NCAA Football Is Now Openly Pro Football

[Paolo_X]

@Stickweld21

…hole new door for player progression. Send a guy to a Juco for two years bring him back after two years to the NCAA - let the juco’s weeds out the non hackers.I’m genuinely curious to see how this plays out. This could reshape how we think about football pipelines, and it’s probably going to make for some great drama both on and off the field. Definitely worth keeping an eye on! Great catch @Paolo_X

$55,000 for quarterbacks in the UFL, and remember that number folks, for here’s what that means. Note that number is for the highest-paid players.

2025 Season United Football League (UFL)

As the news on the hold-out by far more than merely the quarterbacks but by the players’ union, which could turn to a strike in March, creeps out more into the sports media, with of course Fox to hold on any such reporting were a strike to be the case until after such a cat is out of the bag, as would likely all other NFL media and that’s not a free choice. Here’s a source article from Thursday 27 Feb 2025 for the news making its rounds all the more today. The United Football Players Associ…

And so folks we can now already read even more tea leaves whatever becomes of the UFL 4.0 after only one season of play. Maybe just the name is bad luck and should be ditched forever in any case, for if you are on 4.0 for your brand and having a hard time at it again, well folks, maybe your brand just plain sucks too? Change the damn brand, but that’s only a restart with that debacle.

So, we are at now the prospect of the following for any above average player in high school, generally All State as well, who is being courted by a large number of schools:

1. Two years of play in junior college or other prep school no longer counting towards NCAA eligibility (see the post linked above) AND
2. In my view though this is speculative on my part, but we are already there to a higher degree than ever, college football eligibility will be expanded to a full five years for all players, with none of the current various exceptions, including any seasons during the COVID years not counting, needed any more.

The prospect of many young men having a seven-year career at this level and cashing out big could be here and now especially if that ruling on the matter of junior college and prep school goes in favour of players. That number is already five and not merely four for more than ever, and it’s been more than that with the COVID exceptions.

And so enter the other football options for these athletes after “school,” with of course the NFL for only the top 1% plus the longshots who make it as free agents.

Formerly after not making the regular season in the NFL if getting through tryouts or training camp, there was the CFL and, any given indoor, arena, or local semi-pro league, but now the UFL, but in any case, let’s go back to pro football in college.

There are now more “college” football players (and college athletes in general) making more money than many CFL players, with the stars more than ALL CFL players, so what does that fact tell you?

There’s far more that is going to be made as well via the expanded College Football Playoff, NIL, and various litigation in favour of the players that will end up paying them, private equity flow via those “collectives,” all on top of that athletic scholarship with a paid college education.

So what’s the average talented 15-year old or 16-year old thinking now?

Dare I say,

Cash in while in college, then maybe the NFL, but definitely CASH IN NOW.
There is no CFL or UFL in sight.
It’s college ball for as long as they can play and earn, and then maybe the NFL, then well, crossroads in life.

This reality is going to be a problem for both the CFL and the UFL so as to draw such players who are not going to the NFL, though they will find others, but we know from the 2023 CFL season that the slippage is vast in the quality of play when a certain calibre of player is not as available.