I heard that same whining back when scholarships first got televised. This sport has always been about money, son. The difference now is the kids get a piece of it instead of just the coaches and networks getting fat. I watched Barry Alvarez build Rose Bowl teams with guys who worked summer construction to get by. If they'd had NIL back then, maybe Joe Panos wouldn't have had to frame houses between seasons. You call it minor leagues, I call it finally paying the laborers who build the stadiums we fill every Saturday. Your school is just mad because you can't keep up with the new reality. We used to beat you with hard-nosed kids who developed over four years, and now we'll beat you with hard-nosed kids who get a fair shake. The game hasn't changed, just the paycheck. And don't you dare pretend your program isn't using the same system. This is just the modern version of the old booster bags, except now it's above board. I'd rather see a kid from Wautoma get a car deal than see some shady alum hand him an envelope in a parking lot. The minor leagues? Please. This is still college football, it's just finally admitting what it always was.
