About This Series
An ongoing series examining how college football should be governed in the NIL era, building toward a constitutional framework for the sport’s future.
"It has been frequently remarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country... to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice.” - Alexander Hamilton
This is an ongoing series examining how college football should be governed in the NIL era. Each paper builds on the last, beginning with the failure of the current system and moving toward a proposed constitutional framework for the sport’s future. New papers will be published regularly.
The College Football Federalist Papers — Table of Contents
(A Framework for the Future of College Football)
Paper No. 1 — The Case for Change
Why the current system is unstable, unsustainable, and increasingly disconnected from the realities of modern college football.
Paper No. 2 — The Authority Problem
Why the NCAA no longer possesses the legal or practical authority to govern major college football.
Paper No. 3 — The Player’s Interest
Why a more structured system would better serve athletes by raising the floor, reducing risk, and creating enforceable rights.
Paper No. 4 — The Transition Problem
Why meaningful reform must account for existing contracts, media rights, and institutional constraints—and how a new system can emerge alongside the old.
Paper No. 5 — The Institutional Interest
Why institutions are winning today but losing control of tomorrow—and why early action will determine who shapes what comes next.
Paper No. 6 — The Antitrust Constraint
Why antitrust law makes the current system unsustainable—and why only a lawful structure can support durable rules.
Paper No. 7 — The Labor Question
Why a stable system requires athlete representation—and how collective bargaining or its equivalent can reconcile control with consent.
Paper No. 8 — The Federation Model
What a new governing structure for college football could look like, including tiers, governance, and institutional alignment.
Paper No. 9 — Compensation and Competitive Balance
How revenue sharing, salary structures, and spending controls can align incentives while preserving competition.
Paper No. 10 — Eligibility, Transfers, and the Calendar
How to create a coherent system for player movement, professional pathways, eligibility, and scheduling that reduces chaos and improves outcomes.
Paper No. 11 — The Future of College Athletics
How football’s separation could reshape non-revenue sports, restore regional competition, and stabilize the broader collegiate model.
Paper No. 12 — Implementation and the Path Forward
How the system transitions from theory to reality—and what must occur for reform to succeed.
Paper No. 13 — The New Order: College Football After Reform
What a fully realized system would look like in practice—from governance and competition to player compensation, movement, and the rhythm of a season.