“The bag has been dropped, I repeat, the bag has been dropped.” These were presumably (not really) the words of a rich booster who offered Bryce Underwood $12 million to throw a football in Ann Arbor. Underwood is the latest example of NIL money ruining the sport, allegedly.
Bryce Underwood flipped from LSU to Michigan on Thursday and fan bases were set ablaze.
Underwood is the top-ranked recruit coming out of high school this year. He plays quarterback, the most important position, and is from Michigan. It is uncommon for the top-ranked recruit in any given year to be a quarterback, making Underwood a rare exception.
According to 24/7 Recruiting, Underwood is the 22nd highest-rated QB of all-time. He is sandwiched between Matthew Stafford and Ryan Perriloux.
A quick look up from 22nd on the all-time recruits list and you’ll find that of the 21 players ranked ahead of Underwood, five are still playing, and six were drafted in the first round. Which means almost half were not first-rounders.
I use the first-rounder as a measurement because some success for your team usually happens if you’re drafted in the first round as a quarterback.
Does any of this mean anything? No, but it gives people freaking out about Underwood’s NIL money some perspective on if this will work out or not.
Reaction To Underwood’s NIL Money
The reaction…to say the least, has been intense. People are claiming that they are “done ” with college football. People are upset over the money being thrown at players who haven’t proven anything. LSU fans want Brian Kelly fired. Furthermore, they wanted him fired before this, but now they want him fired fired.
Some of it is valid. It’s hard to watch the drastic and quick change in college football where all these players seem like mercenaries and are essentially all on one-year contracts. Getting to know who’s who on your favorite team seems like a chore.
“Why don’t these young people love school like I do?!”
As mentioned above, there is no way of telling if Underwood will be good. It’s okay to be excited if you’re a Michigan fan and it’s okay to be upset if you’re an LSU fan.
By the time our country chooses a new President, Underwood could have flamed out and be in his third school. He could also be starting his tenth career NFL game.
Underwood’s decision isn’t a team passing on Luka Doncic or any hyped prospect. Underwood will only be playing football for a max of five years in college.
NIL: Fair or Foul?
Change is uncomfortable in most aspects of our society. People agree with it and some people want things to stay the same. However, big money has seeped into every (clap) single (clap) sport (final clap). NIL and college sports are no different.
Ten years ago Michigan football generated $127 million in revenue, and the players saw none of that.
Well…that doesn’t seem fair at all. That system existed for at least 100 years in most programs. Generations of young talented athletes getting screwed over their money-making potential. Consequently, NIL came along and let players profit off their skills and it ruined the sport of college football.
The system and sport of college football will change. NIL will not look the same as it does right now as it will in five years. Contracts of multiple years, release clauses, and a change in the redshirting rule will go a long way to solving some gripes.
Conclusion
Complaining about college football gets you nowhere. With the new 12-team playoff happening, it means even more fan bases will be upset over the direction their program is headed.
Look at West Virginia, they had playoff aspirations and now they’re 5-5. A four-team playoff would’ve had West Virginia fans not bothered as much by the record and had lower expectations going into the season.
College football die-hards are miserable most of the time. It is the most emotional sport in America for fans. However, unlike the NFL where the fans can’t have a deep connection with the team, there’s a chance that your money earned working 40-hour weeks will go towards funding a stadium a billionaire isn’t paying for. The NBA is a snow globe in which every offseason is shaken, don’t get too attached to those stars.
College football will never have teams moving cities, and the players are always going to leave and it’s ok. However, now these schools are asking for your money and even putting it into costs, which is BS.
Therefore, if you believe NIL is ruining the sport, wait, be patient, and give it some time. Forgive young people for taking the money, and realize every generation, including yours, would’ve done the same thing.
If you enjoyed “Analyzing NIL and Bryce Underwood’s Decision” then check out Belly Up Sports.
Featured Image: Courtesy of Keurig Dr Pepper via PRNewswire
