Georgia football is feeling the effects of the new era of college football. Over ten players have decided to put their names in the transfer portal. The N.I.L. and the transfer portal have created a wild west feel on college football.
Players put their names in the portal and are at a different school that day. This has led some to wonder if other schools are breaking the rules. The NCAA has shown that it will do nothing to enforce the rules, let alone make any rules.
The boys in the coffee shop have complained that this is the end of college football. The boys believe the sport is in peril and cannot be saved. It is hard to argue that the sport we all came to love is in a better spot than it was five years ago.
Short answer: it is not. But I love Georgia football and could not imagine a world where I did not watch every game. So whether the sport is in a bad place or not, it does not affect me. I am still going to watch every game Georgia plays in. Will I sit on the couch from 9 am to 3 am and watch college football every minute? Probably not.
That is the problem: these players have become mercenaries for a year for whatever college, and then they move on to the pros or whatever next phase their lives take them.
Also, I am not bashing the players; they have every right to do whatever they want. It is their lives, after all, and some guy sitting behind a computer screen and judging their life decision is, well, lame. It is the rules and the NCAA I have a problem with. This has gotten out of control. The portal opens up as soon as Championship Saturday ends, and it is free for all.
Not only does the Portal open up, but so does the recruiting. Coaches are burning the candle at both ends, which, no pun intended, brings on burnout.
Look at Matt Luke; he took two seasons off because of the job demands. The CFB calendar is so messed up that it is hard to keep up as a fan. I can only imagine what it is like for a coach or staff member. The calendar needs to be fixed, as well as the transfer portal.
Most players leaving Georgia are trying to get more playing time, and they have been at Georgia for about two years. I have no problem with that. I have a problem with players leaving for more money or leaving just to leave.
I also have a problem with players from rival schools coming to Georgia and vice versa. That feels gross to me. The guy played for a rival and wants to enjoy life as a Georgia player. Should have chosen Georgia the first time!
One of the reasons there is so much passion for college football is that the players and the fans share something in common. They both care about the school they play/root for. I chose to attend the University of Georgia because all my family has gone to Georgia, and I love the school. The players chose Georgia because they love school as well. It was that way, at least.
We have gotten to the point where the whole thing is transactional. The passion is starting to fade in college football. That is my worry with the whole thing. I knew that players cared about winning because they knew what they represented. Now, that is starting to disappear.
I knew when Georgia lost, Stetson Bennett, for example, understood the ramifications of that. He grew up a die-hard fan. Stetson talked about the pain he felt when Georgia lost to Alabama in the 2012 SEC Championship, right after he beat Alabama in the 2022 National Championship.
Stetson Bennett won me over with that comment, not because he just won Georgia’s first national championship in 41 years. It showed that he has lived and died for Georgia as long as I have. Now, that type of thing will become more uncommon, and that is a travesty.
I am just an old man yelling at the clouds? Will other fans like myself start saying the same? I do not know if this blog will do anything about it, but something must be fixed. The boys in the coffee shop are worried, and I know you are probably too.
The bigger problem with this is that we (Georgia fans) want to win and to win, we must adapt. Kirby Smart has adapted to the new era of college football. This new era is slowly morphing the college game into the NFL, and I do not like it. Hopefully, someone will fix all of this because if they don’t, college football as we know it will be dead.
It’s easy to look ahead to next season right now, but there’s still a game left to play and you can win big on it thanks to FanDuel! All you have to do is sign up, deposit $10 or more and bet $5 or more on Georgia to beat FSU straight up. If the Bulldogs win, you’ll win $150 in bonus bets! Sign up for FanDuel while this offer lasts.