I’ll start by acknowledging that change often brings on questions about whether said changes will have an adverse impact on fandom. There were probably some who argued that basketball would fade away when they eliminated the jump ball after every made basket.

College sports have also always had limited times for any specific player to be a part of the team…traditionally 3 to 4 years max, unless your name was Perry Ellis or Mitch Lightfoot.

But there was always a chance to watch players come in, grow, and have a history with the team. You could engage with the story of a star player of the moment and the promising prospect coming up behind him.

But now with an unfettered portal and free-for-all NIL, we’re coming closer to a situation where college sports is essentially pro ball with one-year “contracts”. Even the NFL doesn’t have that.

Some argue that players have been “exploited” and think they should basically get it all. While I’d agree some reform is good I don’t agree with that base premise, but there’s also the question of the long-term health of the sport.

Coaches and top-level administrators get theirs.
Players increasingly get theirs.
Agents increasingly get theirs.
Lawyers increasingly get theirs.

Fans? Well…

It may be a curmudgeonly perspective, but I think that if things keep going down this path, even those who have continued to be engaged with college sports up to now will start becoming apathetic.

(06-03-2023 02:52 PM)BewareThePhog Wrote:  I’ll start by acknowledging that change often brings on questions about whether said changes will have an adverse impact on fandom. There were probably some who argued that basketball would fade away when they eliminated the jump ball after every made basket.

College sports have also always had limited times for any specific player to be a part of the team…traditionally 3 to 4 years max, unless your name was Perry Ellis or Mitch Lightfoot.

But there was always a chance to watch players come in, grow, and have a history with the team. You could engage with the story of a star player of the moment and the promising prospect coming up behind him.

But now with an unfettered portal and free-for-all NIL, we’re coming closer to a situation where college sports is essentially pro ball with one-year “contracts”. Even the NFL doesn’t have that.

Some argue that players have been “exploited” and think they should basically get it all. While I’d agree some reform is good I don’t agree with that base premise, but there’s also the question of the long-term health of the sport.

Coaches and top-level administrators get theirs.
Players increasingly get theirs.
Agents increasingly get theirs.
Lawyers increasingly get theirs.

Fans? Well…

It may be a curmudgeonly perspective, but I think that if things keep going down this path, even those who have continued to be engaged with college sports up to now will start becoming apathetic.

The portal won't affect every player. But the one and done at KU, UK, Duke and UNC is a negative. I just don't see the portal being more than one or two players a year in a typical year (at least among players in the 7-10 player rotation) New coach, yes, it changes a lot.

People said the same things about pro sports and free agency and how players don’t spend the or whole careers in one place. It didn’t happen. If anything, free agency and trade deadline dates for the NFL, NBA and MLB are among the most followed and anticipated days of the year in terms of fan engagement. They’re the *opposite* of apathy.

To that point, there was an interview with Oliver Luck a few weeks ago where he made the great point that the transfer portal has had college football inadvertently stumble onto what the NFL does so well: turn the sport into a 365/24/7 sport in terms of fan engagement as opposed to a 3-month sport. Speaking for myself, I pay way more attention to the college football and basketball movements in the offseason as a result of the transfer portal.

Also, consider this past week with the numerous college basketball stars that pulled out of the NBA Draft and returned to their college teams for another year. That is only possible through NIL compensation. In the pre-NIL era, pretty much all of those players would have stayed in the draft even for non-guaranteed second round draft pick contracts. NIL is tipping those that would get picked from 30 to 60 the draft more towards staying in college, which is actually a good thing for continuity. The superstar first round picks are still going to leave, but a lot of high level players are increasingly staying in college for longer because NIL is making it worthwhile.

(06-03-2023 03:06 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(06-03-2023 02:52 PM)BewareThePhog Wrote:  I’ll start by acknowledging that change often brings on questions about whether said changes will have an adverse impact on fandom. There were probably some who argued that basketball would fade away when they eliminated the jump ball after every made basket.

College sports have also always had limited times for any specific player to be a part of the team…traditionally 3 to 4 years max, unless your name was Perry Ellis or Mitch Lightfoot.

But there was always a chance to watch players come in, grow, and have a history with the team. You could engage with the story of a star player of the moment and the promising prospect coming up behind him.

But now with an unfettered portal and free-for-all NIL, we’re coming closer to a situation where college sports is essentially pro ball with one-year “contracts”. Even the NFL doesn’t have that.

Some argue that players have been “exploited” and think they should basically get it all. While I’d agree some reform is good I don’t agree with that base premise, but there’s also the question of the long-term health of the sport.

Coaches and top-level administrators get theirs.
Players increasingly get theirs.
Agents increasingly get theirs.
Lawyers increasingly get theirs.

Fans? Well…

It may be a curmudgeonly perspective, but I think that if things keep going down this path, even those who have continued to be engaged with college sports up to now will start becoming apathetic.

The portal won't affect every player. But the one and done at KU, UK, Duke and UNC is a negative. I just don't see the portal being more than one or two players a year in a typical year (at least among players in the 7-10 player rotation) New coach, yes, it changes a lot.

Good points, and it also likely will have a more significant impact on basketball than football. Perhaps some stability is closer than I’d imagine, but at least in the short term I’m a little skeptical.

I totally understand the concern. Great points made by both sides.

(06-04-2023 09:05 AM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I totally understand the concern. Great points made by both sides.

NIL - positive
current set-up of the transfer portal - negative

I think the blue bloods and the schools that got the 1 and dones, won't get hurt by the portal but I think of the schools that continue to recruit 8 a year and bolt, will. A lot of students won't have the personal connection with the graduate transfer as they would someone that play intramurals or was on the same dorm floor. I think attendance will suffer at the low to mid majors.