Opt Out vs. Quitter?

BillySee58 · December 31, 2020

22 minutes ago, UNTexas said:

I would have totally supported it. I would also hope they let them travel to be on the sideline with the team. I don't know anyone who would have given them a hard time. People forget a young player would get a chance to step up and get experience. Just because a player isn't suited up or didn't travel doesn't mean they aren't part of the team. Redshirts, injured players, or walkons that never play are all part of the team. Coaches always preach next man up and this situation is no different.

Thank you. Always appreciate hearing that perspective.

MeanGreen_MBA · December 31, 2020

How about the scenario where a tip QB, possibly in the race for a Heissman trophy, plays in a semi irrelevant bowl game in a last chance to impress the voters. However, 3 of his top receivers that he has timing with and trust all opt out. That QB has to work with inexperienced guys and has a horrible game with 3 INT’s in the 1st. This blows his HT chances that were already slim. How does he feel about his teammates that let him down now??? (real scenario)

BillySee58 · December 31, 2020

9 minutes ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

How about the scenario where a tip QB, possibly in the race for a Heissman trophy, plays in a semi irrelevant bowl game in a last chance to impress the voters. However, 3 of his top receivers that he has timing with and trust all opt out. That QB has to work with inexperienced guys and has a horrible game with 3 INT’s in the 1st. This blows his HT chances that were already slim. How does he feel about his teammates that let him down now??? (real scenario)

Heisman ballots were due 10 days ago

UNTexas · December 31, 2020

29 minutes ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

How about the scenario where a tip QB, possibly in the race for a Heissman trophy, plays in a semi irrelevant bowl game in a last chance to impress the voters. However, 3 of his top receivers that he has timing with and trust all opt out. That QB has to work with inexperienced guys and has a horrible game with 3 INT’s in the 1st. This blows his HT chances that were already slim. How does he feel about his teammates that let him down now??? (real scenario)

The winner has already been picked. He had a really bad to though.

Zeleny' Orel · December 31, 2020

On 12/29/2020 at 10:01 PM, BillySee58 said:

Yeah I don’t see it on the roster but it was usually that or undecided major. I believe Integrated Studies is just the General Studies degree where there are areas of focus chosen rather than actually getting into the major. Which those degrees, while not entirely worthless, have no specific job market upon graduation. You could be a teacher or other jobs that require degrees without specific majors.

Since most players don't make it to the NFL, I hope the academic advisors are working with them to get a major that gives them the best chance of being competitive in securing decent jobs

97and03 · January 1, 2021

11 hours ago, Zeleny' Orel said:

Since most players don't make it to the NFL, I hope the academic advisors are working with them to get a major that gives them the best chance of being competitive in securing decent jobs

They do not generally. Sometimes they try to get players to go the easiest route or the one that fits practice schedules.

greenminer · January 1, 2021

12 hours ago, Zeleny' Orel said:

Since most players don't make it to the NFL, I hope the academic advisors are working with them to get a major that gives them the best chance of being competitive in securing decent jobs

Since the NCAA punishes programs with low grades and attendance figures amongst their student-athletes, most programs will steer the "undecideds" towards something that is easy.

MeanGreenZen · January 2, 2021

On 12/29/2020 at 10:04 PM, BillySee58 said:

It would be just as much. The XFL was having a lot of success with NFL washouts. If a similar league was created for the top college-aged players who have not reached NFL eligibility, people would watch that and those players would earn enough in one year to afford 5 years of college.

The XFL went out of business. Twice.

BillySee58 · January 2, 2021

1 minute ago, MeanGreenZen said:

The XFL went out of business. Twice.

COVID might have had something to do with that.

NT93 · January 2, 2021

21 minutes ago, MeanGreenZen said:

The XFL went out of business. Twice.

The XFL (or any minor league variant) lacks one very important component: alumni.

Edited January 2, 2021 by NT93

MeanGreenZen · January 2, 2021

9 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

COVID might have had something to do with that.

Well, the Alliance of American Football went broke in 2019 and so did the World League of American Football several years earlier and the USFL before that. That’s because minor league football doesn’t work.

You know what does work? College football. And why does it work? It’s not because of Justin Fields or Trevor Lawrence. Those guys are just replaceable parts that come and go.

The value in college football is the PASSION and LOVE that people feel towards Ohio State and Clemson. The school spirit and the interest that creates. I don’t care for Texas or OU but I watch every time they play because it’s a big deal and not to see Sam Ehlinger or Spencer Rattler.

Eliminate the current 10,000 scholarship FBS football players and plug in the next best 10,000 in their place and no one would know the difference. You would still have sold out stadiums and record TV ratings.

If those guys want to get paid to play football before they are eligible for the NFL, let them go play somewhere that is not affiliated with a college and see how much money they make. It will be less than the value of a football scholarship.

BillySee58 · January 2, 2021

2 hours ago, MeanGreenZen said:

Well, the Alliance of American Football went broke in 2019 and so did the World League of American Football several years earlier and the USFL before that. That’s because minor league football doesn’t work.

I would argue we haven’t seen a true football minor league. Teams compiled of NFL washouts is a minor league by definition, but it’s not the same as having legit up and coming talent. A minor league that actually serves as a farm system for developing younger players BEFORE they transition into the NFL, not after they flamed out is something just about any football fan would find far more intriguing.

Quote

You know what does work? College football. And why does it work? It’s not because of Justin Fields or Trevor Lawrence. Those guys are just replaceable parts that come and go.

The value in college football is the PASSION and LOVE that people feel towards Ohio State and Clemson. The school spirit and the interest that creates. I don’t care for Texas or OU but I watch every time they play because it’s a big deal and not to see Sam Ehlinger or Spencer Rattler.

Eliminate the current 10,000 scholarship FBS football players and plug in the next best 10,000 in their place and no one would know the difference. You would still have sold out stadiums and record TV ratings.

If those guys want to get paid to play football before they are eligible for the NFL, let them go play somewhere that is not affiliated with a college and see how much money they make. It will be less than the value of a football scholarship.

Brands certainly help. Not denying that. The Forbes article I shared showed $300K-$500K as what college players would get based on comparable player revenue sharing as the NFL. I’ll concede they wouldn’t get as much without the backing of those college brands, but they could sure as heck would command more than $20K scholarships. Especially if they were in a league that had the backing of the XFL this past year.

XFL QBs were making around $500K. The average non-QBs were making around $50-60K, which is more than the value of a football scholarship at public universities. If the XFL had the Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Patrick Surtain type guys, I think it would be pretty easy to generate the revenue to pay salaries in excess of what a bunch of late round and undrafted former NFL players were able to generate. And they were doing a pretty good job of it before COVID wiped out the season and the league.

Edited January 2, 2021 by BillySee58

Zeleny' Orel · January 2, 2021

On 1/1/2021 at 12:37 AM, 97and03 said:

They do not generally. Sometimes they try to get players to go the easiest route or the one that fits practice schedules.

Sort of goes against preparing athletes for the future since so few make it to the NFL. Disappointing to hear.

Zeleny' Orel · January 2, 2021

On 1/1/2021 at 2:00 AM, greenminer said:

Since the NCAA punishes programs with low grades and attendance figures amongst their student-athletes, most programs will steer the "undecideds" towards something that is easy.

Makes you wonder if the improved GPA's that always get quoted has anything to do with this approach. I would hope that we think more of the student-athletes' future than just keeping them eligible. So few make it to the pro level. It would be interesting to see the majors of our student-athletes, but that is probably not available.