Nick Saban says Bama QB Bryce Young has already gotten close to 7 figures in NIL deals

Well, one thing to think about is we can all name a highly touted high school recruit who flops in college and drops into obscurity. It happens all the time, and I think that's all it will take to quell the huge NIL deals before a player has seen significant play.

Like, say this Alabama QB is a total flop, that's 7 figures of pay down the drain for the sponsors. That's a mistake that will only be made once, and IMO it's a matter of when not if.

Really depends on a lot. All you need is one Bezos or Musk....where that million dollar contract is a drop in the bucket to the donor.
 

Idk. Maybe you're right. Maybe teams like Alabama have such a glut of talent....that five star players coming in may be passed over by donors. Maybe going to a team where they'd be the lone superstar would be the most beneficial.

It's going to be very interesting. But Miami already has someone ready to pay ALL scholarship players a monthly stipend. Think that would have been a better uniform situation across the entire NCAA.....but they drug their feet and completely blew it.
I think this only works to an extent. it's lone superstar at a team that still has a donor/fan base willing to pay you up front. otherwise you have to go there and become the star and "earn" that money that may never come because, once you're signed, what incentive do they have? unless now kids are going to have the ability to say to the coach, "hey drum up some money or i'm transferring at season's end".
 


If people think giving players the opportunity to earn their fair market value is ruining the sport, perhaps there was something wrong with the sport all along.
 

If people think giving players the opportunity to earn their fair market value is ruining the sport, perhaps there was something wrong with the sport all along.
The whole system is wonky as hell.

The downside tho is that a long term outcome might be less opportunity for the same volume of players.

Other professional sports, economics ... we've found time and again if you just let the highest bidder take all the overall outcome for everyone can be worse.
 


The competitive balance in college sports tilts majorly towards the haves.
Alabama was already getting these guys. They had this guy, right?

There are probably 40-50 guys in the country, every year, who can help you win a national title. You need to get a fair share of those guys consistently, to be in contention each year.


The top 4-5 programs were already getting almost all of those guys every year. So now .......... they'll continue getting almost all of those guys?


It's no different than how it was.
 

Here's another angle to think about:

Can a company — I'll use Nike again as an example — sign a kid to a contract before the kid commits to a college?

In that scenario, if Nike signs a player to a big-bucks contract, might Nike write it in to the contract that the kid must make his college choice based on whose shoes and jerseys the school wears?

"You can't go to School X because they have a contract with Reebok. Here's your list of Nike-approved schools. Pick one of those."
This was (is) already happening in college basketball, under the table.

At least bring it over the table, for the public to see. Is what it is.
 

I don't pretend to have studied this enough to have an overall opinion on long-term impacts, but here's a couple quick reactions to points in this thread:
  1. You can't compare this situation to the NFL at all. The salary cap, revenue sharing, and the draft are the basis for parity in the NFL -- and even then you have some franchises languishing towards the bottom every year. With unlimited spending and recruiting rather than a draft, I can't see how these NCAA changes lead to more parity rather than much, much less.
  2. I disagree with the point about a player wanting to go to a less competitive team to "cash in" right away vs. sitting the bench. I think the case in point is this Alabama QB. Would you rather go to MN to start right away but pull in only $50k per year (making that up, but it seems reasonable) in NIL money or go to Bama, sit the bench for two years, but pull almost $1 million in one year as the presumed starter?
I agree with those who are very worried about this, but there's nothing we can do but see how it plays out. I still believe Fleck is one of the best leaders in CFB, so if anyone among the "have nots" can make the best of this situation, he's the guy to do it.
 

Like, say this Alabama QB is a total flop, that's 7 figures of pay down the drain for the sponsors.
But is it??

Ostensibly, they aren't hiring this young man because they want Alabama to win football games. They're hiring him as a highly recognizable, public figure, that will influence people to buy their products.

People that that state worship whoever the Tide QB is at the time. Right?
 



  1. I disagree with the point about a player wanting to go to a less competitive team to "cash in" right away vs. sitting the bench. I think the case in point is this Alabama QB. Would you rather go to MN to start right away but pull in only $50k per year (making that up, but it seems reasonable) in NIL money or go to Bama, sit the bench for two years, but pull almost $1 million in one year as the presumed starter?
Good argument.

But I think this will just be another factor in the decisions. At the end of the day, you're talking about one guy per class, roughly, who gets to (one day) cash in on this Tide QB deal.

Gophers have and were never going to get that player to come to Minnesota, in the old way or the new way, so it really shouldn't matter that much to us.
 

The funny thing (to me) will be - like someone suggested in this thread - when major donors/boosters at the desperate programs (Texas, Tennessee, Nebraska, Miami, etc.) shell out millions of dollars to lure in the best players they can ..................... only to keep right on losing how they've been losing the big games.

:ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 

^^ there has always been at least something to the argument of not wanting these super-star guys who think they have it made in the shade and thus aren't motivated to work hard and think they deserve to start right away and win every game because they're god's gift to the world.

Signing them up for six/seven(!) figure NIL deals right out the gate, might only make things worse in that regard.


I've always said: give me the kids who are hungry to prove they belong in the Big Ten and want to play for Minnesota.

I'll take my chances with them.
 




I agree with those who are very worried about this, but there's nothing we can do but see how it plays out. I still believe Fleck is one of the best leaders in CFB, so if anyone among the "have nots" can make the best of this situation, he's the guy to do it.
I agree with 1 and 2 of your post as well, but this is a great thought. We'd be screwed with Kill/Claeys.
 

I think this only works to an extent. it's lone superstar at a team that still has a donor/fan base willing to pay you up front. otherwise you have to go there and become the star and "earn" that money that may never come because, once you're signed, what incentive do they have? unless now kids are going to have the ability to say to the coach, "hey drum up some money or i'm transferring at season's end".
And if I'm a coach and a kid comes up to me and says that I tell them to not let the door hit them on the way out.

It is going to be the wild west for a little bit here until this all gets sorted out but eventually I think it will balance out. Cases like the Alabama QB are going to be few and far between and there will only be a handful of players that can truly "cash in" on this in football. The kid was already there anyway and those top schools are already getting these top players anyway.

There is a flip side to this that you see in pro sports all the time when you get the players who are just after the money and don't give a crap about the team. Those guys tend to be more trouble then they are worth and can end up hurting a team far more than they help it.

I'll take that next tier guy who wants to compete over the ego maniac superstar anyday.
 

The University of Minnesota being placed in a top 15 media market likely will help bring better student athletes to the school.
 

And if I'm a coach and a kid comes up to me and says that I tell them to not let the door hit them on the way out.

It is going to be the wild west for a little bit here until this all gets sorted out but eventually I think it will balance out. Cases like the Alabama QB are going to be few and far between and there will only be a handful of players that can truly "cash in" on this in football. The kid was already there anyway and those top schools are already getting these top players anyway.

There is a flip side to this that you see in pro sports all the time when you get the players who are just after the money and don't give a crap about the team. Those guys tend to be more trouble then they are worth and can end up hurting a team far more than they help it.

I'll take that next tier guy who wants to compete over the ego maniac superstar anyday.
What if he’s your star QB and you had a 7-5 year last year now with donors breathing down the neck of the administration that that’s not acceptable? What if you may be fired if you don’t turn up an 9-3 season and you feel like you need him? We’re going to see some bizarre things with this shift
 


Go Gophers!!
I calling BS. There are that many idiots that will sponsor a high school kid that has not even played a snap? There are so many complications with sponsorships and legal things plus no president for what is going on.
 

I calling BS. There are that many idiots that will sponsor a high school kid that has not even played a snap? There are so many complications with sponsorships and legal things plus no president for what is going on.
Could be a recruiting ploy by Saban.
 


Don’t understand why people making money bothers other people so much.

It will calm down a little. Like when this kid gets benched game two some companies will wise up and play wait and see a bit more

Goes to show that being a starter for a top CFB brand is more valuable than being an nfl role player considering most nfl players don’t have 6 figures in endorsements
No prob. But can we give their tuition scholarship to someone else now? You know, someone who actually wants to get an education.
 

I think we'll see alumni with deep pockets trying to buy a national championship. Look how much money people will spend for a brief trip to space.
 

No prob. But can we give their tuition scholarship to someone else now? You know, someone who actually wants to get an education.
Or we could not give the scholarship and most schools could quit subsidizing athletics
 

The University of Minnesota being placed in a top 15 media market likely will help bring better student athletes to the school.
I think this is wishful thinking. The fact is Minnesota doesn’t have big money boosters like many other programs and they are the ones paying these kids through their businesses.
 

I think this is wishful thinking. The fact is Minnesota doesn’t have big money boosters like many other programs and they are the ones paying these kids through their businesses.
Possibly but it's going to be the wild, wild west.
 

Will the coaches help the players get deals, will that be allowed? If so, I'm thinking PJ might be a hell of a spokesperson on my behalf.
 

I dont think there will be anything left for a rule violation. I think this is too much money too fast, some of these kids are going to harrassed by family members, etc, to get in on the payday. Players now getting big bucks to mention some business on twitter. Do the pros have these types of deals? it will just be a disguise for some schools to pay their players. Imagine some big buck alumni,, paying the star QB to do an autograph signing at their car dealership for a million dollars. How long will it take for a university to suspend some player for tax evasion when the IRS starts investigating these guys. Some of these players are going to get a lot of dough now and have lots of problems later., just my 2 cents worth.
Some are going to go broke sooner than later. The IRS will be very busy.
 

Will the coaches help the players get deals, will that be allowed? If so, I'm thinking PJ might be a hell of a spokesperson on my behalf.
The NCAA guidelines don’t allow the schools to be involved in securing NIL opportunities for student athletes.
 

Would Bateman really have stayed with us if Georgia was able to come not just with a late scholly offer, but a legitimate offer of a 6 figure yearly salary?
First of all, this has nothing to do with what I was talking about. I was talking about the top 4-5 programs getting almost all the 5* guys anyway. They did, and they'll continue to.

As to your question: no idea. It's a new wrinkle for sure.
 

First of all, this has nothing to do with what I was talking about. I was talking about the top 4-5 programs getting almost all the 5* guys anyway. They did, and they'll continue to.

As to your question: no idea. It's a new wrinkle for sure.
It's spot-on what you were talking about. You said, "It's no different than how it was." The Bateman example was meant to show that it could easily be different. Those schools get all the 5*s but they also fill out their classes with 4*s as well. And now they can offer financial opportunities to get the few 4*s that we are thrilled to get.
 




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