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Mulkey and Doucet on the State of College Athletes

Posted on 4/2/25 at 11:25 am
Posted by Gris Gris
OTIS!NO RULES FOR SAUCES ON STEAK!!
Member since Feb 2008
49636 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 11:25 am
Yes, this has been discussed many times, but it's getting worse.

It's hard to get excited over recruits. They change their minds when more money is dropped. Even if they do come, they can change their minds over and over again and enter the portal.

At the least, there should be a limit on times they can enter the portal and a cap on cash.

From Jacques on his FB page.

"We've messed up college sports so bad. And Kim Mulkey is obviously tired.
And before you say "The coaches get paid. And they can leave anytime they want."
Kim Mulkey is NOT a job hopper. And she proved herself for DECADES before really getting paid.
The same goes for the other big name coaches out there in this profession. You think they just enter the game and BANG "here's a million bucks!"?
Mulkey played for nothing at Louisiana Tech - the same school for four years (gasp!). Nothing but the love of the game, the desire to be great and win championships.
She was an assistant coach at Tech for 15 years. Her first salary there was $35,000.
She was then hired as the head coach at Baylor for $125,000 annual salary. Mulkey stayed there 21 years, turning a nothing program into a national power and then a 3-time national champion. Sometime after the first or second national title, she reached a million dollars annually in salary.
Mulkey was then hired by LSU Women's Basketball and you know the rest. She's got a 122-20 record at #LSU with the program's first ever national championship, two Elite 8's and a second round NCAA appearance with a 26-6 squad after inheriting a team that was 9-13 the season before.
And we want to compare student athletes 18-22 years old, who play for four schools in four years, to Kim Mulkey and other successful coaches who often coach many years at a school before making a move.
"Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU!"
After coaching there 12 years.
I was a nothing athlete, sitting the bench in high school. But at least they taught us the concept of team, staying on a team and at least attempting to be unselfish.
While the NIL and the transfer portal have brought positive changes to collegiate athletics that are long overdue, I would say as a whole they have truly attacked the fabric and concept of team and definitely the extremely important quality of loyalty - to your school, your teammates and your coaches.
Now we have players leaving schools and coaches that have poured 100% into their growth as athletes, as students and as people overall - for the next big payday, when there might not be one.
I guess you can't blame the players and their parents for testing the waters and creating bidding wars. These are the rules and the monster we've created now. And we're stuck with it. Although most people will tell you it's not sustainable and will collapse.
What's even worse are the people that likewise enjoy and encourage the decay.
We've reached a sad place."



Posted by JimTiger72
Member since Jun 2023
15397 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 11:32 am to
Idk what Sa’Myah Smith’s reasons are, but I am tired of kids thinking they can “hop in the portal” & think they can decide to come back. Nah, either you’re committed to the team or you aren’t

Hoping we are headed toward multi-year contracts when schools start paying players directly with rev share
This post was edited on 4/2/25 at 11:33 am
Posted by jlovel7
NOT Louisiana
Member since Aug 2014
23694 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 11:36 am to
He’s 100% right and NIL and the transfer portal have done exactly what tons here, including myself have said it would do. My interest in college sports is at an absolutely all time low and I was as passionate as they came just 5 years ago.

I would have preferred NIL and the portal never happened. It never bothered me before because the idea that college athletes were somehow victims was always a complete farce.

Anyone who attended school with these prima donnas knew that.
This post was edited on 4/2/25 at 11:37 am
Posted by tigre704
Member since Nov 2018
1840 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 11:38 am to
The players who hit the portal all the time are the people who would be benchwarmers and depth pieces in the old NCAA. Aka, the reason why Alabama was so good under Saban. The reason UConn dominated WBB. The reason Vanderbilt dominated college baseball. There needs to be portal windows that don’t fall in the middle of the postseason, but the complaining and whining about the state of college sports has gotten more annoying than the actual changed product
on the field. It’s different and it sucks to see promising athletes leave their school but the fact is, you can build winning teams immediately now. Programs are no longer resigned to mediocrity and failure. I think overall that’s a good thing.
Posted by drizztiger
Deal With it!
Member since Mar 2007
44541 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 11:42 am to
quote:

I would have preferred NIL and the portal never happened.
The problem was NIL dropping the same time with no portal restrictions.

NIL without a FA portal every season would look a lot different.
Posted by tigre704
Member since Nov 2018
1840 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 11:52 am to
quote:

The problem was NIL dropping the same time with no portal restrictions. NIL without a FA portal every season would look a lot different.


This is the truth but if there was NIL and no portal there would’ve been a push to create something resembling the portal and it would’ve gone to the courts. It’s easy to forget, but when the portal was first created there was still a requirement for non-graduated players to sit out a season before receiving eligibility. The NCAA lost out on a number of key decisions (Justin Fields) and got horrible PR for denying a waiver to that kid who wanted his dying grandma to see him play and then Covid happened and they just let the floodgates open. It was all inevitable though. You can’t allow NIL and then also not allow players freedom of movement
Posted by king47
Member since Aug 2020
1879 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 11:58 am to
Preah Brotha! Your points on people talking about "well the coaches leave for money" are spot on! They spend decades to earn that right
Posted by jlovel7
NOT Louisiana
Member since Aug 2014
23694 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 11:58 am to
quote:

You can’t allow NIL and then also not allow players freedom of movement


Why?
Posted by idlewatcher
Planet Arium
Member since Jan 2012
91745 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 11:58 am to
Imagine supporting NIL tax exemption
Posted by BigBrod81
Houma
Member since Sep 2010
22466 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:04 pm to
quote:

The problem was NIL dropping the same time with no portal restrictions.

NIL without a FA portal every season would look a lot different.


I know it was totally different court cases that brought about NIL & no portal restrictions but it would have been nice if the NCAA hadn't been so stubborn in believing they would win those cases in court. They knew that losing the combination of both cases would open Pandora's box & completely change the landscape of college athletics.

They could have been proactive by pushing Congress for legislation in the event they lost in court, that could set legislation into place to curb the mass chaos we are currently seeing. Instead they just ignorantly & arrogantly sat on their arse thinking that there was no way they would ever lose in court. The NCAA did the same thing from 1981-1983 when Oklahoma & Georgia took them to court over television rights. The NCAA had previously held the power to negotiate television contracts but the universities felt that should have that right. The universities won & then gave the authorization of power to conferences they belonged to to negotiate television deals.
Posted by Nutriaitch
Montegut
Member since Apr 2008
10453 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:04 pm to
quote:

This is the truth but if there was NIL and no portal there would’ve been a push to create something resembling the portal and it would’ve gone to the courts. It’s easy to forget, but when the portal was first created there was still a requirement for non-graduated players to sit out a season before receiving eligibility.


exactly.

and for those saying coaches leave for other schools, yes they do. but with a penalty of some sort (buyout).
Posted by tigre704
Member since Nov 2018
1840 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:06 pm to
quote:

Why?



Tampering and pay for play is still going to be rampant. It would play out the exact same way the portal played out. Some player is going to claim they’re being held against their will (or use something like Justin fields used) and once the NCAA grants them a waiver (bc they’re weak, and ultimately do what the schools want them to do) the floodgates would open the exact way they exist now.

The only way you’d prevent the floodgates from opening is if the NCAA managed to maintain resistance to granting waivers, but it would still end up going to court and their record in court indicates they would probably lose.

Without any sort of CBA you can’t just pay these guys and then also deny them mechanisms to move around.
This post was edited on 4/2/25 at 12:09 pm
Posted by TigerDCC11
Member since May 2007
2120 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:09 pm to
It needs to go back to just scholarships and stipends for Student athletes and let them go be a pro if they are that good right out of high school.

It's says something when we can go to war right of high school, but are not "mature' enough to be a pro athlete.

Maybe have a semi - pro league with contracts as a buffer between high school and pro.

This bubble will burst for these athletes because there will come a time when there is only about 20 schools that can support them, the 15, then 10, then 5, etc.
Posted by LSBoosie
Member since Jun 2020
16386 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:11 pm to
The problem is that there has been a couple of decades worth of changes in a 24 month timespan and they had no plan for it. I don't really feel that bad for coaches, especially at schools like LSU. It sucks that they don't have the control that they once did, but that's what the job is now. It's also why I don't fault coaches that leave college for the pros.

As far as solutions go, I think the most they can do is try to limit transfers through eligibility requirements. NIL isn't going anywhere and there is not going to be any way to control it.
Posted by LSBoosie
Member since Jun 2020
16386 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:13 pm to
quote:

and for those saying coaches leave for other schools, yes they do. but with a penalty of some sort (buyout).

That's true most of the time, but that is also because they are breaking multi year contracts. Scholarships are year to year.
Posted by drizztiger
Deal With it!
Member since Mar 2007
44541 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:16 pm to
quote:

It's says something when we can go to war right of high school, but are not "mature' enough to be a pro athlete.
Depends on the professional league. Some allow (MLB), some don't (NFL), some change their rules all the time (NBA). You can also go to war at 18, but not mature enough to drink (unless you're on base).
Posted by lsu777
Lake Charles
Member since Jan 2004
36265 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:23 pm to
my thing is..this could all be foreseen but the courts have ruled on this.

im fine with the portal and NIL, its not what college sports where supposed to be but im not going to blame a player for taking more money. we all would with our jobs and this is their job

my bigger issue is....in some push to be the best we as fans have become corrupt. Like the push for the athletes not to have to pay income taxes.....the frick? why? because we are scared of falling behind?

then the constant begging for money, Sorry Im not donating to have players be in the top 1% of earners and then voting for them to not pay taxes, frick the players. they are employees now, pay your taxes like everyone else

but dont ask me to donate the money i earn with my own labor to a school so they can pay kids to live better and make more than me. frick that, they can live on the money they bring in from views or sponsorships and i dont give a frick if it cost us every game


again, i have no problem with the players getting paid...but dont ask the fans to kick in for it.
Posted by atltiger6487
Member since May 2011
19670 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:24 pm to
college sports is broken, with players for sale every year and instant transfers. We're seeing players play for 3, 4, or 5 teams over their career.

It's taken away much of my emotional attachment to the game.
Posted by TigerDCC11
Member since May 2007
2120 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:24 pm to
quote:

Some allow (MLB), some don't (NFL), some change their rules all the time (NBA). You can also go to war at 18, but not mature enough to drink (unless you're on base).


MLB has the right model, IMO. The Minor leagues are a "buffer" between high school and the pros. I still say, the time is coming when this bubble will burst. I'll give it about 5 years.
Posted by Lester Earl
3rd Ward
Member since Nov 2003
287646 posts
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:26 pm to
I wonder how much of her frustration stems from her teams underachieving on paper. Perhaps she should clean up her team building practices & on-court coaching.
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