The way the NIL/Transfer Portal is administered has ruined bowl games

[46Gophers]

Maybe it's just me but I hate how so many teams look quite different in bowl games compared to the regular season due to so many in the transfer portal. I realize potential high draft picks sit out so not to jeopardize their future for one game but how transfers have impacted a teams makeup is sickening. MN is a classic example where a lower reserve Qb had to be talked into staying to play so we had a Qb for our bowl game. Some ugly football being played all around.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Just gotta see them as fun bonus games where you see some different players.

Bowl games were originally just bonus games AFTER the national champion was selected.

Some games will stink. Some will be great. That’s no change.

If you thought some of these bowl games were glorious examples of sport ... bro.

 

[Nax5]

The 12 team playoffs will make em even more obsolete. They'll be complete afterthoughts.

 

[DarthGopher]

Maybe it's just me but I hate how so many teams look quite different in bowl games compared to the regular season due to so many in the transfer portal. I realize potential high draft picks sit out so not to jeopardize their future for one game but how transfers have impacted a teams makeup is sickening. MN is a classic example where a lower reserve Qb had to be talked into staying to play so we had a Qb for our bowl game. Some ugly football being played all around.

This is what I ultimately feel will reel in the transfer portal and NIL. There is way, way too much money at stake with these bowl games and money talks. These sponsors are not about to sit on their hands and let this sh*tshow continue with JV teams filling the rosters.

Some ideas for the NCAA to consider:

1. Transfer portal does not open until 1 hour after the conclusion of the championship game for its respective sport.
2. The portal is open for 21 - 28 days.
3. There is one portal period. Period. No secondary spring portal.
4. Anyone caught tampering before the portal opens forfeits bowl eligibility, including the CFP.
5. Players sign contracts with the schools. You want the money, congratulations. Sign here.

Name, Image and Likeness was supposed to be about a cut of jersey sales. peddling for a car dealership, selling candy bars or doing State Farm commercials. Go nuts for all I care. All the rest is pay to play, so accept it, regulate it, cap it and get on with things. The NFL has a model that works. Use it.

 

[kisarazu]

Or just pay players per game. It's a lot harder to skip a paycheck.

 

[PhiloVance]

Pay for play has been around for years...now they call it NIL.

 

[washgopher]

any player who enters the portal should automatically lose a year of eligibility

 

[Some guy]

I know it will kind of ruin the TV niche it’s carved out for itself, but a way to get more people to play in bowls would be to have the bowl games 1-2 weeks after conference title games. And then the transfer portal opens after. You could even have some bowls starting earlier than that if they’re contracted to be teams not in conference championship game. The quick lane bowl could be Dec 5 because neither MN or BGSU were in conference title game


For example this year
rather than Dec 16-Jan 1
They should be Dec 9-Dec 23
Portal opens on the 24th.
Only teams still playing after portal opens are playoff teams.
Some would still opt out. But basically the way it’s currently designed tells kids who want to explore transferring they have to explore before the bowl game.
If I was a coach I wouldn’t play a kid who is in the portal (though they could).

It would make the game a postseason game rather than a separate season game.

If my team is done on Nov 25 and my bowl game is Dec 30
That’s a different level of commitment than if my season ends on Dec 9 at a bowl.

 

[50PoundHead]

One would think that the bowls would sit down with the NCAA and try to incorporate some of the suggestions offered above. Watching MIssouri/Ohio State last night made my eyes hurt.

 

[zman]

One would think that the bowls would sit down with the NCAA and try to incorporate some of the suggestions offered above. Watching MIssouri/Ohio State last night made my eyes hurt.

I thought I accidentally tuned into the Gophers/Hawkeyes game.

 

[howeda7]

I know it will kind of ruin the TV niche it’s carved out for itself, but a way to get more people to play in bowls would be to have the bowl games 1-2 weeks after conference title games. And then the transfer portal opens after. You could even have some bowls starting earlier than that if they’re contracted to be teams not in conference championship game. The quick lane bowl could be Dec 5 because neither MN or BGSU were in conference title game


For example this year
rather than Dec 16-Jan 1
They should be Dec 9-Dec 23
Portal opens on the 24th.
Only teams still playing after portal opens are playoff teams.
Some would still opt out. But basically the way it’s currently designed tells kids who want to explore transferring they have to explore before the bowl game.
If I was a coach I wouldn’t play a kid who is in the portal (though they could).

It would make the game a postseason game rather than a separate season game.

If my team is done on Nov 25 and my bowl game is Dec 30
That’s a different level of commitment than if my season ends on Dec 9 at a bowl.

The entire reason they've avoided a play-off until now is "academics". Dec. 9th-23rd is peak finals time at most schools. They won't do that.

 

[Tech Machine]

I thought I accidentally tuned into the Gophers/Hawkeyes game.

ditto, ditto

 

[Some guy]

The entire reason they've avoided a play-off until now is "academics". Dec. 9th-23rd is peak finals time at most schools. They won't do that.

Yeah. I didn’t say they would do it. I just think making it a lot closer to the end of the season and having the transfer portal open afterwards is the only way you can make guys more likely to play.

I think the bowls are likely dead and dying more in the future (at least the way I think about bowls).
Maybe they should get played in place of spring football and become exhibition games.

 

[howeda7]

Yeah. I didn’t say they would do it. I just think making it a lot closer to the end of the season and having the transfer portal open afterwards is the only way you can make guys more likely to play.

I think the bowls are likely dead and dying more in the future (at least the way I think about bowls).
Maybe they should get played in place of spring football and become exhibition games.

It may happen eventually, but most Bowls are already meaningless and have been for decades. The play-off doesn't really change that. I think a move of the portal period is the most likely outcome.

 

[btowngopher]

It’s not difficult. Just narrow the portal period. The lack of foresight by the ncaa is astounding.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

Maybe it's just me but I hate how so many teams look quite different in bowl games compared to the regular season due to so many in the transfer portal. I realize potential high draft picks sit out so not to jeopardize their future for one game but how transfers have impacted a teams makeup is sickening. MN is a classic example where a lower reserve Qb had to be talked into staying to play so we had a Qb for our bowl game. Some ugly football being played all around.

Very true. QBs missing all over the place. Maybe (but probably not) coaches and ADs will have the common sense and decency to reinstate the one year sit-off rule, which was good for college football and prevented the anarchy we see now as greed dominates every aspect of the game, from coaches' salaries, to NIL, to jumping ship in all directions, to the destruction of entire conferences. Is there an adult in the house?

 

[MaxyJR1]

Just enjoy football and the opportunity to watch a bunch of games. These kids that play are there for all the reasons we want.

 

[MaxyJR1]

The window has to allow kids to enroll and be at their new school by the start of the next semester.

I’d say there should be a hinderance to schools making the playoffs and the portal. Not sure what that would look like.

No matter the window you can’t keep kids from opting out and contacting other schools. Changing the window isn’t going to get kids to play an extra game with a school they want to leave.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

What fucking games are you watching? This bowl season has been really fun.

 

[MNSpaniel]

Maybe it's just me but I hate how so many teams look quite different in bowl games compared to the regular season due to so many in the transfer portal. I realize potential high draft picks sit out so not to jeopardize their future for one game but how transfers have impacted a teams makeup is sickening. MN is a classic example where a lower reserve Qb had to be talked into staying to play so we had a Qb for our bowl game. Some ugly football being played all around.

I read that 15 Ohio State players entered the portal and nine others sat out the bowl game. Then Missouri acted like they had pulled the upset of the century. Not at all the same team that Ohio State had during the season. Missouri invited players who were in the transfer portal to still play in the bowl game.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

The window has to allow kids to enroll and be at their new school by the start of the next semester.

from what I've read, this is the big deal. programs want their transfer players to be attending class as soon as possible to get them integrated into their new program, and also so they're on campus and able to participate in off-season strength and training programs, and then for Spring practice.

if the portal didn't open until after all the bowl games and playoffs were over, it would push the whole timetable back.

and I think there is a little of the "musical chairs" issue as well - no one wants to be left standing when the music stops. players want to know where they're going to be, and programs want to know who's going to be on the roster.

for me, what it means is that, short of the playoffs, every other bowl game is basically a glorified exhibition game to feature younger players and evaluate depth. I can watch a game and accept it for what it is - and what it is not.

 

[Some guy]

The window has to allow kids to enroll and be at their new school by the start of the next semester.

I’d say there should be a hinderance to schools making the playoffs and the portal. Not sure what that would look like.

No matter the window you can’t keep kids from opting out and contacting other schools. Changing the window isn’t going to get kids to play an extra game with a school they want to leave.

Agree with all of this. Which is why the solution to get kids to playing a game would be to be making it the week after their last game. Not 4-5 weeks later

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

*has killed college football

 

[Drake University Gopher]

The 12 team playoffs will make em even more obsolete. They'll be complete afterthoughts.

Yeah this started occurring before NIL/Transfer Portal. The playoff started this downward spiral, but players are beginning to recognize / take advantage of their value.

 

[WHB Brewer]

from what I've read, this is the big deal. programs want their transfer players to be attending class as soon as possible to get them integrated into their new program, and also so they're on campus and able to participate in off-season strength and training programs, and then for Spring practice.

if the portal didn't open until after all the bowl games and playoffs were over, it would push the whole timetable back.

and I think there is a little of the "musical chairs" issue as well - no one wants to be left standing when the music stops. players want to know where they're going to be, and programs want to know who's going to be on the roster.

for me, what it means is that, short of the playoffs, every other bowl game is basically a glorified exhibition game to feature younger players and evaluate depth. I can watch a game and accept it for what it is - and what it is not.

Sitting out a year solves this “problem “

 

[MplsGopher]

Sitting out a year solves this “problem “

I don't agree that it would solve this very specific problem of players opting out of playing in the bowl game. Isn't that what this thread is about?

Bowl games being mere shadows of the matchups they were supposed to be, based on the regular season, because of players and coaches leaving the program before the bowl game.

 

[MplsGopher]

Or just pay players per game. It's a lot harder to skip a paycheck.

I'd even do you one better:

allow schools to offer players a bonus if they choose to play in the bowl game.


I mean even right now, with player pay being exclusively based on NIL. Allow schools to sign one-off NIL contracts with any player who chooses to play in the bowl game.

Wouldn't solve them all, because some of these guys are being outright told by their agents/NFL teams "don't play in that game, it's meaningless". But could help.

 

[TNGophfan]

I don't agree that it would solve this very specific problem of players opting out of playing in the bowl game. Isn't that what this thread is about?

Bowl games being mere shadows of the matchups they were supposed to be, based on the regular season, because of players and coaches leaving the program before the bowl game.

To a degree, I think sitting out a year would somewhat help the problem as I think you would then have fewer transfers. You would still have opt-outs, of course, but I think the rosters would be fuller.

 

[MplsGopher]

To a degree, I think sitting out a year would somewhat help the problem as I think you would then have fewer transfers. You would still have opt-outs, of course, but I think the rosters would be fuller.

Penn State lost its DC and some of its defensive stars because they opted out to prepare for the draft.

No rejiggering of transfer rules will prevent those.


A lot of even P5 transfers are transferring due to lack of playing time. So those weren't the guys that guy the team to that point during the season.

There are exceptions, of course. But that's where my proposal of paying them a bonus to stick around with the team could maybe help.

 

[btowngopher]

The window has to allow kids to enroll and be at their new school by the start of the next semester.

I’d say there should be a hinderance to schools making the playoffs and the portal. Not sure what that would look like.

No matter the window you can’t keep kids from opting out and contacting other schools. Changing the window isn’t going to get kids to play an extra game with a school they want to leave.

Why do they have to allow the kids to enroll for the spring semester?

Changing the window would help, kids will opt out to enter the draft, but I doubt many opt out just to transfer. Right now it makes most sense to enter the portal as early as possible to have the best chance of being offered by another team, moving the window back would help with that.

I don’t think an expanded playoff helps much either, kids in time will just as easily opt out of a playoff as they would a bowl game.