OU partnering with former NFL exec to transition into CFB 'salary cap' era
We are entering a very interesting period of college sports as athletic departments around the country prepare to operate more like professional sports organizations rather than extensions of academic universities.
The death of the amateur model in college athletics is set to bring a major change to the landscape of sports as we know it, and with changes of that magnitude on the horizon, universities are being forced to learn on the fly in order to stay ahead of the game.
Oklahoma, a newly christened member of the SEC, is doing its best to stay on the cutting edge of this change by partnering with one of the brightest minds in NFL circles.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Sooners are partnering with former Philadelphia Eagles executive Jake Rosenberg and his consulting firm, The Athlete Group, to aid in their transition into the "salary cap" era of college athletics.
Schefter goes on to say that those around the sport consider this a "progressive move" on Oklahoma's behalf, and that Rosenberg is one of Howie Roseman's (Eagles' GM) closest advisors.
Rosenberg worked for the Eagles for well over a decade, serving as vice president of football administration and director of football administration during his tenure.
The transition to a "salary cap" era comes as a result of the House v. NCAA settlement, which is set to cost the NCAA and its conferences $2.77 billion in damages over the next 10 years. With the settlement, schools will have the option to opt-in to a revenue-sharing agreement with athletes – something that is expected to cost roughly $20 to $22 million per year for each school.
The changes that will come with this settlement are far-reaching. We should also see several major rule changes, including a change in roster limits and, of course, the answer to the age-old question: Should college athletes be considered employees?
At last month's Board of Regents meeting, Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione was asked about the rules by which the NCAA is having to enforce NIL and how involved collectives can be, and how it might be better if schools and collectives could work hand-in-hand.
"I think that's going to change. The world is moving faster than some of the rule interpretations can come back out," Castiglione said. "That's where people on our staff, to the extent we are permitted to be involved, have to be thinking. Keeping a roster together has never been more difficult. It never has. Especially in the last several months where players can now transfer as often as they want...
"This a world where it's a hybrid model. This is no longer college as we knew it. But it's not quite a pro situation. We recruit. They draft. A general manager has, in most cases on pro teams, much more involvement in talent acquisition. [NFL] coaches have a voice, but it's the general manager, the player personnel staff that has the vision for the team, gets the talent, and provides it to the coach to coach. We're not in that environment, so that's why I say it's important for us to have a strong hybrid approach. It's all being defined as we go, of course, but that's where we're putting our intention to really create, not just the efficiencies, but hopefully the effectiveness around what we're doing around personnel."
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