Absolutely not
I'm sure there are some good things about the NIL, but it has completely destroyed the sport we all love. College football should be seen as a stepping stone to the NFL, but the NCAA is trying to turn it into its own professional sport.
NIL stands for Name, Image, and Likeness, and it basically allows college athletes to get paid for the personal brands they develop while competing in college.
Old-school head coaches like Kirk Ferentz and Nick Saban not only built programs centered around winning, but they also developed their players to be great role models off the field.
Now, the only concern for every high school freshman is how much money they will make at a particular school, rather than committing to a coach or the program itself.
After retiring in January, Saban summed up the current state of college football in an interview with ESPN.
“Probably 70 or 80 percent of the players you talk to, all they want to know are two things: 'What's the guarantee that I'm going to play,' because they're thinking about transferring; And, “What is my salary?'' Will you pay me? ” Saban said.
The negative impact of the NIL has also had a negative impact on the Iowa State football program.
On March 19, offensive lineman Kadin Proctor announced his intention to transfer from the Iowa State program.
The announcement came just months after he flew out of Alabama shortly after Saban's retirement.
This is the second time Proctor has left the Hawkeyes. Proctor verbally committed to attend Iowa State before his senior year of high school, but later changed his mind and committed to Alabama after reportedly being offered more than $1 million in NIL cash.
There is no reason a university should be allowed to spend millions of dollars on an athlete who may not be able to be part of their program for more than one season.
It also creates a huge competitive disadvantage for schools with less money, like Iowa and Purdue.
Whether we like it or not, money is now the driving force behind college athletics. These days it's all about the price of play.
If you are in the NCAA and are reading this in any way, please consider making changes to your NIL.
it depends on how you look at it
Until July 1, 2021, there was a ton of backlash from former and current college athletes about how they generated millions of dollars in revenue for the NCAA through their play, yet received no benefits. . The controversy grew to the point where the NCAA passed rules (also known as NIL) that allowed players to make money using their name, image and likeness.
There are now college athletes making millions of dollars. According to On3 Sports, USC basketball guard Bronny James leads all athletes in his NIL earnings with an estimated $4.9 million. This allows athletes to continue in college and complete their degrees without financial stress.
But Brad gave several examples of how the NIL is destroying college sports as a whole. Earning money is necessary for any human being to make a living, and it is now becoming a bigger factor in athletes' future plans. The issue led to record transfer numbers and the resignation of several legendary coaches.
However, some players have put their NIL funds to good use.
According to Business Insider, in October 2023, Arch Manning, Texas backup quarterback and nephew of Football Hall of Famers Peyton and Eli Manning, earned nearly $2 million in NIL and sold Manning at auction. The proceeds from the card were donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charity. But this was more than just a donation, as the card sold for a whopping $102,500.
Another common college football name during the 2023 season was University of Michigan running back Blake Collum. According to On3 Sports, NIL's revenue was approximately $854,400, and for his third year in a row, Colm purchased and distributed more than 600 of his turkeys around Thanksgiving last year in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
While there are other examples of college football players putting NIL money to good use, there's no denying the truth that money changes the way teams recruit and retain players. Many schools will be outbid by these prestigious, established programs and end up losing their star players.
All in all, everything has its positive and negative aspects. That certainly applies to NIL as well.
