Readers want changes in college football recruiting and NIL rules
Unfortunately, we don’t have room in the print edition for all of the great reader feedback we’re getting. For more of the letters, go to Dispatch.com. Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com.
On NIL in college sports
To the editor: It is time to adjust the rules on NIL (name, image, likeness) that, in my opinion, is getting out of hand. It was never meant to be a recruiting tool. I have come around to accepting that college athletes should be allowed to receive some compensation in addition to their scholarships, but why should it become a bidding war that will destroy amateur athletics as we now know it? Why not consider the following idea: An athlete may receive compensation up to but not to exceed the national average amount that non-athlete graduates in the athlete’s field of study receive as a starting salary in their first year after graduation. The average salaries would be determined and published by the NCAA so amounts would not become a recruiting tool. Just a thought worth considering.
Louis A. Nobile, Columbus
To Louis: If that rule were enacted, my guarantee is that none of the athletes would register as journalism majors. They would barely be able to afford lunch.
On Ohio State football
To Brian: One has to wonder why coach Day (or any other college coach) would want so many quarterbacks competing for the starting job - currently six, including two recruits from Dublin, and, soon, Lincoln Kienholz.
Prentiss “Air” Noland arrives in 2024. And possibly, Ryan Montgomery for 2025. Of course, a team needs talentready athletes when injuries occur and for game-time experience. But, in view of their number, it stands to reason that one or more of them will eventually use the portal at season’s end, some hopeful, others dismayed, second-guessing their initial college choice. Will another school give them a chance to lead the offense with possibly others vying, thus repeating the cycle?
I understand players aren’t promised to start, knowing that they will have to earn that honor. It’s part of growing up. But in OSU’S case, the deck is stacked against these Qbs-in-waiting. It seems like overkill even for a perennial power. And coach Day says he doesn’t recruit “backups.” Is it worth the battle for the top spot if a highly recruited player takes his skills elsewhere? Such a star player could haunt the Buckeyes down the road.
Larry Cheek, Dublin
To Larry: This is not a flaw of Day. If all these QBS want to attend the same school, he has his pick. And with kids, you never know who will rise or fall. Also, it says a lot about a player such as Kienholz, who could have remained committed to Washington or gone somewhere else and had a better chance to play. Yes, he still may transfer, but coaches have to like someone who is up for the challenge.
On college sports
To Brian: College athletes change schools as casually as changing socks now. We know that these amateurs now make millions, but the details are kept a tight-lipped secret, so pardon me if I’m a little skeptical. Students flunk out of college every day, but scholarship athletes who are laser-focused on their athletic craft manage to rarely be a casualty of academic eligibility. And now we have legalized gambling in the mix. It’s come a long way from when students had three years of eligibility, were truly amateurs, and Woody recruited Archie by talking mostly about academics. Dennis Singleton, Dayton
To Dennis: Yes, those were the good old days, but I bet Griffin would love to have had some of that NIL money. On the academic side, remember that these athletes have tutoring and up-close advising that most students don’t have access to.
On indoor soccer in Columbus
To the editor: Congratulations to Columbus Soccer Organization! The indoor soccer facility has long been needed, and I congratulate the CSO Board and director of coaching Tom Velek for their vision in making this happen. Our city is so fortunate to have such an outstanding organization in our community. We have played soccer all over the Southeast with our children, and to have an indoor facility is a luxury that communities our size do not have. The coaches and volunteers work countless hours year-round to ensure that this program is successful, and the purchase of this facility is really evidence of the hard work and dedication by so many coming to fruition.
Danette Starks