NIL has affected everything in college sports since it began nearly four years ago in 2021. The pros have since felt those effects as well, specifically in their drafts, with how good some players have it in collegiate athletics now.

Jay Bilas explained the impact of name, image, and likeness on the NBA Draft going into tonight’s second round coverage while on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Thursday. He felt it had steadily decreased the value that teams can find in the second round with prospects who have remaining eligibility that could be selected in those spots, deciding to withdraw their names and return to college rather than be picked in the association.

“One thing you’re seeing with NIL now? Players are not only going to college. They’re staying in college longer,” Bilas said. “The second round is probably not – I haven’t like, you know, done this with a microscope. But the second round this year is probably not as good as the second round, like, two or three years ago because a lot of second-round picks are guys that would’ve come out two or three years ago, are staying in school because they’re going to make way more money staying in school.”

“If they’re not going to be first-round picks, they’re staying in (college),” Bilas said.

As many as 106 players, whether from college or international, entered their names to be early-entry candidates as part of this draft. Then, by the withdrawal deadline for college players on May 28th, 50 pulled their names out of this class.

Among the most notable on that list were Houston’s Milos Uzan, Duke’s Isaiah Evans, Florida’s Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, and Reuben Chinyelu, Kentucky’s Otega Oweh and Jaland Lowe, Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford, Alabama’s Labaron Philon, Arkansas’ Karter Knox, and NC State’s Darrion Williams. Those are several players who will make the difference for potential national title contenders. The rest of the names still then include ones who will absolutely affect their respective programs as well in ’25-’26.

Several of those names could have been or would have been selected tonight in the second round, or maybe even last night in the first round for some. However, name, image, and likeness has made it a much different decision-making process considering what those players could make over a year back in college than their first as rookies in the NBA.

First round picks make several million dollars on guaranteed deals as rookies, but second-round picks aren’t on the same wage scale, meaning less guaranteed money for contracts closer to the minimum or ones for a two-way signing. That’s the same value or less than some of them would make back in college, based on the compensation at their respective programs.

There are still good players to be found by franchises in the second round, with that on display tonight as 29 more selections will be made. Still, as compared to previous drafts in years past, there may be less talent available this year and in ones moving forward, as a result of NIL.

When EA Sports released its first college football video game in over a decade, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium ranked in the top 25 hardest home-field advantages in the game. In College Football 26, that’s no longer the case.

Arkansas football dropped from College Football 26 toughest places to play

Arkansas didn’t make the cut this year, but to be fair, it was shocking they made it in the first place. Over the last ten seasons, Arkansas has accumulated a home record just above .500 (35-34). Still, it wasn’t the most criticized choice, with Texas A&M coming in first place last year. Fans pointed out that the Aggies had recently lost to Appalachian State when the list was released, and it appears that EA Sports has righted their wrongs. Kyle Field now sits at No. 11.

However, the new ranking has its share of problems. The last five are especially heinous. Norte Dame comes in at No. 21, which is completely ridiculous. The Fighting Irish may be overrated most seasons, but they’re still excellent and have only had 12 losses in Notre Dane since the 2015-16 season.

It’s completely unrealistic to sandwich Notre Dame Stadium between Rice-Eccles Stadium (Utah) and Carter-Finely Stadium (NC State). No. 2022, 23, and 25 are off-the-wall picks, too, but for a different reason. With NC State at No. 22 and Oklahoma State at No. 23, they don’t exactly scream “terrifying home environments.”

Sure, Cowboy fans are basically on top of the players on the sideline, but Arkansas, which is annually a bottom-third SEC, nearly wiped the floor with them in Stillwater until the Hogs shot themselves in the foot. And OK State fans can’t quite claim the environment helped because Arkansas continued to do it all season, including at home.

Mississippi State comes in at No. 25, but let’s be real—it’s just because of the cowbells. EA Sports has taken too much advice from Christopher Walken. We, in fact, don’t need more cowbells. Davis Wade Stadium is hard to play in because opposing players can’t hear themselves talk, but that hasn’t stopped them from beating Mississippi Stat. The Bulldogs have a slightly higher home winning percentage (.588) than Arkansas.

Why does it matter?

In College Football 26, home-field advantage isn’t just cosmetic—it’s game-changing. Just like in College Football 25, EA Sports is turning up the intensity by making crowd energy and stadium atmosphere directly impact gameplay, only more so for its newest edition.

Players on the road will face a wave of immersive challenges like distorted play art, jittery screen shakes, blurred routes, and drops in confidence and composure. The rankings now carry real weight, as playing in a top-tier environment could rattle even the most composed athletes, just like on a real Saturday in the fall.

College Football 26 toughest places to play top 25 rankings

1. Tiger Stadium: LSU
2. Beaver Stadium: Penn State
3. Ohio Stadium: Ohio State
4. Stanford Stadium: Georgia
5. Bryant -Denney Stadium: Alabama
6. Memorial Stadium: Clemson
7. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium: Florida
8. Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memoria Stadium: Oklahoma
9. Autzen Stadium: Oregon
10. Michigan Stadium: Michigan
11. Kyle Field: Texas A&M
12. Neyland Stadium: Tennessee
13. Darrel K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium: Texas
14. Doak S. Campbell Stadium: Florida State
15. Camp Randall Stadium: Wisconsin
16. Williams-Brice Stadium: South Carolina
17. Jordan-Hare Stadium: Auburn
18. Husky Stadium: Washington
19. Kinnick Stadium: Iowa
20. Rice-Eccles Stadium: Utah
21. Notre Dame Stadium: Notre Dame
22. Carter-Finley Stadium: NC State
23. Boon Pickens Stadium: OK State
24. Spartan Stadium: Michigan State
25. Davis Wade Stadium: Mississippi State

State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country

United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People’s Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People’s Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People’s Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People’s Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People’s Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People’s Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People’s Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D’Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, Revolutionary People’s Rep’c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People’s RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People’s RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People’s Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People’s RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

We all know the importance of Penn State–Ohio State or the history of Oklahoma–Texas. Those games are already circled on every college football fan’s calendar.

But there are other games — either because of the particular circumstances of the season or because of where conference schedule-makers placed them — that hold equal importance. These are the Pivot Point games. They’re the wins that can launch a successful streak or the losses that send a team tumbling toward a failed season. 

Here are 10 September and early-October games that could make an outsize impact on each team’s season…

Florida at LSU – September 13

This is a guaranteed meltdown game. No matter the result, the losing team’s fanbase will lose its collective mind.

The fans of both these teams expect College Football Playoff contention. Because of the difficulty of the remaining schedules, the loser of this game might not be able to achieve that. 

LSU will have already played Clemson and has Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Alabama upcoming. Holding serve at home in the SEC opener will be critical for the Tigers.

The week after they visit Death Valley, the Gators play at Miami. Then, after an open date, they play Texas at home and then at Texas A&M. That gauntlet will define Florida’s season, and if it doesn’t start with a win, it could go poorly.

There’s nothing like a Saturday night in Death Valley. The greatest atmosphere in college football gets even better when the pressure gets poured on both teams.

Illinois at Indiana – September 20

This won’t be a CFP elimination game. It’s far too early in the season for that. But it will match two potential CFP contenders, and the loser might not be able to reach 10 wins.

Illinois brings back most of the best parts of a team that went 9-3 in the 2024 regular season. Indiana, meanwhile, is going to be far from a one-year wonder under coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers have some of the Big Ten’s most impactful players coming back after going 11-1.

Indiana’s schedule is harder this year, and the Hoosiers’ next two games are at Iowa and at Oregon. With a visit to Penn State still on the schedule, Indiana probably needs to go 2-1 in the Illinois-Iowa-Oregon stretch to be 10-2 or better.

Illinois will already have played Duke and still has Ohio State and a visit to Washington on the docket. This trip to Bloomington will be critical.

Auburn at Oklahoma – September 20

The Jackson Arnold Revenge Game will feature subplots aplenty, but it really comes down to this: Oklahoma and Auburn both expect a much better season than 2024, and both teams feel they should win this game.

I had this game on this list last season. It probably was the pivot point for Auburn, which collapsed following a crippling late interception to drop the second of four consecutive losses. The worst was still yet to come for Oklahoma, which suffered from subpar offensive line play and a receiver room riddled with injuries.

Auburn quarterback Arnold’s return to Norman is the dominant storyline, and it’s about as juicy as it gets. Former blue-chip recruit is hailed as the future of the program. Before he ascends to the starting job, the offensive coordinator leaves, the head coach makes a lazy hire and his season is torpedoed. Afterward, he’s cast aside to make room for a transfer (John Mateer) following the new offensive coordinator (Ben Arbuckle). Now Arnold has a chance to prove the Sooners wrong (or correct). Meanwhile, Mateer will face a defense led by one of the nation’s best edge rushers (Keldric Faulk). 

Both teams will have played tough out-of-conference opponents before this game — Baylor for Auburn, Michigan for Oklahoma — but this game starts tough stretches for each team. Auburn’s next three games are at Texas A&M and then home against Georgia and Missouri. Oklahoma has an open date and then Kent State before the Texas game touches off possibly the toughest seven-game stretch in college football history.

Texas Tech at Utah – September 20

It’s tough to pick Pivot Point games in the Big 12 because so many of the teams feel evenly matched. But for Texas Tech’s offseason investment in the transfer portal pays off,  the Red Raiders will need to be able to beat a team like Utah.

The Utes’ line of scrimmage players were recruited to win a Pac-12 that still included Oregon, Washington and USC, and if New Mexico transfer quarterback Devon Dampier can spark an offense that has struggled since Cam Rising injured his knee in the Rose Bowl following the 2022 season, then Utah should be capable of contending for the Big 12 title. 

This game will match two of the league’s best rosters, and the winner will have a big head-to-head chip in its pocket come November.

Oregon at Penn State – September 27

This will be the first major test for a new-look Ducks team that had to replace first-rounders on both lines of scrimmage and veteran quarterback. Oregon can lose this game and still make the College Football Playoff, but this is the type of team Oregon will have to beat once in the CFP.

The same goes for Penn State, but probably with more urgency. The Nittany Lions did make the semifinals last season, but they did it by beating SMU and Boise State. If Penn State wants to win a national title, it has to start beating opponents with elite talent. This is that type of game. Plus, with road games against Iowa and Ohio State and a visit from Indiana later in the season, there is no guarantee that Penn State can afford to lose this one.

Alabama at Georgia – September 27

This game didn’t necessarily prove anything last season. Alabama jumped on Georgia early and then survived a furious comeback, but the Crimson Tide ended up missing the CFP and Georgia wound up winning the SEC. 

The degree of difficulty of an Alabama win in Athens this season might be more indicative of a return to the CFP. With a new starting QB — we’re presuming Ty Simpson — this is a rough first SEC road game. (At least the Tide get the season opener at Florida State to work out any on-the-road kinks.) But if Simpson (or Keelon Russell, if it goes that way), can win between the hedges, he can win anywhere.

Meanwhile, Georgia will be coming off its SEC opener at Tennessee. A win in both could provide a huge confidence boost the rest of the way. Yes, the Bulldogs would still have to play Florida, Ole Miss and Texas, but they get the Rebels and Longhorns at home and haven’t lost to the Gators since 2020.

Boise State at Notre Dame – October 4

The Broncos don’t have to just win the Mountain West to get back to the CFP. They need to prove they can be competitive against a playoff-caliber opponent. Last year, Boise State’s loss at Oregon probably was more important than most of the Broncos’ wins because it showed they could go toe-to-toe against an elite roster. A win at Notre Dame would leave no doubt in that category.

The Fighting Irish have several tough early-season games (at Miami, Texas A&M), and this one ends a challenging early stretch. If Notre Dame comes out of it 5-0 or 4-1, the Irish probably are headed back to the CFP.

Michigan at USC – October 11

Last year’s meeting summed up much of what ailed both programs.

Michigan couldn’t throw, and USC couldn’t stop Michigan from scoring the winning touchdown even though everyone in the stadium knew Michigan couldn’t throw.

This meeting should provide a clear view of how — or whether — these teams have evolved. 

Michigan will have played Oklahoma, Nebraska and Wisconsin. (The Nebraska game likely will be without head coach Sherrone Moore because of a school-imposed suspension.) We should know by this point how much of a difference freshman QB Bryce Underwood will make. 

USC, meanwhile, will have three Big Ten games under its belt (Purdue, Michigan State, Illinois). It should be 2-1 at worst in those games, and a win against the Wolverines would put the Trojans in a great position heading into games at Notre Dame and Nebraska.

Louisville at Miami – October 17

The Hurricanes’ toughest games might come in the first month, but Notre Dame and Florida aren’t in the ACC. Miami can lose those games and still have a chance to make the CFP as the ACC champ (or possibly as an at-large). Louisville is a potential ACC title contender this year, but if Miami can beat the Cardinals it would put the Hurricanes in a good spot. Miami plays SMU but doesn’t play Clemson in the regular season, so beating Louisville on a Friday night could give the Hurricanes the inside track on an ACC title game berth.

Louisville plays Clemson and SMU in back-to-back weeks in November, so it might need to win this one to have a crack at the ACC title. 

Nebraska at Minnesota – October 17

The last Nebraska–Minnesota game — Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule’s debut in 2023 — was a prime example of the late-game collapses Rhule was hired to purge from the program. Two years later, Rhule seems to have made significant progress.

For Nebraska to take the next step, it needs to win games like this. Minnesota isn’t the sexiest opponent, but the Golden Gophers are tough, well coached and have beaten the Cornhuskers in the teams’ past five meetings. 

Minnesota also wants to take another step. The Gophers closed last season by winning six of their last eight, and coach P.J. Fleck’s team should start this season hot. Minnesota should be 5-1 when Nebraska visits. With trips to Iowa and Oregon still on the docket, a win against the Cornhuskers could provide big momentum heading into a critical stretch.