Like Tim Beck doesn’t have enough to sort through this offseason. Let’s throw something else on his plate.
So I called the Coastal Carolina football coach, and we talked briefly about hot dogs and burgers and nachos — and how through an innovative marketing plan, they’re all free at Chanticleers home games in 2025.
“It’s a great idea to reward our fans,” Beck says.
It was also, I soon found out, a peek into something of greater importance. An opportunity to show the reality of college football at the Group of Five level of the Bowl Subdivision.
Or as they’re more commonly known: the have-nots.
Hold on for the ride, everyone. Here we go.
Beck’s leading rusher, Braydon Bennett, accounted for 13 touchdowns last year and transferred to Virginia Tech.
His best edge rusher, Clev Lubin, had 9½ sacks in 2024 and transferred to Louisville. Deamontae Diggs, another talented edge rusher who had five sacks, transferred to Florida State.
He best interior defensive lineman, Will Whitson, transferred to Mississippi State. Nearly 30 other players from the 2024 roster hit the transfer portal in the now era of free player movement.
Beck has new offensive and defensive coordinators, and a four-way battle for the starting quarterback job. Because, of course, his starting quarterback last season (Ethan Vasko) transferred to Liberty.
He still doesn’t know the framework of a salary pool for the defacto pay for play system that could be formally approved after a Monday hearing in the courtroom of U.S. District judge Claudia Wilken. The agreement allows FBS schools to spend as much as $20 million-23 million on all athletes.
Most power conference schools are expected to spend as much as 75-80 percent the final revenue-sharing figure on football. At Coastal Carolina, as with just about every other Group of Five school, they’ll be fortunate to be able to spend half of the allowable figure — on all athletes.
It’s roster management and accounting and budgeting, and new NCAA rules and new NCAA football committee rules. Every single move has multiple sticky tentacles that can’t be seen until you’re stung.
“It’s a flood of things,” Beck said. “Every corner you turn, you’re running into something else.”
Exhibit A: sideline communications. The rules committee decided last season that FBS schools could use helmet communications (like the NFL) and computer tablets during games.
One problem: someone has to pay for it.
The NCAA, despite its multi-billion dollar media rights deal for March Madness (among other revenue generation), isn’t gifting helmet communications and iPads for everyone. You want it? Find the funds in your budget.
And speaking of budgets, the NCAA also recently allowed unlimited recruiting visits for athletes. What was once five defined ...
