Just like Cinderella teams have become less of a factor at the NCAA men's basketball tournament, fewer longshots are reaching the NFL draft from small schools.
Blame NIL riches and the crowded transfer portal, a combination that has led to a concentration of talent in the power conferences.
The SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 dominate college football, commanding higher revenue, better television ratings and bigger budgets.
And more and more, they're siphoning stars from the nonpower leagues.
"Jerry Rice still gets drafted by the 49ers, but I don't know that it's from Mississippi Valley State today," Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the Hall of Fame wide receiver who had one of the biggest rags-to-riches journeys in league history. "That's where he started, but I think it may be from -- pick a big school."
March Madness used to regularly feature little-known schools from look-it-up locales that rose from obscurity to capture the hearts of hoops fans and bust so many brackets. But last year, all 16 regional semifinalists hailed from power conferences, including the Big East, for the first time since the bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The same thing happened this...
Source: https://www.newsday.com/sports/football/nfl-draft-small-schools-u59883
- Log in to post comments
Link