanded College Football Playoff to be shared with the labor force that gives the game its value. Will gaming stakeholders and players sit across the table from one another and negotiate for a piece of what is believed to be at least a $ 1 billion annual media rights agreement?
They proposed $ 30,000, expanding to 11,050 scholarships for 130 teams, resulting in an annual disbursement of $ 331 million. That’s approximately 33% of that $ 1 billion. Sound fair? NFL players account for 48% of league revenue.
However, if the FBS peak is damaged, it will create opportunities for new models. Players can encourage the ability to have employment and contract protection, and other concessions as part of the process are offered collectively. With revenue at the SEC and Big Ten schools expected to easily clear $ 100 million – and counting – cases for limiting compensation become weaker.
Whether through legislation or unionization, player empowerment is not slowing down. NIL legislation has opened the door to compensation for athletes, and their power will continue to grow. It’s almost unfathomable to believe a new era of college football can be achieved without players at least becoming limited partners.
What’s the College Football Playoff’s role?
Potentially irrelevant if FBS forms its own limited liability corporation (LLC). However, CFP remains the most likely entity to take over FBS because it already has some structure. On the same subject : New Orleans Pelicans, New Orleans Bally Sports announce extension of rights.
When the CFP working group proposed a 12 -team expansion model last year, most hoped it would be rubber stamped in time for implementation early in the 2023. Then Texas and Oklahoma decided to eliminate the Big 12 for the SEC. And now, with USC and UCLA launching the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, the water is more muddy.
No one can move forward now until we know who is playing in what conference. The political football “The Alliance” between the Big Ten, ACC and the Pac-12 is now dead.
If CFP absorbs FBS, it must first know the expansion pieces. As it stands, the playoffs are almost guaranteed to move to 12 teams in 2026, although questions remain on the structure, particularly with the SEC and Big Ten growing financially better in the rest of the sport.
Left on the table when expansion paused earlier this year: A proposal for the six highest-ranked conference winners for automatic bid recipients with the top four winning first-round byes. The remaining six places will be filled by large teams, including at least one Group Five school.
Beginning in 2026, a unanimous vote is not required to continue expansion. Given Thursday’s progress, the SEC and Big Ten can simply direct a playoff appearance.
Who will ultimately make these decisions?
The NCAA combination, whatever FBS and lawyers. Always a lawyer.
The NCAA is in the process of allowing its divisions to make more decisions for itself as NCAA deregulation is overseen by the Transformation Committee. However, any entity that monitors college football will most likely be a profit business.
College athletics is notoriously glacial when it comes to evolving with the times. With considerations including player associations, state law and potential federal legislation, the decision could soon be taken out of the NCAA’s hands.
This is a critical point where the university president can take responsibility. It’s their put-up-or-shut-up opportunity. In a competitive era, these men and women make a lot of noise about integrity only to end up doing little.
Eventually, they will connect with conference commissioners to oversee new businesses, not just new divisions. It will be on the agenda to decide the role of academics, organizational enforcement, etc.
These officials often preach the importance of institutional integrity, but a future with NIL and perhaps direct compensation will require complete mental realignment. College sports almost certainly have a profit component, and it is important for this president to rationalize that companies are within the framework of higher education.
“Previously, there was a lot of talk about,‘ Well, Congress is going to fix this, Congress is going to fix that, ’said Bob Bowlsby, out Big 12 commissioner.“ Several times, we’ve been told, ‘Don’. t bring your issue to Congress. Bring the solution to Congress and ask them to help you implement it. ‘
“I think that’s what we should implement.”
This is the biggest challenge of the president’s existence since the NCAA was formed in the early 20th century. They lose credibility every minute. Please don’t tell us about the importance of academia when USC and UCLA athletes will fly 3,000 miles to play at Rutgers.
The responsibility is to find the thin thread that connects big business college football with the old educational model because the new model will be more professional, more corporate, more about money.
Who will keep the peace?
There will be a piece of enforcement but not much of one. Members don’t want that. NIL has already set the future of compensation. Schools don’t want there to be outsiders who tell them about academic fraud.
There have been reports the new NCAA enforcement structure will not target innocent players. The wrong coach will be banned and fined. Looks fair.
However, pissing athletes and business partners against that is not causing their own problems in this new venture. There will be fewer rules in the future as NCAA oversight deregulation continues, but is that a good thing given the NIL is running wild?
“Greg Sankey totally doesn’t like the NCAA enforcement process,” said a Power Five athletic director, “but I’m not sure what rules you’ll be enforcing. A lot of this stuff is going to be deregulated anyway.”
The Wild, Wild West will only get wilder.
How will gambling impact the game?
The NCAA got rid of its gambling, agent and amateur division last year. It might be time to bring it back. Soon, every FBS conference – probably every school – will have a gambling partner.
As unpleasant as it is, it is a reflection of cultural change. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed sports gambling in 2018. College football is still in the process of figuring out its role.
MAC made an aggressive move by working with sports data firm Genius Sports to provide internal statistical data for sale to gamblers. However, there are a number of other ways to resolve if college football wants to be a gambling-friendly sport-and reap financial benefits.
Now, the problem is how much gambling stakeholders will allow. Coaches generally do not release injury information. The information legitimizes NFL betting; all injuries are common. Some administrators worry that prop bets – wagers on individual events – add a new level of pressure.
“We didn’t have a month during the season … where there wasn’t at least one real problem about misusing inside information,” said Matt Holt, founder and CEO of U.S. Integrity, a gaming surveillance company that works with the academy.
college sports await the next big gambling scandal. Ultimately, gambling is too big a long -term financial power to get pushed down by the Household Budget, especially in a gambling market that embraces long -term college football product volumes. The new government agency should make rules to protect players.
Will programs get left behind?
Conference realignment shifting into back gear suggests there will be some left out in the cold. The age of superconference is upon us. It’s up to everyone.
It’s hard to believe that 130 FBS teams won’t be trimmed into a more dominant and successful group because the financial gap between programs continues to increase. If FBS is not divided, the “lower” level of the team must face and answer some difficult questions.
Look for the SEC and the Big Ten, who have been separated from the crowd with a monster media rights deal, to set standards – scholarship limits, spending, rules – that force schools to stay.
FBS can be divided into two (or more) tiers: elite brands (30-50) and everyone else (100-80), groups that can be further divided. The SEC and the Big Ten will lap the field, but what that means for the rest of the sport is undetermined.
A Group Five playoff was valued at $ 160 million in the 2017 study. Considering the continued rise of sports media rights, that number would have increased significantly from five years ago.
The multi-tiered FBS system will officially end the mirage of 130 FBS teams competing at the same level with legitimate shots to win the CFP.
At what cost will it come to the sport? We want to find out.
