Jeremy Laura: The Red Wings “bump” will face the Senators, quick note on NCAA tampering

Regarding the NCAA and NIL deals generally, I think the fundamental sin is simply that colleges and universities should never have gotten into the business of developing professional athletes in the first place. The United States is pretty much the only country in the world that does this. Other countries have junior leagues, youth academies, sports clubs, etc. instead.

I've never really been comfortable with the idea of universities admitting (and giving scholarships to) a whole bunch of athletes who only see it as a necessary stop on the way to the pros and have no intention of getting a meaningful education.

But you know what I hate even more? Schools raking in millions and millions of dollars of profit for tickets, merch, TV contacts, and more off the backs of student athletes, while the athletes themselves get nothing. If you treat student athletes like professional athletes and use them like professional athletes, they should have the opportunity to get paid like professional athletes. The fundamental problem with a college QB getting a $6 million offer to stay in college isn't the fact that he has the right to get paid, it's the fact that college sports have gotten so big and professionalized that anyone is willing to pay much in the first place.

Speaking specifically about hockey ... even without NIL, NCAA hockey players have always been at higher risk of choosing not to sign with the team that drafted them and hitting free agency early. The NCAA is a good league, you only play ~40 games a year, you get a free education, and when you graduate you have more control over your pro career. That's pretty tempting, especially when the alternative is usually grinding through a 70+ game AHL season for $70k. Assuming nothing else changes, NIL would make staying in college even more attractive -- you can get all the benefits of staying in college PLUS potentially earn as much or more than you would playing in the minors.

That scenario would be a nightmare for NHL teams drafting college players, but again I don't think the fact that NIL money is available to players is the core problem. There are other workable solutions that I think would be better.

The best one (or at least the best one that doesn't involve the dismantling of the college sports entertainment industrial complex), I think, would be the NCAA just giving up the pretense of "amateurism" and allowing players to sign pro contracts without losing NCAA eligibility. Everyone knows NIL is a joke of a loophole ("you're still an amateur because you're making money from your 'personal brand,' not playing sports"). It's BS. So just give it up already. If NCAA hockey prospects could sign an ELC, get their signing bonus money, and then still have the freedom to go back to school instead of earning their minor-league salary in the AHL, I think you'd see a lot fewer draft pick defections.

Again, the NCAA has already embraced shamateurism by openly allowing booster clubs to pay football and basketball players six and seven figures for their "personal brand," even though everyone knows it's effectively just a pro contract in a wig. So why should they give a rip if a "student athlete" gets a $90k signing bonus from, say, the St. Louis Blues?

For an option that doesn't require the NCAA to suddenly stop being obvious hypocrites, maybe negotiate an amendment to the CBA that allows NHL teams to retain rights to unsigned NCAA players for an additional year.

Hey, Jeremy. Howdy, gang.

Listen, here's what I've seen watching games since Mac was hired: He's getting the most out of his players whilst getting them to expand their comfort zones. Jonny Burgers is using his speed and (previously unknown) stick skills along the boards. He has a ways to go to be a more defensively-minded F, but his game is growing. (Cannot believe I'm about to type this....) Holl's been more of a factor in defensively defending and passes with a wholly different sight-line. Guys are bringing their A game, and working hard to formulate an A+ game.

Now, we're sure to lose games, can't be avoided. But these guys are playing SO much better. And I'm seeing a whole bunch of smiles....and aggression. We weren't seeing these things under Lalonde - just is what it is. This move came at a good time. We may not make the SCPO, but the younger kids (those who're gonna be part of this team after '26....) will be so ingrained in the new systems and atmosphere that when kids like ASP come over?? Yeah, we can see how this team should fare, and it looks really good.

This whole NIL deal is going to seriously damage NCAA athletics. Ewers is just the tip of the ice berg, and sports is the Titanic. I mean, we can't put the genie back in the bottle, but NIL needs a SERIOUS re-look. To my point: I was flipping channels Sun night and saw "Corn Hole" or whatever it's called. The announcer stated that one of the "players" was poached via NIL deal w/the new school, blah blah blah.... CORN HOLE!!!!!???? It's getting stupid, but this is going to seriously impact atheltics....and the rich will get richer. The slope is just too slippery. Corn Hole.

Regarding the NCAA and NIL deals generally, I think the fundamental sin is simply that colleges and universities should never have gotten into the business of developing professional athletes in the first place. The United States is pretty much the only country in the world that does this. Other countries have junior leagues, youth academies, sports clubs, etc. instead.

I've never really been comfortable with the idea of universities admitting (and giving scholarships to) a whole bunch of athletes who only see it as a necessary stop on the way to the pros and have no intention of getting a meaningful education.

But you know what I hate even more? Schools raking in millions and millions of dollars of profit for tickets, merch, TV contacts, and more off the backs of student athletes, while the athletes themselves get nothing. If you treat student athletes like professional athletes and use them like professional athletes, they should have the opportunity to get paid like professional athletes. The fundamental problem with a college QB getting a $6 million offer to stay in college isn't the fact that he has the right to get paid, it's the fact that college sports have gotten so big and professionalized that anyone is willing to pay much in the first place.

Speaking specifically about hockey ... even without NIL, NCAA hockey players have always been at higher risk of choosing not to sign with the team that drafted them and hitting free agency early. The NCAA is a good league, you only play ~40 games a year, you get a free education, and when you graduate you have more control over your pro career. That's pretty tempting, especially when the alternative is usually grinding through a 70+ game AHL season for $70k. Assuming nothing else changes, NIL would make staying in college even more attractive -- you can get all the benefits of staying in college PLUS potentially earn as much or more than you would playing in the minors.

That scenario would be a nightmare for NHL teams drafting college players, but again I don't think the fact that NIL money is available to players is the core problem. There are other workable solutions that I think would be better.

The best one (or at least the best one that doesn't involve the dismantling of the college sports entertainment industrial complex), I think, would be the NCAA just giving up the pretense of "amateurism" and allowing players to sign pro contracts without losing NCAA eligibility. Everyone knows NIL is a joke of a loophole ("you're still an amateur because you're making money from your 'personal brand,' not playing sports"). It's BS. So just give it up already. If NCAA hockey prospects could sign an ELC, get their signing bonus money, and then still have the freedom to go back to school instead of earning their minor-league salary in the AHL, I think you'd see a lot fewer draft pick defections.

Again, the NCAA has already embraced shamateurism by openly allowing booster clubs to pay football and basketball players six and seven figures for their "personal brand," even though everyone knows it's effectively just a pro contract in a wig. So why should they give a rip if a "student athlete" gets a $90k signing bonus from, say, the St. Louis Blues?

For an option that doesn't require the NCAA to suddenly stop being obvious hypocrites, maybe negotiate an amendment to the CBA that allows NHL teams to retain rights to unsigned NCAA players for an additional year.
- Sven22

My biggest issue is, beyond the money, that QB was offered 6m to leave the team right before a playoff game and decline entering the draft. That, to me, is the tampering. Someone paying you to leave the school days before the post season. We’re going to discuss more for sure. MDen went bankrupt and closed down. They made money on those kids for a long time. But the scholarships now look even more worthless and a player can play for multiple teams in a single season for their entire collegiate career with one of the changes made. This money for someone not to play is well past what I thought we’d see

Hey, Jeremy. Howdy, gang.

Listen, here's what I've seen watching games since Mac was hired: He's getting the most out of his players whilst getting them to expand their comfort zones. Jonny Burgers is using his speed and (previously unknown) stick skills along the boards. He has a ways to go to be a more defensively-minded F, but his game is growing. (Cannot believe I'm about to type this....) Holl's been more of a factor in defensively defending and passes with a wholly different sight-line. Guys are bringing their A game, and working hard to formulate an A+ game.

Now, we're sure to lose games, can't be avoided. But these guys are playing SO much better. And I'm seeing a whole bunch of smiles....and aggression. We weren't seeing these things under Lalonde - just is what it is. This move came at a good time. We may not make the SCPO, but the younger kids (those who're gonna be part of this team after '26....) will be so ingrained in the new systems and atmosphere that when kids like ASP come over?? Yeah, we can see how this team should fare, and it looks really good.

This whole NIL deal is going to seriously damage NCAA athletics. Ewers is just the tip of the ice berg, and sports is the Titanic. I mean, we can't put the genie back in the bottle, but NIL needs a SERIOUS re-look. To my point: I was flipping channels Sun night and saw "Corn Hole" or whatever it's called. The announcer stated that one of the "players" was poached via NIL deal w/the new school, blah blah blah.... CORN HOLE!!!!!???? It's getting stupid, but this is going to seriously impact atheltics....and the rich will get richer. The slope is just too slippery. Corn Hole.
- mcmastermike1968

Oklahoma lost 30 players in the week leading up to the post season (plus some staff). Some new stories came up and a framework of rules needs to be constructed

Oklahoma lost 30 players in the week leading up to the post season (plus some staff). Some new stories came up and a framework of rules needs to be constructed
- Jeremy Laura

Marshall had to drop out of a bowl game because the coach left.....and he took numerous players with him to the new team. Annnnd, a bunch of the kids got NIL "deals" from the new "college" I know that tends toward the Transfer Portal issue as well, but there was NIL involved. Don't get me going on the Portal......

I REALLY like "shamateur"!!!! Great name!

Marshall had to drop out of a bowl game because the coach left.....and he took numerous players with him to the new team. Annnnd, a bunch of the kids got NIL "deals" from the new "college" I know that tends toward the Transfer Portal issue as well, but there was NIL involved. Don't get me going on the Portal......

I REALLY like "shamateur"!!!! Great name!
- mcmastermike1968

Oh, it almost all had something to do with NIL. Even with hockey, the “lawsuit” that lets cHL players transfer to the NCAA was filed almost immediately after NIL blew up with a few player agents at the helm. This is the concern. Some DIV I schools fundraise to have a program. MSU just did 26m in upgrades to their hockey facilities. Michigan Tech can’t compete with that. It’s just surprising how quickly it got way out of control. The kid from Belleville getting 10.5m to de commit from LSU to go to U of M was just….wow

Re Sven,

For an option that doesn't require the NCAA to suddenly stop being obvious hypocrites, maybe negotiate an amendment to the CBA that allows NHL teams to retain rights to unsigned NCAA players for an additional year.t

Maybe allow the NCAA player to sign their ELC after 1 yr of college play, and remain eligible for the remaining years. College will be preferable to many than an AHL salary.