Ohio State Buckeyes football star Jeremiah Smith had an NIL valuation of $4.2 million on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, things changed — he became Adidas’s new headline star just half a year removed from helping win a College Football Playoff National Championship as a freshman.

As Cleveland.com’s Stefan Krajisnik points out, Smith’s deal is one that was up to Deloitte’s standards.

Deloitte’s “NIL Go” clearing house, as Krajisnik explained, is the new gatekeeper for all NIL payments.

“Third-party NIL deals, meaning payments not coming directly from schools through revenue sharing, of more than $600 must be approved by a Deloitte-run clearinghouse dubbed ‘NIL Go,'” Krajisnik explained.

“Smith’s agreement should have little uncertainty surrounding it. The goal of the clearinghouse is to eliminate boosters and collectives paying large sums of money for athletes to attend their schools.

“Smith will take part in marketing campaigns and things of that nature for Adidas, proving a legitimate business purpose for the NIL deal.”

College football has reached the point of having a Big 4 accounting firm involved with sponsorship deals that used to be exclusively reserved for internationally known pro athletes.

It’s come a long way. To say the least.

The evolution of the sport is perfectly proven with OSU’s $20.5 million title-winning roster last season. Smith becoming one of the main faces of Adidas drives that point home.

The most famous players in the sport are barely removed from removing their black stripe.

Smith made that point in his Adidas deal’s press release.

“One of the most memorable moments from last season was losing my black stripe and officially becoming a Buckeye. Fast forward a year and I’m blessed to be adding three, joining the fastest brand in football. It’s crazy to be partnering with a brand that has such a talented roster of players and that I’ve been wearing since I was a young kid. We’re not done yet,” Smith said.

The truth about Smith’s deal?

It means the future is here.

For better, like Columbus having a certified killer for at least two more seasons after winning a title and helping Will Howard become an NFL draft pick, or for worse, like Deloitte being involved in a news story about NIL.

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On the Hardwood

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Outside the Shoe and Schott

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And now for something completely different…

Yeah, this is super messed up…

College sports have changed a lot in the last few years. Now, athletes can earn money from their NIL. Former Georgia Bulldogs basketball player Kenny Gaines recently talked about how this new system is not as simple as it seems.

While some players make a lot of money, others face tough choices and new challenges. Understanding these changes helps us see how college sports are different today and why it matters for players, coaches, and fans.

Ex-Georgia Hooper Kenny Gaines Shares Experiences With NIL Changes

Kenny Gaines, who played for the Georgia Bulldogs from 2012-2016, spoke about the big changes in college sports on the “Dawg Talk” podcast. He was joined by former teammates Marcus Thornton, J Mac, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and NBA player Jabari Smith Jr.

They talked about how college athletes now must think about making money and building their personal brand, not just playing basketball. Gaines said a coach once told him that today’s NIL world is much different from what it was just a few years ago.

Smith, who started college right when NIL rules changed, said, “You missed the NIL era. Mine was the first year of it, but it wasn’t nowhere [sic] near like this.” Smith explained that when he played, he had a car deal, but the deals now are much bigger and more common.

Smith also pointed out that players need to be good if they want to make money. “If you’re not good, you’re not making no [sic] money,” he said. This means that how well you play and how popular you are both matter a lot now.

Thornton added that players today expect to get six-figure deals even before they prove themselves. “Three hundred thousand is like low. That’s what they asking for… and that’s the water boy.”

This shows how much money some college athletes can get now, even if they are not the top stars. According to ESPN, some top college basketball teams spend over $10 million on NIL deals for their players. Some athletes have earned more than $1 million in a single year, especially at big schools.

During the podcast, the group talked about how some coaches struggle to get their players to promote products. One assistant coach told Gaines she could not get her players to do ads because “they’re getting 300 out the gate.” Gaines was surprised by this, saying, “I was like, say listen, I won’t be here.”

Thornton also said, “An eight-point per game player is getting almost a million dollars in college basketball right now.” While not every player earns that much, it is true that NIL deals have grown quickly, and some players who are not superstars can still get big paydays.

RELATED: How EA Sports College Football 2025 Paved the Way for a New College Basketball Game

For Gaines, these changes were hard to believe. He felt that the loyalty and hard work that used to be important in college basketball have been replaced by players looking for the best money.

“Dude, you my age… but still went to the transfer portal. Who got the bag? That’s what it is,” he said. Many players now choose schools that offer the most money, not just the best fit for them.

Since 2021, when the NCAA allowed NIL deals, the number of players transferring to new schools has gone up a lot. In 2025, more than 2,000 men’s college basketball players entered the transfer portal, which is about 35 percent of all Division I players. Many of them are looking for better deals and more chances to play.

The NIL policy was meant to help student-athletes, but it has also made college sports more competitive and focused on money. For former players like Gaines, the game looks very different now. Players, coaches, and fans all have to adjust to this new world, where talent, popularity, and business are all connected.