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College Football Random Thought of the Day

NCAA president Charlie Baker welcomes efforts by the federal government to clean up its mess
Published May 13, 2025 08:38 PM

Here’s a shock: The man who runs college sports welcomes governmental efforts to clean up the mess his organization has made.

Via Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com, NCAA president Charlie Baker reacted positively to the looming launch of a presidential college sports commission.

“I think the fact that there’s an interest on the executive side on this, I think it speaks to the fact that everybody is paying a lot of attention right now to what’s going on in college sports,” Baker said. “I’m up for anything that can help us get somewhere.”

Well, he’s not up for everything. The best fix for all involved would be to create a nationwide union that would transform the various colleges and universities into a multi-employer bargaining unit, securing an exemption from the antitrust laws that the NCAA and its members violated for years.

The schools want to have it both ways. They’d like to limit player income and mobility without having to deal with the realities of a union. Which could, for example, negotiate for a reduction in padded practices and, essentially, a year-round commitment to the program.

Instead, Baker and his constituents will hope for President Trump, his commission (led by NIL foe Nick Saban), and Congress to give them a pass, creating artificial limits on what players can make and when they can move from school to school.

It seems inevitable, even though it will be unfair to players who definitely won’t be adequately represented in the Saban cabal. And if a new system doesn’t restrict the ability of coaches to pull up stakes and chase the bag whenever they want, it will be the height of hypocrisy.

Of course, the NCAA has never been bothered by hypocrisy.
 
Personally, I think Congress should step in and deem NIL illegal at the collegiate level. End of story. HS athletes receiving a full ride scholarship are offering a free education ride while playing football. I’m not sure this clause exist, but if it doesn’t, it should be instituted.

1. Any scholarship athlete getting a career ending injury would still receive their full educational degree with a 5 year period to be completed.
2. Every scholarship player must receive a fully paid insurance policy covering a career ending injury. These could be structured based on being a starter versus reserve versus a red shirt freshman.

This would force CFB to use their financial windfall to help all students. Of course there’d be tweaking involved, but if it isn’t fixed, be prepared to watch 10 schools to control the talent pool.
 
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Texas enacts new NIL law, giving state’s college programs a competitive edge​

Hayden Victoria
1 hour ago•1:45 pm CDT

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed House Bill 126 into law, a sweeping measure that allows the state’s universities to directly compensate student-athletes for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), potentially giving Texas college sports programs a significant advantage over out-of-state rivals.

The bill, which received a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the Texas Legislature, took effect immediately upon Abbott’s signature.

Under the new law, universities may offer NIL contracts to student-athletes aged 17 and older once they have enrolled in college. This marks a major shift from previous Texas law, which permitted NIL deals only through third-party brands and boosters, not directly from schools.

“Gov. Abbott was proud to sign HB 126 into law to ensure that Texas athletes are able to be properly compensated for their efforts,” said Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary, in a statement to KBTX. “As we head into a new recruiting season and athletic year, Gov. Abbott looks forward to Texas teams showcasing their talent across the country.”

The law enables Texas universities to allocate up to $20.5 million annually from their revenue for athlete compensation, with some of those funds eligible for use in recruiting, a practice previously prohibited. The move comes as a national settlement in the House v. NCAA case is expected to usher in a new era of revenue sharing across college athletics beginning July 1, 2025.
Supporters of the bill, including Rep. Carl Tepper, who authored the legislation, say the measure is crucial for keeping Texas competitive in college sports.

“We will be killing college football in Texas if we do not pass this bill,” Tepper said in April.

The law also aligns Texas with similar recent moves in states like Ohio and Arkansas, where lawmakers have passed or are considering bills to allow direct payments or new fundraising mechanisms for college athletes. Meanwhile, other states such as Alabama and Georgia are exploring legislation to further incentivize student-athletes, including tax exemptions.

While the new law is expected to strengthen Texas schools’ recruiting efforts, questions remain about how long this advantage will last as other states move to adopt similar policies.

“I would imagine that would be a significant disadvantage for our football programs if everyone else in the country can do revenue sharing and we couldn’t,” said Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko at the SEC’s spring meetings.

With the landscape of college athletics rapidly evolving, Texas’ swift action positions its universities at the forefront of the new NIL era, at least for now. As the national settlement nears finalization, athletic departments across the state are preparing for a future where direct compensation and revenue sharing become the new standard in college sports.
 
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