Even with Saint Nick Saban co-chairing the newly formed Commission on College Athletics, I don’t believe Congress is prepared to ride in and fix what ails college athletics. Even Mr. FishDuck is skeptical, and took a break from his study at FanDuel betting, and Ncaaf latest news to share his doubts with me.
College sports need NFL-like Congressional relief from antitrust and other litigation, but this will not happen before a ‘College Sports Union,’ representing the ‘student-athletes, ‘ can negotiate with ‘Management,’ however ‘Management’ may be defined?
The NCAA, again, is not helping to resolve Name, Image, and Likeness transactions being a facade for open bargaining for a player’s services, exacerbated by little regulation of a player’s right to transfer, repeatedly if an athlete so desires, from one program to another, or attempting to fix other issues that ail college sports.
The House settlement, which is on the cusp of being approved, means direct payment from a player’s school to the player. But don’t you dare call the recipient an ‘Employee,’ right, NCAA? Let’s keep on allowing ‘Fact’ as defined by the NCAA to trump Substance. Do Not Allow Young Men and Women to Organize a Collective Bargaining Unit(s)! THIS would destroy college sports!
The House settlement settles nothing beyond paying off the House litigants and their lawyers. Thus, I believe by the early 2030s, we will see a College Football (CFB) Super-Conference that, at the extreme, will be NFL-Lite.
The NCAA will have nothing to do with the Super-Conference.
Players will be members of the NFL Union. NFL teams will sponsor and help to financially support their minor league football conference. Issues regarding eligibility, restraint on salaries, the ability to transfer, and a high school draft instead of recruiting will be agreed upon by the Union and the already defined NFL Management.
For many of us who are “Greybeard-Age,” the irony of Nick Saban testifying about money in the college football is not lost on us. (Screenshot from Bama Football with Kyle Henderson Video)
Accordingly, the Super-Conference will receive NFL-like antitrust protection. Either a player agrees to be a member of the union and be subject to the agreement with management, or a player can peddle his skills elsewhere. Programs excluded from the 32-team Super-Conference will have no legal recourse but to play in the surviving minor leagues. There will be no relegation and no ability for the left-behind to move up.
What this could look like…
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SUPER-CONFERENCE
WEST :
ARIZONA State – Cardinals
COLORADO – Broncos
NEBRASKA – Chiefs
OKLAHOMA – Raiders
OREGON – 49ers
UCLA – Chargers
USC – Rams
Washington – Seahawks
CENTRAL :
ARKANSAS – Ravens
MISSOURI – Patriots
TEXAS – Cowboys
TEXAS A&M – Texans
ILLINOIS – Bears
IOWA – Steelers
MINNESOTA – Vikings
WISCONSIN – Green Bay
SOUTH :
ALABAMA – Giants
AUBURN – Jets
LSU – Saints
Ole MISS – Bills
CLEMSON – Dolphins
FLORIDA – Buccaneers
FLORIDA STATE – Jaguars
GEORGIA – Falcons
NORTH :
MICHIGAN – Lions
MICHIGAN STATE – Bengals
OHIO STATE – Browns
PENN STATE – Eagles
NORTH CAROLINA – Panthers
NOTRE DAME – Colts
SOUTH CAROLINA – Commanders
TENNESSEE – Titans
Thirteen teams from the SEC and the B1G, three from the ACC, two from the B12, and one Independent. PLEASE, DO NOT KILL THE MESSENGER! But do, of course, feel free to assault this WAG of mine.
I’ll be back with a stand-alone college-oriented Super-Conference. Unfortunately, I think college football, in one form or another, is destined for further consolidation.
Follow the money.
Jon Joseph
Aiken, South Carolina
Top Screenshot from Bama Football with Kyle Henderson Video
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Jon Joseph grew up in Boston, Massachusetts but has been blessed to have lived long enough in the west to have exorcised all east coast bias. He played football in college and has passionately followed the game for seven decades. A retired corporate attorney Jon has lectured across the country and published numerous articles on banking and gaming law. Now a resident of Aiken South Carolina, Jon follows college football across the nation with a focus on the Conference of Champions and the Ducks.