Op-Ed: Transfer portal and NIL deals are part of college football's "Wild, Wild West" landscape
I know, this is just an ol’ sports guy turned, whatever, and needing a chance to vent while wondering, “What the hell has been created in college football?”
The metal stake driven deep into the heart of a guy who enjoyed decades of covering the sport through being the “Buff Guy” for KCNC-TV in Denver, still can’t get over a phrase recently uttered. It came from Sports Illustrated’s 2023 “Sportsperson of the Year.” We know him as Coach Prime, AKA Deion Sanders, ring leader of the Buffs.
The NFL Hall-of-Famer just completed season one of the program’s much-desired attempt to return to relevance. The first season has been well documented here, and everywhere else, and in no need of regurgitation. What ran over thy soul like Ralphie making the turn and heading northward at Folsom? Sanders speaking about the transfer portal and its possibilities, says, “Hey, we need to realize, these kids cost money.”
Ain’t that the truth? Holy cow. The world of college football has turned on its head in the past half century. Let me try and explain.
Your correspondent went to Mizzou on a football/baseball scholarship back in 1976. Full ride. Nice. Everything paid for. Also, this athletic dude and everybody else received, I think this is correct, about $5/month for laundry. That’s it. Nobody really complained that can be recalled. There had always been rumblings some schools paid athletes and offered cars and such but, it was certainly the exception to the rule.
This ol’ jock shakes his head in amazement to what the game has become today. You have coaches, Sanders ain’t alone, coming right out in front of everyone and saying, “It’s gonna take $1.5 to $2-million bucks to get a quality quarterback in the portal.” Wow. Really, is this what the game has become? Yep.
I’m all for paying athletes but this NIL stuff has gotten way out of control. Had a great conversation the other day with a guy who has been the head (mental) coach of college football coaches for about 20 years. “Some of my guys just don’t have the resources available with the school’s alum base (NIL drivers) to compete. They develop talent and it leaves for greener financial pastures.” Just one guy’s opinion, but. Where’s the NCAA in all this? The horse has left the barn and ain’t coming back.
Speaking of buddies, a few of mine and your scribe were watching the SEC Championship Game. Great game, except for the nominating committee. Alabama’s upset of Georgia turned selecting the best four advancing into a no-win situation. One chap googled the current top 25 teams. We were doing some research to answer the question, “How many schools currently in the top 25 have the financial clout in their alums, business connections and other potential revenue sources to play this crazy game?”
Granted, it’s a small sample, Three pals scarfing down pizza and watching football but we came up with, maybe, 15 schools who can, at this time, realistically step into that arena and compete. Is this good for the sport? Maybe, realistically, it’s been this way for quite some time?
Anyway, it’s crazy time in college football. It makes me think of CU athletic director Rick George. I really respect this guy. We got to know each other long ago in 1988. It was my first year covering the Buffs for what is now CBS Colorado and George was Bill McCartney’s recruiting coordinator. We got to know each other pretty well. A few months ago, at some Buff event, we chatted a bit about this. George with a big smile on his face, the competitive juices are cooking in this new era, announced, “It’s the Wild, Wild West.” Amen brother.
My brain zips to the great players of the early 1990’s. So many. Eric Bieniemy, Alfred Williams, Darian Hagan, Mike Pritchard and Kordell Stewart to name just five. What kind of NIL money do you think those fellas would have secured? Big personalities too. Marketable.
College football. Wow, 50 years of observing up close and personal, what a transformation. Good or bad? We’ll see. This much I know, it’s gonna be interesting to document.