So, I'm finding out now that NHL teams draft players who then still maintain their eligibility with their college teams. For example, the St. Louis Blues have a top pick playing now at the University of Minnesota and another playing at, like, the University of Denver. This runs counter to anything we think about with the other leagues: once an NBA, NFL or MLB team drafts someone and the kid signs (I forgot to add, the kids are signed to the Blues), the kid no longer can play for his college team.
This seems to me to be the whole answer to paying these players in college. Why not allow the NFL to draft who they want and they remain in college to develop on that level for their three years before they move on (or one year in basketball). The NFL, NBA, MLB foot the bill for these players who have selected a college to play for, so those double gouge of the fanbase to also fund NIL on top of your Razorback Foundation contribution is ended. Take the NIL away and put it on the pro leagues to fund.
Now, if I'm totally misunderstanding how the NHL does it with their draft picks/signees/prospects still playing college hockey, please let me know. But I found that concept fascinating and making more sense than the current setup for other major college sports (and, of course, we don't really have a UA-sponsored hockey team, just a "club" team which isn't about to get a No. 1 NHL draft pick playing for it).
This seems to me to be the whole answer to paying these players in college. Why not allow the NFL to draft who they want and they remain in college to develop on that level for their three years before they move on (or one year in basketball). The NFL, NBA, MLB foot the bill for these players who have selected a college to play for, so those double gouge of the fanbase to also fund NIL on top of your Razorback Foundation contribution is ended. Take the NIL away and put it on the pro leagues to fund.
Now, if I'm totally misunderstanding how the NHL does it with their draft picks/signees/prospects still playing college hockey, please let me know. But I found that concept fascinating and making more sense than the current setup for other major college sports (and, of course, we don't really have a UA-sponsored hockey team, just a "club" team which isn't about to get a No. 1 NHL draft pick playing for it).
