College Football Daily Cavalcade: Thanks to the new NIL rules, BYU walk-on football players are getting their tuition paid for by a sponsor. How could this be used as a loophole?
College Football Daily Cavalcade: BYU Walk-Ons Getting Tuition Paid For
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Sorry if this take sucks, it’s not my fault …
Don’t yuck the yum … don’t yuck the yum … don’t yuck the yum …
As we speak, hundreds of tasteful items are being broken by parents of recently graduated football walk-ons
I’m so freaking torn.
As I’ve said over and over and over again over the last 20 years, the Name, Image and Likeness concept as it’s playing out is the pragmatic answer.
The schools don’t have to pay anything to the revenue producing athletes, the market dictates who the stars are, and the athletes all get to have jobs now.
However, I can’t get past that every positive step taken by the players ends up turning into a giant leap for for the corporate adults. For example, yeah, the top players are getting huge NIL deals, and the schools, TV networks, coaches, and conferences benefit by using that as a mega-recruiting and promotional tool all while avoiding having to actually pay the labor.
Meanwhile, thanks to the NIL rules, 36 BYU walk-ons will get their tuition paid by a sponsor …
BIG things happening at BYU!!
Thank you to Nick and @bar_built. pic.twitter.com/ShJSiY21Bd
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) August 12, 2021
Of course this is awesome.
Of course it’s amazing when some college kid goes from having to spend tens of thousands of dollars – and the possible soul-crippling debt that comes with it – to having his tuition paid for.
Of course this is a good thing, and of course I’m taking this little molehill and turning it into a mountain as I actively seek the potential issues in something wonderful …
The biggest of the big programs are probably going to use this as a loophole.
Not saying any of this is necessarily bad – especially for the players – but again, what aspect of any of the recent changes and tweaks to college football hasn’t been exploited by the superpower programs to become more superpowery?
If companies can get tons of play and exposure for funding the tuition for walk-ons, what’s to keep Alabama or Ohio State or Texas or any giant rich school from creating a system that circumvents the limit by making sure the players who aren’t on scholarship are taken care of?
No, getting tuition paid isn’t the same as being on an athletic scholarship – more benefits, perks, etc. – but it sure as shoot isn’t far off.
If you’re some two-star prospect, would you rather go play for that random MAC school, or maybe go to the Big Ten as a walk-on with a shot to show what you can do all while having your tuition paid?
And may God help the transfer portal.
Since scholarship limits won’t mean anything if there’s a way to fund the walk-ons, the superpowers who have their corporate funding systems in place can go after anyone and everyone to load up with any position or player it wants, and …
Okay, okay, I’ll stop with the panic siren, because 1) college football will still be fun, 2) no one will care once the ball is kicked off, and 3) all of these changes actually are a good thing, even if The Man benefits in the end.
I’m torn, but I’ll take the W in my hope for more good things for the players. More college kids don’t have to pay for college. Yay.
