re: This opting out BS has to be fixed

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and paid for by football.

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Not really relevant to the discussion but all the more reason the football players don’t owe it to anyone play in a meaningless exhibition game that’s sole purpose is content for TV networks.

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the players owe the University, and their teammates something.

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The only people I see bitching about are fans. I’m pretty sure the teammates understand and the semester is over.

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The University that gave them scholarships to play (scholarships funded, directly and indirectly, by the fans).

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And the fans wouldn’t support it at this level with the elite players. Given as you pointed out other sports are largely funded by football sounds like the players have given more than enough to have “earned” a pass on skipping a meaningless exhibition game which requires them to spend the bulk of the holidays away from their families, risk injuries that could harm future earnings potential so the team can maybe finish ranked a little higher?

Also football and the scholarships would still exist without the massive fan support of top level D1 programs. It exists in high schools and lower levels of college without the massive stadiums and tv deals. There would probably be fewer of them but would nevertheless still exist