Could player loans be the future?
In world soccer, it is common practice for big teams to send young talented players who aren't quite good enough to make the 1st team to worse teams in order for them to get playing time and the associated experience there. There's usually an agreement where the bigger team continues to pay a % of the player's salary in the meantime. That could be all of the salary or 50% or 25% depending on the agreement. The advantage is of course that playing in any pro league beats sitting on the bench or playing for a junior team.
This brings me to college football where 'red shirting' used to be a very common way to treat players who were deemed future contributors but not quite ready yet to play an active role on the team. Today this has become much less common as many players are promised the opportunity to contribute immediately and will head to the transfer portal almost instantly if it looks like their position on the depth chart is occupied.
I recently read a story about a player who had transferred from one school to another and then a year later transferred back when the guy ahead of him on the depth chart had left. And it triggered my curiosity - could this be done in an organized manner? Transfer rules seem to be very lax now. Could B1G teams send over guys to MAC or CUSA teams to 'prove themselves' and then call them back? NIL agreements would provide the contractual backbone. Hell, couldn't a B1G NIL collective sign players for those MAC teams in the first place on the condition that OSU has a 'first pick' option on those players after their 1st and 2nd season?
If say Ohio State fans funded a not insignificant part of Kent State's two deep on the condition that those players can be sent to Ohio St when deemed ready, then they would essentially exert a dominant control over Kent State football, but Kent St may also have access to players they otherwise would never get. They may enjoy a competitive edge over their fellow MAC teams who do not have such agreements in place. In other words, it would set the same process in motion that all but killed independent minor league baseball in the mid 20th century.
What do you think? I think that one way or another, college football rosters are going to be handled in an increasingly pro-style way and completely decoupled from educational or 'transformational' factors as time progresses.
August 15th, 2022 at 1:45 PM ^
Yes.
August 15th, 2022 at 1:51 PM ^
Maybe
August 15th, 2022 at 2:00 PM ^
Undecided 🤷‍♂️
August 15th, 2022 at 2:17 PM ^
Ask again later
August 15th, 2022 at 2:38 PM ^
More information needed
August 15th, 2022 at 2:30 PM ^
sorry. wasn't listening. what?
August 15th, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
Unlikely
August 15th, 2022 at 1:34 PM ^
Ah who knows. Could be, but I think that has a tough shot of going through as loans aren't really a cultural thing in American sports. Probably a lot of inertia to cross that barrier. Just like trades aren't a thing in world soccer. Like the new American owner of Chelsea says he wants to find a trade for a big player who wants out and costs a lot of money and everyone freaks out saying that's not how they do things over there in Europe. Just buying and selling contracts. No trades.
But whatever. I imagine NCAA will end up looking like the NFL with a players union, contracts and revenue sharing.
August 15th, 2022 at 1:39 PM ^
Risk of serious injury is probably higher in CFB than soccer so I doubt there will be loaning of players.
August 16th, 2022 at 1:09 PM ^
No way, man. Soccer guys collapse with horrible leg injuries multiple times a game. It seems terribly dangerous, at least when running near the refs!
August 15th, 2022 at 1:50 PM ^
God I hope not.
College football players --- or another way to view them, "18-to-22-year old men who are at the first steps of adulthood, are trying to find their way and purpose in life, and who should be viewing college football as an opportunity to also get an education in case football-playing doesn't work out as a long-term career option" --- are not freaking commodities.
I get it, many of them will be being paid (or already have been paid) to play college football going forward. They're still not commodities. They'll have the rest of their life to be viewed as commodities (especially if they actually do make the NFL).
August 15th, 2022 at 1:50 PM ^
The problem with your hypothetical question:
tOSU is THE Ohio State University, with logic indicating there are no other Ohio state universities, so what is this Kent State, alleged university in the state of Ohio, of which you speak?
August 15th, 2022 at 4:44 PM ^
Kent State is short for Kentucky State. I have no idea of what division they play in, but they are a real school with a real football team.
August 15th, 2022 at 5:12 PM ^
I never knew that. Thanks for the geography lesson.
Any idea what states Ball State University, Bowling Green University, and Ohio University are in?
August 15th, 2022 at 6:31 PM ^
Ball State is in Indiana
August 15th, 2022 at 9:39 PM ^
Oops.
August 15th, 2022 at 5:42 PM ^
Whut? Kent State is a public, research university in Kent, Ohio. ('Four dead in Oh Hi Oh")
And we now call that other school either Ohio or Duh Ohio State University.
August 15th, 2022 at 5:45 PM ^
(I'm assuming lilpenny was making a joke based on the spelling of KENT-ucky. Which prompted my jokey question wondering what state Ball State, Bowling Green, and Ohio University are in.)
August 15th, 2022 at 5:46 PM ^
Sorry, just up from a well deserved nap, and was responding to lilpenny. I got your sarcasm :)
August 15th, 2022 at 9:38 PM ^
Ain't it great when a nap feels well deserved?
BTW, Duh Ohio State is nice.
August 15th, 2022 at 1:51 PM ^
No way. Ohio State types can already take their pick of transfer from Kent State types so this would provide no utility.
August 15th, 2022 at 2:14 PM ^
I agree, but for a slightly different reason. Ignoring the educational aspect of a kid having to get half of his education at Kent State instead of OSU, if OSU was "loaning" out players to Kent State, they would want say in how the player was developed with likely major input on coaching hires and defensive and offensive systems being run at Kent State. That would mean a LOT more coordination between the two universities and in the end would likely mean that OSU would be flipping most of the bill for Kent St's football team, much the way the MLB does with its minor league affiliates. While Kent St would likely take the players, I have a hard time seeing the athletic directors and various interested parties at Kent St being Ok with another school running their operations.
August 15th, 2022 at 2:17 PM ^
I imagine some deal would be that player A is signed by OSU, gets OSU NIL money, then plays for Kent St to get more PT and develop. Then can get recalled back to play at OSU when they feel they need him. Current situation would be player A goes to Kent St and gets Kent St. NIL money.
August 15th, 2022 at 2:00 PM ^
Sounds a bit too close to being a Pro team idea in an amateur sport, but I like the idea - in some ways.
If I'm the coaching staff at the Big school, I want my freshman on campus, getting a feel for the environment, eating at the training table, and working in the weight room. Sending a sophomore to the Little school for "guaranteed" playing time to get reps in might not be bad. Sending a Junior or Senior may be a permanent demotion (and could create a lack of depth should injuries strike).
As stated, injuries would be an issue since you can't "call up" a player mid season, like in the soccer example. Also, once the Little school starter comes back to the Big school and finds out he's a back-up, that would cause chemistry issues.
If I'm the player, I would want first right of refusal to the placement (either down or up). I may find out I like being the big dog at the Little school.
EDIT: As NittanyFan points out above, I totally left Education out of the mix. Referencing the NCAA commercial: 99% of these athletes go pro in something other than a sport.
August 15th, 2022 at 2:11 PM ^
The SEC has been giving forgivable loans to players for years... nothing new
August 15th, 2022 at 5:10 PM ^
It's my money and I want it NOW!!!
August 15th, 2022 at 2:14 PM ^
Will the B1G change from four year scholarships to one year renewables? I hope not.
August 15th, 2022 at 2:17 PM ^
No, I don't think this is a good idea.
A player loan can work fine without an official loan via the transfer portal. Gives a student more ownership vs. relegating them to Kent State. You can't make a 17-18 year old shift cities, move schools last minute just because the landscape has changed.
August 15th, 2022 at 2:18 PM ^
If CFB is going to take any soccer rules - I would go for relegation.
So instead of East-West divisions, you would have B1G - Division 1 and BIG - Division 2 (hell, when we get to 18 and 24 teams, you can add Divisions 3 and 4). Make revenue allocation dependent on division so that Division 1 gets 60% of revenue and Division 2 gets 40% or 50/30/20 with 3 divisions.
The last week of the season would the top 2 teams in each division playing for the Championship / promotion and the bottom 2 teams would play to avoid relegation. The middle two in each division can play for bowl placement. That would be awesome and every promotion / relegation game the last week would be the respective team's biggest game of the season.
August 15th, 2022 at 2:33 PM ^
At what point does "college" football detach from colleges? I'm not being flippant, because if policies like this become the norm, what's the point of having even a loose connection to an academic institution?
August 15th, 2022 at 2:35 PM ^
God this is just getting so ugly.
August 15th, 2022 at 2:37 PM ^
Oh, sure. The University Of Alabama simply reconstitutes itself as Southeastern Investments, one of football's premiere commercial lending institutions, specializing in player and staff loans.
August 15th, 2022 at 2:59 PM ^
As long as our guys go to Eastern Michigan for their seasoning I could get behind that. They could still live on campus and everything.
August 15th, 2022 at 3:05 PM ^
Like a dog with a bone ...
August 15th, 2022 at 3:23 PM ^
In the new category that is let’s make up increasingly unlikely player movement hypotheticals and then lament the state of things as if they’re actually happening, or LMUIUPMHATLSTAITAH if you prefer, this is one of the best.
August 15th, 2022 at 3:40 PM ^
No, if only for the optics of what this would make a student athlete.
August 15th, 2022 at 3:48 PM ^
So many “OSU fans” quotes I kind of checked out.
August 15th, 2022 at 4:20 PM ^
It’s mindblowing to me that so many American fans seem to think European soccer is a model to emulate, when it has an atrociously bad business model and is horribly uncompetitive on the field.
August 15th, 2022 at 4:37 PM ^
not feeling this one
August 15th, 2022 at 5:27 PM ^
traditional college football is dead. i like the farm team idea...why not? your farm team does have to have similar academic standards and programs available so everything easily transfers....if we must still have this "student athlete" thing....but that is another issue.
August 15th, 2022 at 5:50 PM ^
US football is 100x more physical than Euro Football. Reps, hitting, playing time adds up. I dont see this being an option.
August 15th, 2022 at 5:54 PM ^
I don't think this is realistic. Your assumption is that a player is pretty good (hence OSU is considering them) but not quite there yet. Is that kid so desperate to go to OSU that he wouldn't go to Wisconsin, Florida, Oregon or whoever in that next tier? Is OSU so full of money that they can buy their own class and still offer money at Kent St - more than a tier 2 team can offer? These players would likely be high 3-star or 4-star players with a lot of d1 offers. Would a kid accept less to sit at Kent St just for the chance to come play at OSU someday? I don't think so.
What might be more likely is a partnership (no NIL or money) between big and little schools. OSU maybe helps the Kent St coaches with clinics, inside information at camps or lets Kent St workout at their facility - some benefit to Kent St. Then, when Kent St finds an NFL player in the 2-star bin, OSU unofficially gets a first right of refusal to the player and has some NIL money ready to go. Maybe they do this with the entire state of Ohio (Ohio, Miami, Akron, Cincinnati, Kent St, Bowling Green, Youngstown St, etc). No NIL money until they arrive at OSU, just a friendly relationship and pipeline. OSU could probably get 3 or 4 players a year at positions of need to help them. Those Ohio schools would probably gain some recruits by being known as a feeder to OSU.
August 15th, 2022 at 6:35 PM ^
No way this will happen.
Eligibility aside, the injury risks are too great and this there would be liability issues. There would also be system issues, terminology, etc.
in order for that to work, players would need to practice with the other team all year in order to be able to play. What happens if the original team loans out their #4 QB and #1 and #2 get hurt? They would want their former #4 back. Think of what happens at Iowa most seasons at RB
August 17th, 2022 at 7:06 AM ^
I never thought of this but i think you're right, eventually it will become a standardized process. My first thought is academics would block that but there are year abroad and things like that. If it's part of an academic deal, i dont see why a sophomore spending fall semester studying archaeology in montana or something couldn't join their football team for a season as well.