What if --- in the not to distant future the major college football landscape looks something like this:
- Only four (4) major conferences of 15 schools each -- 60 schools total
- The top team in each conference gets the first round bye in the College Football Playoff
- The 2nd team in each conference hosts a first round Playoff game
- Then the next four teams (by ranking) will make the College Football Playoff
- These 60 schools establish their own set of rules of governing:
- a Salary Cap for NIL -- including a central "bank" that will disperse all NIL funds to players
- get caught paying a student-athlete additional funding -- automatic five-year ban from Playoff and Bowl Games
- Stricter rules on "free agency" -- entering the Transfer Portal and when eligible
- And an annual College Football Player Draft -- to even out the talent gap
The College Football Draft might look something like this:
- An Eleven (11) Round Draft for Offensive Players
- High School stars can be selected by as many as five different teams -- then they negotiate their NIL deals (following the salary cap rules) -- and pick their college
- An Eleven (11) Round Draft for Defensive Players
- Again, High School stars can be selected by as many as five different teams -- then they negotiate their NIL deals (following the salary cap rules) -- and pick their college
Then the balance of players are classified as "free agents" and are "recruited" like the good 'ol days with the same NIL salary cap in place for each team.