In theory, a 18-year-old boy can now make more money than an NFL professional football player. Maybe we should start recruiting NFL players who still have college eligibility. This is of course is an extreme example and unlikely to happen but it is still possible. Ironically, College football now has an advantage over the NFL. At least the NFL has a draft system that gives bad teams a chance to improve. In college the NIL allows a player to go to the highest bidder. I bet the NFL would love the NIL system. The have-nots would remain so. NIL is great for Texas since we have money, but catastrophic for prestige universities that can't afford the going price for a boy in a man's body. The new system will eliminate teams like UTSA or Cincinnati from the new money-driven no draft winning formula. That is unfortunate because Americans love Cinderella teams. In the NIL contract what happens if a coach demotes a player receiving significant NIL income? Will a coach choose to allow a player with a NIL contract to continue to start over a better player so he can continue to receive his "likeness" income? If a player is demoted and loses his NIL contract, can he sue UT for hurting "his" brand or that the demotion was bias?
I don't know if i have responses lumped together or anything, but here are some of my takes: No NFL player has eligibility. You forego it if/when you leave for the NFL after the 3rd year since HS. It's not like UTSA and Cincy were competing for national championships before. My guess about all of your demotion stuff is that whoever signed you to the NIL has terms in that licensure for continued use of your name, image, or likeness. Like, if you suck, they could just fire you. Kind of like a real job. UT has nothing to do with third parties that give you money for your name, image, and likeness. If a student is a good computer programmer while at UT and joins a company, but then doesn't get a good grade on a project, no one cares whether or not the company retains them.
Yep. This new system is actually great for universities. Because NIL funds don't go through them. It takes all the payola pressure out of the picture.
You have to wonder what this does to recruiting. Coaches go into a recruit’s home and can pitch “come win championships” or “come get paid” ... ideally both I guess. Whatever we think of NIL today I expect it will surprise us down the road.
In theory the higher visible schools will have the advantage as will schools with wealthier alums. Isn't the object for the companies to get exposure for their names?
Saw where the number 1 recruit in the country went to Jackson State. He flipped from FSU after a $1.6 million NIL deal via Barstool. Barstool also employs Jackson State coach Deion Sanders. Hmm...
If anything, this might help the mid-majors, since they can now make a major offer to try and compensate for the prestige gap if they can get a few big donors together. Imagine if T. Boone Pickins was still around, he'd probably be hard at "work" outbidding the Blue Bloods for some 5* recruits ....
One thing the high profile schools will always have going for them is national visibility. I Think the NIL thing will quiet down if not for 23, then for 24 as these companies start wondering if they are actually getting a bang for their buck UNLESS it continues as a way for big donors to pay for players openly. Which it might What a mess
I think a more realistic concern is what @MajorRules00 was referring to. Say some FCS team or Division II team has a billionaire mogul alumnus with corporate money to throw around. They could go after 4-or-5-star recruits to serve as the face of a team. Even better if it's a private school so they don't need to share admission records or SAT scores or whatever. They go 15-0 every year with an average score of something like 77-1 because there's no way anyone in Division II can keep up. Instead of "Last Chance U" it becomes "Cash Money U" and lures future NFL'ers who don't have the grades to go to even A&M (if you can believe it).
It probably has been on defense attorneys' targets of opportunity since 2 seconds after it was announced.
I can see why many veteran fans are upset about NIL. It's like we all got air-dropped to a new planet. Very disorienting. Some early NIL observations: --Big Money Donors will have added, direct sway within their programs --Schools with large alum bases have an increased advantage --Organization of the private/donor sector is an absolute must --The role of AD is more important than ever --As Horns11 pointed out, it will be possible to "hot shot" programs into quick success. Corporate sponsors can and will do this. However, IMO the best strategy is steady and sustainable NIL funding. Based on these early observations, UT is in excellent shape for the road ahead. With the move to our new conference, revenue/visibility will be maximized. Travel costs will be relatively low. Student athletes will be competing on the biggest stages and will have ample opportunity to earn significant NIL funding. And, more importantly, we retain one of the biggest trump cards out there: going to school at Texas is a fun, life-changing experience. And something any young man or woman will enjoy for the rest of their lives.
Just now understanding how this work,if a company will support 3 stars and above, a college could get walk on. Now the 85 limted is dead.
Okc Thank goodness there is still as far as I know a limit on the total number on a team. We will see changes and limitations on NIL in the next few years.
Just posted this in another thread. I joked to my wife a couple days ago that we will forever be thought of as the New York Yankees of college football. Hated as the team that has the best players money can buy with the highest payroll. When we win people will talk about how we bought the championship and when we lose everyone will laugh at us for having the highest payroll yet still can't win a championship. We already get some hate for having everything but can't win. Moving forward expect that to be magnified times 100. Like it or not we might just become the most hated team in the country for it.
My thoughts on the NIL. This will not create a larger pool of four and five star players. If smaller schools and even larger schools that hardly ever wiff a four star are picking off a few here and there it would actually reduce those available. There are a pretty large number of highly ranked players that turn out to be busts. I do not know how long the NIL contracts are being offered but will a player in it for the money really care? I see the judging of talent will be at a larger premium than ever because no matter how much money one spends loading up on percived talent, players not getting playing time will just go to the portal. Looks like a mess to me.
