A solution that would stop college football players from opting out of bowl games has been floated this offseason and could come into play soon.
Bowl games were taken very seriously back in the day, with players treating participation as a privilege. However, things have changed to the point where players who are heading to the draft avoid it in order to protect their stock, which is understandable as a serious injury could tank a player’s prospects.
The College Football Playoff has also affected bowl season, making the games feel like sideshows. The Orange Bowl fixture between Georgia and Florida State ended in a 60-3 result, with close to a dozen FSU players opting out after the program was snubbed by the CFP.
It does make sense for a player projected to be a high draft pick to opt out of bowl games, so fans didn’t mind so much. But it’s beginning to bother some folks as some of them are the ones helping fund player salaries via NIL collectives and paying thousands of dollars to attend these fixtures.
College Football Players Could Be Contractually Obligated To Participate In Bowl Games
Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger has reported that a proposal is being discussed that would tie bowl game participation into a college football player’s NIL deal.
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As things stand, a NIL contract cannot force a player to take part in a bowl game, yet that could change soon.
Whether the changes come into play by next season is left to be seen, but many fans would welcome them as there was a danger of players opting out before the end of the season to protect their draft stock.
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