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Clemson Icon [24848]
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Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
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Oct 3, 2025, 3:21 PM
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At least they got a college degree then. Now they get a couple hundred grand or maybe a million for playing, but how long does that last? Read somewhere that 70% of NBA/NFL players are bankrupt after about 5 years of retiring, and they had bigtime $$$ contracts.
No way these kids playing college football today get a degree when they're on their 3rd, 4th, or 5th school. No way those classes and credits transfer to all the different schools.
So now what. You're 22 and broke and have a high school diploma.
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Valley Legend [12192]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
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Oct 3, 2025, 3:36 PM
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As usual another person misunderstanding NIL. Out of 6000 or so players on so called Power teams, there may be 10-15% of the players that earn more than a few hundred bucks a month from NIL.
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Orange Elite [5550]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
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Oct 3, 2025, 3:42 PM
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True but I think his greater point is that it’s hard to be serious about a degree when you’re hoping to another school every year. Not all are doing that but a lot of them have multiple transfers.
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Clemson Icon [24848]
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Yeah, and it's easy for me to cast stones, But a college degree was huge
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Oct 3, 2025, 3:53 PM
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for me. Worked night shifts in cotton mills to help pay for it. So I'm probably biased about a free education. Seems like a pretty good deal.
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Orange Elite [5550]
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Re: Yeah, and it's easy for me to cast stones, But a college degree was huge
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Oct 3, 2025, 3:58 PM
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With that history you earned it and I’m sure appreciate it more. I got a little bit of baseball scholarship and a little bit of academic scholarship. But I also worked every break and then took several years to pay off student loans which I did pay in full. So, yes, a free ride would be huge!
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Heisman Winner [83822]
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Orange Elite [5550]
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Re: Free?
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Oct 3, 2025, 4:50 PM
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Yes, free. They are doing what they love and walk ons risk those injuries and pay their own way.
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Heisman Winner [83822]
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I didn't address you.
Oct 3, 2025, 5:46 PM
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Love is subjective. Many of the players I went to school with didn't "love" it.
I'm not sure how you conflated walk on's here with the topic.
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Orange Elite [5550]
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Re: I didn't address you.
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Oct 3, 2025, 6:20 PM
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Forgive me. I thought additional conversation was welcomed on an open forum.
My point is college athletes play ball because they want to! Yes, there’s risk of injury for both the ones who got a free education as well as walk ons who pay their own pay. If a player does not “love it” he should quit. No need to take a spit on the roster if he does not want to be there.
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Heisman Winner [83822]
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It wouldn't matter except you misrepresented my point.
Oct 3, 2025, 6:57 PM
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So the guy that earned the scholarship and truly sees the value should step aside and toss his (as you stated) free scholarship because he no longer loves the game now based purely on money... I'm sure you can see the flaw in introducing personal opinions of morality on such subjects.
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Orange Elite [5550]
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Re: It wouldn't matter except you misrepresented my point.
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Oct 3, 2025, 7:20 PM
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What I’m saying is I would not want that guy on my team. Team cohesion matters. I played college ball. I would rather be around guys hat want to be there and desire winning. I don’t see it as any kind of moral idea as you mentioned. The guy who doesn’t want to be there is a cancer to the team. Any coach or player would tell you that.
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Heisman Winner [83822]
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I wouldn't either, but that's just how it would be.
Oct 4, 2025, 12:37 AM
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It's just not about passion for the game anymore. That's not hardly a motivation for any kid with talent these days, with money flying around, infecting the basis of college athletics.
Point is, this business is fugly. We love it just like the Romans loved watching gladiators kill in the coliseum, yet we haven't come very far from it, in some respects.
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Orange Elite [5550]
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Re: I wouldn't either, but that's just how it would be.
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Oct 4, 2025, 4:35 AM
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You’re probably right about the loss of passion in talented players. You used the correct word when you said “infected”. It does seem college sports are now infected with the disease of greed and disloyalty. One thing is for sure, talented players rarely play for the name in the front of the jersey now. That’s a shame. It’s also true that my interest as a fan has become “infected” because of it. I now never plan my Saturdays around watching games. If it’s freezing cold and raining I’ll sit down to watch a game if I have absolutely nothing else to do. I still keep up to an extent but I just have zero passion for college sports now. But in a way, it’s a freeing feeling. So, for that I say thank you greedy college athletics.
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Heisman Winner [83822]
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Right there with you.***
Oct 6, 2025, 10:21 PM
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Clemson Icon [24848]
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Re: Free?
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Oct 3, 2025, 6:38 PM
[ in reply to Free? ] |
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That's a good point. Many do pay a price not measured in dollars.
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Rival Killer [2621]
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Re: Yeah, and it's easy for me to cast stones, But a college degree was huge
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Oct 3, 2025, 6:03 PM
[ in reply to Yeah, and it's easy for me to cast stones, But a college degree was huge ] |
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We've over valued college degrees. When everyone has one, its not worth as much.
Need more people in HVCA, welding, mechanics, etc.
I'm 32 and I remember my HS advisor making it seem like only loser pursued those trades. The effects of this are gonna be big.
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Clemson Sports Icon [54041]
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I agree, and will add that its not just about having a degree.
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Oct 3, 2025, 6:13 PM
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It’s which degree, and what you do with it.
There are lots of people walking around with degrees that don’t really help them be successful, and/or they don’t put their degree to good use.
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Heisman Winner [83822]
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Ultimate Tiger [35173]
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Game Changer [1720]
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Orange Elite [5550]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
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Oct 3, 2025, 3:36 PM
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It’s truly a farce to call these guys student athletes now. I agree that a lot of them can not be advancing toward a degree. But you asked how long can a few hundred grand or a million last? Well, spread that money over a fee index funds at age 19 and retire extremely wealthy at 45 or 50. Of course that would take more discipline at 19 than 90% of the 50 year olds today.
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Valley Protector [1481]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
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Oct 3, 2025, 3:39 PM
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Give me a million and I'd be happy. Would buy some land in the woods and buy a tiny house or even a tent and I'd be set. Sure beats working 30-40 years and still not make a million and stress over bills.
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Valley Legend [12444]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
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Oct 3, 2025, 3:40 PM
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Most of them will blow the money and will have no foundation.
But hey, they’ll have a fancy car until it stops running!
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Paw Warrior [5046]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
Oct 3, 2025, 4:05 PM
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You really think most college players got a college degree?
They probably did with Dabo, but we were in the top 5% or so of graduation rates.
and Clemson under previous coaches didn't graduate players any better than other schools.
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All-TigerNet [5982]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
Oct 3, 2025, 4:47 PM
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These kids, whether paid or not, all THINK they will make it in the bigs……. I have a few friends that had kids get D1 schollys to P4 schools, even though they were second or third string, (one first string), they ALL think they will make it…. Until they dont, and that is often once the chance to get a degree has passed…….
Very few EVER say ill go get a degree because i wont make it to the pros….
Thats been my experience….
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Top TigerNet [32975]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
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Oct 3, 2025, 5:02 PM
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If I had a couple hundred thousand or million as an 18, 19, 20 year old, I'd be a multi multi millionaire now.
You can't fix stupid. Some kids will be smart invest and build generational wealth, some will blow it on Ferraris and other material crap.
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Clemson Icon [24848]
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Well, you're not like any 20 year old I knew growing up
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Oct 3, 2025, 5:48 PM
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We were doing bong hits in between classes. Saving up our money to go see Led Zeppelin, and trying to get laid. If we were 50 years old... sure, we'd invest it and watch it grow.
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National Champion [7527]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
Oct 3, 2025, 5:44 PM
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A lot of degrees are about to drastically become devalued due to AI. I guess it all depends on how much NIL they make and what degree they would have gotten.
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Game Changer [1644]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
Oct 3, 2025, 7:34 PM
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It’s be interesting to see how many “amature”🤣🤣 athletes concentrate on the transfer of their college credits as they hop schools.
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Freshman [10]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
Oct 4, 2025, 5:09 AM
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Quite easy to check this is wrong - graduation rates for division one football hit all time high in 2023-4, while rates say 25 years ago were SIGNIFICANTLY lower.
As noted elsewhere, the vast majority of players both know the NFL is not in their future, and just make a relatively small amount in NIL money, so they do try to plan for the future.
There are negatives with NIL, as with all policies, but most players are graduating, and while not making a fortune are getting some bucks for the future/college (not sure if it’s better to go back when you had to scrap pennies to take a girl on a date to avoid NCAA sanctions.
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Freshman [10]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
Oct 4, 2025, 5:10 AM
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Quite easy to check this is wrong - graduation rates for division one football hit all time high in 2023-4, while rates say 25 years ago were SIGNIFICANTLY lower.
As noted elsewhere, the vast majority of players both know the NFL is not in their future, and just make a relatively small amount in NIL money, so they do try to plan for the future.
There are negatives with NIL, as with all policies, but most players are graduating, and while not making a fortune are getting some bucks for the future/college (not sure if it’s better to go back when you had to scrap pennies to take a girl on a date to avoid NCAA sanctions.
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Freshman [10]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
Oct 4, 2025, 5:11 AM
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At least they got a college degree then. Now they get a couple hundred grand or maybe a million for playing, but how long does that last? Read somewhere that 70% of NBA/NFL players are bankrupt after about 5 years of retiring, and they had bigtime $$$ contracts.
No way these kids playing college football today get a degree when they're on their 3rd, 4th, or 5th school. No way those classes and credits transfer to all the different schools.
So now what. You're 22 and broke and have a high school diploma.
Quite easy to check this is wrong - graduation rates for division one football hit all time high in 2023-4, while rates say 25 years ago were SIGNIFICANTLY lower.
As noted elsewhere, the vast majority of players both know the NFL is not in their future, and just make a relatively small amount in NIL money, so they do try to plan for the future.
There are negatives with NIL, as with all policies, but most players are graduating, and while not making a fortune are getting some bucks for the future/college (not sure if it’s better to go back when you had to scrap pennies to take a girl on a date to avoid NCAA sanctions.gr
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Orange Blooded [2447]
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Re: Are the players really better off today than they were a few years ago?
Oct 4, 2025, 6:20 AM
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Yes they are. If I sale you a meal and then give you a drink with it, no strings attached, is it a better deal or worse than getting the meal by itself? They still get everything that they did before NIL and are now making money.
I don't know that athletics are better with NIL but the athletes are definitely better off. Fortunately NIL did not start when I was in school because colleges had not seen the benefits of providing athletes with the support programs that are around major college athletics these days. I'm pretty sure that nearly every D1 school has resources to teach kids about money management. Sure, there will be kids that don't take advantage of them, but there were plenty of kids that didn't graduate back then too. As one poster pointed out there were actually more that didn't graduate at that time.
Maybe the young man will waste his money. Many will and Lord knows that I wasted enough. However, every dollar that I wasted increased my appreciation for the value of a dollar when my pockets were empty. As they get out of college and realize they have to work harder to get money, they are likely to manage any future income better. I imagine that most will start before everything is gone.
Yes, there will be some that waste every cent. There will be ones that bounce around for 5 or 6 years and never get a degree. Those young men probably would not have been Rhodes Scholars under the previous system either.
What you will have under the new system that was not that was not possible before, is kids making a life changing income that don't have a chance in professional athletics. Some, if not many, will manage enough of it well to open doors that would have remained shut to them in the past. There will also be young men that bounce around an extra year or 2 because of the eligibility rules so that they can take more classes and get more education.
It's easy to talk about the failures in this system, but they are going to be around in any system. It's also easy to talk about the successes if you really want to.
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Replies: 32
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