The rule I'd like to see addressed

[RaleighPittFan]

Is the one where a kid doesn't have to wait three years from HS to be able to go to the NFL.

I have long argued that the NFL should have some skin in the game of developing players, instead of letting the NCAA member schools do their developing for free.

 

[PittFamily2]

Is the one where a kid doesn't have to wait three years from HS to be able to go to the NFL.

I have long argued that the NFL should have some skin in the game of developing players, instead of letting the NCAA member schools do their developing for free.

Minor league NFL and NBA. Let them pay for player development.
It works great for MLB and the NHL.

 

[sonofabit]

Minor league NFL and NBA. Let them pay for player development.
It works great for MLB and the NHL.

No one would watch it or pay to see it. You're either a college fan (school colors and such) or NFL fan. Aren't too many isolated towns to support minor league teams.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

No one would watch it or pay to see it. You're either a college fan (school colors and such) or NFL fan. Aren't too many isolated towns to support minor league teams.

That's not the issue, at all.

 

[Chem95]

Is the one where a kid doesn't have to wait three years from HS to be able to go to the NFL.

I have long argued that the NFL should have some skin in the game of developing players, instead of letting the NCAA member schools do their developing for free.

I don't disagree but there is no way the NFL changes that rule. The NBA might tinker with the one and done...though, it isn't in their interest to do so.

The rule that I want to see changed is the transfer rule. Allow kids one transfer without sitting...regardless of coaching changes. The way the NCAA doles out the exemptions leaves much to be desired.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

I don't disagree but there is no way the NFL changes that rule. The NBA might tinker with the one and done...though, it isn't in their interest to do so.

I would like to see it challenged in court.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

I would like to see it challenged in court.

It has been
It’s collectively collectively bargained with the nfl and nflpa.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

I'm fine with getting rid of it in the NBA, and it will be. But the NFL, isn't there a legit fear that an 18 year old moves up and basically gets decapitated on a tackle by a 28 year old man?

 

[RaleighPittFan]

I'm fine with getting rid of it in the NBA, and it will be. But the NFL, isn't there a legit fear that an 18 year old moves up and basically gets decapitated on a tackle by a 28 year old man?

There are lots of fears in this life. The point I'm making is that the NFL should have their own developmental league to develop their own players.

If an 18 yo would be physically able to compete with your 28 yo, then so be it. If not, then he would be in a league with players who need to be developed.

If he's not interested in playing football for a living, he could continue his playing days at college, and receive a scholarship (or, walk on) as payment.

I realize that this would fundamentally change the landscape of college football, but it would the best thing for the kids who have no interest in college, and are only there because they can't legally play for a living in the NFL system.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

its ridiculous rule that you can tell an adult that they cant play in a professional league. it's absolutely insane that this exists..

 

[PittFamily2]

I'm fine with getting rid of it in the NBA, and it will be. But the NFL, isn't there a legit fear that an 18 year old moves up and basically gets decapitated on a tackle by a 28 year old man?

Occupational hazard.
Those who aren't ready will wait but plenty of 18 yr olds are ready to go.

 

[RingDinger]

Adopt the baseball rule: You can enter the draft out of high school, or you can commit to college for at least three years. Then expand the practice squads, and amend the rules so that a player can remain there until he reaches a certain age. It's as simple as that.

I don't agree that players should be able to come and go (be it via transferring without sitting out or declaring for the draft after their freshman or sophomore years) as they please. These programs are trying to build winning teams; why do people get satisfaction out of making that as difficult as possible?

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

its ridiculous rule that you can tell an adult that they cant play in a professional league. it's absolutely insane that this exists..

If the players and the owners agree to it, that's their right. I am for a minor league, just don't think they have any motivation to make one.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

If the players and the owners agree to it, that's their right. I am for a minor league, just don't think they have any motivation to make one.

id love to see this new football league in the spring take off and have any success.. be an outlet for college football players to go play a pro league who are sick of going to college and don't see themselves being a sure - fire nfl lottery pick..

i think they target those types of players then football fans will watch. too many unknown names of guys in their mid 20's who no one heard of in the XFL so no one cared. this new league should poach current college players and tell them they'll get a decent salary if they quit school and join. do what baseball does and tell them that they will pay for them to finish school if it doesn't work out..

Really a no lose situation for a good P5 player. go make money, if they are really good the nfl will find them, if they are not they make a real nice salary for a 20-22 year old and worst case, it doesn't work out and they go back and finish their degree and are with every other 22-23 year old in this country, looking for real work.

 

[PittFamily2]

No one would watch it or pay to see it. You're either a college fan (school colors and such) or NFL fan. Aren't too many isolated towns to support minor league teams.

Minor league hockey and baseball pack them in where we live.

Allentown has Philly minor league hockey and baseball and Scranton has minor league Penquins hockey. Don't have attendance figures but when we go to the minor league games the place has lots of people in attendance.

The minor league baseball stadium near us has club sections with nice restaurants and bars and was packed.

The low costs of bringing a family to minor league sports is very attractive.

 

[Genaccc]

Minor league NFL and NBA. Let them pay for player development.
It works great for MLB and the NHL.

I couldnt agree more. I've been saying this for 10 years. The NFL gets a development league without needing to the foot the bill for a minor league system. Minor league baseball and Minor league hockey seem to co-exist with their college counterparts. Theres no reason why anyone should be forced to enroll in college, and fake like they are trying to obtain a degree for 3 years.

Players should have a choice: Go to Minor Leagues and get paid or go to college and be a college athlete. T

 

[RingDinger]

Minor league hockey and baseball pack them in where we live.

Allentown has Philly minor league hockey and baseball and Scranton has minor league Penquins hockey. Don't have attendance figures but when we go to the minor league games the place has lots of people in attendance.

The minor league baseball stadium near us has club sections with nice restaurants and bars and was packed.

The low costs of bringing a family to minor league sports is very attractive.

Yeah, but NCAA football is a heck of a lot bigger than college baseball, hockey, etc. I'm not sure how much room there would be for both. I think the NFL developmental league would be more akin to those in the NBA.

 

[Pitt79]

I'm fine with getting rid of it in the NBA, and it will be. But the NFL, isn't there a legit fear that an 18 year old moves up and basically gets decapitated on a tackle by a 28 year old man?

So what? it's their choice to go. Who cares if they fail and up back in the hood smoking crack. Not anyone's problem but their own.

 

[Pitt79]

No one would watch it or pay to see it. You're either a college fan (school colors and such) or NFL fan. Aren't too many isolated towns to support minor league teams.

Nobody would watch, unless maybe it as a spring league. I'm hoping the XFL allows players to jump directly from high school, that will be a good testing ground for letting players in at any age.

 

[RingDinger]

Nobody would watch, unless maybe it as a spring league. I'm hoping the XFL allows players to jump directly from high school, that will be a good testing ground for letting players in at any age.

The Pacific Pro League, starting next summer, is doing that.

 

[PittFamily2]

Regarding minor league attendance.
Most of these parks are have capacities of 7k - 9k.

Look at the attendance.
For example Coca Cola Park in Allentown the Phillies minor league franchise has a capacity of 8.700 and averaged 8,605 fans.

Even the Toledo Mud Hens are packing them in.

This could work for football and basketball.


International League: Attendance (click column headers to sort)

Team Total Average Attenance
Buffalo Bisons 7,981
Charlotte Knights 8,544
Columbus Clippers 8,684
Durham Bulls 7,668
Gwinnett Stripers 3,169
Indianapolis Indians 8,630
Lehigh Valley IronPigs 8,605
Louisville Bats 6,934
Norfolk Tides 5,304
Pawtucket Red Sox 5,254
Rochester Red Wings 6,846
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 6,383
Syracuse Mets 4,962
Toledo Mud Hens 7,187

 

[Pitt79]

The Pacific Pro League, starting next summer, is doing that.

I'm pretty sure the XFL is allowing anyone to join too. That will be more attractive, attract better players, including vets and pay a lot more than this Pacific League. Landry Jones is their Big signee so far, LOL

 

[RingDinger]

I'm pretty sure the XFL is allowing anyone to join too. That will be more attractive, attract better players, including vets and pay a lot more than this Pacific League. Landry Jones is their Big signee so far, LOL

If I were starting one of these leagues, the first thing I would do is go offer contracts to Kaepernick, Manziel, Tebow, Brown, and any other circus name who might draw viewers. I'm pretty sure the XFL has already said they will only accept guys with no criminal records (not that McMahon actually cares about that other than it being a way to differentiate themselves from the NFL and try to appeal to certain viewing sectors), but I'd be more concerned with name recognition. Even if they're getting the best guys out of high school, it won't matter, because no one will know or care who they are. By the time they do become recognizable, if that ever happens, they'll skip over to the NFL, where the money will be much better.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Regarding minor league attendance.
Most of these parks are have capacities of 7k - 9k.

Look at the attendance.
For example Coca Cola Park in Allentown the Phillies minor league franchise has a capacity of 8.700 and averaged 8,605 fans.

Even the Toledo Mud Hens are packing them in.

This could work for football and basketball.


International League: Attendance (click column headers to sort)

Team Total Average Attenance
Buffalo Bisons 7,981
Charlotte Knights 8,544
Columbus Clippers 8,684
Durham Bulls 7,668
Gwinnett Stripers 3,169
Indianapolis Indians 8,630
Lehigh Valley IronPigs 8,605
Louisville Bats 6,934
Norfolk Tides 5,304
Pawtucket Red Sox 5,254
Rochester Red Wings 6,846
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 6,383
Syracuse Mets 4,962
Toledo Mud Hens 7,187

Minor league baseball is fun. It's relaxing. It's historic and nostalgic and has very nice ball parks. Not sure minor league football would take off the same way. The NBA G-league has worked out pretty well from a player development standpoint, but it loses amoney and plays in some ugly, mostly empty facilities. The G-league also only has to pay 12 players. A football team is unlikely to be formed with less than 45 or so. The economics of spring football has always buried it.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

its ridiculous rule that you can tell an adult that they cant play in a professional league. it's absolutely insane that this exists..

It’s a nfl and nflpa agreement.
This isn’t complicated
It’s about protecting current nfl players not the. Kids

 

[Pitt79]

Minor league baseball is fun. It's relaxing. It's historic and nostalgic and has very nice ball parks. Not sure minor league football would take off the same way. The NBA G-league has worked out pretty well from a player development standpoint, but it loses amoney and plays in some ugly, mostly empty facilities. The G-league also only has to pay 12 players. A football team is unlikely to be formed with less than 45 or so. The economics of spring football has always buried it.

It may have worked with the USFL if Trump hadn't gotten involved.

 

[happjack]

Regarding minor league attendance.
Most of these parks are have capacities of 7k - 9k.

Look at the attendance.
For example Coca Cola Park in Allentown the Phillies minor league franchise has a capacity of 8.700 and averaged 8,605 fans.

Even the Toledo Mud Hens are packing them in.

This could work for football and basketball.


International League: Attendance (click column headers to sort)

Team Total Average Attenance
Buffalo Bisons 7,981
Charlotte Knights 8,544
Columbus Clippers 8,684
Durham Bulls 7,668
Gwinnett Stripers 3,169
Indianapolis Indians 8,630
Lehigh Valley IronPigs 8,605
Louisville Bats 6,934
Norfolk Tides 5,304
Pawtucket Red Sox 5,254
Rochester Red Wings 6,846
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 6,383
Syracuse Mets 4,962
Toledo Mud Hens 7,187

Football is way way way more of an expensive endeavor compared to baseball & hockey and needs crowds in the 35,000 range along with a decent tv contract to come even close to breaking even. Look at all of the leagues that came and gone since the AFL-NFL merger, football is a money pit and can only be offset by tv money, ticket buyers and in the case of college football donors and student fees.

As for basketball no one has ever been interested in watching a minor league and if a young player really wants to get paid they can goto Europe for a few years.

 

[upj87]

Minor league NFL and NBA. Let them pay for player development.
It works great for MLB and the NHL.

baseball and hockey do not have century old college tradition...basketball less so but at least many decades old...

D league hoops has more talent than college hoops..problem is, no one wants to watch it....An NFL minor league system would be the same..

that being said, I am all for kids that should not be in college academically going to some minor league system...

 

[plcp]

There are lots of fears in this life. The point I'm making is that the NFL should have their own developmental league to develop their own players.

If an 18 yo would be physically able to compete with your 28 yo, then so be it. If not, then he would be in a league with players who need to be developed.

If he's not interested in playing football for a living, he could continue his playing days at college, and receive a scholarship (or, walk on) as payment.

I realize that this would fundamentally change the landscape of college football, but it would the best thing for the kids who have no interest in college, and are only there because they can't legally play for a living in the NFL system.

Love this idea. There would be no more NCAA hamstringing over the cheating schools. If an individual cheats, there is an alternative for them. maybe the NCAA would have balls. Sure would help evening out the inequities present now.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Here's the flip side to allowing these kids to get paid for their services and not having colleges be developmental leagues from pro leagues.

What many are forgetting is in college sports, the big time players saddled with that huge burden of going to class (lol) and not getting paid (and this is BS, even outside of tuition and room and board, these kids get paid) is that college is where these kids really start gaining their "brand". Their name, marketing opportunities. A top kid going to the NDBL or minor league baseball are riding buses, playing in crappy cities and crappy amenities. Meanwhile, college BB and FB players get treated as god's, have thousands watch them, more on TV, etc...

What I am saying...these guys having to go to college, it is not all bad for them in the marketing/compensation arena. Now sure, Lebron, Zion Williamson is one thing, but no one knew who Saquon Barkley was coming out of High School.

 

[21Guns.]

Regarding minor league attendance.
Most of these parks are have capacities of 7k - 9k.

Look at the attendance.
For example Coca Cola Park in Allentown the Phillies minor league franchise has a capacity of 8.700 and averaged 8,605 fans.

Even the Toledo Mud Hens are packing them in.

This could work for football and basketball.


International League: Attendance (click column headers to sort)

Team Total Average Attenance
Buffalo Bisons 7,981
Charlotte Knights 8,544
Columbus Clippers 8,684
Durham Bulls 7,668
Gwinnett Stripers 3,169
Indianapolis Indians 8,630
Lehigh Valley IronPigs 8,605
Louisville Bats 6,934
Norfolk Tides 5,304
Pawtucket Red Sox 5,254
Rochester Red Wings 6,846
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 6,383
Syracuse Mets 4,962
Toledo Mud Hens 7,187

If it was that easy then the NFL would have done it years ago and all these start up leagues wouldn't have failed. The reality is the average fan can not tell the difference of skill level between the most football players. However they do know NFL is the top players and they know their loyalty to their colleges. These start up football leagues all fail because people don't care that the talent level is better than their favorite college team. They would watch a college game over the pro game. They have no loyalty and view it as inferior to the NFL.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

If the players and the owners agree to it, that's their right. I am for a minor league, just don't think they have any motivation to make one.

They won't because nobody would care and it would be a huge money loser.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

It may have worked with the USFL if Trump hadn't gotten involved.

Eh maybe, the anti trust suit was a clever hail Mary and that was their only shot.

But the core economic plan -- despite some very nice TV deals -- was for each team to have a $2 million line of credit to lose every season as a requirement for an owner to bring a team into the league. And then teams were losing $6 million a year. It's really a tough sport to make money on because of roster size as much as the competition with the monopoly. The USFL teams that did the best were in the sun belt -- the very region the NFLhas since expanded to.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

Here's the flip side to allowing these kids to get paid for their services and not having colleges be developmental leagues from pro leagues.

What many are forgetting is in college sports, the big time players saddled with that huge burden of going to class (lol) and not getting paid (and this is BS, even outside of tuition and room and board, these kids get paid) is that college is where these kids really start gaining their "brand". Their name, marketing opportunities. A top kid going to the NDBL or minor league baseball are riding buses, playing in crappy cities and crappy amenities. Meanwhile, college BB and FB players get treated as god's, have thousands watch them, more on TV, etc...

What I am saying...these guys having to go to college, it is not all bad for them in the marketing/compensation arena. Now sure, Lebron, Zion Williamson is one thing, but no one knew who Saquon Barkley was coming out of High School.

Everybody wants theirs now, without understanding what it took to get the this point. I just posted in another thread that most athletic departments actually LOSE MONEY. Yep, all these profits everyone is after and universities are subsiding their athletic departments.

Apparently free college, fringe benefits, and a stage to showcase your talent for the professional leagues isn't good enough. I hope they end up killing the NCAA and college athletics.

 

[Safety Blitz]

Not going to happen because the NFL has zero motivation to make it happen.
How many 17-18-19 year olds are NFL ready? The answer is very, very few. Why would the NFL spend a dime to develop these players when college football is already doing it for them?
If the kid isn’t willing to work on his craft in a college program for three or four years, the NFL will simply look for better available options from those who have put in the time to become NFL ready. In other words, too bad kid. Time to get on with your life’s work.
Minor league football paid out of the NFL’s pocket is not going to happen unless and until major college football folds up and dies. And, if that happens, football as we know it will die, too.

 

[wbrpanther]

Is the one where a kid doesn't have to wait three years from HS to be able to go to the NFL.

I have long argued that the NFL should have some skin in the game of developing players, instead of letting the NCAA member schools do their developing for free.

Football isn't basketball. The maturity factor is a real thing when it comes to football. Not many 19 year olds are going to do well with that physicality.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Football isn't basketball. The maturity factor is a real thing when it comes to football. Not many 19 year olds are going to do well with that physicality.

None of which matters
The nflpa doesn’t want them in the league

the player safety doesn’t matter

 

[rmf05]

If the Stillers had a farm team and the games were on the NFL Network, you can bet that Stiller fans would watch it. Also, in short order, as with college baseball and hockey, many of the elite players would be in that league instead of in college.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

Football isn't basketball. The maturity factor is a real thing when it comes to football. Not many 19 year olds are going to do well with that physicality.

What does that have to do with requiring the NFL to fund their own development league?

Right now, by not allowing anyone less than three years removed from high school to be eligible, they are getting developed players for free.

I'd like to see it challenged in court to allow a graduating high school students eligible to make a living in NFL football.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I'd like to see it challenged in court to allow a graduating high school students eligible to make a living in NFL football.

It has been challenged in court. More that once. Maurice Clarett being perhaps the most famous example. And literally every single time the player loses. Because the league and the player's union are allowed to agree on the rules for eligibility for jobs. And the league and the NFLPA have collectively bargained on the current set of rules. A set of rules that, incidentally, the players association is very much in favor of.