I’m assuming that U.K. and all schools could alter their scholarship contracts on an individual basis. We all know that “scholarships are one-year-deals.” We get reminded of that every time we cut a player.
Part of the reason the Transfer Portal seems so much like the Wild West is that all schools have one-year, annually renewable scholarship agreements with players. Hence, neither the player nor the school has any responsibility or leverage passed one year.
So, maybe, especially with “skill” position players, we make a few of the scholly spots two or three year deals. Say you are after a solid three-star prospect at WR, but you have a gut feeling this guy will blow up by his second season. If he signs a three year Scholly deal with U.K., and blows up entering his third year, aTm’s NIL folk could come and outbid UK’s NIL team for his last college season.
But, if you have a three-year scholarship contract equally binding between the player and the school, the school could sue aTm’s NIL compan(ies) for “third-party-interference” with the original three year contract, if they come to pick off a player for his third season. Further, if you have a three year contract, the player would have legal responsibility if he ignored his final year, and breaches the contract for his third season.
Further, for players that are just below serious NIL money coming out of High School, the NIL folk could offer a modest three year package, too . . . maybe 10G a year for three years in Blue. If that player then became a major NIL bidding target during his first three seasons, both U.K. and the NIL folks could threaten big dollar suitors trying to steal him for his third season with “third party interference with contract,” litigation.
Obviously, creating scholarships with three year guarantees puts all the more pressure on talent evaluations from the get-go. And you might end up with a disgruntled third year player who would have to settle with whatever money the original school’s NIL team could come up with.
Still, given that scholarships are financial contracts, and given that contracts can be formed for three successive years (or more), why not sign those just below the perceived level of serious NIL money from the beginning to three year deals, hoping to control the player for that third year?
Obviously, very few players would be willing to sign four year deals, as every kid thinks they are NFL bound in three years.
Part of the reason the Transfer Portal seems so much like the Wild West is that all schools have one-year, annually renewable scholarship agreements with players. Hence, neither the player nor the school has any responsibility or leverage passed one year.
So, maybe, especially with “skill” position players, we make a few of the scholly spots two or three year deals. Say you are after a solid three-star prospect at WR, but you have a gut feeling this guy will blow up by his second season. If he signs a three year Scholly deal with U.K., and blows up entering his third year, aTm’s NIL folk could come and outbid UK’s NIL team for his last college season.
But, if you have a three-year scholarship contract equally binding between the player and the school, the school could sue aTm’s NIL compan(ies) for “third-party-interference” with the original three year contract, if they come to pick off a player for his third season. Further, if you have a three year contract, the player would have legal responsibility if he ignored his final year, and breaches the contract for his third season.
Further, for players that are just below serious NIL money coming out of High School, the NIL folk could offer a modest three year package, too . . . maybe 10G a year for three years in Blue. If that player then became a major NIL bidding target during his first three seasons, both U.K. and the NIL folks could threaten big dollar suitors trying to steal him for his third season with “third party interference with contract,” litigation.
Obviously, creating scholarships with three year guarantees puts all the more pressure on talent evaluations from the get-go. And you might end up with a disgruntled third year player who would have to settle with whatever money the original school’s NIL team could come up with.
Still, given that scholarships are financial contracts, and given that contracts can be formed for three successive years (or more), why not sign those just below the perceived level of serious NIL money from the beginning to three year deals, hoping to control the player for that third year?
Obviously, very few players would be willing to sign four year deals, as every kid thinks they are NFL bound in three years.
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