Portal Changes

[Itsamystery]

Greetings OTF Community!

I thought it might be interesting to get the communities input into their thoughts on the top issues they would like to see changed regarding the portal. All I ask are two things:

• Do not turn this into a meme fest. I love them, but really want you to use your words. And I think we have seen enough Joe Zura memes to last a lifetime.
• When you list a problem, justify it it and provide a solution as to why. It is easy to complain, yet harder to find solutions.

I will offer an issue that I would like to see addressed to start things off: Agent certification- Whomever represents an athlete has to meet a certain criteria. No, they do not have to be a lawyer, but they have to have some knowledge of calculating market value, contract negotiations, cost benefit analysis, etc. What I want to avoid in the future is Uncle Slim or a buddy majoring in business in negotiating with staff who has no idea how to look at compensation and a university in total.

Thanks for participating.

[LonghornLegends]

12 minutes ago, Itsamystery said:

Greetings OTF Community!

I thought it might be interesting to get the communities input into their thoughts on the top issues they would like to see changed regarding the portal. All I ask are two things:

• Do not turn this into a meme fest. I love them, but really want you to use your words. And I think we have seen enough Joe Zura memes to last a lifetime.
• When you list a problem, justify it it and provide a solution as to why. It is easy to complain, yet harder to find solutions.

I will offer an issue that I would like to see addressed to start things off: Agent certification- Whomever represents an athlete has to meet a certain criteria. No, they do not have to be a lawyer, but they have to have some knowledge of calculating market value, contract negotiations, cost benefit analysis, etc. What I want to avoid in the future is Uncle Slim or a buddy majoring in business in negotiating with staff who has no idea how to look at compensation and a university in total.

Thanks for participating.

I agree with your take, they definitely have to be certified and have done agent work for a few years. I have a feeling there is a ton of kids getting told by their “agents” that they can get a certain amount of money, but are left either in the portal or wishing they never left their team.

[Wabi Sabi]

My biggest issue is how the vast majority of players are taking a year-to-year approach on their decisions. The unlimited transfer rule created an open market field day for the agents you referenced, which has allowed them to steer kids into decisions that aren't in their best interest. This will reduce parity over time and hurt the sport over the long haul. 

Don't get me wrong, every kid should have the ability to transfer. Their chances to make it to the next level are largely attributed to playing time and scheme fit, and they should be able to act out of their own betterment. But we need to limit this to one open transfer and then go back to having to sit out a year for the 2nd transfer - with some caveats for HC changes, etc. 

[Itsamystery]

1 hour ago, Wabi Sabi said:

My biggest issue is how the vast majority of players are taking a year-to-year approach on their decisions. The unlimited transfer rule created an open market field day for the agents you referenced, which has allowed them to steer kids into decisions that aren't in their best interest. This will reduce parity over time and hurt the sport over the long haul. 

Don't get me wrong, every kid should have the ability to transfer. Their chances to make it to the next level are largely attributed to playing time and scheme fit, and they should be able to act out of their own betterment. But we need to limit this to one open transfer and then go back to having to sit out a year for the 2nd transfer - with some caveats for HC changes, etc. 

I agree. I would be in favor of a one time free transfer everything else you sit out with the exception being a HC changes. 
 

The parity is also of concern. The day when the bottom half of the teams in each conference is made up of 80% first and second year players is a concern. Could athletes remain loyal to a school? Sure. But most will not be able to match the financial package and long term benefits of the other schools.

[AZ Longhorn]

Quote

I will offer an issue that I would like to see addressed to start things off: Agent certification- Whomever represents an athlete has to meet a certain criteria ... they have to have some knowledge of calculating market value, contract negotiations, cost benefit analysis, etc.

Is it reasonable for each of the 10,000 kids in the portal to have a certified agent? I ask just because I hear this suggestion a lot, but I don't know if it's scalable; this isn't the NFL with only 30 teams.

As a locked-in horns fan, I spend most of my time thinking about the top 5% of the sport. But this thing is a whole lot bigger than whether some former 4-star recruit who's a backup at an SEC school is getting good advice on transferring to a Big 12 school.

Outside of what concerns "us" and the very top of the sport, is it actually realistic (1) to require that every "agent" be certified, in the first place, much less (2) to enforce that? 

——

My proposal is actually to do nothing on the "agents issue."

Maybe this is too much free market fundamentalism, but I am not concerned about the bad advice. These are legal adults 18+, and they get to make decisions that impact them. If as a player you tell teams to work through Uncle Joe, and he's a clown that schools won't deal with, that comes back and hurts you—just like the 18 year old who decides classes aren't important or whatever. Or maybe you're good enough that teams are willing to deal with the BS, then congrats. Everyone has free will here. 

It's just not worth creating a regulatory market on representation and trying to enforce that at the unwieldy scale that makes college football categorically different than, say, the NFL. 

Edited 19 hours ago by AZ Longhorn

[Itsamystery]

1 hour ago, AZ Longhorn said:

Is it reasonable for each of the 10,000 kids in the portal to have a certified agent? I ask just because I hear this suggestion a lot, but I don't know if it's scalable; this isn't the NFL with only 30 teams.

As a locked-in horns fan, I spend most of my time thinking about the top 5% of the sport. But this thing is a whole lot bigger than whether some former 4-star recruit who's a backup at an SEC school is getting good advice on transferring to a Big 12 school.

Outside of what concerns "us" and the very top of the sport, is it actually realistic (1) to require that every "agent" be certified, in the first place, much less (2) to enforce that? 

——

My proposal is actually to do nothing on the "agents issue."

Maybe this is too much free market fundamentalism, but I am not concerned about the bad advice. These are legal adults 18+, and they get to make decisions that impact them. If as a player you tell teams to work through Uncle Joe, and he's a clown that schools won't deal with, that comes back and hurts you—just like the 18 year old who decides classes aren't important or whatever. Or maybe you're good enough that teams are willing to deal with the BS, then congrats. Everyone has free will here. 

It's just not worth creating a regulatory market on representation and trying to enforce that at the unwieldy scale that makes college football categorically different than, say, the NFL. 

You lay out a good argument. I think what is somewhat of a challenge is an “agent” with little to no experience helping derive a value. I see your free market approach and letting the buyer beware. My concern is a player getting bad advice and ending up without a school to play at. True, free wheel, but I see it in the same vein as offering players advice on how to secure and grow financially.

[AZ Longhorn]

What do y’all think is a solution to the problem super-late entries pose to teams? 

For example, assume the Duke/Mensah thing didn’t have a contract dispute at play, and he asked to enter on the last day he could. That’s your whole season right there, if you’re Duke… and the QB market has already happened, and you have no time to entice others to enter. You are totally screwed. 

One suggestion could be for two distinct phases: one phase for entry, then that closes, and only then can you negotiate directly with players and sign guys. But that disables both players and teams from reacting in real time to what’s happening—a Bo Barnes wouldn’t be able to go find playing time elsewhere after we sign a Biles over him, for example. Players would be forced to choose between staying or entering the portal, before knowing what their team will do. And that would mean essentially everyone would enter the portal to keep their options open. Not a great solution or effect. 

Thoughts on a better solution?

Edited 9 hours ago by AZ Longhorn

[Jmftexas]

I would add that when you commit somewhere it should be for two years before you get your free transfer. After your second season, one free transfer without sitting out a year. 

[Robbin Antono]

I think the kid should be allowed for 1 time no-sitting out transfer. If they do it the second time, they should sit in 1 year. I also think we need to put some control on this NIL thing, not so much salary cap, but proper oversight of true NIL vs. Just straight up playing players

[Sundancekid]

When kids sign two year contracts that are binding, make players enforce them or sit out a year. Oversight and enforcement is non existent.

[Burnt Orange Horn]

First off, love the lack of memes and AI compositions which are at most cute once but express no meaningful observation nor argument.

Now the reality is CFB is a pay for play scheme and the more talented players receive better funding.  Yet we contend the student athletes are not employees so have no collective bargaining rights.  But the largest problem is that there are no meaningful academic requirements for these student athletes.  Instead they are offered a meaningless curriculum like Physical Culture or undefined Leadership majors for which there is no real job market. If the student athletes are not really integrated into the student academic body, then they are merely hired athletes.

We need to quit pretending they are scholarship players when there are no common scholastic standard requirements for them.  They are merely well paid hired hands.

 

[stephanie]

1 hour ago, Burnt Orange Horn said:

First off, love the lack of memes and AI compositions which are at most cute once but express no meaningful observation nor argument.

Now the reality is CFB is a pay for play scheme and the more talented players receive better funding.  Yet we contend the student athletes are not employees so have no collective bargaining rights.  But the largest problem is that there are no meaningful academic requirements for these student athletes.  Instead they are offered a meaningless curriculum like Physical Culture or undefined Leadership majors for which there is no real job market. If the student athletes are not really integrated into the student academic body, then they are merely hired athletes.

We need to quit pretending they are scholarship players when there are no common scholastic standard requirements for them.  They are merely well paid hired hands.

 

UT offers almost unlimited undergraduate degrees including: Religious Studies, Philosophy, French Studies, German Studies, etc. etc. Not sure what kind of “real job market” exists for those degrees. I know numerous people making extremely good money in professions that have nothing to do with their undergraduate degree. Company required college degree, not a specific college degree. I don’t know what the answers are to fix the current wild west of CFB, but I think it’s great these guys are getting to experience college and a chance to earn a degree.