And now some news from the world of sports.
Until recently I had been ambivalent about the inclusion of the transfer portal and payment for name, image and likeness in collegiate sports. But over time, and after seeing what those things are doing to the world of college athletics, I have changed my mind.
What follows is what could be called “Dougology,” and is definitely a singular opinion, although I get the sense that frustration with the current state of affairs is beginning to become more widespread. It definitely needs to be addressed in some form or fashion, although I’m not sure how. The Devil is in the details.
Simply put, the transfer portal is a means by which college athletes can transfer from one school to another in a relatively basic and uncomplicated way, a with what amounts to instant eligibility.
“Name, Image and Likeness” affords athletes the ability to receive payment for the use of their, well, name, image and likeness linked to athletic programs. Essentially, though, it is a way to compensate athletes for playing at a particular institution. They get paid to play.
It probably won’t surprise you to discover that entities known as “sports collectives” have sprouted up to “assist” college athletes in their pursuit of compensation for their athletic endeavors. It also won’t surprise you that the biggest sports collectives are associated with the most powerful athletic programs in the nation.
So let’s recap: a young person who is good enough to be a college athlete can be recruited with the promise of money and can transfer with virtually no strings attached to a school for which the athlete can play immediately. What could possibly go wrong?
Let’s talk about that.
A while back, an Iowa-born football player named Kadyn Proctor gave folks there the impression he would be playing for the University of Iowa coming out of high school. But instead, he changed his mind, enrolled at Alabama, and ended up playing for the Crimson Tide. This often happens, and usually doesn’t involve a lot of ill will.
Usually.
But then Proctor changed his mind … again.
After playing for Alabama for a year, he transferred to the University of Iowa.
For about 10 minutes.
Proctor stuck around just long enough to collect $100,000 from the IU collective known as the Swarm, and then changed his mind again, leaving Iowa City with a hundred grand stuffed in his pockets. Money the Swarm Collective apparently can’t get back. And now there is a lot of ill will, and concern that other college athletes are taking notes.
And this is where we are. We are developing a generation of athletes dedicated not to their schools and their communities, but to the pursuit of money. It seems their allegiance is to who can provide the biggest payday. And in that, many athletes have become more like mercenaries than heroes. It seems that for every Caitlin Clark, there are 10 Kadyn Proctors.
And at the same time, universities are expecting their fan bases to remain loyal to programs inhabited by athletes who have virtually no allegiance to the schools for which they play, not to mention the communities on which the schools depend for support. I can’t help but think that fan fatigue will soon set in. (It already has at some locations.) I would hate to see that.
College athletics is part of what holds America together. If we lose its heart, soul and spirit, our country is going to be a sadder and more depressing place in which to live. It will be cheerless.
Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.
Doug Chastain is a retired teacher and large-vehicle transportation specialist for the Siloam Springs School District. (OK, he drives a bus.) He is also a grass maintenance technician at Camp Siloam. (Yeah, he mows the lawn.) You can contact him at [email protected].
