College athletes "Juneteenth" has arrived:
https://www.npr.org/2021/06/21/1000310043/the-supreme-court-sides-with-ncaa-athletes-in-a-narrow-ruling
Seeing this shake out is going to be fascinating!
it seems pretty clear the "Other Nike" will eventually step on the NCAA's ability to control pricing and paying student-athletes.
its tough to rationalize anti-trust powers screwing college athletes.
But somehow the SEC and B1G will prosper as the rich usually find a way to get richer.
It may be on a team basis above a league basis. The Big Flexible and Undetermined Amount and God's Conference may do better generally, but a prize 5 star prospect interested in monetizing his status ain't choosing Indiana or Purdue over Ohio State. Or Arkansas over Alabama or LSU.
I expect Bama and Duke and tOSU will all do fine, But, and this is the point, IU or whomever, can become a player for the 5-star recruits with price competition for talent. Business is business. And if IU can offer a better financial package than a traditional power, I wouldthink a 18 YO kid would have to listen. $500K per year at IU or free room and board at tOSU?
You'd have to give it some thought.
Shit, how much would you as the President of Clemson ok, for the school to pay Trevor Lawrence?
His value to the school had to be close to $100 million or more. And he got room and board and the NCAA deciding whether seconds on spaghetti was a breech of the rules.
Steinbrenner discovered the secret to rebuilding the Yankees in the 70s, and others soon followed.
My point is the financial packet is likely to be better at tOSU or Alabama because of their profiles. Or to use your example,.where do you think the financial opportunities would have been better for Lawrence, Clemson or Wake Forrest?
Right now Bama has a brand name. That could change with a playing field reshaped by free agency and a free market bidding for players.
Remember when AT &T was the world leader in telecomm and an apple was a fruit?
Innovation and free markets market are good things.
I suspect Wake could have built a program around Lawrence like Clemson did.
It wasn't that long ago Clemson was just another ACC college in the shadows of Duke, UNC and the rest of tobacco road.
And then yabba dabba Dabo came to town.
Point is you can turn chicken shit into chicken salad with enough brains and money.
and mayo
So to re-address my question, if you were the president of Clemson what would you ok for compensation for the next Trevor Lawrence, in a free market, who gives you millions in tv money, prestige and a shit ton of publicity and panache to market the school?
$20 million a year?
More?