Kentucky to spinoff Athletic Department as a separate LLC Company

[rezero]

This is an interesting move. There are several articles about the advantages this could give but a few interesting ones include liability protection against lawsuits, being able to secure debt against a different investment grade, and that it can operate without interference and influence from the UK board of trustees.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... rtment-llc

[edwin drood]

Makes me wonder if teams will still offer scholarships or if they will evolve into a hybrid of scholarship players and pro players. And what's the role of the NCAA in this? If a player is simply an employee of the LLC, do they need to even enroll? Strange times indeed.

[winonsports]

Makes me wonder if teams will still offer scholarships or if they will evolve into a hybrid of scholarship players and pro players. And what's the role of the NCAA in this? If a player is simply an employee of the LLC, do they need to even enroll? Strange times indeed.

The Athletic Departments pay the University for tuition, fees and books.

That won't change no matter how they define themselves.

[edwin drood]

Makes me wonder if teams will still offer scholarships or if they will evolve into a hybrid of scholarship players and pro players. And what's the role of the NCAA in this? If a player is simply an employee of the LLC, do they need to even enroll? Strange times indeed.

The Athletic Departments pay the University for tuition, fees and books.

That won't change no matter how they define themselves.

Well, as nothing has been approved by the U of Kentucky Board of Trustees, or perhaps the Kentucky legislature, or the NCAA or perhaps the US House or any US courts, you know nothing. As usual.

[Whatashame]

No one knows how all of this will end up. U of K is trying to get out front as they have their take on how this is going. There is little doubt this is going back to court and changes are coming.

My personal take is that college sports will no longer exist for some schools. I think we are headed for a separation of larger schools with revenue and smaller schools who can’t/won’t play in the deep end with the big boys. This probably involves some sort of employer/employee relationship and some kind of unionization of those employees.

There are lots of changes coming and because there are no adults making decisions, the courts will be way more involved than they should be.

[rezero]

No one knows how all of this will end up. U of K is trying to get out front as they have their take on how this is going. There is little doubt this is going back to court and changes are coming.

My personal take is that college sports will no longer exist for some schools. I think we are headed for a separation of larger schools with revenue and smaller schools who can’t/won’t play in the deep end with the big boys. This probably involves some sort of employer/employee relationship and some kind of unionization of those employees.

There are lots of changes coming and because there are no adults making decisions, the courts will be way more involved than they should be.

This. Nobody know where this is headed, but in theory kids will not even need to be enrolled in UK to play football for Kentucky Athletic Department LLC. This will be a totally separate business and will be managed and run as such. I am sure at the start they will have an association with the school and will probably negotiate with the school on tuition costs for their players, but opens up a whole new realm. The first thing I would do if I was over the LLC would be to start trademarking naming rights and variants of the names associated with the school. UKCats, Lady Cats, etc…

I just read on another post is that this also opens up new forms of contracts and legal action that could keep kids at the LLCs and prevent them from jumping ship every year. May not be bad when the dust settles.

[winonsports]

Makes me wonder if teams will still offer scholarships or if they will evolve into a hybrid of scholarship players and pro players. And what's the role of the NCAA in this? If a player is simply an employee of the LLC, do they need to even enroll? Strange times indeed.

The Athletic Departments pay the University for tuition, fees and books.

That won't change no matter how they define themselves.

Well, as nothing has been approved by the U of Kentucky Board of Trustees, or perhaps the Kentucky legislature, or the NCAA or perhaps the US House or any US courts, you know nothing. As usual.

Ok. Then who do you believe pays the scholarship costs now and in the past?

The Kentucky legislature? The Courts?

You know nothing. As usual.

[Red Bird Classic]

These steps show again how the schools and the fans have lost sight of the purpose of college sports.

We are living in a world turned upside down, where even the most tenuous connection between teams and students, alums etc. is being discarded in favor of the most twisted notion of success. The spectacle meant too support the institution has taken on a life of it's own. It's connection to the institution is just a name.

[rezero]

It’s now offficial.

Champions Blues LLC is the official name. They are already working on new partnerships with distilleries and sportsbooks.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... y-company/

[icon]

It’s now offficial.

Champions Blues LLC is the official name. They are already working on new partnerships with distilleries and sportsbooks.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... y-company/

Good luck on those partnerships with a loser football program headed by loser Mark Stoops. Companies like to be associated with winners.

[edwin drood]

It’s now offficial.

Champions Blues LLC is the official name. They are already working on new partnerships with distilleries and sportsbooks.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... y-company/

Good luck on those partnerships with a loser football program headed by loser Mark Stoops. Companies like to be associated with winners.

"Tonight's Knob Creek 100 proof point guard, Otega Oweh! Averaging 16 points and aged in oak 9 years!"

[rezero]

It’s now offficial.

Champions Blues LLC is the official name. They are already working on new partnerships with distilleries and sportsbooks.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... y-company/

Good luck on those partnerships with a loser football program headed by loser Mark Stoops. Companies like to be associated with winners.

"Tonight's Knob Creek 100 proof point guard, Otega Oweh! Averaging 16 points and aged in oak 9 years!"

Exactly. The Buffalo Trace Rupp Arena.....

This will get out of control quickly as soon players will look like cars in Nascar with patches all over their uniforms. I do think there should be some type of legislation though on Sportbook having any linkage to college athletes. The pull of corruption and money is just too strong.

[Rvrartst]

Really, I don't know how much more down this road college football and basketball can go before I'm just completely turned off by it. I've been a Mizzou fan since about 1980. I've enjoyed following the players as they go through the four years at the school, or two years after junior college even. But it's getting harder and harder to care much about them. This whole rent-a-player for a year thing just doesn't allow that kind of involvement with the players and by extension the team. Players moving on because they don't get immediate playing time, or even worse, because they can get more money somewhere else or think they can, is becoming a turnoff.

But it hasn't quite reached that point yet. I think we are so used to being fans of the college team that it hasn't quite sunk in that their relationship to the college itself is getting more tenuous all the time. When was the last time anybody mentioned academics? When was the last time we had to be concerned that a player might not make adequate grades and be declared ineligible to play? When was the last time we even mentioned a player's major? Are these guys even bothering to attend classes anymore?

I was all for NIL at the beginning. I envisioned it as local businesses paying players some cash for a few commercials and appearances, and players getting some royalties off the college selling merchandise with their or the team's name on it. Not 7 figure salaries for half the team with no actual contracts to stay for two years or more and play in every game they were available to play. Heck, all it is now is paying kids huge sums of money to render their services for a year. And having to pay more huge sums of money if they turn out good enough that you don't want them being poached after the first good year.

[acco40]

Soon athletic departments will become totally separate entities from the Universities with simply a licensing agreement to use branding (mascot, school name, etc.) and possibly rental agreements for the facilities assuming those are not spun off too.

It's a sad day.

[edwin drood]

Soon athletic departments will become totally separate entities from the Universities with simply a licensing agreement to use branding (mascot, school name, etc.) and possibly rental agreements for the facilities assuming those are not spun off too.

It's a sad day.

I too believe something like that may happen, and perhaps a waning role of the NCAA and the appearance of a self-governing body, much like the NFL governs itself, either on a per conference level or the new College Sports, Inc.

[acco40]

I graduated from two schools Mizzou and Washington University. My “entertainment” leanings lean more toward Mizzou due to higher visibility (SEC TV contracts, radio broadcasts, etc.). But in many respects the Bears are more successful on the field and courts.

I respect the Bears decision to go from what was once known as “Division 1” (FBS for football) down to Division III (not Division II). They have no scholarship athletes and thus no NIL deals (to my knowledge) and thus no corruption or sleaze that those entities bring. Yet they’ve win multiple national championships in various sports.