[Goose]

Right, as soon as there is a perception that the D-league is better preparation for the NFL, you will see prominent professionally oriented players bail on college and go to the NFL.  Academically-oriented players and those who want to hedge against not making the NFL would go to college.  You have seen it with the NBA D-league this last year, where some players who have had no interest in college decided to forgo going to college.

I think the jury is still out on the NBA D-League. If and when it becomes a reliable pipeline to the NBA then I think it will begin to attract lots of high-school guys who don't want to go to college. If most high-school players who go that route don't make it to the NBA, it will be attractive only to guys who simply can't make it in college. As of now, the NBA can't fill their rosters adequately from the D-League. When and if they can, it becomes a solution to the development issue.

So, I am completely with teejers, 2006, Mick and others in this thread.  The caveat is that it would require college athletics to do something that goes against the grain of every organization I've ever seen, which is to leave money on the table and pursue a strategy that doesn't maximize revenue growth.  You can see it with the hesitation that is shown in postponing/cancelling the football season despite willingness to cancel non-revenue sports.  The money has a corrosive effect on decision making.  So, the way I see it is that the only way that happens is as part of some sort of consent decree, with an agreement to limit activities and disruption to school in order not to be forced to pay players.

BC

I agree that some kind of consent decree is the only way that this happens, and I seriously doubt that the players or the universities want to go back to the way things were in say 1970. I would be perfectly fine with that level of football, but big money is very hard to forgo. I think it more probable that some kind of cobbled together "plan" gets adopted and then changed every year.

[Goose]

Right, as soon as there is a perception that the D-league is better preparation for the NFL, you will see prominent professionally oriented players bail on college and go to the NFL.  Academically-oriented players and those who want to hedge against not making the NFL would go to college.  You have seen it with the NBA D-league this last year, where some players who have had no interest in college decided to forgo going to college.

I think the jury is still out on the NBA D-League. If and when it becomes a reliable pipeline to the NBA then I think it will begin to attract lots of high-school guys who don't want to go to college. If most high-school players who go that route don't make it to the NBA, it will be attractive only to guys who simply can't make it in college. As of now, the NBA can't fill their rosters adequately from the D-League. When and if they can, it becomes a solution to the development issue.

So, I am completely with teejers, 2006, Mick and others in this thread.  The caveat is that it would require college athletics to do something that goes against the grain of every organization I've ever seen, which is to leave money on the table and pursue a strategy that doesn't maximize revenue growth.  You can see it with the hesitation that is shown in postponing/cancelling the football season despite willingness to cancel non-revenue sports.  The money has a corrosive effect on decision making.  So, the way I see it is that the only way that happens is as part of some sort of consent decree, with an agreement to limit activities and disruption to school in order not to be forced to pay players.

BC

I agree that some kind of consent decree is the only way that this happens, and I seriously doubt that the players or the universities want to go back to the way things were in say 1970. I would be perfectly fine with that level of football, but big money is very hard to forgo. I think it more probable that some kind of cobbled together "plan" gets adopted and then changed every year.