I never implied that they should retain rights to the Ohio Bobcats football team. I've only pointed out that they should be able to earn compensation beyond the scholarship they're provided.

As for Imgur example, you dodged the relevant question. Do you think Ohio University should have owned the rights to Imgur because the founder was on scholarship there when it was founded?

How could this shit can the whole thing? That's the question I keep asking.

Folks on the other side (like you and OCF) keep insisting this could bring down the whole model, but it's not clear to me why or how. I keep asking that very directly, but nobody explains it. They just keep insisting it's the case.

I did answer that question. I simply took your analogy a step further. Does an athlete who performs well have the rights to the football team's financial success? I say no. I (assume) you say yes.

I believe your system would pit the haves against the have-nots. I believe teams like OU would not be able to compete financially with the Power 5 teams. And of the Power 5, only some of those would prosper. This concept of compensation in the form of salary would be possible only from programs with money. Of all 120 or so teams, how many fit into that category? 10? 20? Beyond the schools themselves forking out dough, I assume your model would allow for corporate payments from Nike, Adidas, UnderArmour, whoever. Are those companies going to waste dollars on the Ohio Bobcats or Louisiana Lafeyette?

If we want to shake up the whole system and create a minor league for the NFL, which in essence is what this is, then I would prefer colleges like OU simply pull the plug and go back to the club sports model. Or, the alternative would be to completely separate from the Power 5. Make the Group of Five a completely independent league. Limit interconference play to other G5 teams, and play for a national championship.

In that case, I don't think you understood the analogy.

At no point did I say anything to infer that I thought the founder of Imgur had any right to the Computer Science department at Ohio University. In the analogy, the Computer Science Department = the Football team and Imgur = outside compensation, whatever form that takes.

My entire point is that the Imgur Founder's scholarship didn't preclude him from earning outside income or give Ohio University the right or ability to limit him from earning outside income.

What about that point makes you assume that I think a football player has rights to the football team's financial success?

Respectfully, you're not paying attention at all.

Nobody here is suggesting that universities pay a salary. This thread and conversation is about a very specific piece of legislation that proposes a very specific change. Not only does the bill not include a salary paid by the university, its entire premise rests on the basic premise that universities not pay a salary.

As for outside dough, you're right. The Ohio Universities of the world aren't going to see much if any of that money. I don't care even a little bit. Maintaining the thin veneer of competitive balance that currently exists is not a good enough reason to strip people of their right to earn a living. I mean, for God's sake, the 'competitive balance' people are fighting to uphold is a system in which Ohio University isn't even eligible to win a national championship. If we dropped down to the club level, at least we'd be playing for something.

I'm not paying attention. OK.

No one's ability to earn a living is being stripped. You could argue it's being delayed, but not stripped. Players from Ohio University and schools like it have future ability to earn. The system does not take that away any more than the academic scholarship recipient has a future ability to earn. Allowing them to earn now via corporate dollars will exploit the system and ultimately make it crash. It's that simple. Apparently you agree it will crash, but you're OK with that. Instead, I say pursue the exclusive G5 model. Compete for a G5 National Championship. Compete with schools that have similar budgets and limitations. Leave the amateur status alone.

Well keep in mind I'm not paying attention, so you may want to amend your post.

Edit: By the way, is that what you want? To solidify the status quo?

I mean, you went on a whole rant about how no schools outside of the P5 can afford to pay salaries and the conversation has nothing to do with salaries. So sort of hard to conclude you understand what the legislation's proposing.

It 100% does. I've explained how like 5 times. You can keep ignoring it, keep mixing up th Imgur analogy, but that doesn't make you right.


You keep insisting on this. But when I asked you what would cause it to crash, you explained that nobody can afford to pay salaries.

How will allowing players to earn income outside of their scholarships cause the system to crash? That's the single question I've asked you and OCF over and over, and neither of you have addressed it. You just keep insisting it's the case.


I didn't agree it will crash. I just acknowledged that Ohio University athletes will see less benefit than Zion Williamson will. How does that equal a crash?

I wouldn't be opposed to this at all.

In fact, given how many people insist that what's so great about college football is the amateur status, one can only conclude that if G5 schools broke away and maintained amateur status would become a huge success and everybody would lose interest in Alabama and Clemson because Trevor Lawrence is on a Wheaties box and therefore doing everything for the wrong reasons, or whatever.

Good Lord, you are boring. The school would help you learn to research. How you apply that learning is up to you. The creativity, the choice of subject matter. All that stuff.

Your being on the field as a player is entirely dependent on the team, on the venue, etc etc.

In both examples, you were brought in to earn a degree. How you go about that (history major or QB) is up to your personal capabilities. In both cases, the expectation is that you will matriculate and then earn money in your chosen field. If you're a talented enough QB to play professionally, go for it. If not, you'll fall back on that history degree and you'll try to earn something with that.

Instead, you want to allow Nike to sponsor the QB. Therefore, the Alabama QB will be making $1 million while the Vanderbilt QB will be making $0. And given this, you need remedial explanation as to why this system would crash.

Right. That's a waste of everyone's time.

OK, who will be left in this scenario?

Alabama?
Ohio State?
Michigan?
Clemson?

It's going to be a pretty short list, because Nike won't want to spread it's money any thinner than necessary.

So why don't you admit that what you're after is a "Super" conference of the top 20 or so teams. Everyone else is re-organized. And why don't you further admit you could have simply stated that from the outset.

Instead, you prefer being a dick.

What's this line, CC?

Well keep in mind I'm not paying attention, so you may want to amend your post.

You're not paying attention? Did I say or imply that?

Look man, we're on page three here and you just demonstrated you don't understand the law being proposed at all by talking about how the 'haves' can afford to pay salaries, while the 'have nots' can't.

It's obvious you're offended by my pointing that out, but hard to think you actually read the law we're all discussing. So not sure what to tell you exactly.

Larry's Dog House. That's what will keep Ohio Football afloat. OSU will be bringing in millions from Nike, Budweiser, Levis, whoever. OU will be kept whole by the Burrito Buggy.

Here's an alternative, leave amateur status alone. Let these athletes play for a 4 or 5 years. If they're good enough, they'll make millions. If they're not, they'll fall back on the degree they got for free. (I know that's news to you.)

If you want to also consider breaking out a Super conference, go for it. I wouldn't object. And for that matter, you could champion the cause of a true minor league for football. I'd be OK with that too.