NIL
Charles Barkley Has Harsh Words for Auburn Tigers on NIL
Not all former college basketball stars are fans of the current state of college sports when it comes to name, image, and likeness. NBA TV analyst Charles Barkley can be added to that list. While he’s a fervent supporter of his alma mater, the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team, he certainly won’t be contributing to […]
Not all former college basketball stars are fans of the current state of college sports when it comes to name, image, and likeness.
NBA TV analyst Charles Barkley can be added to that list. While he’s a fervent supporter of his alma mater, the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team, he certainly won’t be contributing to their name, image, and likeness funds.
Barkley spoke about his love for Auburn in an appearance on a podcast with Outkick.com, but he balked at the notion of giving money to his college team.
“I’d do anything for Auburn, within reason,” Barkley said. “But I’m not gonna give Auburn millions of dollars so we can be good in football or basketball. That doesn’t help my life in any capacity. And let me tell you something: Black and broke does not work in any state. Guam, the District of Columbia, and all 50 states. I never want to be poor and Black. That does not work.”
Barkley elaborated that he would prefer to give his money to HBCU programs and support charitable efforts in his hometown—sending funds to those he believes need it.
“I just gave $10 million dollars to HBCU’s, that stuff is way more important to me,” Barkley said. “I just gave a couple of million dollars to ‘Blight‘, in my hometown of Birmingham, to tear down old houses and rebuild houses. That stuff is way more important to me than joining the cesspool that is college athletics. We’re such a sh–ty country, Dan. We’ve ruined college athletics, and I don’t wanna even get in that cesspool.”
That seems to be a consensus opinion, particularly of former college stars who didn’t traverse the NIL landscape and who have watched their college basketball teams get blown up by the season in the transfer portal.
“This notion that you have to come up with tens of millions of dollars to pay kids to play basketball and have them be free agents every year and transfer to another school and get more money every year. Like, we don’t even get to do that in the NBA. Can you imagine if players in the NBA got to be a free agent every year?”
Barkley clarified that he’s not opposed to players being paid for NIL, but that there’s no return on investment at all for those giving to multimillion players who may only be there for one season.
Barkley spoke about both the immediate problems and the bigger picture when it comes to asking fans and alumni to donate to NIL funds.
They may not last that long on the field or court. Off it, there are larger causes to give money to than the pockets of star college athletes.
NIL
Bill Paulos of UNLV NIL collective Friends of UNILV discusses future | UNLV
The universe of name, image and likeness continues to alter college athletics at every turn. NIL has changed the game. It’s mostly an incentive by collectives to raise money for the purpose of enticing recruits to sign with a respective school. Some of these deals have reached astronomical levels, with the best of the best […]
The universe of name, image and likeness continues to alter college athletics at every turn. NIL has changed the game.
It’s mostly an incentive by collectives to raise money for the purpose of enticing recruits to sign with a respective school.
Some of these deals have reached astronomical levels, with the best of the best athletes receiving millions of dollars.
But that might change if and when the House vs. NCAA antitrust case is decided, if schools are allowed a revenue-sharing system to compensate athletes directly.
It could also have important implications for the future of NIL. It could include a central clearinghouse to review and assess all NIL deals. But make no mistake, NIL in some form or fashion is here to stay.
And it could remain the same for years depending on the appeals certain to come with the House decision.
Friends of UNILV is the collective for the Rebels, the outside arm that raises money for the purpose of earning the interest of recruits who have UNLV on their list of prospective schools.
Bill Paulos leads the NIL efforts for UNLV. The Review-Journal recently chatted with Paulos about his role and that of NIL at the university.
RJ: What is the overall goal for NIL specific to UNLV?
Paulos: The goal of UNLV NIL is to get into a power conference like the Big 12. That’s the goal. If we want to do that, we need to act like a power conference school. That’s UNLV’s goal. That’s my goal. That’s everyone’s goal here.
But these power conferences need to know we can raise money for NIL, that we can compete at that level.
RJ: Is that plausible? What have you seen in your numbers to make you believe that level of resources can be raised?
Paulos: It is absolutely plausible. We’re having more success this year than we’ve ever had. Major companies in town are supporting us. And in order for us to get coaches of the stature of (Dan Mullen in football and Josh Pastner in basketball), we had to assure them we could raise NIL money so they could compete.
If you go out and hire a coach today, the first question isn’t necessarily how much money they’re going to make. It’s about how strong is your NIL.
RJ: How have you been selling your top programs to donors?
Paulos: Basically, it’s like this: You may not like what NIL is today, but we need to explain to everybody it’s going to morph into a much better situation. It’s giving back to the university through the athletic department.
We know in the 1980s and 1990s UNLV became UNLV because of Jerry Tarkanian and Runnin’ Rebel basketball. The last two years, when we had incredible national exposure with our football team, our registrations with the university went up 6 percent. That’s real money.
Should we get into a conference like the Big 12, we now get millions of more a year through television revenues, and Las Vegas gets a tremendous amount of exposure. That’s what we sell — it’s a major economic benefit to Las Vegas and UNLV.
RJ: What in your mind will change with NIL at UNLV should the House vs. NCAA settlement end with schools being permitted to provide direct financial payments to student-athletes?
Paulos: It’s not going to eradicate the use of outside funds and collectives like NIL in order to help the university raise money. It will just help schools monitor their payments to report outside NIL agreements. There will be more regulation when it comes to NIL deals. I believe you’re not going to see the $5 million quarterback for much longer.
RJ: You earlier said it was a goal to double the $1.5 million raised for basketball last season and to increase the $3 million for football. Will you make those numbers?
Paulos: We haven’t missed yet, and we don’t intend on missing this year. There is new wealth in Las Vegas, small companies that are doing very well. We’re getting more and more people interested in helping UNLV succeed.
You look at stories of (Power Four) conference teams, when their athletic departments became the front porch of their universities. They’ve all exceeded their wildest expectations, That’s our hope — 100 percent.
This is a passion for me and, quite frankly, those we sit down with and ask to donate. They’re doing it to get recognition for the university and to get us into a power conference, Which would mean so much to the city as a whole.
RJ: Has the NIL collective at UNLV gone the way you first imagined?
Paulos: It’s hard to believe, but this is our fifth year raising funds. We have doubled our fundraising almost every single year, and this year we’ll triple it. We give to all sports — any sport that signs up with the collective. We’ll help anybody. You tell me where the money goes. I don’t tell you.
We’re the most attractive person at the dance right now. If you want your athletic department to be successful and competitive and keep moving forward, there is no choice. You have to pay. The horse has left the barn. This is here to stay.
If you want something to happen like UNLV getting into a power conference, this is what you’re going to have to do.
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
NIL
Las Vegas News | Breaking News & Headlines
Police: Man killed in alleged break-in at Las Vegas country club home lived in the private community May 16, 2025 – 3:18 pmMay 16, 2025 – 6:08 pm The Metropolitan Police Department received a call May 4 from a woman who said someone had broken into her home and her husband “had to shoot the […]
The Metropolitan Police Department received a call May 4 from a woman who said someone had broken into her home and her husband “had to shoot the intruder.”
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NIL
College Sports Chaos
The universe of name, image and likeness continues to alter college athletics at every turn. NIL has changed the game. It’s mostly an incentive by collectives to raise money for the purpose of enticing recruits to sign with a respective school. Some of these deals have reached astronomical levels, with the best of the best […]
The universe of name, image and likeness continues to alter college athletics at every turn. NIL has changed the game.
It’s mostly an incentive by collectives to raise money for the purpose of enticing recruits to sign with a respective school.
Some of these deals have reached astronomical levels, with the best of the best athletes receiving millions of dollars.
But that might change if and when the House vs. NCAA antitrust case is decided, if schools are allowed a revenue-sharing system to compensate athletes directly.
It could also have important implications for the future of NIL. It could include a central clearinghouse to review and assess all NIL deals. But make no mistake, NIL in some form or fashion is here to stay.
And it could remain the same for years depending on the appeals certain to come with the House decision.
Friends of UNILV is the collective for the Rebels, the outside arm that raises money for the purpose of earning the interest of recruits who have UNLV on their list of prospective schools.
Bill Paulos leads the NIL efforts for UNLV. The Review-Journal recently chatted with Paulos about his role and that of NIL at the university.
RJ: What is the overall goal for NIL specific to UNLV?
Paulos: The goal of UNLV NIL is to get into a power conference like the Big 12. That’s the goal. If we want to do that, we need to act like a power conference school. That’s UNLV’s goal. That’s my goal. That’s everyone’s goal here.
But these power conferences need to know we can raise money for NIL, that we can compete at that level.
RJ: Is that plausible? What have you seen in your numbers to make you believe that level of resources can be raised?
Paulos: It is absolutely plausible. We’re having more success this year than we’ve ever had. Major companies in town are supporting us. And in order for us to get coaches of the stature of (Dan Mullen in football and Josh Pastner in basketball), we had to assure them we could raise NIL money so they could compete.
If you go out and hire a coach today, the first question isn’t necessarily how much money they’re going to make. It’s about how strong is your NIL.
RJ: How have you been selling your top programs to donors?
Paulos: Basically, it’s like this: You may not like what NIL is today, but we need to explain to everybody it’s going to morph into a much better situation. It’s giving back to the university through the athletic department.
We know in the 1980s and 1990s UNLV became UNLV because of Jerry Tarkanian and Runnin’ Rebel basketball. The last two years, when we had incredible national exposure with our football team, our registrations with the university went up 6 percent. That’s real money.
Should we get into a conference like the Big 12, we now get millions of more a year through television revenues, and Las Vegas gets a tremendous amount of exposure. That’s what we sell — it’s a major economic benefit to Las Vegas and UNLV.
RJ: What in your mind will change with NIL at UNLV should the House vs. NCAA settlement end with schools being permitted to provide direct financial payments to student-athletes?
Paulos: It’s not going to eradicate the use of outside funds and collectives like NIL in order to help the university raise money. It will just help schools monitor their payments to report outside NIL agreements. There will be more regulation when it comes to NIL deals. I believe you’re not going to see the $5 million quarterback for much longer.
RJ: You earlier said it was a goal to double the $1.5 million raised for basketball last season and to increase the $3 million for football. Will you make those numbers?
Paulos: We haven’t missed yet, and we don’t intend on missing this year. There is new wealth in Las Vegas, small companies that are doing very well. We’re getting more and more people interested in helping UNLV succeed.
You look at stories of (Power Four) conference teams, when their athletic departments became the front porch of their universities. They’ve all exceeded their wildest expectations, That’s our hope — 100 percent.
This is a passion for me and, quite frankly, those we sit down with and ask to donate. They’re doing it to get recognition for the university and to get us into a power conference, Which would mean so much to the city as a whole.
RJ: Has the NIL collective at UNLV gone the way you first imagined?
Paulos: It’s hard to believe, but this is our fifth year raising funds. We have doubled our fundraising almost every single year, and this year we’ll triple it. We give to all sports — any sport that signs up with the collective. We’ll help anybody. You tell me where the money goes. I don’t tell you.
We’re the most attractive person at the dance right now. If you want your athletic department to be successful and competitive and keep moving forward, there is no choice. You have to pay. The horse has left the barn. This is here to stay.
If you want something to happen like UNLV getting into a power conference, this is what you’re going to have to do.
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
NIL
Why involving the Federal Government is not how NIL should be fixed in college sports
Yes, we need resolution in some areas when it comes to NIL, and yes there needs to be a system in place that is universal for all colleges when it comes to this system. However, getting the federal government involved in fixing the NIL issue seems like a very bad idea. Congress can’t agree on […]
Yes, we need resolution in some areas when it comes to NIL, and yes there needs to be a system in place that is universal for all colleges when it comes to this system.
However, getting the federal government involved in fixing the NIL issue seems like a very bad idea. Congress can’t agree on resolution on issues that have far more reaching effect on the American people. I can only imagine how long it would take for any changes to be greed on when it comes to NIL. Donald Trump may have been right about Nick Saban leading a commission to find real resolutions, but getting congress involved in this just isn’t a good look.
There are enough smart people between conference commissioners, athletic directors, school officials, and maybe even former players who can be put on a committee to figure out a system that works well for all involved.
Right now yes, the players have all the power when it comes to NIL and the transfer portal. There are plenty of people who are tired of players leaving schools in the portal for bigger pay days at other schools. We of course saw it play out right in front of us with the Nico Iamaleava situation.
At times there seems to be more of a pay for play rather than players being paid for what NIL is meant to be for. Players being paid has always been part of college sports, but the outrage of it comes more from it being known now and the advantage some universities with paying under the table isn’t there anymore.
When this committee is formed I do think it needs to be diverse with all sides being represented as a push for a committee involving the government seems to be more to benefit the schools more so than the players who have had the upper hand as of late.
There are thoughts that some of these atheletes are getting far more than what they should be, but I feel like people with money trying to limit possible income for these players isn’t a good look either. It’s a slippery slope on all sides, but the most important is what agreement is put ito place is something that will last for awhile and be uniform for everyone from the Power Four conferences on down.
The processes that need to be put in place when it comes to NIL may take awhile as the issues that need to be solved are complex.
The complexities could have been much less than where they are now if the NCAA hadn’t been so against players getting paid for autographs or memorabilia over the years. Just as the NCAA is an organization that seems more of a joke and doesn’t do anything to fix the issues within sports, the government getting involved does nothing but further muddy the water.
Getting too many outsiders who may not have the right understanding about how sports work etc, isn’t a good thing. Politics get involved even in sports these days, but keeping politics and sports separated especially in this area is crucial. The next couple of months should be very interesting with NIL and the transfer portal.
NIL
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Extra Inning Softball Influencers Hear from top-ranked athletes from the Extra Elite 100 as they share their journey as an author of their own story. TRENDING NEWS: The Evolution of Rankings Bonnie Holland, CEO of Extra Inning Softball shares the inside scoop on the controversial topic of rankings & shares improvements to content. Commit Crew […]
NIL
Early returns on Nebraska football's 2025 transfer portal class
Nebraska made notable transfer portal additions in all three phases this offseason. Of the 15 transfer newcomers, many should make immediate impacts for the Huskers in 2025. Here is a rundown of what we’ve heard about NU’s portal class so far and what we expect from each player this season… Tunnel Talk: Raiola’s role grows, […]
Nebraska made notable transfer portal additions in all three phases this offseason. Of the 15 transfer newcomers, many should make immediate impacts for the Huskers in 2025.
Here is a rundown of what we’ve heard about NU’s portal class so far and what we expect from each player this season…
Tunnel Talk: Raiola’s role grows, NIL shifts recruiting, and June visit intel
QB Marcos Davila
Coming out of the spring, quarterback Marcos Davila continues to learn the Dana Holgorsen offense. The safe projection right now is that Davila will be the Huskers’ No. 3 quarterback in 2025, behind Daylan Raiola and Jalyn Gramstad.
WR Dane Key
Kentucky transfer wide receiver Dane Key has lived up to the early billing. He’s projected to be one of the leaders of the 2025 football team and the odds-on favorite to lead the Big Red in receiving this season.
WR Nyziah Hunter
Like Key, Cal wide receiver transfer Nyziah Hunter is projected to start and play a significant role in NU’s 2025 offense. Early reports on Hunter indicate that he’s a fierce competitor and not afraid to get after the defense in a practice situation.
OL Elijah Pritchett
Alabama transfer Elijah Pritchett was one of Nebraska’s biggest portal acquisitions this offseason. Today, he’s projected to be NU’s starter at left tackle and from all reports, had a very strong spring.
OL Rocco Spindler
Like Pritchett, Notre Dame guard Rocco Spindler was another significant off-season addition by Nebraska. After starting for the Irish the last two seasons, Spindler now walks into a situation where he will be a Day 1 starter at right guard.
DL Williams Nwaneri
Former five-star defensive end Williams Nwaneri came to Nebraska from Missouri, where he redshirted in 2024. This one is hard to read right now, because one would think Nwaneri is a projected starter, but at a minimum, he will split snaps at one of NU’s defensive end spots with players like Cameron Lenhardt and Keona Davis.
DL Gabe Moore
Mississippi State transfer Gabe Moore sat out the 2024 season for a medical reason. Today, Moore looks to be more of a depth piece heading into 2025.
DL Jaylen George
Before being sidelined this spring with an injury, the reports were strong on East Tennessee State defensive lineman Jaylen George. He should have a chance to fight for snaps this summer on the defensive line, but it’s hard to get a clear read since he was out this spring.
EDGE/LB Dasan McCullough
Oklahoma transfer Dasan McCullough was another of Nebraska’s high-value transfer portal additions this offseason. McCullough has the ability to play in all three levels of the defense, but looks to project into more of a hybrid linebacker/pass rushing edge player in 2025. He and Willis McGahee IV will be big for Nebraska in that area.
LB Marques Watson-Trent
Linebacker Marques Watson-Trent enters the 2025 season as the reigning Sun Belt defensive player of the year. He projects to start for the Huskers at linebacker and could be NU’s leading tackler in 2025. This could be one of the better additions on defense for the Huskers when it’s all said and done.
DB Andrew Marshall
Idaho cornerback Andrew Marshall was another sneaky good add for the Huskers. He was the best cornerback in the Big Sky Conference in 2024, and from all reports, is in a great spot to win a starting job at Nebraska. Marshall could also factor in as both a kick and punt returner.
DB Justyn Rhett
Georgia transfer Justyn Rhett was a well-known high school prospect before joining NU. Coming out of the spring, he looks to be in a position to battle for two-deep snaps, but is not a projected starter at this time.
DB Jamir Conn
Southern Illinois transfer Jamir Conn was an accomplished starter at the FCS ranks, but did not take part in spring practice at NU due to an injury. Conn will have to battle now to get on the field in 2025 in a highly competitive cornerback room.
LS Kevin Gallic
Long snapper was among Nebraska’s most significant needs in 2025, as crazy as that may sound. Kevin Gallic gives them a proven and accomplished snapper that should step right in and give the Huskers an immediate upgrade.
K Kyle Cunanan
After parting ways with punter transfer, Jack McCallister, Nebraska, added a late kicker from the portal, Kyle Cunanan, from Cal and Charlotte. He will battle it out primarily with John Hohl to be NU’s starter in 2025, and also projects today as the Huskers’ kickoff specialist, as Brian Buschini handled those duties a year ago.
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