Hold out!! Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava did not attend Tennessee spring practice today. He’s been in conversations with Tennessee about a new contract.

[Slim Tubby]

$4 million is going to be really tough.

I think most people believe he is good but Tennessee's system does inflate the numbers a bit.

Colorado? They just got the QB from Liberty.
Oregon? Does he really risk it all to jump into that QB battle?
UCLA? Do they come up with $4 million? Does he put his draft stock on the line to play for that program?
USC? There isn't a real clear path

I guess if I had to bet, I'd say he goes to Colorado or a complete wildcard. I don't think he gets $4 million anywhere.

Finebaum didn't have him rated any higher than the 6th or 7th best starting QB in the SEC for the upcoming season.

Colorado seems like a very reasonable guess based on the other options you laid out.

 

[WashedGoph]

Some. I don't have an exact count, but I think we all read many posts supporting a NIL world.

And most of the time it was under the guise of players getting money for autographs and commercials. But let's not pretend there wasn't people out there that predicted it would become exactly what we are seeing now. They were usually shouted down as anti-player or old fashioned, but make no mistake they were out there. And they were right.

It’s a tricky discussion because NIL is the right solution for the vast majority of college athletes. Nobody was ever going to pay cross country runners or field hockey players big money, but it seems fair that they can use their position as athletes to make a bit of money on the side through endorsements.

The issue is that NIL is very broken for the two sports that have the most eyes watching, football and basketball. The most logical thing for the NCAA to do would be to switch to a direct compensation system like a professional league and install salary caps or transfer fees.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

According to a new SEC bylaw, players cannot transfer to another school within the Conference during the Spring Portal. With him being from out West, schools like Oregon, Washington and UCLA are being mentioned.

He was to make $2.4M this year and wanted it raised to $4M for the season. Apparently his Dad is a real piece of work and TEN said we've had enough of you and your kid. Kudos to TEN 6is what I say.

I had a feeling he has handlers supposedly acting in Nico's best interest. He may be a good kid and teammate. But all the peripheral stuff with him is going to be a big distraction.

 

[GophersInIowa]

There’s a rumor floating around that Lanning at Oregon ratted him out to the TN staff that he was shopping around for bigger money.

 

[Word]

It’s a tricky discussion because NIL is the right solution for the vast majority of college athletes. Nobody was ever going to pay cross country runners or field hockey players big money, but it seems fair that they can use their position as athletes to make a bit of money on the side through endorsements.

The issue is that NIL is very broken for the two sports that have the most eyes watching, football and basketball. The most logical thing for the NCAA to do would be to switch to a direct compensation system like a professional league and install salary caps or transfer fees.

In a world that favors revenue sports it may not be good for the cross country runners once their sport is eliminated because it costs too much to maintain.

 

[Denver_Gopher]

I'm beginning to understand more and more why Nick Saban got out when he did.

This!

 

[ShushPush]

If the SEC has a bylaw that restricts students from transferring to another SEC school, I will use the same phrase that in the Alston case that repeated and repeated and repeated: restraint of trade. How stupid is everyone going to be on this? You cannot collude to deprive someone of a possible opportunity because you want to force the kid to either 1) leave the conference or 2) deprive the kid of opportunities in the conference. The level of idiocy where collusion in a kind of weird group think demands that colleges can do whatever they damned well decide is good for these kids remains appalling. The court was right, is right, and will be right on this when it comes to human rights and freedom. If any of you represent the administration, quit this type of thinking. What really astounds me is how current lower court findings in cases seem to undercut Alston, deliberately. The smackdown that is coming will not just be from the Supreme Court, we have an executive that has his own ideas on what a smack down looks like for universities and it is shocking how punishing that can be. I am astounded how some radical opinions keep rearing their heads in a perpetual game of whack-o-mole. The appellate court governing the House decision is already in clear violation of Aldred. Once again, the mallet will come down hard. Once again, we will be asking what next? House will not last 15 minutes in the light of day. There will be an appeal.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

 

[Ski-U-Ham]

What's a "spring game"?

 

[Mick Turition]

I too feel my interest in college football dwindling. I have never paid much attention to minor league baseball, minor league hockey or minor league basketball. Now that what we used to call College Football has officially become minor league football I'm losing interest in it too.

 

[btowngopher]

Props to Tennessee for not caving. Sure they didn't want to set a precedent that you can just hold out and demand more money because they knew others would do the same.

That said, this will probably become much more common. Already seeing lots of guys (on the basketball side especially) going into the portal with the option to come back which is essentially just a way of saying "pay me more or I am gone".

Not hard to see any of this coming....such a messed up college sports landscape we are seeing.

Since when is there an option to come back that is controlled by the player?

 

[btowngopher]

What’s with all the posts about interest dwindling just now? This stuff started years ago.

 

[Gopher Mac]

I remember his last game against Ohio State he was 14-31 for a whopping 104 yards. This guy looked like he would have a hard time starting for Iowa.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

If the SEC has a bylaw that restricts students from transferring to another SEC school, I will use the same phrase that in the Alston case that repeated and repeated and repeated: restraint of trade. How stupid is everyone going to be on this? You cannot collude to deprive someone of a possible opportunity because you want to force the kid to either 1) leave the conference or 2) deprive the kid of opportunities in the conference. The level of idiocy where collusion in a kind of weird group think demands that colleges can do whatever they damned well decide is good for these kids remains appalling. The court was right, is right, and will be right on this when it comes to human rights and freedom. If any of you represent the administration, quit this type of thinking. What really astounds me is how current lower court findings in cases seem to undercut Alston, deliberately. The smackdown that is coming will not just be from the Supreme Court, we have an executive that has his own ideas on what a smack down looks like for universities and it is shocking how punishing that can be. I am astounded how some radical opinions keep rearing their heads in a perpetual game of whack-o-mole. The appellate court governing the House decision is already in clear violation of Aldred. Once again, the mallet will come down hard. Once again, we will be asking what next? House will not last 15 minutes in the light of day. There will be an appeal.

Restraints on trade are not per se as issue. There are tons of examples of perfectly reasonable restraints on trade. The issue comes down to reasonableness of which there is often a geographic or temporal limits to those restraints.

I have no idea what the rest of your post has to do with the issue.

 

[cheeseheadgophfan]

How is this not tampering when there are schools that he's already got new deals or offers from while at Tennessee?? Is tampering not even a real thing anymore???

 

[MNVCGUY]

Since when is there an option to come back that is controlled by the player?

I'm sure the team still has to let the player come back but have seen a number of guys on the basketball side include a line in their portal announcement saying they are leaving the option to return as a possibility.....which is another way of saying "offer me more and I will come back".

 

[Gopherphile]

What’s with all the posts about interest dwindling just now? This stuff started years ago.

Agreed. I think the Gophers have more of a chance to compete now than they did when NIL was first rolled out and much more so before NIL was allowed in the first place.

I know that’s not everything but it does make me see how the prior longstanding system in place hurt the gophers more - there was never a chance they’d catch Ohio State and now we know their resource base is tilted a bit more toward the “have’s” than the “have nots” with rev share. The fact that we can openly fund raise for additional NIL I think benefits us longterm as well as there was no chance our athletic department would tolerate under the table payments so, even though we’re still treading water there, we’re afloat and can see shore.

 

[btowngopher]

I'm sure the team still has to let the player come back but have seen a number of guys on the basketball side include a line in their portal announcement saying they are leaving the option to return as a possibility.....which is another way of saying "offer me more and I will come back".

They definitely don’t have to let the player come back, that’s why you see so many enter and end up worse off or without any offers.

 

[Dave H]

I am not arguing that it isn't a reality. Just saying that years ago when this was being debated the proponents said this was to compensate the players for their name image and likeness and that it wouldn't change the landscape much. This situation shows that the reality is much different than that promise.

Unfortunately, many people(probably the same people that said this was going to be about getting money for autographs etc.) don't have the ability for empathy or ability to see the whole picture. Right now this is a fun aside note, but if Perich decided to do this, and he very well could, this board would be apoplectic.

Just because it inevitably devolved into this doesn't mean the original intent of the change wasn't correct and supporting it was wrong. Players should be able to cash in on their NIL just like anyone else can. The players do deserve that.

The problem is no guardrails were put in place...the NCAA predictably was not ready for it and so by the time the rules changed loopholes had been found, collectives created and it became a free for all. Then untethered yearly free agency became a thing and it exasperated the problem. Now, college sports is a joke.

The people who wanted fairness for players didn't want this and pretending they did is a misnomer.

 

[gophernut1]

After the dad and kid get a ton of backlash from how they handled this and lose out on tons of money, what the kid will need is a "life program." A place that can develop him into a man where he can compete for a starting spot. No million dollar contracts, but a place where he can mature as a human being.

What the kid will get is a ego driven program that will probably end up obliterate his long term NFL possibilities as he spirals out of control with less talent around him and teammates that can't stand him.

 

[GoDucks349]

There’s a rumor floating around that Lanning at Oregon ratted him out to the TN staff that he was shopping around for bigger money.

Yea, hearing the same thing... LOL he won't be coming to Eugene any time soon.

 

[ShushPush]

Since when is there an option to come back that is controlled by the player?

A portal is not a transfer until enrollment at another college. The player therefore has a reserve of options until he exercises that option. And when did it become suspect to be a free agent? The whole point of Alstad was to protect the right to have choice as a college student and not be constrained by anybody else telling these kids where or how they can negotiate their futures. Employment law has demonstrated mobility, and association is a right and that employees have the right to seek other employment while on the job. It isn't anybody else's business as long as all duties and responsibilities are fulfilled while employed. These kids are not drafted they select who they play for and that cannot be undone. That is a right that is established by over 100 years of precedent. You show me a student who didn't select his college, and I will show you millions more who did. Therefore, my reserved rights stand.

 

[btowngopher]

A portal is not a transfer until enrollment at another college. The player therefore has a reserve of options until he exercises that option. And when did it become suspect to be a free agent? The whole point of Alstad was to protect the right to have choice as a college student and not be constrained by anybody else telling these kids where or how they can negotiate their futures. Employment law has demonstrated mobility, and association is a right and that employees have the right to seek other employment while on the job. It isn't anybody else's business as long as all duties and responsibilities are fulfilled while employed. These kids are not drafted they select who they play for and that cannot be undone. That is a right that is established by over 100 years of precedent. You show me a student who didn't select his college, and I will show you millions more who did. Therefore, my reserved rights stand.

If you enter the portal your scholarship is only protected for the current term. After that the school can yank it if they choose to, even if the player wants to stay. If it was protected why wouldn’t every player enter it every year to see what offers are available?

 

[Bobek]

What schools are willing to take on this headache?

I think a number of schools will try to get him if they have the money. More money means they can buy better players.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

I think a number of schools will try to get him if they have the money. More money means they can buy better players.

A number of schools have the money to do it. But I wonder what teams are willing to take on his baggage.

 

[LakevilleBro]

I read today that he wants more money, than Brock Purdy's lifetime NFL earnings.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Q

A portal is not a transfer until enrollment at another college. The player therefore has a reserve of options until he exercises that option. And when did it become suspect to be a free agent? The whole point of Alstad was to protect the right to have choice as a college student and not be constrained by anybody else telling these kids where or how they can negotiate their futures. Employment law has demonstrated mobility, and association is a right and that employees have the right to seek other employment while on the job. It isn't anybody else's business as long as all duties and responsibilities are fulfilled while employed. These kids are not drafted they select who they play for and that cannot be undone. That is a right that is established by over 100 years of precedent. You show me a student who didn't select his college, and I will show you millions more who did. Therefore, my reserved rights stand.

Employees have a right to seek other jobs and employers have a right to terminate you for looking for other jobs. They can certainly terminate you for not showing up to work.

Non compete and non-solicitation agreements are also incredibly common.

You’re kind of stuck in thinking these things aren’t reciprocal. At-will employment works both ways and the labor market even in the most employee-friendly jurisdictions is full of restraints on trade.

 

[maroonfive]

It’s a tricky discussion because NIL is the right solution for the vast majority of college athletes. Nobody was ever going to pay cross country runners or field hockey players big money, but it seems fair that they can use their position as athletes to make a bit of money on the side through endorsements.

The issue is that NIL is very broken for the two sports that have the most eyes watching, football and basketball. The most logical thing for the NCAA to do would be to switch to a direct compensation system like a professional league and install salary caps or transfer fees.

I still say you don't get paid until you graduate. With honors.

 

[Kitzmann57]

247Sports is showing him in the portal already. I don't understand that? The portal officially opens April 16th. The coach has not been fired and he's not a grad student ? I know its only a matter of time when he's officially in the portal, but 247Sports should not have him listed now.

 

[gopherphil]

247Sports is showing him in the portal already. I don't understand that? The portal officially opens April 16th. The coach has not been fired and he's not a grad student ? I know its only a matter of time when he's officially in the portal, but 247Sports should not have him listed now.

247 are clickwhores. They’ll do anything for clicks.