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The Miami Ute's avatar

This system where universities source and fund the development of athletes for professional leagues is unique to the USA. There's no other place in the world where this happens. This concept is especially egregious when it comes to football. As you said, MLB has an extensive professional minor league system, but so does the NHL, MLS, and even the NBA to a lesser extent. Footbal is completely alone, wherein the NFL has developed and encouraged a system where the massive costs of developing an athlete into a professional are borne by third parties at no charge to the prime beneficiary.

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Brian M's avatar

Exactly... so we can all see where this is going, now. There is no reason for the Ducks and Beavers fans to bicker about realignment because in the end, there will be one minor league NFL football team based most likely in Portland. It will have its own draft that will have nothing to do with recruiting and commitments. Oregon fans will have no reason to take any school pride in the Portland minor league football team because it will have nothing to do with them (as soon as this league of football unionizes, pays its players a graduated salary, has its bills paid for by its own "ownership" group and thus disconnects from its university). Same for BYU and Utah. Same for many programs around the country. Univ of Minnesota might end up as a minor league team to the Vikings, but in St Paul. Univ of Iowa's minor league NFL team will be based in Des Moines. Just like in baseball, second tier cities without an NFL team will get their own minor league team and the NFL will control it all, enhancing its value. It makes a ton of sense in a world where all that matters is the money

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Ken's avatar

The NBA’s went under for same reason that college football continues.

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Brian M's avatar

NBA has the G League. What went under?

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