re: Sadly, the Marshall situation could easily happen to any SEC team

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Screw it just ditch the bowls and make the playoffs like FCS.

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The bowls are pretty much dead, anyway. Schools/ADs regularly lose money on them, there is little excitement from players, most fans don't travel.....on and on. Bowls don't matter anymore.

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I expect all proud Auburn alumni to donate handsomely to the fund right after cut their checks to St Judes, and to Red Cross.

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Well played. Proud alum. But my financial support goes to the academic side.

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Tie NIL, at least partially, to bowl game participation. Problem solved.

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They can't.

There are 2 issues, and both are extremely clear in the eyes of the court.

1st, NIL deals. That's "Name, Image or Likeness"; a person can sell theirs, if they can and want to. Circle K can pay you to display a photo of you buying a Thirstbuster. If you agree to do so, there is no legal way to prevent this, so long as you don't have a reason you can't (non-compete, etc).
That's technically what the NIL deals are, as they are not allowed to 'officially' be tied to attending a school. It's just a marketing deal.
Example: Bob is the QB at State U. Bob has a deal with the local Chevy dealership. Bob get paid to be in a commercial and some photos at the dealership. Legally, the deal is between the dealership and Bob, and State is not involved.

2nd, the portal. That's simply the right to attend a school.
Let's say you are at the local community college taking random classes. You discover you can go to Harvard next semester, tuition paid, etc.
The community college can not block that, saying you were committed to them first and they have you for x number of years.
That's the concept of the portal. A normal student has the right to apply to any school in the country, and if accepted they can enroll and attend. The courts have ruled that athletes retain that right.

That's why the portal dates are what they are... between semesters. You can't transfer mid-semester. You could leave midsemester, but would need to wait until the next semester to start elsewhere. A responsible person would take finals and finish their semester, then start the application asap to have everything ready in time for the next.

Very simply, there's no means to block either of these, that would stand up to a legal challenge. Bama would not be able to prevent Jaden Milroe (for example) from transferring to another school, just as they can't stop him from declaring for the draft, enlisting in the military, or dropping out to become a bum. Their people could advise him against those actions before the act, but he isn't their property, he can do as he chooses.

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fans are going to lose interest

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Ratings were super healthy & the playoffs are likely to take in even more.

That would be illegal

What if your company said if you leave your job, you have to give them half your salary for the next year from your new job

I bet you’d sign right up for that

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Marshall just won their conference and the AD wouldn't renew the HC's contract.

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My understanding isn't that they wouldn't extend him but that they could never agree on terms. I believe his buyout was a point of contention. He turned down multiple extension offers from Marshall before the season started. This has been going on all season with the two sides. They ultimately decided to part ways, and their coach signed with Southern Miss. Huff got a pretty nominal raise going to Southern Miss (about a $70,000 raise). It's a pretty odd situation. I'd look at it more like you see in contract negotiations with pro players who hold out and play through the last year of their contract with no new deal in place thereafter.

What you suggested is illegal. There is no maybe, it is illegal

Cannot do that

They don’t sign those type of contracts and until they do, it is illegal

Why would any player sign a contract that limits their ability of free movement? Watch what happens to the first team that tries it

Only thing that will stop the craziness is to make players and schools use contracts. Set them at 2 or 3 years. Players cannot go antime they feel hurt and the teams cannot pulll their scholorship without paying them. To do so though would make the palyers employees of the University with the rights of a worker.