The University of Miami Hurricanes football team has a good thing going so far this year. As of right now, they are 8-0 and ranked number seven in the nation in the latest AP top 25. They also have the media and fans extremely excited over something their defense has.

The turnover chain.

Whenever their defense forces a turnover, one of their coaches pulls this huge (36 inch, 5.5 pound) golden chain out of a case. They find whoever forced the turnover and put the chain on them and they get to celebrate with this huge chain around their neck.

This turnover chain, ever since game one of this year when it made its first appearance in the fourth quarter after an interception, has been a huge thing. It has taken off like wildfire, and a lot of people in Miami are going crazy about the turnover chain. It was one of the top costumes made by kids this year in Miami for Halloween. They would put on a Miami shirt and make a chain with the Miami “U” on it out of whatever they could find.

Miami’s main apparel sponsor, Adidas, got the rights to selling T-shirts with the chain on them right away. They still cannot keep up with the volume of shirts being purchased. They are continuously selling out of those shirts, as is a former Miami linebacker who also got the rights to make some gear with the chain on it. He has made onesies for babies with the turnover chain on it and they are selling out quickly.

I think this turnover chain is a great idea. It gets the defense even more excited to celebrate together when they get a turnover, and maybe even try a little bit harder to force that turnover. I also enjoy it because it gets the fans extremely excited when they see the chain come out of the case and be put around one of the players’ necks. The turnover chain is not the only reason the Hurricanes are having a successful year and ranked in the AP top ten, but it can be looked at as a big part of why this defense has been playing with a chip on their shoulder.

Looking at the turnover chain from a different angle is one that is talked about quite a bit, but not necessarily focused on this specific chain. A big topic in college sports is should college athletes be getting paid to play, or should it be how it is now where they just go to school and maybe, if they are a big enough player, get a scholarship?

The turnover chain alone has created hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue for Adidas, the former Miami linebacker, and the University of Miami itself. It seems unfair that those three get all of this revenue for something the coaches came up with in the off-season and something the players are carrying out every time they get a turnover.

The turnover chain would not even be a thing for people to make money off of if it weren’t for the players wearing it and celebrating with it after every single turnover.

Personally, I do not lean one way or the other in terms of paying student-athletes, but I think it is absurd how the University of Miami can make all of this money off of something that wouldn’t even be a thing if it weren’t for the student-athletes.

Clearly, it is not just Miami doing this, but this is the biggest situation right now in college football because of how big the turnover chain has gotten and how much profit it has created for the university.