College Regulations: Affect the Sports

By Katy Smiley

Many would argue that recent changes to rules and regulations for college sports have strongly impacted season games. From the transfer portal to NIL money, and even being able to opt out of certain games, teams are suffering greatly. 

During the 2023-2024 football bowl games, opting out was a major trend seen. It started back in 2016, and over the years, has become an accepted part of the postseason. Players who think they have a chance to be drafted into the NFL want to avoid injury, so they don't play. This has a major effect on the outcomes of these games. Players who are on full scholarships because of their incredible talent are able to pick and choose when to show up for their team. 

Florida State University had a winning record of 13-1 overall and went 8-0 in their conference, deserving of making the playoffs. However, after a devastating quarterback injury, the College Football Playoffs Committee decided there was no chance of them winning now. The board made the decision and FSU was out of the running. 

They went on to play in the Orange Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs without their starting quarterback. The players knew this game wouldn’t matter and they protested for not making the playoffs. Also, because of the injury risk, 33 players didn’t play; seven of them declared for the NFL draft and the other 26 entered the NCAA transfer portal. This almost made the game “unfair” and the final score wasn’t an accurate representation of how the game should’ve been. 

These opt outs go far beyond just FSU’s team. Louisiana State University's quarterback, Jayden Daniels, who is also a Heisman trophy winner, opted out of the Tigers’ Reliaquest Bowl matchup against Wisconsin. Marvin Harrison, who was an all American pick and a superstar wide receiver for Ohio State, didn’t play in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri and they lost 14-3.  These high performance athletes, who could change the game for their team, were allowed to choose not to play, when they were getting paid to. Is that really fair?