NIL & Realignment: Change Your Interest?

[madguy30]

There's so many athletes that can do crazy things to watch so I'll generally watch whatever if interested.

I need to look into pairing up more games with a radio feed even if it's one team's homers since most TV broadcasts will just be obsessing over the NIL stuff.

 

[LarryISU]

So far, none of these changes seem to have hindered our ability to recruit and field competitive teams. So I'm still mostly unfazed at this point. But, like most of us, I will watch and see what happens.

I definitely have much less interest in the B1G or SEC from this point forward. So, a lot fewer games are going to be of any interest to me starting this Fall. You can look out for your own self interest, but not at the expense of the common welfare. The "Alliance" seemed like a good idea. But then the B1G stabbed their own partner in the back. They deserve no respect, IMO.

 

[2speedy1]

Could someone explain how NIL works.
To me it is like there are now no rules.

It seams teams and people are just saying come play here we will give you $50K per year. And hey come here and we will give you a car. None of that sounds anything like how I originally understood NIL. Now all these funds are set up to basically pay players to come to school A, or B.

My original understanding was it was paying for someones Name, Image, or likeness. So if you wanted to use their image in an advertisement, you could pay them. If you wanted to make a video game with their likeness you could pay them. They could sell jerseys with their name on them for profit. If a Car dealer wanted to have them be a "spokesperson" they could pay them. Etc. Because they could use their NIL for income.

What I thought was not allowed was just paying players to play, or to come to a certain school or giving gifts etc. I thought these things were also still forbidden during recruiting and before players were members of a school, as in a way to persuade them to go here or there.

The fact that there seems to be no rules, or at least no one is following them, makes this like the wild west. Then you add the transfer portal being a free for all and the idea to make it even more open rather than going back to more restrictions it just seems like it is going to make things worse.

Being at a place like ISU that finds and develops players in hopes of competing with the top teams is just going to be a place where we develop players for them to transfer to the high paying places. It really feels like its just more of the same, those with the money and power doing what they can to make sure they stay there.

 

[RustShack]

Could someone explain how NIL works.
To me it is like there are now no rules.

It seams teams and people are just saying come play here we will give you $50K per year. And hey come here and we will give you a car. None of that sounds anything like how I originally understood NIL. Now all these funds are set up to basically pay players to come to school A, or B.

My original understanding was it was paying for someones Name, Image, or likeness. So if you wanted to use their image in an advertisement, you could pay them. If you wanted to make a video game with their likeness you could pay them. They could sell jerseys with their name on them for profit. If a Car dealer wanted to have them be a "spokesperson" they could pay them. Etc. Because they could use their NIL for income.

What I thought was not allowed was just paying players to play, or to come to a certain school or giving gifts etc. I thought these things were also still forbidden during recruiting and before players were members of a school, as in a way to persuade them to go here or there.

The fact that there seems to be no rules, or at least no one is following them, makes this like the wild west. Then you add the transfer portal being a free for all and the idea to make it even more open rather than going back to more restrictions it just seems like it is going to make things worse.

Being at a place like ISU that finds and develops players in hopes of competing with the top teams is just going to be a place where we develop players for them to transfer to the high paying places. It really feels like its just more of the same, those with the money and power doing what they can to make sure they stay there.

The only rule is schools and staff can’t be the ones paying the players.

 

[2speedy1]

The only rule is schools and staff can’t be the ones paying the players.

Then its not really paying for NIL, it's just the boosters paying players to play. No different than what all these big boosters did at Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma etc for decades, under the table.

Come here we will give you a car, buy your mamma a house, and give you an envelope full of cash. There have been movies about that.

I did not think that was supposed to be how this worked, but that is what is being done.

 

[bozclone]

I love watching Iowa state sports. It is a big part of my entertainment life. I hope we stay at our current level of competition. If so, I don’t care who is in our league. As for the SEC and Big 10, I’m kinda pissed at them.

 

[ClonesTwenty1]

Change happens. For better or worse. We are all just along for the ride.

 

[CySmurf]

Iowa fan base is already insufferable. If ISU ends up with something significantly less than TOE from a power standpoint, then it makes it almost impossible to compete with them long term. And it sucks because, quite frankly, if Iowa wasn't in the Big 10 since the very beginning and wanted a seat at the table now, they really have nothing better to offer than ISU from a revenue standpoint.

But because they are in the Big 10, their fans will always act like their $*** don't stink.

 

[AppleCornCy]

It honestly depends. There’s a reason why the Ivy League and schools like U of Chicago, Marquette, Fordham, Xavier, Creighton, Pacific, and lots of others have given up on big time football over the years. Changes forced them out. Are we entering another era where some schools are going to be forced to give up trying to compete with schools that have endless supplies of cash? Sadly, it feels like there’s a chance. There’s always going to be Iowa State football and I’m always going to support it, but NIL coupled with a gap-widening realignment is a dangerous combo for the vast majority of schools. Add in unlimited transfers if that gets approved and we’re really talking about something that’s completely different from the sport we know and love.

 

[cayin]

I love college football, the pageantry and traditions unique to each region and the rivalries. That component is going away a little so yeah, my interest will wane as well. The one thing that I really think is going to hurt Iowa State for our fans and our image or credibility is we will never get to play blue bloods again. In the Big 8 we got to play Nebraska and OU. Then we added A and M and Texas to the mix. So for our history we had minimum of two blue bloods on the schedule and the excitement of getting the chance to beat them. That is gone. Going forward, we will get less chances to even play ranked teams. Lets face it, in the new P2 environment, it is going to be harder for Big 12 teams to be ranked. It won't be quite like G5, but not as good. The ACC still has Clemson, FSU and VT. Even the PAC still has Oregon and Washington. We have good teams in the new Big 12 but there is no way the pollsters and national talking heads are going to give them the credibility.

 

[mkadl]

If you're looking for parity in high school sports, I've got a great deal on some land in Arizona for you....

I meant in College athletics. There is no faking parity anymore.

 

[20eyes]

Change happens. For better or worse. We are all just along for the ride.

True, but we're facing unprecedented change here. We've been in a top tier league for over 100 years and that's in jeopardy now. None of us know what that feels like. We all love ISU football but I'm honest enough with myself to admit that being relegated will diminish my interest significantly. Beating Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl felt damn good. I want ISU to at least have a shot at top tier Bowls or even the Playoff going forward, but being relegated will become a huge obstacle...

 

[HawaiiClone]

With NIL and conference realignment you hear people claim they'll lose interest in college sports and viewership will decrease resulting in a bunch of regrets. History indicates that those in control have always been corrupt, realigning, greedy, inconsistent, political, or however you want to generalize them. Despite that, we have all still rooted for, watched, and supported our team likely because we are vested and take pride in our school. IMO, I don't see that changing and no matter what comes of college athletics I'd have the same interest in my team/school and whatever league they're affiliated with. What the athletes are doing on the "field" doesn't change. Curious if the majority feel similar or if doom and gloom is truly around the corner.

The ISU athletic department has invested so much into Cyclone football that the team deserves at least some of our support even if ISU isn't in a super conference. The degree of difficulty to get into a super conference at a later date will depend in part on the degree to which interest drops off and funds decrease.

 

[cyIclSoneU]

I've wanted college football players to be able to be paid for a long time now. So, the concept underlying NIL is good.

There are things that need to be improved in it, in a major way. And that will likely require a federal law from Congress to make the playing field level for every school and conference. For example, how the collectives and each school interact needs to be ironed out.

I also am not a fan of the "pay everyone on the team the same amount" concepts that Iowa is doing, and some other collectives like Texas Tech are engaging in. I don't see Kirk Ferentz and Joey McGuire volunteering to be paid the same as their staff. That's not how we do things here, and it isn't NIL either.

But things are still better now than they were pre-NIL when players couldn't get paid, unless (wink wink) some booster bought their uncle an Escalade and they were being handed McDonald's bags with a fistful of $20s inside every week. We've moved in the right direction even if we have also created other problems to deal with now.

 

[HawaiiClone]

I love college football, the pageantry and traditions unique to each region and the rivalries. That component is going away a little so yeah, my interest will wane as well. The one thing that I really think is going to hurt Iowa State for our fans and our image or credibility is we will never get to play blue bloods again. In the Big 8 we got to play Nebraska and OU. Then we added A and M and Texas to the mix. So for our history we had minimum of two blue bloods on the schedule and the excitement of getting the chance to beat them. That is gone. Going forward, we will get less chances to even play ranked teams. Lets face it, in the new P2 environment, it is going to be harder for Big 12 teams to be ranked. It won't be quite like G5, but not as good. The ACC still has Clemson, FSU and VT. Even the PAC still has Oregon and Washington. We have good teams in the new Big 12 but there is no way the pollsters and national talking heads are going to give them the credibility.

Even playing below the P2, there is still the opportunity to play elite teams in non conference instead of playing an FCS school and a G5 school.

 

[Bestaluckcy]

This is going to increase my interest. We are getting rid of OUT. My interest has always been ISU first then the Big 12 second. Without OU and Texas the conference is a more level playing field and up for grabs. I think we now have the best shot I have seen since the latter Earle Bruce years. Like our chances whereas before we were just trying to swim against the current. Could be fun.

 

[cayin]

Even playing below the P2, there is still the opportunity to play elite teams in non conference instead of playing an FCS school and a G5 school.

that is if the P2 are even allowed to schedule below their level. If the Big 10 goes to 10 conference games or even 12, then even the Iowa game is out. Plus, we quit scheduling P5 schools in our non-con a long time ago and there is none on any future schedules. I remember when we played schools P5 schools like Tennessee, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas A and M, Vanderbilt, Baylor, Florida State, UCLA ect.. in the non-con. But that was back in the Big 8 when we played 4 non con games. I think we have only played one P5 other than Iowa since the start of the Big 12 and that was Minnesota in 1997. I would love to schedule a home and home with the Gophers.

 

[HawaiiClone]

that is if the P2 are even allowed to schedule below their level. If the Big 10 goes to 10 conference games or even 12, then even the Iowa game is out. Plus, we quit scheduling P5 schools in our non-con a long time ago and there is none on any future schedules. I remember when we played schools P5 schools like Tennessee, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas A and M, Vanderbilt, Baylor, Florida State, UCLA ect.. in the non-con. But that was back in the Big 8 when we played 4 non con games. I think we have only played one P5 other than Iowa since the start of the Big 12 and that was Minnesota in 1997. I would love to schedule a home and home with the Gophers.

Yeah, will depend on whether they can schedule non P2.

The last non-Iowa P5 I remember is FSU in 02, but I would think it would at least be worth considering playing P2 schools if we aren't in the P2.

 

[madguy30]

It honestly depends. There’s a reason why the Ivy League and schools like U of Chicago, Marquette, Fordham, Xavier, Creighton, Pacific, and lots of others have given up on big time football over the years. Changes forced them out. Are we entering another era where some schools are going to be forced to give up trying to compete with schools that have endless supplies of cash? Sadly, it feels like there’s a chance. There’s always going to be Iowa State football and I’m always going to support it, but NIL coupled with a gap-widening realignment is a dangerous combo for the vast majority of schools. Add in unlimited transfers if that gets approved and we’re really talking about something that’s completely different from the sport we know and love.

Looked it up and many of these haven't had football for at least 50 years with exception to U of Chicago and Pacific.

Creighton hasn't had a season since World War II.

It wasn't going to happen no matter what for them. Perhaps ISU eventually dissolves along with others but I'm not going to let it get that dramatic right now.

 

[cayin]

Yeah, will depend on whether they can schedule non P2.

The last non-Iowa P5 I remember is FSU in 02, but I would think it would at least be worth considering playing P2 schools if we aren't in the P2.

Oh I forgot FSU in 02. We also played them back in the 70s or 80s. Played UCLA the same season