Johnny Manziel was one of the most prolific college quarterbacks in recent memory, both in his ability on the field and his stardom off the field, but he missed out on the NIL era.

If Manziel’s success at Texas A&M came a few years down the road, he thinks he would’ve had a hard time leaving college for the NFL.

“I really feel like I would’ve taken a pay cut had I gone to the NFL,” he told ESPN’s Greg McElroy (9:20 mark). “That’s really what it would’ve been… I feel guys who are playing at a high level, who are really noticeable and really marketable are making a great amount of money to the point where guys have the opportunity to stay in school rather than go to the NFL early.”

Manziel took over as Texas A&M’s starter in 2012 and had a season for the ages, throwing for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns while adding 1,410 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground, enough to earn him a Heisman Trophy.

He had a great final season with the Aggies in 2013, throwing for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns and rushing for 759 yards and nine touchdowns.

According to a 2013 report from ESPN, Texas A&M generated $740 million in donations from Sept. 1, 2012, to Aug. 31, 2013. Of course, some of those donations likely came out of the excitement about recently moving to the SEC, but it’s hard to deny Manziel’s impact.

Nowadays, boosters and fans can donate to NIL collectives that are used to pay top players. It’s safe to say Manziel being in College Station would have given Texas A&M one of the biggest collectives in college football.

But Manziel was arguably just as prolific off the field as he was on it. He sat courtside at NBA games and hung out with celebrities like LeBron James and Drake. If he played in the NIL era, nearly every company would have been trying to sign him to a marketing deal.

Manziel ultimately didn’t pan out in the NFL, but how much money he could have made in the NIL era remains one of the biggest hypothetical questions.

This week, the State Theatre will host several concerts and movies for a range of ages.

Wednesday, July 16

The Disney animated movie “Wish” (2023) will show at noon in The Friedman Auditorium. The story follows a young girl’s powerful wish upon a star.

Thursday, July 17

“Enter the Dragon” (1973) will show at 7:30 p.m. in The Friedman Auditorium. It’s an R-rated action movie starring Bruce Lee which is about a Shaolin martial artist attempting to spy on a former monk turned opium lord.

Friday, July 18

“Full Metal Jacket” (1987) will show in The Friedman Auditorium at 8 p.m. Stanley Kubrick’s dark comedy shines a light on the after-effects of The Vietnam War.

The Montvales will perform in The Attic at 8 p.m. General admission will cost $39. The pair is based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, and they’re touring their latest album “Born Strangers.”

Saturday, July 19

The Steel Wheels will perform on July 19 at 8 p.m. The advanced ticket price is $37, and tickets will cost $42 at the door. The band has a long history with rotating members since 2005, and they host their own music festival in the Shenandoah Valley along with touring in the summer.

Sunday, July 20

“The Never Ending Story” (1984) will show at 2:30 p.m. in The Friedman Auditorium. It’s a fantasy epic about a boy disappearing into a new world through a mystical book.

Starship Troopers (1997) will show at 7:30 p.m. in The Friedman Auditorium. Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards and Dina Meyer starred in the sci-fi movie about battling alien bugs.

MORE LIFESTYLE CONTENT

On Monday, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said he had heard that his former head coach, Nick Saban, could return to coaching.

According to McElroy, co-host of WJOX’s “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” someone “very much in the know” thought Saban was not done coaching.

The legendary coach retired from coaching in 2024, citing the landscape of college football with NIL, the transfer portal and other aspects for retiring.

“[T]his is a little bit out of left field, but the question was asked of me … a very much in the know person that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around and just really, really admire,” McElroy said live at SEC Media Days. “They seem to think Nick Saban’s not done coaching. I had a similar reaction. He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again.”

“Do you buy that?” he asked ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

Finebaum replied, “No,” adding, “Greg, you know Nick Saban better than I do, but I ran into somebody the other day who spends time with Saban in Florida – you can imagine where – and said that he is literally having the time of his life. And why wouldn’t he? I’m much closer to Nick Saban’s age than you are and I can assure you, when you have everything you want and you start playing golf at the best golf clubs in America and you start making friends who belong to even better golf clubs and you make a lot of money for doing very little work on TV, the interest in doing what he walked away from is not very high.

He continued, “I mean, he had a better situation at Alabama the day he left than anywhere he goes, let’s say it’s next year. Now, I don’t know whether it’s college or pros – could he be talked into something in the NFL? I don’t know how, because I don’t know that itch burns anymore, either. But my opinion is Nick Saban is done in coaching.”

“Look, if it wasn’t someone notable, I’d never say a word,” McElroy clarified.

To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].

Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.

Formula 1 is reportedly looking to keep F1 TV in the United States under its next rights deal; SEC commissioner Greg Sankey discusses expansion of the College Football Playoff; and Allison Williams is said to be joining NFL broadcasts on FOX Sports. Plus additional news surrounding the NHL, NBA, ESPYS and Players Era Festival.

Formula 1 aiming to continue F1 TV in United States

With reports indicating that Formula 1 is leaning towards selecting Apple as its United States partner holding broadcasting rights starting next year, the motorsport league could remain accessible through a familiar domain. Formula One Management, the company owned by Liberty Media, is said to be aiming to continue F1 TV in the country within its next rights deal, according to a source cited by Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal.

This service first launched in 2018, and it has granted users the ability to stream all race weekend sessions and various other features. The continuation of F1 TV in the United States would provide viewers with two OTT platforms to view races and other events surrounding the entity. The F1 TV platform has co-existed as ESPN has broadcast the races through linear and digital platforms under media rights deals dating back to 2018.

Dylan Byers of Puck News recently reported that new Liberty Media chief executive officer Derek Chang met with Apple executives Tim Cook and Eddy Cue at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference. On top of that, he conveyed that Apple offered $150 million per annum for the rights and explained that Liberty Media would be likely to accept the proposal.

Sankey expresses support for CFP expansion

As the format of the Colllege Football Playoff remains ambiguous after next season, Sankey expressed his support for its expansion beyond 12 teams, explaining that it “can be positive and should be pursued.” Yet he mentioned that the CFP could remain in its 12-team format containing the five conference champions if no agreement regarding a new format is ultimately reached.

At the moment, the 12 participating teams consist of the five conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked schools as determined by the CFP selection committee. There have been discussions about a model in which the aforementioned conference champions plus 11 at-large teams would qualify, and it was reported by Heather Dinich of ESPN as “gaining traction” after the conference held its spring meetings in late May. Brett Yormark, the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, explained last week that the 5+11 model would be “the right format” for the conference long term, which would grant two automatic bids per year to the entity.

ESPN and the College Football Playoff reached a new six-year agreement reportedly worth $7.8 billion starting in the 2026-27 season that grants the network rights to the entire tournament, along with placing the National Championship Game on ABC for the first time.

Williams joining FOX Sports NFL broadcasts

FOX Sports has promoted sideline reporter Allison Williams to its coverage of the National Football League, according to a report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports. Williams, who first joined the company in August 2022 following a stint at ESPN, has been contributing to college football broadcasts working alongside play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti and analyst Brock Huard for three seasons.

Under her new role, she will be assuming the position previously held by Laura Okmin, who had been with the company for 23 years. Okmin had previously worked with play-by-play announcer Kevin Kugler and analyst Daryl “Moose” Johnston, but it remains unknown if Williams will pair with the same broadcast team.

Plus: NHL tripleheader, NBA, ESPYS, Players Era Festival

• The NHL will begin the 2025-26 regular season with a tripleheader of games airing on Tuesday, Oct. 7 televised exclusively by ESPN in the United States and Rogers Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. Matchups include Blackhawks-Panthers (5 p.m. EST), Penguins-Rangers (8 p.m. EST) and Avalanche-Kings (10:30 p.m. EST), and the full regular-season schedule will be revealed this Wednesday at 1 p.m. EST.
• A potential national streaming RSN for the NBA may not launch until the 2027-28 season, according to a report by Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. While sources cited indicate that the league could have created the platform amid finalizing its national media rights deals, it was said to have considered local television as “a prohibitive revenue source.”
• ESPN has revealed that this Wednesday’s presentation of the 2025 “ESPYS” from The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. will honor Diana Taurasi and Alex Morgan with the Icon Award recognizing their careers and impact in professional sports. The network is also going to air an edition of “SportsCenter: 50 States in 50 Days” from the red carpet featuring anchors Kevin Neghandi and Elle Duncan.
• TNT Sports will exclusively present the 31-game Players Era college basketball tournament for the second consecutive year during Thanksgiving Week. Various prominent men’s and women’s basketball teams are featured as part of the schedule, such as Tennessee, St. John’s, Creighton and Rutgers.

© Matthew Smith/Gymnastics Now