HIGH SCHOOLERS ARE THE NEW COLLEGE ATHLETES
The art of amateurism in college sports is officially gone in this new era. In addition to earning money, college athletes have an even bigger influence on their situation now more than ever.
Before 2021, transferring schools was a difficult process that required sitting out a full year before being eligible to play for a new school. The goal was to keep athletes at the same school for four years where they would seek national glory. The only way to get playing time was to work harder and get better, while avoiding injuries. Athletes were students first, and sports were an extracurricular activity.
Now the athlete holds the power over the school and rules have been changed to reflect that. Athletes can now transfer without limits or penalties for doing so, resulting in multiple star athletes switching teams in the offseason in a manner that resembles free agency in professional sports.
The reasons for transferring are numerous, according to Scott Schrader, co-publisher of ‘On3 USC.’ Schrader watched as Lincoln Riley rebuilt USC’s football team with transfers, turning a program that went 4-8 the year before into one that went 11-1 and was in contention to make the College Football Playoff.
Schrader agreed that playing time or playing for a certain head coach might persuade an athlete to transfer, but also stated that there are bigger reasons as well, including NIL.
“There’s several transfers at USC and some on the way saw the NIL opportunities,” he said. “But you also have guys that want to play with Heisman winner Caleb Williams. You can’t just assume they’re coming to USC to get paid, because they’re going to get paid everywhere.”
This resembles ‘ring chasing’ in pro sports, where instead of winning the traditional way, all-stars leave a franchise to team up with each other and form what they hope will be an unbeatable ‘super team.’ College athletes can now put themselves in the best positions to not only win titles, but also win in the NIL market.
This leaves fans of amateur sports with a large void to fill. They enjoyed watching sports where competition is key because athletes are fighting to make a name for themselves and a spot at the next level. The burden has fallen on high school sports. In turn, High profile games are nationally televised and the best athletes are becoming celebrities who can cash in on their own renown.
Three basketball-playing brothers — Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball — revolutionized the high school sports space. The Ball brothers put Chino Hills High School on the map in 2016 with a 35-0 national championship season. A school with no notable basketball alumni managed to build a team with multiple future NBA players that dominated opponents with top prospects and rich NBA history.
Off the court, they became the basketball version of the Kardashians.
“Seeing the high school that you’re working at on the national news…it was just incredible,” said Ian Trantow, the current Chino Hills Athletic Director. “Even at the games, news trucks came to watch and do interviews. It was a whole spectacle that I’ve never seen before, especially at a high school.”
Because of the Ball family, many new fans began to follow high school athletes. Now, virtually every top prospect has a national presence. ESPN and other top sports media companies cover their games and track their recruiting process. This is the treatment top college athletes have long received before they reached the professional level.
