Wow, what a surprising turn of events.
No, I’m not talking today about Arkansas fans drooling over themselves over the return of Bobby Petrino, who was fired as head coach of the Razorbacks for misconduct in 2012. Today is much bigger than any one person, no matter how imperfect he or she may be.
I’m talking about an out-of-control pay-to-play system, in which some of the best players in college football stand to earn millions of dollars, while athletes in unpaid sports receive very little, if anything at all. This new system is called Name, Image and Likeness, but make no mistake, this is a paid game.
It’s still difficult for those of us who have followed college football for a long time to understand how far the pendulum has swung, where even rumors of players being paid in the past could trigger an investigation. Now the subject of buying players is discussed openly.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule talked about it last week after the Cornhuskers finished the season with a 5-7 record.
“Make no mistake: A good quarterback in the portal right now costs $1 million to $1.5 million to $2 million,” Rhule told reporters. “So, just so we’re on the same page, right?” Let’s make sure we all understand what’s going on. Some teams have between 6 and 7 million players for them.
Do you remember how this all happened? It was a boomerang effect against the crazy amounts of money paid to college coaches.
Never mind that the scholarship recipients receive a free education, which anyone working full-time or part-time while attending college would consider a good deal. Yet many people complain loudly, and rightly so, that young athletes should receive some compensation for the time and work they dedicate to the field of athletics. A reasonable ask, sure, but $6-7 million for a player, as Rhule suggested?
That’s a far cry from what former NBA star and social activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said about play-for-play during his appearance at the University of Arkansas in 2018. He supported paying college athletes and suggested that all the money should go into a pool where every athlete on any team in the program could withdraw.
This may happen in one or two isolated programs, but not enough to feed the beast that is college football. Coaches now complain that they need help attracting (buying?) players, especially from fans who support their programs.
“For everyone who wants us to keep winning. …. I would love to see 5,000 people donate $1,000 to our NIL,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. “Get us to a point where we can recruit, retain and develop and have a program in the NIL world where the guys on our roster can benefit.”
So fans who buy tickets, pay for parking, attend games and fight crowds, buy merchandise and food at inflated prices inside the stadium, should fork over even more money to help coaches to keep their jobs?
I have a better idea.
What if coaches gave up a percentage of their salary when passing home plate at the cathedral of college football?
How about Doeren, who has a .587 winning percentage in 11 years at North Carolina State, contributing 10 percent of the $5 million he makes at the school?
Closer to home, how about Sam Pittman, who was retained as head coach after a terrible 4-8 season, contributes 10% of the $6 million he receives each year to coach the Razorbacks.
And what about Bobby Petrino, in particular, who was rehired when no other state employee would have been allowed to return under similar circumstances, contributing 10% or more to attract (buy?) the players he needs to run his attacking style?
If we’re going to be ridiculous about pay-for-play, let’s make it mandatory that coaches first show up with their checkbooks and contribute to NIL before asking fans for more. Perhaps administrators who approve huge salaries and buyouts like the one Jimbo Fisher received at Texas A&M should also be required to contribute.
Either way, lines form quickly at the transfer portal. So act now before all the good players disappear.
