I've never paid much attention to any of the professional sports, always preferring College sports where athletes played for the love of the game over money. Sure, the best athletes are always looking to the end game and hoping eventually to make the big money playing professionally. But with the changes that have occurred recently with free agency (NIL money) and all the dirty shenanigans some universities pull to lure the best players away from their current homes is very disheartening.

Oregon State had an Elite 8 women's squad this year with not a senior on the roster. If they would have stuck together they would've likely been a final four team next year. Well, the top 6 players (82% of the scoring this past season) entered the transfer portal. Football team also decimated as was the men's basketball squad. At the current moment the OSU baseball team is a top ten team. My guess is after the season is over and the transfer portal opens this team will also be ravaged.

I guess I'll just have to forget about watching college sports and move on. It's very disappointing.

College sports have been ruined by NIL and the transfer portal.

I completely agree. Loyalty to a program no longer exists---- it's all about money.

Let's face it. College athletes play for themselves. They are used to keep a program going. They know it, we know it. They're just cash cows.

Thinking college athletes simply played for the love of the game before the NIL is just silly. 90% were playing for scholorships and future pro goals. Just as silly as thinking college athletes owe the fans anything. Its their future they need to think about, not your entertainment.

I don’t know any fan who thinks NIL or even leaving early to turn pro, is a good idea.

^^I don't necessarily agree with you. A lot of athletes walk on at colleges and only about 5% of college athletes ever go on professionally. The walk-ons certainly hope to earn a scholarship at some point, but many never do. But now the best athletes are a commodity and it's all about "me" and all about the money.

I'm very turned off by all of it. And of course the TV networks have been the ones pushing all of this causing various leagues to go under like my beloved Pac 12.

I suppose if I were an athlete, I would feel that if the college and the NCAA can make money off me, why shouldn't I? I'm not a fan of big school athletics so I'm in no position to offer up a solution but I do have questions about the portal and who pays who and how much.
Is there a "cap" on how much an athlete gets? Does a sponsor pay the athlete or does the school pay the athlete a certain amount?

For the record, I support no professional teams. No athlete is wort millions of dollars to me.

Its the wild west now, nearly no rules. No limit, no nothing. Schools pay the athletes. Sponsors can as well, but has nothing to do with the schools. It certainly needs fixed, I have no idea how that is done. The NCAA itself is circling the drain.

To say the players don't owe the fans anything is a bit off. Fan intrest directly drives almost all sources of income. Just look at a sport with low fan base and see how much money is flowing into that sport. Ask Nascar how much they need the fans.

They aren’t going to sacrifice their future just to satisfy fans, nor should they. Its the schools and conferences that need the fans.

How do you think i feel, i work in the shadow's of Bryant Denny stadium most of the time, championship's galore for the past 100 years, family's here have tradition's of going to games, getting together to watch games, generation after generation and now?????????? No school loyalty, never know from year to year what player is still going to be around, etc, etc.

Was fun watching a young player develop as the years passed to see the final product in their senior year. Now they make one big play like Issiah Bond did last year in the Auburn game to win it and now off they go somewhere else. Why should i be a loyal fan to a place the player's are not even loyal to?

Just one more thing our beloved liberals have destroyed.

ere a "cap" on how much an athlete gets? Does a sponsor pay the athlete or does the school pay the athlete a certain amount?

It's all convoluted BUT best to my knowledge 'groups' pool money for the NIL off campus, they are called collectives.

As for a cap, Georgia's QB decided to stay vs go pro cause someone agreed to pay him 6 million to play this coming season. Carson Beck is his name.
So best i can tell there's no cap on anything.

I feel a transfer should have to remain at that school for 2 years before being able to transfer anywhere else! One player right now is going to be going
to his 5th school in 5 years! What a wonderful college experience that kid had!

I never connected the dots that all this was the liberals fault. Guess I'm gonna have to find me some liberals to beat up!

I'm glad all you guys work for the love of the game and without compensation.

Getting a free college degree for those on scholarship used to be enough for most.

Yea pay for your kid to attend the University of Alabama and get back to me how that's playing for free! My brother sent one of his kids through there.

LOL Oh how things become real when it hits your area !!!

Some on here said Nick Saban was a cry baby when he said that NIL would ruin college sports 3 years ago. Guess he was right.

How many actually get an education?

Pac 12 went under because you guys stunk for so many years !!! Veiwership went down so the money dried up. PERIOD !! (see attachment) Snowflakes out west are too busy hugging trees and saving the rest of us ignorants from ourselves. ONCE you had to OUT RIGHT win a championship and not get it handed to any of the teams via popular opinion then your fans got tired of cheering on losers. no one watching = no tv deal = bye pac-12

https://www.latimes.com/sports/stor...-how-did-we-get-here-and-what-comes-next