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Hypothetical/Thought Question
Posted on 1/7/26 at 5:32 pm
Posted on 1/7/26 at 5:32 pm
*Obviously this isnt gonna happen(exactly like this) but curious what yall think
The University Presidents finally have enough and in an attempt to bring back academic integrity, they fully separate the football programs from the schools. The programs will become professional organizations that lease facilities and have their own league. Players are no longer required to attend the school. The teams can lease the rights to the brand or change the brand completely but there will no longer be any official association between the programs and the University. This new league will have to play games on Sundays
The University will still maintain varsity football but there will be no scholarships and no tv contracts. Games will be on radio and streamed for free on the internet. Tickets will be sold just to pay the expenses of the team and their games will be played on Saturday.
Would you continue watching the new pro league with the same coaches, holdover players, brand, jerseys etc?
Would you go to the games/listen on radio/watch free stream for the varsity school with the obviously much less talented varsity players?
Would you support one, both...or just give up watching entirely?
The University Presidents finally have enough and in an attempt to bring back academic integrity, they fully separate the football programs from the schools. The programs will become professional organizations that lease facilities and have their own league. Players are no longer required to attend the school. The teams can lease the rights to the brand or change the brand completely but there will no longer be any official association between the programs and the University. This new league will have to play games on Sundays
The University will still maintain varsity football but there will be no scholarships and no tv contracts. Games will be on radio and streamed for free on the internet. Tickets will be sold just to pay the expenses of the team and their games will be played on Saturday.
Would you continue watching the new pro league with the same coaches, holdover players, brand, jerseys etc?
Would you go to the games/listen on radio/watch free stream for the varsity school with the obviously much less talented varsity players?
Would you support one, both...or just give up watching entirely?
This post was edited on 1/7/26 at 5:44 pm
5
Posted on 1/7/26 at 5:38 pm to scottydoesntknow
Honestly... I don't think anyone making more nil money than the cost of tuition should be given a scholarship.
Wev aren't far from your scenario. I think there was a school the recently decided to turn athletics into a for profit organization... Can't remember which one.
Wev aren't far from your scenario. I think there was a school the recently decided to turn athletics into a for profit organization... Can't remember which one.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 5:43 pm to bamabonners
quote:
Wev aren't far from your scenario
Yeah I kind of agree. I think the only way to maintain any kind of rules is to make it an official organization with either loose or no official association with the Universities. I dont think they will do the second part of the hypothetical where they make a separate varsity team. They make too much money to go down the road of integrity too far
Posted on 1/7/26 at 5:43 pm to scottydoesntknow
Having zero connection to the school might be a breaking point for me.
I could handle the athletics programs being run as public relations divisions and esteem builders for the universities, and players who don’t want to be students don’t have to be, but in that scenario there’s still a connection to the school.
I could handle the athletics programs being run as public relations divisions and esteem builders for the universities, and players who don’t want to be students don’t have to be, but in that scenario there’s still a connection to the school.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 5:44 pm to scottydoesntknow
I think this would be the end of it for me.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 6:01 pm to InkStainedWretch
quote:
Having zero connection to the school might be a breaking point for me.
I could handle the athletics programs being run as public relations divisions and esteem builders for the universities, and players who don’t want to be students don’t have to be, but in that scenario there’s still a connection to the school.
I think to a certain degree though...we are already to that point. We have to really squint our eyes and seriously suspend disbelief to believe that these are still student athletes. I wouldnt be surprised is a majority of the team didnt actually attend in person classes. Its a bit silly to think of a 20+ million dollar roster of players going to get their accounting degree or something
Posted on 1/7/26 at 6:14 pm to scottydoesntknow
If they are not affiliated with the Script A, I would probably bow out . That would basically be minor league football . Should just have minor leagues and let colleges and NCAA start over with enforceable guidelines for University teams . Nobody would be “forced” to play college football and have a hard revenue sharing figure for players … take it or leave it 
Posted on 1/7/26 at 6:20 pm to scottydoesntknow
quote:
We have to really squint our eyes and seriously suspend disbelief to believe that these are still student athletes. I wouldnt be surprised is a majority of the team didnt actually attend in person classes. Its a bit silly to think of a 20+ million dollar roster of players going to get their accounting degree or something
Going to disagree here. We have the #1 GSR in the SEC and we're #5 in the country in GSR. That's an incredibly impressive feat. Who cares if they attend classes in-person so long as they're doing the work and graduating.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 6:49 pm to Sl0thstronautEsq
I told some friends last year that in 5 years I didn't think they would actually be attending the university. I do agree that with them making this kind of money, they should be paying for school, nit getting that free too.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 6:56 pm to scottydoesntknow
quote:
I think to a certain degree though...we are already to that point. We have to really squint our eyes and seriously suspend disbelief to believe that these are still student athletes. I wouldnt be surprised is a majority of the team didnt actually attend in person classes. Its a bit silly to think of a 20+ million dollar roster of players going to get their accounting degree or something
UA had a good online degree program before COVID but it is peer with in person largely now. I don’t think players on campus for classes except if their classes require it. Many classes have online sections and there are some majors that can be completed all online.
Edit: I do think there is something missing. Ending up on a class team with a ball player at some point made it feel a tiny bit more personal like HS. I had that happen a few times in the Shula years. One of them, I knew his grand dad from fixing his computer all the time in my student IT job with one of the colleges.
This post was edited on 1/7/26 at 7:00 pm
Posted on 1/7/26 at 7:12 pm to 11and18gggchamp
quote:
I told some friends last year that in 5 years I didn't think they would actually be attending the university.
I think this is a good bet
Posted on 1/7/26 at 7:29 pm to scottydoesntknow
If it isn’t part of the Capstone then I’m not interested. I think for a lot of us we enjoy college football so much because we loved our 4 (sometimes 5 or 6) years as students at UA and have a lot of pride in our university and enjoy getting back to campus on occasion. An NFL minor league team that happens to be based in Tuscaloosa just wouldn’t be the same to me.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 7:45 pm to EastTXTide
i'd be done. not sure what i would replace it with, i only occasionally watch the nfl. it became like nascar to me.
Posted on 1/7/26 at 7:47 pm to EastTXTide
quote:
If it isn’t part of the Capstone then I’m not interested.
Agree completely. It really is strange how distasteful that idea is...and I will admit the whole portal thing has hit me with disillusionment hard lately
Posted on 1/7/26 at 8:12 pm to scottydoesntknow
quote:
I told some friends last year that in 5 years I didn't think they would actually be attending the university.
Id be willing to wager that this is already going on!
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