How Lincoln Riley's Star-Crossed Move Could Force Some Changes

If coaches can leave programs for more money and take players with them fans are biggest losers

Don't blame new USC coach Lincoln Riley for what may be coming.

Really all he's doing is leaving one high-profile program for another with his sudden switch from Oklahoma to the Trojans.

But getting some of his best players to make the same change might be a step too far for a lot of people in college athletics.

The current combination of a free agency and making college athletes multi-millionaires is something that should have been considered by anyone other than the kangaroo court in Indianapolis trying to maintain the facade they are controlling college athletics.

Spencer Rattler (7), Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams (13) all left Okalhoma / USA TODAY Sports

Yeah, try to say nobody saw this coming.

The interesting part is everybody just figured they'd deal with that sometime down the road.

It was just a shorter road than anybody thought about.

It's not Riley's fault. His job is to win games for whoever he's coaching this year. You really can't criticize him for taking advantage of the rules made by other people.

Landing the top transfer in the portal in his former quarterback, Caleb Williams, along with the others he's gotten to transfer might be the splash of cold water in the face of everybody.

Fans will be paying the price, both financially and emotionally. Both are the biggest risks for college athletics.

Riley has shown just about any coach can leave for another school right now AND take his best players with him plus any big-time players he couldn't land at his previous job.

In theory, Nick Saban could leave Alabama for Texas and many of his best players could "decide" to go with him, well, the Tide could roll right into a Hook 'Em within the rules that exist now.

Could Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley just change schools and keep going? :: Jay Biggerstaff / USA TODAY Sports

It's easy to sit back and gripe about a lack of loyalty. The truth is that sailed right out the window a few years ago whether you want to admit it or not.

The guess is it's not coming back anytime soon.

And it's business, not personal.

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