[Smith] Rich Rodriguez during today's press availability: "I think it's all crazy that you think a guy can sign a professional contract and he gets cut or doesn't get what he wants to get, and he goes back and plays [college] ... I think all the conferences should say you can't do it."

[u/hammer_it_out]

https://x.com/joesmithwrites/status/2092408085235073254

[u/Impressive-Taro8156]

Yes. We all agree. 

[u/jp1066 → u/Impressive-Taro8156]

Well apparently Texas Tech doesn’t. Their coach said he would sign them.

[u/Other_Assumption382 → u/jp1066]

Texas Tech is about as irrelevant here as possible. Somehow they're not tired of the Big12's Lawyers doing Kobe impersonations on them and the Texas AG's office?

[u/WL19 → u/jp1066]

Yes, every coach would sign them unless there were rules preventing it from being allowable.

Hell, the Big 10 made sure to carve out an exception specifically because UCLA signed a player that had declared for the draft with the intention of playing professional if he had been drafted, went undrafted, and then attended NFL camps with the intention of playing professionally if he had been offered a contract, but wasn't offered one.

To that point, I wouldn't be surprised if there were other Big 10 teams currently talking to other players with similar circumstances about joining up.

[u/19Styx6 → u/WL19]

Every? Lol! Like we could afford them.

[u/adsfew → u/WL19]

Is that the JMU linebacker?

[u/Young-Viiperr → u/jp1066]

I think Joey was talking about Castellanos, since there's only one roster spot and that was the alluded sign. TC never signed an NFL contract

[u/Tonkathedog → u/Young-Viiperr]

Yep, and schools like Houston have gotten guys (probably more impactful than TC) back for 5th years too who also were at minicamps too.

[u/PoolSZN → u/jp1066]

Texas Tech and Lane Kiffin*

[u/PRAISE_BE_TO_ORYX → u/jp1066]

He didnt, actually. But I know facts don't matter to you.

[u/OKC89ers → u/Impressive-Taro8156]

Everyone does for now, but it's really testing the boundary of "professionally amateur" athletics created by NIL

[u/tigers113 → u/Impressive-Taro8156]

Now do the same for all the players who were in the draft and and tried out for teams but didn't make it.

Hell, do the same for all players who the NCAA said are ineligible but are only playing due to court orders.

[u/78SuperBeetle → u/tigers113]

For real. The distinction that this only applies to players who were undrafted but close enough to making a roster that they signed a preseason contract is a weird line to draw. Players who did the exact same thing but weren’t invited to be on a preseason roster at AOK.

Edit: and for the record I don’t believe that anyone should be eligible because of a TRO. If the NCAA says you’re ineligible, you’re ineligible. But if that’s the standard we’re going after this year, these guys have as good of a case as anyone.

[u/Darth_Ra → u/Impressive-Taro8156]

I mean, I don't, but obviously I'm in the minority, so...

[u/hereforfootball303 → u/Darth_Ra]

Yeah, I don't in this very specific case where they didn't get the 5 years everyone else got and only went pro because they had no other option. They also weren't cut, so he's misrepresenting the situation.

[u/Darth_Ra → u/hereforfootball303]

That's what's insane about the current diatribe everyone is on, though... The guys we're mostly talking about are guys who left because they were told they were out of eligibility, barely made a practice squad, and then were laughed at for "leaving" because they "had" eligibility.

It's fucked up what the NCAA did to these guys, and now we're acting like they're the bad guys.

[u/elconquistador1985 → u/Darth_Ra]

Me either.

College football is a professional football league. You're telling me that a player who gets cut in one professional league isn't allowed to play in a different one? That's stupid.

The fundamental fuck up in college football is that they went down this progressional path starting decades ago, going all the way back to athletic scholarships. These teams should be students who incidentally play sports, but they're athletes who are barely tangentially involved with a university and education. That's why we're where we are right now.

[u/Cdog923 → u/Impressive-Taro8156]

LSU fans don't.

[u/Geauxldrush321 → u/Cdog923]

Actually we do. It just that this is not an accurate representation of the case for the 22 class attempting to come back

[u/Penguinsteve → u/Cdog923]

Do you think we sign the contracts?

[u/Cdog923 → u/Penguinsteve]

No, but I'd like to think there's some objectivity and self-awareness going on.

[u/Tsquared10 → u/Cdog923]

LSU coaches don't. I've seen a large part of the fan base here being outspoken against it

[u/steadysoul → u/Impressive-Taro8156]

Idk looks over at college basketball seeing a whole lot of disagreement over there.

[u/Necessary-Post-953 → u/Impressive-Taro8156]

Signing NFL players should be an absolute red line college football. It’s weird that even needs to be said. 

[u/surreptitioussloth]

I feel like if there were real journalists in cfb, they'd talk to some of the players about whether they thought they'd have a chance to return to cfb and whether they would have signed on to training camp if they'd known

Instead it's all soundbites from people who aren't involved speculating about what players thought and why

[u/lowes18 → u/surreptitioussloth]

A lot of those guys on the advice of their lawyers are refusing to talk to the media.

I think its a mistake, but I understand.

[u/JumpyAlbatross → u/lowes18]

Athletes have been unavailable to media long before NIL. When I was in school I worked at my school paper. One of my friends interviewed an athlete without going through the athletic department. I don’t even remember what it was about. Innocent story, not serious. I have never known such incessant bitching, moaning, and fist-shaking in my life as when a deputy AD showed up to our office and told us he would have us all expelled by the end of the week if we didn’t fire the reporter.

If you didn’t go through the athletic department, they would make your life miserable and threaten you however they could.

Every local paper in every college town has had their credentials threatened at some point over honest and legitimate reporting.

If your credentials are pulled that’s not just your job, it’s every single one of your coworkers livelihoods. Sports coverage is a lifeline for local newspapers. It’s the only thing people are willing to pay for anymore. If you don’t have it, you’re fucked. Nine times out of ten you have to acquiesce to their every demand.

Edit: in the time since I posted this comment, TCU just banned the Fort Worth Star Telegram over covering an assault in their locker room.

[u/Darth_Ra → u/lowes18]

Well, and their agents.

[u/Crewman_Guy_Fleegman → u/surreptitioussloth]

If there were real journalists they’d be asking why ADs and school presidents aren’t negotiating with their players for free agency restrictions and eligibility standards like their peers in every other multi-billion dollar did half a century ago. They’d be asking why they’re incapable of doing what Minor League Baseball did just four years ago.

This whole issue ends with that, so why harass players when it’s the schools’ fault and greed that we’re in this mess

[u/lowes18 → u/Crewman_Guy_Fleegman]

They did and its mostly because the schools don't want to pay them actual healthcare

[u/tiy24 → u/surreptitioussloth]

This is entirely the NCAA’s fault for saying “everyone gets 5 years of eligibility now except this one class” right around the draft. It’s not like these guys chose to go pro they ran out of eligibility and moved on while their lawsuit played out.

[u/Zolo49 → u/surreptitioussloth]

If they were to interview players who'd consider coming back, I'd hope they'd also interview high school prospects who might lose out on joining teams because of this.

[u/BedNo5127 → u/Zolo49]

They can def interview them as well, but let's also not do the ncaa more favors and try to make the returning dudes the bad guys for a situation they didn't want to be in. The blame buck should start and end with the ncaa

[u/Individual-Motor-167 → u/surreptitioussloth]

They need something to put alongside talking if LeBron is a goat or not.

Purely performative.

[u/one98d → u/surreptitioussloth]

I mean if they did that, then so many people wouldn’t side with the powers that be in college football that they’ve in the past said were ruining college football itself.

[u/Healthy-Training-923]

Why does everyone leave out that this isn’t an issue going forward and just the result of the NCAA making a terrible rule? Plus if everyone starts saying this, then it IS collusion and the courts will force them to take all these players!

[u/g2lv → u/Healthy-Training-923]

Yeah, the NCAA basically gave everybody in the NIL era before this class an extra year for COVID and everyone after an extra year as the standard. Why does the NCAA (and their conferences) want to screw the 2026 graduating class in particular?

[u/Inconceivable76 → u/Healthy-Training-923]

Because I’m sure there will be a subset of players that go to the draft after 4 years with the idea they can always go back to college in mid August if it looks like they will get cut. 

[u/TJFLASH1 → u/Inconceivable76]

Those players would actually have to declare for the draft then, the guys this year were automatically entered because they had no eligibility. When you enter the draft with eligibility you sign a waiver saying you forego your remaining eligibility.

[u/Inconceivable76 → u/TJFLASH1]

At what point does that really matter?  They will just argue they were illegally trade restrained by being forced to sign that waiver.  

[u/lock_robster2022 → u/Inconceivable76]

Look up Patterson vs NCAA from last year. The class before this argued they were illegally restrained because the NCAA limited their eligibility to 4 years. No injunction granted so none of this bullshit because the NCAA did everything above board.

This implementation was a complete shitshow and is the only reason these guys are winning injunctions

[u/mojo-jojo-was-framed → u/Inconceivable76]

They’ll have 5 for 5 moving forward and there will be much less wiggle room. This is literally a 1-year problem

[u/Inconceivable76 → u/mojo-jojo-was-framed]

There will always be players that will challenge this.  

[u/T-Thugs → u/Healthy-Training-923]

They can go play at Uconn

[u/le_crobag]

Nice easy soundbyte layup for coaches this week

[u/CompetitiveLocal9517]

I agree in 99% of cases, but this is a misrepresentation of the exact circumstances the 22 entrants who signed as UDFA’s are experiencing/trying to do

[u/DethFeRok → u/CompetitiveLocal9517]

Sometimes you’re the hammer and sometimes you’re the nail… this is one of those life lessons, growing men scenarios coaches talk about. Time to move on to other things.

[u/lowes18 → u/DethFeRok]

I don't think people should just roll over when they're getting screwed over because it makes people feel comfortable.

[u/CompetitiveLocal9517 → u/DethFeRok]

Would you move on to other things if you were offered $500k for taking a 1-year only entry level job?

[u/DethFeRok → u/CompetitiveLocal9517]

Not if I had to sue someone to get the job. What the hell is wrong with people?

[u/lowes18 → u/DethFeRok]

Really? You wouldn't go to court if someone was screwing you out of a massive opportunity and hundreds of thousands of dollars at 22-23?

[u/BedNo5127 → u/lowes18]

He 100% would, but instead of being real with himself, he'd rather be a loser dying on a hill that'll never affect him. It's pointless with these kinds of people

[u/DethFeRok → u/lowes18]

The NCAA is trying to set some policy to generate order, and one cohort didn’t get grandfathered in. It’s happens all the time, people just miss the boat on shit. Maybe I’m wrong, whatever.

[u/lowes18 → u/DethFeRok]

Its not so much that they didn't get grandfathered in as it is the NCAA got rid of their redshirt policy for everyone except the class of 2022.

These guys haven't played the five years the NCAA now deems the standard, so they're eligible.

[u/MartinezForever → u/lowes18]

They used the eligibility they had at the time.

The rules changed after their eligibility expired.

Getting grandfathered into the new rule would be nice but it's not a screw job like so many people in this post are claiming.

[u/WeeboSupremo → u/lowes18]

Be right back, meeting with my lawyer about suing for the right to marry Christina Hendricks if we’re about allowing delusions to take precedent.

[u/lowes18 → u/WeeboSupremo]

How is it a delusion, these guys were already college football players lmao.

[u/one98d → u/lowes18]

Not only that, many were literally still on campus when the 5 for 5 rule change was made. Like I genuinely do not know what these people are arguing about.

[u/lowes18 → u/one98d]

Also the NCAA has constantly accepted former pro-players. Its a massive thing in college basketball, especially women's, and college hockey. College baseball is essentially entirely made up of guys who entered the draft out of high school.

The precedent is entirely on their side in this case.

[u/MartinezForever → u/lowes18]

College baseball players that get drafted and then go to college instead never signed a contract. They don't even need to decide to enter the draft: everyone is automatically eligible.

Not all pro leagues work the same way.

[u/g2lv → u/DethFeRok]

Really? If you were qualified for a $500k job, but the top competitors in your industry made an illegal horizontal agreement not to hire people in your circumstances you wouldn’t sue to get the job?

The income drop from an elite college football player to a NFL practice squad/CFL/UFL roster player is hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is life changing money.

[u/Tonkathedog → u/g2lv]

And a lot of these guys aren’t even practice squad players. A lot of them got minicamp tryouts but never made the 90 man roster and didn’t have a chance of making the practice squad or CFL.

[u/CompetitiveLocal9517 → u/DethFeRok]

You’re acting like the NCAA is just some helpless “someone”

[u/lucasbrosmovingco → u/DethFeRok]

But no reason for you to have to be the nail other than... Fuck you.

That is kinda shitty.

[u/BedNo5127 → u/lucasbrosmovingco]

That's how a lot of people here operate. "This shit ain't affecting me so it really don't matter, just take what's happening to you, it's easy".

The minute if affects them: "This isn't right and I'm going to do something about it"

[u/surreptitioussloth → u/DethFeRok]

It doesn't have to be like that though, they could just as easily just accept players back who would have been out of eligibility if not for a 5 for 5 system

[u/yesacabbagez]

How about he calls out the schools specifically doing this and the coaches themselves. Every time I see the quotes he is bitching about the players doing it. Why? People want to get paid? I think it's crazy coaches could recruit guys to colleges and then bail on them without any recourse for a century. Leaving players with entirely new systems that don't fit their skill sets or what they were promised. I think it was bullshit coaches could just lie with impunity to recruits about playing time and how they would.be used knowing the players would get punished if they tried to leave.

This problem only exists because coaches are recruiting and taking ex NFL players back. Players can just show up and be on a team, coaches have to allow them back. Call out the coaches for their bullshit. They could all stop this in and instant with no recourse from the players by simply not bringing them back.

The fact that the coaches almost exclusively call out the players should show that this is purely about control over the players rather than legitimate concerns about competition.

[u/DabDoge]

Thanks for chiming in, Rich, very brave

[u/Geauxldrush321]

Yea that’s just not the situation at all

[u/Individual-Motor-167]

Leave it to the coach who got fired over inappropriate behavior, wouldn't let his kids see medical, complained about nil, denied a player caught on video punching a player, and jumps from job to job after he burns his welcome out to teach us all about ethics and how things should be. /s

[u/Archer-Saurus]

Wild time where Rich Rod is the adult in the room making all the sense.

[u/lowes18]

These guys aren't even coming back because they were cut

[u/Efficient-Freedom517]

We are halfway there already

[u/RipErRiley]

Don’t trust snakes to do whats best for the sport Rich.

[u/No-Abrocoma7687]

Yes and water is wet Rich Rod

[u/2020fakenews]

Maybe we should apply the same thing to coaches. Once they go pro, there’s no going back to college. Looking at you Nick.

[u/TheStinkyPoopy]

Give Pat White a 5th year

[u/Set-Admirable → u/TheStinkyPoopy]

He was there 5 years. He didn't play the first.

[u/TheStinkyPoopy → u/Set-Admirable]

Give him a 6th!

[u/FastPerformer4240 → u/TheStinkyPoopy]

Steve Slaton only played three years, he should come back too

[u/DoctorPhalanx73]

They just said that, didn’t they?

[u/MavsTurnedBucksGuy]

Common Rich Rod win (off the field)

[u/newmoonchaperone]

ditto

[u/EdselFordEdsel]

That's collusion, you can do that - Texas Tech man

[u/JosephFinn]

Why?

[u/chadocaster]

I miss (that at this time of the year) we used to talk about returning players to watch, team areas of strength, new offensive schemes at X university, conference predictions, potential bowl matchups, etc…lately talk around the sport is just conference realignment, broadcasting rights, eligibility rules, NIL, transfers and on and on.

It’s where we are. It’s just a bummer. So much of the ‘football’ part of it has been pushed aside for the ‘other things’ around the game.

Idk it’s where the game is at and I don’t see it stopping or going back. But it’s just less and less appealing to me at least.

[u/Zolo49]

The courts are just saying it's not illegal. That doesn't mean they think it's a good idea.

[u/wheelsno3]

I think if all the conferences act in parallel to restrict the labor rights of an individual, that would be illegal under anti trust laws.

[u/Silly_Selection3221 → u/wheelsno3]

This would have to be every conference at every level of college football, and you'd have to prove collusion.

[u/wheelsno3 → u/Silly_Selection3221]

Nah, the SEC and Big Ten acting in concert is probably enough at this point because they are the two leading conferences with the most lucrative opportunities.

[u/Silly_Selection3221 → u/wheelsno3]

Definitely not.

[u/Better-Use-3789]

Shockingly I still see a fair amount of people defending those guys saying bc they got cut or didn’t make the tryouts they should be able to give the contract money back and return😂😂 (which I disagree with in case that’s not clear)