I see what your point is and generally makes sense. With big money comes big responsibility and i get that the stakeholders in college football are going to push for some kind of structure to the economics of the league that helps them ensure an ROI on their investment
BTW the TFR/total football revenue split in 2023 in the NFL was 51/49 (percent) in favor of the owners. Players got $9B of the $20B in total football revenue from the 2023 season.
Can you imagine ND operating anywhere near a similar split? They won't even touch a 7-figure five-star with an ugly stick from Baghdad despite annual sales close to $150M with nearly half of that as pure profit (not counting this 2024 late playoff run season)
If ND replicated the 51/49 model used in the NFL, Notre Dame would be dishing out about $70M to its players alone per year (but NDs NIL budget was only $5-$7M in 2024)
Hopefully this is what Notre Dame means when they say they hired Mike Martin (new GM) to "bring the NFL model to ND" LOL of course not but fun to think about
First, to clarify . . .
NFL players are paid a WEEKLY SALARY. So, their share of the pie isn’t provided by some revenue sharing DIVIDEND but rather via EARNINGS that make their way through the books of the teams they play for. And for the teams, it’s a normal line expense.
Looked at this way – and according to your numbers – the aggregate labor cost in the NFL is 49% of GROSS REVENUES. This compares unfavorably with the average number for Fortune 500 companies which comes in at somewhere between 25 and 35%.
We’d have to see the numbers, but my guess is that the relatively higher labor cost in the NFL is due to the number of EXTREMELY HIGH EARNERS. But that’s just a guess.
As for CFB, I can’t imagine ANY SCENARIO where either via REVENUE SHARING or SALARIES, college football players would RECEIVE 49% of FOOTBALL ASSOCIATED REVENUES, regardless of how those MIGHT BE DEFINED.
Might I be wrong? I SUPPOSE. But I simply don’t see that kind of number making RELATIVE FINANCIAL SENSE given the myriad personnel differences between CFB players and those in the NFL. Plus, we’re talking here about two entirely separate economic UNIVERSES. At least, FOR NOW.
So, I don’t think ND has to worry about anyone asking it to LAY OUT THAT KIND OF MONEY.
In which case, the two RELEVANT QUESTIONS that remain for me are: a) whether or not ND will agree to accept the idea of student-athletes having a dual role as EMPLOYEES – and with all of the RIGHTS AND REWARDS that entails; and b) if ND does accept modification of their status, how much money will it be willing to offer, even on a CAPPED BASIS, to acquire the use of their skills.
To put it SIMPLY, since the end of the Holtz era, ND has tried to do MORE with LESS. And under Kelly and now Freeman, it has SUCCEEDED in ways that I COULDN'T HAVE IMAGINED – given the self-imposed restraints it requires of itself.
But if the game – as it appears to be doing – goes FULL-BLOWN MONETIZATION, will ND still be able to do ITS THING without MAKING MAJOR CONCESSIONS in both its PHILOSOPHY and its PRACTICES?
I may be wrong, but I see a VERY BIG FORK IN THE ROAD just ahead.