Beneath the sheen that layers college football is a dark reality. The sport is almost synonymous with inequality. The advent of NIL and the transfer portal have only fanned the flames of this divide. Players have almost free will to leave programs, leaving them stranded. Add to that, schools towards the top of the food chain can essentially lure talent away from proverbial bottom-feeders using their NIL arsenals. Talent which was nurtured and developed by them, but shall prosper for the already prosperous. Although you can prefer to ignore it, you have to acknowledge one thing. Tampering can be a loosely thrown-around umbrella term. But it’s very prevalent across the landscape. It’s so prevalent that it has almost become the norm.
Of all its quirks and abnormalities, the concept of spring games is one of the most interesting in CFB. Something that’s so etched in the fabric of the sport. Yet, coaches are reportedly convening to stop its existence. Spring games may become history soon, and so could the tradition of fans pulling up in the thousands to watch these glorified practices. For decades, it’s been a chance for fans to grow closer to the team they support. Build communities. Now, this chance may be on the verge of being snatched away. Why? Tampering is at the crux of it all. Nebraska HC Matt Rhule has outwardly spoken about tampering being the reason the Huskers won’t have a spring exhibition this season. Now, loads of other B1G staffers have come ahead to lay the full extent of this dark reality clouding the sport.
In an extensive interview by On3’s Pete Nakos, he assimilated a bunch of coaches to get their thoughts on affairs. The coaches remain anonymous, but their words resound enough. “Nowadays, agents are calling you with a list of guys that are currently on rosters, and they’re saying, ‘Hey, here’s my list of 30 guys. Let me know if you’re interested in any of them.’” said one staffer.
CFB is the wild wild west when it comes to being an agent. There’s hardly any qualification required. Not only does this lead to players being cheated out of their dues. It’s facilitating a cesspool of people stepping on each other’s toes in any way possible. Since there’s no barrier to entry. “As much as tampering is a problem, just in college football in general, the agent side of things is the biggest issue in my opinion,” they continued.
NEW: Anonymous staffers, collectives, and agents sound off on tampering in College Football
“I don’t know anybody that doesn’t. Group of Five teams are doing it on shitty Group of Five teams.”
“If you’re not tampering you’re putting your program and university at a… pic.twitter.com/xoHa7QHVfE
— On3 (@On3sports) February 25, 2025
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