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NCAA Lied about NIL. College Sports are More Popular Than Ever
Posted on 1/27/26 at 4:26 am
Posted on 1/27/26 at 4:26 am
The NCAA Lied About NIL
Sure, some improvements would be nice, and attending football games in person now costs way too much. But maybe it’s time to stop complaining about NIL??
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“Television ratings for the Indiana-Miami national championship game paint a portrait of a booming enterprise. The game averaged 30.1 million viewers on ESPN, according to figures released by the network. Viewership peaked at 33.2 million sets of eyeballs.
That's good for the second-most watched College Football Playoff national championship ever. It’s the most-watched non-NFL sporting event since a 2016 World Series Game 7.
America loves an underdog. Indiana captivated us.
It’s not just college football. Popularity and viewership for women’s college sports is soaring, too. Last year’s Women’s College World Series and NCAA volleyball tournament set viewership records. With Caitlin Clark leading the way (and collecting checks from a bundle of endorsement deals), women’s basketball smashed viewership records in 2024.
So, I guess the NCAA’s “commitment to amateurism” wasn’t the key to viewership, after all. Shocker.”
“Maybe, Fernando Mendoza's touchdown made you leap out of our seat.
Who gives a rip if Mendoza collected a big pay day off this season? He earned it, wouldn’t you say?
Everyone knows a guy who says he doesn’t like college sports as much anymore, now that athletes can profit off their fame and for their contributions to a lucrative enterprise.
Those folks will tell ya college sports ain’t what they used to be.
Well, neither are cellphones, but we’re still using them.”
Sure, some improvements would be nice, and attending football games in person now costs way too much. But maybe it’s time to stop complaining about NIL??
——————
“Television ratings for the Indiana-Miami national championship game paint a portrait of a booming enterprise. The game averaged 30.1 million viewers on ESPN, according to figures released by the network. Viewership peaked at 33.2 million sets of eyeballs.
That's good for the second-most watched College Football Playoff national championship ever. It’s the most-watched non-NFL sporting event since a 2016 World Series Game 7.
America loves an underdog. Indiana captivated us.
It’s not just college football. Popularity and viewership for women’s college sports is soaring, too. Last year’s Women’s College World Series and NCAA volleyball tournament set viewership records. With Caitlin Clark leading the way (and collecting checks from a bundle of endorsement deals), women’s basketball smashed viewership records in 2024.
So, I guess the NCAA’s “commitment to amateurism” wasn’t the key to viewership, after all. Shocker.”
“Maybe, Fernando Mendoza's touchdown made you leap out of our seat.
Who gives a rip if Mendoza collected a big pay day off this season? He earned it, wouldn’t you say?
Everyone knows a guy who says he doesn’t like college sports as much anymore, now that athletes can profit off their fame and for their contributions to a lucrative enterprise.
Those folks will tell ya college sports ain’t what they used to be.
Well, neither are cellphones, but we’re still using them.”
This post was edited on 1/27/26 at 5:00 am
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Posted on 1/27/26 at 4:37 am to Old School Tex
Ratings might be up, but "the love of the game" is way way down.
Posted on 1/27/26 at 4:48 am to Old School Tex
Meh, no biggie either way. I'm going to watch like I do most sports but it is not the same. Maybe I put too much stake into rooting for my team and this maybe helps one to see it ain't big a damn deal really.
If you think about it, most of the "stars" of CFB have been mercenaries for some now. NIL and TP just put it in hyper mode.
I do know that I will probably never attend a game again (except for Nuggets or Rockies games when somehow tickets fall into my lap -- we can get those through work sometimes) and won't directly send any money their way. It's not that big of a deal.
If you think about it, most of the "stars" of CFB have been mercenaries for some now. NIL and TP just put it in hyper mode.
I do know that I will probably never attend a game again (except for Nuggets or Rockies games when somehow tickets fall into my lap -- we can get those through work sometimes) and won't directly send any money their way. It's not that big of a deal.
This post was edited on 1/27/26 at 4:49 am
Posted on 1/27/26 at 4:55 am to SECSolomonGrundy
quote:
Ratings might be up, but "the love of the game" is way way down.
I here ya… things are not like they used to be, and I miss old times too… When I have visited our DKR stadium in recent years, my wife complained that the amped up music and commercials booming from our massive Jumbotron scoreboard made her feel like she was trapped in a “War of the Worlds” movie (she is not a Texas Ex), and I hate that dang thing too. I prefer the atmosphere when I was in school back in the 80’s, where most of the in game non football entertainment was provided by our cheerleaders, drill teams, and band.
But most everyone now has 1,000+ choices of competing entertainment to college sports games on their home screens, so I can’t really be surprised that to survive, college sports needed to become bigger, louder, and flashier too…
This post was edited on 1/27/26 at 4:58 am
Posted on 1/27/26 at 5:46 am to Old School Tex
TV fans are different (and less committed) than core CFB fans.
ETA: NIL is not the primary issue. The transfer portal is a far more corrosive problem for fan interest.
ETA: NIL is not the primary issue. The transfer portal is a far more corrosive problem for fan interest.
This post was edited on 1/27/26 at 5:50 am
Posted on 1/27/26 at 6:21 am to Crowknowsbest
quote:
ETA: NIL is not the primary issue. The transfer portal is a far more corrosive problem for fan interest.
Yes. If I attended a smaller school, and all of our best athletes were being sucked away to the richest big schools, that would definitely be disheartening.
I have not read any intelligent articles of what portal transfer restrictions (contractual or otherwise) could be put in place, that would ultimately survive court challenge (athletes and their agents are now going to challenge any limits on their abilities to earn money, or limits on their freedom to play for whatever college they choose.)
If anyone has good insight on how to fix portal problems in ways that will survive court challenges, please post…
This post was edited on 1/27/26 at 6:41 am
Posted on 1/27/26 at 6:56 am to SECSolomonGrundy
quote:
Ratings might be up
For one game. One which has involved mostly the same six teams or so since 2010.
Not a particularly convincing dataset.
Posted on 1/27/26 at 8:15 am to Old School Tex
quote:
Yes. If I attended a smaller school, and all of our best athletes were being sucked away to the richest big schools, that would definitely be disheartening.
And if you were an overlooked athlete who proved something at a low profile school and wanted to move on to a high profile school - and couldn’t - that would be worse.
Posted on 1/27/26 at 8:27 am to Globetrotter747
quote:
And if you were an overlooked athlete who proved something at a low profile school and wanted to move on to a high profile school - and couldn’t - that would be worse.
Yes, I agree with you here. It is the young athletes who put their bodies, minds, and time on the line for their sports, and for their individual improvement and advancement… college athletes should not be indentured servants…
This post was edited on 1/27/26 at 8:29 am
Posted on 1/27/26 at 8:39 am to Globetrotter747
Gee who'd of thought leveling the playing field would create more interest.
Blue blood schools of course don't like it b/c they no longer have the cheating advantage like they did in the past when the NCAA would protect certain schools.
And they don't even hide it! lol How many pics of Bama players have we seen with stacks of cash or new cars? The NCAA knows it. You know it. We all know it. Yet, the NCAA does nothing. Easily one of the most corrupt entities in America.
As for the portal it's made college football a million times more exciting.
With NIL we had TX Tech, Ole Miss, and Indiana that won the Natty. Before NIL those three schools like most schools chose not to cheat but it turns out if they had been all along the history of college football would be dramatically different.
NIL has exposed college sports for what they are.......nothing more than whoever spends the most money wins. The truth is 18 year olds could care less about a school's tradition and would rather get paid like any rational thinking human being.
To your original point yes watching the same 10 or so schools cheat to win was old and it was time to reprogram college athletics.
A guy like Saban saw the writing on the wall and chose to quit once the playing field was being leveled. When Clemson was on top for a few years we all know they were paying players. Now that everyone can pay Clemson is another program that's been exposed like bama for the cheaters they were/are.
Blue blood schools of course don't like it b/c they no longer have the cheating advantage like they did in the past when the NCAA would protect certain schools.
And they don't even hide it! lol How many pics of Bama players have we seen with stacks of cash or new cars? The NCAA knows it. You know it. We all know it. Yet, the NCAA does nothing. Easily one of the most corrupt entities in America.
As for the portal it's made college football a million times more exciting.
With NIL we had TX Tech, Ole Miss, and Indiana that won the Natty. Before NIL those three schools like most schools chose not to cheat but it turns out if they had been all along the history of college football would be dramatically different.
NIL has exposed college sports for what they are.......nothing more than whoever spends the most money wins. The truth is 18 year olds could care less about a school's tradition and would rather get paid like any rational thinking human being.
To your original point yes watching the same 10 or so schools cheat to win was old and it was time to reprogram college athletics.
A guy like Saban saw the writing on the wall and chose to quit once the playing field was being leveled. When Clemson was on top for a few years we all know they were paying players. Now that everyone can pay Clemson is another program that's been exposed like bama for the cheaters they were/are.
Posted on 1/27/26 at 8:40 am to Old School Tex
quote:
College Sports are More Popular Than Ever
So are drugs.
Posted on 1/27/26 at 8:41 am to Old School Tex
Miami & IU are two team that aren’t normally there. People had SEC fatigue.
Once the novelty of the new era wears off & all that’s left is the shite product, lookout.
Once the novelty of the new era wears off & all that’s left is the shite product, lookout.
Posted on 1/27/26 at 8:42 am to Old School Tex
Sports betting is more popular than ever and is driving ratings.
CFB as measured by actual fans wanting to attend, following individual teams is not and if you don’t believe that go talk to people in the ticket offices at your school.
Many at the mid level P4 level and below are basically giving up trying to sell season tickets at the rates they did and focusing on selling building luxury boxes to sell to businesses.
I’d argue the Trump tax cut that took away the ability for non businesses to deduct the seat licenses for their season tickets didn’t help, but talking to people I know even at powerhouse schools season ticket demand outside is way down.
CFB as measured by actual fans wanting to attend, following individual teams is not and if you don’t believe that go talk to people in the ticket offices at your school.
Many at the mid level P4 level and below are basically giving up trying to sell season tickets at the rates they did and focusing on selling building luxury boxes to sell to businesses.
I’d argue the Trump tax cut that took away the ability for non businesses to deduct the seat licenses for their season tickets didn’t help, but talking to people I know even at powerhouse schools season ticket demand outside is way down.
Posted on 1/27/26 at 8:45 am to Old School Tex
quote:
Indiana-Miami national championship game
Well, there is your explanation for that.
quote:
2016 World Series Game 7.
Well, there is your explanation for that.
Posted on 1/27/26 at 8:48 am to daydreamin
quote:
Before NIL those three schools like most schools chose not to cheat
Everyone not named Army, Navy, and Air Force was cheating in the past.
Posted on 1/27/26 at 8:54 am to Old School Tex
Of course the ratings are up.
If you allow more schools into the tent instead of the 6-8 regurgitated nameplates there will be more interest.
Big time CFB is entering a golden age of prosperity second only to the NFL.
If you allow more schools into the tent instead of the 6-8 regurgitated nameplates there will be more interest.
Big time CFB is entering a golden age of prosperity second only to the NFL.
Posted on 1/27/26 at 9:26 am to daydreamin
quote:
Gee who'd of thought leveling the playing field would create more interest.
Texas is doing pretty well under the new system. It’s good for us that our school is big with a huge alumni and fan base, Texas has lots of still remaining oil and gas wealth, and we have proud billionaire alumni willing to shell out funds for NIL and coaching salaries…
Yeah, we’re lucky, but I’m not going to pretend that the playing field is ever going to be “level.” Things have been shaken up and have shifted around, and we are going to have some new winners and losers connected with which schools can secure the most athletic program cash…
Posted on 1/27/26 at 9:29 am to Old School Tex
Lot of popular things aren’t good. The portal suck. Current lack of structure with transfers and nil isn’t sustainable. Nil isn’t the issue…transfers is the issue. But nil in its current pay for play with no controls will come crashing down at some point.
Posted on 1/27/26 at 9:41 am to Wildcat23
quote:
Lot of popular things aren’t good.
Yeah hard drugs, too much alcohol, and sports betting addiction are all destructive and sad…
I’m not sure where improvements to the current portal system are going to come from. The new school winners and their big cigars may not want to change. I’m not expecting real leadership from the NCAA, and our federal government politicians can’t agree on anything…
Posted on 1/27/26 at 9:41 am to Old School Tex
For a time, Nickelback was popular. Don't confuse the dumbing down of a product for mass appeal, with quality. All art and entertainment (which is what sports are) follows a bell curve-like course.
1. Unique/Inventive, but small following.
2. Then product becomes stylized for slightly wider appeal. People take notice and are lured in.
3. Then product is mass produced for largest audience based on focus groups and revenue generation resulting in something that is bland, characterless, flimsy.
4. Fatigue sets in, the base is uninterested and quits engaging. Why are we even doing this?
We had Nirvana, but over time they began selling us Nickelback.
1. Unique/Inventive, but small following.
2. Then product becomes stylized for slightly wider appeal. People take notice and are lured in.
3. Then product is mass produced for largest audience based on focus groups and revenue generation resulting in something that is bland, characterless, flimsy.
4. Fatigue sets in, the base is uninterested and quits engaging. Why are we even doing this?
We had Nirvana, but over time they began selling us Nickelback.
This post was edited on 1/27/26 at 9:45 am
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