The news cycle finally slowed down when Trump took an unusual three days off over the Labor Day weekend. The media speculated (aka hoped) he died. When Trump returned to do a press conference, the media had angry questions like, “Why do you continue to refuse to admit that you died?”

The good news is that this allows me to write about one of my favorite things: college football.

If you drive south in the fall, about the time you start seeing Elvis artwork, Trump merchandise stores and shot glasses with the Confederate flags on them, folks will be watching SEC football. That pastime stretches from Kentucky south to Orlando. If you drive south of Tampa, then you are back in New York.

Seventeen of the top twenty-five ranked college football teams are from the South, but the Southern advantage has waned in the last couple of years. Gone are the days college kids pridefully played for their home state. NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money has, predictably, made them mobile mercenaries. (RELATED: Here We Go: Student-Athletes Slap NCAA With Lawsuit To Change ‘Redshirt Rule’) 

Rest assured, the South’s historic dominance of the North in football is rooted in far deeper issues than an amateur athletic contest. And it bothers the blue Northern states that Southern football might just be maneuvers in preparation for secession.

College football is uber competitive now as legendary 74-year-old ex-NFL coach Bill Belichick is finding out. His UNC team got demolished by TCU 48 to 14. The only way it could have been more embarrassing is if the spread was 74 to 24.

It got worse from there. Upon seeing his debut loss, Belichick’s 24-year-old fiancée hit the transfer portal and has now narrowed her dating options to Lee Corso, Barry Switzer or Jimmy Johnson.

Thus, with NIL corporate money advantaging the North, college football will start coming down to the Big Ten versus the SEC. Remember, college football came of age shortly after the Civil War. It was a safer way for Southern and Northern states to keep fighting. (RELATED: New Chapter Of College Sports Begins As ‘House Settlement’ Goes Into Effect) 

We Southerners take pride in football like Northerners do in corrupt politicians, high taxes, cold weather, rampant crime and potholes. It is an article of faith here in the “Bible Belt” that SEC football is holy. You are to have no other gods before it, not even NASCAR or the lottery. Ladies, if you have something to say to your man, say it before kickoff.

Drug companies market stiffy pills to football’s male audience. That could end under RFK Jr.’s goal to make drug companies advertise more warning labels in their relentless ads. Now, if after taking Cialis or Viagra, your erection lasts more than 4 hours, you will be advised to look at Rosie O’Donnell’s Instagram feed.

Northeastern elites resent Southern football. To be fair to the people of New York and New Jersey, if I lived in a state that smelled like bong water and  never had any real college football, I’d be mad too. You are just left with hockey — which is its own punishment.

Football is the modern-day “bread and circuses” meant to placate citizens. Psychiatrists will tell you football satisfies the primal human thirst for war. But Washington, D.C. politicians go ahead and get us in a bunch of wars, too, just to be on the safe side.

On the bright side, with Trump in office, sex and sports are back. He was at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York last weekend and was met with applause. It was the first time Trump was near a court in New York where he was not facing charges from a liberal judge.

American Eagle jeans have leveraged the cleavage of the sexy Floridian Sydney Sweeney and will have her commercials on football games. It’s groundbreaking; boobs remain the only proof that men can concentrate on two things at the same time.

Even though I live in Tennessee, I have never been a big UT fan. Bama, UGA, Vandy and Memphis are my teams. But to my Tennessee fans I must remind you that you last won a national title in 1998. Those who remember that are likely dead by natural causes by now or certainly need to be reminded to get their second colonoscopy.

I wanted to attend the Tennessee versus Georgia game in Knoxville, but tickets are going for up to $2,000. I love drinking bourbon, eating BBQ, betting and watching an SEC game. It is sad that everything I love is expensive, calorific, illegal or won’t return my phone calls.

A libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author, Ron does commentary on radio and TV. He can be contacted at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.

On this week’s episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with Matt Brown from Extra Points. 

As the college football season heats up, we are talking about the politics of college athletics, from NIL and conference realignment to even video games. Will politicians intervene? 

We tackle it all with the founder and publisher of Extra Points, which tackles all things college sports off the field.

About the Podcast

With the speed of the local news cycle, it’s easy to forget that the politicians who represent us and the influencers in our communities are more than just a sound bite. North Carolina’s veteran reporter and anchor, Tim Boyum, loosens his signature bow tie to give listeners a glimpse behind the curtain, showing us who these power players really are and why they do what they do. Through Tim’s candid conversations on “Tying It Together,” his guests reveal their most fascinating life stories, passions, and help all of us get a better grasp on the issues affecting our communities.

Listen and Subscribe

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Join the Conversation

Do you have any thoughts or questions for Tim? Weigh in on X with the hashtag #TyingItTogetherNC. Afterward, rate the podcast and leave a review to tell us what you think!

On July 1, 2025, the Villanova Athletic Department’s operations transformed, seemingly overnight.

Federal approval of the House v. NCAA settlement on June 8 legalized direct revenue sharing between universities and student-athletes. As a result, university athletic programs nationwide now have the ability to directly pay student athletes for their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). At Villanova, the new Strategic Excellence Fund (VASE) will funnel donor contributions to programs and student-athletes.

University Vice President and Director of Athletics Eric Roedl spent the summer establishing his priorities in the wake of the House settlement and strategizing how to make the most of Villanova’s athletic revenue. While it is a concerning time for many coaches and players navigating the new system, Roedl sees a realm of new opportunity to build Villanova’s brand.

Roedl, who started at Villanova in January, had been preparing for the waves of change in the NCAA since he was in his previous role at the University of Oregon.

“There’s a lot more financial pressure on how we operate because of all the new permissible benefits that we can provide to student-athletes,” Roedl said in an interview with The Villanovan. “The challenge we have is that we’ve got a broad-based 24-sport program, and we don’t have unlimited resources, so we have to try to figure out what those levers are that we’re going to pull.”

The settlement’s impact extends beyond revenue sharing, as the NCAA no longer regulates athletic scholarships and instead limits roster sizes in specific sports. Most significantly, the settlement requires back-pay damages for former athletes who were unable to profit from NIL. According to the VASE website, Villanova will have a $500,000 per year reduction in NCAA revenues from 2016 to 2021. 

Since 2021, NIL opportunities for Villanova student-athletes stemmed from its external collective, Friends of Nova, managed by former basketball player Randy Foye and current assistant coach Ashley Howard. The organization will continue to work with the Athletic Department, while its role has evolved.

“Friends of Nova has done a great job with community engagement and personal development opportunities for our student-athletes, whether it’s financial literacy or leadership development,” Roedl said. “They’re really like an NIL maximization partner. They’re still involved with a lot of donor cultivation and relationships that we have, and trying to help raise money for the University.”

VASE, meanwhile, will primarily benefit Villanova’s highest-revenue programs: men’s and women’s basketball. 

The University determines how to distribute its resources based on which athletic programs generate the most revenue and how much funding is required to ensure that Villanova can remain competitive when it comes to recruiting and retaining talented players.

Many of Villanova’s competitors must now split up to $20.5 million — the NCAA’s cap on revenue sharing — between large football and basketball programs. But according to Roedl, the University is in a unique position in which its Division-I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program does not demand the same level of funding as FBS programs. This allows Villanova to channel more of its resources toward basketball.

“Football is going to be a really big priority for us,” Roedl said. “There are not a lot of programs out there that are committed to winning championships in basketball that are also supporting FCS-level football at a high level.”

While basketball tends to dominate Villanova’s campus culture around athletics, Roedl sees Villanova’s football program as a major area of growth in terms of marketing and community engagement. 

Bringing his experience from managing Oregon’s Big 10 football powerhouse, Roedl hopes to continue cultivating a game-day atmosphere that will galvanize students, alumni, and local fans alike. The Athletic Department’s efforts will surround the marketing and promotion of football games, in addition to improving the tailgate experience.

“I want students to wake up on a Saturday morning and know that [football] is a big part of what it means to be a Villanovan,” Roedl said. “We need to continue to do a better job of building excitement and energy around our football program.”

As Villanova competes with the most well-funded athletic programs in the country, Roedl is not concerned so much with falling behind as he is with getting ahead of the new demands that the House settlement places on top collegiate athletic departments.

“We’re going to be aggressive, proactive and bold with how we try to position our programs to be successful,” Roedl said. “You can see why Villanova is a national-caliber program that’s won national championships, because we’ve got great alignment here from the campus community.”

The landscape of college football has transformed, particularly for wide receivers, with top earners securing impressive NIL salaries. At least five players command over $1 million, with Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State leading at $5-4 million. The compensation figures reflect earnings from schools or NIL collectives, excluding performance incentives. Notable mentions include Ryan Williams at Alabama with over $1.8 million and Carnell Tate at Ohio State with figures surpassing $1.5 million. This financial boom highlights the increasing importance of wide receivers in the evolving college football ecosystem.

By the Numbers

• Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State: $5-4 million
• Ryan Williams, Alabama: Over $1.8 million
• Carnell Tate, Ohio State: Over $1.5 million
• Four other top receivers are earning over $1 million each this fall.

State of Play

• The NIL compensation levels are reshaping recruitment strategies and player decisions.
• Wide receivers are now among the highest-paid positions in college football.
• Schools and collectives are actively competing to attract top talents through lucrative offers.

What’s Next

The trend of rising NIL salaries is expected to continue, as colleges seek to leverage top talent for competitive advantage. We may see more strategic recruitments emphasizing NIL potential, influencing player transfers and commitments. As regulations around NIL evolve, this space could become even more lucrative for athletes.

Bottom Line

The surge in NIL salaries for wide receivers signifies a fundamental shift in college athletics. Players are beginning to reap substantial financial benefits, which not only impacts recruitment but also sets a new standard for compensation in college sports. The landscape is changing, and the financial stakes are higher than ever.