The unofficial online home for fans of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Figured it may merit its own thread since it seems to move pretty quickly:

Can't wait for NIL to take the place of scholarships entirely when this happens...and I can't imagine how many kids are going to be audited immediately by the IRS lol.

I don't know exactly when or how, but NIL is going to end up being a disaster for college athletics.

I dunno either but one article I read estimated the total NIL payouts during its inception year [2021] was over $900M. Yep, nearly one bazillion dollars. There's no going back and I'm not sure I like where it's heading...

(04-19-2024 07:30 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Can't wait for NIL to take the place of scholarships entirely when this happens...and I can't imagine how many kids are going to be audited immediately by the IRS lol.

Once the rotten door finally gets kicked down in the very near future declaring them all employees, next big push by litigants will be to abolish academic requirements. It's coming. Will just be semi pros paid to be a marketing mechanism for universities and to keep the TV revenue spigot flowing.

Scholarships, room and board will be imputed as income as a taxable employee benefit to those who utilize it. It's surreal.

After 3 decades I stopped contributing to UC athletics this past year. NIL is just another regressive tax on fans to pick up schools' bar tabs. When Emory Jones makes more for 7 months of playing bad football than the vast majority of season ticket holders and donors do, we've jumped the shark.

I sent a $$ for $$ check to Purcell Marian for the first time instead of UCATS. Mileage may vary but personally it's just a better use of my donations for people who actually need it.

I always thought this was a great idea if I do say so myself. For athletes there should have been two options:

1. The traditional college student athlete. Full ride scholarship. Has to declare a major and go to class. Has to graduate or you have to pay it all back.

2. Declared athletic major. No academic classes. A full curriculum in the sport in which you will be seeking professional employment. Pay tuition just like every other kid there looking to prepare for a job in their chosen field.

I think that would eliminate the hypocrisy of dumb jocks pretending to be students as they were using the university just as much a the university was using them.

A full curriculum in sport? Why bother.

Just call them a paid D League. For marketing and raking in CFP and NCAA cash.

(04-19-2024 05:18 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  A full curriculum in sport? Why bother.

Just call them a paid D League. For marketing and raking in CFP and NCAA cash.

Pay tuition just like every other kid there looking to prepare for a job in their chosen field.

Did you not bother to read this part?

Oh I read it. It's just silly.

They won't have to mess with the charade soon. They will just be employees paid to play a game with a school's uni on. That's the list.

Finally the athletes will just major in sports and the actually team participation will be like a co-op job, with the employer (the university) offering whatever pay is needed to get their work done.

I don't know if I will still care or not. I still did last year. But my only donation was my ESPN+ susscription, which I would drop without college sports.

(04-19-2024 07:50 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Oh I read it. It's just silly.

They won't have to mess with the charade soon. They will just be employees paid to play a game with a school's uni on. That's the list.

If you are a paid employee, what’s stopping you from just playing for years? There will probably be some legal angle to sue for being released after 4 years due to ageism.

I think Caitlin Clark could make more money at Iowa than the Wnba.

We will never get Pandora back in the box.

Yep. It's an unreasonable restraint on trade. After the employee issue is resolved, NCAA will lose that one, too

Particularly with MBB we are going to end up with school sponsored lower level pro sports with a CBA. Student athletes will be relegated to non revenue sports and schools that opt out of the arms race.

Think League 1 and League 2 combined in England except with a built in fanbase and huge TV contracts. Some will be ok with that. Many won't.

(04-20-2024 08:55 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Yep. It's an unreasonable restraint on trade. After the employee issue is resolved, NCAA will lose that one, too

Particularly with MBB we are going to end up with school sponsored lower level pro sports with a CBA. Student athletes will be relegated to non revenue sports and schools that opt out of the arms race.

Think League 1 and League 2 combined in England except with a built in fanbase and huge TV contracts. Some will be ok with that. Many won't.

Well I root for/follow professional teams, e.g., the Reds, NY Rangers (been a Ranger fan for almost 80 years), I suppose I can root for UC basketball/football even if they aren't "student athletes" but are are basically just professionals. So then what, the NCAA just governs non-revenue sports?

Don't know where it's all headed, I don't like it. At least with the fluid nature of rosters (either due to eligibility or $$) it keeps it interesting for the time being.

(04-20-2024 10:23 AM)beethovan Wrote:  

(04-20-2024 08:55 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Yep. It's an unreasonable restraint on trade. After the employee issue is resolved, NCAA will lose that one, too

Particularly with MBB we are going to end up with school sponsored lower level pro sports with a CBA. Student athletes will be relegated to non revenue sports and schools that opt out of the arms race.

Think League 1 and League 2 combined in England except with a built in fanbase and huge TV contracts. Some will be ok with that. Many won't.

Well I root for/follow professional teams, e.g., the Reds, NY Rangers (been a Ranger fan for almost 80 years), I suppose I can root for UC basketball/football even if they aren't "student athletes" but are are basically just professionals. So then what, the NCAA just governs non-revenue sports?

There is going to be a significant reorganization fairly soon. New division classifications. New rules. New areas of oversight body control. No avoiding the split that is coming.

The NCAA is quietly adopting more NFL rules like the two minute warning and quarterback headsets. Interesting timing.

(04-19-2024 03:36 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(04-19-2024 07:30 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Can't wait for NIL to take the place of scholarships entirely when this happens...and I can't imagine how many kids are going to be audited immediately by the IRS lol.

Once the rotten door finally gets kicked down in the very near future declaring them all employees, next big push by litigants will be to abolish academic requirements. It's coming. Will just be semi pros paid to be a marketing mechanism for universities and to keep the TV revenue spigot flowing.

Scholarships, room and board will be imputed as income as a taxable employee benefit to those who utilize it. It's surreal.

After 3 decades I stopped contributing to UC athletics this past year. NIL is just another regressive tax on fans to pick up schools' bar tabs. When Emory Jones makes more for 7 months of playing bad football than the vast majority of season ticket holders and donors do, we've jumped the shark.

I sent a $$ for $$ check to Purcell Marian for the first time instead of UCATS. Mileage may vary but personally it's just a better use of my donations for people who actually need it.

Fundamental misunderstanding of what donations to UC sports are for.

And what made you think UC players "actually needed" your donations in the past?

I've always sent my donation to my local high school athletic department. I support UC with my ESPN+ subscription and the occasional Cincy Light. Though I do contribute to hard projects, like stadiums and practice facilities.

Past and Current- I wonder how many “student” athletes in Mens basketball and football Better themselves by playing college sports. Do they get reasonable jobs after work/ how many graduate? If not, all these years of AAU tournaments and practice time was not as beneficial as it could be.

Future- If it basically becomes a minor league and they are there for four years and they’re not even required to go to class will this be better for them or will they be even worse without a college degree or a partial degree? I know a chunk of the kids play overseas in basketball but almost none of them can make money in football. I guess it just depends on how much they make for four years via NIL/ colleges paying them.


Obviously it’s up to the player to take advantage of what’s been given them but I doubt academics and graduating are emphasized enough.

(04-21-2024 11:23 AM)levydl Wrote:  

(04-19-2024 03:36 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(04-19-2024 07:30 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Can't wait for NIL to take the place of scholarships entirely when this happens...and I can't imagine how many kids are going to be audited immediately by the IRS lol.

Once the rotten door finally gets kicked down in the very near future declaring them all employees, next big push by litigants will be to abolish academic requirements. It's coming. Will just be semi pros paid to be a marketing mechanism for universities and to keep the TV revenue spigot flowing.

Scholarships, room and board will be imputed as income as a taxable employee benefit to those who utilize it. It's surreal.

After 3 decades I stopped contributing to UC athletics this past year. NIL is just another regressive tax on fans to pick up schools' bar tabs. When Emory Jones makes more for 7 months of playing bad football than the vast majority of season ticket holders and donors do, we've jumped the shark.

I sent a $$ for $$ check to Purcell Marian for the first time instead of UCATS. Mileage may vary but personally it's just a better use of my donations for people who actually need it.

Fundamental misunderstanding of what donations to UC sports are for.

And what made you think UC players "actually needed" your donations in the past?

Curious what you believe donations to the UCAT Foundation are utilized for and what the purpose of the foundation is.

I have earmarked donations for MBB and football for years.

(04-21-2024 06:26 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(04-21-2024 11:23 AM)levydl Wrote:  

(04-19-2024 03:36 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(04-19-2024 07:30 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Can't wait for NIL to take the place of scholarships entirely when this happens...and I can't imagine how many kids are going to be audited immediately by the IRS lol.

Once the rotten door finally gets kicked down in the very near future declaring them all employees, next big push by litigants will be to abolish academic requirements. It's coming. Will just be semi pros paid to be a marketing mechanism for universities and to keep the TV revenue spigot flowing.

Scholarships, room and board will be imputed as income as a taxable employee benefit to those who utilize it. It's surreal.

After 3 decades I stopped contributing to UC athletics this past year. NIL is just another regressive tax on fans to pick up schools' bar tabs. When Emory Jones makes more for 7 months of playing bad football than the vast majority of season ticket holders and donors do, we've jumped the shark.

I sent a $$ for $$ check to Purcell Marian for the first time instead of UCATS. Mileage may vary but personally it's just a better use of my donations for people who actually need it.

Fundamental misunderstanding of what donations to UC sports are for.

And what made you think UC players "actually needed" your donations in the past?

Curious what you believe donations to the UCAT Foundation are utilized for and what the purpose of the foundation is.

I have earmarked donations for MBB and football for years.

Thank you for funding my partial soccer scholarship through the UCATS Foundation (the actual purpose of that fund).