Shama: Voices Need to Speak up for College Football Parity

[disco]

One of the other ways of legislating parity it to lower the scholarship limits. If you drop the number from 85 to 75 that would put 10 players from Clemson, Georgia, Florida State, Ohio State, Alabama on better teams. It doesn't happen frequently, but there are years where the initial depth chart for the U is on par (not better, but at least able to compete with) with a PSU, Michigan, etc - only problem is one injury and we have to put in a Maverick Barnowski, who's a good player but is a year or two away, and when he gets hurt it is a true freshman. Ohio State has an injury and it is a 4* backup, etc.

I really think this may be the only realistic way. But then do you have walk-ons that aren't getting scholarships, but are getting massive NIL deals in place of that? Remember when that guy paid the tuition for all the BYU walk-ons?

 

[MNfootballfan]

I really think this may be the only realistic way. But then do you have walk-ons that aren't getting scholarships, but are getting massive NIL deals in place of that? Remember when that guy paid the tuition for all the BYU walk-ons?

To be honest, didn't even think about that. Almost like the old Florida State/Miami trick of putting guys on track scholarships to play football.

 

[stocker08]

Parity is impossible in college football. Wasn't possible pre-NIL and it isn't possible now. However....conference realignment may actually help with this. One P5 conference has all but been eliminated. The Big 12 was forced to pull in G5 teams to fill conference slots. The ACC is "stable" in a sense that their top programs haven't yet been picked off by the SEC. But that's almost definitely going to happen.

When realignment is completed.....the Big Ten and the SEC are going to stand as the two top conferences. The Big 12 and the ACC will be a clear step down. If you consider that there are currently 65 teams in a Power Five conference.....40 of those teams may be in the B10/SEC when all is said and done. Possible that the lesser B10/SEC teams start to pick up players that may have otherwise gone to an Oregon State, Utah, Texas Tech, Kansas State, etc.... simply due to the fact that the ACC and Big 12 are going to be less attractive destinations with less exposure.

Idk....just a thought.

 

[PhiloVance]

You get lost on your way to the off topic board?

Take it your are as a climate change denier or a selective supporter as long as your life is not disturbed.

 

[watertown 1987 guy n]

Oregon may be the best example of using NLI money. Historically they may be equivalent to a Michigan St for reaching the top 10 but NLI will keep OR there now.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

the new tv contract means we are stuck w Michigan and Ohio State for the near future. But I would be happy if Michigan and Ohio State left the big ten. Then we could reconstitute it around the remaining teams

Ya I'm very much in favor of a "super league" in college football. Let the rich do their own thing. Let the rest of us enjoy life without them.

 

[fmlizard]

Take it your are as a climate change denier or a selective supporter as long as your life is not disturbed.

Usually I have to pay $25 a pop for the Rapalas I use for trolling, but on GH I get the troll bait for free. What a deal.

 

[GoldyPush-Ups]

If you choose to play for pay, you need to opt into the draft where you don't select where you play once you decide on the conference. Perhaps Indiana has the first pick.

Absurd take. We're gonna pick and choose where 18-year-olds get their college degree? Not a chance.

 

[disco]

Take it your are as a climate change denier or a selective supporter as long as your life is not disturbed.

 

[GoldyPush-Ups]

This whole thread is whiny and embarrassing to Gopher fans. We are a historic program in one of the two premier conferences. We are the only D1 team in a State that ranks in the top half of States in terms of population. We have a large metro area to recruit from and an enormous (and I'm guessing relatively high-earning) alumni base to fund from. Adapt or die.

"I don't like the way the world works!"

 

[Goldmember]

“NIL” was brilliantly crafted to turn the sort of cheating that was common at Miami, LSU, USC, etc into something that is totally legal, unenforceable, untraceable, and anonymous. The result is that this sort of cheating has become about 10-20x bigger than before NIL.
Not coincidentally, “NIL” also coincided with a gutting of the NCAA enforcement authority.

 

[GopherTheJugular]

We are a historic program...

In some of our minds, maybe. Not sure about anyone who doesn't cheer for the maroon and gold having any idea we won some natty's back in the day. Plus, decades of bad football tend to weigh in on that. For example, I grew up in Mpls, watched tons of Vikings games, and barely even had a clue we had a college team - even though I lived just a few miles from campus. When I first enrolled at the U in the 1990's and I saw Bruce Smith was an alumni, I was confused because I generally wasn't sure if it was the Buffalo Bills DE or not.

We are the only D1 team in a State that ranks in the top half of States in terms of population.

and our high school football isn't on par with what's needed to compete.

We have a large metro area to recruit from

Metro area recruits aren't gonna do anything for us if we don't surround them with talent from elsewhere.

and an enormous (and I'm guessing relatively high-earning) alumni base to fund from.

20 bucks or even a hundo from some people isn't going to move the needle. The problem is, who wants to go first? I mean, lets say for example that I was a wealthy businessman who would pay Darius Taylor a six figure deal to stay here. But if no one else steps up to get others and I watch my money get wasted on a team that goes .500 next year, I'm not going to be too enthused about keeping the gravy train going. You're going to need dozens and dozens of people who can throw around six figures annually. Once you have that, then the smaller contributions will actually help.

Adapt or die.

I think most people are realizing it's probably the latter for Gophers and big time football.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

Ya I'm very much in favor of a "super league" in college football. Let the rich do their own thing. Let the rest of us enjoy life without them.

The MN Super Bowl will be the Iowa and Wisconsin seasons.

Judge Smails said it best

 

[GopherTheJugular]

“NIL” was brilliantly crafted to turn the sort of cheating...

How so? Who crafted it? I think it's more accurate to say it was a simple concept that is getting abused big-time, but I don't think any individual crafted it to be like it is now.

into something that is totally legal, unenforceable, untraceable, and anonymous.

Not sure about the bolded. Don't we know where the deals are coming from? I could be wrong, but like everyone knew the dealership that gave Bijan Robinson the lamborghini, people know about John Ruiz and Miami, etc.

Not coincidentally, “NIL” also coincided with a gutting of the NCAA enforcement authority.

It kinda works out that way when the Supreme Court tells the NCAA they can't enforce NIL regulations. I'll agree, not a coincidence. Just how it directly came about.

 

[Word]

CFB has a salary cap. It’s $0.

And yes I know you didn’t mean actual salary but the point is I don’t really see a way of leveling the playing field, which as has already been pointed out, has never been level. It’s still TBD if the gap will be widened under the new rules, we don’t have enough data to determine yet.

What I don’t like about the NFL setup as it trickles into CFB, is the “Super Bowl or bust” mentality. The fun thing about CFB is every program has its own expectations and its own definition of success. If we went 10-2 and missed the playoff but made the rose bowl, we’d all be ecstatic. If Ohio State does that, it’s a down year. For some reason I’m the minds of many, the playoff has made all other bowls “meaningless”. I don’t agree with that at all, but many see it that way.

Do you think leveling the playing field would all of a sudden introduce a super bowl or bust mentality? I don't know what either has to do with each other.

We now have "salaries" and unfettered free agency in college football, so it's looking a lot more like the NFL. At least the NFL has a salary cap and contracts that regulate free agency.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

It kinda works out that way when the Supreme Court tells the NCAA they can't enforce NIL regulations. I'll agree, not a coincidence. Just how it directly came about.

Not correct. The Supreme Court has never said anything one way or the other. Lower courts upheld prior NCAA policy of disallowing NIL.

 

[kisarazu]

How do you legislate parity?

in pro sports with a draft, where the worst teams get to choose first, you still see competitive imbalances. even pro sports with salary caps see imbalances. because some teams have better and smarter management who do a better job of drafting, managing the salary cap and coaching.

You can't legislate competence. there is no law or rule you can put in place to guarantee that every team will have the same level of coaching acumen, or that every team is equally well-run.

some coaches and programs simply do a better job of evaluating talent and recruiting. some coaches simply do a better job of coaching and skill development. NIL and the portal have certainly had an impact. but no matter how a team acquires its talent, you still have to coach that talent and put together successful offensive and defensive schemes.

you could throw all of the money in the world at Podunk State - but if Podunk does not have good coaches and a good support system, they're not going to become Alabama or Georgia.

I get what you're saying.

But it would be flat out dishonest or delusional to claim a league with protections for small market teams is no different than a league without them. Drafts, contracts, trades and salary caps flat out make it possible for small market teams to win.

With drafts, contracts, trades, and salary caps - a change in management and coaching can mean that team can be the best team in the league. Without them, the change in management and coaching will not matter as small market teams are farm leagues that have pretty much zero chance to win the league.

Regarding the current CFB problem of money and no parity, I guarantee you that if Podunk State puts the same amount of money into their football program that Alabama does for years and years, that roster is going to start collecting quite a few talented dudes all over the roster by year 5. And were not talking kinda okay Nebraska over the last 10 years types, no were talking more like 1997 Nebraska types. It may take some time for them to get the right coaches in place, but Podunk State will be able to afford it and eventually they will be Alabama-like.

 

[Hates Monikers]

I really think this may be the only realistic way. But then do you have walk-ons that aren't getting scholarships, but are getting massive NIL deals in place of that? Remember when that guy paid the tuition for all the BYU walk-ons?

Nope. You get 80 players ... or 75 or whatever the number is. That's the limit.

 

[Dakota2]

Take it your are as a climate change denier or a selective supporter as long as your life is not disturbed.

Garbage.

 

[btowngopher]

This whole thread is whiny and embarrassing to Gopher fans. We are a historic program in one of the two premier conferences. We are the only D1 team in a State that ranks in the top half of States in terms of population. We have a large metro area to recruit from and an enormous (and I'm guessing relatively high-earning) alumni base to fund from. Adapt or die.

"I don't like the way the world works!"

Historically bad program…large metro that’s void of H.S. talent compared to most of the country.

 

[btowngopher]

I miss the pre-NIL days when we were outrecruiting Ohio State.

Could do a better job than OSU of identifying and coaching up talent pre-nil, and at least they weren’t recruiting your roster.

 

[metrolax]

the trouble with CFB right now is that there really are no adults in the room

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Could do a better job than OSU of identifying and coaching up talent pre-nil, and at least they weren’t recruiting your roster.

The second best player we lost was to Rutgers.

We've taken a lot more talent from the lower levels than the big boys have taken from us. Who have we lost to the power programs? Bucky and Trill?

 

[Word]

I really think this may be the only realistic way. But then do you have walk-ons that aren't getting scholarships, but are getting massive NIL deals in place of that? Remember when that guy paid the tuition for all the BYU walk-ons?

Don't make it a 75-player scholarship limit. Make a 75-player limit period. Some guy's idea.

 

[SHGopher]

College football is a business. The Alabamas, Georgias, and Ohio States pull in much more money than the Minnesotas. If there was enough talent to go around it would make sense to balance things out but there's not anywhere close to enough talent to fill even the power 5 teams with solid players. If rules change and that leads to a 25% loss of fans at Ohio State and a 25% increase at Minnesota that's a huge net loss. Financially it's better to pool the talent at those handful of schools with huge fanbases and ensure they continue to put a strong product on the field.

Unfortunately this sounds true to me.

The amount of money in these TV contracts is astronomical. Minnesota gets upward of $80 million a year. This is skyrocket business with millions of viewers at stake for these media companies, especially with marquee teams.

The Bowl system does help make winners of lots of teams in different levels. It is not a bad system now despite the groans. If big money is the measure, it is super tops.

 

[Gophers2Omaha]

Anything can be killed if you don't feed it. Anything. Don't watch or attend any of the games that involve a Blue Blood in any sport. Literally boycott them. Let the stadium be 1/4 full when Ohio State comes to town. Screw that team. Screw Michigan. Turn your TV off or to a different game when Duke plays Michigan State and Kentucky plays Kansas in hoops (Just happened.). Tell everyone you know to boycott watching the blue bloods. Have them tell everyone they know to do it. If they are an alum or fan of a Blue Blood obviously don't bother. But everyone else, cumulatively, could do legit damage by boycotting when a Blue Blood is involved.

How many years are Michigan and Ohio State going to win the Big 10 in football? Kansas the Big 12 in hoops? How many SEC teams are going to make the CWS next year, 7 or 8? It will go on forever unless there is an organized national push back against what is going on. The greed is unhinged and getting way worse.

Is Alabama going to win 30 more National Titles in football in the next 50 years? Georgia 10 straight (Certainly have a chance to get to 3 already this season...)? Just plug in Jon Scheyer at Duke for Coach K, without any head coaching experience, and his early returns seem to imply that he'll be recruiting at an even higher level than Coach K? That is silly. It has gotten so ludicrous, stale, and boring.

The joke is on us if we continue to support it with our eyeballs and $$$.

I haven't missed watching the Blue Bloods pound teams in all sports one bit. It is so incredibly boring year after year. I watch the Mountain West if I want to watch other football games besides the Gophers and it is actually pretty good entertainment! Ha ha

Starve it is the only way.

 

[Jack jones]

Speaking of reducing Scholarship limits.how about something like this as a way to level field. Win 15 games, you get 15 new scholarships. You win 12 games, you get 18 new scholarships. Etc…. Really the only way to level the playing field. Win 5 games, you get 25 . Win 0 - 2 games you get 30.

 

[Goldmember]

How so? Who crafted it? I think it's more accurate to say it was a simple concept that is getting abused big-time, but I don't think any individual crafted it to be like it is now.

The people funneling money to players freaked out when the IRS stated investigating this stuff. They needed a legitimate way to account for this spending, or they were, at best going to end up testifying in court, and at worst end up doing time. Gavin Newsom and others took-up NIL as cause to make it look like they were fighting for the little guy (ironically, destroying the weakest programs in the PAC-12 in the process). But NIL was a concept that was created, not for player, but to keep rich guys who were already paying players out of jail (most likely by their attorneys).

 

[The prez sez]

There's plenty of good observations and ideas and potential solutions that have been expressed, so I wanted to throw another thought on the table regarding the need for parity or compatible balance in an new age of NIL and automatic transfer, and that is ... We're in the entertainment business. The Big Ten has the three largest TV markets in the country. (nYC, LA, CHI) That means our games have to be interesting, or compelling or dramatic. NBC is not going to be happy w blowouts Like what we will see Saturday with our guys getting hammered at Ohio state. So I would anticipate that rather quickly NBC and Big Ten schools will come with a competitive balance committee that develops rules governing transfer, NIL payments, scholarships levels, and any other ideas to introduce parity and competitive balance, including direct payment of players. That is the only path forward as I see it. Also, let's make sure the players meet some basic academic standards and progress toward degrees.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

Chicken and egg.

If Minnesota was able to compete for championships with similar odds to Ohio State or Michigan, more people would probably show up for the games and follow the team. The market can support pro teams in every major US league. But only the Gophers (and maybe the T-Wolves) have virtually no chance to win their league's title.

It's not a coincidence that the NFL is the most successful sports league on Earth (even beyond any soccer league) and it is also the most egalitarian. Draft system with Pick 1 to the worst team, hard salary cap, and copious revenue sharing. In the NFL, almost nobody (players or coaches) moves to bigger markets except by coincidence. The result is a league where all 32 teams have a reasonable chance to win the Super Bowl, all markets and fans are engaged, and everyone's making money.

The NCAA has the dream setup with over 100 teams covering almost the entire USA, over 50 P5-level schools. Just give everyone a reasonable shot by leveling the playing field, and watch the money roll in.

The wolves are good