It seems like they are going to start structuring NIL deals in a way that incentivizes staying put. I can't imagine that the big donors of many schools are going to be content on dropping a lot of money on an NIL deal then watching that guy hit the portal the next year. Most rich folks want to see a decent ROI or they won't be as willing to open their wallets.

It is sort of the wild west phase right now, but it seems there will need to be some stronger rules put in place soon, whether by the NCAA or by a group of large schools or colleges. I'm sure the coaches aren't at all happy with the way the NIL and Portal are impacting their rosters.

All of these predictions are plausible, but the elephant in the room is why should the colleges and universities even maintain any type of connection to what is now full-blown professional football? The student-athlete concept in major college football is officially dead. I get that the academic institutions own the infrastructure, but it is absurd for them to continue to maintain control over professional football.

As such, I propose that each team form a nonprofit organization that is run by an elected board of trustees, and that the teams sign licensing agreements and leases with colleges and universities. All of these organizations will be collectively overseen by a central governing body that sets salary levels, signs broadcasting contracts, and maintains a competitive structure.

No school is considering your proposal. It's not an elephant in the room, it's an elephant at a zoo in Pakistan. People are aware of it and talk about it, no one rally cares about it.

For all the handwringing and whining, schools are going to disconnect from the sports teams. There's too much money in it. Football is the "front porch" for lots of these schools.

Why should the teams not still be a part of the school? "Because players get paid" isn't really a valid reason for a breakup.

Very few are happy with the state of college football. Transfer portal, NIL mish mash & no enforcement body has made it the true Wild West. Something's got to change, and it will.

But let's be realistic on the future.

Popularity (ratings, attendance) is as high as it's ever been despite NIL, transfer portal, realignment, etc. However, is there an inflection point where the facade breaks down so much that fans aren't really willing to delude themselves anymore? I still watch as much as I ever have, but I feel myself caring less and less. I could very much envision my viewing habits dropping off rapidly. But I'm n = 1 and maybe not representative. Also, maybe that's just called "getting older" idk.

LincolnBorglum79 said:

---

The 12 team tournament has seen the 5,6,7,8 seeds go 2-0 each while the 1-4 seeds are 0-4 as are the 9-12 seeds.

No road team won and no team with a bye won. Expand it immediately to a 16 team field with no byes and true seeding like basketball or baseball seeds.

---

The byes were overrated considering there were 10 days between the 1st & 2nd round games. I'd argue It actually gave the non-bye teams an advantage in that they got to remain sharp while getting plenty of rest between games.

If you keep the byes, the 1st and 2nd round games should be 1 week apart, same as FCS playoffs.

I'll be interested to see what happens to the G5 schools.

The media money divide gets wider and wider and unlike the past, very good players aren't going to stick around on those teams so the talent gap will continue to increase between G5 and P4. So is dropping to FCS a realistic option, or perhaps P4 creates a Super division, and the G5 are their own division?

I don't think schools will drop football though. Not that it wouldn't be a sound decision for a handful of schools, but it is something that college presidents recover from as it's such a negative PR move, even if financially sound in a few cases.

Georgia president Jere Morehead: "If the CSC is not going to enforce the settlement, if the NCAA is not going to enforce tampering and if Congress is not going to pass the SCORE Act, then it leaves the SEC in a position that we have to go our own way to create rules." https://t.co/81VJvZPnqC

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 14, 2026

NFL lite. Is what it is. I don't like it but I will still consume the product so I can't really complain

greg.w.h said:

---

Indentured servanthood now only exists in the H-1b system. College athletes are freed!!!

---

So dumb

cevans_40 said:

---

greg.w.h said:

---

Indentured servanthood now only exists in the H-1b system. College athletes are freed!!!

---

So dumb

---

Truth hurts.

Iowaggie said:

---

I'll be interested to see what happens to the G5 schools.

The media money divide gets wider and wider and unlike the past, very good players aren't going to stick around on those teams so the talent gap will continue to increase between G5 and P4. So is dropping to FCS a realistic option, or perhaps P4 creates a Super division, and the G5 are their own division?

I don't think schools will drop football though. Not that it wouldn't be a sound decision for a handful of schools, but it is something that college presidents recover from as it's such a negative PR move, even if financially sound in a few cases.

---

Players will have to make the tough decision of whether they want to actually get in the game and play at a lesser school or ride the bench for a better team and make money.

Historically speaking, players want to play, and Alabama can only put 11 on the field at a time, so the talent trickled downstream, eventually to the Group of 5 schools, which frequently had solid talent in spite of the name on the jersey. But that was when nobody made this kind of money.

HOBBSAG said:

---

NFL lite. Is what it is. I don't like it but I will still consume the product so I can't really complain

---

Becoming NFL lite would be a vast improvement. This is AFL - Anarchy Football League.

At some point I foresee a governance board being established by the P4 ADs. It will replace the NCAA oversight committee. Something akin to the previous BCS playoff committee with so called "experts". An NIL cap will be set, and rules to govern the number of portal transfers annually, timelines, rules. etc. Collectives like the Matador club will be included in the Cap whereas they are not currently.

That is what they want, but so far no help from Uncle Sam!

83Aggie said:

---

At some point I foresee a governance board being established by the P4 ADs. It will replace the NCAA oversight committee. Something akin to the previous BCS playoff committee with so called "experts". An NIL cap will be set, and rules to govern the number of portal transfers annually, timelines, rules. etc. Collectives like the Matador club will be included in the Cap whereas they are not currently.

---

there will be no nil cap. the judges aren't going to allow some arbitrary committee members to limit a player's earning potential. its already been decided.

Quote:

---

the judges aren't going to allow some arbitrary committee members to limit a player's earning potential.

---

which is why the schools and conferences are begging congress to get involved and give them antitrust exemptions.

one question about the conferences going on their own and just playing inside the conference is whether that we be a big enough market share to be violative of antirust laws. I think this scenario of a conference going on its own has an extremely tiny chance of happening, so its an answer we most likely never get

BMX Bandit said:

---

Quote:

---

the judges aren't going to allow some arbitrary committee members to limit a player's earning potential.

---

which is why the schools and conferences are begging congress to get involved and give them antitrust exemptions.

one question about the conferences going on their own and just playing inside the conference is whether that we be a big enough market share to be violative of antirust laws. I think this scenario of a conference going on its own has an extremely tiny chance of happening, so its an answer we most likely never get

---

Thry want a concession to in effect extend behavior that was found to be in violation of the anti-trust statutes.

Think about it…and don't justify that unless you don't mind the NCAA using its power to enrich that organization by promoting blue bloods. Those are linked all the way back to when the NCAA had monopoly control over television broadcasts strongly supported especially by the then bigger television audience Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences who held out from the early national championship discussions for the same reasons.

This year arguably had the most competitive CFP field. Don't undo that without understanding how it happened.

Trev Alberts to @YahooSports: “Lots of people in this league are saying, ‘What is Plan B?’ I’d put a really small group together. Put everything on the table. You’re saying, ‘If we were going to start over, what would it look like?’ The longer we wait, the deeper the hole gets.” https://t.co/81VJvZOPB4

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 15, 2026

Radakovich believes that an uncapped market would mean $35-40 million football rosters that, in two years, may reach the $50 million mark.

Wouldn’t this mean that the wealthiest programs could just out-spend all others?

Radakovich: “Aren’t they now?”https://t.co/oY5oqwWbXo

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 17, 2026