Proposed FBS Subdivision to Directly Pay Players

[JJ Husker]

1 hour ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

When I referenced your job, I mean you're paid fair market value. If you're the best computer programmer in the world, Microsoft or Apple will hire you and pay you what they think is fair. That might be $25k or $250k. Conversely, you are also allowed to unionize with your fellow co-workers. You can attempt to get 50% of the revenue if you wish, although you probably won't which is fine. It's all part of your unions negotiation.

 

With college athletes, they are legally bared from being paid from the University outside of stipends and they are not allowed to form a union. The difference between you and I and athletes is that they have much more specialized skills as determined by the market, and as such can attempt to negotiate for a higher % of the revenue earned. In the case of professional athletes, their unions negotiate for 50% of the revenue generated and they often get that money. 

 

As far as the expenses, that isn't the concern of the players. NBA owners get 50% of the revenue, and they use that money to hire staff, pay expenses related to their teams, pay for scouts, etc. Schools can attempt to negotiate for whatever they want as part of a CBA, I'm just telling you the current structure of professional sports and what a CFB players union - likely represented by the same people the NBA and NFL players union hires - will shoot for.

And all I’m telling you is, as a fan, the ultimate source of all the revenue for CFB, I don’t like it and am in jeopardy of not being any sort of revenue source for them. And I have to believe I am not alone in being on the verge of completely checking out on CFB.

 

Right now the only things I do to contribute to their revenue stream is 1) occasionally purchase some gear (shirts, caps, etc.) 2) purchase a ticket and go to a game occasionally and that has become much further and farther between. And finally 3) I pay my cable provider an extra $5/mo for a special sports tier that gives me BTN. Well and 4) I watch the games which probably counts as a set of eyeballs tuned in for TV advertising purposes.

 

Back in the day I would kick out for PPV games and a lot more travel and game attendance and more gear. Right now I don’t really care if I miss a game and I sure as heck wouldn’t spend any additional dollars to be able to watch the games. Sure some of this is due to the program I have been a fan of for 60 years being irrelevant forever but I just don’t have any interest in where CFB is generally headed. But I’m sure it’ll all survive in some format with or without me so maybe I and others like me don’t really matter.

[Dr. Strangelove]

10 minutes ago, JJ Husker said:

And all I’m telling you is, as a fan, the ultimate source of all the revenue for CFB, I don’t like it and am in jeopardy of not being any sort of revenue source for them. And I have to believe I am not alone in being on the verge of completely checking out on CFB.

 

Right now the only things I do to contribute to their revenue stream is 1) occasionally purchase some gear (shirts, caps, etc.) 2) purchase a ticket and go to a game occasionally and that has become much further and farther between. And finally 3) I pay my cable provider an extra $5/mo for a special sports tier that gives me BTN. Well and 4) I watch the games which probably counts as a set of eyeballs tuned in for TV advertising purposes.

 

Back in the day I would kick out for PPV games and a lot more travel and game attendance and more gear. Right now I don’t really care if I miss a game and I sure as heck wouldn’t spend any additional dollars to be able to watch the games. Sure some of this is due to the program I have been a fan of for 60 years being irrelevant forever but I just don’t have any interest in where CFB is generally headed. But I’m sure it’ll all survive in some format with or without me so maybe I and others like me don’t really matter.

I think this is a completely fair take, and I get it. It certainly can and probably will cause the value of CFB to decline, and I think a good chunk of fans will leave the sport. I don't think it'll be enough to derail anything, but I can certainly see it having a measurable impact.

 

I personally hope that this new version of CFB institutes a better product with more parity among top schools, rule changes to prevent big schools from hoarding talent, and agreements on players to prevent them from transferring to different schools year after year. There's a lot of opportunity to improve CFB here and I hope that that opportunity is seized for the better.

[JJ Husker]

1 minute ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

I think this is a completely fair take, and I get it. It certainly can and probably will cause the value of CFB to decline, and I think a good chunk of fans will leave the sport. I don't think it'll be enough to derail anything, but I can certainly see it having a measurable impact.

 

I personally hope that this new version of CFB institutes a better product with more parity among top schools, rule changes to prevent big schools from hoarding talent, and agreements on players to prevent them from transferring to different schools year after year. There's a lot of opportunity to improve CFB here and I hope that that opportunity is seized for the better.

I agree. The thing that really isn’t working for me is the portal and lack of loyalty. Wide open uncontrolled free agency isn’t gonna work. If they can stabilize rosters and keep players from chasing a dollar it would go a long ways. I don’t care if they’re paid very well but right now it’s simply rent a player. That has to change imo.

[BigRedBuster]

30 minutes ago, Husker in WI said:

 

So do the kids in sweat shops, doesn't mean they're getting paid what they should.

 

I understand wanting to focus on the entertainment side of it, and that's fair to do - it's not like we're actually deciding things on a message board. But this probably isn't the thread for you if you don't want to hear about compensation for athletes and what the fair amount is.

Comparing college football players to child labor sweatshops is akin to saying NFL players to slaves. Both are so far from reality it’s ridiculous. 

[BigRedBuster]

5 minutes ago, JJ Husker said:

I agree. The thing that really isn’t working for me is the portal and lack of loyalty. Wide open uncontrolled free agency isn’t gonna work. If they can stabilize rosters and keep players from chasing a dollar it would go a long ways. I don’t care if they’re paid very well but right now it’s simply rent a player. That has to change imo.

Yes. 
 

I could agree that players , prior to all of this should have been compensated more. But, what we have now is pathetic.  
 

There has to be some type of structure that everyone works within that allows players to make some money but also allows programs to manage the team and roster. 
 

I used to hate pro sports because of all this and loved college. Now, I’m starting to hate college and more interested in the NFL because at least there is structure to it. 
 

Hopefully, this gets figured out without totally tearing the entire sport apart and destroying what was good about college.  I have my doubts that will happen. 

[BigRedBuster]

I also still wonder when NIL or whomever pays players is going to start demanding that if we pay you, you will play in games including bowl games. Hey, if you want the money….then play and don’t bail on your team.  

[Micheal]

Can Nebraska afford the base $30,000 per player equally amongst women and men's sports?

 

I know the B1G tv money is a lot but I don't know how well we are prepared for this arms race. 

[Micheal]

13 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

I also still wonder when NIL or whomever pays players is going to start demanding that if we pay you, you will play in games including bowl games. Hey, if you want the money….then play and don’t bail on your team.  

When do the contracts start. When do we start trading players school to school? 

[BigRedBuster]

Just now, Micheal said:

When do the contracts start. When do we start trading players school to school? 

Yep, if it were me, it would be after the bowl season with all players playing. 
 

And, while we are in it, how long is a player tied to a contract and when does he become a free agent?

[Archy1221]

3 hours ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

 

Once you get to the revenue number generated, the CFB Players Union will likely negotiate a 50/50 split. That leaves $55 million for the school, and $55 million for the players. If each team has 85 scholarship players, divide $55 million by 85 = $647,000 per player, per year. This of course assumes a fixed rate per player (QBs make the same as the second sting punter) but you get the idea

You take an NFL/NBA model and yet distribute the funds on equal shares UNLIKE  said model you compared it to.  
 

Now you mentioned each team will form an LLC and license the rights to the schools name and image, etc… a few questions…

 

1) who will be the shareholders of the privately held LLC?

 

2) which leads to what happens when one of the owners decides the valuation of the LLC is just too great and wants to sell his/her shares? Or they decide to move because Texas decides their team sucks and wants to relocate the Nebraska football club and it’s players (Remember the school cannot be a shareholder)

 

 

[PDXHusker]

2 hours ago, BigRedBuster said:

My son in law is a resident in ear nose and throat surgery.  He makes around $70,000 per year and works over 90 hours per week.  An actual ENT surgeon makes around $350,000 per year.  The Hospital isn't billing less because of that.

 

Pardon me if I don't feel sorry for players in college that aren't getting paid what a professional is making in the NFL.  An college player isn't the same as an NFL player.  If that were the case, college football would look just as well played as an NFL game....and...it's not.

 

The ENT surgeon in residency, isn't the same as one with years of experience either.  That's why they get paid less....to learn their craft and have a chance to get out and make more.

 

So, again, what is the market for a college football player?

That analogy only works if the regulatory conditions are the same, which they clearly are not. You can certainly advocate with your congresspeople for that, but that’s not the situation today. 

[BigRedBuster]

5 minutes ago, PDXHusker said:

That analogy only works if the regulatory conditions are the same, which they clearly are not. You can certainly advocate with your congresspeople for that, but that’s not the situation today. 

What?  

[Archy1221]

1 hour ago, Dr. Strangelove said:

We wouldn't expect a prodigy student-actor at UNL to star in a blockbuster movie for free.

Would you expect the person making a cameo appearance to get paid the same as the star?  
 

Because earlier you suggested each player should get $650,000.   that isn’t letting the free market play out as you are asking for.  

[PDXHusker]

8 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

What?  

Which part do you not understand? Becoming a doctor is highly regulated. Becoming a college football player is not. It’s not a good analogy.

[Archy1221]

33 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

Yep, if it were me, it would be after the bowl season with all players playing. 
 

And, while we are in it, how long is a player tied to a contract and when does he become a free agent?

And since there will be a CBA, when does the draft process begin. No need to worry about recruiting anymore.

 

Also, there will be no need for 85 players on the squad anymore.  NFL model has 46 with some practice squad people for 17 games.  Great way for these LLC’s to save some money.