How much you gonna pay for that recruit?

[GTMODawg]

The Atlantic published an article yesterday (it has a pay wall so to heck with them) detailing the advent of Spyre Sports' NIL Collective aimed at Tennessee recruiting. NIL Collective. That term is going to resonate throughout history as one of the most important turning points in sports in the United States. A NIL collective is a collaborative effort amongst fans to pool resources and raise money to pay athletes to play at the fans school. All perfectly legal and no way to stuff that cat back in the bag. This isn't about doing some ads for a local car dealership or signing a few autographs...according to the Atlantic the Spyre Collective goal for 2023...at UT...is...wait for it...$30 Million! And, even though they don't say how close they are they do insinuate that they will be fully funded by summer of 2022. The plan is 6 figure salaries, apartments, automobiles, and just about anything a recruit could ask for. All legal, all out in the open and there ain't squat going to be done about it.

SO if UT is going to be, most likely, fully funded to the tune of $30 million annually...because that number isn't a end point it is an annual amount INITIALLY thought to sufficiently fund NIL deals in Knoxville. With the problems they have at UT...imagine what UGA and Alabama will look like. This begs the question....how much would you pay for a 5 star offensive linemen? After all, donate to the collective and you can fully expect said lineman to allow you to buy him dinner publicly or may come to your kids mar mitzvah...cause that is the kind of NIL deals Spyre is putting together for UT recruits. That is in addition to, not the exclusion of, whatever the recruit and their agent can drum up.

Auburn with a lake has had the "I pay $2 a year" (IPTAY) thing going on that their fans bragged about. It was actually $10 a year but never miss a chance to take a cheap shot at Clem's son. But I digress. At $10 a year Auburn with a lake would need 3 million IPTAY folks to match what is going on just north and west of metro Anderson. I have no idea how many actual donors UGA, for example has, but I have an idea how many season ticket holders there are and all of us are donors to the UGA AD. If there are 80,000 season tickets that means what, 50,000 individual donors? If you quadruple that for NIL deals you would need an additional $600 a piece per donor. Most of us wouldn't balk at that...the question is, though, how on earth is 80 or so kids gonna be able to attend enough brand openings and birthday and batchelor parties a year to give each us our bang for our buck? I am kidding of course...regular donors may...and that is a HUGE may...get a signed picture of a player or two for their $600....the real money folks though, they are going to expect a say in the doings of their recruit and....even more importantly...the doings of the coach. Drop one to Florida???? Better get on the phone and apologize lest that money be withheld next season.

Another issue is where is the money going to come from to build stadiums and sky boxes and pay bloated salaries??? Most CFB fans are of the opinion that the key to success is recruiting at a high level....and NIL collectives will give them an opportunity to directly impact their schools recruiting. It is all too easy to see that were someone about to donate a couple of mill to Auburn, say, stipulate that they money be used to pay for recruiting NIL deals and to expect something more than a natty in return....like the recruit being the donors best friend for the season or something.

It has been said that NIL has turned CFB into the NFL. Nothing could be further from the truth. The ownership structure of the NFL prevents anyone other than a few key individuals influencing decision making. NIL Collectives are going to give every $600 donor the idea that coach better take their phone call when they call. It ain't gonna happen....but the real money donors will indeed get whatever they want. If UT, with all its warts recently, can drum up $30 million in less than a year, imagine what Texas and UGA and Alabama and the like can do.....it is a money grab.

 

[JustUs4All]

40 years ago folks around my neighborhood (not a ritzy one) would contact the UGA Athletic Dept to locate athletes who were not going to be able to go home for Christmas or Thanksgiving. They were invited out to Holiday dinners and parties and many happily accepted the invites.

Now it is a different world and sadly I wouldn't $5 for a ticket to a game. College football is no longer amateur athletics.

 

[GTMODawg]

40 years ago folks around my neighborhood (not a ritzy one) would contact the UGA Athletic Dept to locate athletes who were not going to be able to go home for Christmas or Thanksgiving. They were invited out to Holiday dinners and parties and many happily accepted the invites.

Now it is a different world and sadly I wouldn't $5 for a ticket to a game. College football is no longer amateur athletics.

Kids today expect to get paid to eat dinner with donors LOL. That really is a big change. I can imagine some of those kids truly enjoyed themselves and remember it fondly. We do the same thing at Fort Gordon and have had some enlisted folks over for Thanksgiving. Never had a lot of takers though but we did have more over seas.

 

[JustUs4All]

Good on ya for thinking about the soldiers at Gordon. I will never forget my first Christmas out of the Couontry as a young fellow. It was not exactly miserable but not far from it.

 

[elfiii]

Won't the NCAA be surprised when CFB collapses under its' own weight?

 

[Madsnooker]

We are now in a new world of college football. My question is, is it really going to change that much at the end of the day? The more I think about it I'm not sure. In other words, if the next 3 years years of recruiting were like 10 yrs ago, will the top 20 in recruiting look any different then it will with NIL? I don't think so. Maybe a few different teams. The same teams with the largest fan bases, the most money etc will still get their guys. I think the biggest issue is not NIL but the transfer portal. That needs to get fixed and I believe it will sooner rather then later. Now that players are not looked at as student athletes and are being paid, the schools will have contracts that outline that very issue. My thought is the ncaa will try and stay out of that issue if they can since the Supreme Court has already slapped them once.
That's how I see it anyway.

 

[ClemsonRangers]

someone should form a big clearing house for players/recruits

just go get what you need

 

[ClemsonRangers]

i am glad they are getting paid, seems like states with no income tax would get a serious look

 

[ddgarcia]

Now that players are not looked at as student athletes and are being paid, the schools will have contracts that outline that very issue

The schools DO NOT, WILL NOT and CAN NOT have contracts with these players and that is the MAJOR flaw here. The contracts these players have are with agents/sports marketing firms to find them deals outside the school. The schools can not pay them because that would bring Title IX in and the schools simply CAN NOT afford to pay ALL athletes what these kids are expecting. EVERYTHING they are being paid is by "boosters" or someone wanting them to advertise their products.

 

[ClemsonRangers]

i think eventually these players will be considered employees, since they get their work instructions from other employees

 

[Rackmaster]

There is no limit to it now!

We are now in a new world of college football. My question is, is it really going to change that much at the end of the day? The more I think about it I'm not sure. In other words, if the next 3 years years of recruiting were like 10 yrs ago, will the top 20 in recruiting look any different then it will with NIL? I don't think so. Maybe a few different teams. The same teams with the largest fan bases, the most money etc will still get their guys. I think the biggest issue is not NIL but the transfer portal. That needs to get fixed and I believe it will sooner rather then later. Now that players are not looked at as student athletes and are being paid, the schools will have contracts that outline that very issue. My thought is the ncaa will try and stay out of that issue if they can since the Supreme Court has already slapped them once.
That's how I see it anyway.

Y'all will still have a very young team...just rich!

Them marijuana leaves y'all have on those helmets will be $$ signs next!

 

[bullgator]

Not there yet…….but I’m getting close to this!

 

[Madsnooker]

The schools DO NOT, WILL NOT and CAN NOT have contracts with these players and that is the MAJOR flaw here. The contracts these players have are with agents/sports marketing firms to find them deals outside the school. The schools can not pay them because that would bring Title IX in and the schools simply CAN NOT afford to pay ALL athletes what these kids are expecting. EVERYTHING they are being paid is by "boosters" or someone wanting them to advertise their products.

I didn't mean contracts with regards to NIL or any other money. The contracts(Agreements) will be tied to their scholarship and schooling to address the transfer portal. Will have nothing to do with paying players. As I said in my previous reply, I'm still not worried about NIL as, in my opinion, will not change the landscape that much. What's the major issue is players just leaving whenever they want because they don't like something. That is way more detrimental to the game then NIL.

 

[ddgarcia]

I didn't mean contracts with regards to NIL or any other money. The contracts(Agreements) will be tied to their scholarship and schooling to address the transfer portal. Will have nothing to do with paying players. As I said in my previous reply, I'm still not worried about NIL as, in my opinion, will not change the landscape that much. What's the major issue is players just leaving whenever they want because they don't like something. That is way more detrimental to the game then NIL.

Won't happen. It would conflict with the contracts already signed to get paid. See Ewers. Contract said he starts this year so his NIL is worth something to the buyer. Day sez "No" apparently and off to UT he goes apparently for guaranteed starter role.

NIL is worthless without playing time and any coach worth their paycheck ain't gonna GUARANTEE any player that.

 

[MudDucker]

Alums and fans aren't going to jump ship in noticeable numbers for the foreseeable future.

The problem will be institutional control of rich young athletes.

BTW, only with regard to what the school pays them (their allowance) could they be considered employees of the school. NIL money is paid by another source and while related to their performance, isn't for their performance. Some of these guys aren't going to like their tax bills.

 

[ClemsonRangers]

Alums and fans aren't going to jump ship in noticeable numbers for the foreseeable future.

The problem will be institutional control of rich young athletes.

BTW, only with regard to what the school pays them (their allowance) could they be considered employees of the school. NIL money is paid by another source and while related to their performance, isn't for their performance. Some of these guys aren't going to like their tax bills.

they get paid for work while on a specific team, going to be difficult to keep the arms length/reach going for long, especially when these independent contractors receive instructions and evaluations, that may impact their income, from a state employee

 

[GTMODawg]

i am glad they are getting paid, seems like states with no income tax would get a serious look

States with no income tax are extremely protective of residence status for the purpose of in state tuition. If you earn income in Texas, for example, but are a resident of New Mexico, you will owe state taxes in New Mexico but not in Texas as there are none. However, it is almost impossible for a student to become a resident of Texas from outside of the state AFTER being accepted at a Texas school. The students status is, for the most part, based on where their guardians health insurance is based. Not on who owns property where, who is registered to vote where...only on where their insurance is based, if there is any insurance. We experienced this in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Washington State while out son was in college in Texas and Colorado. Basically it is nearly impossible to become a resident after becoming a student and the time period for in state tuition purposes precludes moving in, becoming a resident and paying in state tuition. Obviously those rules can be changed with a stroke of a pen but it would be difficult to do for an athlete and not any student and its 50/50 if a University would change for athletes. If you aren't a resident for tuition purposes you will have a state income tax burden if your state has one.

 

[GTMODawg]

Alums and fans aren't going to jump ship in noticeable numbers for the foreseeable future.

The problem will be institutional control of rich young athletes.

BTW, only with regard to what the school pays them (their allowance) could they be considered employees of the school. NIL money is paid by another source and while related to their performance, isn't for their performance. Some of these guys aren't going to like their tax bills.

I have yet to meet a person who liked their tax bill yet everyone I ever knew, with the exception of a dude my niece married to who is a slug, willingly slings themselves out of bed every morning and goes off to a job knowing full well they are incurring a tax burden by doing so when they could, conceivably, live under a bridge and have no tax burden at all other than that inherent in the price structure of goods and services they have to buy with whatever income they can beg, borrow or steal. Given the choice between no tax burden and a massive tax burden, given the tax structure in the United States, only a fool would go with the no tax burden because anyone with no tax burden ain't gonna have no nice things in life....like a roof for starters. I don't know anyone who willingly foregoes a salary because they don't like taxes. That person may well exist but its far more likely that person is really just a leaching slug like that loser married to my Niece. No one likes taxes but we all willingly work like the devil to make certain we have as much tax burden as possible when we could simply live off the dole and have almost no tax burden.

 

[GTMODawg]

We are now in a new world of college football. My question is, is it really going to change that much at the end of the day? The more I think about it I'm not sure. In other words, if the next 3 years years of recruiting were like 10 yrs ago, will the top 20 in recruiting look any different then it will with NIL? I don't think so. Maybe a few different teams. The same teams with the largest fan bases, the most money etc will still get their guys. I think the biggest issue is not NIL but the transfer portal. That needs to get fixed and I believe it will sooner rather then later. Now that players are not looked at as student athletes and are being paid, the schools will have contracts that outline that very issue. My thought is the ncaa will try and stay out of that issue if they can since the Supreme Court has already slapped them once.
That's how I see it anyway.

The SEC and some football powers outside of the SEC are about to further the gap between the haves and have nots to a point where those on the outside looking in won't even be close to the edge let along the elite. It has been that way for a while but it was possible to break into the elite level for short period. That is no longer the case. I don't think anything changes with NIL other than a lot of hand wringing and clutching of pearls. There will be a shift from donations for buildings and that sort of thing in favor of recruits BUT those funds will be found somewhere else because it is the job of the people wanting such things to find funds. I don't think the portal is a problem in 5 years. I think it settles down considerably when it is found that many transfers are really just retiring early when no offers come in and many who are offered find that they just aren't all that a bag of chips. Its the whole bird in the hand thing. Don't discount the possibility that a huge number of those in the portal are there because they were encouraged to be there by their current coaching staff. Prior to the portal a school was more or less stuck with a recruit....but if they can convince them to transfer they can get rid of a cancer or an underperformer and open up a slot. This used to be frowned on....no coaches can pretend it was the players decision.

 

[GTMODawg]

i think eventually these players will be considered employees, since they get their work instructions from other employees

They will be contractors with the NIL Collective in the same way Kirby Smart is a contractor with Georgia Area Ford Dealers. Unless something drastic changes which would severely impact private enterprise interaction there is no way they become employees of any entity. Joe Bob's Plumbing Company in Ames City Iowa ain't gonna stand by and watch the state or federal legislature do anything that would require an employer employee relationship with the old boy who Joe Bob trades with to run a back hoe for a week....and the back hoe operator ain't having it either.