Happy Memorial Day weekend to all! This is definitely a special time on our calendar. We reflect on our loved ones, and all they meant to us during their lifetimes. We also, unofficially, move ourselves into the summer season.
Oh my goodness.... just what has happened, dear readers in Our Town and far beyond, in college athletics over the last year or so? Simply put, up is down and down is up. We have always been told the "only thing constant in life is change", but this is over-the-top ridiculous, Captain Obvious! My beloved bride, Lady Deborah, told me "We have gone from the absurd to the absurd" in our thinking. Almost everyone who has followed college-level athletics for a long time (like me !) have thought university-level student-athletes were under compensated. These athletes have been major fund-raisers for hundreds of colleges for many years, throughout Our Great Country. Way back in the day, in addition to their student tuition being paid, along with room and board, if they were on full college scholarships, they usually received a few extra dollars each month for laundry expenses, etc., while they produced millions of $$ for their universities via their athletic efforts. Back then, they also usually worked hard in the summers to earn extra money, while spending some time during those hot months, attempting to keep themselves in good physical shape by regularly working out. Of course, the NCAA has been the policing agency responsible for attempting to make sure the student-athletes were not being grossly overpaid, or bribed with money or gifts, involving a university member institution. Did this overseeing/enforcement method work over the years? Usually, I believe would be the most correct answer. There have always been situations where gross offenders would be investigated and charged with a plethora of offenses, but it usually all boiled down to cheating at some level in order to try to recruit or retain the best athletes for their member school. Unfortunately, not all universities and their wealthy alumni correctly behaved by the NCAA's rules.
Fast forward to today.
Now we have NIL for athletes. For those of you who have been living in a cave or underground regarding college athletics the last year or so, NIL stands for name, image or likeness. So, what does that mean, sports fans? That means college athletes may be compensated enormous amounts of money or gifts because of their NIL. The amateur athletic world has gone from full college scholarships to possibly winning small lotteries for talented ( or potentially talented ?) athletes. This is mostly being played out daily with NCAA Division-1 football players, since football usually (metaphorically) drives the college money-train for most member schools. College men's basketball players follow their football buddies in the NIL money-parade, and assorted sport's outstanding athletes are next in line. The real "sugar daddies" when all the money layers are stripped away are the media mega-corporations. Under it all, they dictate which schools will get the most air time and potential viewing audiences. And, of course, fewer quality athletes on a school team, less winning success, and that equals less media coverage and less money $ for that member school.
As if NIL isn't earth-shattering enough, the entire athletic community is also trying to deal with the unbelievable transfer portal aspect. This incredible twist allows disgruntled/dissatisfied college student-athletes the ability to transfer once from one school to another without sitting out and delaying their playing time. With this new rule, head college coaches all over our vast country may go to bed one night, totally unaware the next day their star athlete is no longer on their team. In plain talk, overnight, their athlete has flown the coup! How stressful is that issue to college athletic coaching staffs? Several times daily now, some influential sports individual will express his or her negative opinions of both the out-of-control NIL and transfer portal systems.
What an absolutely crazy merry-go-round current college athletics are experiencing. Pop more popcorn, get an ice cold drink, and enjoy the ride, sports fans, It certainly is NOT for the faint of heart!
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