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(10-03-2019 09:20 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(10-03-2019 08:51 AM)cmhcat Wrote:  Let's see, how might this work...for example a "school" like, say, Louisville, will recruit like this: Identify prospect, have him meet with Joe Car Dealer donor. In exchange for Car dealer donor to have rights to display picture of recruit in his showroom he pays recruit whatever his previous highest bid has been plus whatever...let's just say in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Every player will have a price to sign. Some may be insignificant but others will be huge. It may be free market (surprised Newsome would be for this) but it simply turns college sports totally professional and maybe worse. What is the point of a college sponsoring a professional football or basketball team?

I think you are blowing this WAY out of proportion...there is no chance that Joe Somebody, a 3* OT from Stebuenville, OH will be out there searching for sponsorship deals, because he ain't worth it, same as the #101 rated basketball recruit from BFN Iowa. This is only going to likely impact the recruitment of say, 100 football players and 60 or so basketball players every year...and we aren't getting those guys anyways (just like 90% of the colleges in the country anyways). Plus, what you fail to notice is that there is no way in hell the numbers you're throwing out would be used for High Schoolers outside of the Top 10 or so kids in each class for football, and any particularly nationally recognizable basketball recruits. Brian Bowen (who you're referencing by the Louisville comment) was paid for by a rogue agent with ties Adidas, one of the largest sporting equipment and apparel brands in the world, not some car dealer down in Bardstown. 90% of the companies in the pockets of colleges can't afford, or wouldn't pay for, a high schooler to play a sport. Skyline isn't going to cut a $50,000 a year check to Desmond Ridder to eat a coney...let's be real here. We're talking about maybe numbers in the $1,000-$10,000 range at most for all but the most highly 'promotable' assets (Tua, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields etc.)

It's been going on for years but under the table. Now it's legal and there is no risk to the university for infractions. I'm not talking about companies like Skyline actually expecting to use the likeness or whatever to make money--that might happen. What I'm saying is Joe Somebody will have several offers and there will be bidding from well heeled donors and he will go for the best offer. It's simply professional and I don't know why colleges should be sponsoring professional teams. The amount of money is irrelevant. I used Louisville simply because, in my opinion, they represent the nadir of corruption in college sports.