The Hate runs deep for NCAA ‘Free Agency’.

Transfer Portal

The Transfer Portal. The mere mention of the NCAA’s free agency vehicle stirs up venom. Traditionalist and status quo coaches and administrators begin to steam when even thinking about the newfound freedom and power now in the hands of players. Players no longer have to tolerate program misrepresentation, verbal/physical abuse, or program over-recruitment. If recruited with all the flowery phrases, gilded imagry, and rose-colored constructs in reference to State University Z…and the reality is 180 degrees different, they now have the option to abandon ship. Welcome to the New World.

Power and Control. University administrations and their coaching lackeys have held all the reins of power and control for over a century in collegiate sports. Players who bought into the recruiting hype, often found the local reality was far from the gilded images put forth during their courtship. Many found that their status was that of servitude/near slavery without recourse. They had no power to change any aspect of their employment, save quitting and leaving. If one requested to transfer from State U, they needed permission from the administration and the Head Coach. If denied, they stayed and suffered the consequences or the quit the program.

It should be stated for clarity, that according to the National Collegiate Players Association study of July 2020, that Division 1 football and basketball players had a Fair Market Value of between $208K – $551K per year, dependent upon their level.

HTTPS://WWW.NCPANOW.ORG/NEWS/RELEASES-ADVISORIES/STUDY-HOW-THE-NCAAS-EMPIRE-ROBS-PREDOMINANTLY-BLACK-ATHLETES-OF-GENERATIONAL-WEALTH Ramogi Huma NCPA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & DR. ELLEN STAUROWSKY, PROFESSOR AT DREXEL UNIVERSITY , JULY 31, 2020.

Therefore, it is not surprising that university administrations and coaches were not inclined to approve players transferring, unless in exceptional circumstances: Poor health or death in the family, coaching changes at the university, or some major extenuating cause. If players leave, potential dollars are also walking out the door with them. It’s best to keep that avenue as restrictive as possible.

The NCAA’s “one-time transfer rule” took effect on April 28, 2021. Then on July 1, 2021, the NCAA made it possible for athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. Now, just like coaches, players can easily change schools and, perhaps, make a little money too.

https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/2021/12/22/ncaa-transfer-portal-nil-college-football-playoff/ Dean Golembeski article

Therein lies the rub. Not just a loss of control of the player base, but upheaval within the program structure. Players now can easily leave/transfer if they were mislead/lied to about the reality of State U. If the recruiting hype doesn’t match the reality of high-4 star/5 star players riding pine-the Wiggins’, Zions, & Bates’ of college sports, now can opt out of the program. Tyrant coaches and callous administrations cannot stop players from leaving the plantation(s). Now coaches have no option, other than recruiting the Transfer Portal, as well as the HS/AAU circuits. This upheaval in the status quo has cut into program continuity, coaching downtimes, golf outings, and off-season vacations. Now they have to earn those 7-8 figure salaries.

The major cry is that of ‘tampering’ with players, by competitor schools. It’s easy to spout, but more difficult to prove. Furthermore, the charge of tampering also seems meant to cover a wide range of tyrannical coaching behaviors by complainants. Whenever there is a stampede of players vacating a school with stabile staffing, the first thing that comes to mind-other than a coaching regime change-is abusive behavior on the part of that staff. Why would a steady stream of players leave a happy, productive, and nourishing program? Mass exoduses of non-graduate players from a university imply programmatic problems, problems previously swept under numerous rugs.

It’s not all good. 1800 or so basketball players / 3000+ football players entered the NCAA’s 2022 Transfer Portal. Some players graduate, go pro, or move on with life. Some leave early for potential professional play. Many enter the portal looking for new opportunities. Many don’t find those opportunities and this move becomes the end of the line for their collegiate careers. You roll the dice and you take your chances.

Today, players not receiving the ‘pie-in-the-sky’ recruiting promises, those being abused, and those looking for a better deal, now have options. It’s a new day, a new deal, and one that was long overdue for players. Proceed with caution.

Roller Coaster, Wild Wild West, or Biz as Usual?

Here we are, One year in on Name Image Likeness.

“According to Opendorse,The NIL market is on pace to reach more than $500 million within the first year and it could reach $1 billion if booster collectives continue to aggressively increase.”1

In the $19 Billion college sports industry ($6B-NCAA), thats a 5% penetration into the market, by the very workforce which fuels the market. With 5-10 thousand potential player/athlete benefactors, it could be a game-changer.

However, there are less than 100 known 6-figure or better individual deals (there are several 6-figure “team deals”) on the books.

“More data from Opendorse (Jan 2022), the average NIL compensation for Division I athletes is $471, while for Division II athletes, the average is $81, and for Division III athletes, they received a whopping $47 (dollars, not thousands). These numbers not only show how unjust this is to the athletes at the lower levels, it also shows how insensitive it is to think NIL will actually help all athletes. It might sponsor a trip to the grocery store, but that’s about it.”2

So the top 1-5% of athletes are raking in all the money. The other 95-99% need a monthly stipend from the NCAA to try and survive poverty & starvation while in college. Opendorse says that 60% of NIL is going to Football, 18% is going to female athletes, and the rest (22%) is going to everybody else. The media trumpets the few (and far between) 6-7 figure deals…as though everyone is getting them. The reality is that the average athlete is getting his/her $471.

Hardly the ‘wild, wild West’ scenario that many university administrators and their 7-8 figure head coaches are crying about.

The 2020 NCPA study shows fair market value for Div 1 mens football and basketball athletes ranged from $208K to $551K annually. So NIL is less than a drop in the bucket for the vast majority of players.

The NCAA put out minimal guidance a year ago, expecting Congressional action. There was none. A recent NCAA Update promises to go after “extreme cases” where obvious ‘pay-for-play’ is involved.

Many big-time booster collectives at major schools seem itching for a fight and are boldly talking smack in the media. Several proposed bills have seen the light of day, but Congress is preoccupied with repealing old voting and right to choose laws, promoting partisan legislation, and helping their party with midterm elections.

NIL can wait.

The best proposed bill for players is the Bluementhal-Booker bill, the so-called Player Bill of Rights.

We’ve already gotten to the point of various NIL Collectives spitting venom at competitor collectives (UK vs TAMU) over tactics in signing players. It looks like pay-for-play in several cases we’ve seen this Spring involving returning players & transfers at major schools. (if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck…it’s a UK Wildcat. However, if it’s in Florida…it’s a Gator, unless it’s south of Orlando…then it’s a UM Hurricane.)

CBS Online talking heads Parrish & Norlander were gleefully challenging the NCAA to go after NIL Collectives – expecting fat cat collective’s lawyers to beatdown the NCAA in court.

Expect congress to get to NIL legislation when either –
A. After several major school NIL Booster Collectives grossly break/override state laws/ncaa provisions, conducting ‘pay for play’ in an egregious, wanton manner – with total disregard and disdain for ‘the rules’. See Texas, UK, Florida, Miami, Bama, others.
B. Several athletes get taken advantage of and abused via unscrupulous contracting and refusals to pay by companies, aggressive agents, and opportunistic Nil Collectives. It’s a matter of time when, not if