You may have read yesterday that the NCAA is investigating Tennessee football for violations of NIL policies (which the Vols have, along with practically everyone else). Now the attorneys general for Tennessee and Virginia have filed a motion in federal court for a TRO to prohibit the NCAA from enforcing NIL policies. I'm not sure that this is The Big One (the case that blows up amateurism in college sports), but we're getting very close.
https://twitter.com/...732371764265211
Read somewhere that college athletes basically engage in free agency with no restrictions right now. They have more freedom of choice than a pro athlete. “Enter the portal and we’ll take you for x amount,” type of deals. Which wasn’t what NIL was intended for, but what it’s become.
Brings up a valid question. Should college athletes have that type of freedom? I think student athletes should. If we’re going back to pretending it’s amateurism. But if you’re getting paid, I think it should come with some kind of binding contract.
I think there should be an open portal with players getting zero pay but can also play right away. Hop around wherever you want. Or they pay the kids out of high school, no portal, they can only transfer as a grad student. No penalty for entering the draft of their sport early. It should be one or the other. Not both.
The money and the contractual obligation. Or the freedom of choice.