Player Retention (Players Leaving)
After the National Championship, the first offseason phase is Players Leaving — upperclassmen either declare for the NFL Draft or enter the Transfer Portal. You may persuade any of them to stay by paying an NIL retention cost.
This replaces all previous "must let leave" restrictions. There are no longer any rules about who you can persuade, how many players you can keep, or which draft grades are eligible. Retention is now a pure economic decision: if you want to keep a player, pay the cost.
NFL Draft retention — by projected round:
| Projected Round | Retention Cost | DP (◆) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Round | $5.0M | 1,250 |
| 2nd Round | $4.0M | 1,000 |
| 3rd Round | $3.0M | 750 |
| 4th Round | $2.0M | 500 |
| 5th Round | $1.5M | 375 |
| 6th–7th Round | $1.0M | 250 |
- QB premium: add +$2.5M for any retained QB. (Example: a 1st-round QB costs $5.0M + $2.5M = $7.5M.)
Brand Exposure retention: flat $1.0M, regardless of player rating or position. No QB premium.
Retention is charged to NEXT season's budget — not the current one. Keeping stars today directly reduces next season's NIL flexibility. Log the players you persuade to stay on My Class; their cost appears as a carry-over deduction once the season rolls over.