This was a great game.

On 1/6/2026 at 10:24 PM, sportsfan41 said:

And just for the heck of it. A Roth IRA with $500k at age 22, would net you close to $4 million by age 50 if you get a 7% return and don't contribute any additional money. Most IRA's currently average between a 7-10% return currently.

Not to get off track, but it is impossible to get that much into a Roth or traditional IRA at 22. Max annual contribution is $7,500.

But yes, 500k at 22 should set you for life if you manage it wisely.

I asked Google AI about college football programs spending money and got:

Top college football programs spend tens of millions, often over $100M annually in total athletic revenue, with top teams like Texas, Ohio State, and Alabama leading in overall financial power, while specific Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) spending can reach $35M-$40M for just one program (Texas) for a season, showing immense budgets driven by big media deals and donor support. The average total athletic department revenue for elite programs is over $200M, with football consuming a significant portion, and NIL collectives funneling millions into player compensation, making Texas, Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama key spenders. 

Key Spending Areas & Examples (2024-2025 Data) - Total Athletic Revenue (Top Programs)
Texas: $332M (2024)
Ohio State: $255M (2024)
Texas A&M: $266M (2024)
Georgia: $242M (2024)

NIL Collective Spending (Player-Focused) - Texas: $35M-$40M for the 2025 season
Ohio State: Around $20M for their 2024-25 roster.
Alabama: Consistently among the highest spenders, with football spending exceeding half of their total athletic revenue.

Overall Football Expenses
For context, average FBS football program expenses were over $22M annually by 2018, but top-tier programs' budgets are far higher, with Alabama spending over $60M annually in a past analysis. 

Here is a little stat I come across @theguruthat kind of I think goes along with what you posted above.

I personally think the biggest reason that the SEC has now been shut out for the past 3 years now is due mainly to NIL and the freedom of player movement now. The stat I come across is that in a 20 year span from 2003-2022 the SEC had 20 teams in the game for the national championship whether it was the AP, BCS or the CFP. That is 20 teams out of a possible 40. 

Now if a team has big boosters and big money a lot of schools can be in the running for the nations best players where in the 20 year span above the high % of the nations best of the best players went to Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and to a lesser extent Florida, Auburn, and Tennessee.

1 minute ago, 16thBBall Fan said:

Here is a little stat I come across @theguruthat kind of I think goes along with what you posted above.

I personally think the biggest reason that the SEC has now been shut out for the past 3 years now is due mainly to NIL and the freedom of player movement now. The stat I come across is that in a 20 year span from 2003-2022 the SEC had 20 teams in the game for the national championship whether it was the AP, BCS or the CFP. That is 20 teams out of a possible 40. 

Now if a team has big boosters and big money a lot of schools can be in the running for the nations best players where in the 20 year span above the high % of the nations best of the best players went to Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and to a lesser extent Florida, Auburn, and Tennessee.

I agree and if anyone goes back through these college football threads I always said expanding the playoffs along with the portal and money flowing would level the playing field and we would have more competitive teams.  

Now, many of the "fat cats" are running scared and want to re-exercise some kind of "control" over college sports but I think it is too late and all their ideas are going to be to take rights away from the players.  That will go over like a lead balloon.  Give me my popcorn and oh, best college football season ever and last year was the second best. 

1 hour ago, theguru said:

I always said expanding the playoffs along with the portal and money flowing would level the playing field and we would have more competitive teams.  

I think especially this year we have had 3 really good games so far in this year's CFP.

Just now, 16thBBall Fan said:

I think especially this year we have had 3 really good games so far in this year's CFP.

Other than games involving teams not ranked in the top 12, I have been very happy with all the games. 

Just now breaking this evening the NCAA just denied Ole Miss Trinidad Chambliss his waiver for a 6th year of eligibility. 

2 minutes ago, 16thBBall Fan said:

Just now breaking this evening the NCAA just denied Ole Miss Trinidad Chambliss his waiver for a 6th year of eligibility. 

I heard that earlier.  

I think the NCAA needs a hard ceiling that applies to all players.  In other words, all players get a maximum of six years, no exceptions.  Or it could be five years, or seven, I don't care but set the number and end all the subjectivity.  

23 minutes ago, theguru said:

I heard that earlier.  

I think the NCAA needs a hard ceiling that applies to all players.  In other words, all players get a maximum of six years, no exceptions.  Or it could be five years, or seven, I don't care but set the number and end all the subjectivity.  

Yea look at last nights game Carson Beck is in his 7th season. I heard a player on Miami (not sure which one) said he was only 11 years old when Beck walked on Georgia's campus. lol

40 minutes ago, 16thBBall Fan said:

Just now breaking this evening the NCAA just denied Ole Miss Trinidad Chambliss his waiver for a 6th year of eligibility. 

Good luck to him in the draft. I see him as a player that will move up draft boards as the combine and draft process move forward.

Austin Alexander transferred to Western Michigan!