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NIL

Strategy over transparency, says AD Anne McCoy

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5 months ago

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WHEN IT COMES to revenue sharing and NIL dollars, Washington State isn’t playing the disclosure game. Athletic director Anne McCoy tells Cougfan.com in a wide-ranging interview the Cougars are purposefully keeping their numbers under wraps — a strategic decision designed to protect competitive advantage while zeroing in on what’s best for WSU in the evolving college football landscape.

If you missed the first article from CF.C’s talk with McCoy, CLICK HERE. Here’s her insight on NIL, revenue sharing and more …

COUGFANcom: How much NIL money do your coaches say that they need to be able to compete consistently each year?

McCoy: I think that’s still something we’re wrapping our arms around. And honestly, from a competitive perspective, not something we’re really talking very publicly about. We’ve leaned in on scholarships, we’ve leaned in on the cost of attendance — whatever the coaches think is important, whether it’s retention or recruitment from the NIL perspective. So we have purposefully worked with our coaches closely behind the scenes.

But from a competitive advantage or disadvantage, that really isn’t something we’re talking about very publicly.

COUGFANcom: In terms of revenue sharing, how much revenue will Washington State be sharing with its athletes this school year?

McCoy: I think that falls into that same boat. Again, from a competitive advantage or disadvantage, it’s not a number that we’re putting out there publicly.

COUGFANcom: Can you talk about how Washington State’s revenue sharing compares with our brethren in the new Pac-12?

McCoy: I think they’re in the same boat we’re in in a lot of cases, that people aren’t really talking about this very transparently. So we’re more focused on what we need to do at Washington State to continue to be competitive and to really be leaders in the new Pac-12 with what’s right for us.

COUGFANcom: What’s the status of the Washington State’s athletic department fundraising compared to this point last year?

McCoy: We’re trending in a really good direction. If memory serves me right, I think of our quarters this past year were higher than they’ve ever been in history. It’s always an interesting moving target because whether you have, capital project fundraising or bigger ticket things that are maybe a single focus vs. just general fundraising. But we feel really good about it.

Our donor engagement has been higher than ever. I think we are something like six tickets shy of 1,000 new season ticket holders, so that’s trending in a good direction, and many of those are in donor seating areas. We’re really focusing right now on not only our athletic scholarships, which obviously are always a priority, but really looking at fundraising specifically for additional fan enhancements that we hope to put in place next fall if we’re looking at the scoreboard, new turf, ribbon board, sound — a lot of other things we know need to happen, but we need a longer runway for not only from a competitive bid process but also, quite frankly, a funding aspect.

We feel really good about it. I think it’s been hard after people were a little uncertain of some of the directions things had been going. The fact that we’re entering this year with a full Pac-12 going forward, with the expanded media and just the excitement, enthusiasm on campus., think that it really is translating to folks not only continuing to invest, but maybe increasing that investment, and new people also coming to the table.

The increased membership to the Cougar Athletic Fund from the recent push, all of those things are really trending in a positive direction and are really exciting, honestly.

COUGFANcom: How is the fundraising for the Next Chapter program come together so far?

McCoy: It’s been really good. One piece of that, and it’s meant to be, is if you love NIL or scholarships, there’s an option. If you really are passionate about facilities, that’s an option. But one of the things we’ve put into place new as part of the Next Chapter is also these opportunities to invest more directly in the program that makes your heart sing, whether it be women’s basketball or football or swimming or whatever program.

It’s a new opportunity for people that want to invest in a specific program to really have increased access and exposure to our head coaches and our teams. We have some people that have wanted to join every single one because they want to be invested or involved and some that are picking, the sports that are nearest and dearest to their hearts.

COUGFANcom: We’ve heard that some of the savings from track will be used for scholarships and volleyball and other sports. Is that accurate?

McCoy: Yes, absolutely. I think as we talked about at the time, the track decision was not about an overall budget reduction for the department. It was about finding a way that we could not be spread as thin as we were becoming. And so absolutely the scholarships, particularly on the women’s side from track, will be reinvested in other women’s sports programs and we’re also really looking at ways that we can bolster the services that we’re providing all of our student athletes going forward. So yes, that is absolutely accurate.

COUGFANcom: What are some of the details? How many scholarships are we talking about and how does it break down across sports?

McCoy: I would not say it’s been a specific ‘this dollar to this place, this dollar to that place.’ I mean, we’re looking at our budget overall as a whole. And so we certainly have some staff savings that we’re able to reinvest from the track changes. We have money that we’re reinvesting in the track and cross country programs. And so I don’t know that I could give you a very succinct answer on tracking every dollar and where it’s going.

And so whether that’s a decreased load on our athletic medicine staff or nutrition or academic support services or whatever it might be, I think it’s a much larger picture. But I do know we’ve been extremely careful relative to any of the changes in our women’s scholarships to track to make sure those were reinvesting now we do have some track athletes still here that are finishing up their degrees or perhaps waiting to transfer at the semester or after the year.

COUGFANcom: Your reaction to the just-announced deal with The CW, the second TV deal announced so far with CBS the first?

The CW has been a great partner last year and coming up for this year and I think as all of the interest with the Pac-12 media rights going forward it’s really gained a lot of momentum. We’re excited for the opportunity to not only continue, but expand the partnership with The CW. They have such a broad reach, literally 100 percent of the households throughout the U.S.

It’s not only a chance for football in the Pac-12 to continue to be seen, but really the expansion into men’s and women’s basketball for that same level of exposure. They’ve been tremendous partners and I think really are excited about the vision of the Pac-12 and want to be a big part of that moving forward.

COUGFANcom: There obviously there’s still a lot of game inventory out there available for broadcast. When do you anticipate additional media rights partnerships being announced? Is that something fans should expect, say, in the next couple weeks, or is it something that’s still going to take a while?

McCoy:  I don’t know that I have a good answer for that right now. The Pac-12 has been very deliberate with not only the membership but also Octagon, their media consultants, and I think just determining when each piece is ready to be not only signed off on, but then announced. We are really encouraged by all the interest, but I just think the Pac-12 has purposefully avoided a timeline only because then it becomes; ‘Why wasn’t it announced yet?’ And then people wonder if there’s more to the story.

And so they’ve been really thorough and, I think, deliberate about it. So I don’t know, I honestly don’t. I mean, it could be next week. It could be in three weeks. When the Pac-12 is ready, it’ll come out.

COUGFANcom: Turner Sports, TNT and TBS, ESPN — anybody else that we should be keeping an eye out for on potential TV partners?

McCoy: I think what I would say is that Octagon and the Pac-12 are leaving no stone left unturned of folks that might be interested in being partners, and whether it be streaming, whether it be traditional over the air broadcasts or whatever. So I would say if there’s any partner you could potentially envision, I think that they’re being vetted and looked at. But obviously it’s a competitive bid process. So beyond that, I probably wouldn’t say much more about it.

COUGFANcom: The press release last week said the large pregame tailgate area was moving to the CUB Senior Ballroom and the Fieldhouse was going to be used for corporate events. On first glance it seems like it should be exactly the opposite given the atmosphere in the Fieldhouse, no? Walk us through the thinking on that.

McCoy: I think it’s like a tale of two fieldhouses is how I would best describe it. If you came to events a decade or more ago, what the Fieldhouse was then vs. what it really has evolved into the last several years, I think are two very different things. And I think that the affinity people have for the Fieldhouse, which I completely understand and agree with, the facility unfortunately is in need of some maintenance. It needs some upgrades.

We’ve gotten a lot of complaints, quite frankly, from people who are choosing not to go to the Fieldhouse anymore: the audio/visual quality is tough, the lighting is tough. We aren’t able to do some of the things that we used to be able to do relative to food vendors and a variety of different things. And it just has withered a bit, quite frankly.

We took a lot of time in the off season to really think about it and thought, OK, well, we’re not doing a multi-million dollar upgrade to the facility right now. And we have a women’s tennis team that needs to be able to practice and compete in that facility and really looking at how even just the footprint has changed. You need a ticket to go into Cougville on Rogers Field, but we still want a place that people can go ideally where they don’t need a ticket. And we used to do things pregame, either through campus or athletics up in the CUB but that had kind of ceased over the last few years. And so as we looked at how can we provide a better environment that’s still resistant to the weather relative to an indoor space, a place where we can have large screen TVs for people to watch games and they can actually hear that and see it, and we can have yard games for the kids.

We can have beer, wine, cocktails and food options and really bringing some energy to that central part of campus. From a decade ago, that is not the same Fieldhouse, it’s not the same environment. And so we think the CUB has a chance to be potentially an even better space. And then the Fieldhouse right now would be available for private corporate events, (or) an opposing team alumni association or something that’s smaller and more contained. But really, honestly, we’re trying to bring in more energy, and listening to the fans about needing something that really was an improvement over where the Fieldhouse had evolved to.

COUGFANcom: In terms of  potential expansion and new Pac-12 member schools, anything on the horizon soon for either a school coming in for all sports, and/or football, basketball and or baseball only?

McCoy: Much like the media, the Pac-12 continues to explore all options and evaluate what’s best for the conference going forward. I think that they’re also looking at continuing some expansion and maybe some affiliate members or other things that really can make the conference the strongest going forward. I don’t sit here knowing that there’s going to be an imminent announcement. But having said that, in college athletics these days, you know, things are the way they are until they’re not. But there’s no immediate, you know, either full -fledged or other announcements on the horizon that I’m aware of.

COUGFANcom: How engaged has President Elizabeth Cantwell been in athletics in her short time here?

McCoy: It’s been great. Having come from Utah State, a school that just made the decision to move to the Pac-12, I think she’s very aware of how an athletic department can help in spreading the vision and the mission for a university. So we had a chance to have her at a couple of our all-student athlete meetings recently to start the semester. She’s been involved coming to some practices, certainly competitions, but I think also just learning as much as she can, not only about our program and our budget, but much like she is doing for the entire system.

I feel like she’s done a great job of really understanding us as a department, but as part of the bigger mission of the university and so it’s been it’s been really good.

COUGFANcom: Any final thoughts? The floor is yours.

McCoy: It’s been hard with all the changes in college athletics and we understand that and the one thing I would say is is that there are a lot of really exciting things happening, and our student athletes and our coaches are working really hard. We all understand and feel the frustration with some of the changes in a variety of different areas, but we need to go forward and we need to look towards the future and do what we can to best position Washington State University. And I think just having that level of, you know, support for everything the other sports are doing or the coaches or the student athletes, and just realizing that, you know, it’s okay to be frustrated about some of the changes, but it’s also okay to be excited and ready to kind of move into the future.

And you know, any yoga fans out there, you have a chance for a couple home football games to do yoga on the field. I mean, just looking at how we can make the game day experience a more expanded, inclusive experience for all Coug fans, I think some things will be a hit and some will maybe take some time. But at the end of the day, understand that there are a lot of great things going on and we want to continue to partner with people and be good stewards of the department.

Related: McCoy says ‘We’re crossing every T, dotting every I’ on expanded beer and wine sales



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Coaches vote to support expansion of redshirt eligibility from four games to nine in college football

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January 13, 2026

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The eligibility of players has become a highly debated topic around college football in recent seasons. In particular, there has been a push to expand eligibility. Now, it looks like the redshirt rules may have taken another step toward being adjusted.

Head coaches from around the country have just finished their first meeting for the AFCA. The major point of discussion there was the four-game redshirt rule, rather than the calendar. There, director Craig Bohl, a former head coach at Wyoming and North Dakota State, shared that the coaches voted unanimously to expand the redshirt rule from four games to nine games.

“The FBS head coaches unanimously support increasing the current Division I football redshirt rule to include up to nine regular season games,” Craig Bohl said. “End of story.”

It’s important to note that this is just a recommendation. It will now be put forth to the Division I committees.

If the change from four games to nine games does occur, it would be another notable change to the redshirt rule was adjusted to allow players some leeway to play games and retain their eligibility. Previously, it had been strict that players couldn’t play at all. Then, in 2018, the four-game redshirt rule came into place. Later, players would be allowed to not count bowls towards those four games.

Andy Staples, reporting on the conversations, shared some insight into why. He wrote, “Essentially, the four-game rule incentivizes players to shut it down to get an extra year of pay. Five to play five seems the preference.”

It’s not uncommon now for players to play in four games and step away from their programs to use a redshirt and transfer. This would, potentially, incentivize them to stay with their programs longer during the season.

NIL is also a consideration in all of this. With financial incentive, players are looking to maximize their potential earning and as a response to that, coaches seem to prefer moving to five years of eligibility. If they were to do that at some point in the future, then the redshirt would be removed entirely.

In October of 2025, the NCAA had given extensive thought to the five-for-five plan on eligibility. However, at the time, it was tabled for the time being. Still, the hope for supporters of the change is that it would simplify the system and help handle legal attacks on eligibility standards.

Certainly, the NCAA is facing numerous legal battles regarding its eligibility standards. That includes the high-profile JUCO lawsuit that involves Diego Pavia and Joey Aguilar. Then, Ole Miss‘ Trinidad Chambliss recently mounted a challenge to his additional season of eligibility being denied.



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Greg McElroy states Fernando Mendoza is the best college football quarterback since Joe Burrow

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54 minutes ago

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January 13, 2026

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Former Alabama quarterback turned ESPN analyst Greg McElroy delivered one of the boldest quarterback evaluations in recent college football memory. He’s placing Fernando Mendoza in rare air during the latest episode of Always College Football.

According to McElroy, Mendoza’s current level of play puts him in a category few have reached over the past decade: “This is not the traditional Indiana football,” McElroy said. 

“This is a Madden simulation that’s set on rookie difficulty. Fernando Mendoza at the center of it all. He is not just physically gifted, but he has that Ivy League processing.”

McElroy went a step further, comparing Mendoza’s efficiency and command of the offense to the very best quarterback season of the modern era: “I look at him and I know there’ve been some great quarterbacks in the last five years, like Caleb Williams, Bryce Young. A bunch of incredible football players,” McElroy added. 

“But this to me feels like one of, if not the best quarterbacks we’ve seen in college football since Joe Burrow.”

Of course, that’s a lofty comparison. Burrow’s rise at LSU was well documented, but Mendoza’s rise has been one of the most compelling storylines in the sport. 

After transferring from Cal to Indiana, he immediately took control of the Hoosiers’ offense, leading it with surgical precision. McElroy highlighted Mendoza’s completion percentage north of 73 percent as evidence of his elite efficiency and decision-making.

“He becomes the CEO of the offense,” McElroy explained. “His story is kind of Shakespearean in some ways.”

That efficiency was on full display in Indiana’s Peach Bowl matchup against Oregon, one of the nation’s top defenses. Facing a unit ranked among the best in pass defense, Mendoza delivered a near-perfect performance.

“He was a cool 17-for-20 for five touchdowns,” McElroy delineated. “That is clinical execution and it just kills you every single snap.”

Moreover, McElroy emphasized Mendoza’s ability to diagnose defenses before the snap, punish coverage mistakes instantly and anticipate windows before they open. Things that have the Indiana offense rolling at the moment.

“He anticipates your move and then boom. He punishes you before the ball even leaves his hand,” McElroy explained.

Beyond the arm talent, McElroy also pointed to an underrated aspect of Mendoza’s game in his mobility. With 429 rushing yards and six touchdowns this season (excluding sack yardage), Mendoza has consistently extended drives with his legs.

“He’s not a burner, but he’s football fast,” McElroy stated. “He’s slippery. You think you’ve got him bottled up on third-and-three, and then boom, he falls forward and it’s a first down.”

As Mendoza continues to carve up defenses, McElroy’s assessment underscores just how special Indiana’s quarterback has become. His name is now being mentioned alongside the very best the sport has seen in the past decade, but we’ll see if he can cap off this run with a national title next week.



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Indiana football roster too old? No, Hoosiers just have better players

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2 hours ago

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January 13, 2026

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Updated Jan. 13, 2026, 7:53 a.m. ET





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Illinois, Daktronics Install Largest Video Display in College Football

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3 hours ago

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January 13, 2026

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F26 New Season Deposits 1920x480

The following release is courtesy of Daktronics.

BROOKINGS, S.D. – The Fighting Illini turned to Daktronics (NASDAQ-DAKT) of Brookings, South Dakota, to design, manufacture and install the largest main video display in college football, totaling 17,300+ square feet. The project includes 16 LED displays that combine for more than 26,750 square feet and 30 million pixels at Gies Memorial Stadium on campus at the University of Illinois in Champaign. The project will be completed ahead of the 2026 college football season.

“We are excited to partner with Daktronics to bring the largest videoboard in college football to Gies Memorial Stadium,” said Director of Athletics Josh Whitman. “These new visual resources reflect our commitment to providing one of the nation’s best game day experiences. Under Coach Bielema’s leadership, and with an electric fan base that is now filling our stadium to near capacity, our program has become one of the most successful and exciting in major college football. We are thrilled to make this major investment in our historic stadium – one of the sport’s great venues – as we continue our efforts to enhance the experience for our fans, student-athletes, and others, all with an eye toward building a championship program.”

Main Video Display Details

The new south end zone display will measure approximately 69 feet high by 250 feet wide and will feature a 10-millimeter pixel spacing for high-resolution imagery and improved contrast. The size of the display will allow for larger-than-life content, including live video, instant replays, graphics, animations, game statistics and sponsorship messages.

The display features 16 million pixels and would be the fifth-largest display in professional football. It is roughly the same size as the main outfield display at Citi Field in New York and 3.4 times the size of the main display at Soldier Field in Chicago. For reference, it would take 1,621 60-inch televisions to cover the entire display.

“We’re excited to partner with the University of Illinois on this project to bring the largest display in college football to life,” said Daktronics Vice President of Live Events Jay Parker. “College football is a tradition that brings people together and creates unforgettable moments. This project reflects the passion and scale of college football, and we’re proud to help make those memories even more impactful in Champaign, Illinois.”

Top 10 Largest Displays in College FootballTop 10 Largest Displays in College Football (2026)













1. Illinois

17,315 sq. ft.

2. Auburn

10,690 sq. ft.

3. Purdue

8,461 sq. ft.

4. Oregon

8,208 sq. ft.

5. Michigan

8,165 sq. ft.

6. Wisconsin

7,941 sq. ft.

7. Utah

7,808 sq. ft.

8. Oklahoma

7,803 sq. ft

9. Mississippi State

7,777 sq. ft.

10. Texas A&M

7,635 sq. ft.

Additional LED Display Details

Supplementing the in-bowl experience, a super ribbon in the north end zone and two sideline ribbon displays are being installed along the seating fascia as well as two field-level displays and eight bleacher displays being installed as well. The north end zone super ribbon measures roughly 12.5 feet high by 180 feet wide and each sideline ribbon measures roughly 4 feet high by 427 feet wide. Both field level displays measure nearly 5.5 feet high by 34 feet wide. All three ribbon displays and both field-level displays feature 10-millimeter pixel spacing.

The eight bleacher displays each measure roughly 5.5 feet high by 12 feet wide and feature a tight 2.9-millimeter pixel spacing. These displays deliver additional statistics, graphics and sponsorship messaging throughout events.

On the backside of the main video display, two video displays face outside of the stadium to connect with fans as they arrive and experience the game-day atmosphere. These displays each measure 29.5 feet high by 52.5 feet wide, feature 10-millimeter pixel spacings and are some of the largest backside displays in college football. Its flexibility allows for pre-game hype videos, post-game victory animations showcasing the score for fans to celebrate, promotional opportunities for upcoming games and university events, and sponsorship or university messaging needs.

Daktronics is also including a complete Show Control solution including Camino with this installation. This industry-leading control system provides a combination of display control software, world-class video processing, data integration and playback hardware that forms a powerful yet user-friendly production solution. The addition of Camino to the control system will provide a new level of functionality to create dynamic, real-time rendered content never before possible in a Daktronics system.

Camino opens up creative possibilities to display visuals in a 2D/3D space, incorporating data-based logic to automate production elements, and developing timelines within a single piece of content so it can react in real time as the event unfolds.

In addition to the equipment installation, the Fighting Illini will also receive a content package that will be produced and delivered by Daktronics Creative Services.

Daktronics has grown with the sports industry from the company’s beginnings in 1968. Today, the company has LED video display installations at hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States. For more information on what Daktronics can provide for the collegiate market, visit www.daktronics.com/college.

About Daktronics

Daktronics helps its customers to impact their audiences throughout the world with large-format LED video displays, message displays, scoreboards, digital billboards, audio systems and control systems in sport, business and transportation applications. Founded in 1968 as a USA-based manufacturing company, Daktronics has grown into the world leader in audiovisual systems and implementation with offices around the globe. Discover more at www.daktronics.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Cautionary Notice: In addition to statements of historical fact, this news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is intended to enjoy the protection of that Act. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s expectations or beliefs concerning future events. The Company cautions that these and similar statements involve risk and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations, including, but not limited to, changes in economic and market conditions, management of growth, timing and magnitude of future contracts and orders, fluctuations in margins, the introduction of new products and technology, the impact of adverse weather conditions, increased regulation and other risks described in the company’s SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for its 2025 fiscal year. Forward-looking statements are made in the context of information available as of the date stated. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise such statements to reflect new circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur.



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Jordan Seaton enters transfer portal: Colorado OT can expect NIL bidding war

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4 hours ago

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January 13, 2026

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Colorado offensive tackle Jordan Seaton is the college football transfer portal’s best-available prospect after announcing entry with a goodbye letter. The 6-foot-5, 330-pounder was a five-star signee for Deion Sanders and Colorado as the gem of its 2024 recruiting cycle. He projects as one of the 2027 NFL Draft’s top prospects.

Seaton, the No. 4 overall transfer per 247Sports and the top offensive tackle, can expect quite the bidding war with NIL money.

“(His) reported asking price is around $2.5M,” 247Sports’ college football and transfer portal analyst Cooper Petagna said. “I would expect him to receive north of $3 million considering the number of tackle needy contenders.”

During his high-school recruitment, Maryland was in the mix for Seaton, a former Washington (D.C.) St. John’s College High star, as coach Mike Locksley developed a relationship with the massive blocker. The third highest-rated recruit in Colorado history, Seaton started all 22 games during which he appeared with the Buffalos.

Seaton’s exit is Colorado’s biggest loss this offseason. Seaton played 1,421 offensive snaps over his two-year stint, grading out at 67.2 as a true freshman in 2024 and 65.8 as a sophomore this season, via Pro Football Focus.

The Buffaloes lost more than three dozen players to the portal since their season-ending loss at Utah to finish 3-9.

“The thing about these guys man, you’ve got to understand when a guy leaves a program that selected him or picked him out of the portal, he leaves for a multitude of reasons,” Sanders said about Colorado’s expected roster changes. “The No. 1 reason people leave is money. It’s not a disdain for staff or a disdain for player, it’s money. Let’s just be honest man and stop sugar-coating this foolishness. That’s why most people leave. 

“I admire the guys that want to go for another opportunity or bigger opportunity and play for a national championship … I applaud that, but that’s not the No. 1 reason people leave programs.”





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Arizona State football ranks in middle of Big 12 in NIL dollars, agent says

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4 hours ago

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January 13, 2026

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TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — Arizona State ranks somewhere in the middle of the Big 12 Conference for football name, image and likeness (NIL) spending, according to a Tempe-based agent.

Peter Boyle, founder and CEO of Activate Sports Management, said ASU has made significant progress since NIL rules were implemented in July 2021.

“If I were to guess based off what I see when you’re talking about football, which is primarily what people are talking, and men’s basketball,” Boyle said. “Keep in mind, there’s baseball NIL and softball NIL and volleyball. Those programs also have revenue share, although to a much lesser degree. But when it comes to football, I would put ASU somewhere in the middle of the Big 12.”

NIL transforms college sports

More than four years after NIL rules were first put in place, the impacts on college sports are becoming clear.

“It’s professional sports now,” Boyle said. “I have a kind of thing where, when my clients sign their first deal, I say welcome to professional sports. Like it is that.”

Boyle said contracts from some schools include incentive-based payments.

“You literally see contracts from some schools, not the Big 12, but I have clients across all different Power 4 schools that have, like, incentive-based payments in them,” he said. “Like, if you are the Big Ten Player of the Week, that’s another $10,000. So, these are professional sports contracts.”

When it comes to quarterback Sam Leavitt, Boyle believes his move to LSU is largely about money.

ASU’s NIL progress

Universities do not report their NIL dollars publicly, making exact comparisons difficult. However, Boyle said he has insight from running a NIL agency based in Tempe.

Three years ago, Boyle would have ranked ASU at the bottom of the pack. NIL dollars differ by conference, with SEC and Big Ten deals typically exceeding Big 12 amounts, though the gap has narrowed.

Boyle has insider knowledge from ASU athletes he represents.

“What they were making three years ago is what a lot of the roster makes now. And those are the top paid guys,” he said. “So it’s a notable difference for sure.”

Donations versus business deals

ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham recently spoke at Mountain America Stadium about finding a wealthy person in Phoenix who could give the football program $20 million. However, Boyle said large donations are not the answer.

“If a donor gives $20 million today, what does that do? It’s monopoly money,” Boyle said. “Because that’s not a business deal that has true business value that can be put into NIL go and pass the CSC. That’s a donation. That’s the old model.”

Boyle said a large donation could help offset revenue share costs and provide ASU more money for facilities, but if the university is playing by the rules, such a donation would not help with NIL deals.

Business deals are more important in college sports, according to Boyle.

“I think if businesses get involved and they can pass through the CSC and be true NIL deals, then there are certainly businesses that hopefully would get involved that would significantly increase ASU’s value provide above cap or above market deals,” he said.

Boyle said he expects the current NIL system to continue without significant changes and that fans should get used to the new landscape.

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Copyright 2026 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.



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