Charley Finley was the owner of the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics for twenty years, 1960 to 1980. During that time he successfully alienated his players, fellow owners, and even fans by his attempts at marketing the team.
As baseball reserve clause was ending, owners tried to determine what upcoming free agency would look like: how players would be signed, for how long, for how much. Many unknowns on how free agency would work. In this void, Finley suggested Make ’em all free agents, in effect all contracts would be single-season contracts and teams would resigning or recreating their team each offseason. Unsurprisingly there were few takers: even Marvin Miller, head of the Players Association, was against the idea because of potential chaos and downward salary pressure.
I see similarities in NCAA name-image-likeness and the transfer portal where athletes can unilaterally leave their current school and transfer for whatever reason: academics, family, playing time, coaching change and, most importantly, money. In many cases – especially non-revenue sports – binding contracts that could stop the athlete do not exist (and even so are not necessarily enforceable). Schools and athletic departments are no longer in control of the narrative and some athletes are re-recruited annually (either within their existing school or a different school). The Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team lost all five starters from their 2025 Final Four.
University athletic departments are hoping (praying?) that Congress enact a single set of rules for all college athletics nationwide, hoping to reduce the chaos and, I believe selfishly, to reestablish their control over athletes. Some are hoping for an executive order. An upcoming settlement in a federal class action lawsuit filed by former athletes against the NCAA is about to be settled, which may help define things. Some are even saying that codifying NIL protects athletes, not colleges. Plenty of concern across the board, no single solution apparent.
By no means am I an NIL or transfer portal expert, but it does appear that the genie is out of the bottle and it’s difficult to understand how athletes would unilaterally accept any restrictions to their newfound power. Personally, I’ve always believed it was unfair to these athletes when coaches left without ramifications and signed scholarships forced the athletes to stay put – schools insisting they came here for the education – but now the tide turned and colleges hold the short stick …. and they don’t like it.
Charles Finley is laughing in his grave!
