College Athletics Is Changing, Again. But Don’t Allow It To Ruin Your Experience

Doesn’t it feel like just yesterday we were watching a clip of Nick Saban taking a shot at Jimbo Fisher’s roster-building techniques at Texas A&M as NIL first made its way into college athletics? 

The entire landscape of sports has changed, and some will argue it has only gotten worse along the way, ever since that press conference inside the Aggies’ football facility in College Station, Texas. As we sit here, waiting for July to roll around, with the new era of athletics set to begin, it’s hard not to look back and think about how far we’ve come. 

The problem with looking back, though, is we see how many mistakes were made along the way. How bad leadership at the highest levels turned out to be, given that NIL was rolled out like a game of dodgeball with zero rules. 

Sure, there were some rules put in place, but it was undoubtedly a free-for-all as collectives were formed under the guise of helping athletes procure deals that would see them take part in the local automotive dealership commercial, or one of the many BBQ restaurants located in a college town. 

House V. NCAA Settlement Now Hinges On Roster Limits Being Phased In, Or Judge Will Deny Settlement

While it’s easy to look back while trying to look forward, it’s certainly not very hard to put the blame on the folks who decided to allow NIL to begin, without guardrails that would put us in the spot we are currently in. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for these college athletes making the most money they can off their talents that are displayed on a field, or court, during a season. 

Legalizing What Was ‘Illegal’ Just Five Years Ago In College Sports

Clearly, college sports were just late to the party. It’s funny to think about all the fuss that was made over Johnny Manziel making loads of money signing autographs in a Miami hotel room, and the scrutiny that followed. If we’re honest, it’s even crazier to think that just five years ago, Jeremy Pruitt was fired from his job for being involved in payments to athletes, most notably a fast-food bag full of cash given to a parent’s mom. 

Seriously, that’s where we were just five years ago. Trust me, I remember digging up the details of everything that was going on within that football program, only to now think how crazy it is that somebody was fired over paying players. 

Obviously, there were other things that led to Pruitt being fired, which included a hotel scheme that was centered around making sure players weren’t paying for their trips on official and unofficial visits. 

Jeremy Pruitt Sues NCAA, Claiming $100 Million In Lost Wages And That Tennessee Conspired To Have Him Fired

Sure, there’s more to that story, which includes the then athletic director ‘resigning’, but still being paid more than $30,000 a month for a situation that some folks around the program at the time assumed he knew was going on. But that’s certainly in the past. While players on campuses across the country used to drive around in their Dodge Chargers or Challengers, we’re now seeing them drive a Lamborghini or Mercedes. 

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – OCTOBER 15: The Tennessee Volunteers run through the T before the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium on October 15, 2022 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 52-49. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)

Pretty crazy how much we can tell athletics has changed just by the car a player is driving, compared to just five years ago. But, we were always headed in this direction. A semi-professional model in college sports that looks more like an NFL roster as the days roll on. 

And while a lot of this might freak you out as a fan, we just have to learn to adapt. Sure, I’m a college sports fan, so I can include myself in this conversation. Hell, I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t, because it sure beats covering politics on a daily basis, but that’s just my preferred choice. Yes, I do love politics as well, but that’s just not my cup of tea when it comes to this profession. 

The President Involved In College Sports? Schools Directly Paying Players?

It’s funny that I bring up politics, because right at this moment there is an athletic director, commissioner or lobbyist talking to a lawmaker about how to ‘fix’ the problems with NIL and college athletics. I’d say it’s a pretty wild coincidence that I’m in some way covering a President, while still focusing on collegiate sports. But that’s where we are right now in this landscape, as leaders look to Congress for help in this ever-changing world where NIL has been at the forefront of nearly every conversation that involves a school. 

I know it’s aggravating for people who think this is a runaway freight train. Trust me, I see the emails you write every day that fill my inbox. Oh, and some of you certainly have some good ideas on how to fix our current situation. 

Texas A&M Goes Full-Send Into NIL Without Fear Of NCAA After President Says There Are ‘No Rules,’ Texas Rolls Out New State Law

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – MAY 01: U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with former Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban as Trump takes the stage to address graduating students at Coleman Coliseum at the University of Alabama on May 01, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Trump’s remarks come the day before  commencement ceremonies. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

But, we are headed for more change, and it’s assuredly going to agitate fans even more, which is hard to believe. Schools are about to start cutting weekly or monthly checks to players on a roster. Exactly the thing that coaches have been caught doing, and subsequently fired for over the last few decades, is about to become an everyday occurrence. 

Negotiations for a pay raise, or a contract extension, are going to be held inside the very building where an assistant coach would’ve been given a show-cause penalty if they had slid the top players a few hundred dollars in a manila envelope just years ago. 

That’s insane!

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – AUGUST 31: Xavier Restrepo #7 of the Miami Hurricanes celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on August 31, 2024 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Sure it is. But don’t let it ruin the sport, as a fan. Players have been paid by schools for decades now. It just used to come in a different way. As everything gets bigger, and players pick schools by how much one is willing to pay over the other, don’t lose sight of why you still love whichever sport that thrills you. 

Let me know what you think. Email me at TREY.WALLACE@OUTKICK.COM

And no, we won’t stop writing about how much schools are spending on a roster, given that’s what collegiate sports have become. We’ve got contracts, negotiations, buyouts, pay-raises, holdouts and just about everything else you see in the professional leagues. 

You’ve Come This Far. Don’t Allow This To Change Your Outlook On College Sports. 

While this might take away a bit of the ‘purity’ of college sports, you’re still going to be infuriated when your team loses. Christmas or Thanksgiving will be miserable if your favorite football team is not in the College Football Playoff. That message board you post on at least five times a day will be humming with some of the funniest or worst takes imaginable. 

The thrill of watching your favorite team run out of a tunnel or dugout will still be the same as it was ten years ago, though it might cost you a bit more to attend those games down the road. Don’t blame me, I’m just the reporter. 

The point is that while the phrases ‘House Settlement’ or ‘front-loaded deals’ will be discussed, along with ‘collective,’ – which is a horrible name, by the way, for a large group of fans and boosters who are renting players – don’t lose sight of why you’re still hanging around. 

Oh, and if you need a quick reality check on why you still love these crazy sports, go attend the College World Series in Omaha, or the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. 

Some say this is the end of college sports. I say we’re just getting started. 

Let me know what you think. Email me at TREY.WALLACE@OUTKICK.COM