Another factor in the 'Bowl games not what they used to be' argument: the coaching carousel gets into full swing as soon as the whistle blows on the last regular season game. Which means there are always bowl teams being coached by whoever, like Vic Koenig who was out the door himself after the game. Which tells you the importance ADs and admins place on the actual game itself.
Sydney Brown, Devon Witherspoon will not play in bowl game
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lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
For anyone still upset about Sydney’s decision to sit out of the bowl game to protect his body and NFL opportunity, read this article on the sacrifices his mother made for him to get this far:
Then look his mom in the eye and tell her you’d like him to risk that opportunity so that you can watch him play one more game.
Then look his mom in the eye and tell her you’d like him to risk that opportunity so that you can watch him play one more game.
Let's be real here though. Unless your team is playing in the CFP or one of the more prestigious bowl games, there's no incentive to play in one of these lesser bowl games (even the ones or just after January 1). Florida played in the Las Vegas Bowl today. Their QB, Anthony Richardson, is projected to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft and opted out from playing. They also had an All-American offensive guard, their leading tackler, and #2 WR that also opted out of today's game. Tennessee's top WR Jalin Hyatt won't be playing for the Vols in the Orange Bowl. Will Levis won't play for Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.
BZuppke
- Plainfield
“I hate this. Team means we start together, and finish together. Sorry, just my opinion. The old school traditions are being lost. If they quit the team, should they pay their own way the last semester of college?”
“What's bittersweet is that bowl games won't exist in 10 years.”
My initial reaction is to be in complete agreement with these sentiments but maybe we’re looking at it wrong here. The bowls began as and were always considered exhibition type games. National titles were decided BEFORE the bowls. Second, at this time there’s just too much money and risk involved. If you’re in an important bowl (playoff) then by all means play.
With that being said, the original purpose of the lesser bowls can still be achieved - fun for all involved including the host city.
“What's bittersweet is that bowl games won't exist in 10 years.”
My initial reaction is to be in complete agreement with these sentiments but maybe we’re looking at it wrong here. The bowls began as and were always considered exhibition type games. National titles were decided BEFORE the bowls. Second, at this time there’s just too much money and risk involved. If you’re in an important bowl (playoff) then by all means play.
With that being said, the original purpose of the lesser bowls can still be achieved - fun for all involved including the host city.
blackdog
- Champaign
Jaylon Smith lost about $20 million going from a potential top 5 to pick to #34. Devon might not be top 5 but he's going to be a 1st rounder so this isn't far off for him.
Jake Butt from Michigan was projected to be the tip TE taken but got hurt and dropped. He probably lost somewhere from $6-10 million depending on where he was drafted. Sydney is projected as a later round pick so these numbers are applicable to him.
There might be a couple more but really the sample size isn't that big. Ultimately when you are talking about that kind of money it doesn't have to be though. On an individual basis that's life changing money. We know NFL players have a short window to make as much as they can before they are done so if you lose out on that it's going to put a big hurt in your lifetime earning potential. I don't think you could convince me to take a risk like that if I had the chance to lose $5 mil in future earnings. The "experience" of playing in a bowl game, as great as it might be, doesn't seem worth that and until there's some way to make it worth it then players are going to keep sitting out.
Would I enjoy the game more if they were playing? Sure. But it just doesn't make any sense with the money involved for them to do it.
Well plenty if not all athletes have the option to enter the "workforce" after their lucrative NFL experience. Sorry, im not feeling bad for people that make multi million dollars to play a sport they love. If they dont have enough money to support themselves after that then maybe they should take some more business/ money management courses with the free education they were given.
Honestly, the whole situation completely sucks, and anyone saying otherwise is full of it. For a large majority of fans who may attend (anyone outside of Florida at least), it's going to cost at least several thousand dollars. I'm supposed to get excited and pay that much for a game the team doesn't even care about? Tough sell.
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
I'm not sure how anyone can come to this conclusion. Players aren't opting out of the game because they don't care about it, and anyone who reads their announcements can see that.
Dude, we got some whiners in here.
Like over 90% of the team is available and willing to play and some are acting like the whole team is sending stand-ins to act like they're playing.
And the idea that these kids shouldn't take precautions to protect what they are/will be worth is ridiculous. Play Mega Millions on Tuesday and win the jackpot and tell me you won't be doing everything in your power to make sure that you dot every "i" and cross every "t" to ensure that money gets into you/your family's name.
Like over 90% of the team is available and willing to play and some are acting like the whole team is sending stand-ins to act like they're playing.
And the idea that these kids shouldn't take precautions to protect what they are/will be worth is ridiculous. Play Mega Millions on Tuesday and win the jackpot and tell me you won't be doing everything in your power to make sure that you dot every "i" and cross every "t" to ensure that money gets into you/your family's name.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
This is a crazy hot take that I disagree with 100%. A couple justifiable opt outs and you blanket label the whole team as not caring about the game!? Those who are playing absolutely care about the game, and if you are a fan of the program, there is still plenty of excitement about this game. Because a few high name players make the business decision that the risk does not outweigh the benefits to playing, it does not mean that they or others on the team don't care about the game.
For a majority of people going to these warm weather bowls, they are doing a lot more activities than exclusively going to the game. It is a bowl vacation. If my wife was not in her third trimester, we would be making the trip. The game itself does not cost too much, especially with secondary markets.
For me, the opt outs are a celebration of how well our players are developing, and I want to see Spoon going in first round. It would be great to see him suit up one more time, but him, Brown, and any others sitting out do not change the fact that we are playing in a January bowl game. These opt outs will provide some much needed exposure amd practice time for the next man up, and I am excited to watch that. So I guess I am "full of it", but to each their own.
I approve this message 1000 times!!! I’m pretty certain the people against it would not appreciate an outsider telling them what the best life altering decision is for them and their family. I sure as hell wouldn’t.
I read the statements. I wish them the all best in the draft and everything they do going forward. But their actions make it clear. Perhaps I worded my post ineloquently. I'm sure they care if we win or lose, but they definitely don't care enough to play in the game.
I guess I'm in the minority and that's fine. But to me as a fan, when one of your team captains has better things to do than play the game, it says a lot about how the team feels about the game.
I know you care about the outcome of the game, so think about it this way. Would you put up your house, car, life savings and any other valuable assets, as security in the event that either Spoon or Brown get injured and hurts their draft position, if they'd be willing to play in this game?
Getting there is the valuable part, not necessarily winning the game. Let me ask you this, would you rather go 7-5 regular season and win your Bowl game to end up 8-5 or go 8-4 and lose your bowl game to end up 8-5? I'm sure some would want the Bowl win but for me the 8-win regular season is more valuable.
Tacomallini
- Washington State
Could the Illinois NIL fundraising donors, or similar groups with deep pockets put up insurance policies for bowl games for players like S. Brown and Witherspoon? They sustain an injury that prevents them from getting drafted, they get a big payout kinda deal?
I very rarely venture into the football threads, am definitely a self-admitting fair weather football fan...this might've been discussed or just flat out not be possible, but some of yins might know.
I very rarely venture into the football threads, am definitely a self-admitting fair weather football fan...this might've been discussed or just flat out not be possible, but some of yins might know.
blackdog
- Champaign
Those insurance policies are not cheap. For some of these players they might cost pretty much what they would be getting for NIL for an entire reason. It would be nice if possible but doesn't seem reasonable at this stage.
Lots of arguments on both sides of this decision “not to play in the bowl game”. But……here’s my view:
Sure……stay safe…BUT you can’t double dip.
1. Be a true amateur, take no NIL, sit out the bowl game and protect yourself for your big payout day at the draft……or
2. Take the NIL money……but then deliver and play EVERY game. You’re getting paid.
Can’t have both. Did either of these players take NIL money? If so, “lace’m up boys, you’re playin”
Sure……stay safe…BUT you can’t double dip.
1. Be a true amateur, take no NIL, sit out the bowl game and protect yourself for your big payout day at the draft……or
2. Take the NIL money……but then deliver and play EVERY game. You’re getting paid.
Can’t have both. Did either of these players take NIL money? If so, “lace’m up boys, you’re playin”
They’d rather use that money to keep players here(like Newton, Randolph, etc) or to get a highly rated recruit or a transfer QB even.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
That’s a brilliant strategy to use to never land a big time recruit again. Then we can go back to not even making bowl games
To his 2nd point, I wonder if the day is coming that NIL contracts will begin to stipulate stuff like this. “Must finish career with Illini” or “will play in a bowl game”.
Maybe not all the money but bonuses or clauses or something.
These are business decisions (sitting out bowls) and so are NIL. When do the companies hiring these athletes start buying loyalty/guaranteed play?
NIL rules specifically do not allow "pay for play." Sure, that's what a lot of these deals are when you get down to it, but it's one thing for that to be understood but not stated and quite another to put an NCAA violation right in a written contract.
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