The VT Athletics Facebook account just shared an image about an hour ago announcing an interview coming up on Friday December 6th between Bill Roth and Whit Babcock on the House settlement. As far as I have seen there is nothing new on the House front at this point, the preliminary approval of the settlement plan was okayed back in October so I wonder what this will entail. Maybe an appeal for more support as finances are restructured? Maybe some announcements about what changes VT will need to make to accommodate House? I'm not very optimistic about the ability of CFB as we have come to love it at VT from 1995 onwards to continue. No broadcast or streaming details that I have seen so far but watch this space.
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Didn't Whit just do an entire talk on the House settlement? I know I saw quotes from it posted by some of the media guys.
I think it was quotes from Whit and Sands during a Board of Visitors meeting. I can't remember where I originally saw it but google found it on TSL linked below.
From TSL: https://virginiatech.sportswar.com/message_board/vtfootball/6748f1dc89bf...
Per many interviews I've heard over the last 3 to 5 years, Babcock has been preparing for this. On sthe Sons of Saturday podcast a few years ago, he even said that he thought VT was better positioned to compete in a world where they can pay players directly than in a collective-based NIL world.
.... because Whit is assuming that a salary cap will be put in place so Bama can't simply outspend VT by millions like they can now.
I think that's the only way to level the playing field. With that being said, I'm also assuming the potential for NIL as a supplementary source will continue to exist as a means to keep the rich even richer.
I'd love to see some level of compensation for programs when players go elsewhere. Shouldn't a team be eligible for some sort of payment when a player is developed for 2-3 years and then bolt for greener pastures? Pipe dream, I know...
the easy fix is limited transfers and a player pay cap. Crazy? nope they have both in the NFL and NBA- so don't give me the free to work/movement nonsense. Put in pay limits and contracts and be done with it.
Those orgs have antitrust exemptions, unions, and collective bargaining agreements
Right and I am bound by my salary, terms of employment, state employment laws, NDA's, federal law etc. There is precedent- AKA- real life - that regulates the wild west. But we can't have rules for major college football
You can... you just need laws... not NCAA bylaws; you need real government laws.
Anyone with the power to write laws is controlled by people with money.
College football is just a shadowy reflection of the rest of society.
the precedent of "real life" is all dictated by actual laws. what good is state employment law if it's not even a settled debate if student athletes are employees
I don't know how VT can pay them money directly and they NOT be employees?
I'd be happy simply with multi-year contracts. Seems like that would solve a lot of college football's problems. Not sure that would even require any legislation.
"Maybe an appeal for more support" yes and the bubble can't burst soon enough... VT fans are sick of paying thousands for 6-6 football. Whit and Sands need to concentrate on how to be semi-relevant without begging for thousands from fans at every turn.
"Division I institutions will be able to distribute slightly more than $20M in annual revenue sharing in the form of institutional NIL deals with student-athletes."
If this is correct, then an outside NIL deal would be limited to whatever it is the school doesn't purchase. Does the school own a lot, or just enough to market and broadcast games, interviews, and sell jerseys in the bookstore?
Sounds like the roster limits may end up voiding the settlement. Athletes lawyers are insisting that all players that were "offered" roster spots prior to the implementation of roster limits prematurely should be grandfathered in AND guaranteed the opportunity to continue to be on the team. They also want any athlete that entered the portal to have the option to return as part of the grandfathering. NCAA had proposed that players scholarships be honored but schools not be mandated to keep players on the team. They have been given a couple weeks by the judge to solve it or she will nullify the settlement and send the case to trial.
'Athletes lawyers are insisting that all players that were "offered" roster spots prior to the implementation of roster limits prematurely should be grandfathered in AND guaranteed the opportunity to continue to be on the team"... lololololol. Can't stop laughing at this. zero fucking concept of the real world. And as I have said ANY rule proposed will be challenged in court.
Completely agree on this one but hey WaterBoy is part of the team right? Make them earn the scholarship money working for the Grounds Crew or other "Team related requirements"....nothing says the coaches have to put them in uniform.
More chances for Pry to have double numbers if they do. No thanks
To put this in working world terms, the lawyers are now saying these athletes can put in their 2 weeks notice, but companies aren't allowed to terminate their employment and must allow them to return to work if they can't find anything better in the open market.
Fuck that!
My only knowledge on the most recent update is what ltrPeter said above, so assuming his comment is correct, it's absolutely NOT like you're saying.
Coaches have been slashing rosters since the off season started to prepare for House. It's not illogical to ask Coaches to roll those actions back as the settlement is be (re)negotiated.
In many cases the players were told to go in the portal due to roster size anticipation. That is more the lawyers point on being allowed to return. That it wasn't a player decision. They were pressured to leave to vacate a spot.
The settlement should've had a 1-2 year ramping period on it anyway. Much like all of the changes to CFB lately, it was way too fast with little thought or concern to the repercussions.
There is not ONE fucking thing about the Baller Industrial Complex that mirrors the real world. Not one.
I think it's a great example of how institutions consolidate power and the fact that the real world is an anti-meritocracy.
Been in the job market lately? If so, you would know that the real world is very much a meritocracy. Try getting a job with no proven experience or without superior skills today.
Try getting a job without a connection
We live in way different worlds.
Largely agree with the general sentiment, but there are some similarities.
Top executives get paid lots of money as a reward when they fail. See Justin Fuente and the soon to be former CEO of Novo Nordisk.
Can substitute almost any football coach for a school eligible to play in a bowl game with almost any CEO of a large corporation and it will hold.
The settlement is already dead
The State of Tennessee just passed a law that essentially bans their schools from following it
Tennessee- 31st in education, 42nd in median income, 31st in GDP per person. But fucking A - go Orange... above every other fucking thing- God, Country, Family. Go fucking Orange.. beat Bama- all that matters in life.
And yet they can't keep a $4M QB...
Also thought most of the House Settlement were minimums so nothing keeping schools from exceeding it
It's not that they couldn't. They decided he isn't good enough to justify that amount
They were willing to keep the 2.8M QB, but refused extortion.
I think this is really one of the central things that I find so frustrating about the "NIL system." Players (or those speaking for them) seem to have this attitude that they should be able to eat their cake and have it too. That is, when it is in their interest to be treated like professionals (getting NIL money, endorsements, transfer freedom) then that should be the standard but when being treated like a professional isn't in their favor, then they should be treated like students again.
You can't have it both ways. Professionals are paid based on performance and retention is not guaranteed, deal with it like the rest of the professional world does.
Again, the logical approach to this would be:
1) Let players sign with vetted, professional agents. They can be cleared by the NCAA so that would at least give the NCAA some actual role going forward. Eliminate the bullshit NIL Agents and family members trying to hold Universities feet to the fire.
2) Establish rational transfer and eligibility rules ---i.e. because you are a runt QB who didn't get a D-1 spot out of High School doesn't mean you get to play college sports until you are 30
The rest would solve itself. Those with real NIL value would have agents and be compensated to their true value. Those that don't really have any NIL value would then have to possibly come to terms with the fact that the world doesn't have space for 300,000 professional athletes and because they were exceptional in 7th grade doesn't mean they are going to make millions playing sports.
This requires collective bargaining and/or an antitrust exemption. That's the only reason American professional leagues can do these things.
That requires a level of organization that we've never seen from the NCAA
This. This is why we are where we are now. The NCAA wants to put limitations on the employment eligibility of student athletes that are against current labor law, and can only be implemented in a collective bargaining scenario. Certain former athletes have called the NCAA on that and filed suit, and the courts have sided with the plaintiffs according to current law, because the NCAA's argument of "bUt ThEy'Re StUdEnT aThLeTeS!" is not a winning argument given the current labor laws.
Until there is a bargaining unit for the players, there really isn't a legal basis for any restrictions to the ability for a student-athlete to get their bag, other than the physical and mental ability to play the sport.
Judge approved it. $2.8B will be paid out to athletes from 2016 to now.
Current players can now be paid directly by schools.
Guess we see where it goes from here. Fully expect Athletes prior to 2016 to now form a class action to get paid too.
I personally don't think this fixes anything. It will just mean athletes will get another revenue stream.
Next up: legally challenging Title IX to get it stricken.
With the current landscape in the US and now this declaration that the individuals are employees, yeah, this is the next step. Schools should now be empowered to make decisions that are in the best sense for them financially since this ruling just made it unquestionable that college athletics are a business. If the sports are not going to make money for the school then the school should be under no obligation to support those sports.
This sucks
Basically anything for VT outside of football and mens/women's basketball just got put on notice that their sport might no longer exist in a matter of years.
I'm done with college athletics. This absolutely blows, and there is fault to be placed on a lot of individuals, institutions, and businesses that have led to this.
Thanks to all of them for ruining it.
I believe the payments are going to more like independent contractors. Schools still don't want them as employees due to injury liability but that's probably next step in legal challenges.
Honestly I think I'm done caring. It's going to be years if not decades before this gets standardized. It took the NFL 48 before there was a CBA, and it took the NFLPA to exist for over a decade before the first deal got done. While I don't think it will take decades, I think the college sports are in for a rough ride while aspirational schools look to cap the spending, and the big schools that have already solidified their place fight against it. Just more chaos.
At least legally challenging that football should count towards Title IX calculations
correct. Fairness and competitive balance is not a thing in the Baller Industrial Complex
The reverse happened today. Eight female athletes filed suit saying the House Settlement violates Title IX.
I hope they win. Let Chaos Reign!
Something tells me Title IX will be the next to go now that it's been highlighted as a financial roadblock.
Anything that limits college football player movement, eligibility, money, etc. will be struck down by a judge. As with everything else, nothing in this fucking farce imitates real life/real world. In the real world there are actually labor laws, equity laws, legal non-competes, etc. Not in fantasy land though, so fuck the women. Football players need their millions.
As the Japanese say: "The nail that sticks out gets hammered"
Good explainer here for those interested.
It means Virginia tech is done competing at the major level in any sport. But hey, Drake Dellius and Henri Murphy get their bag now and VT pays for exploiting them as slaves. At least we have that going for us. But we are done on any type of major level. Done.
Lawyers
Always
Win
Lawyers in House Settlement to initially receive $520M and as much as $250M more during life of the Settlement. Appears those fees come out of the $2.8B so athletes only getting $2.1B roughly.
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