A new professional football league, the Pacific Pro Football League, is targeting non-NFL eligible football players, i.e. anyone within 4 years of high school graduation. It aims to be a developmental league focusing on preparing players for the NFL without them having to go to college.
It's an interesting idea, and if it happens a direct shot at the NCAA, since it gives players a chance to earn money while developing their football skills, all without having to be a student. Setting aside the (very valid) arguments about the value of a degree, I can see this being attractive to top athletes who want to hone their skills and prep for the NFL; schools such as IMG and other powerhouses could become feeders for such a league.
The impact on college football would be interesting. I can see teams losing out on a number of 5 and 4 stars, lessening the talent level in college, but the upside is players who do go to college would probably stick around longer. I see it a lot like the 1 and ones in college basketball. It changed the sport but not to the point where it is not exciting.
Here are some links:
http://www.espn.com.au/nfl/story/_/id/18449983/new-pacific-pro-football-league-debut-winter-2017
