A note on NIL - Jack Trice was paid to come to ISU

[Kagavi]

With NIL, I wanted to share some history about how the sausage was always made. National outlets have decried paying college players for 100+ years.

LATE 1800s:

Yale and Harvard alumni tried to outspend each other for players every year and (amazingly enough) kept winning the "national championship" (sport was mostly regional at the time).


EARLY 1900s:

One star player was constantly "suspended" by a Big Ten school for missing or poor academic work, yet somehow these suspensions were never during the season.

A California college offered a Midwest prep star crazy money for himself AND a "companion" but they were turned down when local alumni paid him to attend a nearby Midwest school instead.


AFTER WWI:

I have original research (not yet shared!) showing that Coach Sam Willaman made certain "funds" available for his East Tech boys, including Jack Trice, to come to ISU. Only a few years later, ISU tried bowling their stadium, but due to lack of alumni support, failed.

Alumni made money available for Hawkeye star Duke Slater.


AFTER WWII:

Shortly after World War II, Michigan State literally bought their way into the Big Ten by tapping a donor to create a slush fund. They were quickly put on probation, but no one cared. They were in the club.


It's nothing new. Players deserve their money and it has always been alumni paying them. They are the ones suffering long-term health consequences to entertain and enrich massive media conglomerates worth billions. Yes, we can quibble about how NIL is currently being administered, but it's LONG OVERDUE for all of this stuff to be visible. The facade of "amateurism" has always been a joke. Always.

 

[Aclone]

With NIL, I wanted to share some history about how the sausage was always made. National outlets have decried paying college players for 100+ years.

LATE 1800s:

Yale and Harvard alumni tried to outspend each other for players every year and (amazingly enough) kept winning the "national championship" (sport was mostly regional at the time).


EARLY 1900s:

One star player was constantly "suspended" by a Big Ten school for missing or poor academic work, yet somehow these suspensions were never during the season.

A California college offered a Midwest prep star crazy money for himself AND a "companion" but they were turned down when local alumni paid him to attend a nearby Midwest school instead.


AFTER WWI:

I have original research (not yet shared!) showing that Coach Sam Willaman made certain "funds" available for his East Tech boys, including Jack Trice, to come to ISU. Only a few years later, ISU tried bowling their stadium, but due to lack of alumni support, failed.

Alumni made money available for Hawkeye star Duke Slater.


AFTER WWII:

Shortly after World War II, Michigan State literally bought their way into the Big Ten by tapping a donor to create a slush fund. They were quickly put on probation, but no one cared. They were in the club.


It's nothing new. Players deserve their money and it has always been alumni paying them. They are the ones suffering long-term health consequences to entertain and enrich massive media conglomerates worth billions. Yes, we can quibble about how NIL is currently being administered, but it's LONG OVERDUE for all of this stuff to be visible. The facade of "amateurism" has always been a joke. Always.

99.999% of athletes are and always have been pure amateurs, but “it’s a joke”. Right.

You’re quoting the exceptions

 

[Cycsk]

Name names of players and schools? Will we see a full article soon?

@Kagavi you are such a tease.

 

[Kagavi]

99.999% of athletes are and always have been pure amateurs, but “it’s a joke”. Right.

You’re quoting the exceptions

With college football, this is not accurate at all. Not even close.

For example, back in the day it was illegal to give football players housing and food as an inducement for playing, but schools often made sure their ENTIRE team, from the star players to the fifth string punter, always had free food.

Professional? Yes.

In 1852 - that's before the Civil War - Yale and Harvard held the first college sporting event, a rowing competition, and multiple participants were paid and/or not even students.

If you are including all minor sports in your figure, sure. No one is shelling out money for a star tennis player. The majority of sports are glorified intramurals anyway.

The goal posts have always been moving, but by putting NIL in the public eye, I think it's creating a necessary public conversation about how to make all of this stuff equitable.

Name names of players and schools? Will we see a full article soon?

@Kagavi you are such a tease.

No story planned and, quite frankly, it would be easier to name players for every school.

 

[Aclone]

With college football, this is not accurate at all. Not even close.

For example, back in the day it was illegal to give football players housing and food as an inducement for playing, but schools often made sure their ENTIRE team, from the star players to the fifth string punter, always had free food.

Professional? Yes.

In 1852 - that's before the Civil War - Yale and Harvard held the first college sporting event, a rowing competition, and multiple participants were paid and/or not even students.

If you are including all minor sports in your figure, sure. No one is shelling out money for a star tennis player. The majority of sports are glorified intramurals anyway.

The goal posts have always been moving, but by putting NIL in the public eye, I think it's creating a necessary public conversation about how to make all of this stuff equitable.



No story planned and, quite frankly, it would be easier to name players for every school.

Sure, go back to ancient history to justify your point. Let’s be more realistic, and talk the last several generations. Like, the last 80 years.

In other words, you are reaching again to justify your point. A very long way.

 

[BCClone]

Sure, go back to ancient history to justify your point. Let’s be more realistic, and talk the last several generations. Like, the last 80 years.

In other words, you are reaching again to justify your point. A very long way.

Had a player who played quite awhile ago tell how he was offered a car at a bordering school. He ended up at ISU.

 

[madguy30]

99.999% of athletes are and always have been pure amateurs, but “it’s a joke”. Right.

You’re quoting the exceptions

What's your definition of 'pure'?

 

[VeloClone]

Bill Reichardt, Iowa's Big 10 MVP in 1951, bragged about being Iowa's highest paid player up to that point.

Former grid star admits illegal payments - UPI Archives

Bill Reichardt, a former Iowa fullback and the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player in 1951, has admitted he accepted illegal payments while playing for the...

www.upi.com

 

[qwerty]

Bill Reichardt, Iowa's Big 10 MVP in 1951, bragged about being Iowa's highest paid player up to that point.

Former grid star admits illegal payments - UPI Archives

Bill Reichardt, a former Iowa fullback and the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player in 1951, has admitted he accepted illegal payments while playing for the...

www.upi.com

The equivalent of $20k/year today.

 

[VeloClone]

The equivalent of $20k/year today.

On top of a full ride scholarship that is pretty significant.

 

[Kagavi]

Sure, go back to ancient history to justify your point. Let’s be more realistic, and talk the last several generations. Like, the last 80 years.

In other words, you are reaching again to justify your point. A very long way.

I simply wanted to illustrate how paying players has been baked into CFB from the very beginning and amateurism has always been a sham. From a philosophical standpoint, NIL is simply the next evolution of this.

It’s all been there from the beginning. Hundred dollar handshakes. Housing. Cars. Relatives. There was never a magical point where schools and alumni decided to stop the money spigot.

The historical record is clear - star players got the most $$$, role players got a bit, and the bottom of the roster was usually happy to be there and get crumbs.

This isn't something that people voluntarily talk about, but stories trickle out over time. It's rare stuff hits the public eye though, but ...

​

What exactly do you think Jim Criner was up to at Iowa State?​

​

There was the hilarious Eric Dickerson SMU vs. Texas A&M drama.​

​

Reggie Bush was the only one to pay for a USC team full of money and duffle bags of cash.​

Athletic scholarships =/= pure amateurism. This isn't sixth grade where the PE teacher rolls with whoever lives in the neighborhood. As esteemed scholar Cardale Jones once said:

"We ain't come here to play SCHOOL"​

 

[Mr.G.Spot]

I have said this before on various posts on this board.

The University of Chicago, who is the founding member of the Big 10, winner of two national titles, 7 Big ten conference titles, the first Heisman trophy winner quit division 1 sports in the late 30's.

Why?? They got tired of payments and the general sleaziness of college football from 1890 to the late '30's. They wanted to be an elite academic institution and that couldn't have been continued with D 1 athletics.

Nothing has changed - just above board now.

 

[davegilbertson]

wild to see such adamant pushback. what's there to gain by falling on the grenade of people/alumni paying players? preserving a sense of nostalgia?

 

[Mr.G.Spot]

wild to see such adamant pushback. what's there to gain by falling on the grenade of people/alumni paying players? preserving a sense of nostalgia?

Great statement. Preserving a sense of nostalgia that never really existed!

I just don't get the over analyzation of this to figure out whether to give it not. Play ball or not. My only hope is the negative nannies that are prevalent on this board don't represent the masses. I don't know that answer.

 

[Kagavi]

I have said this before on various posts on this board.

The University of Chicago, who is the founding member of the Big 10, winner of two national titles, 7 Big ten conference titles, the first Heisman trophy winner quit division 1 sports in the late 30's.

Why?? They got tired of payments and the general sleaziness of college football from 1890 to the late '30's. They wanted to be an elite academic institution and that couldn't have been continued with D 1 athletics.

Nothing has changed - just above board now.

The University of Chicago was one of the worst offenders during that era, led by their legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, who coached 40 years until 1932. During his career, one national publication made a snide reference to a general U of Chicago "student fund" with a very specific use (take a guess!) and referenced their bidding battles.

Coach Stagg hailed from Yale where he no doubt learned the ropes on how to attain and maintain a great program. ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)

The school president that killed football was, uhh, not exactly enthusiastic about sports anyway. He had a saying that when he felt like exercising, he laid down until the feeling passed.

In the late 1930s as their program dwindled, Chicago boosters complained about all of the shady behavior that other Big Ten schools were doing, which was quite ironic.

 

[Mr.G.Spot]

The University of Chicago was one of the worst offenders during that era, led by their legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, who coached 40 years until 1932. During his career, one national publication made a snide reference to a general U of Chicago "student fund" with a very specific use (take a guess!) and referenced their bidding battles.

Coach Stagg hailed from Yale where he no doubt learned the ropes on how to attain and maintain a great program. ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)

The school president that killed football was, uhh, not exactly enthusiastic about sports anyway. He had a saying that when he felt like exercising, he laid down until the feeling passed.

In the late 1930s as their program dwindled, Chicago boosters complained about all of the shady behavior that other Big Ten schools were doing, which was quite ironic.

You are correct!

 

[superiorcyclone]

Most college athletes are not in the pay to play League. I wish the NFL and NBA would just take the players out of High School if that is what the players want to do.

 

[Kagavi]

Bumping this to note that in Jack Trice's era, it was the relationship that the East Tech players had with their prep coach Sam Willaman that won over the players and brought them to ISU.

Johnny and Norton Behm were headed to Notre Dame, who knew how to take care of players, but headed to ISU instead due to the culture and relationship and a better opportunity on the field. Jack Trice was taken care of.

The same is true of ISU today.

The only way ISU can overcome schools who are solely focused on wins and nothing else is by touting culture, education, and service while remaining close enough with the big boys financially.