Our QB season preview started with Jarret Doege of WKU stepping into a great opportunity after transferring from West Virginia. So what does he do now? Less than two weeks before his team’s opener on August 27, he announces he’s transferring. What? This reeks with shame regarding where college football is headed. No doubt, the NIL and transfer portal threaten this great game. Doege demonstrates the shams of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), and the supposed “one-time” transfer portal. The NIL exudes greed, and the transfer portal is not a one-time opportunity for college football players. Doege started at Bowling Green, and transferred to and started at WVU. He entered WKU as a graduate student (?), and now Doege suddenly seeks an opportunity to play elsewhere. “Get along little Doege?” Funny, but outside the world of Academia, that equals “four” transfers for Doege. Don’t colleges teach basic Mathematics anymore?
College football needs better controls – and fast!
It’s bad enough that this “student-athlete” can turn his back on his current team. The Hilltoppers prep for their first game eleven days away. However, how could any other member school of the NCAA offer or accept this player on such short notice? Did some school intentionally come up with a monetary package to draw Doege away from Western Kentucky? Not only from an ethics standpoint, but whatever happened to restrictions on time? Doesn’t a university have a deadline when to accept students into their “academic” programs? At the pre-season Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Blitz, yours truly attended recently, Head Coach Rick Stockstill commented precisely on this. Players can transfer any time. The NCAA has to designate a specific term and a time limit to when players can make this move. Based on Doege’s fourth move which would require a waiver, how does the NCAA not put its foot down? How weak is this leadership?
Forget life’s lessons – NOT!
As we argue in vain, is college football only supposed to be for the benefit of players seeking to make it to the professional level? By no means is there a guarantee that Doege will. The NCAA indicates that this must be its true purpose. It’s only about the money. No wants to recognize college football’s values about teamwork, commitment, loyalty, and dedication for teams to achieve goals together (Fantasy football undermines teamwork as well, but another story). These are life lessons well-learned for the students outside of the classroom. This sport teaches players life-long lessons in family matters, careers beyond sports, the value being a good citizen in society, and the dedication of being part of something greater than oneself. Not sure if this is college sports’ way of catching up with the rest of society? Or, does our educational system foster the “me” attitude to support selfishness and forget about everybody else?
World of Academia needs to learn how to teach
These charades called NIL and transfer portal have to be brought under control immediately. Not only is this great game of college football (and other college sports) in jeopardy, but so are the lessons of life that they were intended to teach. These institutions of “Higher Learning”, through their inept organization called the NCAA, needs to step up and tend to their intended purpose, to educate.
-ed. by Steve Koreivo, Author of “Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all!” Click on the title to buy and review this unique story of college football over thirty years. With the pending changes to college football, you can remember what the “amateur” game was about as opposed to the professional level of what it’s about to become.