Back for our ninth year and expanding by leaps and bounds, we’ll get to all the striking changes over the past six months as well as some of the more significant developments. But just like any other year, we begin by addressing what nobody is reporting with an honest, unbiased and transparent perspective on the status of college football.
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College football — big business controlled by a small group
You might not know it but over the past five years, college football has become a true monopoly. Think about that. The sport of amateur “student-athletes” is now only about generating new revenue streams for the elite few, compensating these elite players and maintaining the enormous growth both in popularity and profit. The NFL is the greatest and most powerful monopoly in sports. They figured out that it is a lot smarter to have every television outlet (FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN, etc.) and streaming services as “partners” rather than as competitors.
Why have any bidding for your product when everyone is in the market to promote the game at a price “negotiated” by the select few. It took a while but college football has been able — through conference realignment, expansion and contraction — to duplicate that model and create its own monopoly. And guess what? All the networks are included as “partners” in the production of televised games similar to the NFL. They will set the kickoff times and avoid conflicts with big games televised at the same time. That’s how you maximize profits.
It says here it will only get worse with the ACC on its way out, just like the de facto demise of the Pac-12. Why? Because it’s what the leagues (Big Ten and SEC) and the networks want. The perception of collusion remains about the greed attributed to the Big Ten and the SEC expansion more specifically and cannot be underestimated. They are the powerhouses in the room who carry more cache than all the others combined. The Power Five is now the Power Four, soon to be the Power Three (goodbye ACC).
(A reminder that we correctly predicted last year that undefeated Florida State would not qualify for the College Football Playoff. That’s what SEC bias is all about. Appreciated all your passionate responses to this controversial position but that’s what happens when power is so condensed and in two leagues.)
Only the Department of Justice could initiate an antitrust legal action to stop this runaway train. Fogetttaboutit!
Harbaugh latest coach to avoid consequences
So, Michigan’s ex-coach Jim Harbaugh sues the NCAA last year for receiving a three-game suspension, but at the 11th hour, agrees to the same dispositive discipline. His Michigan Wolverines win the national championship, Harbaugh moves on to a big payday in the NFL and, even though the NCAA will not permit him to return to college coaching again without a “show cause hearing,” Harbaugh continues to deny any wrongdoing. The facts may be overwhelming against Harbaugh, but his legacy will be that he went out as a national champion. The lesson? The NCAA simply has no power or the courage to penalize schools that cheat. They’re afraid of losing in court, which they always do. The only form of discipline that works is in the pocketbook. Remember how much money Penn State had to pay after the Sandusky scandal? Tens of millions of dollars for the egregious conduct and coverup on the part of the administration.
Fine Michigan $20 million and see how fast the others would fall into line. Loss of a few scholarships or probation? Really? Without a punishment that fits the “crime,” there will never be accountability and the incentive to cheat remains attractive. The reality is many college football coaches are chameleons disguised as politicians. Sometimes they exaggerate; sometimes they embellish; and sometimes they outright lie. I recall someone describing it as plausible deniability.
Ryan Day starts season on the hot seat
Next is Ohio State’s head coach Ryan Day. Day is 56-8 in five seasons but has not won a national championship and lost to Michigan the past three years. It says here if he loses to Michigan this year, only a national championship can keep him in Columbus. You ask how does that even happen? Because this year the College Football Playoff expands from four to 12 teams. As far as Buckeye land is concerned, if they’re not in the CFP, Day’s gone. But even if they do make the CFP, it will not be enough if OSU doesn’t break its losing streak against Michigan? The team has talent but the new quarterback appears to be K-State transfer Will Howard and there are big questions at that position. Head coach Chip Kelly of UCLA resigned to become OSU’s offensive coordinator. Kelly is an offensive genius but how often do you see the head coach leave a big time job to be an assistant? In this case, when the money is right. Let’s see what impact he has.
NIL spells doom for ‘amateur’ athletics
Although it’s fairly new (2021), you all have heard about name, image and likeness by now. Did you know in 2020, former Arizona State swimmer Grant House and Oregon basketball player Sedona Prince filed a class-action suit alleging the NCAA and its Power Five conferences violated antitrust laws by barring athletes from receiving NIL compensation prior to 2021. That case recently settled for almost $2.8 billion to be paid to 14,000 past and present athletes over the next 10 years. Of course, the lawyers will probably be the biggest winners. While the conferences are on board, individual athletes are already objecting primarily because in their view, the compensation does not suffice. The term “amateur athlete” needs to be eliminated in describing any Division I college football player. They are paid athletes. Likewise with men’s college basketball. Just ask the Dartmouth basketball team, which wants to unionize.
The verdict for all of this? College football has lost all of its purity and embarked on a road that has minimized competition. Parity? That’s history. The little guy has no chance. You develop a player only to see him transfer to a school whose boosters offer more money. The NCAA does not regulate; it merely has a presence at the table with little or no authority, or the courage to stop this “free agency” known as the transfer portal. Start fining the universities big money for cheating and be proactive instead of reacting after problems occur. It takes creative thinking and chutzpah to literally attack the declining health of college football. That opportunity may have passed. We remain, ready, willing and able to relocate to NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis to at least try to assist. Salary is negotiable.
Last but not least, games will be good
So, what’s the good news? The GOAT, Nick Saban, will be sorely be missed but with his departure comes opportunity for others. You will have “monster” games this year that never would have been scheduled in the past (Ohio State at Oregon, USC at Michigan, Tennessee at Oklahoma, etc.).
The college football landscape involves more opportunities with the CFP expansion to 12 teams and, yes, the highest ranked non-Power Four team will get its chance. That alone will increase interest with more teams in contention through the final weekend. Based on past final regular-season rankings, two-loss teams will definitely be included and maybe even a three-loss team. Lastly, it’s impossible not to get excited because college football always delivers, not just the game itself but the pagaentry and tradition before, during and after the game. The NFL is the “corporate” league; college football, with all its imperfections distinguishes itself with huge crowds, energy, enthusiasm and an unconditional loyalty for their respective university.
Let’s goooo!
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ken Schreiber’s 5 preseason takeaways for college football season
