July 26, 2021

These seismic shifts shake to our core,

Student-athletes to profit,

The Big-12 probably no more.

Transfer's become an open door, 

Damaged hinges taken off it,

Now with advantages galore.

You better straddle this thin line

Where unstable forces rub fault

In places where light doesn't shine.

Lamenting what is left behind

Means missing all which should be sought

During a time to redesign.

As academics get in place

To bemoan what they say is lost,

They'll cite more than a knowledge base

That liberal arts doth embrace,

Bits of opportunity cost

And what's critical in a race.

We act as if money taints us,

Dilutes what we must deliver,

Tars us with a giant paintbrush,

While we still scorn what constrains us,

Reduce us to just a sliver.

God forbid, a cash flow makes us.

All the skills that school accounts for -

Grit, patience, and humility -

Run aside the completed score

Built from a supportive structure

That expands one's ability

To play just a little bit more.