Shortest "commitment" ever?......

[droner]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/tennessee-transfer-commit-isaiah-neyor-flips-to-texas/ar-AASYBRs?ocid=msedgntp

[volsboy]

Not going to trust any of the transfers or recruits are coming to Knoxville until I see them lined up on Sept 3 against Ball St.

[Black Diamond Vol]

It’s becoming clear that we’re not going to be one of the “haves” in the NIL era. And you know what? I think I’m ok with that. I have little interest in what supposed “amateur” sports has become anyway.  

[Tnphil]

It's why I never get excited about these look at me recruits and only care when they arrive on campus. Knew something was up when this dude committed to us but was still going on visits. Kid is from Texas...so when they offered he was gone.

[JeffCountyVolFan]

It's going to be really difficult for schools to compete with Texas and TAMU for recruits that they really want. This kid may end up being the next lottery pick, but he was a 2* coming out of high school. He blew up this year at Wyoming. From what I've been told, we had a pretty good NIL offer for him (I don't have specifics, just that we had him a good deal).

[SmokeyJoe]

It’s becoming clear that we’re not going to be one of the “haves” in the NIL era. And you know what? I think I’m ok with that. I have little interest in what supposed “amateur” sports has become anyway.  

Dude, respectfully, it has been many years, decades since shizzle was legit. I would say it hasn't been truly amateur since the 70s. The NFL is a better product for "purity". Socialism for the cities/owners & pure competition for the players! 👍

[SmokeyJoe]

Having said the above, I see no reason the real UT  can't compete in the "new" era. Weren't we just giving away cash? 

[Black Diamond Vol]

Dude, respectfully, it has been many years, decades since shizzle was legit. I would say it hasn't been truly amateur since the 70s. The NFL is a better product for "purity". Socialism for the cities/owners & pure competition for the players! 👍

I’m well aware of the “under the table” stuff that’s been going on for decades. But this is an entirely different animal. The richest schools already have 9 digit “payrolls”. In my wildest dreams, I could maybe have envisioned that 10-20 years into this NIL experiment. But in YEAR ONE? Forget UT, how are the MSUs or Iowa States or Utahs supposed to keep up with that? And what will these numbers look like a decade from now? A billion? More?

At least the NFL maintains a competitive balance via the salary cap. If college sports can’t find a way to do the same (and I’m not sure they legally can, since this is all booster-driven), then I think we’re done here. I’ll just find some other way to spend my Fall Saturdays.

[Creek Walker]

I’m well aware of the “under the table” stuff that’s been going on for decades. But this is an entirely different animal. The richest schools already have 9 digit “payrolls”. In my wildest dreams, I could maybe have envisioned that 10-20 years into this NIL experiment. But in YEAR ONE? Forget UT, how are the MSUs or Iowa States or Utahs supposed to keep up with that? And what will these numbers look like a decade from now? A billion? More?

At least the NFL maintains a competitive balance via the salary cap. If college sports can’t find a way to do the same (and I’m not sure they legally can, since this is all booster-driven), then I think we’re done here. I’ll just find some other way to spend my Fall Saturdays.

College football as we have known it and love it is dead. There was a time when I couldn't have envisioned giving up college football, but I'm finding it's actually pretty easy to do. Just a couple of years ago, I would've had three big screens streaming three different games and two butts in the smoker on a typical Saturday afternoon. This year I didn't watch a single college game that didn't involve the Vols.

Watching Tennessee was still fun this year. But as it becomes apparent that it doesn't matter what Tennessee does, Tennessee will never catch the Alabamas and Georgias and Texas A&Ms of the SEC, I'll eventually turn it off for good.

[SmokeyJoe]

Middle Tennessee is booming! Big Money! Why would this not work for UT? All of Texas money is not in Austin. What does Alabama have, Birmingham? Lol.

[SmokeyJoe]

How many Billionaires does Alabama have? "We" have more 

[Black Diamond Vol]

And it’s not just NIL. But combined with the transfer portal, it REALLY gets nefarious. Say Boise State finds an under the radar, diamond in the rough QB and he just blows it up as a freshman. There’s nothing to stop some enthusiastic bammer booster from calling him up and saying, “I’ll give you $20 million a year to spend the rest of your college career in Tuscaloosa”. Basically, the “haves” now get to use the the “have nots” as their farm system. I don’t care if UT had all the money in the world and was capable of competing at the top of the sport- watching the same half-dozen schools consolidate their strength and dominate the other 120+ D1 schools will get awfully boring.

[BanditVol]

watching the same half-dozen schools consolidate their strength and dominate the other 120+ D1 schools will get awfully boring.

it already was, its just likely worse now

Having said that, there might be some movement

Some well heeled schools that have had less success might be able to move up the chain a bit

I guess we will find out

it does stink though

[JeffCountyVolFan]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/with-the-ncaa-backed-into-a-corner-the-age-of-paying-college-athletes-is-officially-upon-us/

On another topic, how is the NCAA (a collective group of colleges and universities) supposed to put limits on NIL when colleges and universities cannot be involved in NIL?

[Black Diamond Vol]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/with-the-ncaa-backed-into-a-corner-the-age-of-paying-college-athletes-is-officially-upon-us/

On another topic, how is the NCAA (a collective group of colleges and universities) supposed to put limits on NIL when colleges and universities cannot be involved in NIL?

They can’t. There’s no going back now.

Over the past several years, there has been a legion of self-righteous media blowhards (cough, Jay Bilas, cough) pontificating on one side if this issue. They use buzzwords like “fairness” and “equity”. “It’s time to do the right thing”, they say. There have been very, very few on the other side, warning of the dangers of opening this can of worms. Well, that can is now open, and the worms are everywhere. Maybe Bilas can tell us how to fix it.

I don’t see a short-term answer. Maybe the only long-term fix is the free market. As college sports get more predictable and boring, fans (like yours truly) will start to tune out. Ticket sales will drop, TV ratings will collapse. Eventually, the current financial model will become untenable, and they’ll have to blow everything up and start over from scratch. I hope it happens in my lifetime.

[JeffCountyVolFan]

I agree completely.  The amount of money offered to an athlete through NIL, under current legal rulings, cannot be regulated imo.  They can possibly enforce rulings that NIL payments cannot be tied to a player remaining at a certain university, but dollar amounts cannot be limited, I don't think.

You could be right, BDV.  The system may be its own worst enemy and devour itself.  I'm not sure that will happen any time soon, though.

Personally, I am completely disillusioned by the current state of college athletics. 

[murfvol]

I actually prefer above board payments. Let the kids make whatever they can, and it will all shake out,