Could this be THE END for College Football?

[Jaromir Jagr]

Not a chance. To me, this is like minor league baseball or foreign basketball.

The real losers in this will be anyone who signs up for it. The odds of going pro will still be low and they will have nothing to fall back on when they don't make it.

Did u miss the part where the league is also paying for education?

You keep saying this, but you haven't yet told us how this new magical league is going to pay for salaries AND college classes.

They have people investing at the start and they'll be pursuing more funding in various ways like any other business. I'm not saying they will succeed and I don't think it'll be the end of college football, I'm just saying the red herring argument of students not getting education to fall back on is fall.

The way I see it this is like a paid IMG academy. Paid to train for the NFL, get some college if you wish. If it does get profitable/successful i'm sure the NFL will become involved. They wanted to CRUSH the XFL in any way possible, ridicule it, etc... this from the start is a focus of training players for the NFL and not to compete with it.

It's cool that they're making this pie in the sky claim about everyone getting an education, but we will see if there's any reality to it. If kids are joining this league because they don't want to go to school, I don't think the lure of local JUCO classes is going to make much of a difference.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

Personally, I want what is best for these young men. A real education.

If you really meant that, you would be finding ways to get a real education for all inner city youth and not just the .00005% who might play fo da U.

 

[52CANES]

Kids will take this option. The real question is will people watch it?

JMO

They don't have to watch. And, the league certainly won't be profitable. Any chance of success for a league like this will have to rely heavily on NFL subsidies. I can see this lasting a few years until the NFL decides it's worth it to THEM. No benefit to the NFL means minimal or no more subsidies.

In any case, I think it's time for this experiment.Whether it's succeeds or not, I don't believe it's any threat to college football.

I agree, may or may not work, but interesting to see how it goes. The benefits I could see to the NFL is that they say they will be running NFL style offenses and defenses so ideally players would come in more prepared and ready to go instead of having to learn the NFL play style.

 

[Just-W2]

It's going to be hard for a start-up to compete with the billion dollar machine that is college football. College football funds all of the non-revenue generating sports (women's tennis, golf, swimming, etc.). The NCAA will use every resource they have to undermine this league.

They need to add more teams to the LFL!!!!

 

[52CANES]

Not a chance. To me, this is like minor league baseball or foreign basketball.

The real losers in this will be anyone who signs up for it. The odds of going pro will still be low and they will have nothing to fall back on when they don't make it.

Did u miss the part where the league is also paying for education?

You keep saying this, but you haven't yet told us how this new magical league is going to pay for salaries AND college classes.

They have people investing at the start and they'll be pursuing more funding in various ways like any other business. I'm not saying they will succeed and I don't think it'll be the end of college football, I'm just saying the red herring argument of students not getting education to fall back on is fall.

The way I see it this is like a paid IMG academy. Paid to train for the NFL, get some college if you wish. If it does get profitable/successful i'm sure the NFL will become involved. They wanted to CRUSH the XFL in any way possible, ridicule it, etc... this from the start is a focus of training players for the NFL and not to compete with it.

It's cool that they're making this pie in the sky claim about everyone getting an education, but we will see if there's any reality to it. If kids are joining this league because they don't want to go to school, I don't think the lure of local JUCO classes is going to make much of a difference.

I'm just saying the education is available. People were talking about the players having nothing to fall back on as an excuse that the league is a bad idea. Fact is, if they don't want to learn you can't force them (and shouldnt). Like the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. The best you can do is have it available and encourage them to take advantage of it. Its not like they are getting any value out of their college program if they aren't interested either.

 

[Dingaan1828]

Give them an alternative, sure, and then after 10 years, see which kids are better off. The ones who went to college, or those who passed on a free education and faced the same odds of making an NFL roster.

I understand your point, However, we don't force every kid coming out of high school to go to college now. Why should we force kids who want to play football to go to college. It's about personal choice to me. It may well be a bad choice to go to this league (and it may be a good one), but leave their choices up to them.

These are just my opinions, as I don't pretend to know what's best for any individual.

 

[simplycanes]

Give them an alternative, sure, and then after 10 years, see which kids are better off. The ones who went to college, or those who passed on a free education and faced the same odds of making an NFL roster.

I understand your point, However, we don't force every kid coming out of high school to go to college now. Why should we force kids who want to play football to go to college. It's about personal choice to me. It may well be a bad choice to go to this league (and it may be a good one), but leave their choices up to them.

These are just my opinions, as I don't pretend to know what's best for any individual.

That's what I am saying, give them a choice and let the market tell you which was wiser, or if this alternate league is truly a substitute.

The NFL, like all professional sports, is part of the entertainment industry. Most industries require some type of experience or higher education, especially one with the dollars involved that the NFL carries. Consumers will dictate what they will spend their entertainment dollars on, not the HS players who don't want to go to college.

With an independent league, you're asking the NFL to subsidize it (yeah right) or fans to support it. In order to generate enough money to pay these players or attract the level of coaching staff which would compete with top colleges, you're talking about a lot of escarole.

You need the public to forgo their allegiance to the NFL or NCAA CFB and divert money into this league, which is a big ask because each of them own one day of the weekend.

Again, give them a choice, sure, but, IMO, they are overlooking that the reason this "minor league" system works the way it does is because of the consumer. The consumer has to want the alternative.

 

[ThomasM]

Did you miss in my first post where I said it should be written in every contract these kids sign that they should have college paid for them when they walk away from football? You know, when an educational institution will actually care about them more as a student than as a money maker for their school? You see, I WANT these young men to get an education. A real education, not just used for their skills. Do they have an opportunity for an education? You bet they do. But ask yourself this. Are other kids going to school to get an education having to work their butts off in the gym and practice field every day of the week? Wouldn't it be better for their education if football wasn't a distraction?

I know a bunch of people like to watch college football and they want to keep it at a high level. Personally, I want what is best for these young men. A real education.

Soooo......you don't want football to be a distraction that gets in the way of their education. What is your solution, then? No football or no classes?

I see reading comprehension isn't your thing. I'm saying these kids need an education, period. They are not getting one in the current system, many of them. Too many of them. Even the ones that make it to the NFL often find themselves broke after a few years. Why? Because they are not getting a real education. Tell me I'm wrong.

 

[DTP]

Did you miss in my first post where I said it should be written in every contract these kids sign that they should have college paid for them when they walk away from football? You know, when an educational institution will actually care about them more as a student than as a money maker for their school? You see, I WANT these young men to get an education. A real education, not just used for their skills. Do they have an opportunity for an education? You bet they do. But ask yourself this. Are other kids going to school to get an education having to work their butts off in the gym and practice field every day of the week? Wouldn't it be better for their education if football wasn't a distraction?

I know a bunch of people like to watch college football and they want to keep it at a high level. Personally, I want what is best for these young men. A real education.

Soooo......you don't want football to be a distraction that gets in the way of their education. What is your solution, then? No football or no classes?

I see reading comprehension isn't your thing. I'm saying these kids need an education, period. They are not getting one in the current system, many of them. Too many of them. Even the ones that make it to the NFL often find themselves broke after a few years. Why? Because they are not getting a real education. Tell me I'm wrong.

I won't disagree that a lot of these kids aren't getting the most out of their education but I'm stopping short of blaming it on football. I know a few guys who went to FBS schools on football scholarships and while none of them even sniffed the NFL, they all have useful degrees and are currently gainfully employed. If a football player chooses to coast through college taking the bare minimum course load to maintain eligibility, it's his own fault. I'm aware that for a lot of players, the only way they can stay eligible is to take the easiest classes but maybe that's because so many athletes would never have gotten accepted if not for their athletic ability. However, whether or not schools should lower their academic standards for athletes is a totally different discussion.

 

[CaptJackSparrow]

I think this could be wildly successful...but I don't understand the rationale of being less than 4 years removed from hike school.

I think it's to ensure every player is still draft egible. Which I think is a good decesion cause the point of the league is not to complete with the NFL hopefully get support as a potential feeder system.

Right now I think the league should be pursuing some sort of deal with Netflix. After the success of "Last Chance U" I think a league like this could generate revenue and some interest in their league with a documental style promotion of its league and players.

The league doesn't have to be a feeder just to the NFL but could also feed players in the Arena and Canandian Football league as well. If they have any 4 teams they probably only gonna play a 6,9 or 12 game schedule. I don't think they would have to pay the players much remember 9 game season would only make the work load 3 months or so. Even if the kids are only getting 30k that comes out to 10k a month and they have 9 months to pursue other income related actives.

Ultimately the league would be best served if the NFL would let some of these athletes be draft edible after 2 years instead of 3 like in college. Given a chance to make 100k for two years of semi pro ball and get to the league a year early make help attract a freak of nature athlete like Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson, Fournette who were NFL ready as 19 year olds.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

Did you miss in my first post where I said it should be written in every contract these kids sign that they should have college paid for them when they walk away from football? You know, when an educational institution will actually care about them more as a student than as a money maker for their school? You see, I WANT these young men to get an education. A real education, not just used for their skills. Do they have an opportunity for an education? You bet they do. But ask yourself this. Are other kids going to school to get an education having to work their butts off in the gym and practice field every day of the week? Wouldn't it be better for their education if football wasn't a distraction?

I know a bunch of people like to watch college football and they want to keep it at a high level. Personally, I want what is best for these young men. A real education.

Soooo......you don't want football to be a distraction that gets in the way of their education. What is your solution, then? No football or no classes?

I see reading comprehension isn't your thing. I'm saying these kids need an education, period. They are not getting one in the current system, many of them. Too many of them. Even the ones that make it to the NFL often find themselves broke after a few years. Why? Because they are not getting a real education. Tell me I'm wrong.

FYI, the "reading comprehension" insult was en vogue around 2004. Join us here in the future.

You keep telling us the problem while offering no solutions. They aren't getting a real education, we get it. Now what?

 

[canestim]

A new league would only be successful if you have fans, fans love college and NFL, there is no more room in those fans lives so it will fail.

 

[Utoronto]

50k a year for at least 3 years aint bad especially coming out of high school. It could impact college if it is able to catch on and build some popularity.

Why go to college when you can make 50k while getting prepared for the nfl.

You wouldn't trade 50K for a quality education, room and board AND all that college tail running around?