At first I was amused by what was happening to y’all
But after almost every player is in the portal, now I wonder how many teams could lose all their talent. There’s nothing preventing an entire team from just transferring, and a good program can go to nothing in the blink of an eye.
If this trend continues, fan bases are just going to dry up and I don’t see how any rules changes will get them back quickly. I think the ncaa will act too late before this starts happening. Hope you guys can get up off the mat, could happen to any team that doesn’t have a billionaire funding NLI money.
51 Replies
2y
I haven't watched any kind of college game in 4+ years. I'm not coming back, and I'm not alone. I will enjoy watching this system that greed built collapse...I don't know when it will occur, but it's bound to happen, eventually.
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)
2y
Professional sports leagues with at least a framework of reasonable standards and rules for how players are drafted, paid, managed, etc. There’s basically a level playing field.
It’s the exact opposite in college sports right now: rampant corruption, no salary caps, no accountability, no free agency, no ability to reasonably manage a roster. Schools with big $$ boosters can literally just buy an entire elite basketball team right now. There’s absolutely no rule preventing them from doing it, so they are doing it. It must drive college coaches absolutely crazy. It’s definitely decreasing my interest as a fan. It’s simply a worse product now that money was allowed to drive literally everything.
(In response to this post by MP4VT2004)
2y
(In response to this post by Zanderhokie)
2y
UConn just built a new team after last year and won again. Plenty of money and a good coach to put the pieces together is the new system for building a winner.
(In response to this post by MP4VT2004)
2y
I had no idea UCONN won it last year. The last time I watched a basketball game, James Johnson was coaching at VT.
(In response to this post by atlhokie1)
2y
Their business model is so screwed up that they lost 9-0 at the Supreme Court. Like seriously, think about that, THIS court unanimously sided with labor. How many other unanimous pro-labor decisions have they come up with?
The previous paradigm is cooked, done for, 100%. All of this thrashing around is trying to find a new quiescent point to operate at. If you ask me, it's going to be the pro model, paid players, collective bargaining for labor to get the antitrust exemption, etc. It's just going to take some time to get there. But, in the future it's going to be like a 2-sentence summary in the history books, the Alston decision in 2021, the new system in 2027 or whatever year it happens.
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)
2y
some initiative.
forget the acc: it's just a short matter of time before the obit is published).
forget the ncaa: they are and have been the money sucking enemy for decades.
come on President Sands: the 'protest' board of visitors' (bov) glamor-op is history;
VT's categorical rates of matriculation have been raised.
re-focus with the help of the Pamplin College - and get the bovs' support - and lead
these slaves out of Egypt.
put together a conference of other presidents, deans, governors, etc who want to see
real change in college amateur athletics for the good of all. throw off the bonds and
shackles of selfish greed and "i'm in it for only #1" philosophy.
Go Hokies! Ut Prosim. Invent the Future. We are Virginia Tech. Actuate Pylons
(In response to this post by Synaesthesia)
S
Squatro
2y
The recent proposal that is circulating for a pro league seems like a pretty good one. Pretty clear the P2 are not going to go for it. So all the other P5 schools should do it, and eventually there will be a merger. Think of the AFL and NFL. Seems like the only reasonable option.
It would be a shame if sports that we have all come to love are destroyed instead. But it might happen.
(In response to this post by Synaesthesia)
V
vtfin91
2y
massive payday opened vt team's eyes to it, but as you can see this is now resonating with all. The change from 6 months ago is that the pay is growing rapidly. Who is uva's most valuable guy? Let's say your collective offers him 400k for next season - great, but someone else may come along, overpay to $600k, and he's gone.
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)
2y
literally won't know more than~1-2 starters from one year to the next. Arkansas will go from 0 players to an nba-lite team within 5 weeks. I feel for coaches that rely on any "system" experience, especially at mid-tiers or programs w/o a sugar daddy.
(In response to this post by vtfin91)
CMY is punching above his NIL weight so he's great as far as I'm concerned.
(In response to this post by VT757to276)
2y
By eliminating 20-25 teams from any national championship consideration automatically...it could decrease the intenstiy and interest of millions of fans from those teams (and regions of the country)!
That affects TV viewers/ratings and corporate dollars/investment in the future.
And also affects NIL at those schools.
I for one do NOT care in the least about the SEC and Big 10 when they will force it upon the whole nation as the only football seen natinonally.
And I will not care a lick about watching UVA if they get in one of the big 2 conferences (and we don't) with all the money and TV exposure in our media market.
This will backfire on ESPN !!
** Edited by PennaHokie at 4/10/2024, 2:19:26 PM
** Edited by PennaHokie at 4/10/2024, 2:20:15 PM
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)
2y
an element to March Madness, at this point, that is too big to fail.
However, the big TV contracts for reg season games? Feels like a bubble that could pop a bit. Cable subscribers go down every day. At the least, college sports seem prime and ready for a recession.
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)
Any team, any year can lose most of their players
until NIL gets heavily regulated which it needs in a big way. I understand the players perspective as for a lot of them NIL is the biggest payday they will see in their lives. As an example, Tyler Nickel is not a pro prospect - at least not in my opinion - but if some school is willing to pay him six figures - and more than what we pay him - then he is a fool not to at least listen to the offer. Tyler might make six figures in his lifetime - and I think he will doing something other than playing basketball - but not at his young age.
Yes, we lost a lot of players - some good players but not all-stars by any means - but playing time is still a wild card in our back pocket and there are only so much playing time available so I feel confident we will restock the roster. Probably with good, decent players but again, not all-stars. Our dearth of NIL funds will keep us from getting some of the best players.
But forget about the NCAA doing anything as the conferences control the purse strings and the judicial system has defanged the NCAA. The only thing the NCAA does - and they do it very well - is run post-season tournaments.
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)
2y
Leon Bond III hit the portal. He’s basically a 6’5 4 right now and has a long way to go to being a 3 at the P5 level. Good athlete and motor but is a year or two at least away from being a true impact ACC player.
Other two are Dante Harris and Andrew Rohde. Harris is being recruited over in the portal and has a freshman who will get minutes at PG (Christian Bliss). Rohde is the same issue - struggling to be an impact 2/3 at uva. Both are not in but they are still rumored with Harris more likely of the two.
Most expect Beekman and Dunn are both gone so uva will lose at 3, likely 4 at this point. Obviously subject to change.
They will bring in a 1 and a 4, possibly another 4/5 shooter like Jake Groves.
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
2y
the guy enough to fully see what he can do. I can't disparage Bennett at all; the man wins. But....his philosophy/ reasoning for hoo plays and hoo doesn't is (at times) mind boggling.
(In response to this post by wahoo2023)
2y
Very casual …many waiting to get interested for the tournament.. if their new team is good…
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)
2y
no buy in, cut on the screen to be entertained.
(In response to this post by VT757to276)
V
Va AandM
2y
Here is one bi-partisao proposal that is still stuck in committee. If it was law, Amoore and Pedulla are still gone but underclassman could not move around each year.
In the The Protecting Athletes, Schools and Sports Act of 2023
'Sens. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., have introduced the Protecting Athletes, Schools, and Sports Act of 2023, which contrasts with The College Athlete Economic Freedom Act introduced by Senator Murphy and Representative Trahan in that it includes specific protections for universities, with some prohibitions on NIL activity and limitations on transferring.
This legislation is endorsed by NCAA President Charlie Baker, in addition to university presidents from West Virginia, Auburn, Alabama and Notre Dame, as well as the Big 12 Conference and the Southeastern Conference. Limitation on Transferring
A unique provision of this piece of legislation is a limitation on transferring which doesn’t allow transfer without penalty until an athlete has completed their first three years of athletic eligibility, subject to a few exceptions"
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)
Wouldn’t this also be successfully challenged in court?
(In response to this post by Va AandM)
2y
org policy is challenged as to whether or not it is in line with the law. Courts are ruling that the NCAA's rules are not in line with the law.
legislation is challenged on whether the legislating body has the authority to make the legislation. You really can't challenge the substance of the legislation, only whether it is something that body can legislate. If it is, they make the law. There is definitely a question of what authority Congress would have to legislate college sports.
A lot of people want to compare college sports to pro sports, the difference is that pro sports have players unions who have collectively bargained the rules. Thus, they have agreed to be bound by those rules. College athletes get no say in the rules, thus the reason courts are continuously overturning the rules. Unfortunately, the only solution is either federal regulation (worst case possible and likely to be overturned based on a lack of authority) or by the athletes unionizing and collectively bargaining rules that govern their relationship with the governing body, which would be interesting given the balance of big money stars to real students that exists (right now a small minority is driving the bus).
(In response to this post by Femoyer Hokie)
What's happening to college sports is not good for the sport &
not sustainable. It will either end in a few power schools having all the money & power, or result in a great reset of college athletics.
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)
2y
And IMHO, if it's good for the student athlete, it's good for the sport.
(In response to this post by UpstateSCHokie)
Student athlete- what a joke
(In response to this post by YBYSAIAHokie)
You might as well remove the term "student athlete" because they are
now paid professionals.
(In response to this post by YBYSAIAHokie)
2y
schools start cutting programs like Wrestling and Soccer to funnel that money to the two main sports (it already happens, but I can see further consolidation of athletic programs).
(In response to this post by YBYSAIAHokie)
2y
(In response to this post by HokieBrazil)
2y
schools where there has been a shift in the destination of donations from the school to NIL. If schools are receiving less donations because more money is going to NIL, then eventually it will catch up to the schools particularly if the schools can't offset the loss in donations in other areas (i.e. TV revenue).
(In response to this post by YBYSAIAHokie)
2y
Let's be real - they aren't getting the best education.
(In response to this post by YBYSAIAHokie)
2y
some may get processed out to make room for transfers, and it may happen so late (especially with the later portal windows) that players won't be able to find a place to play. It's good for the top teams and top players at the expense of everyone else.
** Edited by BROman Hokie at 4/10/2024, 11:37:32 AM
(In response to this post by YBYSAIAHokie)
2y
when they have huge loss of revenue from football and basketball that enables the other sports to exist.
It enriches a tiny number of football and basketball players, for the vast majority there is no real benefit right now and lots of risk of losing what benefit they do have an the opportunity to play their sport.
(In response to this post by YBYSAIAHokie)
M
Marooned
2y
You may have a goose for supper; but you’re going to miss those golden eggs.
(In response to this post by Vienna_Hokie)
2y
And then the money.
There are several other sports to follow where the disappointment and lack of connection with rotating rosters isn’t really an issue.
(In response to this post by YBYSAIAHokie)
It won't be good for the athlete if it destroys the game...
... and there are ways for it to be good for the athlete while still having rules and structures (see the NFL). Right now its just the wild west where anything goes.
(In response to this post by YBYSAIAHokie)
2y
The vast majority can adapt all they want, they don't and won't have the resources to compete.
There is a reason professional sports leagues have tampering rules, standard contracts, revenue sharing models, etc. They understand that a franchise that has no ability to compete is lost opportunity and too many bring down interest in the whole product.
I've been teetering on the edge of interest the last few years. When we have a good team, I'll keep up with them, watch a few games, etc. But when we don't, I just don't care. I watched maybe 2 regular season CFB games and our bowl game live this year and maybe one basketball game until Thu/Fri of the NCAAT. Didn't watch a game after that in either sport.
The last month has put me over the edge. I'm basically out. We know how this ends, with Pry either gone to a P2 job or staying because we're a mediocre, middle pack team. We're not going to lose MY, because he's mediocre, and that's pretty much the best we can hope for, a mediocre coach that isn't too successful regularly so that someone steals him/her. Screw that. College sports just landed on my pay no mind list with the NFL and NBA.
(In response to this post by HokiesACC2004)
2y
And ESPN (and Fox Sports) has done a HUGE overreach here.
It will hurt their bottom line...$$$$...in the next few years when millions of fans check out, NOT checking in to their blessed two big conferences.
The beauty of college sports is that is NOT Pro Sports. It cannot be a pro league, and that is what Fox and ESPN want to create, by getting rid of the other major conferences other than the Big 12.
(In response to this post by Vienna_Hokie)
2y
I believe they only care about the big value programs and will be driving their revenue from gambling. Much less content, focused on big name brands that attract gamblers.
They will get theirs and don't care what happens to the other schools.
(In response to this post by PennaHokie)
E
EDGEMAN
2y
...right judge.
(In response to this post by HokiesACC2004)
V
VT One
2y
the more teams that will draw Oakland A’s type support. Who will continue to donate money and put up with this roster chaos multiple times a year? The bubble is about to burst.
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)
2y
But the tech fan base is one of the better ones in the nation. You stick with your team through thick and thin.
The NCAA doesn’t recognize the value of having such a fan base. And they don’t recognize the difficulty it will take to regrow if lost. Once the dominoes start to fall, tech being one of them, it will just be a money making venture where the only people that care are fans of the 30 super teams in super leagues. Since our 2019 championship, we somehow haven’t attracted a fraction of the previous talent.
NIL is already halfway to destroying our program too, our coach is hinting more and more at it. When he goes, I’m done with ncaa basketball.
(In response to this post by VT One)
2y
the conferences hold the power because they hold the media rights, which is where the money comes from. The conference are doing what is in their best interest in a short sighted way.
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)
M
MExpos27
2y
Courts said no. I know it’s popular to hate on the NCAA but they’ve been rendered essentially powerless
(In response to this post by HOOBball79)