There is no doubt that the business model of college athletics has greatly changed in just the past few years. Even those who despise the new rules of the game have to concede that.
It’s definitely hard for older people like me to adjust. The idea that companies will pay college athletes a lot of money to promote their products is baffling, although part of that is because these players are supposed to reach their own age group, not mine, since they are pitching stuff for which I have absolutely no use.
The name-image-likeness money, the ability for a scholarship athlete to transfer at will, and upcoming plans for schools to pay players for their athletic work — it’s all hard to get used to.
I do think all this has taken some of the charm out of college sports. Some of it is too illogical, like USC and UCLA moving to the Big Ten specifically for more money. The chase for big bucks is splitting college sports into the haves and the have-nots, and this is only going to get worse in the next few years.
Then again, maybe I am overthinking it. There weren’t too many upsets in the recently concluded NCAA men’s basketball tournament. But just last football season, little ole Vanderbilt stunned the world by beating Alabama. So the miracles that make college sports so much fun can still happen.
The NCAA tournament is what prompted this column.
A couple of days ago, I wrote an editorial commending Alijah Martin, a former North Pike athlete, for winning the national championship with the Florida Gators. And thinking about it since then, I believe Martin is a good example of how the rules changes are benefitting the young people who play the games.
Martin spent most of his college career at Florida Atlantic University, a so-called mid-major in the basketball world. Well, two years ago the Owls mid-majored it all the way to the Final Four, and they were only a few seconds away from playing for the title.
Martin transferred to Florida this year and was a starter on its championship team. He is one of only four players to go to the men’s Final Four with two different teams. Another guy did it this year, and two did it back in the late 1970s.
Not too many years ago, a player who wanted to transfer to another school would have had to sit out a year. The idea was to prevent schools from stealing each other’s players, which is understandable. But this was not fair to the player, whose sports earnings potential is limited by age.
Equally to the point, I assume Martin wound up at FAU because the bigger programs didn’t see his potential. He had not yet become the guy who would play a key role in getting to a Final Four. But once he did, he had options.
Maybe it’s not a great thing for college fans to have players switch teams without notice. Although in professional leagues, they call that a trade or a free agency signing.
But switching schools sure worked out well for Martin. He didn’t have to wait a year. I can’t say he’s the only reason Florida won the title this year, but it is very easy to see that they didn’t win one till he got there. That counts for something, right?
Another way to look at it is if your child was playing college sports. Wouldn’t you encourage him or her to go to the school that provided the most exposure — and the most earnings potential?
The NIL deals and the transfer rules give athletes the opportunity for greater rewards and especially more control over their careers, and I like that. But I suspect it will take fans a few more years to get used to all the changes.
At some point, though, the world of college sports will settle down. Think of when the NFL and other professional leagues got into free agency.
Lots of experts predicted that allowing players to change teams at will would be the end of the world.
Hasn’t happened. In fact, quite the opposite. Pro salaries are ridiculously high, but why should owners get to keep all the money? After all, fans pay to see the players.
