Jay Paterno Lays Out The Reality of College Football and NIL (Exclusive)

Can Universities Adhere To Governing Bodies? Money, Players, And Rules With Jay Paterno (45:31)

The NCAA fought to keep money for itself all the way up until it was forced into a shared revenue situation with the players who earned it. College football has always moved the needle since its inception. They say money is the root of all evil and has ruined the sanctity of the game we fell in love with. While the product on the field has evolved, how the major players do business has to as well. 

The intertwining of online sports betting has forced change and not all for the better. Network television deals and super-conferences have brought us into the "Wild Wild West" of college sports. Coaches still may spend every minute of everyday finding ways to gain advantages over the system. Paying the players through various unconventional means has always been prevalent at least by schools that value winning above all else. 

Now, schools have salary caps but roster limits.  Are student-athletes strictly players now? Transfer portal turnover rates and NIL opportunities are now key driving forces behind recruitment. Essentially, all players enter recruitment with the intention of negotiating their salaries and finding the best financial perks associated with schools. Revenue sharing with players would make them employees of the university in nearly all states by definition. Active student-athletes have access to university assisted healthcare benefits that the majority of students do not.  

What no one is asking is when are the players supposed to go to class? How long do players get to stay? Employees on the other hand, are free to come and go as they please. Whether it be due to at-will employment, termination of contracts, or a better opportunity elsewhere.  

Without NCAA regulation who is going to enforce rules. Lawsuits are going to be coming in abundance, for any number of reasons. The questions continue to mount about how to operate and that is why Paterno says college football needs to have a clear and well-defined framework to operate within.