Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has COMPLETELY changed the landscape of College Sports. Everyone knew that it would change things, but no one expected for it to have this big of a impact this quickly. It has been very clear this year, that it has effected the recruiting in College Football. There was the big story of Texas A&M and Lane Kiffin, Head Coach at Ole Miss, saying:
Are they going to have to pay a luxury tax?
Lane Kiffin
To be real, Lane Kiffin is right. We all know that Texas A&M has a HUGE budget for football and that they have some boosters with very deep pockets. Boosters have always had an impact on college sports, with facilities, experiences of the student-athletes, and possibly some “under the table money”, but now they LEGALLY have a direct impact on the athlete themselves. We all know that at some point, a booster of a specific college is going to offer an athlete a major “contract” to go to the school of the booster’s choosing.
We have also seen the impact of it in coaching and where the top tier coaches are choosing to go. Lincoln Riley made a surprise move to USC from Oklahoma this off season. When you think about the opportunities for Coach Riley at USC it’s not that much of a surprise. He will be in Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world. That will give him and his players opportunities that they would not have in Norman, Oklahoma. This was clearly a move with NIL in mind.
Then we look at the Transfer Portal. This basically allows free agency in college sports. We have seen many athletes take advantage of the Transfer Portal in the last few years. As NIL becomes more and more prevalent in the college landscape, you will see athletes go to the highest bidder or go to specific places to create SUPER TEAMS to get themselves more exposure.
It’s scary to see College Sports change with changes that the NCAA have made. Athletes do deserve to make money, on top of the free education that they are receiving. The NCAA and the colleges need to get control of this before it gets out of control. There is too much power in the hands of 18 to 22 year olds and there needs to be some level of checks and balances system in place. They need to make sure that they are keeping the integrity of the sports intact and to keep each sport competative.