The frightening end to me with the current money model is that college football will not exist as a true college sport. My logic is a little out there so bear with me.
My nightmare scenario:
Lets forward to 2028. Really rich guy approaches (insert SEC/Big 10/Big 12 team) and offers to "buy the football program" from a college/athletic department. A billion dollar offer with the college getting an affiliation super large fee every year during the agreement. The college can rid themselves of the NCAA, Title 9, all expenses, etc.. So the future could be like: The Alabama Crimson Tide (affiliated with UA) for the duration of the contract. (While affiliated team can use NIL) Once the contract is up the "team" could shop around for a new "affiliation". So the 2033 Alabama Crimson Tide could be the 2034 Oklahoma Sooners if they get a better arrangement from Oklahoma.
Once the money train is off and running like it now we have lost any facade that these are amateur athletes playing for their school. Biff with his letter sweater and getting a medical degree while playing football is long long gone. So, why do we pretend? Lets be honest, the vast majority of todays college athletes have little or nothing to do with any academics at their college. Why keep this charade up? (mainly because everyone involved is making money, for now).
The future will do what is does and the earth will keep spinning. Saban is telling us something. Last I checked he is the smartest person in the room.
My nightmare scenario:
Lets forward to 2028. Really rich guy approaches (insert SEC/Big 10/Big 12 team) and offers to "buy the football program" from a college/athletic department. A billion dollar offer with the college getting an affiliation super large fee every year during the agreement. The college can rid themselves of the NCAA, Title 9, all expenses, etc.. So the future could be like: The Alabama Crimson Tide (affiliated with UA) for the duration of the contract. (While affiliated team can use NIL) Once the contract is up the "team" could shop around for a new "affiliation". So the 2033 Alabama Crimson Tide could be the 2034 Oklahoma Sooners if they get a better arrangement from Oklahoma.
Once the money train is off and running like it now we have lost any facade that these are amateur athletes playing for their school. Biff with his letter sweater and getting a medical degree while playing football is long long gone. So, why do we pretend? Lets be honest, the vast majority of todays college athletes have little or nothing to do with any academics at their college. Why keep this charade up? (mainly because everyone involved is making money, for now).
The future will do what is does and the earth will keep spinning. Saban is telling us something. Last I checked he is the smartest person in the room.
