College Football is Dead

[Some guy]

Northwestern also won the Big Ten, because their loss was to Notre Dame.

1936 multiple teams claim a national title

 

[SHGopher]

So we have a rebellion -- do I understand this right -- that non P5 teams shall be equal to Michigan now.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

You don’t need any law for a P5 players union to work out a deal with the P5 TV partners.

No more than you need one for the NFLPA to work on behalf of league players.


That’s another part of this solution that makes it appealing.

Whereas with funding the whole thing by NIL we would absolutely need new federal law to un-muck it.

Current players have already signed binding contracts giving away broadcast rights. There would have to be a mechanism to make that null and void, from above.

 

[BilldGopher]

The 12 team playoff will actually allow for other schools to make the playoffs but honestly if winning a National title is important to you as a fan then you may as well just follow the top handful of teams because they are the only ones with a legit shot of winning it most years.

College football has always been extremely top heavy and the recent changes have seemingly just enhanced that disparity between the haves and the have nots.

I'm not a fan of the NIL/Pay for play BS, poaching, immediate eligibility, going into the portal the moment you don't get your way.....but in the end I am a Gopher football fan and I will keep following the team regardless of what is going on around them in college football.

Me too as a Gopher fan forever but I'd already decided after the Skunkbear beatdown that I'd root for Michigan to the end (even in spite of SignalGate), actually hoping they'd go against my Georgia (nope).

So in a way I think you have your homeboy favorite and just go with it, but on a parallel track maybe pick a top-tier apex program (note I did not say blue-blood because I think with the changes there will increasingly be non-blue blood programs being able to compete at the top) as your post-season favorite.

If that is too much work then really go ahead on drop out entirely (sad) or just go to an apex program as what you follow. The Billds say "winning is better" and that certainly is the life of the apex programs until the big show. I think the bitterness that eventually comes with being the inevitable No 2, No. 3, et al, at the end (even if unbeaten) builds under this fan model though. Of course there's always next year.

 

[Goldmember]

Minnesota can accomplish everything Washington is this season. Maybe that’s the ceiling. But the ceiling isn’t any lower than that.

 

[MplsGopher]

@Pompous Elitist the P5 PA would figure that out. Doubt that’s much of a barrier. Whatever signing away you’re talking about I’m sure can have a roll-in period, like you’re saying

 

[MaxyJR1]

Next years new model would still leave an unbeaten team out this year

Out of a bye but not the playoffs.

 

[walrus]

I've previously held the optimistic approach that NIL and the transfer portal will eventually work itself out, and the elimination of the B1G West and conference expansion won't be as detrimental to the sport as others have continually complained about.

But it's now pointless to remain a fan of Minnesota, or a fan of any other similar school that's not a helmet school. It's pointless to continue to invest time and money to a program that has no chance of competing. It's not a university problem, it's not a PJ problem, it's a college football problem.

I don't have a problem with NIL, players should be able to capitalize on their likeness. But NIL isn't the issue, pay for play is the issue. It has always been an issue, but it has become 1,000 times worse over the last few years than it has been in the past. Until pay for play is regulated to a fair playing field, there is no chance for the Gophers.

If you think expanding the playoffs will give more opportunity to other schools to compete, or make championship season more interesting, it won't. It just makes the regular season less important, and the SEC will still be favored for the final spots. Instead of 1 loss SEC teams getting in to the final 4, it'll be 4 loss SEC teams getting in over other conference teams with better records. If Minnesota wins 10 games again in a season and it's between them and an 8 or 9 win SEC team to make the playoffs, the SEC team will be in every single time.

Kudos to the fans still willing to invest time and money into this. You're better than me. But as of today, I am done with college football until there are significant changes to pay for play, the transfer portal, and the SEC media/money bias.

I just made another contribution last night To Dinkeytown for Gopher football. It wasn’t a huge contribution, but I will continue to do so.

College football is not dead. It is changing and will continue to change I’d rather continue to contribute to Dinkeytown to get some money to student athletes on the men’s teams AND women’s teams than to help the athletic department to stay in their arms race paying multi million dollar coaches contracts and do the fund raising that lazy athletic directors don’t do. The athletes ARE the games. The U of M benefits greatly from the men and women who represent the U of M teams.

Gopherweatherguy, you may be dead to college football and that is up to you to decide. Of course you can always change your mind. Hope you do!

Go Gopher!

 

[Jack jones]

As I wrote elsewhere. A possible change to the portal that might help the Gophers. No Freshmen or transfer players receive ANY NIL MONEY THEIR FIRST YEAR. Not until they prove their worth. If the NIL money is really based on what the athlete can create on the playing field then first year players haven’t done crap this season. So why reward them? And any money they receive prior to competing is nothing more than a recruiting ploy. And can be policed to a certain extent.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

The 12 team playoff will actually allow for other schools to make the playoffs but honestly if winning a National title is important to you as a fan then you may as well just follow the top handful of teams because they are the only ones with a legit shot of winning it most years.

College football has always been extremely top heavy and the recent changes have seemingly just enhanced that disparity between the haves and the have nots.

I'm not a fan of the NIL/Pay for play BS, poaching, immediate eligibility, going into the portal the moment you don't get your way.....but in the end I am a Gopher football fan and I will keep following the team regardless of what is going on around them in college football.

Winning a national championship isn't the most important thing to me, but at least being in the conversation for B1G titles and the CFP every once in a while is.

Expanding the playoffs to 12 teams doesn't help the Gophers at all because of pay for play and the expansion of the B1G/SEC. Now you have 2 conferences filled with helmet schools with resources that the Minnesotas, Iowas, Wisconsins can't compete with.

Even if the Gophers, Iowas, or Wisconsins can make a run to 10 wins in the new conference, which is a much longer shot than before, you're still going to have helmet schools in the conference with similar records. If playoff spots #11 and #12 come down to MN, WI, or IA, vs Oregon, Penn St, Auburn, Texas, Oklahoma, or Texas A&M, all with similar records, who do you think they are going to choose?

I see the expanded playoffs being filled with mostly B1G and SEC helmet schools, with a couple more coming from the ACC, Big 12, G5/Old Pac12 combined. It will take radical changes to today's system to prevent this and give the Gophers any sort of chance to compete again in the future. But I don't see that happening anytime soon because $$$.

 

[WAGopher]

As I wrote elsewhere. A possible change to the portal that might help the Gophers. No Freshmen or transfer players receive ANY NIL MONEY THEIR FIRST YEAR. Not until they prove their worth. If the NIL money is really based on what the athlete can create on the playing field then first year players haven’t done crap this season. So why reward them? And any money they receive prior to competing is nothing more than a recruiting ploy. And can be policed to a certain extent.

Nice idea, but how will it be enforced? Could need an act of Congress, but they’d just screw it up.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Whoa whoa whoa. Losses don’t count if you say we’re a different team now. Games on the field don’t matter

They just aren't the only thing that matters to the committee.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

I've previously held the optimistic approach that NIL and the transfer portal will eventually work itself out, and the elimination of the B1G West and conference expansion won't be as detrimental to the sport as others have continually complained about.

But it's now pointless to remain a fan of Minnesota, or a fan of any other similar school that's not a helmet school. It's pointless to continue to invest time and money to a program that has no chance of competing. It's not a university problem, it's not a PJ problem, it's a college football problem.

I don't have a problem with NIL, players should be able to capitalize on their likeness. But NIL isn't the issue, pay for play is the issue. It has always been an issue, but it has become 1,000 times worse over the last few years than it has been in the past. Until pay for play is regulated to a fair playing field, there is no chance for the Gophers.

If you think expanding the playoffs will give more opportunity to other schools to compete, or make championship season more interesting, it won't. It just makes the regular season less important, and the SEC will still be favored for the final spots. Instead of 1 loss SEC teams getting in to the final 4, it'll be 4 loss SEC teams getting in over other conference teams with better records. If Minnesota wins 10 games again in a season and it's between them and an 8 or 9 win SEC team to make the playoffs, the SEC team will be in every single time.

Kudos to the fans still willing to invest time and money into this. You're better than me. But as of today, I am done with college football until there are significant changes to pay for play, the transfer portal, and the SEC media/money bias.

You are right - it's pay for play with all players free agents, as PJ said, and with no salary caps. Total anarchy, totally unfair. The Court, as it often does, tries to play noblesse oblige, by reaching down to liberate the little aggrieved people (remember Madalyn Murray O'Hair?), so the justices thought small amounts from "likeness" (face on game-day programs?) would be proper to help the little people (who already had full scholarships worth $40k to probably $90k). The Unintended results are classic - they are ruining the game and the truly insane NCAA decision to end sitting out a year for transfer has made it even worse - in fact, the two work together for ill. The situation is untenable and can't go on. Even in an age of anarchy, this situation cries out for reform, so the NCAA will have to revisit the portal and an effort will have to be made in the courts to restore sanity. Won't be easy, will take time, but will be worth the effort. So call your Congress person, write (not email) to the NCAA, ditto the BIG 10, your US Senators and even the justices on SCOTUS who wrote the opinion. Raise hell! That sometimes works.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Nice idea, but how will it be enforced? Could need an act of Congress, but they’d just screw it up.

It couldn't be enforced. If an outside entity is deciding when someone has proved their worth, it will be considered an unreasonable restraint on trade.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

You are right - it's pay for play with all players free agents, as PJ said, and with no salary caps. Total anarchy, totally unfair. The Court, as it often does, tries to play noblesse oblige, by reaching down to liberate the little aggrieved people (remember Madalyn Murray O'Hair?), so the justices thought small amounts from "likeness" (face on game-day programs?) would be proper to help the little people (who already had full scholarships worth $40k to probably $90k). The Unintended results are classic - they are ruining the game and the truly insane NCAA decision to end sitting out a year for transfer has made it even worse - in fact, the two work together for ill. The situation is untenable and can't go on. Even in an age of anarchy, this situation cries out for reform, so the NCAA will have to revisit the portal and an effort will have to be made in the courts to restore sanity. Won't be easy, will take time, but will be worth the effort. So call your Congress person, write (not email) to the NCAA, ditto the BIG 10, your US Senators and even the justices on SCOTUS who wrote the opinion. Raise hell! That sometimes works.

This isn't on any court. It's pretty clearly a restraint on trade. I completely agree with your first point though that the impact will be devastating for college football.

This would require a massive overhaul of our antitrust law with some sort of carved out exception for college athletics.

 

[MNGoph24]

I agree that Minnesota doesn't have a shot at any Big Ten titles or National Championships anymore. This was a long shot before and is even longer shot now. Like I said in another thread, basically all you can do now is hope they beat a rival every now and again, go to a lower bowl game, and win said bowl game.

Unless something dramatically changes, it's going to be mostly the same schools year in and year out, which I think will get boring and tiring at some point. Conferences need divisions, the transfer portal needs some tweaks, and I don't know what to do or how to handle the NIL stuff.

If they don't do something, I feel like there should almost be a separate division/level of college football (and even some other sports) for those top teams and let the places with less resources have their own division/level. I can't help, but feel the NCAA could risk interest waning at some point in the future (or even a generation or longer from now), especially with it being the same teams on top/in contention every year. Fans of other schools could starting to take little or no interest in their teams and, while the top might look good, the other 70-80+ teams not doing as well or losing interest is going to be a big problem.

This isn't like pro sports that there are less teams (as of now) than there are states in the United States in the NBA, NFL, NHL, etc. So, having a team to root for or even second team is much easier. With college, there's well over 100, multiple in many states (and rivals within those), and people might not be as enticed/as easy to root for another school/team as they would a pro team (unless they make like a Cinderella run or something). Thus, when their team is never in it and never going anywhere, it's going to make them much more likely to do other things with their time and money.

 

[SHGopher]

From non P5 viewpoint, Minnesota is the fat cat. It's not that bad. Really.

 

[DelawareGopher]

From non P5 viewpoint, Minnesota is the fat cat. It's not that bad. Really.

We’re like a small, unimpressive house in a rich neighborhood. Things are safe, predictable, affluent. But it’s clear where we sit in the pecking order.

 

[disco]

As I wrote elsewhere. A possible change to the portal that might help the Gophers. No Freshmen or transfer players receive ANY NIL MONEY THEIR FIRST YEAR. Not until they prove their worth. If the NIL money is really based on what the athlete can create on the playing field then first year players haven’t done crap this season. So why reward them? And any money they receive prior to competing is nothing more than a recruiting ploy. And can be policed to a certain extent.

Restraint of trade. Clearly goes against the SCOTUS ruling that made NIL allowed.
NIL isn't even prohibited for high school athletes.

 

[disco]

So we have a rebellion -- do I understand this right -- that non P5 teams shall be equal to Michigan now.

Be careful what you wish for.

I've been saying that for several years. The Sun Belt champions should have an equal spot in the playoffs to the B1G champions. Otherwise they're not playing for anything and there needs to be an official split.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

You are right - it's pay for play with all players free agents, as PJ said, and with no salary caps. Total anarchy, totally unfair. The Court, as it often does, tries to play noblesse oblige, by reaching down to liberate the little aggrieved people (remember Madalyn Murray O'Hair?), so the justices thought small amounts from "likeness" (face on game-day programs?) would be proper to help the little people (who already had full scholarships worth $40k to probably $90k). The Unintended results are classic - they are ruining the game and the truly insane NCAA decision to end sitting out a year for transfer has made it even worse - in fact, the two work together for ill. The situation is untenable and can't go on. Even in an age of anarchy, this situation cries out for reform, so the NCAA will have to revisit the portal and an effort will have to be made in the courts to restore sanity. Won't be easy, will take time, but will be worth the effort. So call your Congress person, write (not email) to the NCAA, ditto the BIG 10, your US Senators and even the justices on SCOTUS who wrote the opinion. Raise hell! That sometimes works.

There is no Supreme Court ruling on NIL per se, only restrictions on education-related costs

 

[7Gopher7]

Alabama just beat #1 lock Georgia, scrambling the world of football.

Alabama allegedly is unworthy of FSU's tournament spot. Really?

Yes really

 

[disco]

Yes really

Yes really.

 

[matt]

This isn't on any court. It's pretty clearly a restraint on trade. I completely agree with your first point though that the impact will be devastating for college football.

This would require a massive overhaul of our antitrust law with some sort of carved out exception for college athletics.

I don’t know what I’m talking about, but is it feasible that FSU could have a case against the NCAA for not being selected?

 

[btowngopher]

@DelawareGopher yes but it will go to 12 and then it will be better. No major conf champ will be left out.

When it went from 2 to 4 we’ve seen more blue bloods playing for the title. Back at 2 we got to see VT make it and nearly saw KSU as well.

 

[007gopherfan]

What about going to Division 1 A, AA, AAA,AAAA,AAAAA,AAAAAA like high schools keep developing. More playoffs, more NCAA championships.

NCAA has to step in on the conferences as you can't have a conference go from USC to Rutgers. Do we care at all about the STUDENT anymore? This will just be longer travel dates. Adjust conferences to travel and fairness, put the revenues from each conference to a central pot that gets spread evenly so all conferences can exist and be enjoyable for fan and students to travel and cheer for.
See my post on the hockey
https://gopherhole.com/boards/threa...en-so-new-hockey-conference-can-begin.113261/

Not sure how the NIL really works? Shedeur Sanders leads but his NIL has no affiliate to Colorado(Gatordate, Mercedez Benz, etc). Instead of Fleck complaining about NIL and not having enough, maybe he has to work with them to sell them or help them make a difference. Pretty sure if a QB or anyone came in here, works hard to sell, and takes MN to Big Ten title game, the NIL opportunities will be there on a national level. Look at Caitlin Clark with Iowa or Angel Reese with LSU. Also the more NIL, the more responsibilities and other consequences some never think about. Do they want to be followed, disturbed, watched 24/7 every where they go. To me really NIL is pretty much there for anyone if they want to work to get it, athlete or not. Youtube and other social media are basically an NIL resource to anyone.

 

[Jack jones]

I don’t know what I’m talking about, but is it feasible that FSU could have a case against the NCAA for not being selected?

What are you talking about?

 

[Tech Machine]

What about going to Division 1 A, AA, AAA,AAAA,AAAAA,AAAAAA like high schools keep developing. More playoffs, more NCAA championships.

NCAA has to step in on the conferences as you can't have a conference go from USC to Rutgers. Do we care at all about the STUDENT anymore? This will just be longer travel dates. Adjust conferences to travel and fairness, put the revenues from each conference to a central pot that gets spread evenly so all conferences can exist and be enjoyable for fan and students to travel and cheer for.
See my post on the hockey
https://gopherhole.com/boards/threa...en-so-new-hockey-conference-can-begin.113261/

Not sure how the NIL really works? Shedeur Sanders leads but his NIL has no affiliate to Colorado(Gatordate, Mercedez Benz, etc). Instead of Fleck complaining about NIL and not having enough, maybe he has to work with them to sell them or help them make a difference. Pretty sure if a QB or anyone came in here, works hard to sell, and takes MN to Big Ten title game, the NIL opportunities will be there on a national level. Look at Caitlin Clark with Iowa or Angel Reese with LSU. Also the more NIL, the more responsibilities and other consequences some never think about. Do they want to be followed, disturbed, watched 24/7 every where they go. To me really NIL is pretty much there for anyone if they want to work to get it, athlete or not. Youtube and other social media are basically an NIL resource to anyone.

Maybe Lund boats or some canoe or oar manufacturer. Of course I suppose he has all the rights to Row the Boat, he would have to put HIS money where his mouth is, or am I wrong.

 

[Some Day...Maybe]

I've previously held the optimistic approach that NIL and the transfer portal will eventually work itself out, and the elimination of the B1G West and conference expansion won't be as detrimental to the sport as others have continually complained about.

But it's now pointless to remain a fan of Minnesota, or a fan of any other similar school that's not a helmet school. It's pointless to continue to invest time and money to a program that has no chance of competing. It's not a university problem, it's not a PJ problem, it's a college football problem.

I don't have a problem with NIL, players should be able to capitalize on their likeness. But NIL isn't the issue, pay for play is the issue. It has always been an issue, but it has become 1,000 times worse over the last few years than it has been in the past. Until pay for play is regulated to a fair playing field, there is no chance for the Gophers.

If you think expanding the playoffs will give more opportunity to other schools to compete, or make championship season more interesting, it won't. It just makes the regular season less important, and the SEC will still be favored for the final spots. Instead of 1 loss SEC teams getting in to the final 4, it'll be 4 loss SEC teams getting in over other conference teams with better records. If Minnesota wins 10 games again in a season and it's between them and an 8 or 9 win SEC team to make the playoffs, the SEC team will be in every single time.

Kudos to the fans still willing to invest time and money into this. You're better than me. But as of today, I am done with college football until there are significant changes to pay for play, the transfer portal, and the SEC media/money bias.

I've previously held the optimistic approach that NIL and the transfer portal will eventually work itself out, and the elimination of the B1G West and conference expansion won't be as detrimental to the sport as others have continually complained about.

But it's now pointless to remain a fan of Minnesota, or a fan of any other similar school that's not a helmet school. It's pointless to continue to invest time and money to a program that has no chance of competing. It's not a university problem, it's not a PJ problem, it's a college football problem.

I don't have a problem with NIL, players should be able to capitalize on their likeness. But NIL isn't the issue, pay for play is the issue. It has always been an issue, but it has become 1,000 times worse over the last few years than it has been in the past. Until pay for play is regulated to a fair playing field, there is no chance for the Gophers.

If you think expanding the playoffs will give more opportunity to other schools to compete, or make championship season more interesting, it won't. It just makes the regular season less important, and the SEC will still be favored for the final spots. Instead of 1 loss SEC teams getting in to the final 4, it'll be 4 loss SEC teams getting in over other conference teams with better records. If Minnesota wins 10 games again in a season and it's between them and an 8 or 9 win SEC team to make the playoffs, the SEC team will be in every single time.

Kudos to the fans still willing to invest time and money into this. You're better than me. But as of today, I am done with college football until there are significant changes to pay for play, the transfer portal, and the SEC media/money bias.

 

[disco]

I don’t know what I’m talking about, but is it feasible that FSU could have a case against the NCAA for not being selected?

No, because this isn't an NCAA championship. The NCAA Division 1 football national championship is the FCS tournament.