Pearl River      For long beleaguered college sports fans, Indiana’s rise from the bottom of the barrel, a consistent doormat team, to a number one ranking on the verge of winning the college football championship is nothing short of a miracle.  This phenomenon might give hope to fans everywhere, who might be lured into believing that lightning could strike at their alma mater as well.  The truth, to paraphrase James Carville in the Clinton campaign, is all about the economy of college sports now, especially in the main arenas of football, basketball, and baseball.  The end of pretend has come.  There’s no myth anymore about the student athlete.  More of them may go to school and stay for a while, because the transfer portal has made the whole shebang pay-to-play.

The championship game will be played between Miami and Indiana.  Fernando Mendoza, a native of Miami’s Cuban community, is the Heisman Trophy winner, as the best player in college football this year, according to those voters.  He was a transfer this year from the University of California.  Not sure what he got paid to move, but it’s bound to be seven figures.  Carson Beck is the quarterback for Miami this year.  Before playing for the Miami Hurricanes, Carson Beck played for the University of Georgia, where he spent five seasons (2020-2024), won two national championships as a backup, and then became their starting quarterback for his final two seasons before transferring to Miami for his final year of eligibility.  Estimates by experts reported in the New York Times believe he was paid $3.5 million by Miami this year.  They estimate that the most desirable quarterbacks entering the portal now “are expected to draw $4 million or more.”  A North Texas transfer going to Oklahoma State is “receiving a two-year, $7.5 million contract, according to the Tulsa World.” 

We’ve now read reports about how a billionaire booster at Texas Tech ponied up millions in the eight figures to get his team upgraded.  They made it to the first round of the playoffs, so I guess he feels like he got what he paid for, even if not a ring.  The Times reported the range for other positions as well.  Linemen, especially offensive tackles and edge rushers made bank up to $2 million.  Running backs and tight ends were a relative bargain mid-six figures up to $1 million.  Top receives might made $2 million.  Defensive players in the big conferences made less, but most of us will never make $200,000 a year, so they aren’t making chicken feed.

Arch Manning from New Orleans is now the quarterback for Texas.  Grandson of Ole Miss star and quarterback for the Saints, Archie Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli, he’s a legacy player.  He had a so-so season that got better towards the second half and won the MVP in their bowl game.  He didn’t enter the portal this year, hoping to be the number one pick in the 2026 season.  Trust me, he didn’t need to leave early.  He’s probably making $3 million plus this year and more next, so he’s not going to starve while trying for bigger bucks after the next season.

Let’s be honest, though.  The big and medium style conferences, whether the SEC with LSU and the Big 10 or the smaller ones that saw Tulane get to the big show for a minute, are the equivalent of the minor leagues in baseball or the G-league in pro basketball.  The Group 5 schools are triple A teams, Group 4, double A, and on down the line.  All of them are getting paid now, just some make $20 grand and some making millions.  I should add that the paydays directly from the school don’t include the additional pay they can make on name, image, and likeness now.  I’ve seen national ads that included Arch Manning. What Texas is paying him is just the start, before NIL rolls in for him.   As the WNBA, women’s basketball players prepare for a strike, remember from last year the story of Caitlin Clark from Iowa.  With NIL money, she was going to see her pay envelope shrink to almost nothing to pay as a pro in the WNBA, compared to what she was making in college.

Don’t get me wrong.  The hypocrisy of colleges making millions and pretending players were amateurs, risking life and limb as earners for them for three “hots and a cot,” and whatever the value of the scholarship is now way over.  Colleges and universities were already serving as the minor leagues for the pros, now the athletes are getting a share.  The Indiana and Miami teams are not exactly storybook finishes worthy “of a movie,” as the coaches claim.  They are just the after affects of a bit of trickle down in late-stage capitalism.  As fans we can still root and maybe some will feel nostalgic, but the sugar plum and dancing fairies are gone, and our eyes need to be wide open now.