NCAA Football Is Now Openly Pro Football

Other Leagues and Sports
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And here’s a key paragraph for which the feedback, as I stated a few posts above, follows a CBS puff piece about UNLV and Las Vegas and debunks the take, from an otherwise fine article by Dennis Dodd, that somehow separating UNLV from the MWC won’t involve messy state politics and dealing in Nevada like usual.
:thinking: :unamused:

Making this deal happen to win over UNLV is not going to be easy in the State of Nevada and only after plenty have had their say on the matter and take from the matter.
:money_mouth_face:

You all better now go buy a few more drums of grease for all the many more of those palms in Nevada.

UNLV’s decision comes with political strings. While it is not bound to its in-state rival, Nevada-Reno, separating from it could get messy.

The Nevada System of Higher Education and its board of regents governs both schools and must approve decisions related to conference affiliation. The current governor of the state, Joe Lombardo, is a graduate of UNLV. The president of University of Nevada-Reno, Brian Sandoval, is a two-term governor of the state who holds respect and power among the regents.

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Andddddddd folks, out of Las Vegas, we have now the end of the flavour of the week that turns out to be not one, but TWO nothing burgers.

I didn’t think it was a slow news week at all let alone month, so how the dominant media jump on certain stories yet not many others baffles me at times.

Now the UNLV matter for the Pac-12 indeed was a story worth following, but the dominant sports media really need to get over themselves as expressed on the non-story story also of Las Vegas this week:
“Huh! What! A college athlete who is a quarterback in Las Vegas who is not being paid as he understands as agreed is leaving his team?! No way!”
:roll_eyes:

It’s not 2015 or even 2022 any more you old fogeys - I’m talking to you too Rich Eisen!" NOTHING BURGER!

The Mountain West Conference has successfully convinced UNLV and Air Force to remain in the league despite both teams being deep in conversations to jump ship to other leagues, sources told CBS Sports late Wednesday night. UNLV was considering an exit for the Pac-12, while Air Force was fielding interest from the American.

I spoke with a friend who is a retired USAF officer for his opinion on the Air Force academy, not an insider but a fan due to closer association, with many officers having another alma mater like him, and he feels that the brand of many schools who would join the Pac-12 would be effectively marginalized by joining now versus their status quo, including the US Air Force academy.

But it was not some mere branding argument that swayed the matter in the end of course. There it i$ again as often it I$ what it’$ really about.
:money_mouth_face:

Bwah ha ha ha these football programs are getting a ransom to stay! Let’s call it what it is people!
:ghost:

After negotiations, the MWC is expected to pay at least $25 million in bonus money to each school to remain in the conference, a person familiar with the decision told CBS Sports. The bonuses are expected to be primarily funded by exit fees that Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State will pay the conference for breaking their grant of rights agreements to join the Pac-12 in 2026. The MWC is due upwards of $17 million from each of the five departing schools.

With UNLV and Air Force committing to stay in the MWC beyond 2026, the conference has staved off further poaching with six full members and seven football members. Eight members are required for a conference to be recognized by the NCAA, an important designation to remain eligible for one of five automatic berths in the College Football Playoff’s 12-team field. The Pac-12 stands at seven members following its latest additions.

The AAC on Monday received commitments from Memphis, South Florida, Tulane and UTSA to remain within the conference after flirtations with the Pac-12.

And so the saga of the “Pac-7” Pac-12 to find that magic eighth team and beyond continues otherwise, as the litigation with the Mountain West has also only begun after the now “Pac-2” Pac-12 lured five of its teams.

791

Bring in Simon Fraser

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The MWC needs an 8th member and so does the Pac12 - It will be interesting to see where they go to poach a team to get to number 8.

@Paolo_X - So who is going to get desperate and ask NM-State or UTEP to join first to get to 8? Will it be the Pac12? or the MWC? NM State and UTEP are basically El Paso Teams and the MWC in the past would not touch either of them with a sharp stick. Or do you think the MWC makes a play for Montana, Montana State and some combination of the Dakota Schools?

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I have no idea at this point whom the Pac-12 can poach, as otherwise I’m appreciative that all the fuss this week involving three of the conferences was resolved in short order.

Alternatively, as now the Pac-12 litigates with the Mountain West Conference as already noted above, I am hardly the only one to think that the case for poaching the Pac-12 is practically slammed shut now for any more poaching from either the AAC or MWC. That was quick.

Case Study: The Memphis Case to Stay in the AAC

A friend of mine who moved back to Memphis to retire and who is an alumnus of Memphis, formerly known as Memphis State when he went to school and historically a basketball power, concurs with the following:

The Pac-12’s membership offer to Memphis would have been a “bad” deal for the university, Tigers athletic director Ed Scott said Thursday, confirming, too, that the Pac-12 was only willing to cover $2.5 million of AAC’s $25 million exit fees.

“I’m bullish on Memphis’ future,” Scott said. “I think sometimes we get enamored by the new and we want to take a bad deal. That deal was not a good deal for the University of Memphis.”

Of course there are also the problems with rebranding and media transition for the local market of Memphis that is fully otherwise SEC Country on Saturdays and an NFL TV market on Sundays like most media markets. Not as many casual or somewhat regular fans are going to care as much when for example, Memphis were to play Oregon State on the road as opposed to some other known or regional opponent.

Other Mountain West Members: Now We’re More Committed Than You Had Thought

Seven remaining full members of the Mountain West have signed a memorandum of understanding to remain with the league through 2032 amid the latest wave of realignment, the league announced Thursday. That includes UNLV and Air Force, both of which were top expansion candidates for other conferences but intend to remain with the MWC.

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One answer has arrived for the Mountain West, and it is UTEP plus they are courting some additional schools too.

UTEP is set to announce Tuesday it will leave Conference USA and join the Mountain West Conference beginning in July 2026, sources told CBS Sports.

The Mountain West Conference entered serious discussions with UTEP about joining the league over the weekend, CBS Sports learned Monday. The move will give MW eight members with seven holding full-time status (Hawai’i is a football-only member). The NCAA requires eight full members for a league to be recognized as an FBS conference.

The development comes on the heels of the Mountain West reportedly pursuing Northern Illinois and Toledo as football-only members. The MW is also in the exploratory phase with Texas State, which would be a full-time member in the conference should discussions become serious, sources told CBS Sports. ESPN first reported that talks were underway between UTEP and the MW on Monday.

Over to you, or not, Pac-7 Pac-12…

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As what? The official cleaning crew for the conference?

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Shows you how desperate the MWC is - they added UTEP and the Pac12 picked up Gonzaga for hoop. I would bet that Texas State is the next one to go to the Pac12. They are probably the best one on the board.

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Just a little joke. There options are becoming few and far between. The programs that are being talked about are weak though a few do come from decent-sized markets. IMO the best alternative for both conferences is just a merger.

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Behold what sounds like the other / secondary league after the College Football Super League is ultimately formed by the SEC, Big Ten, and a choice few other schools leaving their conferences for about 40 teams.

799
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This suit is telling beyond the surface of the case for two reasons.

It’s also as we foresaw coming with more and more who played before June 2016, the start of the time period for collegiate athletes in the Settlement Class of the House case, especially after Reggie Bush’s new litigation.

  1. Pryor is basically not that famous a name any more associated with football other than to Big Ten fans, hard-core NCAA fans, and some NFL fans. Go to folks under 30 for example, and you would be hard-pressed for them to know much about him. Even so, the fact that the NCAA et al are still using his likeness this many years later for promotion and profit also on social media is most telling and gives him a great case, in my opinion.

Pryor, who is also suing on behalf of those similarly situated, asserts that the Defendants violated the Sherman Act – an antitrust law – and engaged in unjust enrichment.

They are going bigger here with nothing to lose, for such an alleged violation has what I would think is a higher bar than the others, though winning an antitrust case has a potential massive payoff in also any awarded punitive damages.

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The settlement essentially means that any eligible college athlete since 15 June 2016, formerly referred to inaccurately as merely student athletes, have been
OPENLY PRO ATHLETES since that date.

  • Oct. 18, 2024: Former players will be notified of the decision, and a claims period will begin for eligible people. Only athletes that participated between [15 June] 2016 and the beginning of the NIL era in [1 July] 2021 will be eligible, but it should involve many sports.
  • Dec. 17, 2024 (60 days after notice): The projected amount of money to be distributed will be publicly available. The final number for specific individuals will depend on a number of factors.
  • Jan. 31, 2025 (105 days after notice): The window for people to submit claims for compensation, opt out of the settlement or bring objections to the court closes.
  • April 7, 2025: The court will have a hearing for final approval. Notably, it will take place on the same day as the NCAA men’s basketball national championship.

The Numbers

  1. US$ 2.8 BILLION in damages to be split up for each valid claim by a past or current professional collegiate athlete in the eligible time period through 30 Jun 2021 PLUS
  2. UP TO US$ 22M PER SCHOOL PER YEAR
    divided up amongst the professional collegiate athletes

When finalized, the House v. NCAA lawsuit will provide transformative change to college athletics heading forward. Most notably, schools will have the ability be able to share up to $22 million each year with players.

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And here it is now beyond the “College Football Super League,” for which there are more details as of last week, we have a competing project labeled for now as “Project Rudy.”

It’s brought to us by former Disney executives :face_with_symbols_over_mouth: and private equity.

With regards to the undervaluation of college football and the interests of private equity, the words of Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital Partners last year, as cited above in this thread, were prophetic.

The latest re-imagination of college football now includes a multi-billion-dollar proposal spearheaded by former Disney executives for a system funded by private equity, sources confirmed to CBS Sports on Tuesday.

The 70-team structure that would seemingly exclude the bottom tier of the FBS would be funded by private equity firm Smash Capital, sources told CBS Sports. The project would include $9 million infused into a system that would expand the college football postseason, change scheduling and feature tiered revenue distribution.

Two main reorganization plans now exist. The College Student Football League was re-introduced last week with a press release that announced the members behind the plan. That group, calling itself College Sports Tomorrow, had already been nicknamed “Super League.” In last week’s press release it detailed a proposal for a 72-team “Power 12” conference with the remaining 64 teams in a “Group of Eight.”

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Well folks, the conference heavyweights are simply not waiting around any more to get the College Football Super League train going even before an official Super League is established.

There WILL be a de facto Super League, if not an actual one, starting in 2026.

Look at the analogies drawn in this fine opinion piece by Blake Toppmeyer, which frames the SEC and Big Ten as if behaving like mob bosses. The article is largely accurate however cliche`, but then his hysterics and outrage are over the top at this point.

He would have been on the mark had this piece been written 2015 after the first year of the College Football Playoff.

I guarantee in 2015 that it would be likely some old fart editor stuck in the last century would not have allowed such a piece to run though.

Sankey and Petitti, the heads of the SEC and Big Ten families, respectively, said they’ll closely evaluate this current playoff format that’s on the books for this year and next while determining the format they want for 2026 and beyond.

Translation:
“Look here. We’re having OUR playoff the way we want it starting in 2026 after this 12-team deal is up after 2025. Now yous can come along and join our plan, or yous need to turn around right now and head down the road. You got it? I don’t see your head nodding. What’s it gonna be?”

They stated no explicit ultimatums to the playoff selection committee, but fine-tuned ears could not miss their hints: Give us the at-large bids, award us the desirable seeds, or we’ll get to work on tilting the playoff more in our favor.

Consider this current 12-team playoff format a two-year glory period that enjoys no guarantee of lasting past the 2025 season.

Now I am definitely no fan of either the SEC and the Big Ten, but I do like the prospect that is coming of a far better product via also paid players in a what is generally an Under 23 professional football league.

I also most especially like the NCAA and Disney / ESPN being rightfully told :fu: after screwing up college football in most seasons since 1999, starting with that BCS BS even before the previous 4-team College Football Playoff.

I think the author is over-the-top here and naive as well.

What a sickening twist, that would be: A playoff that technically includes representation from several conferences, but in which more than half the bids would reserved for two conferences. Forget meritocracy, and insert aristocracy.

Sankey pathetically and successfully grandstanded last season for one-loss Alabama to make the final four-team playoff instead of undefeated Florida State. No such grandstanding will be necessary this year, because he – and his shadow, Petitti – control the future of the playoff. All Sankey needs to do to earn the benefit of the doubt is nod to that horse’s head.

Do you want that equine noggin placed in your bed?

What does the author think we have experienced via the College Football Playoff in which the SEC and the Big Ten always have had the first say since 2014, along with their media partners, even to the point where undefeated Florida State was snubbed in 2023?

Whether the author has failing memory or is simply not old enough to remember, the BCS that began 25 years ago, just like more college football fans under 35 who are doing the most gambling, have overlooked also that history that got us here a decade ago.

We’ve already had aristocracy you damn fool! At least now it will be transparent and openly corrupt, but NOT by the lead of media including worst of all ESPN! C’mon already with your hysterics and outrage.

And that’s right, there will be no need to shill for a 1-loss Alabama or some other SEC or Big Ten heavyweight who lost in some upset, for these two conferences will not only dominantly control like to date but effectively OWN the postseason such that multiple teams THEY select will be in their Super League Playoff with or without the rest of yous!

And so now we shall have the Super League even before the Super League, starting in 2026, so enough with the dramatics about if it’s going to happen when it’s already in the works and a matter of how it’s going to happen.

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