Solution to ?FIX? college football

[cheewgumm]

Use a composite star ratings for freshman and transfers. ( maybe an average of several of the services that rate players)

Either
1) set a limit on the # of ?stars? you can have in each recruiting class by limit on stars you can spend each year.
2) example - each team Can spend 75 stars per class - however you like ( you may sign 25 three stars , or 15 five stars or any combo you want)

Or

1) limit the stars you can sign each class like this
5 star - max 4 per class
4 star - max 15 per class
3 star - max 25 per class


That would make college football interesting and spread the talent a little more evenly.

[FISHDAWG]

Use a composite star ratings for freshman and transfers. ( maybe an average of several of the services that rate players)

Either
1) set a limit on the # of ?stars? you can have in each recruiting class by limit on stars you can spend each year.
2) example - each team Can spend 75 stars per class - however you like ( you may sign 25 three stars , or 15 five stars or any combo you want)

Or

1) limit the stars you can sign each class like this
5 star - max 4 per class
4 star - max 15 per class
3 star - max 25 per class


That would make college football interesting and spread the talent a little more evenly.

compared to what the US Supreme Court just did to college sports this would sound like communism ... keep working on it Comrade because it sure needs fixing somehow .... In a more serious tone - I think the only thing that will bring parity would be to limit scholarships

[Hot Rock]

I loved what Leach said yesterday about it at SEC media days.

First of all, what we have now is not sustainable.

Then he said something like this:

Go up to any NFL player or any pro athlete and tell them this:

You are getting Unrestricted Free Agency. You can go anywhere you want to the highest bidder and there is no salary cap and watch his reaction.

[cheewgumm]

Sports leagues are different than normal
Businesses. I know you?re being funny calling me comrade but look at the professional leagues.

Why do they have a draft? Competitive balance.

Without a draft there is no way to balance competitiveness in college. This is not communism or anything close to
It. If you believe it is then there
Should be no draft in pro sports.,,just let the Yankees sign who they want from all players.

Highest bidder wins. Capitalism?right?

[FISHDAWG]

Sports leagues are different than normal
Businesses. I know you?re being funny calling me comrade but look at the professional leagues.

Why do they have a draft? Competitive balance.

Without a draft there is no way to balance competitiveness in college. This is not communism or anything close to
It. If you believe it is then there
Should be no draft in pro sports.,,just let the Yankees sign who they want from all players.

Highest bidder wins. Capitalism?right?

I was only being facetious ... I like the idea but no way will the courts allow this if the NCAA tried to implemented it... even though it would probably work

[Choctaw Dawg]

That won't work. It will piss off the haves and benefit the have nots, so no way that will ever get approved

[Saltydog]

compared to what the US Supreme Court just did to college sports this would sound like communism ... keep working on it Comrade because it sure needs fixing somehow .... In a more serious tone - I think the only thing that will bring parity would be to limit scholarships

THIS would be a huge step in the right direction..........

[FISHDAWG]

THIS would be a huge step in the right direction..........

although I could see Big NIL deals for walk-ons to get around the limited schollies ..... parity seems impossible

[Johnson85]

That won't work. It will piss off the haves and benefit the have nots, so no way that will ever get approved

Yea, there is a reason most sports don't have a hard cap. The haves only want to give up enough to make sure they have opponents, preferably opponents weak enough that they can consistently stay in the top 10% just be being competent.

The real reason college sports won't get fixed is that it really is a unique animal. The Union CBA model doesn't really work b/c of how relatively short players' eligibility is. Need a legislative fix, but good luck on that. NCAA should have been pushing for this a long time ago but they were too busy getting fat and didn't want to upset the apple cart.

Need a federal law exempting college and high school athletic organizations from antitrust with respect to players. Also prohibit professional sports leagues from keeping out people (1) who are 18 and (a) have graduated or (b) obtained GED or (2) who are 19 at time of the draft. Then maybe put some sort of law in that effectively mandates that Division I, Division II, and Division III schools can't have the same governing body. Then you don't have any one college organization dominating college sports and you don't have the excuse that amateurs can't play pro. May also want to allow governing organizations to restrict college coaches pay so that you don't have coaches making milliosn while players are amateurs.

[TrapGame]

I'd hate to be the guy that tells Saban he can't have his usual number of 5 stars.

[Hot Rock]

Use a composite star ratings for freshman and transfers. ( maybe an average of several of the services that rate players)

Either
1) set a limit on the # of ?stars? you can have in each recruiting class by limit on stars you can spend each year.
2) example - each team Can spend 75 stars per class - however you like ( you may sign 25 three stars , or 15 five stars or any combo you want)

Or

1) limit the stars you can sign each class like this
5 star - max 4 per class
4 star - max 15 per class
3 star - max 25 per class


That would make college football interesting and spread the talent a little more evenly.

I do not expect anything like this happening. I do expect is something to happen in the next 2-5 years. What we have is not sustainable. We are just in hang on mode right now.

I fully expect something to change. There may be some new legislation to address anti-trust problems but that may take a few years. The P5 break away from the NCAA and make it's own rules. Leagues can set up transfer rules, you agree to them when you sign your Letter of Intent. These NIL deals though.. those things are out of the bag and aren't coming back. What could happen is the P5 can pay its players and set up salary caps on those. This would further separate the P5 from the G5. There is no law against paying players, that's is the NCAA.

[Maroonthirteen]

Need a federal law exempting college and high school athletic organizations from antitrust with respect to players. Also prohibit professional sports leagues from keeping out people (1) who are 18 and (a) have graduated or (b) obtained GED or (2) who are 19 at time of the draft. .

I think this would a start in the right direction. There needs to be a path for the NFL to set up a minor league similar to MLB. Then the Supreme Court needs to back the ncaas definition of amateurism. Then college football will be amateur again. If someone feels college football isn't fair in any aspect, go the nfl league.

[IMissJack]

That won't work. It will piss off the haves and benefit the have nots, so no way that will ever get approved

Since they are pros now, luxury tax on the haves...

[Coach34]

1. The NFL is not going to start a minor league. The NFL draft has become a huge spectacle and money-maker. Having a minors system would take away from that. Not to mention the huge costs with no monetary return. People hardly watch the USFL nobody would watch minor league football. They tried a minor league system with NFL Europe

2. They are not going to do anything that hurts the money flow. They dont really want parity. They want Alabama, Ohio State, and the other blue bloods at the end of the season battling it out. They want Kansas and Duke playing for the basketball title.

3. It's going to take years before anything is done. You cant put toothpaste back in the tube. We are looking at 10 years before something likely changes

[somebodyshotmypaw]

1. The NFL is not going to start a minor league. The NFL draft has become a huge spectacle and money-maker. Having a minors system would take away from that. Not to mention the huge costs with no monetary return. People hardly watch the USFL nobody would watch minor league football. They tried a minor league system with NFL Europe

2. They are not going to do anything that hurts the money flow. They dont really want parity. They want Alabama, Ohio State, and the other blue bloods at the end of the season battling it out. They want Kansas and Duke playing for the basketball title.

3. It's going to take years before anything is done. You cant put toothpaste back in the tube. We are looking at 10 years before something likely changes

This is the problem. Once the floodgates have opened it's very difficult to fix.

[viverlibre]

Use a composite star ratings for freshman and transfers. ( maybe an average of several of the services that rate players)

Either
1) set a limit on the # of ?stars? you can have in each recruiting class by limit on stars you can spend each year.
2) example - each team Can spend 75 stars per class - however you like ( you may sign 25 three stars , or 15 five stars or any combo you want)

Or

1) limit the stars you can sign each class like this
5 star - max 4 per class
4 star - max 15 per class
3 star - max 25 per class


That would make college football interesting and spread the talent a little more evenly.

Think bama wouldn't manipulate the stars? Saban IDs a target in the 10th grade, then pressures scouting services to underrate the recruit, just like coaches do during evaluations in little league/youth basketball/pee wee football (coaches would "encourage" their targets to put a little less effort into the evaluations - thus grading out lower). It's common and called sandbagging (at least 10 years ago it was common).

The only real was to ensure more more competition is to limit roster and recruiting class sizes. There needs to be hard number like say 65 or 70 (including walk ons/gray shirts, etc).

[drummerdawg]

A draft

[DownwardDawg]

NIL cap and transfer restrictions. That's all it will take.

[Maroonthirteen]

Coach... I agree. Why should the nfl start a farm league. When someone else is already running one for them.

Hypothetical question. I gave a hypothetical answer. Truth of the matter is, as you said, it will be years before any of this adjusted.

[cheewgumm]

I understand the argument about manipulating the rankings but having multiple services rating and open discussion would limit that. Plus that would be a ton of work for marginal gains.

I don?t agree that limiting the rosters would change much. I get that limits the total this leaving 4 and 5 star guys off rosters so they have to go elsewhere. However Bama for example could still sit 20 five star guys.

The way I outlined is better.

[Coach34]

I understand the argument about manipulating the rankings but having multiple services rating and open discussion would limit that. Plus that would be a ton of work for marginal gains.

I don?t agree that limiting the rosters would change much. I get that limits the total this leaving 4 and 5 star guys off rosters so they have to go elsewhere. However Bama for example could still sit 20 five star guys.

The way I outlined is better.

A kid cant be forced to go to college somewhere so it will never happen. Thats going to be the court argument. That system would limit a player's chances of where to go to school

[Quaoarsking]

I would support a talent cap on recruiting, but it would need to be done by some kind of official NCAA Scouting Organization, and probably with more than just 3-4 categories because not all 4- or 5-stars are equal.

It would shift recruiting to finding the players are are undervalued by the system rather than the best. A guy who was clearly overrated by the Scouts might have a harder time getting an offer than he would if he were rated properly, but I guess that can happen in any system.

[Pinto]

I think y?all are looking at this from the wrong end. The days of limiting players is over. If you want to get it fixed and have parity, you have to do it from the school end.

Such as limiting football to 70 scholarships with no walk ons. Those 70 scholarships are for a 4 year term, meaning a school only gets another slot when a player graduates or the 4 years are up. That then puts the strategy on the school of managing rosters. Do you take high school or portal? Do you quick fix or build?

This de facto would limit how much players transfer and make them think a lot before committing.

[R2Dawg]

Use a composite star ratings for freshman and transfers. ( maybe an average of several of the services that rate players)

Either
1) set a limit on the # of ?stars? you can have in each recruiting class by limit on stars you can spend each year.
2) example - each team Can spend 75 stars per class - however you like ( you may sign 25 three stars , or 15 five stars or any combo you want)

Or

1) limit the stars you can sign each class like this
5 star - max 4 per class
4 star - max 15 per class
3 star - max 25 per class


That would make college football interesting and spread the talent a little more evenly.

Nice thought but all that would happen is the star rating groups would be paid off to raise or lower stars to help them or hurt others to get the players they want.

Only way to try control this is by NIL money now that they have chosen that destructive path. but guess what, then we are back to money under the table but now we have no governing organization to uphold the rule.

This is unfixable in its current form if you ask me.

Got back to having rules and enforce them for those that violate, not look the other way. This type stuff is happening in every organization in American today which is causing the decay of our culture.

[Johnson85]

A kid cant be forced to go to college somewhere so it will never happen. Thats going to be the court argument. That system would limit a player's chances of where to go to school

A kid wouldn't be forced to go to college somewhere. He just might not get a scholarship where he wants, just like under the prior system where schools were limited to 85 schollies total and 25 per year and you couldn't just pay school costs except under the table, which schools generally wouldn't want to pay tha tmuch under the table money to somebody that they don't think is worthy of a scholarship.

That system isn't going to happen regardless, but the fact that every student wouldn't get to play football at their first choice of schools wouldn't be one of the real reasons it won't happen.

[Hot Rock]

I agree with the toothpaste analogy on the NIL deals but the portal and transferring so quickly can be addressed. The University sharing some of it's revenue with the players could happen before too long as well.

Something can be done. I think the powers that be, guys like Saban, will make something happen with the portal. They don't like loosing all their depth. It won't be a decade before something gets "tweaked" with portal. I think that will happen within a year or two. Any portal tweaking will probably hurt us more than help though. State has come out ahead on the portal game so far.

Also, the P5 breakaway has been brewing for awhile now. That would be the most drastic change but it could happen. One things is for sure, it won't stay the same.

[DownwardDawg]

I think y?all are looking at this from the wrong end. The days of limiting players is over. If you want to get it fixed and have parity, you have to do it from the school end.

Such as limiting football to 70 scholarships with no walk ons. Those 70 scholarships are for a 4 year term, meaning a school only gets another slot when a player graduates or the 4 years are up. That then puts the strategy on the school of managing rosters. Do you take high school or portal? Do you quick fix or build?

This de facto would limit how much players transfer and make them think a lot before committing.

This is intriguing

[cheewgumm]

I agree that there is not interest parody.

This idea would help that , but that is not what they want.

[Coach34]

I think y?all are looking at this from the wrong end. The days of limiting players is over. If you want to get it fixed and have parity, you have to do it from the school end.

This is correct. There are no more limits on players for the most part.

Problem is- the blue-bloods arent going to allow very much change. These are machines that operate in the hundreds of millions now. It's only going to get bigger from here- not slow down to elevate the little guy. They dont give a shit how many Miss State, Oregon State, Northwestern, or Boston College wins in football.

[WhiskeyPirate]

1. The NFL is not going to start a minor league. The NFL draft has become a huge spectacle and money-maker. Having a minors system would take away from that. Not to mention the huge costs with no monetary return. People hardly watch the USFL nobody would watch minor league football. They tried a minor league system with NFL Europe

2. They are not going to do anything that hurts the money flow. They dont really want parity. They want Alabama, Ohio State, and the other blue bloods at the end of the season battling it out. They want Kansas and Duke playing for the basketball title.

3. It's going to take years before anything is done. You cant put toothpaste back in the tube. We are looking at 10 years before something likely changes

They will simply regulate NIL. I would say in the next 1-2 years. Watch for lawyers and agents to get involved and push for a union. There is already talk of this based on kids who don?t want mandatory Covid shots.

[TUSK]

I think y?all are looking at this from the wrong end. The days of limiting players is over. If you want to get it fixed and have parity, you have to do it from the school end.

Such as limiting football to 70 scholarships with no walk ons. Those 70 scholarships are for a 4 year term, meaning a school only gets another slot when a player graduates or the 4 years are up. That then puts the strategy on the school of managing rosters. Do you take high school or portal? Do you quick fix or build?

This de facto would limit how much players transfer and make them think a lot before committing.

^This...

It would greatly, adversely impact the talent level of the "haves"....

[Goldendawg]

A draft

Never work You cannot limit the freedom of a "student athlete" choosing to attend the college of his or her choice. (Or, signing an NIL contract with the highest bidder, transferring out after year 1, signing another NIL with another highest bidder,........). This is a giant mess. College ball as we knew it is done.

[Lord McBuckethead]

I'd hate to be the guy that tells Saban he can't have his usual number of 5 stars.

I would volunteer just to see that 17 stick garden gnome realize his run is over. He knows he is mediocre with even talent when he can?t get his 8 first round draft picks every year. It?s amazing he has lost as much as he has.

[Coach34]

I would volunteer just to see that 17 stick garden gnome realize his run is over. He knows he is mediocre with even talent when he can?t get his 8 first round draft picks every year. It?s amazing he has lost as much as he has.

Let's ease up a little. While the talent he recruited ensured success, Saban was the best defensive coach in college football from the late 1990's to about 2015. He has transitioned more to being the CEO and is less hands on with the D these days but it remains his system. Plus he no doubt still is involved with scouting and game planning but alot less than 10 years ago

[viverlibre]

^This...

It would greatly, adversely impact the talent level of the "haves"....

Whatever roster number would have to be a hard cap, no stockpiling football players on non revenue sport rosters (like tennis or golf or even baseball) and no gray shirts, etc. Probably need to do away with redshirts and give four years to play four four years.

[TUSK]

I would volunteer just to see that 17 stick garden gnome realize his run is over. He knows he is mediocre with even talent when he can?t get his 8 first round draft picks every year. It?s amazing he has lost as much as he has.

Dayum... You already in mid season form...

[RiverCityDawg]

Never work You cannot limit the freedom of a "student athlete" choosing to attend the college of his or her choice. (Or, signing an NIL contract with the highest bidder, transferring out after year 1, signing another NIL with another highest bidder,........). This is a giant mess. College ball as we knew it is done.

Forget the "student athlete" thing. This is headed towards the players being employees of the school's football team in which case they can be drafted, traded and cut. There will be a collective bargaining agreement and everything.

I actually like Leach's idea where a player can be an amateur or a pro, but if they choose pro they are drafted, can be traded and can be cut. Players that choose amateur basically choose to go back to the way it was before Pandora's box was opened. Also, maybe pay those guys $150k or something when their eligibility is done IF they graduate and don't enter the transfer portal.

[Dawgology]

Just drop all scholarships. Make it a Minor league only financially connected to the school. Create a new college athletics that offers no scholarships, doesn?t allow transfers, and requires the player to be an active student at the university. You know?an amateur sport.

[Maverick91]

I?ve been saying this for years. I have made a few posts like this as well. And again my big issue with limiting schollys to 65 all bama is going to do is not sign the random two to three 3 ⭐️ that they do each season. It?s not going to create any parity. To me it would just create more of an issue for teams like us, as we would have less guys to find the diamonds in the rough. A sucky 5 star is still better than a diamond in the rough 2 or 3 star until their 3rd or 4th year. I get the argument about recruiting services being paid off to lower a players grade, but that?s where audits should come in and their should be set standards of how to grade a player. The ncaa is a cash cow and has to money to implement something that would keep a competitive standard and equal playing field. Heck implement both and see where the cracks are after three years. Also throw 100k at me I?ll tell saben he cannot sign all the 5 stars that he does. I?d almost do it for free but if I can make a dollar why not. I?d love to see his face.