This isn't changing. Get used to it, or stop watching if you want, but the idea that people are going to walk away from the sport en masse is wishful thinking brought on because we are on the sphincter end of a balls deep ass-raping. The playoff, conference consolidation/relegation paid college players, etc. is going to draw eyes to the sport. Controversy and turmoil it causes will only create more conversation and eyes as people love controversy and tune it to it way more than they do when things are calm.
The fans walking away talk is the same as people that say they are leaving the country based on election results. It doesn't happen.
It's happened here.
Sure @PurpleBaze and @Swaye cum here for the malarkey, but will they ever have the same passion for UW football that once existed?
They walked away long ago, before the NIL and semi-pro mercenary rule changes. They only were drawn back in for a miracle run that happened in large part because we got a home run through the portal with Penix. Now they claim to have walked away again.
...we'll see.
Even if they do stay unengaged. Even if every person you see complaining in every corner of the internet stopped watching forever today, it wouldn't be a drop in the bucket. A bunch of old guys no longer being the target audience of a product? Shocker.
I don't watch reality entertainment. But it remains popular. Again, if you want to say the sport is no longer for you, that's fine. But my money on the sport doing just fine moving forward.
Subscriptions TV viewership has never been higher!
I think a major issue is completely ignoring that a huge number of core fans support their football team because it is their university, which for whatever reasons of psychology we are pretty loyal to. If the players and coaches, who earn a good chunk of money off of that loyalty we have to the university, are constantly changing, then we're going to quit paying for that.
Their skills create economic value for the football team, but so does the entirety of the university. Might want to make sure you keep that second part happy too.
As a tennis fan, rooting for a bunch of individuals can be really boring (the competition itself is more compelling than the individuals) and it is ESPECIALLY uninteresting once you get past the very top players. Unfortunately for college football, the NFL already exists.
This isn't changing. Get used to it, or stop watching if you want, but the idea that people are going to walk away from the sport en masse is wishful thinking brought on because we are on the sphincter end of a balls deep ass-raping. The playoff, conference consolidation/relegation paid college players, etc. is going to draw eyes to the sport. Controversy and turmoil it causes will only create more conversation and eyes as people love controversy and tune it to it way more than they do when things are calm.
The fans walking away talk is the same as people that say they are leaving the country based on election results. It doesn't happen.
I just paid thousands of dollars to watch a coach, who had already planned his departure, trot out an unprepared team in the national championship game and take a giant dump all over every fan who made the trip to the game. Said coach has subsequently taken players away from UW and left "my school" with a gutted roster and no time to rebuild. This is coming off of a 14 - 1 season and #2 finish!
If I wanted to watch professional football I would watch the NFL. Maybe I'm allowing my opinion to be totally tainted by my personal experience recently, but I think a lot of people in NFL-area markets are probably going through the same thought process as I am. Sure, in backwater shitholes like Eugene and Tuscaloosa, where there's jack shit to do other than smoke meth and steal catalytic convertors, fans in those towns will still show up because the college is their version of a professional franchise.
College sports are morphing into a product that appeals to people who like watching reality tv. Pretty fickle consumer to rely on when the NFL is already in existence.
This isn't changing. Get used to it, or stop watching if you want, but the idea that people are going to walk away from the sport en masse is wishful thinking brought on because we are on the sphincter end of a balls deep ass-raping. The playoff, conference consolidation/relegation paid college players, etc. is going to draw eyes to the sport. Controversy and turmoil it causes will only create more conversation and eyes as people love controversy and tune it to it way more than they do when things are calm.
The fans walking away talk is the same as people that say they are leaving the country based on election results. It doesn't happen.
It's happened here.
Sure @PurpleBaze and @Swaye cum here for the malarkey, but will they ever have the same passion for UW football that once existed?
KD killed my dad. It hasn't happened yet but considering the way he talks, KD and the new age of college football will be to blame. But mostly KD.
I think individually people follow football for different reasons. People support and follow their local university, some Jack Doogs like me follow because they were forced to go as a young child and loved the atmoshphere and local and regional rivalries, etc.... There was alot of reasons why I have always followed college ball over pro.
Now, all the reasons I couldn't stand pro ball are creeping into college. Players and coaches with an unwavering love of money and bigger contracts. The entire roster and coaching staff of the LA Rams could replace every single Seattle Seahawk player and coach and 12's would show out en mass to support "their team" So what exactly are people following or supporting with pro ball?
Jed Fisch could bring his entire roster and coaching staff here overnight and do the same shit.
Is football simply about wanting your brand to win, no matter what, with whatever it takes to get there? If so, I'd say we? Are where we need to be!!!!!1!!!
This isn't changing. Get used to it, or stop watching if you want, but the idea that people are going to walk away from the sport en masse is wishful thinking brought on because we are on the sphincter end of a balls deep ass-raping. The playoff, conference consolidation/relegation paid college players, etc. is going to draw eyes to the sport. Controversy and turmoil it causes will only create more conversation and eyes as people love controversy and tune it to it way more than they do when things are calm.
The fans walking away talk is the same as people that say they are leaving the country based on election results. It doesn't happen.
It's happened here.
Sure @PurpleBaze and @Swaye cum here for the malarkey, but will they ever have the same passion for UW football that once existed?
They walked away long ago, before the NIL and semi-pro mercenary rule changes. They only were drawn back in for a miracle run that happened in large part because we got a home run through the portal with Penix. Now they claim to have walked away again.
...we'll see.
Even if they do stay unengaged. Even if every person you see complaining in every corner of the internet stopped watching forever today, it wouldn't be a drop in the bucket. A bunch of old guys no longer being the target audience of a product? Shocker.
I don't watch reality entertainment. But it remains popular. Again, if you want to say the sport is no longer for you, that's fine. But my money on the sport doing just fine moving forward.
I'm not saying there won't be a market for the college football product moving forward, so don't twist. We're still only a few seasons into to this brave new world. But I don't think it's crazy to consider to possibility of some large number of alumni and fans losing interest or becoming less passionate. Could certainly be more than a drop on the bucket, but perhaps some institutions are affected more than others.
Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia, Oregon etc. will never have NFL teams. Places like Texas, Georgia, and Ohio have the appetite to support both for now. The rest of us are nostalgia driven retards for thinking college football can ever be the sport we fell in love with.
Non of these ideas work because the schools are independent. Any idea to collectively restrict the contractors/employee "student" athletes bargaining power will lose in court. Almost any restriction from the NCAA or a conference will violate the Sherman Act, which prohibits "contracts, combinations, or conspiracies in restraint of trade or commerce" (First Bannon v NCAA and now strengthened in NCAA v Alston, 2021)
The NFL/MLB/NBA dodge many of the anti trust lawsuits/restrictions because they are really just a single entity and the teams are franchises in conjunction with congressionally passed Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. (also a bunch of nonsensical specific MLB carve outs about culture and tradition and inconsistently applied restrictions on interstate commerce from 1922).
TLDR: None of these solutions mean anything, they cant stand legally, it will take an act of congress to stop the bleeding; basically its fucked.
(Based on my memory), after the 1919 Black Sox scandal, the MLB teams were concerned about fans losing faith in the game and that they would lose interest. So they hired Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis and granted him full power to rule over the league. I think he was the one that gave Shoeless Joe Jackson the lifetime ban. According to a book I read in the 1990s, bringing in Landis was critical to saving the game. College football teams might end up resorting to this if things become such a mess that fans start losing interest. To restore a sense of structure and law and order.
Your memory is right. Ultimately, he stayed too long and delayed many of the critical changes to baseball including desegregation.
In college football, the TV money is so huge now, so different from 1990s and earlier. Conferences need to pay players in order to regain control of the sport… tradeoffs.
BIG and SEC will pay the highest, something like 150k per scholarship player in excess of tuition, room and board. 3 year bilateral commitment from the school and player. Non-punitive Transfers allowed only after year 3. Player can leave the program before but surrenders income, sits out a year and loses that year of eligibility. Making an 85 roster spot becomes gold.
Only once you make some financial commitment by conferences can you impose meaningful restrictions. It works to be a 12mm annual commitment about 12% of the new TV deal. NIL still exists. Athletic departments can still fund. Big 12 ACC MW conferences do the same but at lower dollar amounts commensurate with their Tv contracts.
This isn't changing. Get used to it, or stop watching if you want, but the idea that people are going to walk away from the sport en masse is wishful thinking brought on because we are on the sphincter end of a balls deep ass-raping. The playoff, conference consolidation/relegation paid college players, etc. is going to draw eyes to the sport. Controversy and turmoil it causes will only create more conversation and eyes as people love controversy and tune it to it way more than they do when things are calm.
The fans walking away talk is the same as people that say they are leaving the country based on election results. It doesn't happen.
Exhibit A of short-term fallacy thinking. None of this shit is going to change overnight - we're all addicted and the behavior of the current generation of fans likely won't change too drastically. Damn near every one of us is still going to tune in in the fall, and TV viewership numbers will continue to look good.
The problem is where the sport is going 20-30 years from now and beyond. We all got hooked on a college football product that emphasized program building and school loyalty - the core parts of a pageantry that set CFB apart from any professional sport and made it a genuinely unique product. That's not what a new generation of fan is being introduced too. Instead what they see is unlimited free agency, 30%+ roster turnover, and a relatively high frequency where a single player wears a jersey for three or more schools during his career. We can only speculate how that'll impact the staying power of college football, but I'd be willing to bet that a sport that more resembles a bastardized NFL with objectively worse game play is not going to sink its hooks into fans to the extent that it did in generation's past. It'll bleed out slowly and die. Race will probably outlive it.
I might but I've seen college football change from
Of course we're not the NFL we were fucking cheerleaders while the NFL was still in Daddy's ball sack
To the modern era of
WE NEED A REAL CHAMPION
I'm on record as college football being dead already. It just doesn't know it
I actually don't care about NIL or the portal. I think college ball could survive that
It's the playoffs that killed it and made it NFL lite
PLAYOFFS?
But the bowl games created big messes and left everyone frustrated. Remember 1984? Or 1991? Even though UW lost to Michigan a couple of weeks ago, at least it was settled on the field. It would suck to have had two undefeated teams and wondering how a game would have gone.
I might but I've seen college football change from
Of course we're not the NFL we were fucking cheerleaders while the NFL was still in Daddy's ball sack
To the modern era of
WE NEED A REAL CHAMPION
I'm on record as college football being dead already. It just doesn't know it
I actually don't care about NIL or the portal. I think college ball could survive that
It's the playoffs that killed it and made it NFL lite
PLAYOFFS?
College football by many metrics I believe is the second-most popular sport in America and it didn't defend it's brand at all once the media started circling on things. the dumbass grad transfer rule was the first thing I really thought started to fuck things up. It made no sense and was a slippery slope thing. I don't hate hate the playoff, but I think having more than 6 teams max was the move. I also think they underrated the value in having every game be the playoff and the possibility for multiple champions - that allows multiple fanbases to be more invigorated and for debate, and all we want to do now is debate shit.
I might but I've seen college football change from
Of course we're not the NFL we were fucking cheerleaders while the NFL was still in Daddy's ball sack
To the modern era of
WE NEED A REAL CHAMPION
I'm on record as college football being dead already. It just doesn't know it
I actually don't care about NIL or the portal. I think college ball could survive that
It's the playoffs that killed it and made it NFL lite
PLAYOFFS?
But the bowl games created big messes and left everyone frustrated. Remember 1984? Or 1991? Even though UW lost to Michigan a couple of weeks ago, at least it was settled on the field. It would suck to have had two undefeated teams and wondering how a game would have gone.
It was frustrating at times, but a good kind of frustrating. And I say that as a fan of a team that got screwed in 1984.
I might but I've seen college football change from
Of course we're not the NFL we were fucking cheerleaders while the NFL was still in Daddy's ball sack
To the modern era of
WE NEED A REAL CHAMPION
I'm on record as college football being dead already. It just doesn't know it
I actually don't care about NIL or the portal. I think college ball could survive that
It's the playoffs that killed it and made it NFL lite
PLAYOFFS?
But the bowl games created big messes and left everyone frustrated. Remember 1984? Or 1991? Even though UW lost to Michigan a couple of weeks ago, at least it was settled on the field. It would suck to have had two undefeated teams and wondering how a game would have gone.
I might but I've seen college football change from
Of course we're not the NFL we were fucking cheerleaders while the NFL was still in Daddy's ball sack
To the modern era of
WE NEED A REAL CHAMPION
I'm on record as college football being dead already. It just doesn't know it
I actually don't care about NIL or the portal. I think college ball could survive that
It's the playoffs that killed it and made it NFL lite
PLAYOFFS?
But the bowl games created big messes and left everyone frustrated. Remember 1984? Or 1991? Even though UW lost to Michigan a couple of weeks ago, at least it was settled on the field. It would suck to have had two undefeated teams and wondering how a game would have gone.
That was the beauty of it
We're still talking about it
EXACTLY! How well do fan bases remember even bowl loses compared to NFL fans and playoff games? Ironically this would have been the rare year where we would have gotten a true national championship from a traditional bowl matchup. Wasn't it somewhat possible to shirt matchups to set up basically championship games in years it was needed? I thought I remembered that Washington wanted to play Miami somewhere in 91 but Miami wanted the Orange Bowl guaranteed win.
This isn't changing. Get used to it, or stop watching if you want, but the idea that people are going to walk away from the sport en masse is wishful thinking brought on because we are on the sphincter end of a balls deep ass-raping. The playoff, conference consolidation/relegation paid college players, etc. is going to draw eyes to the sport. Controversy and turmoil it causes will only create more conversation and eyes as people love controversy and tune it to it way more than they do when things are calm.
The fans walking away talk is the same as people that say they are leaving the country based on election results. It doesn't happen.
Exhibit A of short-term fallacy thinking. None of this shit is going to change overnight - we're all addicted and the behavior of the current generation of fans likely won't change too drastically. Damn near every one of us is still going to tune in in the fall, and TV viewership numbers will continue to look good.
The problem is where the sport is going 20-30 years from now and beyond. We all got hooked on a college football product that emphasized program building and school loyalty - the core parts of a pageantry that set CFB apart from any professional sport and made it a genuinely unique product. That's not what a new generation of fan is being introduced too. Instead what they see is unlimited free agency, 30%+ roster turnover, and a relatively high frequency where a single player wears a jersey for three or more schools during his career. We can only speculate how that'll impact the staying power of college football, but I'd be willing to bet that a sport that more resembles a bastardized NFL with objectively worse game play is not going to sink its hooks into fans to the extent that it did in generation's past. It'll bleed out slowly and die. Race will probably outlive it.
I might but I've seen college football change from
Of course we're not the NFL we were fucking cheerleaders while the NFL was still in Daddy's ball sack
To the modern era of
WE NEED A REAL CHAMPION
I'm on record as college football being dead already. It just doesn't know it
I actually don't care about NIL or the portal. I think college ball could survive that
It's the playoffs that killed it and made it NFL lite
PLAYOFFS?
College football by many metrics I believe is the second-most popular sport in America and it didn't defend it's brand at all once the media started circling on things. the dumbass grad transfer rule was the first thing I really thought started to fuck things up. It made no sense and was a slippery slope thing. I don't hate hate the playoff, but I think having more than 6 teams max was the move. I also think they underrated the value in having every game be the playoff and the possibility for multiple champions - that allows multiple fanbases to be more invigorated and for debate, and all we want to do now is debate shit.
No other sport is driven by the off-season natty. The minor bowl system has fed over 5,000 off-season natties in the last 15 years. Many by Oregon.
I might but I've seen college football change from
Of course we're not the NFL we were fucking cheerleaders while the NFL was still in Daddy's ball sack
To the modern era of
WE NEED A REAL CHAMPION
I'm on record as college football being dead already. It just doesn't know it
I actually don't care about NIL or the portal. I think college ball could survive that
It's the playoffs that killed it and made it NFL lite
PLAYOFFS?
But the bowl games created big messes and left everyone frustrated. Remember 1984? Or 1991? Even though UW lost to Michigan a couple of weeks ago, at least it was settled on the field. It would suck to have had two undefeated teams and wondering how a game would have gone.
All they needed to do was add a +1 championship game AFTER the bowls instead of part of the bowls.
Comments
...we'll see.
Even if they do stay unengaged. Even if every person you see complaining in every corner of the internet stopped watching forever today, it wouldn't be a drop in the bucket. A bunch of old guys no longer being the target audience of a product? Shocker.
I don't watch reality entertainment. But it remains popular. Again, if you want to say the sport is no longer for you, that's fine. But my money on the sport doing just fine moving forward.
SubscriptionsTV viewership has never been higher!I think a major issue is completely ignoring that a huge number of core fans support their football team because it is their university, which for whatever reasons of psychology we are pretty loyal to. If the players and coaches, who earn a good chunk of money off of that loyalty we have to the university, are constantly changing, then we're going to quit paying for that.
Their skills create economic value for the football team, but so does the entirety of the university. Might want to make sure you keep that second part happy too.
As a tennis fan, rooting for a bunch of individuals can be really boring (the competition itself is more compelling than the individuals) and it is ESPECIALLY uninteresting once you get past the very top players. Unfortunately for college football, the NFL already exists.
Now, all the reasons I couldn't stand pro ball are creeping into college. Players and coaches with an unwavering love of money and bigger contracts. The entire roster and coaching staff of the LA Rams could replace every single Seattle Seahawk player and coach and 12's would show out en mass to support "their team" So what exactly are people following or supporting with pro ball?
Jed Fisch could bring his entire roster and coaching staff here overnight and do the same shit.
Is football simply about wanting your brand to win, no matter what, with whatever it takes to get there? If so, I'd say we? Are where we need to be!!!!!1!!!
In college football, the TV money is so huge now, so different from 1990s and earlier. Conferences need to pay players in order to regain control of the sport… tradeoffs.
BIG and SEC will pay the highest, something like 150k per scholarship player in excess of tuition, room and board. 3 year bilateral commitment from the school and player. Non-punitive Transfers allowed only after year 3. Player can leave the program before but surrenders income, sits out a year and loses that year of eligibility. Making an 85 roster spot becomes gold.
Only once you make some financial commitment by conferences can you impose meaningful restrictions. It works to be a 12mm annual commitment about 12% of the new TV deal. NIL still exists. Athletic departments can still fund. Big 12 ACC MW conferences do the same but at lower dollar amounts commensurate with their Tv contracts.
The problem is where the sport is going 20-30 years from now and beyond. We all got hooked on a college football product that emphasized program building and school loyalty - the core parts of a pageantry that set CFB apart from any professional sport and made it a genuinely unique product. That's not what a new generation of fan is being introduced too. Instead what they see is unlimited free agency, 30%+ roster turnover, and a relatively high frequency where a single player wears a jersey for three or more schools during his career. We can only speculate how that'll impact the staying power of college football, but I'd be willing to bet that a sport that more resembles a bastardized NFL with objectively worse game play is not going to sink its hooks into fans to the extent that it did in generation's past. It'll bleed out slowly and die. Race will probably outlive it.
Of course we're not the NFL we were fucking cheerleaders while the NFL was still in Daddy's ball sack
To the modern era of
WE NEED A REAL CHAMPION
I'm on record as college football being dead already. It just doesn't know it
I actually don't care about NIL or the portal. I think college ball could survive that
It's the playoffs that killed it and made it NFL lite
PLAYOFFS?
We're still talking about it