College football is a mess.  I’m afraid it is on life support but do the “powers-that-be” even realize that fans are about to pull the plug!!   They have created this mess and it didn’t just happen.  I witnessed it December 22, 2018 in the Armed Services Bowl. 

Missing was the heart of the Houston Cougars, defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who was preparing for the NFL Draft.  He wasn’t the only one absent.  The Cougars were also without the rest of the defensive line and a starting cornerback.  At the helm was Clayton Tune, an inexperienced freshman, replacing the injured D’Eriq King.  Houston’s Defensive coordinator had been fired the previous month.  I watched in misery as Army piled on the points to a humiliating 70 – 14 rout where Army tied the record for most points scored at an Armed Forces Bowl.  From our affordable student area seats, all we saw of the game were Army cadets doing the required pushups every time Army scored.  And this is not to take anything from Army’s talent.  They did come into the bowl game with an outstanding 11 wins. 

Fast-forward to the 2023 NCAA season.  The transfer portal, which had been in place since 2018 to manage and facilitate the process for student athletes seeking to transfer between member institutions, seems to have turned into a monster of its own.  In the past, it was used more for players who weren’t getting to play and the reason for the transfer to better their playing time.  This season, it resembled more like free agency in the pros with key players tempted by better perks at another school.  Players had no qualms in abandoning their bowl-bound teammates to shop around.   Numbers are not available yet for this year’s portal since it is still active.  However, over 2,100 NCAA athletes participated in the 2022 Transfer Portal affecting the 2023 programs.  I expect it will easily surpass that this time.

Another beast was the fluidity among coaches leaving their programs prior to the bowl games and accepting positions with another team.  They justified their early departures claiming they were needed for preparation in recruitment.   Further complicating that piece was players could enter the portal immediately if the coach left! 

Then there was the NFL piece.  Top projected NFL draft picks were advised by others not to risk injury in a bowl game and to decline playing.  The absence of these individuals gutted teams in key roles.  Some attended the game and were more than accommodating with media interviews on the sidelines while their teammates were being humiliated on the field. 

As if the waters weren’t already muddied, add the NIL for athletes.  NIL stands for name, image, and likeness. It is compensation paid to NCAA student-athletes to promote, partner, or represent brands.  This means athletes are being paid for autographs, memorabilia, personal appearances including camps and clinics, merchandise, blogging and podcasting.  Now comes the question many of us ask.  WHY are athletes being given full paid scholarships and then not even required to participate in a bowl game? 

Michigan – the granddaddy of this entire piece – had a program shaded by a cheating scandal throughout most of their regular season games.  Many, including myself, wondered why the Michigan program deserved consideration to even be there in the semi-finals!   Yes, disappointment in the continued allowance of such unfair practices certainly curtailed my viewing this year. 

Why watch a rout by Georgia over a Florida State team crippled by indifference after being denied recognition for their superlative perfect season?  A season still accomplished without their starting quarterback who was lost to injury towards the end of the season.  Bowl game invitations should be recognition for exemplary performance during the season.

It’s very simple to fix.   Quit trying to make college football a celebrity glitz and a sure bet to get in the NFL.  Encourage athletes to appreciate a free education and at least reciprocate with their commitments to the athletic program until the bowl season is over.  Move timelines for any movement by coaches or athletes until after the college championship.  Athletes desiring to participate in NIL forfeit that year’s paid tuition and must pay it back to the school.  If they’re making monies for appearances and memorabilia, they sure don’t need a paid ride in college!  Athletic programs need to mentor their athletes with an understanding of team concept instead of individual records. 

Was there a good moment in all this mess?  Actually, there were two.  The team from Missouri.  They did not have one single player opt out of the bowl and that’s what should have happened for every bowl game this season.   And the halftime coverage of the Rose Bowl.  It was a reminder of how halftimes used to be covered by the media.  Instead of a panel of former athletes discussing their guesses of who the “Star Power” in second half would be, we saw the Michigan and Alabama bands with their amazing baton twirlers and flag corps!  Just like things used to be.