Football NCAA Announces Major Rule Changes

[CSauertiegPSU]

The NCAA announces a pair of fairly significant rule changes on Wednesday that are sure to affect Penn State moving forward.

First, it announced a relaxing of the requirement of divisional play for conferences with 12 or more teams, which clears the way for some proposed scheduling changes to come in different conferences. This will almost assuredly lead to either the restructuring or outright elimination of divisions in the Big Ten, which had been on the docket for a while now.



Additionally, the NCAA also lifted the limit on scholarship signings over the next two years, just requiring an 85-man limit overall. With Sandy Barbour a part of the steering committee, it's likely PSU knew this change was coming. Whether it changes the way the program recruits in the 2023 cycle is yet to be seen, but it could very well change how it approaches the transfer portal next offseason and the 2024 class. You could well see schools start to prioritize specific classes which they feel are stronger in their state and region and build some seriously sizable classes.

 

[Richie O]

 

[Obliviax]

the 85 person limit gets interesting. So you could sign as large of a freshmen class as you want and force upperclass persons into the portal? There used to be an unwritten rule that 'ships were for four or five years. Is that now gone? A player needs to earn their 'ship year in and year out?

 

[PSUSignore]

the 85 person limit gets interesting. So you could sign as large of a freshmen class as you want and force upperclass persons into the portal? There used to be an unwritten rule that 'ships were for four or five years. Is that now gone? A player needs to earn their 'ship year in and year out?

Doesn't the Big 10 guarantee scholarships for 4 years?

I'm curious as to the rationale for eliminating the annual limit and why it's only for 2 years. This will lead to more oversigning, processing out players, and even more players ending up in the portal where many never find a new home.

 

[The Spin Meister]

the 85 person limit gets interesting. So you could sign as large of a freshmen class as you want and force upperclass persons into the portal? There used to be an unwritten rule that 'ships were for four or five years. Is that now gone? A player needs to earn their 'ship year in and year out?

True. But kids wanna play. When they see they won’t get playing time they will portal out.

If extended, this could lead to teams trying to build a contender every few years. Sorta like pros do. Seems reasonable since CF is getting more like pros every year.

 

[BUFFALO LION]

Why not just come out and say it?? To call these kids real “students” anymore is beyond ridiculous. Most are about to become nothing more than pieces of meat to be exploited and sent back to the trash heap.

Leave it to politicians and the legal system to screw up anything that ever really works.

 

[Obliviax]

Why not just come out and say it?? To call these kids real “students” anymore is beyond ridiculous. Most are about to become nothing more than pieces of meat to be exploited and sent back to the trash heap.

Leave it to politicians and the legal system to screw up anything that ever really works.

I am not sure your point, although generally agree. I think the old "system" was great in 1960 but is no longer valid. Kids have been exploited for several decades. A kid takes a 'ship, coach leaves, he's in the wrong program, ends up not getting a shot in the NFL as a result, yet entertains a bunch of fat-cats and 'ships for gals that want to play box lacrosse.

However, the new system is the wild-wild west. It has zero controls. There is zero college spirit and that is really hurting the product. If the product hurts, it will adversely affect players sooner or later. The NFL has better controls than the NCAA. The only solution is to have the NCAA players organize and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement.

 

[tlbakernc]

I am not sure your point, although generally agree. I think the old "system" was great in 1960 but is no longer valid. Kids have been exploited for several decades. A kid takes a 'ship, coach leaves, he's in the wrong program, ends up not getting a shot in the NFL as a result, yet entertains a bunch of fat-cats and 'ships for gals that want to play box lacrosse.

However, the new system is the wild-wild west. It has zero controls. There is zero college spirit and that is really hurting the product. If the product hurts, it will adversely affect players sooner or later. The NFL has better controls than the NCAA. The only solution is to have the NCAA players organize and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement.

Wild Wild West is putting it mildly. Agents, wealthy booster, big businesses now own college football. The sport is now destroyed for the little guys. Think NFL without a cap.

Texas A&M Boosters Spent Unfathomable Amount Of Money To Land No. 1 Recruiting Class, Per Report

Getty Image / iStockphoto Head coach Jimbo Fisher and the Texas A&M Aggies signed one of the best recruiting classes of all-time this year. To do so,

brobible.com

 

[canuckhal]

Wild Wild West is putting it mildly. Agents, wealthy booster, big businesses now own college football. The sport is now destroyed for the little guys. Think NFL without a cap.

Texas A&M Boosters Spent Unfathomable Amount Of Money To Land No. 1 Recruiting Class, Per Report

Getty Image / iStockphoto Head coach Jimbo Fisher and the Texas A&M Aggies signed one of the best recruiting classes of all-time this year. To do so,

brobible.com

Can't be right. Jimbo said that they don't buy recruits.

 

[Woodpecker]

Can't be right. Jimbo said that they don't buy recruits.

But they do rent them

 

[heckmans]

Doesn't the Big 10 guarantee scholarships for 4 years?

I'm curious as to the rationale for eliminating the annual limit and why it's only for 2 years. This will lead to more oversigning, processing out players, and even more players ending up in the portal where many never find a new home.

"guarantee" has no bearing on a player being told they will never suit up or see the field (and potentially getting the picture that they will be treated primarily as a tackling dummy in practice). Kids will get managed out by coaching staffs eager to fill a 'ship with someone who may contribute. The pressure to win at most programs is too great.

As to rationale, we can only assume it's driven by the realities of unfettered transfers and early departures.
Amateurism is dead.