NIL

FSU's Collins opens up about ACC settlement, NIL guardrails, quest for AAU status

Published

5 months ago

August 26, 2025

FSU's Collins opens up about ACC settlement, NIL guardrails, quest for AAU status

It has been nearly six months since Florida State reached a settlement with the Atlantic Coast Conference to resolve their dueling lawsuits, and the university’s top decision-maker believes the groundbreaking deal could be a blueprint for other conferences to follow.

Peter Collins, who is chair of Florida State’s Board of Trustees, answered questions in a Warchant virtual “Town Hall” for about an hour Monday evening, and he addressed a variety of topics related to the university’s athletics department. In his first extensive public comments since the ACC settlement was reached, Collins said he believes it was a win-win for the university and the rest of the conference.

“I feel really good about where we ended up,” Collins said. “I feel really good about where the ACC is today. I think the ACC created the mold for unequal revenue distribution. I think you’ll see that come in the future, maybe in some other conferences.”

Before the lawsuits between Florida State, Clemson and the ACC were settled, all member schools in the conference shared revenue from the league’s television contract equally. Now, as a result of the settlement, the schools that bring in the largest television ratings each year will receive a larger slice of the pie.

According to sources, that could mean up to an additional $20 million per year for schools like Florida State and Clemson, and smaller annual payouts for other schools.

“It took a lot of guts,” Collins said. “It took a lot of guts on a lot of people’s parts to do it. But I think it was the right thing to do, and I think the outcome that we got at the end of it was good for Florida State. But it was good for the ACC. And I think that’s why, ultimately, the ACC agreed to it.”

The other major concession from the ACC was to set up a formal structure by which schools could leave the conference before its long-term media rights deal with ESPN expires in 2036. Departing early would not be cheap; schools would be required to pay an exit fee of $165 million if they left in 2025-26 or $147 million one year later. That number would continue to decrease until it reaches $75 million in 2030.

While leaving early would come with a hefty price tag, the change was considered a significant win for Florida State, Clemson and any other ACC schools that might want to consider jumping to a conference with a more lucrative TV deal.

It was not a painless process, however. Florida State took barbs from many in the national media, and even some other college administrators, for going public with their dissatisfaction with the ACC. But Collins said FSU had no option but to go that route because of the state’s Sunshine Laws, which require government meetings to be held in public.

“I feel really good about where we are, and I feel good about the process and what we did,” he said. “If there’s one regret I have, like I said, it’s sort of like the very public nature in which we did it. But we really had no choice. And so to anyone we might have offended in that process, you know, apologies. But you’re going to have to sort of take it up with the Florida Legislature.”

While the most marketable ACC programs will reap the rewards from the settlement in the short term, Collins noted that it should provide motivation to other schools in the conference to devote more money and resources to football. Which could then lead to an improved product overall.

“Everybody should be incentivized to invest,” Collins said. “Everyvody should be incentivized to get better.”

The hope for real NIL guardrails

Along with conference realignment, the biggest transformation in college athletics in decades has been the ability for players to earn money through NIL deals and the recent NCAA-House settlement, which will allow schools to share more than $20 million per year with their athletes.

The opening of those avenues to pay players, along with the freedom of athletes to transfer to new schools every year, has led to an unfettered brand of free agency that has rocked virtually all college sports — from football to softball — with recruits and transfers often going to the highest bidder.

There is some hope that the House settlement, which puts restrictions on the types of NIL deals that will be permissible going forward, could help bring some normalcy back to the sport — especially if there is real enforcement from the newly formed College Sports Commission. But Collins acknowledged there is skepticism about how this is all going to work.

“Depends on the time of day and the day of the week,” he said with a laugh, when asked whether he is optimistic or pessimistic.

The Florida State Trustees Chair did say that he believes most, if not all, schools want some sort of guardrails in place so that college sports don’t get overrun by a few schools with the richest donors.

“That’s what we don’t want college football to become, right?” Collins said. “Where there’s 10 schools out there that, for all intents and purposes, are going to be the only 10 schools that can compete. … Every school wants to know where the banks of the river are and to know that people that go outside of the banks of the river are going to get penalized. …

“I think the structure is good. I hope it works. I’m praying for it all to work, and I hope that there is significant teeth [to the rules] that if people step out of the banks of the river that they get penalized.”

Collins said he empathizes with fans who are frustrated by the direction of college sports in recent years, and he shares the concern that if things don’t improve, it could ultimately affect fan interest and the viability of the industry.

“Yes, I’m concerned about that, and I think everybody shares that concern,” Collins said. “At the heart of it, we all love the competition. We all love the rivalries. But it’s hard to walk into a rivalry that you’ve loved for two decades knowing that you have no chance of winning. And that’s when it dies in my opinion.”

AAU status in sight?

Florida State officials have been working for years to raise the university’s academic profile, which has led to improved standings in national rankings and other metrics. But for all of their efforts, one honor that has eluded them so far has been membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).

The University of Florida earned that distinction in 1985, while in-state schools USF and Miami also were selected in recent years.

Because AAU status is believed to be highly coveted by officials with the Big Ten Conference, many Florida State fans have become interested in the Seminoles’ efforts to meet that standard. They at least would like that door to be open when FSU eventually looks to leave the ACC for greener pastures.

When asked about that topic, Collins said the only thing holding Florida State back in the past was a lack of research dollars generated by the university. But he said that has been a primary focus of university President Richard McCullough and many members of his staff.

“The numbers aren’t official this year, but we’re touching on $500 million of research expenditures in this last year,” Collins said. “We’re getting really close, even with some cuts from the federal government.”

The Florida State Trustees Chair pointed out that the university is partnering with Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare to build a medical campus in Panama City, and the university also is working on a new nursing school, among other science-related projects.

“As a university and as an administration, we’re laser focused on research, and really that’s the only thing holding us back — the level of our research expenditures,” Collins said. “So we’re focused on that. You can make the argument today that Florida State has the merit to be in the AAU. But it’ll happen when it happens.

“How close we are, I don’t know. Like I said, I could make a strong case to the AAU people that we belong today. But I would say certainly within probably the next two or three years, people would be hard-pressed to say that we don’t belong in the AAU.”

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NIL

No. 3 transfer portal player delivers bad news to major college football programs

Published

46 minutes ago

January 11, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Two of the biggest programs are college football got some transfer portal bad news as one of the top players in the portal reportedly made his commitment on Saturday. Neither Ohio State nor LSU will lack for talented football players in 2026, but one player each school had reportedly coveted is moving on.

Penn State transfer Chaz Coleman has reportedly made his commitment to Tennessee on Saturday morning. Coleman, who had been ranked as the No. 3 player in the portal by On3sports and the No. 5 player by 247sports, had long been linked to Ohio State as a recruiting favorite. On the other hand, LSU had received a recent visit from Coleman. But neither school was able to land him away from the Volunteers.

Coleman was a four-star recruit out of Ohio in the class of 2025. He took official visits to Kentucky, Penn State, and then Ohio State in the final days before the early signing period, but chose to sign with Penn State. The 6’4″ EDGE has bulked up to near 250 pounds, but saw little action in his season at Penn State, making eight tackles in nine games. He’ll have three years of remaining eligibility.

Favorites Come up Empty on Coleman

Ohio State had long been considered the favorite to sign Coleman. Pete Nakos of On3 tied Coleman to Ohio State early in the portal process. Coleman visited Ohio State last week and the vast majority of On3 prediction were for the Buckeyes.

LSU, on the other hand, was thought to be more of a last-minute option for Coleman. He visited Lane Kiffin and the Tigers first, before heading to Tennessee and OSU, and many thought LSU had positioned itself as a switch-over option from the Buckeyes.

Tennessee, on the other hand, has several former Penn State defensive coaching now on staff, with former coordinator Jim Knowles and co-coordinator Anthony Poindexter joining the Vol staff. Tennessee is clearly making good use of this connection, as Coleman is the third Penn State transfer that the Vols have snagged, with linebacker Amare Campbell and lineman Xavier Gilliam also on board.

The remaining EDGE market

The EDGE market is narrowing with the early commitment of John Henry Daley to Michigan and Coleman heading to Tennessee. LSU and Ohio State might move on to Missouri transfer Damon Wilson II. Oklahoma State’s Wendell Gregory could be another option there, although many are linking Gregory to Missouri at this time. The market on top EDGE talent is thinning out and two surprising teams came up empty on Chaz Coleman.

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NIL

UCF, Houston Post ‘No State Income Tax’ NIL Photo Promos amid CFB Transfer Portal

Published

2 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The transfer portal is really bringing out some of the wildest recruiting tools from college football programs.

For example, on Saturday, both UCF and Houston posted photos on social media aimed at players in the transfer portal to advertise there is “no state income tax” in either Florida or Texas.

It’s certainly a big, bold strategy for both programs to take with the portal deadline approaching on Jan. 16. They could use any advantage at their disposal right now as they try to keep pace with the rest of the Big 12.

BYU is the only program in the conference behind Houston and UCF in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings.

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NIL

What is Fernando Mendoza ‘s NIL Deals in 2026 – Salary with the Indiana Hoosiers and Career Earnings

Published

3 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

With just minutes to go before the Peach Bowl showdown between the No. 1 undefeated and undisputed Indiana Hoosiers and the Oregon Ducks, all eyes are on Heisman QB Fernando Mendoza to see if he can pull off one last miracle. While he’s locked in for the biggest test of his career, some folks are wondering just how much the QB1 is actually bringing home for taking the Indiana Hoosiers to their best ever season before he heads to the NFL.

Fernando Mendoza’s Contract Breakdown

Fernando Mendoza is right in the middle of the new age of college football where players actually get paid by their schools. He doesn’t have an old-school professional contract yet, but he does have a binding agreement with Indiana University through a new revenue-sharing plan. This is separate from the money he makes from his various endorsement deals with big names like Adidas and Dr Pepper. It’s how the top guys get their cash flow now – a mix of school money and brand deals.

Actually looking back on the last five years, Fernando has been busy just being a world-class student and certified player. He played for the UC Berkeley Golden Bears from 2022 through 2024, becoming a full-time starter in 2023 and graduating from the Haas School of Business last summer with a degree in business administration. Explains why his post-game pressers are gems.

December 06, 2025: Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza 15 holds up MVP trophy after NCAA, College League, USA football game action between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. /CSM Indianapolis United States of America – ZUMAc04_ 20251206_zma_c04_714 Copyright: xJohnxMersitsx

However, the big leap of faith came with his transfer to Indiana for the 2025 season. It came with around $2 million worth of greens.

The real money jump is still in the future. Fernando is expected to enter the 2026 NFL Draft after this season wraps up. Right now, all the experts think he’ll be the number one pick overall. If that happens, he will finally sign a true professional contract with an NFL team that could be worth well over $55 million. That’s when his current college earnings will look like small pennies compared to his pro salary!

What is Fernando Mendoza’s salary?

Because of NCAA rules, Fernando doesn’t get a “salary” from his school, so his bank account grows through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals instead. Think of it as a collection of high-paying side hustles rather than one steady paycheck from the university. Since NIL only became a thing in 2021, he went from earning nothing early in his career to a millionaire this season.

Right now, analysts estimate Fernando Mendoza’s total net worth to be somewhere between $800k and $1.5 million. It’s a bit of a moving target because of things like taxes and how some of that money might be structured in trusts. His NIL earnings jumped from $1.6 million to the current $2.6 million after taking his Hoosiers to 14-0, including first outright Big 10 title since 1955.

Fernando Mendoza’s NIL Deal Net Worth/ Sponsors

Fernando has some pretty big-name sponsors backing him. He’s signed deals with major brands like Dr Pepper, T-Mobile, and even Epic Games (you know, the Fortnite folks). Can’t forget his biggest one. Adidas contract. Last month, Mendoza took it to his Linkedin to flex his Three stripes deal,“Excited to share that I’ve accepted an opportunity to join adidas!

I’m very grateful for everyone who has supported me along the way and excited to bring my passion for sport, leadership, and work ethic to the Three Stripes. Let’s get to work.”

He also has partnerships with Keurig, Rent-A-Center, and Royal Canin. The exact length of these individual contracts isn’t made public, but they’re all part of what makes up his impressive total earning potential. But here’s a rough estimation:

(Mind, this is just a rough estimation to give you an idea.)

Fernando Mendoza’s NIL welfare

What’s really cool is that Fernando is using his fame for good. He’s pledged to donate all of his NIL earnings to the Mendoza Hope Fund, which supports after-school programs and scholarships. Plus, he launched a “Mendoza Mania” merchandise line, and all the money from that goes to the National MS Society, a cause close to his heart because his mother has MS (Multiple Sclerosis).

The truth is, he turned his college years into a multimillion-dollar platform. All that while staying humble enough to give back to charity. Whether he beats Oregon today or not, he has already won the financial game and the hearts of the state of Indiana by putting a basketball-first program on the CFP semifinals map. It’s only a matter of time before his NFL career takes off.

The post What is Fernando Mendoza ‘s NIL Deals in 2026 – Salary with the Indiana Hoosiers and Career Earnings appeared first on EssentiallySports.

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Stephen A. Smith: ‘There’s some mediocrity within the SEC’ after missing national title game once again

Published

3 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The Southeastern Conference will once again be absent from the national championship stage. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes the issue runs far deeper than a single postseason loss.

Following Ole Miss’ defeat to Miami in the College Football Playoff semifinals, Smith delivered a pointed critique of the SEC on First Take, arguing that the conference’s long-held dominance has eroded in the modern NIL and transfer portal era. The loss marked the third consecutive season the SEC will miss the national title game, an unthinkable outcome just a few years ago.

“They ain’t feeling you anymore,” Smith stated. “When you look at the absence of depth, why? Because players are choosing to go elsewhere. It ain’t just the second-stringers anymore. You got some all-world players saying, ‘We don’t have to be in the SEC anymore the way that we used to.’”

Smith pointed to the growing national parity as evidence that the SEC’s grip on elite talent has loosened. With players now empowered by NIL opportunities and immediate eligibility via the transfer portal, Smith argued that the conference no longer holds the same gravitational pull it once did.

“We’ll go to the Big Ten, we’ll go to the Big 12, we’ll go to the ACC,” Smith stated. “You see some of these cats in Miami, how are they looking? Think about that for a second here.”

Beyond roster movement, Smith also questioned whether the SEC still boasts the same sideline advantage it once did. He specifically referenced the transition at Alabama, where Kalen DeBoer replaced Nick Saban, calling the shift a clear inflection point.

“He’s a good coach,” Smith said of DeBoer. “He just ain’t in the same class as Nick Saban. So, there’s a precipitous drop off there.”

Moreover, Smith argued the landscape began changing when Georgia won back-to-back national titles, exposing a widening gap between the league’s elite and the rest of the conference. From there, he rattled off programs he believes no longer resemble their former selves, including Auburn, Arkansas, Florida and LSU.

“This ain’t the days of Urban Meyer,” Smith explained. “They don’t have Tim Tebow in Florida. They don’t look the same.”

While acknowledging that the SEC remains powerful, Smith concluded that its mystique has faded. Where the league once featured five or six national title-caliber programs, he now sees a conference filled with teams that look increasingly beatable.

“There’s some mediocrity within the SEC Conference,” Smith concluded. “The allure is gone. They’re a powerful conference, but the allure that they once had has been eviscerated. Period.”

As the College Football Playoff moves forward without an SEC team competing for the title once again, Smith’s comments underscore a growing national conversation. Whether college football’s most dominant league is still setting the standard, or simply chasing it.

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Oregon Ducks’ Dante Moore Takes Blame For Season-Ending Loss To Indiana

Published

4 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Oregon Ducks dan lanning schedule Dante moore College Football Playoff Indiana Hoosiers Fernando Mendoza Recruiting NIL — Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) looks to pass against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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College enforcement group voices ‘serious concerns’ with spiraling transfer portal

Published

5 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

A transfer portal spiraling out of control prompted the new regulatory body for college sports to issue a memo to athletic directors Friday night saying it has “serious concerns” about some of the multimillion-dollar contracts being offered to players.

The “reminder” from the College Sports Commission came out about an hour before kickoff of the semifinal between Indiana and Oregon in a College Football Playoff that has shared headlines with news of players signing seven-figure deals to move or, in some cases, stay where they are.

The CSC reminded the ADs that, according to the rules, third-party deals to use players’ name, image and likeness “are evaluated at the time of entry in NIL Go, not before, and each deal is evaluated on its own merits.”

“Without prejudging any particular deal, the CSC has serious concerns about some of the deal terms being contemplated and the consequences of those deals for the parties involved,” the memo said.

Under terms of the House settlement that dictated the rules for NIL payments, schools can share revenue with their players directly from a pool of $20.5 million. Third-party deals, often arranged by businesses created to back the schools, are being used as workarounds this so-called salary cap.

The CSC, through its NIL Go portal, is supposed to evaluate those deals to make sure they are for a valid business purpose and fall within a fair range of compensation for the services being provided.

The CSC did not list examples of unapproved contracts, but college football has seen its share of seven-figure deals luring players to new schools since the transfer portal opened on Jan. 2.

One high-profile case involved Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who initially sought to enter the transfer portal and turn his back on a reported deal worth $4 million with the Huskies. Legal threats ensued and Williams changed course and stayed at Washington.

“Making promises of third-party NIL money now and figuring out how to honor those promises later leaves student-athletes vulnerable to deals not being cleared, promises not being able to be kept, and eligibility being placed at risk,” the CSC letter said.

The commission listed two rules about contracts it evaluates, some of which have been termed “agency agreement” or “services agreement” in what look like attempts to bypass the rules.

—”The label on the contract does not change the analysis; if an entity is agreeing to pay a student-athlete for their NIL, the agreement must be reported to NIL Go within the reporting deadline.”

—”An NIL agreement or payment with an associated entity or individual … must include direct activation of the student-athlete’s NIL rights.” This is a reference to the practice of “warehousing” NIL rights by paying first, then deciding how to use them later.

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