By Rosie Harper
College football might be the best thing America has.
No, seriously. It excites more passion, more unity, and more American-ness than just about anything else in this country. But lately, the familiar landscape of college football has undergone some significant changes, with more en route. Let’s break down these changes and what they will mean for the future of the sport.
Transfer Portal
Explanation: The transfer portal was first created in 2018, but players have been hopping between schools for years now. The primary reason that players transfer is so that they can get more playing time. The transfer portal removed a lot of the red tape associated with this process, making it easier for players to swap schools (Dawson). Critics argue that the portal is no longer primarily used by bench players hoping to see the field - it is used by top starters who jump ship to join a flashier team.
Opinion: There are both pros and cons to the transfer portal, but it’s important to note that the portal both gives and takes away: teams that lose players through the portal are also able to pick up underrated talents the same way. And understand that, without the portal, the careers of guys like Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow, and Justin Fields would never have come to be. All of these guys were back-ups who entered the portal looking for an opportunity to play. The rest is history.
Conclusion: Athletes entering the portal should face tighter restrictions, including a smaller transfer window (something that is being discussed) and the loss of a year of eligibility - a penalty that players who aren’t getting any playing time to begin with will be willing to serve, but NFL-bound talents will balk at.
NIL Deals
Explanation: This has been a hot topic, to say the least. Until a couple of years ago, college athletes were not able to make any money, at all. Then, in the summer of 2021, legislation was passed that permitted them to make money off of their Name, Image, and Likeness. In other words, they’re now able to sign shoe deals and start monetized TikTok accounts (Murphy).
Opinion: It has long been a point of contention that college athletes generate millions of dollars in revenue for their respective schools, yet never make a dime. But they do get paid. Many of these athletes are awarded full-ride scholarships that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Thousands of dollars worth of services, such as tutoring, personal trainers, specialized nutrition, travel, and premium housing are also invested in them. They are compensated in full.
Conclusion: It’s hard to argue that players shouldn’t be able to profit off of their own name. But it is a slippery slope that can quickly lead to every choice that is made by a college athlete being nothing more than a business maneuver, stripping the game of all its heart. Fans love college football because its athletes are supposedly playing for the love of the game, not the next sponsorship.
Realignment
Explanation: Speaking of transfer portals… The last couple of seasons have seen a plethora of teams jump to different conferences. It’s been sort of like a game of Fruit Basket Turnover, with the PAC-12 left in the middle with nowhere to sit. The major moves include USC, UCLA, and Oregon going to the Big 10, Oklahoma and Texas leaving for the SEC, and UCF, Cincinnati, BYU, and Colorado moving to the Big 12. When the dust settles, the Big 10 and Big 12 will be ready to burst and the PAC-12 will be the PAC-2, left with only Oregon State and Washington State as members. (ESPN)
Opinion: There has been a lot of panic about these realignments, as conference affiliations that have been in place for decades have been abruptly broken. But people are making much ado about nothing. First of all, any major in-conference rivalries that need to be maintained, can be maintained. Georgia and Georgia Tech play each other every year, even though one is SEC and one is ACC. Second of all, the conferences will shake out and even out over time. It’s not exactly like they were all equally matched before, anyway! The SEC kicks everybody’s tail every year. In fact, this may be a major win for college football, as it allows quality programs like UCF and Cincinnati into the Power 5, where they will be given a fairer shot at CFP rankings and the playoffs.
Conclusion: College football has survived much bigger ordeals than this. The conferences will sort themselves out over time. The best teams will emerge. The PAC-12 certainly has a lot to figure out, but it’s not like they were ever relevant anyways.
Playoff Expansion
Explanation: The college football playoffs, which currently just include 4 teams every year, are going to expand. The original plan was that a 12-team format would be established for the 2024 season, with the top 6 conference champions and the top 6 non-conference champion teams securing a ticket. This plan is currently being revised. (Dodd)
Opinion: This season has featured one of the most evenly-matched pools of college football teams that the sport has ever seen, and it is proof that playoff expansion is the right move. Imagine a playoff scenario in which all of the teams currently in the top 10 - Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida State, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Alabama, and the like - all face off in the playoffs. It would be can’t-miss TV. (AP)
Conclusion: Sure, these will bring some un-exceptional teams into the playoffs. But no matter how many teams you add to the mix, the better teams will usually win out. And what’s the harm in more football?
Works Cited
“AP Top 25 College Football Poll.” AP News, 12 Nov 2023, https://apnews.com/hub/ap-t
op-25-college-football-poll. Accessed 15 Nov 2023.
Dawson, Brett. “Everything you need to know about the NCAA Transfer Portal.”
Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Jan 2023, https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sp
orts/college/2023/01/12/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-ncaa-transfer-p
rtal/69670749007/. Accessed 15 Nov 2023.
Dodd, Dennis. “College Football Playoff expected to keep bracket for expanded
12-team bracket despite conference realignment.” CBS Sports, 26 Sep 2023,
https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-playoff-expect
d-to-keep-format-for-expanded-12-team-bracket-despite-conference-realignment/Accessed 15 Nov 2023.
ESPN staff. “NCAA 2023: College football realignment tracker.” ESPN, 1 Sep 2023,
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35804245/cfb-conference-reali
nment-tracker-2023. Accessed 15 Nov 2023.
Murphy, Dan. “Everything you need to know about the NCAA’s NIL debate.” ESPN, 1
Sep 2021, https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/31086019/everything-n
eed-know-ncaa-nil-debate. Accessed 15 Nov 2023.
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