...from that of college football being a team sport to be played with pride for your teammates and school to a mindset that college football is nothing more than a platform to elevate one's own "brand" and audition for the NFL. Current college players are used to having a spotlight shone on them from a young age, and opportunistic adults frequently latch on to young stars in hopes of one day being in position to gain financially from their stardom. These people pump up kids' egos at a young age, so by the time they reach college, many are mainly focused on how their college team can benefit them, rather than vice versa. So when it comes to playing in a no-name bowl game, it's not surprising that most players approach it with a "what's in it for me?/what could it cost me?" mentality.

This is a generational thing, and I don't think there's any going back. Hopefully some day the rules will change to allow the most talented players to advance to a professional playing career right out of high school, at which point college football might once again return to being a sport played with pride by kids who love the game and are thrilled to represent their school. Until then, I think the current trend will get worse, not better.