Week 5 News & Games

#1      

Dan

Dan
Admin
Dan
Welcome to the Week 5 (non-IL) CFB News & Games Thread šŸˆ

Big Ten & other selected matchups are listed below, & feel free to discuss any other games/CFB news as well.


Friday, September 27th

Washington at Rutgers
7:00pm CT - FOX

Saturday, September 28th

Minnesota at Michigan
11:00am CT - FOX

Nebraska at Purdue
11:00am CT - Peacock

Maryland at Indiana
11:00am CT - BTN

Wisconsin at USC
2:30pm CT - CBS

Ohio State at Michigan State
6:00pm CT - Peacock

Georgia at Alabama
6:30pm CT - ABC

Oregon at UCLA
10:00pm CT - FOX
 
#2      
fuddrules
Kansas has to wish this happened one game earlier.

I'm guessing this may happen more often now over promises not delivered.

www.yahoo.com

UNLV's starting QB says he will no longer play over 'representations' that `were not upheld'

The starting quarterback for undefeated UNLV announced on social media Tuesday that he will not play in any more games this season. Matthew Sluka said he will instead use his redshirt year. ā€œI committed to UNLV based on certain representations that were made to me, which were not upheld after...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
 
#5      
Joel Goodson
#6      
rtbritt
Joel Goodson said:
imagine living up to your commitments. don't blame Sluka one bit. this is gonna hurt UNLV (beyond just this season), as it should
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100%....actually that makes me think....All the times in the past, that surprise transfers happened, that we (everyday fans) didn't understand, I wonder how often it was tied to unfulfilled promises directly like this. Obviously, we know basically all transfers are because one side or the other's expectations weren't met, but how often was it monetary type promises not being met? Weird.
 
#7      
BretMyBeachHouse
Joel Goodson said:
imagine living up to your commitments. don't blame Sluka one bit. this is gonna hurt UNLV (beyond just this season), as it should
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well, we're getting one side of the story here.

But it does go the point of needing some order to this. Contracts being foremost. With the laughable notion that NIL can't be based upon play, it's pretty difficult to see that.

It will be interesting to see if a few more of these happen. We have a pretty vocal group out there that says that players sitting out bowl games to protect their NFL interests is perfectly acceptable. I have wondered if that will extend to the regular season.

Now here's a new one. A previously unheralded player has a great first three games and goes to the school and demands a new NIL deal or he's doing a Sluka.
 
#10      
ChiefGritty
BretMyBeachHouse said:
well, we're getting one side of the story here.

But it does go the point of needing some order to this. Contracts being foremost. With the laughable notion that NIL can't be based upon play, it's pretty difficult to see that.

It will be interesting to see if a few more of these happen. We have a pretty vocal group out there that says that players sitting out bowl games to protect their NFL interests is perfectly acceptable. I have wondered if that will extend to the regular season.

Now here's a new one. A previously unheralded player has a great first three games and goes to the school and demands a new NIL deal or he's doing a Sluka.
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Two thoughts.

1. To solve the problem you first have to understand the problem squarely. College athletes should play for one school. That should be the norm. That is the core distinguishing factor of the sport(s) and the long term viability of these guys making big bucks depends on that. That doesn't mean you have to go over the top banning transfers or something, but encouraging continuity with one school is the guiding light here.

2. With payment now connected to available eligibility years, and the inflow of foreign talent especially in basketball (but occasionally in football as well), you wonder if it wouldn't be easier to scrap class-based eligibility entirely and just institute an age limit. That might be an overreaction to the Covid year chaos that will be gone soon, but just a thought.
 
#11      
The Galloping Ghost
It appears the starting QB for undefeated UNLV is sitting out the rest of the season due to unpaid NIL. Everything about this sucks. A school lied to a player about what they can pay because there's no enforcement. One of the more fun teams this season goes from must-follow possible spoiler to likely irrelevant. And now some will tag the player as a quitter, even though most people would stop going to their jobs if it stopped paying them, too. Institutions need to be held accountable. Pay your employees and have contracts. And till we get a systemic change, man, I hope no other players commit to that coaching staff.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1838920602280706311
 
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#12      
Curbelo Fanboy
His side is that they didn't pay what promised, the UNLV side coming out is that he went back and asked for more $ this week. Rumor is he has a deal in hand for next year somewhere else. UNLV couldn't or wouldn't match so he is out. The reality of modern college sports.

Multi year agreements need to be implemented soon. Obligate both the school & the player for more than 1 year with some outs for coaching changes, injuries, etc. If the school backs out too soon, they lose a scholarship or some other punishment. If the player backs out, he has to sit a year before playing at new school.

Otherwise, we are full on minor league baseball where the entire roster is up for grabs each year. Doesn't hurt football as bad as hoops but it sure doesn't help the health of the product.
 
#13      
Calvin
There's a lot of money out there in football/basketball, and now that the NCAA/schools have been forced to share it, the floodgates are open. It's probably going to take a decade or more to figure it out and address the practices of the past. I know there's a vocal group on the message boards that strongly prefer what they grew up with --athletes having scholarships with few benefits, and a huge black market with market rates forced under the table. I personally don't understand that, but I sympathize with the gnashing of teeth that comes with change.

Reason for my post is I thought this was interesting. QB had enough BS
tldr; QB says that the wild west of promises undelivered means he's not playing. Says he gave them every opportunity to make good (and why wouldn't he?)

[soap box please] The NCAA *could* step in to regulate how deals are made and funded so fraud and other egregious deals are minimized. That would take leadership and acceptance of the reality that athletes are a big part of the revenue being generated. It would also help schools minimize misunderstandings and the reputational damage that comes with it. It might even force some financial restraint if revenue sources and obligations had standardized reporting and disclosure.

I seriously doubt any of that will happen, but in the absence, I think there will be plenty of lawsuits, accusations, and dirty laundry aired....and in the meantime, I'll keep watching because I'm entertained. šŸæ
 
#15      
The Galloping Ghost
#17      
Illini IndyCar Fan
The Galloping Ghost said:
Your new job recruits you telling you you are getting paid X. That first paycheck comes and instead, you get Y, which is significantly less. How long do you keep happily going to your job?

It's a far, far worse look for UNLV and that coaching staff.
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I get that. It also would look even worse for a recruit to agree to getting paid X, come to the school and actually get paid X, hire an agent after winning two big games, demand X+Y, and then quit when the school doesn't agree to your new NIL demands during the middle of the season. The back channel gossip on this is wild right now; it'll be interesting to see what turns out to be closer to the truth.
 
#18      
The Galloping Ghost
Calvin said:
You should work for one employer? That's how ridiculous that sounds (JMO, I know you'll respond).
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It's nostalgia for a bygone era which we expect from no one else outside of college athletes. Every single person who demands fealty from college athletes but has changed jobs in the past 5 years is a massive hypocrite. Like, yes, I absolutely would love a world where athletes stay and grow at one school, also, but every single person has to do what is best for them. College athletes have a finite amount of time to make money off their skill-set.
 
#19      
The Galloping Ghost
Illini IndyCar Fan said:
I get that. It also would look even worse for a recruit to agree to getting paid X, come to the school and actually get paid X, hire an agent after winning two big games, demand X+Y, and then quit when the school doesn't agree to your new NIL demands during the middle of the season. The back channel gossip on this is wild right now; it'll be interesting to see what turns out to be closer to the truth.
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100%. This is why we need a system of enforcement, regulation, and actual contracts. We are talking about way too much money for all of this to just be vibes.
 
#20      
ChiefGritty
Calvin said:
You should work for one employer? That's how ridiculous that sounds (JMO, I know you'll respond).
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You're only allowed to work for an employer for 4 years and then never again? Ridiculous! What ever happened to the free market!?

College sports is unique. The most popular and financially successful minor league sports on planet earth by ten country miles are American college football and basketball.

Maintain that magic and there is lots of money to distribute to the players. Kill that magic and the players end up with nothing.

We're killing the magic. Everyone knows it, it's plain as day. Ignoring that in the name of player empowerment is a mistake FOR PLAYER EMPOWERMENT. It's looking through the wrong end of the telescope.
 
#21      
Calvin
Illini IndyCar Fan said:
I get that. It also would look even worse for a recruit to agree to getting paid X, come to the school and actually get paid X, hire an agent after winning two big games, demand X+Y, and then quit when the school doesn't agree to your new NIL demands during the middle of the season. The back channel gossip on this is wild right now; it'll be interesting to see what turns out to be closer to the truth.
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I agree, but will we ever know the truth? In the world we're in, I'm imagining a lot of promises are made that disagree with the fine print, and high schoolers aren't in a position to figure out the difference between what they're led to believe and what's going to be honored. Seems that the sport suddenly needs a lot more agents.
 
#22      
Calvin
ChiefGritty said:
You're only allowed to work for an employer for 4 years and then never again? Ridiculous! What ever happened to the free market!?

College sports is unique. The most popular and financially successful minor league sports on planet earth by ten country miles are American college football and basketball.

Maintain that magic and there is lots of money to distribute to the players. Kill that magic and the players end up with nothing.

We're killing the magic. Everyone knows it, it's plain as day. Ignoring that in the name of player empowerment is a mistake FOR PLAYER EMPOWERMENT. It's looking through the wrong end of the telescope.
Click to expand...

I feel you're missing the point. If the magic is one-sided or inflexible and the athlete takes all the risk, it seems perfectly reasonable for the athlete to say thanks but no thanks I'm going to a program that values me.

And to take it a step further, with young players, it's unlikely that their value and development can be predicted with much certainty, so the year-to-year deals will be preferred by both the schools who will resist multi-year deals and players who want market value when they improve. Both sides want flexibility, at least to the extent it benefits/protects them.
 
#23      
illini80
The whole thing is completely predictable and unsurprising. Kam Cox has been very clear that the rules do not allow any specific promises to be made and I believe Illinois follows that rule. Obviously many do not and players/agents certainly know that.

If you want to swim in the sewer, don't complain how it smells.
 
#24      
The Galloping Ghost
And truth be told, there's another aspect to this. Unfortunately, this sport is violent and players can get massively injured at any moment. The risk of playing at below market value, getting injured, and then never making another dime is incredibly high. Personally, maybe controversially on a college message board, but I'm never going to fault a football player for trying to make more money off of an ability that can be gone in an instant with life-long repercussions. I've felt the same way pre-NIL when players sat out of bowls and championship games to preserve their draft stock.
 
#25      
Dkayak
Illini IndyCar Fan said:
I get that. It also would look even worse for a recruit to agree to getting paid X, come to the school and actually get paid X, hire an agent after winning two big games, demand X+Y, and then quit when the school doesn't agree to your new NIL demands during the middle of the season. The back channel gossip on this is wild right now; it'll be interesting to see what turns out to be closer to the truth.
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So, UNLV fully upheld their commitment but he quit mid-season anyway. Abandoning your team reveals bad character. Whatā€™s next, teams refusing to uphold NIL commitments for weaker than expected players? Reallocate the entire NIL pie after each game? Everybody just live up to your commitments, disappointing or not, and adjust next year. Pretty simple.
 
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