This week kicks off the first round of FBS playoffs along with a smattering of bowl games. I don’t love that the NFL has scheduled a couple games on Saturday, especially when one is the Steelers – Ravens game. I will definitely need to incorporate multiple screens to catch all the action. Thankfully, my man cave’s five TVs makes that easy. Hopefully the games are a little better than the conference championship games.
In other news, there has been a lot of griping about the impacts of the transfer portal on teams, particularly big vs small schools and related timing to bowl games. The Ohio State’s of the world can utilize their deep pockets to both keep and recruit new players. Correcting for this disparity is difficult. I think smaller schools have to be better at developing players both new and old. They are not going to get the blue chips out of high school. They also won’t be able to retain the talent they do develop. That means the small programs have to have strong teaching coaching staffs: one, to upgrade the 3-star and 4-star kids they get out of high school, and secondly, to pick up the 5-star washouts from the big boy programs. These schools will need to be comfortable in catching lightning in a bottle every few years.
I hear lots of folks say they need to change the timing of the portal. But, it is not easy as it seems. Bowl games and playoffs fall right between Fall and Spring semesters. If a player is changing schools, they need to be on campus in early January. Asking a student athlete stay at his old school through January 3 and then jump right into another school a week later is an unreasonable request.
Additionally, the overall impact on a player’s ability to graduate has largely been ignored when discussing NIL / transfer portal implications. Assuming these kids do not care about graduating only exacerbates the problem. Less then 2% of college athletes even make it to the pro’s where the career average is only a little over three years. In that time, they will make somewhere between $1.5M to $3M in most cases.
College graduates generate lifetime average incomes of $1M – $2M more than a high school graduate. Financially speaking the expected value of getting a degree is going to be way higher than the expected value of not getting a degree, but making it to the pro’s. Someone should be sitting down with these kids so that they understand the criticality of getting their degree. The graduation rates of the transfers is less than those that stay at a single college for their entire academic career. Transfer data does get skewed for Juco transfers, but even four-year to four-year transfers are estimated to have lower graduation rates.
Certainly, the transfer portal can be a boon for some players but for most staying put is a way better decision. If a coaching staff can get that through the heads of immature and disappointed college athletes, it could make all the difference for the success of both their program and their players.
Last Week: Army – Navy Game
The Army – Navy Game is an American sports tradition like no other. I had a great time at the game, but I have to admit it could have been a better game. Navy, led by their stud QB Blake Horvath, dominated the game from the start. Little did the Army faithful know that when their paratroopers out performed Navy’s that would be the highlight of the game for the Black Knights. From the tailgating to pregame fly-overs to the in game traditions, the game is must attend for any college football fan.
The only drawback to the game is the ticket prices on game day. The most affordable way to attend is work it though a well connected veteran which is how I got my ticket. Otherwise, I would suggest planning your attendance at least a year advance and then making a contribution to one of the academies. Donations of $100 or more get you access to tickets and that will be far more favorable than buying them on the after-market.
And a gentle reminder, check out our Gear and Stuff for great gifts for the college football fans in your family. There’s nothing like giving the gift of “Good Ole Fashioned Hate” for the holidays.
That’s all I got – enjoy the games this week.
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