Beyond Saturdays: College Football Turned To Professional Football
College football is undergoing significant changes, and its future direction remains uncertain. However, I have a theory of what it should become. With the recent changes in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules, certain regulations should be implemented. Similar to professional sports, I believe that player contracts are forthcoming. Like European football, I could also see a form of relegation coming to college football.
Collective Bargaining Agreement
A collective bargaining agreement is an agreement between employers and employees that sets workplace rules and regulations and establishes the pay for different positions. I believe college football needs such an agreement to address the current lack of regulations and structure.
Currently, the rules are loose, and players can transfer between universities whenever they want, making the situation like that of the Wild West. Some changes and regulations are urgently needed in college football to bring order to the system. For this agreement to take place, each position would require a pay range similar to the NFLPA in the NFL.
Relegation
How would relegation work in college football? Well, with the way college football is going, there will soon be two super conferences: the SEC and the Big Ten. With two super conferences, teams like Vanderbilt and Rutgers would be sent down to the lower conferences for a minimum of three years, and then they would have to be in the top three of their conference to be promoted to the super conferences.
This system would repeat over and over. I think this would keep universities competitive because they wouldn't want to be relegated to the lower league, and if they do, it keeps the super conferences competitive. Relegation would be one of many things that would make the league better.
Transfer Portal And Contracts
It would be beneficial to require college football players to sign contracts when they commit to a university. This would enable universities to regulate college football more effectively and better understand how long a player is committed to their institution. These contracts could be anywhere between one to four years.
With contracts, the players can resign or enter the transfer portal after their contract ends. In soccer, transfers and trades are common occurrences. A transfer is essentially a trade. It is possible to pay for a player or even loan a player. While I am not certain if loaning a player would be a viable option, being able to pay for a player who is still under contract to join your team could be another way to increase your team's NIL funds.
Title IX
Many people may question the impact of Title IX in light of recent discussions about student-athlete compensation. However, it is important to note that nothing is changing for the other sports. Any potential changes could benefit the student-athletes by providing additional compensation beyond just scholarships.
One might wonder how to pay players in non-football sports. One solution could be to follow the NBA's example and allocate funds to support pay increases for WNBA players.
Playoffs And Bowl Games
The bowl games have lost their appeal. In light of this, I have a few suggestions. Firstly, we could have two major super conferences with their playoffs, while lower-level conferences have their own. The games could be sponsored like bowl games, which would bring back the excitement of the bowl season.
Having two sets of playoffs would improve college football because it would reduce the likelihood of players sitting out the postseason to prepare for the NFL draft, which has become a major issue in recent years. Some universities need a chance to win a lower-level championship to get back up to their respective super conferences after being relegated.
Summary
College football is undergoing changes that some may not approve of, but I believe it is necessary to regulate the industry. The introduction of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) has shifted the balance of power away from the NCAA, but this could be a good thing.
It's time for student-athletes to have the opportunity to be compensated for their skills while still in college and to be known as professional athletes.
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