Correction - FIVE more games. I forgot the Big Ten Indianapolis game. Also applies to Penn State.
Pat Bryant declares for NFL Draft, opts out of bowl game
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As a hypothetical GM in this case I would be looking at this individual and, either consciously or subconsciously, question how much are they going to play for their team after they sign their contract.
Is this player going to get theirs and go through the motions until their contract year comes up (bigger issue in MLB with union strength and all, but still).
This will negatively impact their pay duringtheir career.
To yours and juicemans points there is some in between, which may or may not have been settled on yet, that college players and GMs will naturally land on.
blackdog
- Champaign
I think pulling out during the season or the CFP is going to be very frowned upon by NFL GMs who have the only opinions that matter here. Those are competitive games that matter and I think that would be viewed as quitting on the team.
not sure , but certainly about the time the CFP went to four games
The idea that bowl games are meaningless exhibitions is relatively new. They obviously matter for final poll rankings, and they used to carry a lot of regional/conference bragging rights.
10 years ago, you could have made this statement:
"I think opting out of a bowl game is going to be very frowned upon by NFL GMs who have the only opinions that matter here. Those are competitive games that matter and I think that would be viewed as quitting on the team."
Here's an article from last year on the subject. Of note, there has yet to be an opt out from a playoff game. There's little doubt the dawn of the playoff diminished all the other bowl games, but the bowl games involving two teams ranked lower than 4 never mattered anyway for the mythical national championship.
At the end of the day, your teammates are playing a game and you're choosing not to play with them. That may sound like a harsh judgement, but I understand the decision. I just don't understand why you played in the game before that (@gibb52 point). I personally think the line will continue to move towards skipping out earlier, until such time as players are contractually obligated to not do so.
I think that's a result of increased awareness of the impact of injuries on NFL careers, and the fact that right after the first major decisions not to play in a bowl game (Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette), two other major prospects suffered serious injuries that tanked their draft stock and ultimately their careers (Jake Butts and Jaylon Smith). It was immediate evidence in favor right when their decision was getting a lot of press. Maybe if that doesn't happen McCaffrey and Fournette do get dinged for quitting on their team, their draft stock gets hurt, and opting out doesn't become a thing
Also makes me wonder if we will start to see less sponsorship and/or fewer bowl games. I'm excited for the Citrus because it's rare for the Illini. But if we make decent bowls a few years in a row and many starters opt to sit out, am I as likely to travel to see the game? And if attendance is down, are companies reevaluating any sponsorships?
Best wishes to PB.
Personally, I favor the “Next man up!” ethic as one of sports’ finer virtues.
Personally, I favor the “Next man up!” ethic as one of sports’ finer virtues.
So I think the main thing that changed is what you covered in that first sentence, that performance in the NFL Combine is just so important to a player's long-term value that preparation for it specifically has skyrocketed in importance. And speed and strength training for the combine is uniquely different than training to play football. Similarly, the bowl game happening so much later than the end of the regular season, makes it a much bigger commitment away from training for the combine.
As for why it happened, when the first person held out there was a lot of talk of selfishness, but once more and more started following suit, the dam broke and it became normalized. It's similar to rushing the field. If you're the only one rushing, you're getting arrested or permanently banned. You do it with a whole crowd, you go tear down those goalposts and be celebrated.
I think this is the biggest reason for the opt outs - simply the calendar. That’s also why I don’t think we’ll start seeing a lot of opt outs in the regular season. There’s a long break before the bowls, so it’s a logical time to transition to the next phase for some guys.
Also allows the younger guys to have bigger roles in the game. It’s good game experience and it lets the staff see what we have for next year.
illini80
- Forgottonia
When he went down and was slow to get up, I was pretty sure that eliminated any chance of him playing post season. Likely would not have anyway, but it was a reminder of how quickly it can all turn south.
MoCoMdIllini
- Montgomery County, Maryland
The main reward for a program is the extra practice.
100%, Luke already showing he has some trust with Beatty and Dixon, let them get 15 more practices together and it just is a huge benefit next year.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
This is definitely true for players that plan to hit the portal. The winter window is open directly during bowl season, and closes before the new year. With NIL deals the way they are, players need to hit the portal before the spring window (April), in an effort to optimize NIL opportunities.
For guys planning to go pro, I also think all the data on injury risks that has come out in recent years (concussions, etc.) has really influenced decision-making and changed the risk-benefit model to playing these relatively meaningless bowl games. As long as NFL scouts value the Combine more than bowl games, there will be little incentive for the players to play in the bowl games.
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