Jon Joseph

The SEC has been perfecting pay-for-play for decades. Guys like Bruce Pearl and the LSU basketball coach are still coaching in the SEC. (As is Herm in the Pac-12.) If Auburn fires Harsin, Ole Miss pay-for-play Hugh Freeze will likely be back in the SEC? And UW got screwed over for Billy Joe getting $50K and SC for Reggie's folks getting free rent. As far as I'm concerned non-AAU member ASU, Herm, the ASU AD and prez Michael Crow could all go and I would not give a whip. The Pac-12, B1G and perhaps the ACC, need to make a stand. Combine to, within the law, control CFB pay-for-play, free agency, APR and the ridiculous spiral in coaching and administrative costs of big time sports. Start with saying goodbye to the so-called CFB Playoff and hold their own post season CFB tournament. Will a lot of the better players go to the SEC? This is already happening.

Does the 2022 roster expansion to 92 allow for an opening(s?) Oregon I believe, can replace players who portaled out?

I'd like to add that this is the expected outcome when you monetize football via the BCS and the BCS x 2 and the NCAA exists in part, because of all the money it makes off of the basketball tournament. Administrators and coaches may be upset by all of this 'stuff' but I don't see many of them turning down bigger pay checks as the result of CFB and CBB in particular being monetized. You reap what you sow.

I agree. But there is more 'stuff' to ignore day after day in the 'amateur sports' that is changing exponentially.

But the Ivy schools and a Stanford could afford do so because of the size of their endowments.

I think there will be a college world series but none of the players will be on athletic scholarships. Today, Ivy League teams if they qualify (and they don't) can be invited to and play in the post season. The only Ivy sport that is not allowed to play in the post season is football. From time to time, schools such as Penn and Princeton have reached the basketball final 4. I played hockey in D3 and we participated in post season playoffs. Linfield college has been a contender from time to time in the D3 football playoff. Lawyers today are involved. Student athletes can have agents and financial advisers. Many the agent is also a lawyer.

Kurt, I see as a minor league that will be supported by the NFL? 32 Super League teams. Each team sponsored by an NFL team. The 32 schools assign everything to do with football to the NFL. There is a HS draft for players who want to be paid to play. These players join the NFL union. The NFL pays the licensor schools a fixed fee or perhaps, a fee coupled with some sort of 'kicker?' The players will not be students. The players will be athletes. Players will be employees of the the NFL or the employees of the sponsoring NFL team. Transfers, salary structure, etc. will be governed by the terms and conditions negotiated between the NFL and the players. Will Stanford, Northwestern, Duke, Notre Dame want any part of 'this?' Probably not. But I can see every SEC team sans Vanderbilt perhaps, going for 'this. I can see OK ST, TX Tech, Houston, Cincinnati, UCF and others going for 'this." I don't believe the top administrators at Cal, Stanford and UCLA for example, would be the least bit upset in being a member of the 2nd Ivy League. The Ivy League sends its basketball and hockey champions to the NCAA post-season tournament. If invited, Ivy school teams, such as golf, softball and baseball teams, can participate in NCAA post season events. Football is the odd sport out. There is no post-season football for Ivy League teams. Ivy athletes who participate in Olympic sports can compete as individuals by qualifying for NCAA sponsored post season events. No Ivy school athlete is on athletic scholarship but sports prowess does help land academic scholarships and Pell grants. (In some respects West Point, Annapolis and Air Force Academy student-athletes are somewhat professional in that all students are active members of the military and are paid as such.) The NFL needs an intermediate level between high school and the NFL. For decades the NFL has been a college football 'free rider.' This has been the case also for the NBA but not for MLB that, of course, has minor league affiliates. The colleges that participate in the football Super League will be equivalent in many respects, to minor league baseball players. Of course, the NFL free of any college affiliation, could establish its own minor league with the NFL stadiums being used for play. All of the questions you ask are spot on. How many institutions of higher learning will want to deal with any of 'this?' Thus, my point above that the plaintiffs in this law suit may well win the battle but lose the war?

My bad, I now see that the suit was filed against the NLRB, NCAA, the Pac-12 and the 2 named schools. This is logical. How much is this going to cost each defendant in legal fees? I'm starting to come around to Phillips and the ACC's desire to hold off on playoff expansion. If the plaintiffs succeed CFB as we know it is over and out.

Great take. Shouldn't 'toughness and physicality' result in players showing up for every game? So happy that Mario is MIA.

SPOT ON. Joshua, you perfectly describe what we witnessed, Mario football destroying the brand that put the Ducks, along with creative marketing like different uniforms for every game, on the map. I was surprised that for time, Phil Knight was on board with giving Mario another pay raise and extension. Mario claims he was trying to bring 'Alabama football' to Oregon. Apparently he hasn't watched Bama play football since Lane Kiffin was hired to be the Tide's OC? People are going to drive 30 miles north from Coral Gables to watch Mario's brand of grind it out 1 score football games? Good luck. UGA did not run an Air Raid O but Kirby Smart saw what was happening at Bama and hired Todd Monken to 'modernize' the UGA O. Lanning was on board when Kirby made the change and he hired Dillingham for a reason and portaled-in a QB who played for Gus Malzahn and played against his UGA Ds, for a reason. I expect a return to more exciting and productive football on O and an O that will not only score more points but also help the D with far fewer 3 and punt series. We may even see the QB position coached up?

Oregon may well offer no athletic scholarships for any sport if players are employees.

Happened before at Northwestern when players wanted a union and were ultimately shut down by the Labor Department. NCPANow is the same group that wanted 50%+ of football and basketball revenues. These are young people with little or no business sense and If they succeed, victory will end athletic scholarships at both SC and UCLA. (I have no idea why the suit would be filed against 2 institutions in California and not filed as a federal class action suit against all P5/G5 and other schools that award athletic scholarships. I have no idea why you would choose a public and a private school as your defendants. SC is going to have defenses not available to UCLA. Then again, I think the plaintiffs are getting BS legal advice.) Bills have been filed in Iowa and other states to classify CFB/CBB players at public schools as state employees. Classifying players as employees is just one step closer to a Super League. A League loosely affiliated with brand name schools. A very large number of schools are not going to be willing to classify scholarship players as employees. If football players at CAL are state employees than rigid admissions requirements are an unfair barrier to employment and violative of the California and federal constitutions. Plus, FICA, FUTA, CA State PERS payments, etc. Also, can you demote an employee from 1st to second string without an administrative hearing? This is just one step closer to the coming Super League that will be loosely affiliated with the brand name schools that are willing to allow their respective 'football facilities' to be used as a 'minor league' for the NFL. Thousands of kids who have received an education through athletic scholarships will have to find another way to earn a college degree. Varsity sports will become club sports. In the Ivy League, all sports are basically 'club sports.' These folks win this suit, they win the battle and lose the war; the baby will be tossed out with the bath water at many the school.

30, I think it was as much of coaching let down as a playoff champ game letdown? The Ohio State D in 2021 by Buckeye standards was simply bad. Ryan Day re-shuffled D coordinators in season but then reached out to the OK ST AD who turned OK ST from a laughing stock on D to a nationally relevant D. I think in 2022 Ohio State takes back the B1G and heads to the playoff with a QB that will give tOSU a chance to reach the title game and perhaps, win its 2nd playoff title? In the 2022 opener vs Notre Dame I think there is a very good chance that the Buckeyes will blow out the Domers.

The ACC in 2021 finished with 4 teams in the top 25; Pac-12, 2.

Great point David. I hope a new approach in the training room will make a difference in the number of injuries, especially out-of-game injuries, suffered by Ducks players. I note that in 2021 Georgia had very few injuries to its key players. I think something was wrong with the S+C program under Mario?

Mike. 10 wins? How about I take the under for a cup of coffee and a donut?

2022 - I think it comes down to SC at Utah and Utah at Oregon as the 2 games that will decide the south and possibly the north? I for one do not underestimate SC's potential ability to outscore every Pac-12 team on its schedule, other than perhaps, Utah.

'Control' is allowed in pro leagues because management in every professional league negotiates with a player's union. After the Alston decision, this 'stuff' will not be regulated in CFB until the players are allowed to form a union. That means players will be viewed as employees. In turn that means many the school will no longer play P5 scholarship football. There will be a Super League. A draft of HS players who want to be paid and direct pay-for-play. Players will most likely not be students; at least, in the traditional sense.

Great take Kurt. Yes Riley is 0-3 in the playoff. But other than year 1 of the playoff only teams from the SE, Clemson and 3 SEC teams, have won a playoff title. Michigan had a very good team this season that UGA smothered. Notre Dame hasn't come close to winning a semi-final game.

The conference, IMO, by 2024 latest will get rid of divisions, lose the Cali scheduling agreement and play 8 conference games. I also think the B1G will drop divisions and go to 8 conference games which will help facilitate B1G/Pac-12 OOC games.

That was under Clay Helton who instilled NO discipline in his Trojans teams. It's rotten apples compared to fresh oranges.

Wait 1 to 2 years and you will see it. It's not like he has to have UGA's 2021 D to win games in the Pac-12.

SPOT ON! 3 Playoff appearances. Other Pac-12 coaches - 0 playoff appearances. A Blue Blood as so you so note Darren, has awakened. The wallet has been opened. 'But he coached blue bloods at Oklahoma!' Who was the man in charge who recruited these blue bloods and convinced Heisman winners to transfer to the Sooners? Lincoln Riley. Who implemented the O that led to all of the playoff appearances? Riley. In 2021, adding the recruits to the transfers from the portal, the Trojans would rank 9 in recruiting. 'He hasn't won a playoff game!' In 8 seasons the Pac-12 conference has won 1 such game. In the Rose Bowl Riley took UGA into 2 OTs before losing to a team that lost to Bama in OT in the champ game on a late Tua heave. Riley has brought in the top RBs from Stanford and Oregon. He has added an excellent group of WRs. His 2023 commits are all top drawer players. The SC D has a long way to go. But with the guys he has on O, including QB Caleb Williams, and a decent OL, SC is going to put up a lot of points in 2022. SC will make a lot of noise in a down conference. I agree that 10 wins for the Trojans in 2022 is doable and if he does not win the south in 2022, look out for 2023 when Utah plays in LA. CU, ASU, Arizona and UCLA (8 wins in 2021 but 0 wins against teams with a winning record) will have rosters nowhere near what Riley will bring to the field of play. Riley is not breaking in an entirely new set of assistant coaches. Many of his guys from Oklahoma followed him to LA. With 1 hire SC is cool again. So correct you are Darren in noting that top California HS guys will no longer routinely be leaving the conference footprint for the SEC and the B1G and Clemson. And sad to say, Oregon. And you know what? This could not be better for Oregon and for a conference that is on life support. This could not be better for the upcoming round of new media negotiations. The conference needs a 'player' in Los Angeles and UCLA with a stadium miles from campus and lukewarm administrative support and fan support is not the school that is going to come through in LA. Thanks for the great article. Clay is gone and the 'life of Riley' is going to make a huge difference in LA.

Thanks Annie. Oregon is up one spot from its ESPN ranking. I think A+M and Notre Dame are both way overrated. Both have new starting QBs. Notre Dame opens at Ohio State and A+M is at Bama. A+M takes the L in Tuscaloosa and it likely is not in the SEC champ game. I do not see A+M with but 1L; even with 1L I don't see A+M being the 2nd SEC team in the final 4? Utah at 5 as up 2 from the ESPN ranking. Utah wins in Gainesville to open the season and Utah will be a legit playoff contender. Of course, playing at Oregon the penultimate week of the regular season instead of playing Dixie State at home will not help the Utes and the Pac-12's chance for a final 4 spot. WHEN, if ever, will the conference stop being its own worst enemy? Ducks? I think the BYU game will decide whether Oregon finishes barely out side of the top 10.

I don't believe any 2L team has made the final 4.