Pollard sounds off on NIL, changing landscape of college athletics in interview on Murphy & Andy

I think a lot of the times it is a case of trying to talk something into existence.

Maybe - but some of the schools that consider themselves "Academic" first and foremost may not be willing to prostitute themselves out and allow non-students to represent them. It is like the Big 10 requiring AAU status for their athletic partners. It has NOTHING to do with the athletic side but makes them feel better about the relationship because they can say there is an academic component. How will they feel about getting into bed with the SEC if it is only athletics related and the participants are not even enrolled in classes.
 
Who are the teams left on the board if the P2 poach to get to 40?

At first glance, maybe these are the most attractive teams?

Pac 12
Cal
UCLA
Oregon
Southern Cal
Stanford
Washington
Colorado?

ACC
North Carolina
Virginia
Boston College
Pitt
Duke

---

If P2 raided those teams, here's what the remaining members would look like:

Pac 12
Arizona
Arizona State
Oregon State
Utah
Washington State
Colorado?

ACC
Georgia Tech
Clemson
Florida State
Louisville
NC State
Syracuse
Wake Forest
Miami
Va Tech

---

I think more could be poached from the ACC, but that would be something like a 48 team league probably. What makes me not sure though is the B1G and SEC will already have teams in most of those markets, so will adding those properties increase the pie?
 
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Who are the teams left on the board if the P2 poach to get to 40?

At first glance, maybe these are the most attractive teams?

Pac 12
Cal
UCLA
Oregon
Southern Cal
Stanford
Washington
Colorado?

ACC
North Carolina
Virginia
Boston College
Pitt
Duke

---

If P2 raided those teams, here's what the remaining members would look like:

Pac 12
Arizona
Arizona State
Oregon State
Utah
Washington State
Colorado?

ACC
Georgia Tech
Clemson
Florida State
Louisville
NC State
Syracuse
Wake Forest
Miami
Va Tech

---

I think more could be poached from the ACC, but that would be something like a 48 team league probably. What makes me not sure though is the B1G and SEC will already have teams in most of those markets, so will adding those properties increase the pie?
Miami, Clemson and Florida state aren’t in the “left behind group” and Pitt is 100% getting left behind in this scenario.

That being said it is extremely unlikely that this split is happening. Everyone right now is losing their minds because the transfer portal and NIL are brand new. After a couple years things will settle down. Also for the “P2” they have no desire to change much beyond expanding the playoff. They are already winning the arms race and making crazy money, no reason to desire a change especially from the big ten.
 
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If it plays out like this, I could see Big 12 dissolution if everyone in the conference had a landing spot in the poached Pac 12 or ACC.

Pac 14
Arizona
Arizona State
Oregon State
Utah
Washington State
Colorado
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma State
TCU
Tech
BYU
Baylor

ACC
Georgia Tech
Clemson
Florida State
Louisville
NC State
Syracuse
Wake Forest
Miami
Va Tech
WVU
UCF
Cinci
 
The GOR is only as good as the vote count against dissolution.

Only about 4 schools want to be free agents come GOR expiration in 2036, particularly after over a decade of being 2nd class in the south. And those top schools are looking at $500 million reasons to not wait.

The only thing several ACC schools have to lock in parity to the current ACC contract is selling their dissolution vote to ESPN. The others will use the length of the GOR to get some concessions in the breakup.

Again, you keep struggling with a very basic concept.. It’s not that adding a few B12 schools to the P12 wouldn’t be higher, that’s not been claimed.

It is that risk-adjusted, it is not high enough. It doesn’t make the P12 anything but clear 2nd class, while ruining tradition and adding non-peer academics. For the Big 12, they’re volunteering to become the WVU for no material change, and likely an eventual inferior best of the rest conference.

You think the P12 is going to be good with traveling to Midwest mediocre schools for still 2nd tier money, but won’t work with the BIG to setup a mutually acceptable arrangement to preserve as much of the P12 as possible?

There is no chance the P12 is signing a GOR that long. The P12 has basically said as much. They blame some of their current predicament on the length of their last deal, but that’s likely a ruse for the fact the top brands have no desire be locked in as second class for that long.
All indications are at this point is that the B10 has no desire to expand with P12 schools for their new TV deal and destroy their Rose Bowl relationship. If that is the case, USC/Oregon are best off closing the gap between them and the B10 by expanding with B12 schools in the CT zone, leveraging new entrants in the CFP production space by doing so and removing existing/dilutive AAC schools from the inventory pool. In that arrangement, the likes of USC can gain additional revenues by splitting 50% (or a smaller %) of the TV revenue pie based on actual viewership.
 
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Miami, Clemson and Florida state aren’t in the “left behind group” and Pitt is 100% getting left behind in this scenario.

That being said it is extremely unlikely that this split is happening. Everyone right now is losing their minds because the transfer portal and NIL are brand new. After a couple years things will settle down. Also for the “P2” they have no desire to change much beyond expanding the playoff. They are already winning the arms race and making crazy money, no reason to desire a change especially from the big ten.
Agree with the 2nd paragraph. The P2 will exist solely as reference to the TV revenue gap and nothing else.
 
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Maybe - but some of the schools that consider themselves "Academic" first and foremost may not be willing to prostitute themselves out and allow non-students to represent them. It is like the Big 10 requiring AAU status for their athletic partners. It has NOTHING to do with the athletic side but makes them feel better about the relationship because they can say there is an academic component. How will they feel about getting into bed with the SEC if it is only athletics related and the participants are not even enrolled in classes.
I think this is what the Notre Dame AD was discussing in anticipating a total realignment at some point with division between those whose sports are academically linked and those who are tied to the university in name only
 
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I think this is what the Notre Dame AD was discussing in anticipating a total realignment at some point with division between those whose sports are academically linked and those who are tied to the university in name only
One of the things that people aren’t talking about enough is that it might not be the top schools pulling away as much as the lower schools deciding it’s not worth it and taking themselves out of the situation at least for football like the big east did.
 
One of the things that people aren’t talking about enough is that it might not be the top schools pulling away as much as the lower schools deciding it’s not worth it and taking themselves out of the situation at least for football like the big east did.
Several of the lower teams reside in the P2. They aren’t giving that up.
 
One of the things that people aren’t talking about enough is that it might not be the top schools pulling away as much as the lower schools deciding it’s not worth it and taking themselves out of the situation at least for football like the big east did.
Would anyone care if the lower decides to? Make them club sports and true amateurism. Anyone in the P2 isn’t lower level

The Johnson vs NCAA ruling could make it tough for many, if any, P5s to find a collegial model to stay in. There won’t be an Ivy model to turn to. That conference will be the most illicit if the ruling is in favor of employment.

And besides, getting away from pretending this is amateurism will help bring order and regulations to CFB and MBB. It’s crazy now because we’re still trying to confine a big business within amateurism
 
Several of the lower teams reside in the P2. They aren’t giving that up.
I meant lower teams outside of the P2. Obv your Maryland’s and Mississippi schools aren’t giving that up and they will have plenty of media dollars to compete.
 
Would anyone care if the lower decides to? Make them club sports and true amateurism. Anyone in the P2 isn’t lower level

The Johnson vs NCAA ruling could make it tough for many, if any, P5s to find a collegial model to stay in. There won’t be an Ivy model to turn to. That conference will be the most illicit if the ruling is in favor of employment.

And besides, getting away from pretending this is amateurism will help bring order and regulations to CFB and MBB. It’s crazy now because we’re still trying to confine a big business within amateurism
Yeah that’s my fault for not specifying lower teams not in the P2. The thing is it’s really only football that is causing all these problems and a lot of schools won’t want to just spin off football. I don’t see anything really changing for awhile except for some forms of NIL regulation.
 
Yeah that’s my fault for not specifying lower teams not in the P2. The thing is it’s really only football that is causing all these problems and a lot of schools won’t want to just spin off football. I don’t see anything really changing for awhile except for some forms of NIL regulation.
Regardless of NIL and Johnson vs NCAA, there was already a need to have that group break away. At least in football. Now with the pending ruling, it may be dropping all together.

It just doesn’t make sense for most of those. It is basically amateurism at that level, they should have their own entity. How many of the new FBS programs are chasing the dream of being the next UCF? That door is shut.

If you remove the employment ruling, Im optimistic there’s an ability to have a football side structure (P2 plus whatever) and all other sports structure (NCAA) if desired. Instead of viewing the amateur football as the opt out, it’s the top level football opting out for that sport

But a ruling that student athletes are employees could change that. The fallout could cause many things, but my guess it increases the desire for the top to separate and the lower level to leave. Not sure what happens to the middle class
 
Not sure if this has been posted but is an interesting read. ND AD Swarbrick lays out where in mid-2030 that a group breaks off that are associated with the universities in name only. Talks about whether school presidents would be willing to have a relationship like that. My thought is why would kids making 6-7 figures a year want to go to class.

I’m gonna guess 7 figure kids are NFL bound 5-stars but I remember being told a guy only had to show up for class to pass, sat in the back with headphones on, sleeping til his alarm went off so they’ll make accommodations for 10-15 guys. The rest will need the degree or at least work towards it until they get cut
 
I’m gonna guess 7 figure kids are NFL bound 5-stars but I remember being told a guy only had to show up for class to pass, sat in the back with headphones on, sleeping til his alarm went off so they’ll make accommodations for 10-15 guys. The rest will need the degree or at least work towards it until they get cut
Depends on the degree and school. Those programs 100% exist at some schools.
 
Taylor Lewan was general studies at Michigan, a guy who probably knew he was NFL bound, probably easier to navigate to the ”right” classes
Yeah Michigan has pretty high admission standards for athletes but once you are in it’s very easy to find classes to maintain eligibility
 
One of the things that people aren’t talking about enough is that it might not be the top schools pulling away as much as the lower schools deciding it’s not worth it and taking themselves out of the situation at least for football like the big east did.
Why aren't we talking about it enough...? I've said for years that realignment is an existential threat to ISU football. I, like many, many people here am a Hawkeyes convert. And the only reason conversion was possible was ISU's status in an analogous conference with (technically) the same access to top tier Bowls and, however unlikely, the national championship.

Realignment destroys all that...we might as well be UNI at that point. But one doesn't happen without the other. It will be a shift to a P2 condition (and ISU's exclusion from it) that will trigger ISU cancelling football, which, if they're smart, they will do.

No matter how terrible ISU has been at football over the years, we've still had access...remove that and you kill any reason to watch. A lot of people here will tell you it doesn't matter and that they'll keep watching and some will. But most won't. Not one person on CF became a fan of a team that was outside of P5 football when they jumped on the bandwagon. Not one. We're not talking about deciding it's not worth it because that is self evident. It's obviously not.
 
Why aren't we talking about it enough...? I've said for years that realignment is an existential threat to ISU football. I, like many, many people here am a Hawkeyes convert. And the only reason conversion was possible was ISU's status in an analogous conference with (technically) the same access to top tier Bowls and, however unlikely, the national championship.

Realignment destroys all that...we might as well be UNI at that point. But one doesn't happen without the other. It will be a shift to a P2 condition (and ISU's exclusion from it) that will trigger ISU cancelling football, which, if they're smart, they will do.

No matter how terrible ISU has been at football over the years, we've still had access...remove that and you kill any reason to watch. A lot of people here will tell you it doesn't matter and that they'll keep watching and some will. But most won't. Not one person on CF became a fan of a team that was outside of P5 football when they jumped on the bandwagon. Not one. We're not talking about deciding it's not worth it because that is self evident. It's obviously not.
I meant that people seem to think the top teams will make some big statement and pull away when I could actually see several schools just giving up the chase. I still am of the opinion that ISU will be ok and will be involved in whatever happens especially as long as CMC is there.
 
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